《What It s Like Being a Vampire》 Chapter 1 - Chapter 1: Prologue Chapter 1: Prologue Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Prologue Whats it like to become a vampire? When Xiang Kun first came across this question on Zhihu, he didnt take it seriously. After all, most of the highly upvoted answers were either stories obviously made up on a whim, featuring vampires as either wealthy, handsome heirs or brooding, deeply romantic old playboys C essentially, romance novels. The few who did seriously delve into the origins of vampire legends and potential medical explanations were few and far between, mostly overshadowed. Clearly, most people didnt think this question needed to be taken seriously. The one who posted this question probably did so with a rather tongue-in-cheek attitude. For Kun, it was like reading a novel. After casually reading a few answers, he switched to other topics. Little did he know that before long, he would be more than qualified to answer this question himself. Chapter 2 - Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Changes Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Changes Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chapter Two: The Mutation Mom, work is hectic right now, but once things settle down Ill be able to take some time off. Ill come visit you then. Xiang Kun hadnt revealed to his mother that he had lost his job. He didnt want his family to worry. He had some savings to tide him over for now. All he needed to do was find a new job soon. After hanging up, Xiang Kun picked up his glasses he had taken off earlier, wiped them off, and put them on. He checked the date on his phone again; July 14th, Sunday, no mistake there. However, he was certain that the day he left the company and drank his sorrows away was July 11th, Thursday! His chat histories on WeChat, Alipays records of him paying at a food stand, and his ride requests on the Didi app all confirmed this. According to the ride records, he got home around 8:50 p.m. Too drunk to brush his teeth or even change out of his clothes, he collapsed onto his bed and fell asleep. And now it was 10:47 in the morning on July 14th. Had he been asleep for over two days, almost sixty hours? Could such a long snooze be possible from just three beers? Even if he didnt hold his booze well, it was unlikely! The strange thing was that after having slept for such a long time, he didnt feel hungry or thirsty at all upon waking up. Xiang Kun boiled some water and fixed himself a bowl of instant noodles, but after only a few bites, he felt a strong discomfort in his stomach and rushed to the bathroom to vomit. Is it a hangover from getting drunk? he wondered. Still rubbing his belly, Xiang Kun slipped on his shoes and stepped out to find something light to eat. Once outside, the glaring sunlight seemed to intensify his dizziness, so he stuck to the shaded sidewalks to avoid the sun as much as possible. He found a small eatery near his place and ordered porridge with a couple of side dishes. However, he could barely eat for a few minutes before a wave of abdominal cramp hit him. He rushed outside and vomited by the roadside. His tears and nose ran as he hurled, drawing the perplexed stares of the shop owner and her assistant. Xiang Kun took the tissue offered by the waiter and wiped his mouth, then turned to them and waved his hand. Its not your food, he assured them, I just drank too much last night and my stomach is upset. After he paid for his unfinished meal, Xiang Kun decided to visit a nearby clinic, even though he didnt feel hungry and apart from feeling a little weak and dizzy, he didnt have any other symptoms. The local doctor at the clinic was an experienced elderly man. He was reputed to have been a skilled surgeon before retiring from a top-tiered hospital. Xiang Kun had visited this clinic a couple of times before and found the doctor reliable. Slept for two days after getting drunk? The doctor checked Xiang Kuns pulse and examined his tongue while collecting his medical history. You barely drink, right? Plus, youve had lesser sleep and been staying awake for long hours recently. Your body is weak. Here are some medicines for you. Get proper rest, eat light, no smoking or alcohol, and consume more vegetables and fruits. Doctor, is it troublesome to sleep for almost sixty hours after getting drunk? And my teeth seem a bit loose Its unusual to sleep for such a long period. As for your loose teeth, it might be inflammation causing gum recession. Keep your mouth clean and stay hydrated. Or you might want to visit a dentist. If you are still worried, you should go for a full body check-up. The old doctor noted down the prescription and handed it to Xiang Kun. Even though the doctor didnt see it as a major issue, Xiang Kun still felt something strange about his body. He decided there at the clinic entrance that he would take the prescribed medicine, get some sleep and observe. If he still felt strange the next day, he would go for a full-body examination at the hospital. It was past noon by now. The delightful smells of food wafted from every small shop along the street, but Xiang Kun had no appetite at all. This lack of hunger caused him anxiety. He should have been starving after such a long gap since his last meal. Why didnt he feel like eating anything? Thinking of buying some bread as a backup in case he got hungry later, he walked past a marketplace. There, he was attracted by an unexpected aroma and unknowingly stepped into the market. The marketplace was quite empty at this time. Xiang Kun followed the tantalizing aroma until its source a woman efficiently butchering chickens. Unbelievably, the aroma that had attracted him was the putrid smell of chicken blood! Normally, the sight and smell of blood would repulse Xiang Kun and make him want to distance himself. But now, he felt an insatiable craving welling up deep within him. Xiang Kun hesitated for a little and then asked the woman if he could buy a chicken. The woman asked him to pick one himself. After Xiang Kun chose a chicken, the woman began to butcher it, but Xiang Kun stopped her and took the live chicken home instead. As soon as he closed the front door, he brought out his Swiss Army Knife. He looked up how to kill a chicken and drain its blood, and then took the chicken to the bathroom to do it. Since it was his first time butchering a chicken, the bird put up a fight and ran all over the place. It took a lot of effort to catch it. Once he had it, he clumsily plucked the feathers from its neck and slit the blood vessel to let the blood drain out. Not waiting for the stainless-steel soup pot to fill up with chicken blood, Xiang Kun couldnt resist the urge and started sucking from the wound. When Xiang Kun finally woke up, he found chicken feathers all over his room, across the floor to his bed, even on his body and around his mouth. The drained chicken lay dead at the bathroom door with blood everywhere, making his apartment look like a crime scene. He remembered the irresistible urge that drove him to buy a chicken, kill it and drink its blood. After drinking the blood, he had felt completely exhausted and quickly fell asleep once he lay on his bed. He checked his phone only to find that he had slept for over 24 hours again, from 1 p.m. the past day until 4 p.m. today. He felt something in his mouth, spit it into his hand and found that he had just spat out two teeth. Shocked, he rushed to the bathroom, flicked on the light and inspected his reflection in the mirror. He found his teeth were all loose in their sockets and could easily be pulled out with a little force. However, beneath each pulled tooth were new teeth growing. At thirty, losing his teeth and growing new ones?! What baffled him even more was his face in the mirror. Apart from the chicken feathers and dried blood, the skin on his face looked like a torn layer of food wrap. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was his skin peeling off like dead skin. And it was not just his face. His arms, stomach, legs, his entire body was shedding its skin like a reptile! Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: Chapter 3 Analysis of the Current Status Chapter 3: Chapter 3 Analysis of the Current Status Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chapter Three: Analyzing the Situation Xiang Kun vigorously rubbed his face and arm, quickly scraping off the hardened layer of dead skin to reveal the new, smooth skin underneath. He tugged at his hair and it came out in large clumps as if it had been simply glued on his head. After taking a bath and scrubbing his whole body, Xiang Kun stood in front of the mirror again. What he saw was a noticeably younger version of himself. Aside from his baldness and regrowing set of teeth, which looked a bit strange, he looked quite different. He wrapped the rotting and somewhat stinking chicken carcass in a few layers of garbage bags. After cleaning up the mess of chicken feathers and blood all over the house, Xiang Kun sat down on the only chair in the room, deep in thought about the chain of events that have happened to him. No doubt, everything started on Thursday night when he got drunk. When he woke up, his body began to show anomalies. He lost his appetite for normal food and would vomit anything he ate. Yet, he felt an inexplicable thirst for animal blood, even to the point of purchasing a live chicken to drink from its severed neck. Although he remembered the process of buying the chicken, killing it, and drinking its blood quite clearly, he felt at the time like he was driven by primal instincts and hunger, unable to control himself. Now, after drinking chicken blood and sleeping the entire day, he discovered that his skin had shed a layer, all his hair fell out, and all his teeth were falling out to be replaced by new ones. While taking his shower, he noticed that all his fingernails had also fallen off to reveal a layer of tender new nails growing underneath. Unless it was all hallucinations, this clearly was not the result of being hungover, inflamed, or sleep-deprived. Neither was it any disease he had ever heard of or witnessed. Scenes from various novels and films he had seen in the past flashed through his mind and then froze on three words: Vampire. If someone told Xiang Kun he would become a vampire before last Thursday, he would definitely think that person was either insane or a fraud. Yet at this moment, as he reckons with his current situation and his past experiences, these three words uncontrollably filled his mind. He opened his laptop and searched for his symptoms online. Predictably, he didnt find any scientific explanation. Diseases like Pica, Rabies, and Porphyria did not align well with his symptoms, especially the inexplicable regrowth of his teeth and the shedding of his skin. As a programmer, using a VPN to access Google was basic protocol, but even when he searched on the wider Internet with English keywords, he only found unrealistic folklore and no case that matched his symptoms exactly. Now what to do? Go see a doctor? Undeniably, clinical examinations and professional medical procedures would be helpful to understand his condition better. But what would he say to the doctor? That after a heavy drinking session, he suddenly couldnt tolerate normal food and whatever he ate was spat back out. But he found a liking for drinking chicken blood, and after a long sleep post blood-feast, his skin and teeth underwent transformation, and he lost all his hair? Assuming that what he has is a disease, not finding any relevant case online could only mean: First, he might be the first person to contract this disease. Second, previous cases could have been deliberately hidden, and never made public. Regardless of what the actual scenario was, if Xiang Kun sought medical attention, he was very likely to become a subject of intensive monitoring, and he could potentially be protectively stripped of his freedom. At that time, he might not have to worry about medical bills, but the hospital or any other institutions main concern might not be to save his life or cure him, but to investigate the disease he contracted. After careful consideration, he decided not to go to the hospital, at least not until he could no longer control the deterioration of his condition, or his life was endangered. Of course, this was a risk. If it was indeed a life-threatening disease, he might be missing the best time for treatment. Xiang Kun opened a new Word document on his laptop, put on his glasses, and was about to start typing when he felt a little dizzy. The screen images seemed a little distorted. He removed his glasses and the dizziness immediately disappeared. Understanding what was happening, Xiang Kun pulled the curtains open slightly and looked at the words on a distant billboard. He could now see a few ad slogans that were previously blurry without his glasses. Although his nearsightedness is still apparent, his eyesight had improved significantly. Having faced the conditions of his teeth and skin before, Xiang Kun immediately recognized that this was also part of the symptoms. After licking his teeth with his tongue, Xiang Kun went to the bathroom to look in the mirror. He found that his teeth had grown noticeably from when he woke up at 4 to now, almost around 6. Over the span of more than an hour, his teeth had re-grown significantly. With this speed, he might not have to wait until tomorrow morning for his teeth to look like their original shape, and the cavities of the past were also healed. Xiang Kun sat back in front of his computer and started typing on the document: Assume the factor causing all bodily changes is X. First, possible causes of X: 1, Something was wrong with what I ate or drank at the snack stall on the evening of July 11th. 2, A genetic disease that was triggered by external stimuli, such as alcohol. 3, Infection by a virus or bacteria from other sources, such as being bitten by an insect. 4, Something unknown happened after I got home drunk and fell asleep. 5, Other possibilities. Second, the bodily changes caused by X: 1, Full body skin renewal, resulting in healthier and smoother skin, disappearance of old scars, teeth and nail renewal, complete hair loss, significant improvement in nearsightedness. 2, Loss of appetite for normal food, immediate vomiting after eating anything. 3, Unexplained bloodlust, attraction to the scent of blood, inciting intense hunger, and driving the body to consume blood. Drinking blood results in feelings of satisfaction and drowsiness. 4, Other yet unexplored causes of changes. Third, how to deal with X: 1, Investigate the causes of X. 2, Record the bodily changes and find the cause and trend of changes. 3, Solve the issue of eating. Looking at the document he had laid out, Xiang Kun stroked his chin. Most of the changes that had occurred in his body seemed to be beneficial. Even if the hair loss was permanent, it wouldnt have a major impact. If he were to describe his condition according to gaming terminology, the changes his body was going through were mostly BUFFs, not DEBUFFs. Except for the matter of food. Living beings need to eat to survive, or they will die without the necessary energy. Since the evening of July 11th until today, July 15th, he hadnt eaten anything other than drinking chicken blood, because no matter what he ate, it all came right back up. He didnt believe that such a small amount of fresh blood provided all the energy he needed to survive. Xiang Kun poured himself a cup of lukewarm water. Ten minutes after drinking it, there were no reactions in his stomach. It seemed that his stomach was not rejecting the water. With this, he found the previously bought carton of pure milk at home C half of which was still remaining C poured it into a cup, and gulled it down. Twenty seconds later, Xiang Kun rushed to the bathroom and vomited it all out. Chapter 4 - Chapter 4: Chapter 4 Records Chapter 4: Chapter 4 Records Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chapter Four Documentation Xiang Kun had tried everything edible and drinkable in his house. Then he documented it: Solid food: Instant noodlesX, chipsX, oatmeal cookiesX, OreosX; Liquid beverages: Boiled water, purified water, pure milkX, Red BullX; Recalling that on July 14th he had eaten some plain porridge and vegetables at a small outside shop and vomited it all up as well, he added to the solid food: Plain porridgeX, stir-fried bean sproutsX, picklesX. After performing a self-examination and records, Xiang Kun glanced at the time, it was already half past one in the morning, so he washed up and went to bed, ensuring a good sleep and rest. But after tossing and turning in bed for almost an hour, Xiang Kun was not the least bit sleepy. He thought it might be because he had just slept for more than twenty hours so he did not feel sleepy, so he got up and reopened his laptop. Earlier, when he had used his physical changes as keywords for a search, most of the search results pointed to vampire. So, Xiang Kun prepared to gather some information with vampire as the target. Of course, literary works like Twilight, Interview with the Vampire, and The Vampire Diaries would not be his targets for gathering information. He again saw that question on Zhihu: What does it feel like to become a vampire?, apart from the answers of vampire novelists who clearly made things up, there were also some that seriously gathered information and discussed the origin and scientific explanation of vampires. About the origin and scientific explanation of vampires, most of the answers were actually quite similar, believing that the origin of the vampire legend lies in Eastern and Central Europe of the eighteenth century. Those who became vampires were usually people who died from accidents or sudden diseases. Their relatives either got seriously ill or died one after another from other accidents. And in the days before their deaths, they would all dream of the deceased becoming a vampire and drinking their blood. In the final analysis, when they encountered disasters or epidemics, or other misfortunes, they would attribute all these to the deceased members of the family. The treatment at that time was usually to open the coffin, remove the deceaseds heart, and burn it. Because the corpse bloated and made strange noises in a short time, and the contraction of the tissue made the nails seem to grow after death, the legend of the vampire was furthered. Latter, with the development of medicine, various phenomena were explained and vampire became more and more romanticized, with more images and features added, and even given superpowers and immortality. Sometimes sufferers of rabies, pica, and porphyria are used to scientifically explain modern vampires. Xiang Kun specifically went to watch a vampire analysis program made by National Geographic called Vampire Forensics, but it also talked about those same things and there was nothing that could explain the series of changes in his body. It was the descriptions in some unreliable literary works that coincided more with his situation. Unknowingly, it was already dawn, and Xiang Kun was still energetic, so he decided to go out and buy some things. He went to the bathroom and washed his face and checked his mouth, finding his teeth had almost grown back. At least when he smiled, other than finding his teeth very white, people shouldnt notice anything. What relieved him was that his newly-grown teeth were very normal, without any terrifying fangs. Xiang Kun went out and bought several kinds of food, like fried dough sticks, soy milk, pan-fried pancakes, and bread. He would try to eat a mouthful of each, one by one. But without exception, in the end, he threw them all up. However, since he ate less, the nausea, and the discomfort when vomiting, were a lot less severe. Xiang Kun took a bus to the shopping mall to buy some things, including various types of food, drinks, an induction cooker and matching pot, cleaning tools, a scale, a tape measure, and so on. When he got home, it was already more than 10 in the morning, the sun was very big, and Xiang Kun instinctively tried to avoid it. Contrary to what one might expect, Xiang Kun didnt feel hot at all during the peak of July. Buying things, squeezing onto the bus, carrying several bags of things weighing dozens of kilograms, he didnt sweat much. Although his body instinctively seemed to be adverse to sunlight, after noticing this, Xiang Kun deliberately stood under the sun, letting the bright sun shine directly on him. In his feeling, standing under the sun did not have any obvious discomfort, and even the sensation of being scorched by intense sun exposure did not exist. He looked up at the sun, squinted because of the glare, but wouldnt all people be the same? Although he did not understand the specific reason, he could still feel his bodys instinctive avoidance of sunlight. According to the information he read last night, the degree of a vampires photophobia can be much more severe, scorched, oxidized, and charred by the sun. And the so-called disease that is closest to vampire, porphyria, during sun exposure, will experience photosensitive dermatitis with itching, blisters, and other symptoms. In comparison, while his body instinctively wanted to avoid light, he did not have any obvious symptoms or reactions under the sun, and seemed to be even more heat resistant than ever? Back at home, Xiang Kun directly moved a chair into the bathroom and started drinking beverages. He took a sip of Coke, and more than twenty seconds later, vomited it out. He drank a sip of Sprite, and more than twenty seconds later, vomited it out. He drank a sip of orange juice, and more than twenty seconds later, vomited it out. But after drinking coffee made with Nescafe Gold Instant coffee, Xiang Kun didnt vomit for several minutes, which vaguely gave him some clues because before he had also drunk Nestles 3-in-1 instant coffee and vomited within more than twenty seconds. What was the difference between them, and what was the difference between them and the other drinks he had tried? Xiang Kun boiled some eggs and ate them, and he had no reaction. Then he boiled some slice beef in water and ate it also with no problem. He started pondering, whether it was due to the sugar content in the food? Although the black coffee, eggs, and beef also contained a minor amount of sugar, they were much lower compared to other foods and drinks. But why sugar? From what Xiang Kun had learned before, a majority of the energy required by the human body is provided by sugar. While Xiang Kun was making records on his laptop, he suddenly felt a cramp in his stomach, rushed into the bathroom again, and started retching. Everything he had eaten earlier that he thought was safe was thrown up. Xiang Kun helplessly wiped his mouth, washed his face, and returned to the computer to make a note in the document saying: Low-sugar foods or drinks can stay in the stomach for longer, but in twenty to thirty minutes, they will still be thrown up. After that, he started to undress until he was only in his boxer shorts. He got into the new electronic scale to weigh himself, used the measuring tape to take measurements of his chest circumference, waist circumference, and arm circumference and other data. He also set up his phone on delay photo mode to take a full-body photo of himself. He was about to start recording the changes in his own body. Chapter 5 - Chapter 5: Chapter 5 Investigation Chapter 5: Chapter 5 Investigation Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chapter Five: Investigation In terms of his physique, other than becoming Baldy, Xiang Kuns skin improved, his teeth became whiter, his body fat ratio significantly decreased, and his belly shrunk notably. The most direct evidence of this was the need to buckle his belt one notch tighter than before. Yet, his weight did not clearly drop. At the beginning of the year, during the companys health check, his weight was 86KG, and now it was 84KG, almost not fluctuating at all. Moreover, since the 11th, he hadnt eaten properly for almost five days. Subjectively, Xiang Kun also distinctly felt that his legs seemed stronger. Walking, climbing stairs, and carrying things all seemed easier. Upon realizing this, he started doing push-ups on the floor. Ever since graduating university, Xiang Kun had been fully absorbed in work and lacked exercise, causing him to gain quite a bit of weight and lose some strength. For example, after he lost a card game at home over New Years, he could only do fourteen push-ups in one go. But now, Xiang Kun has done thirty push-ups with ease and continued until fifty before he started to feel weak in the shoulders and triceps. He finally lost his posture by the fifty-eight push-up. Of course, for those who exercise regularly, fifty-eight push-ups may be easy. But for an out-of-shape Xiang Kun, who weighs nearly 170 pounds and hasnt exercised regularly for many years, improving from fourteen to fifty-eight push-ups is a significant leap. Xiang Kun went back to his computer and recorded this set of data in a document, then recorded the photos and other physical data he had taken, sorted by date. Later, Xiang Kun also did several sets of push-ups, as well as other indoor exercises like crunches and squats. In addition to a significantly higher individual limit compared to before, his overall stamina has also improved several grades. In the past, after doing fourteen push-ups, he could rest for a minute and complete another set of thirteen. Then, after resting for two to three minutes, he could only do another eleven or twelve. But now, after completing fifty-eight push-ups, Xiang Kun could rest for a minute and then do another fifty-eight. As long as he had at least a minute to rest, he could finish another set of fifty-eight push-ups. It wasnt until the eighth set, which he only managed fifty-two of, that his muscles began to feel noticeably weak and sore. Up until this point, the physical changes X had brought Xiang Kun were mostly good, beneficial, and advantageous. However, the one issue he couldnt put aside was related to eating. Since the 11th of July, he hadnt eaten properly and had slept for most of the time. Even though he was awake for some time and even deliberately performed high-intensity exercises, he still felt no signs of hunger. Furthermore, after resting for a while, he bounced back from the fatigue quickly, and his muscular strength almost fully recovered. He was sure that his body was not lacking nutrition or energy. This condition was not simply due to psychological reasons. Could it really be that tiny bit of chicken blood that provided so much energy? Or had his stomach undergone drastic changes that allowed him to get enough energy from such a small amount of chicken blood to sustain his energy consumption for so many days? At six oclock in the evening, Xiang Kun left home and headed to the roadside eatery where he had been Dispelling Worries with a drink on the 11th of July. He found that if he went out after sunset, he seemed more spirited, more animated, as if he was mysteriously driven by the moon above. At the eatery, Xiang Kun ordered the same food and drinks he had that day. He poured himself a drink but didnt drink it, nor did he eat. He sat there pretending to play with his phone while covertly observing his surroundings. He was reminiscing about the circumstances of that day, trying to recall if anything unusual had happened. He was trying to remember if there was anything unusual about the food and drinks he had that day. At nearly eight oclock, Xiang Kun got up and went to pay. He told the owner that he had come in for drinks alone last Thursday night and thought he might have left his phone here. He asked the owner if he could check the surveillance camerahe had noticed a security camera above the cashier. Since Xiang Kun had just had a meal there, the owner did not say much and asked a waiter to take him to check the surveillance CCTV. Their surveillance videos would be stored for a week. If Xiang Kun came a few days later, it might have been too late. Upon reviewing the surveillance video from the evening of July 11th when Xiang Kun was drinking, it showed that he had been drinking alone the whole time. Apart from the waiter who came to serve dishes and drinks, no one else approached him. Around 8:30 p.m., he got up to pay the bill, then called a ride. Two minutes later, the car arrived, and he got in. Nothing unusual had occurred. After viewing the surveillance video, Xiang Kun didnt call for a ride but ran directly back home instead. The eatery was actually quite close to his home. It would take just over five minutes by car, and walking would not take much longer. But he deliberately took a long detour and ran a few extra kilometers. Under the moonlight, Xiang Kun felt as if he became lighter the more he ran, and his endurance seemed unending. In the end, he sped up, sprinting at what could only be described as full speed, attracting surprised looks from passers-by. Of course, his stamina was not infinite. Running at that speed for just under two minutes made him somewhat breathless, so he had to stop. After coming back home and taking a shower, and also drinking a bottle of mineral water, Xiang Kun sat in front of his computer and recorded his investigation results in a document titled X Reason Investigation 1: Roadside Eatery. He then transferred the surveillance video from the eatery into the same folder. That night, Xiang Kun still couldnt sleep, so he used his time to write a web crawling script. The script automatically grabbed information from search engine results and a few targeted social media platforms that matched the description of his symptoms, excluding obvious descriptions related to movies, TV shows, and other literary works. Although the information was grabbed slowly, it was certainly much more efficient than him searching for it manually. And then, every half hour, he would get up to exercise for half an hour. He performed push-ups, squats, crunches, glute bridges, planks, and other bodyweight exercises that wouldnt make much noise in his room. He also intentionally increased the difficulty for himself, like various types of pushups, weighted squats, horse stances, and foundational yoga poses he found online. He even tried to do Russian pushupsbut failed, proving that the improvement in his physical strength and coordination still had its limits. He wanted to see what his body could handle in terms of energy expenditure, and when he would start to feel hungry again. He still found it hard to believe that just a small amount of chicken blood he had drunk the previous day could support such a long period of intense exercise. But oddly enough, no matter how tired he felt after each set of exercises, he would feel almost completely recovered within twenty minutes and feel neither hunger nor fatigue. It was as if he could recharge just by resting for a while. This cycle lasted until the next morning when Xiang Kun finally felt a slight fatigue. But he vaguely felt that it was not because of his non-stop exercising, but it was related to the dawn. Chapter 6 - Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Eating Problems Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Eating Problems Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chapter Six: The Issue of Eating Xiang Kun drank two glasses of water before heading out. Until now, the only thing that didnt make him throw up, no matter how long it stayed in his stomach, was water. He hadnt had a bowel movement since he woke up on July 14, but he had urinated twice. However, he deliberately drank a lot of water the previous night, including two bottles of 500ML purified water and three 1L electric kettle boiled waters, only to urinate once. He also sweated very little during his workout, certainly not enough to make up for the water he had consumed. Clearly, not only his digestive system, but also his urinary system and endocrine system, are vastly different from ordinary people now. Xiang Kun went to the farmers market. It was just after six in the morning, and the market was already packed with people. He had never come to the market this early before. In fact, the last time he bought live chickens was his first time at the market. The scent of the market was not particularly pleasant, and each section had a different odor. Xiang Kun noticed that his sense of smell seemed to have improved a bit. He could distinguish the particular scent he was looking for amid a mix of various odors. After wandering around the poultry stalls for a while, Xiang Kun didnt buy any chicken or duck but instead purchased two meat rabbits. In his view, compared to other poultry, slaughtering meat rabbits wouldnt make much of a fuss. After all, he told his landlord that he wouldnt cook when he moved in. If his landlord suddenly knew that he was slaughtering chickens and ducks in the room, it wouldnt matter if he cooked or not, he was sure to be troubled. Xiang Kuns rented place is an old street that, for various reasons, wasnt demolished between two new residential areas. Many self-built houses here are put up for rent because the location is excellent, with a subway station not far from the old street, attracting many office workers. Like others, Xiang Kuns landlord converted his self-built house into individual studio apartments. Although fairly crude, they were attractively priced. Over the past few years, Xiang Kun only went home to sleep, spending most of his time at work. It was rare for him to spend as much time at home as he had in recent days. Back at the entrance of his building, Xiang Kun noticed that a surveillance camera had been newly installed at the entrance of the grocery store opposite. He went over to greet the boss and asked to review the footage, claiming he lost his phone on the evening of last Thursday and wondering if he might have left it by the front door without noticing. As Xiang Kun had been living there for several years, the grocery store owner knew him well and readily pulled up the security video footage from the evening of July 11. From this angle, one can just see the front door of the building where Xiang Kun lives in the top left corner of the video frame. At 8:44 pm, a Toyota sedan pulled up in front of the building. Xiang Kun can be seen emerging from the back seat and walking towards the building entrance. Judging by Xiang Kuns posture, he seemed quite steady and did not stagger. He also had no trouble opening the door with his keys, and he was upstairs within a few seconds. Xiang Kun then fast-forwarded the footage. The recording showed that until noon on the following day, all the people entering and exiting the building were familiar tenants. No strangers were seen. Xiang Kun didnt continue to fast forward. He believed that if someone had entered his room and caused a series of changes in his body, it would have been within this timeframe. Otherwise, no matter how drunk he was, he would have certainly woken up by midday. With the rabbits in hand, Xiang Kun returned home and recorded his findings on his laptop. He saved the new document as Cause X Investigation 2: Front Door. When he woke up on July 14, he clearly remembered that the security latch inside the front door was fastened, so even with the keys, it could not be opened from outside. The windows were also properly locked without any signs of tampering. On the night of July 11, despite being drunk, he was fully conscious while riding back home in an Uber. There hasnt been any contact with the driver when he got on or off, or even during the ride. Upon considering various factors, he believed that its less likely that someone did something to him during this period that caused all the changes in his body. However, he couldnt completely rule out the possibilities such as being drugged during his meal at some food stand or a more recent intervention causing C X C to manifest in his body after July 11. If this relates to his bloodline or hereditary factors, investigator is bound to find some clues among his family members. However, asking his parents directly might not yield any answers. He decided to wait until he returned to his hometown to investigate personally. Learning from his last experience, Xiang Kun researched thoroughly online and bought a kitchen knife, so he didnt have to use his tiny Swiss Army Knife. Therefore, the slaughtering and blood draining process was much smoother this time. After drinking a large bowl of rabbit blood, Xiang Kun found that he didnt have any particular taste for blood. He didnt find it disgusting or particularly tasty. However, after the blood was ingested, he felt a sense of joy and satisfaction emanating from the depth of his body, as though every blood vessel, muscle, and cell were rejoicing. It seemed like his body was composed of countless autonomous entities, each celebrating and cheering like they did in an animation he once saw, Work Cells, where each cell had its own consciousness. Xiang Kun couldnt tell if it was due to the time or quantity, but he noticed that the rabbit blood brought a stronger sense of pleasure and sense of satisfaction to his body than the chicken blood he first drank. After cleaning the bathroom and preparing water and vegetable leaves for the remaining rabbit, Xiang Kun started to feel tired and sleepy. This time, the sleepiness appeared later than when he drank chicken blood. Xiang Kun brushed his teeth, lay on his bed, turned on the stopwatch on his phone, and relaxed his body as he went to sleep. When Xiang Kun woke up, he lay in bed without moving, first assessing the condition of various parts of his body, then picked up his phone from beside his bed and looked at the stopwatch. 25 hours and 17 minutes. He had gone to bed at around 9 am on the 17th and now it was past 10 am on the 18th. This time, Xiang Kun paid close attention to the changes in his body. The first thing he noticed was that his vision had improved, practically back to the level it was when he used to wear corrective glasses. He opened the curtain and looked at the far-out billboard; even the fine print and phone numbers on the side were crystal clear. Besides that, he also felt a significant increase in his physical strength. Xiang Kun stripped and stood on the scales, only to find that he had gained 3.3KG, now weighing in at 87.4KG. Chapter 7 - Chapter 7: Chapter 7 Strength Chapter 7: Chapter 7 Strength Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chapter Seven: Power He measured his chest, waist and arm circumferences, all of which had increased. He took a few more pictures, with his body fat continuing to decrease. Although his abs are not yet clearly defined, his overall muscle mass has clearly increased. He did a few push-ups, which were decidedly easier than before, doing a steady seventy without feeling strung out. However, he did not continue, but stopped to search for the nearest gym on his mobile phone. Doing push-ups and such bodyweight exercises could, at the beginning, give an indication of strength improvement, but when a certain baseline strength is reached, measures of progress become harder to calculate, requiring too much time. By contrast, a gyms equipment allows for a more precise data-based assessment of ones physical strength. Upon arriving at the gym, Xiang Kun requested a trial for half a week to a month. The young sales person assisting him gave him a three-session trial card, informing him that if he was still undecided after three sessions, he could have another trial card for further sessions before making his decision. The young salesman personally acquainted Xiang Kun with the equipment, but during his university years, Xiang Kun had been brought to his university gym for two terms by his roommate, a fitness enthusiast. Thus, with his guidance, Xiang Kun became proficient in using most of the equipment, achieving a basic standard in his workout techniques. After a moment, the young salesman received a call and left Xiang Kun alone to try out the equipment. Since it wasnt quite three in the afternoon on a weekday, the gym wasnt very busy. After a brief warm-up on the elliptical, Xiang Kun began doing bench presses. Initially, he used a 15KG weight plate on each side, just to reacquaint himself with the feeling of exertion as it had been some time since he graduated and no longer had access to gym equipment. Suddenly a personal trainer, a hulking figure nearly 1.9 meters tall, approached Xiang Kun as he was about to add more weight plates. The trainer said, Your movements are not quite standard. Be careful during the exercise. Its better to have someone watch you, in case you get hurt. Also, if you keep practicing like this, your chest muscles may develop unevenly Xiang Kun was a bit taken aback. If he hadnt undergone a physical mutation caused by an unknown factor, and if he was just there to keep fit and build up his body, he might actually have been intimidated by the trainers words. However, the current Xiang Kun was able to subconsciously adjust his bench press movements according to the muscle exertion he felt in various parts of his body. To him, these were the best movements for muscle exertion. Xiang Kun knew that the trainers goal was to sell personal training sessions. To directly decline would likely lead to other personal trainers coming over. So he proposed a wager: How about we make a bet on who can bench press the heaviest weight? If you win, Ill buy 20 sessions from you. If I win, you guarantee that no other personal trainers will approach me while Im in the gym. Hows that sound? The trainer looked puzzled at Xiang Kun. Was this guy pretending to be weak while only lifting a 50KG weight with great caution? However, after estimating Xiang Kuns weight and height (it seemed he wasnt more than 1.8 meters tall and didnt weigh more than 85KG), the trainer, who weighed 97KG and consistently trained, figured he should easily win the strongman competition and accepted the bet. At the start, Xiang Kun added two 15KG weight plates to each side, totalling 80KG. Under the trainers supervision, he easily completed one lift. Then it was the trainers turn. He added a 5KG weight plate to each side, totalling 90KG, and also completed one lift. When Xiang Kun was up again, the weight was adjusted to 100KG. This is already a heavy weight in the gym. Few people would use this weight for regular exercises, and not many could reach it even for a single maximum lift. Actually, Xiang Kun himself wasnt even sure of his maximum bench press. But after waking up that day, he clearly felt a significant increase in his strength. At least, he found it straightforward to lift 80KG. Under the supervision of the trainer, he easily completed the 100KG lift. The trainers complexion changed. It became clear that Xiang Kun wasnt a novice and that his strength was considerable. It got to the point where they added 2.5KG weight plates to each side, starting from 105KG, when the trainer began to struggle noticeably, and Xiang Kun started to spot him. When it was Xiang Kuns turn to lift 110KG, he looked relaxed enough. 115KG 120KG 125KG By this time, a few gym members had gathered around, intrigued by the sight of someone competing in weightlifting against a trainer. After Xiang Kun successfully lifted 130KG, the trainer eyed the barbell adjusted to 135KG with a sullen expression. His usual maximum was actually more than 135KG, but after consecutively lifting such heavy weights, though there were intervals for rest, his muscles still felt a bit exhausted. If he had known earlier, he would have attempted his maximum lift right away. But at that time, he had thought he could win easily before they reached 100KG. He had never expected Xiang Kun to be so strong, and clearly lifting those weights with much more ease than him. Finally, halfway through the 135KG lift, the trainer could no longer muster the strength to continue. Luckily, Xiang Kun was spotting him and helped put away the barbell. Then it was Xiang Kuns turn. Instead of lifting 135KG, he added 15KG to bring it up to 150KG. Although the bet was with Xiang Kun, the trainer was still very careful to spot him behind the barbell. If Xiang Kun were to get hurt during the bet, he would definitely bear some responsibility. Xiang Kun adjusted his grip, lifted the barbell, let it slowly descend until it just touched his chest, and then pushed it up steadily. The whole process seemed effortless. But once he put the barbell back in position, Xiang Kun let out a long breath. Even though it seemed stable, he could already feel his strength nearing its limit. He thought that he might be able to lift up to 160KG next time, but his movements would inevitably become distorted, straining his muscles. After getting up from the bench, the trainer gave him a thumbs-up, admiringly said, Impressive! Youre really a master, your strength isnt insignificant. 150KG, and it didnt look close to your limit at all. Bro, are you a professional weightlifter? Even though he had managed to lift 150KG before when he was in good condition, compared to Xiang Kuns easy and effortless lift, he was far behind. It was clear from the absolute strength and stamina display that Xiang Kun had completely outperformed him, causing him to wholeheartedly admit his defeat. No, Im just working out to lose weight. Xiang Kun said, and walked towards the squat rack to calculate his maximum squat data. Chapter 8 - Chapter 8: Chapter 8 Chang Bin Chapter 8: Chapter 8 Chang Bin Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chapter Eight: Chang Bin Having just defeated Coach Shen who is 1.9 meters tall, Xiang Kun suddenly became the center of attention and conversation in the gym. Some even took out their phones to secretly snap photos of him doing squats C and they were all muscular and burly men He didnt expect that the bet would attract such attention, which made Xiang Kun feel a bit helpless. In the end, he tested his squat and deadlift data, which were 210KG and 240KG respectively. This strength data was nearly twice his college achievements. From the admiring and envious looks of the muscular men in the gym, it was clear that these results were quite impressive, even among the gym-goers. After a simple stretch and relaxation session, Xiang Kun left the gym to go grocery shopping. While in the supermarket, his phone rang. He saw the caller id to his surprise; it was his old college roommate who introduced him to the gym. This was quite a coincidence. Xiang Kun was a rather introverted person during his student days and did not enjoy the hustle and bustle. However, both in secondary and university, he had one or two good friends. The roommate Chang Bin who was calling him now was one of them. Why dont you reply to messages on WeChat? Do you no longer use WeChat, or are you deliberately ignoring me? Complained Chang Bin on the other end of the phone as soon as the call was connected. Recently, I havent been checking WeChat much. I even forgot to reply to my dads message, causing my mom to chase me up with a call. Xiang Kun replied, Why did you suddenly think of contacting me? Of course, Im offering you help in your time of need! Have you found work yet? Xiang Kun was surprised: How did you know I lost my job? Chang Bin mentioned a company name and said: Its my girlfriends company. Theyre launching a new project and recruiting. A few people from your previous company have applied, saying that it went under. She remembered my mentioning you and your old company and mentioned it to me. She said, if you havent found a job yet, you could try applying. Based on your skills and experience, youll be definitely be hired. They offer quite good remuneration packages, and if you get in, your salary wont be much lower than your previous one. Also my girlfriend is in charge of recruitment Chang Bin didnt directly say that he would pull strings for him, but Xiang Kun was tempted. Though he still had some savings, he also had a mortgage to pay. Not working wasnt an option. But considering his current physical condition, he hesitated for a moment and then said, Thanks, Bin, but I plan to take rest for a while, and I dont want to look for work right now. Taking a break is good too. Youve dedicated so much of yourself to work these past years, which is a waste of your youth. You might as well take this opportunity to settle your lifes big event and date someone. Speaking of which where are you? Now that youre unemployed, you should have some free time, come over and have a meal at Xichun Road. Ah, lets skip the meal. What Xiang Kun feared the most now was dining with others. He basically couldnt eat anything and would vomit whatever he ate. He couldnt possibly drink blood directly at the dining table, could he? Enough chit-chat, come over here immediately. Ill send you the location on WeChat, take a cab. Xiang Kun continued to hesitate: Ive already eaten But Chang Bin was very firm: Even if youve eaten, still come over. Ill introduce someone to you. You just watch us eat. Ah you know Im not used to socializing I see youve been in the workforce for years now, and still dont understand? You cant be a lone ranger in this world; you wont succeed on your own! Your project team also requires the cooperation and collaboration of the different departments, right? Take the time to meet with your old classmates and keep in touch. It would be more convenient to lend each other a hand when the need arises. I understand what youre saying, but thats just my personality If it were other people or former classmates, Xiang Kun definitely wouldnt have spoken so much, and possibly might not have even answered the call. But his relationship with Chang Bin was indeed special, and he knew Chang Bin really had his best interests at heart. Okay, okay, I wont give you a moral and political ethos lecture today. Theres no one else around. The person Im introducing to you is my girlfriend or rather, my fiancee! Ive mentioned her many times, weve been together for over a year now, but you havent met her yet. Anyway, if you dont come over today, Ill blacklist you. Now, what will you do? Xiang Kun sighed, and reluctantly agreed: Okay, Ill go over to chat with you guys, but Im not eating Around six, Xiang Kun arrived at the restaurant. He met with his old friend, Chang Bin, whom he hadnt seen for a while, and his fiancee, Wang Han. Holy shit, where are your glasses? And when did you go bald? Damn, you scared me! I almost couldnt recognize you. Chang Bin didnt realize who was in front of him until Xiang Kun sat down. Didnt I just lose my job? I thought Id change my image. I was losing quite a bit of hair anyway, so I might as well shave it all off. Xiang Kun said with a smile, and then turned to the attractive woman in a professional suit next to his friend, greeting her, You must be Wang Han, right? Although its our first meeting today, I have heard a lot about you from Bin. Wang Han also smiled, Its the same the other way around. Bin often mentions you too, saying that from the first year of college, he knew you were the smartest person in their class. Hes jinxing me! Intelligence, see how smart I am Xiang Kun teased while stroking his bald head. Wang Han was a petite and pretty local girl. She was very appropriate in her actions and words, exuding an elegant charm. Chang Bin told him that even though Wang Han was two years younger than them, she was already middle management in her company, and she worked very hard. However, perhaps because Chang Bin had mentioned it before, Wang Han didnt bring up the subject of Xiang Kun working at her company. They just chatted casually, recounting various anecdotes from their college days; the ambience was pretty good. The bone soup here is very good; the taste is excellent. Even if you have already eaten, you can still drink a bowl of soup, Chang Bin said, about to ladle some soup into Xiang Kuns bowl. Xiang Kun quickly moved his bowl away, No, no, Im working out, and I just got back from the gym. Ive already eaten my nutrition meal and cant eat anything else. Chang Bin paused for a moment, took a closer look at him, and nodded, Hmm, no wonder you look much thinner. Thats good, really good, its indeed necessary to exercise. You look much better than the last time I saw you, almost ten years younger. Hmm, I should also make time to exercise. Wang Han next to him suggested, Should we order some fruit salad? No need, no need. Ill just drink some water. We can eat together another time. Xiang Kun said, finally convincing the two with his excuse. Chapter 9 - Chapter 9: Chapter 9 Introduction Chapter 9: Chapter 9 Introduction Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chapter Nine: Introduction After chatting for a while, Chang Bin suddenly said: By the way, I want to introduce you to a girl, Xiao Hans high school classmates younger sister. Shes four years younger than us, a local, works in her uncles company as an accountant, 1.62 meters tall, very cute and beautiful. Ill send you her phone number and WeChat. Make plans to meet her either tomorrow or the day after. Xiang Kun was taken aback, quickly replying: Lets not, shes four years younger. Doesnt that seem inappropriate? Whats wrong with a four-year age gap? Its perfect. Her parents want someone more mature too. Also, Ive mentioned your situation to her parents; there shouldnt be any issues. Ive met her before; shes very upbeat and lively. Her family is well-off, she owns two flats and has her own car Actually Im not ready for a relationship yet. Xiang Kun quickly interjected. At the current state he was at, survival was his priority, let alone dating. He had trouble even having meals with others, not to mention the many unresolved issues he still needed to deal with. Chang Bin brushed him off: What do you mean you dont want to date? Youre thirty years old, its about time you started! Do you actually plan on shaving your head and becoming a monk? When that time comes, let me know which temple youve gone to so that I can donate some money. Wasnt it you who asked me to find you a girlfriend? Now, when such a high-quality girl is introduced, you become hesitant! Fine, I will make the arrangements for you. The day after tomorrow night, if you dare not to show up, dont bother coming to our wedding! Wang Han lightly tapped her boyfriends arm, rebuking: Tone it down! Then she addressed Xiang Kun: Shes my best friend from childhood and her sister often played with us. Shes a good girl. Just meet and get to know each other, think of it as making a new friend. Were not saying that you both must become one or marry each other, whether it works out will depend on both of your feelings. If theres no spark, no matter how much we try and create it, its meaningless, isnt it? Given the circumstances, Xiang Kun could hardly refuse any further. In his heart, he was truly thankful for Chang Bin. He had already seen through the plan; Chang Bin insisting he come today wasnt just about introducing his fiancee, but also to let Wang Han see him, determining whether she could introduce her classmates sister to him. He could just imagine, when Chang Bin heard that Wang Hans classmate and confidant had such a beautiful younger sister planning on blind dating, he would recommend his single friend in need. Wang Han must have seen his recent photos. Considering he looked like a forty-year-old uncle, she might have been hesitant to introduce him to her classmates sister, fearing backlash. He could guess what Chang Bin would say to his fiancee, something along the lines of Although my buddy isnt much to look at, hes a great person, a clever and capable man, earns a high salary, has bought a house with his abilities and has no bad habits like smoking or drinking. Hell make a good husband. Therefore, Chang Bin needed Wang Han to meet Xiang Kun first, to determine whether he could introduce him to her classmates sister. Thats why Chang Bin exchanged a look with his fiancee before bringing up the matter. Although these were all Xiang Kuns guesses, based on his understanding of his good friend, he was confident he was mostly correct. This wasnt the first time Chang Bin had introduced a dating prospect to him. Its said that you can roughly discern your image in anothers eyes based on the people they introduce to you. The people Chang Bin had introduced were ones that on the surfaceconsidering looks, age, and objectivityalways seemed way better than him. Like the girl he was introducing this time, four years younger, local, from a rich family, and cute and beautifulXiang Kun knew that when Chang Bin said she was cute and beautiful, he meant it. Ordinarily, such a girl would go on blind dates with local people of equal stature or talented young men with bright futures or handsome men who showed mutual attraction. Compared to them, he, as an old programmer, didnt fit the bill. After sitting for another ten minutes or so, Xiang Kun found an excuse to leave early and settled the bill at the front desk. After he left, Wang Han looked towards her fianc: Your friend doesnt strike me as someone who dislikes socializing or bustling scenes. Hes pretty funny and lively, so why do all of you think hes reclusive? Chang Bin shook his head: Its not that he cant, he just doesnt like to. Hes very lively when with me and our other roommate friend. But when its a large group, he seldom says anything. I think hes just too lazy to deal with people he doesnt know well or doesnt like, or perhaps he just finds it unnecessary. But he doesnt look like the photos at all. The ones where he looks sullen, lifeless, and old fashioned. Despite hiserrsimple dressing today, he overall gives off a better impression. Could this be because of his hairstyle and glasses? Wang Han pondered. It might have to do with him working out too; his stomach has gotten flatter, and overall, he seems more upright. Wang Han nodded and couldnt help but shake her head: But I still doubt Nana will find him attractive. This girl has high standards. Last time, she met a UK returnee who was her age, handsome and tall. Yet she didnt pay him any further attention after only two meetings. That means she doesnt judge solely by appearances. Maybe shell take a liking to Xiang Kun instantly and feel a connection? Who knows with fate? Besides, my job is just to play matchmaker; I cant guarantee anything will come out of it. Chang Bin shrugged and said. On his way home, Xiang Kun bought a pair of black-rimmed glasses. He realized that without glasses, his appearance and temperament changed significantly. Maybe in the future if he didnt want to be recognized, he could use that look. For now, wearing glasses would reduce the strangeness caused by his bodily transformation and being bald, so as not to attract too much attention from familiar people due to sudden strangeness. Furthermore, he needed to buy new clothes. As his body shape continued to change, his old clothes would inevitably become more inappropriate. Chapter 10 - Chapter 10: Chapter 10 Training Program Chapter 10: Chapter 10 Training Program Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chapter 10 Training Program After returning home, Xiang Kun opened his notebook and recorded the sets of strength data he had obtained at the gym that day. He then went to check on the condition of the rabbit. Xiang Kun replaced the rabbits food and water, and then left it alone. After all, this was food, not a pet, and it was best not to spend too much time interacting with it. In the short term, Xiang Kun decided not to actively drink blood. He wanted to see how long it would take for hunger to kick in after a single blood-drinking session. He checked his WeChat, which he had previously set to not send any notifications, so he wouldnt know if others sent messages unless he actively checked it. On WeChat, Chang Bin sent him the WeChat and phone number of the girl he wanted to introduce to him, and had already arranged a meeting place for them the night after tomorrow. Chang Bin had originally planned to go to the meeting with Wang Han to make things less awkward, so they both would have someone they know present at the first meeting. However, Xiang Kun refused, claiming that their presence would hinder his interaction and understanding of the girl as he would be more reserved. Seeing as Xiang Kun felt this way, Chang Bin naturally didnt insist on bringing his fiancee along, he simply cautioned Xiang Kun to be a good conversationalist, to be relaxed, show good manners, and leave a good impression. Xiang Kun replied positively to Chang Bin, but in his heart, he was thinking about how to end this blind date as quickly, yet as tactfully, as possible. He soon realized that his worries were unfounded. If the girl was as Chang Bin had described, she probably would not be interested in him. His previous blind date experiences had proven this point. Xiang Kun, whether in terms of personal charm or objective conditions, found it hard to attract decent young women. He also lacked romantic experience and was not adept at interacting with women. Thus, he concluded that to end the blind date quickly without putting Chang Bin and Wang Han in an awkward position, he just had to be himself. Xiang Kun checked the information gathered from the internet by his data-scraping script. After removing most of the literature and related critiques and comments, he found several accounts of adults having dental maladjustments, massive skin shedding, and spontaneous recovery of myopia C these medical conditions. However, even dental maladjustments in adults are usually a single tooth and due to issues arising from the baby-to-permanent teeth transition. The skin shedding and myopia recovery were also extreme individual cases, and none of them have taken place as quickly as in his case. As for the simultaneous occurrence of several symptoms, including only being able to drink animal blood and vomiting whatever he eats, not a single piece of information could be found. Although his data-scraping script had not yet completed crawling the required information, he halted its operation knowing that, continuing under these rules, the information generated would still be of little help. He revised the rules to eliminate the previously irrelevant information, and then restarted the script. The inability to find anyone with symptoms similar to his, made Xiang Kun increasingly anxious. It wouldnt matter if he was the first person to have these bodily changes due to X, or if the message had been deliberately concealed and blocked C either situation was not beneficial to him. Xiang Kun initially wanted to answer some relevant questions anonymously on Zhihu, detailing part of his physical changes, to see if someone with a similar experience would contact him. Alternatively, he thought of posing questions on some medical and biotechnology forums or platforms to hopefully receive some answers. Professional students and researchers would undoubtedly have a clearer understanding of the related cases and pathology than him. But after rethinking his options, he decided not to disclose his situation yet, even on the internet. He spent another sleepless night. Xiang Kun knew that now, other than possibly needing to sleep after drinking blood for digestion, he wouldnt feel tired at any other time, day or night, and didnt need to sleep. Of course, it could also be that he hadnt been awake long enough at one stretch, and maybe after a few more days, he would need to sleep regardless of whether he had drunk blood or not. But for now, he had almost twice as much time to get things done and to think, compared to average days. Not only did he not need to sleep, he didnt need to eat either. His physical strength and energy were much stronger than before, and it was easier for him to focus and maintain his physical condition. Looking at the records and pictures he had documented these days, and reflecting on the changes in his body after drinking blood twice, a thought popped up in Xiang Kuns mind: The changes in his body after drinking blood twice could be seen as some kind of strengthening of his body functions. But he wondered if this kind of strengthening followed a fixed pattern, or if it changed depending on the type of blood drunk and the activities he did before drinking. Just like how normal people go to the gym for strength training and muscle building C through intense strength training to break down muscle fibers, then consuming protein to repair and grow muscles, and increase strength. If you focus on bench press and similar strength training, targeting chest and tricep muscles, these muscles will grow in size and strength. You can train specifically and improve specifically. After his second time drinking rabbit blood, Xiang Kuns strength increased significantly. Was this increase related to his muscular exercises of doing a large number of push-ups before? If so, whats the limit to this increase, and can it exceed the normal human body limit? Apart from muscles, can other abilities also be enhanced? His body now was vastly different from a normal human body, and the methods of muscle and strength increase should also be different. But the pattern should still be similar C the body detects a limit and hence, makes various adjustments like hormone changes, increasing certain abilities, to help him survive better. Xiang Kun decided to conduct target-specific training before the next blood-drinking to determine the pattern of bodily changes after each blood consumption. As for the training subjects and contents, Xiang Kun created a new document: 1, Single-arm strength training, focusing on the left arm: Dumbbell Curl, etc. 2, Vision training: Practicing Long-Distance Vision. 3, Lung capacity: Practicing holding breath. The first exercise would have to wait until daytime to be conducted at the gym. As for the second and third exercises, they could start now. Actually, Xiang Kun wasnt even sure if these exercises would work, but he decided to give them a try. He positioned three books at a distance where the words were just unreadable, recorded this distance in the document, and then kept shifting his gaze between the three books, trying to read the words. After ten minutes, he began to hold his breath and recorded his breath holding limit in the document. He repeated this cycle until dawn. Chapter 11 - Chapter 11: Chapter 11: Arrangements Chapter 11: Chapter 11: Arrangements Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chapter Eleven Arrangements Compared to previous bodyweight strength trainings, the two exercises at night were by no means easy. However, Xiang Kuns physical stamina and energy had an amazing ability to recover. Whenever he felt tired, he only needed to rest for two minutes before he could go again. But once the sun rose, he could distinctly feel this ability to recover declining at a rapid pace. After he felt fatigue, he had to wait at least seven to eight minutes to recover. He was certain that this was not a result of mental and physical exhaustion but was directly related to dawn. Xiang Kun opened a document and wrote down a sentence: The transformation of energy within the body might be related to certain factors at night. It could be temperature, moonlight, tidal force, or changes in atmospheric pressure, etc. Afterwards, Xiang Kun added the temperature of different time periods and the time of sunrise to his daily record document. At nine oclock, Xiang Kun left his house to go to the gym. It was a workday morning, so not many people were in the gym, even the trainers werent on duty yet. Xiang Kun began his training alone. Generally speaking, most muscle building and strength training routines work one to two major muscle groups per day, such as chest and triceps one day, back and shoulders the next, then glutes, quads, biceps and forearms afterwards. A four to five-day routine would be repeated as daily energy was limited and muscles needed time for supercompensation. But Xiang Kun was different. His recovery ability was far beyond that of an average person. Even if weaker during the day compared to the night, he was still able to regain his state from a short rest after high-load, heavy-weight training and continue training. So, Xiang Kun first did a series of almost maximum weight strength exercises for all muscle groups, then followed by targeted single arm exercises, such as bicep curls for his left arm. Close to noon, Coach Shen who had made a bet with Xiang Kun yesterday came to the gym. Seeing Xiang Kun, he immediately ran over to greet him. Clearly, his performance yesterday had left Coach Shen both thoroughly convinced and highly admiring. However, Coach Shen didnt stay by his side chatting very long. Yesterday had made it clear that Xiang Kun enjoyed working out alone and didnt like being disturbed by others. If Xiang Kun wasnt worried about attracting attention by excessively staying in the gym, he might not even leave at noon and stay until the gym closed at night. At noon, he contacted his tenant, since the half-year lease was due to end this month. He told the tenant that hed decided to take back his house for personal use and wouldnt renew the lease. But, since today was the 19th, he informed his tenant that it would be fine if they found another place and moved out before the 15th of next month. He wouldnt charge them rent for that period. The tenant didnt have any objection as houses nearby were not hard to find. Theyd already been considering a larger place anyway. Even though this meant Xiang Kuns housing expenses were more than double each month, these past few days hes come to realise that living in a cramped, rented room where he could easily encounter other people was not suitable under his current conditions. Furthermore, he didnt need to go to work for the time being, and he had no commuting time to consider. Compared to renting, living in his own house would better ensure that his secret was not discovered by others. At night, Xiang Kun added Coach Shens introduced girl on WeChat. Once he paid his respects and introduced himself, he asked: Do you have any plans for tomorrow afternoon? It was a Saturday tomorrow, hence he asked. The girl replied: I should not, why do you ask? Xiang Kun: If you dont mind, how about we meet tomorrow afternoon? If its in the afternoon, theres no need to have a meal. Meeting at a coffee shop or other beverage places is fine. If one doesnt eat anything during mealtime, it can seem too unusual and might affect the companion. But drinking a beverage is different. He could just take a symbolic sip, or even not drink it all without catching attention. The girl agreed swiftly: Sure! So, Xiang Kun asked her where she would like to meet, asking her to choose a place she was familiar with. Once the girl sent the name and location of a coffee shop, they stopped chatting. Apparently, neither of them was too interested in initiating more conversation. That night, Xiang Kun didnt do much training focused on sight or lungs capacity, neither did he do any more strength exercises. He was somewhat worried about going into a long period of sleep all of a sudden due to his need for blood, before the agreed meeting time the next afternoon. Although he didnt expect this date to lead to anything, ghosting someone outright would be extremely rude and not at all appropriate. It would even involve Chang Bin and Wang Han who had made the introduction. However, staying up all night was not a problem for Xiang Kun. He found numerous relevant articles and textbooks about medicine, specifically hematology and infectious diseases, online and began to study them. He also looked for articles about basic life sciences. He didnt have any expectations of making any significant achievements from his studies; his goal was to acquire relevant knowledge that could guide him towards the correct direction to find the source of the mysterious factor X within his body. After two blood-drinking episodes, not only was he stronger and more energetic, but due to his ability to maintain focus and a higher level of energy, his memory and thinking speed had improved significantly. To read and understand an article of the same length, he would have had to spend two to three times more time than now, even when he was in his best condition before. Furthermore, previously, whether for work or study, he could only maintain high-intensity focus for four or five hours and needed time to recover and rest. It was not like now when he didnt need to sleep or eat, his energy recovered rapidly, and he could focus on one task for a long time. By one in the morning, Xiang Kun stretched and looked at the night sky outside. He then left his rented room. Instead of going downstairs, he went upwards to the rooftop. Apart from a few instances to sun his quilt, Xiang Kun rarely came to the rooftop, let alone at such a late hour. To his surprise, there were other people on the rooftop so late at night. A young couple, who were embracing each other lovingly on the side of the rooftop, were startled by Xiang Kuns appearance. But after recognising who he was under the corridor light, they didnt panic. They just nodded at him, as a way of greeting. Xiang Kun also recognised them. They were a couple who lived just below his floor, probably recent university graduates. After nodding in return, considerately, Xiang Kun didnt intrude and became the third wheel. He went over the other side of the rooftop, leaning over the railing, looking out into the distance, giving off an air of someone using the rooftop for fresh air. He had always felt that his physical fitness was better after sunset than during daylight, but he never really figured out why. Chapter 12 - Chapter 12: Chapter 12 Matchmaking (Part 1) Chapter 12: Chapter 12 Matchmaking (Part 1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chapter Twelve: Blind Date (Above) Today is July 20th, Lunar June 18th, and the moon was still large and round. The weather was nice, there were almost no clouds obscuring the moon. Bathed in its hazy light, the entire city seemed to have a filter applied, giving off a unique atmosphere. Xiang Kun indeed felt slightly better under the moonlight than indoors at the same time. Of course, compared to the difference between day and night, this difference was so small that it could be ignored. He even doubted if the discrepancy was due only to the fresher air and higher oxygen content outdoors. However, Xiang Kun had a strange feeling that when he closed his eyes, he could vaguely feel the moonlight shining on him. This was a feeling that couldnt be described in words. When sunbathing, you can feel the sun on you because the suns heat can make the skin feel a rise in temperature, so it senses the sunlight. But moonlight had no such heat, so its difficult to feel it shining on you unless you look with your eyes. Lately, Xiang Kun had been pondering about where the energy he consumes comes from, not just from his daily activities. He always felt it was more than just chicken blood and rabbit blood. And the difference in his state between day and night should be a key factor. Xiang Kun knew that moonlight also comes from sunlight, but theres an essential difference. The surface of the moon is uneven. When sunlight hits it, it isnt simply reflected like a mirror. Most of the light and heat are absorbed by the moon, which then radiates them out. Or perhaps his mutated body had some unique reactions to moonlight? Xiang Kun closed his eyes, took a deep breath, relaxed his body, and found that his hearing seemed to have significantly improved. Amid the sounds of the wind and various noises near and far, he could clearly pick out the whispering of a young couple in another corner of the roof. Although the sound wasnt clear and he could only hear snippets of their conversation, this discovery surprised Xiang Kun. He opened his eyes, closed them again, and opened them yet again. Xiang Kun quickly realized that it wasnt that his hearing improved dramatically when he closed his eyes, but that he only noticed how powerful his hearing was when his eyes were closed. If he concentrated and listened carefully, whether his eyes were open or closed, he could hear the couples soft whispers. This means that probably after the second blood-drinking, his hearing had greatly enhanced. But he hadnt noticed this improvement earlier because his enhanced vision attracted nearly all his attention. Usually, he relies more on his vision than his hearing. Naturally, Xiang Kun also thought whether he should practice hearing exercises before his next blood-drinking to see if theres any improvement. However, considering his date tomorrow, fearing to drink blood in advance, he decided to postpone these exercises. Not staying on the roof for long, Xiang Kun returned to his room, reading various materials on his computer and waiting until dawn. Close to five-thirty, when the sky was filled with dawns light, Xiang Kun predictably felt his bodily functions decline, and his spirits werent as high as they were at night. At that moment, he was reading about tidal forces. He couldnt help but wonder if the unknown X factor and the moons tidal forces on Earth were connected? The sea water is affected by tidal forces, and the human bodys blood is also liquid, which naturally would be affected to some extent. Of course, this influence is so insignificant for ordinary people that they cant feel it. Or perhaps, after his body underwent a series of changes due to the unknown X factor, he became more sensitive to these changes in the force field or the magnetic field? However, he quickly rejected this hypothesis. Earths tidal forces do not only come from the moon but the sun as well, and the strength of these forces doesnt have a direct relationship with daylight changes. While he was pondering, his gaze passed through the window, watching the sunlight slowly spread across the streets. Xiang Kun suddenly stopped, murmuring: What if its not that the night gives a bonus, but that sunrise brings suppression? In the early afternoon, Xiang Kun put on his duckbill hat and walked out the door, heading to the cafe where he had arranged to meet the girl. At the cafe, he ordered a drink, found a corner to sit in, and used the opportunity of grabbing a paper towel from the counter to pour his drink away, refilling his cup with water from the jug before returning to his seat. Checking the time, its just past two oclock, while he agreed to meet the girl at three oclock. He wasnt in a rush and sat in the corner, browsing the internet on his phone. If it were before, before meeting someone for a blind date, he wouldve prepared what to talk about, judged the other persons likely character and interests based on the information he had, planned the itinerary, and prepared several backup plans. But now, he has no intentions for dating or socializing. He only planned to end the blind date as soon as possible, without offending anyone or making it difficult for Chang Bin. Therefore, theres no need for further consideration. Xiang Kuns attention was still caught by the changes in his body. This morning, his idea that certain factors after sunrise have suppressed his bodily functions requires further verification. Theres no doubt that sunrise is a significant boundary, so sunlight is definitely one of the factors to consider. But for the past few days, he was mostly indoors during sunrise, away from direct sunlight. If its about a temperature increase, it should be a gradual process, not an abrupt change at the boundary point. Xiang Kun speculated it could be related to the change in the Earths magnetic field at sunrise. His body sensed this change and triggered some sort of biological clock-like adjustment mechanism, which began to suppress his bodily functions to reduce consumption and achieve a certain balance? While he was pondering, a new message arrived. The girl had arrived and asked Xiang Kun what he wanted to drink, she would order it first. Checking the time, it was 2:41 in the afternoon. She arrived early. Xiang Kun looked up towards the shop. A girl had just walked in, although she was extremely cute and beautiful as Chang Bin described, he wasnt sure if she was his blind date. Because this girl, dressed in denim shorts, a white t-shirt, with her hair tied in pigtails, and big round glasses, looked very young, maybe not even twenty?

". In the dream, he thought the >" character represented Haixi Province, but because of various reasons, the abbreviation for Haixi province changed from >" to }. Although after waking up and searching online, he found that the claim of >" representing Haixi province was entirely far-fetched, and there was no record of it changing from >" to }, this was entirely a hypothetical idea from the dream, and the mentor in the dream was teaching him nonsense. But the strange character, a bird enclosed by a door, continually linked the giant raptor and its discovered Ghost Beard Ant together in Zhou Ruis mind. The more he sought a connection between the two, the more his inquiry direction was solidified. Moreover, Fang Pingfang, Chen Tianhua, even Mr. Liang all were persuaded by his various pieces of evidence. Although this evidence was more theoretical rather than verified, but they have accepted his speculation that the hypothetically fickle for the giant raptor boasted at Wushu Mountain, invisible insects hunted by the giant raptor, and the Ghost Beard Ant found in Tongshi were the same creatures at different stages of life. Of course, he did not mention that recurring dream to others because he felt that this dream and the strange dream about rabbit meat he had in the Qinling uninhabited area were different. This dream should have been produced by his consciousness, without being influenced by external factors. However, he didnt realize that although he remembered the contents of the dreams when he was awake, he had never actively attempted to recollect the appearance of the mentor who taught him about the peculiar character in his dream. Of course, he was unaware that the dream tutor, just like the man Mijoe dreamed of who was pushing her swing, was a paper man with a panda body and a face that looked like Jacky Cheung, looking just like an emoji. As everyone in the courtyard had just finished breakfast, Liu Caifu brought three unknown people. Liu Caifu said to Xiang Kun cheerfully, Mr. Xiang, these folks are researchers from your hometowns Taiyu Laboratory in Citong City. They know about the research base youre building here in the village, have great admiration for you, and wanted to meet you. He continued in a lower voice: Ive checked their identities. They really are from the Taiyu Laboratory. Xiang Kun nodded with a smile, and then looked at Zhou Rui, Li Shibao, and Ye Chong, who were standing at the entrance to the courtyard. This was their first time seeing Xiang Kun, but Xiang Kun, on the other hand, was already well acquainted with them. Not only did he notice them when his drone flew over their heads, but Liu Zhengyi also voluntarily called to report after their visit to the construction site. Thanks to the super-connected objects, surveillance cameras, and Alices targeted invasion of the Divine Technology dedicated network scattered throughout the village, every move of the three, what they said, and what they did, were all under his watchful eye. Zhou Rui and his teams purpose in visiting Chongyun village and Chongyun Mountain, he was very clear about. In fact, this was all deliberately instigated and maneuvered by him and Old Xia. After Alice took control of the vast amounts of data and dedicated networks of Divine Technology, and with emotion-infused objects, super-connected objects that had been placed beside Mijoe, Zhou Rui, and Fang Pingfang, Xiang Kun had already established full control over this investigative team through their communication information, electronic device records, dreamland inquiries, and tips. Furthermore, the Ghost Beard Ant that Zhou Rui named, which are the second or third generations of 001 and 002 mutant ants, and the mutant big bird of which Xiang Kun also temporarily didnt know its whereabouts, are all bait used by Xiang Kun to observe the detailed operation mechanism of Divine Technology, to help him answer various mysteries. Chapter 484 - Chapter 484: Chapter 484: Ordinary and Unremarkable Chapter 484: Chapter 484: Ordinary and Unremarkable While Liu Caifu was exchanging courtesies with Xiang Kun, Zhou Rui, standing at the entrance, suddenly noticed Professor Li Yang fiddling with the tea set at the stone table in the yard. He paused, then took a few steps into the courtyard and blurted out: Professor Li? Li Yang was taken aback, then turned to Zhou Rui with a smile, Are you one of our students, did you take my class? Im sorry my memory might not be very good due to my age. It really is you! Zhou Ruis face lit up with joy, and he took another couple of steps forward, saying: Im not a student of your specialty, but I frequently audit your lectures, er mostly I watch the online course videos. I am a big fan of your two books, read them several times, and I even thought about changing my major when I was a freshman Oh, my undergraduate major was Zhou Rui, like a little fan meeting his idol, began to pour out his admiration, then he introduced himself, including his time of enrollment, field of study, his collegiate experience, research topics during his postgraduate years, his publications, co-authored books, and so on. without a break. Unconsciously, Zhou Rui now sat down next to Li Yang at the stone table, and Professor Li had even prepared a cup of tea for him with the tea set that Xiang Kun had just brought. At this point, there was no need for Liu Caifu to introduce anything else. Xiang Kun invited Li Shibao and Ye Chong, who were standing at the door with puzzled looks, to come in and sit down. Xiang Kun could judge Zhou Ruis true feelings from his body language and various sensory cues, he and Old Xia were thoroughly familiar with this mans character and style. So Xiang Kun knew that Zhou Ruis performance wasnt disingenuous or deliberate. It was genuinely heartfelt. Zhou Rui knew Professor Li Yang; Xiang Kun had conjectured this when he first searched for Li Yangs information through the small clues he found in his dreams. The college that Zhou Rui attended for his undergraduate studies was the same place where Professor Li worked, and they were in the same school. Later, when Alice gained control of the secret department of Divine Technologys special line network, along with the electronic devices of all the members of Fang Pingfangs investigative team, he learned that Zhou Rui had stored videos of Li Yangs online courses on his computer. Zhou Ruis JD purchase records included Professor Li Yangs books. There was a chance that he could recognize Li Yang. After speaking continuously for more than ten minutes and drinking three cups of tea, Zhou Rui finally brought the topic back to the research base under construction: Professor Li, did you come here because of the aqua farm research base there? Is our school involved in this? Oh, actually no. I came to Chongyun Village to bring my daughter to play with her friends. As for the research base you mentioned, its something this Brother Xiang here is working on Li Yang introduced Xiang Kun to Zhou Rui with a smile. Xiang Kun chatted warmly with Zhou Rui, then assumed a knowledgeable posture, answering any questions Zhou Rui posed very sincerely and meticulously. Xiang Kun would be making lots of major moves later in Chongyun Village, and since Fang Pingfangs investigation team would be focusing on Chongyun Mountain and Wushu Mountain, its impossible that theyd overlook these actions. He needed them, Mr. Liang, and other people within Divine Technology who would notice his actions, to think as he wanted them to. Thus, he simply guided them to make discoveries. In his conversation with Zhou Rui, Xiang Kun attributed the idea of the aquaculture research base to the Youlong Restaurant he and You Meng had partnered to open in Tongshi Town. Originally, it was just simply an aqua farm intended to supply the restaurant with high-quality, affordable rabbit meat; but then with his experience as an internet industry practitioner, some new concepts were integrated and new ideas sprang up. Upon encouragement from some friends, including Liu Caifu, the research base was born inadvertently. When narrating these events, Xiang Kun intentionally limited his knowledge database to fit the range of a 30-year-old internet industry practitioner, programmer, cooking enthusiast, and foodie. When it came to concepts related to genetic engineering and molecular biology, he deliberately stated opinionated and biased viewpoints in a confident tone. With occasional corrections or endorsements from Liu Caifu and Li Yang on the side, his words seemed more believable. Nevermind Zhou Rui, even Li Yang, Liu Caifu, and Xia Tianhuo, who were listening nearby, all felt that these were Xiang Kuns real thoughts. Zhou Rui had not had contact with Xiang Kun, unlike Liu Caifu and Li Yang, who naturally perceived him as reliable, steady, and capable. No matter what he did, they would view it through a lens of reliability. So merely from this brief casual chat, Zhou Rui felt that Xiang Kun was an idealist with enthusiasm, ideas, and creativity, but lacked sufficient understanding and knowledge reserves for the tasks he intended to undertake. However, Xiang Kun seemed not to lack money, and could hire professionals to do the work when the time came. Such a research base would definitely collaborate with relevant academic institutions for its approval. Moreover, Xiang Kun was a friend of Li Yang, so they had these connections, and there was no need to worry. Of course, in case they could not continue their work in the future and were acquired by Divine Technology, becoming their backup lab for related tasks in the Chongyun Mountain region, that would be pretty good too. After learning that the Youlong Restaurant was also run by Xiang Kun and his team, Zhou Ruis fondness for them had increased significantly. He only hoped that this aquaculture research base would not consume too much of their finances and not affect the operation of the restaurant. He was too fond of the rabbit meat there, and whenever he had the time, he would entice Dr. Fang to hold team meals at the Youlong Restaurant using public funds. As they had to continue into the mountain, Zhou Rui and the others did not stay there too long. They stayed for about an hour and then excused themselves. But before leaving, Zhou Rui added Professor Li Yang and Xiang Kun on WeChat. While Xiang Kun was chatting with Zhou Rui, Li Yang, and Liu Caifu over tea, Yang Zhen Er, Tang Baona, and Xiao Pingguo were playing cards on the other side of the courtyard. The courtyard was large, and they were far enough apart not to disturb each other. The deck of playing cards they were using was specially made with touch-sensitive markers on one corner of the face of the cards, allowing the visually impaired to join in. Tang Baona had bought this on Taobao after learning that Xiao Pingguo was coming, and it had just arrived yesterday morning. When taking turns to play cards, they would also verbalize the card information to facilitate Xiao Pingguos decision-making C even though Xiao Pingguo could now see the cards with the help of Alice through the courtyards camera. Upon seeing Zhou Rui and the others leave the courtyard, Yang Zhen Er murmured, I suspect those three people are hiding something. Tang Baona found this strange, asking, Whats wrong? Isnt that one person Professor Lis student? He doesnt seem problematic, does he? Havent you noticed? The way Brother Xiang talks to them so seriously, isnt it exactly the same as when hes trying to fool me? Yang Zhen Er said in a whisper, squinting her eyes. Tang Baona chuckled, I didnt notice. Nana, youre still too young, too naive~! Yang Zhen Er shook her head, looked at Xia Libing sitting at the door of the living room, and said, Not just Brother Xiang, didnt you notice? When those three guys walked in, Old Xia was looking at her tablet and didnt even lift her head! So what? Even if it wasnt Old Xia, I also dont usually greet strangers Tang Baona laughed, havent we also been playing cards? Its not the same. In the past when we took Old Xia out, although she didnt talk much, she would definitely observe anyone new quietly. So when I want to know about someone, I just ask Old Xia. But these three, Old Xia didnt even bother to look at them. Either shes already familiar with these three and has them figured out, or these three are problematic! Old Xia definitely couldnt know these three, so it can only mean these three are problematic! Yang Zhen Ers brow was furrowed as she spoke in a tone that suggested she had seen through everything. Your logic is flawed. If she felt those three were problematic, wouldnt Old Xia observe them more carefully? Tang Baona countered. Because because Old Xia thinks theyre putting on a show, it doesnt feel real! Observing them is pointless! Yang Zhen Er explained, Think about it, who in their right mind would come to Chongyun Village for research? Plus, these three are trying to enter Chongyun Mountain, making them super suspicious! And that guythe moment he entered the yard, he couldnt wait to cozy up to Professor Li. Clearly he came prepared and definitely has an ulterior motive! My guess is, they found out Brother Xiang is rich from our successful game, and theyre trying to connect with him through the Research Base to scam him out of his money! Brother Xiang has already seen through their plot and is stringing them along, waiting to gather enough evidence to put them in jail! Old Xia doesnt observe them because he knows Brother Xiang has already figured them out. Theres no need Upon hearing this, Tang Baona couldnt help but laugh: So, Yang Lao San, youve been coming up with all these wild theories, no wonder you keep messing up the game! Xia Tianhuo, who had just walked over to watch their card game, could hear the conversation. He chuckled and turned back to Xiang Kun, who was chatting with Li Yang, Xiang Kun, according to Yang Lao San, youve deduced that Mr.Zhou and his gang are con artists. Con artists? What con artists? Xiang Kun was confused, though he had heard every word Yang Zhen Er had just said. Although Yang Zhen Ers final judgment was skewed, her method of deduction couldnt really be faulted. However, the reason Old Xia didnt lift her head to look at them wasnt laziness, but because she had already received a heads up from Alice and was now going through secret internal files from Divine Technology on her tablet. Zhou Rui and his crew couldnt have imagined that the pretty girl with the ponytail, who was just a few meters away from them, had been studying their detailed information and recent data uploads as they chatted with Xiang Kun in the yard. Hearing this, although Xiang Kun was just playing along, Li Yang said earnestly: How could Zhou Rui possibly be a con artist? He just showed me their graduation photo, proving he was indeed our student. That cant be faked. I could easily confirm that by checking and asking around. Yang Zhen Er felt vaguely embarrassed, shot a glare at her cousin, and hastily denied the previous statements to Xiang Kun and Li Yang: I didnt! I didnt say that! It wasnt me! I was just playing cards, Tianhuo is slandering me! Right, Xiao Pingguo? Xiao Pingguo laughed, All I heard was Sister Zhener complimenting Uncle Xiang on his fishing skills. She must be in the mood for some fish. Uncle Xiang, didnt you say theres a pond here where we could fish? Actually, she agreed with parts of Yang Zhen Ers judgment. With the information from Alice, she knew the three strangers were no ordinary villagers. The moment they set foot in the village, they had dispatched a drone to scan from above. Additionally, from Xiang Kuns conversation with them, she could tell he was deliberately playing the fool; he might actually be baiting them. There is indeed a fishing spot. Come on, lets go. Brother Chu and I are considering setting up a rural resort. Weve identified a few potential sites; you can help us decide. Regardless of whether we catch any fish, well have fish for lunch. Of course, if Brother Xiang is willing to cook, well all be in for a treat! Liu Caifu took over the conversation and said with a laugh. Cooking isnt a problem at all. Do you like your fish grilled, souped, or spicy boiled? Xiang Kun chuckled. Of course, no one objected to the fishing trip. They had come to Chongyun Village to relax, so they began to prepare their fishing gear. Liu Caifu took care of the fishing rods, while they gathered the rest of the supplies needed for the trip. Xia Tianhuo was watching Old Xia, who had stored her tablet away and was now speaking to Xiao Pingguo. Reflecting on Yang Zhen Ers theories, he realized while they were just her excessive speculations, they were insightful. Compared to before, Old Xias interest in his kidnapping incident in Burma seemed less than normal? Normally, she should have taken the initiative to investigate such a mysterious, radiation-filled event. Shouldnt she have more questions for him as a survivor? Maybe, Old Xia had already made a rather firm judgment about the incident but was temporarily unwilling to share it with him? She hadnt answered his final question this morning before being cut off by Yang Zhen Ers sudden appearance. It seemed that he needed to find another opportunity to ask again. He still felt that Old Xia must know something about how he had mysteriously escaped the kidnapping. The rumors of the sea monster illusion and the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion gave him a vague sense of anticipation. After bidding Xiang Kun and Li Yang farewell, Zhou Rui and his group set off for Chongyun Mountain as planned. I didnt expect to meet a former school professor here. Hey, Old Li, did I say anything that violated the confidentiality agreement just now? Zhou Rui asked Li Shibao, who was leading the way, with a hint of worry. No, Li Shibao responded simply. Zhou Rui nodded in relief and turned towards Ye Chong and asked, Xiao Ye, you were researching something on your tablet the moment we left the courtyard. Did you find out anything? Ye Chong shook his head, No, of the people in that courtyard, there were a few whose identities were uncertain and I couldnt find any relevant data. However, everyone else, including Xiang Kun, Li Yang, Li Jun, and Liu Caifu, had normal profiles. I thought as much, Zhou Rui said. Ye Chong was just conducting a routine check, they didnt expect Xiang Kun, Li Yang and others, or the Breeding Research Base to have any problems. Their investigation had never been focused on the individual. The bald spectacled guy left a good impression on him, not only because of his great respect for Professor Li, but also due to his mannerisms. In that courtyard, however, there were many people who caught his attention. Regardless of the greatly respected Professor Li, the tall Mr. Xia, the pretty girl with a ponytail constantly checking her tablet and not glancing at them, or the two beautiful girls playing cards with Li Yangs daughter, none of them seemed to belong in the rural village. Compared to them, Xiang Kun was quite ordinary, his bald head being his only striking feature. Zhou Rui was not aware that the information Ye Chong had found on Xiang Kun had been filtered and revised by Alice. Although Xiang Kuns original profile didnt have any obvious issues, to be on the safe side, Xiang Kun had Alice make some alterations. For example, his photographs prior to his mutation last year, his travel record for some time after the mutation, his online purchase records for various books and equipment, to ensure that there were no points that would draw their attention. Of course, even if there were suspicious points, even if they were to develop any doubts, Xiang Kun wasnt worried because he could use Old Xias Dream in A Dream to subconsciously influence and hypnotize them, helping to forcefully smooth over their suspicions. Even if something were to happen later, Divine Technology wouldnt focus much on him because of their initial contact with him and their current assessment. With a plan built on the Super Sensory Item System framework- Alice controlling the digital world and Old Xia controlling the dream world- Xiang Kun confidently conducted a clinical trial on the operation mechanism of Divine Technology in Chongyun Village under the watchful eye of Wushu Mountain. Chapter 485 - Chapter 485: Chapter 485: Super Alice (Part 4) Chapter 485: Chapter 485: Super Alice (Part 4) By the side of a pond in Chongyun Village, where the environment was beautiful and the scenery was excellent, Xiang Kun and the others chose their spots, each holding a fishing rod, sitting ready to fish. This pond was originally owned by someone in the village to raise fish. Liu Caifu took it over, along with a piece of land and a house next to it, planning to set up a family farm attraction. Of course, even if it was set up before, there wouldnt be many visitors, it was just planned to serve as a place for old friends from Tongshi Town to entertain themselves. It was used only once or twice a year, neglected in the long run, and naturally deteriorated. Having to have someone clean it up every time made it a hassle to use. But recently, both Tongshi Town and Chongyun Village have seen a great potential for development. The roads have been repaired, and Liu Caifu has teamed up with Chu Xiuwen to invest more and properly renovate the family farm. Although the design is still in progress and construction hasnt officially started, its already been cleaned and some existing things can be used directly. It might not yet be suitable for overnight stay, but fishing and cooking are not a problem. Li Yang and Liu Caifu didnt participate, but for the remaining six people, one fishing rod per person was enough, and the fish bait was readily available. However, there were not enough fishing chairs, only two were usable. The others had to bring out chairs from the house next to them. When it came to Xiang Kun, there wasnt even a chair, only stools, so he simply moved a rock over to sit on. Yang Zhener glanced at Xiang Kun on the opposite side of the pond. He was sitting on a rock under the tree, one hand holding the fishing rod and the other stroking Shiny on his thigh, eyes closed, not moving a bit, like he was sleeping. Not only him, Shiny, with his big hand rested on it, also had its eyes closed, as if it was sleeping as well. Nana, why does Brother Xiang look like an enlightened monk? Is he dozing off with his eyes closed? Yang Zhener said with a puzzled expression. Three meters to her right, Tang Baona glanced at Xiang Kun and laughed, Its clear that Xiang Kun is preparing for a long battle. Do you think you can win, Zhener? Before fishing, after Yang Zhener confirmed that Xiang Kun was also fishing for the first time, she made a bet with him. If the fish Xiang Kun catches before 11:30 are less than the total number she and Nana catch, he must stop calling her Yang Lao San and owes her three meals. Of course, he cannot call her Old Three either. If Xiang Kun catches more fish than both of them, then Yang Zhener needs to wash the dishes and utensils for everyones meals for lunch and dinner today and for the whole day tomorrow. Nana, just laugh, dont move the rod in your hand. Your rod is always shaking, how will the fish get hooked? Be serious, our score is combined! This is the war where I bet my real name! Yang Zhener said unhappily. Tang Baona held back her laughter and nodded earnestly: Okay, I will do my best. Whats with Shiny? Why isnt it moving? Did it faint? Yang Zhener said, then shouted at Xiao Pingguo on the other side, Xiao Pingguo, Shiny is pinned down by your Uncle Xiangs Five Finger Mountain and cant move, arent you going to check it might lose its life! Xiao Pingguo just laughed: No problem, Shiny is used to Uncle Xiang, its very comfortable. Yang Zhener fished for a while, but did not see a fish get hooked. Although she was sitting on one of the only two fishing chairs available, which was the most comfortable of all chairs, she was still a bit restless. She twisted her body and wanted to chat with Nana next to her, but was afraid of affecting her fishing and ultimately their combined scores. After looking around for a while, she suddenly yelled at Xiang Kun across the pond, Brother Xiang! Shiny is pooping!! However, both Xiang Kun and Shiny in his hand remained motionless. On the other hand, Tang Boana and Xia Tianhuo next to him were startled, Xia Tianhuo almost threw his fishing rod directly out of his hand. Hey! Yang Lao San! What are you screaming about? Xia Tianhuo said discontentedly, With your impatience, you are not suitable for fishing at all. You might as well go borrow a net from Director Liu to go catch fish! Tang Baona also laughed, Zhener, if you keep making a fuss like this, all the fish in the pond are going to be scared over to Xiang Kuns side. At this point, Yang Zhener finally concentrated quietly on the task of fishing. Of course, Xiang Kun wasnt sleeping at this time, and the Shiny in his hand wasnt sleeping either. He was actually just using this gap to enter the Super Sensory State and perform a Super Sensory Transformation on Shiny. Aside from Old Xia, no one else would know what he was doing while in a daze; they would just think he was dozing off. Making Golden Flash more capable of survival, stealth, and related usage of the Super Sensory Item System, so it can better serve as Xiao Pingguos Eye in the Sky, was something Xiang Kun had been planning for a while. He started with the initial association of Zero-Zero-One and Zero-Zero-Two, conducted experiments on other secondary associated ant colonies in order to accumulate experience, and find a safer, more effective method to transform Golden Flash. However, after Alice was fully integrated into the Super Sensory Item System, not only did Xiao Pingguo gain a true Sky Eye, there was no longer any need for a significant transformation for Golden Flash. Compared to before, now all that is needed is for Golden Flash to have better capability to utilize the Super Sensory Item System. Its more like a software upgrade rather than a hardware transformation, much less complex and much safer. A few days ago, Xiang Kun and Old Xia had made two extremely fine ankle rings, in which a total of twenty tungsten steel balls were encased. They had fitted these rings on Golden Flash the night before. So now, Xiang Kun can not only influence Golden Flash through the Super-connected Objects that he carries, but the twenty Super-connected Objects on Golden Flashs feet can also work. In the future, they will be the main method for Golden Flash to deploy abilities. This kind of transformation cannot be accomplished in one fell swoop. It requires gradual adjustments over time. Fortunately, Xiang Kun has plenty of time to interact with Golden Flash, so there is no need to rush. According to Xiang Kuns calculations, this super sensory transformation is not difficult; it should not pose any problems. In the future, Golden Flash will become a flying platform that can help Xiaopingguo, Alice, and even Xiang Kun deploy Super Sensory Item System capabilities. Golden Flash itself is already a strengthened Super-connected Object with a consciousness. Alice can influence a great distance through it and the twenty Super-connected Objects it is carrying, such as controlling electronic devices directly, hijacking and disguising various wireless signals, etc. Xiao Pingguo, with Alices help, can use Golden Flash itself and those Super-connected Objects for long-distance Emotion Projection, affecting human emotions, and creating direct projection illusions. If we use an analogy, Golden Flash is like an aircraft carrier. It has limited combat power itself, but the various aircraft it carries have strong combat power; it merely extends the range and mobility of this combat power. For Xiao Pingguo, the future Golden Flash can be said to be a mobile mini Chongyun Village. Xiang Kun quickly finished the first stage of transformation for Golden Flash, then exited the Super Sensory State, loosened his grip, and let it fly away to play on its own. Xiang Kun rested for a while, switched to oxygen-saving mode, and then quietly threw a tungsten steel ball into the pond. Utilizing his sensing and control of water, he detected the situation with the fish, then threw a few more in to herd the fish to where his bait was. As for the bet with Yang Zhener, he didnt really care. If he really let Yang Zhener wash so many dishes, she would probably break a lot of bowls and plates. However, he later thought that the reference to Yang Lao San seemed be growing on him. If he didnt let her call him that, it would feel a bit uncomfortable. So he might as well cheat a bit and win this bet. So, by 11:30, Xiang Kun had caught three fish, Xia Libing one, Xiao Pingguo one, while Yang Zhener, Tang Baona, and Xia Tianhuo caught nothing. Yang Zhener was so frustrated that she almost went to Liu Caifu for a net to fish in the pond. But Yang Zhener, who lost the bet, hadnt been sulking long. After tasting the braised fish that Xiang Kun had made during lunch, she was overjoyed again. In the afternoon, while the others were enjoying the rural scenery nearby with Liu Caifu as their guide, Xiang Kun found a gap to check on the status of Zhou Rui and his companions in Chongyun Mountain, as well as Fang Pingfang and her team on Wushu Mountain through Alice. With Alice having virtually taken control of the internal network of Divine Technologys secret department, and with electronic devices of all members of Fang Pingfangs team having been prepared in advance, it is not necessary to use Super-connected Objects, Emotion Infused Objects or enter a Super Sensory State for Xiang Kun to understand their movements. Alice just needs to access those devices directly to get a clear understanding of their situation and report it to Xiang Kun. Many of these devices are even capable of recording visuals and audio. Although it is Zhou Ruis trio that have had direct contact with Xiang Kun and are closer to him, his actual plan focuses on Wushu Mountain. Its not because the leader of this investigation team, Fang Pingfang, is there, but because the place where the initially spotted mutated big bird turned into a worm and burrowed into the ground was Mount Wushua fact known to Mr Liang. Only by basing arrangements on facts can the operational mechanism of the secret department of Divine Technology and Mr. Liangs reaction be more effectively witnessed. Earlier, with Alices help, Xiang Kun learned the whereabouts of most of the research institutions of the secret department of Divine Technology, as well as the information and credentials of most of the researchers, and even had access to the research they were conducting and their core data. But this vast amount of data did not solve his previous questions about the secret department of Divine Technology, Mr. Liang, and other people who knew about the existence of mutants behind the scenes. The more he knew, the more questions and doubts arose. The biggest question was: Beneath Brilliant Fortune Building, in the secret basement floor three levels below, where the rabbit woodcarving was found, there were obviously many mutants. The various conversations between Mr. Liang and Mijoe indicated a profound understanding of mutants, so why wasnt there any research report or data related to the confirmed mutants in the secret department data that Alice obtained? Like previously discovered, whether it was secret department researchers like Zhou Rui and Fang Pingfang, or security guards like Li Shibao and Gao Shu, they knew very little about mutants, or as Divine Technology called them, blood-eating creatures. Xiang Kun had originally thought he had just observed too few samples. After all, there were many other branches of the Divine Technology secret department, many relevant researchers, field workers, and teams. Perhaps Fang Pingfang and the others had lower authority, and perhaps other teams and researchers could access more information about mutants. But now, from what Alice grasped, Fang Pingfangs team was already among the few in the Divine Technology secret department with the most understanding of mutants, with judgments closest to the truth. They all had relatively high internal authority. Xiang Kun had also used Old Xia to conduct dream in a dream mental probing, confirmed from the subconscious of Fang Pingfang, Zhou Rui, Mijoe, and others. Their real situation was consistent with the relevant information Alice found on the server. In fact, Fang Pingfang, Zhou Rui and others had many questions about this, and many people vaguely knew that the secret department of Divine Technology was working on some unconventional lifeform, but nobody could confirm what it was. On balance, the one who understood mutants the most in Fang Pingfangs team was Mijoe, a newcomer to the Divine Technology secret department. Fang Pingfang had later understood the concept of blood-eating creatures through her popular science. However, even Mijoe had limited information. Most of it was knowledge she originally obtained from Guo Tianxiang, which, through Mr. Liangs explanation, became a more systematized understanding. Research personnel in the secret department, if not conducting field investigations, mostly conduct specific, non-consumer, professional depth development of Divine Technologys existing technology at various research bases. As for what the specific requirements were, it all depended on Mr. Liang. Mr. Liang would also occasionally send them some unfinished products that needed further development and problem-solving according to specific needs or directions. The final products often had unclear uses. Even if their intended applications could be discerned, they were often far from practical applications. Most were still semi-finished, but Mr. Liang would be satisfied and arrange for prototypes to be made. This included some of the mass-produced special drones that Xiang Kun saw on Wushu Mountain that night. These drones, according to design, had obvious defects. However, from what Xiang Kun observed that night, these drones only showed advantages, with none of the anticipated problems visible. Obviously, some details were missing from the data and information that Alice obtained. Perhaps one would have to get a drone or other equipment for disassembly to verify. In the secret department, some researchers, like Fang Pingfang and Zhou Rui, were sent out to perform field tasks. They investigated events of suspected mutant appearances, and sometimes even performed tracking and capturing. The secret departments database and related materials also contained solid evidence like images obtained when field workers directly encountered unusual mutants, just like the mutated big bird that Fang Pingfang and others witnessed hunting a mutated ant on Wushu Mountain late at night the previous year. However, the records only went up to tracking and capturing. There were occasional records of capture attempts, but there were no records of successfully capturing mutants, nor information regarding substantial research or sample analysis on them, clearly inconsistent with actual situations. The Divine Technology secret department had a team specifically responsible for information collection, analysis, guidance, and control of the media and the Internet. When information pointing at suspected mutants was discovered, Mr. Liang would be notified immediately. When they found that the information could be widely spread, they would take measures to quickly sever it at its source. If it had already spread, they would lower its popularity, distort and tamper with the spreading information to increase the difficulty of obtaining and discerning information for other netizens, then slowly delete the message source, eliminating the possibility of information spread with minimal noise. Moreover, not only was Divine Technology doing this, similar actions were being taken abroad, and the Divine Technology information collection team recorded all related information. For foreign related information, they mostly adopted a monitoring but non-interfering attitude. Obviously, there were institutions or organizations similar to Divine Technology overseas, also searching for mutants and restricting related information spread. The information collection team of the Divine Technology secret department had investigated and recorded part of the information of these foreign institutions or organizations, but had not delved too deep. They didnt carry any intention to target or guard against them, which Xiang Kun found strange. He let Alice follow these clues to see what the situation was with these foreign institutions or organizations and to obtain more in-depth information. Generally speaking, all research teams, information collection teams, and specific functional teams and organizations in the Divine Technology secret department had a fixed person in charge C Mr. Liang. Almost all information was decided upon by Mr. Liang. At first, Xiang Kun thought Mr. Liang might be a codename for a decision-making team, but before he left Pengcheng City, he and Alice established: Mr. Liang was the mutant Xiang Kun glimpsed on Wushu Mountain, who could become invisible and fly, who took the rabbit woodcarving, and who was in the secret location under the third basement level of Brilliant Fortune Building at the time. As for who assisted Mr. Liang in controlling the entire Divine Technology secret department, it was a computer AI referred to as Taia. This computer AI is none other than the one which Alice breached and took control of with ease when infiltrating the security system on the third basement floor of the Brilliant Fortune Building. Despite being undermined by Alice, the Thaia AI was actually quite advanced in the realm of artificial intelligence. It could be considered the blood vessel and meridian of the entire secret department of Divine Technology, acting as the core that connects all the departments and teams. Regular requests and menial tasks would be handled quickly according to Mr. Liangs pre-set habits, while more complex information would be clearly sorted and presented for Mr. Liang to make decisions. Thaia has been created and in use for many years, with numerous iterations. The development team was led by Mr. Liang himself, and different batches of team members had been replaced over the years. In a way, Mr. Liang is the product manager of Thaia. However, such an important figure, such a leader who has connections with almost all key members of the secret department of Divine Technology, had no personal information recorded in the server, no photos, no place of birth, no educational background, not even a full name. And it seemed that no one in the secret department had actually seen Mr. Liang in person. This was something Xiang Kun could understand. He already knew that Mr. Liang was a mutant who could turn invisible and looked significantly different from humans. Avoiding direct contact with people was the right choice. As for Mr. Liangs name and identity, Xiang Kun had a hunch, and he was pretty sure about it. But in the end, he would need Alice to help him confirm it. However, another piece of information was of more concern to Xiang Kun than Mr. Liangs identity. He had confirmed that Divine Technology indeed had government backing, with official personnel stationed directly in the secret department, most particularly in the information gathering team. He even found two people he recognized from the employee informationZhao Feng and Wang Deantwo officers who were previously obsessed with investigating the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster illusion, had joined Divine Technology. They probably joined due to their investigation, because according to the information found in the server, they had recently been sent to Burma to investigate the mass illusion event in Myitkyina on the evening of March 8. The partner working closely with Divine Technology was a department that could not be found in any official public information C the National Abnormal Biology Research Center. The person in charge was He Haomin, most of his staff were part of the secret department of Divine Technology, bearing dual identities. And judging from how their data was stored, Mr. Liang obviously knew about their situation very well. It appeared that the secret department of Divine Technology was merely a puppet put forward by the officials. However, based on Alices analysis of the related data and information, the collaboration between the National Abnormal Biology Research Center and Divine Technology started significantly later than when the secret department of Divine Technology was established. From this perspective, was Divine Technology more like being wooed or absorbed halfway? But why would they carry out these investigations and studies through a private company? If it was only for confidentiality, that nonexistent National Abnormal Biology Research Center should have been enough. If Mr. Liang and Divine Technology had achieved some investigation or research outcomes that were recognized by the government, or if they had grown big and abundant enough in resources to get governmental endorsement and cooperation and gain great autonomy, Then Xiang Kun believed he could do the same. By now, Xiang Kun was very well aware that he was unique, even among the mutants. Given time, he could totally outperform Mr. Liang and Divine Technology, especially with the help from Alice. As Alice kept evolving and he gained more and more super-connected objects and emotion-infused objects, making the super sensory item system more abundant and powerful, his value to the government would definitely grow. But before that, he had to find out why Divine Technology, the government department, and even foreign agencies and organizations were desperately covering up the existence of mutants, even keeping their own researchers in the dark, but letting them investigate related incidents. Only by figuring out this would he be able to determine the posture and method with which he should contact Mr. Liang and He Haomin. He had several ways to find the answers to his questions: First, through Alice accessing the data within the special storage device located in the secret space below the third basement floor of the Brilliant Fortune Building. Xiang Kun believed that he was highly likely to find the answer there; Second, by using the information of the second-level Derivative Ant Colony and the temporarily missing mutated big bird at Chongyun Mountain and Wushu Mountain as bait to prompt Fang Pingfangs team, Divine Technology, and Mr. Liang into conducting a substantive investigation on mutants and thereby uncovering the real operations behind; Third, by starting with Mr. Liang and He Haomin themselves, with the assistance of Alice and Old Xia, starting a multidimensional spying and investigation. Chapter 486 - Chapter 486: Chapter 486: The Teacher Has Not Yet Succeeded Chapter 486: Chapter 486: The Teacher Has Not Yet Succeeded Peng City, underground in the Brilliant Fortune Building. John Cavendish, with his somewhat disheveled blond hair, was sitting cross-legged on the ground, looking at the rabbit woodcarving in his hand with a sense of despair. Ever since he was brought to this hidden and technologically advanced underground space on the 17th of last month, he had never left. He stayed here all the time, puzzling over the scars of the rabbit woodcarving. Originally, Mr. Liang gave him two choices. One was to unravel the special qualities of the rabbit woodcarving within 40 days, while the other was to defeat the giant serpent. John, who narrowly escaped the serpents mouth, naturally chose the former. Compared to the terrifying and powerful Blood Beast giant serpent he had encountered, a rabbit woodcarving seemed much more harmless. However, during the past month, he spent 24 hours a day with the rabbit woodcarving, constantly observing, pondering, and fiddling with it. Every part of the carving, every trace on it, had etched deeply into his mind and memory. So much so that when he closed his eyes now, he seemed to see a roughly carved, ugly rabbit woodcarving grinning at him. Yet, apart from being able to discern that the tool used to carve this rabbit was quite unprofessional and that it had endured various forms of torture based on the various traces on it, he still couldnt understand what was so special about this rabbit woodcarving. After he accepted the task, Mr. Liang barely bothered with him, neither providing him a room nor any equipment or tools. He could only sit on the floor in this hallCthe only chair was Mr. Liangs, and he didnt dare to touch it. Mr. Liang occasionally handled some affairs via the screen that rose from the center of the hall. Most of the time, he was invisible, and judging from the operation of the elevator, Mr. Liang often left, but due to his special invisibility ability, John wasnt sure if Mr. Liang had actually left, or whether the elevators movements were just a prank. Naturally, regardless of whether Mr. Liang left or not, John didnt harbor any thoughts of escape. It wasnt that he didnt want to escape, but he noticed that there were no buttons outside that elevator, clearly indicating that it wasnt accessible to everyone. Since he couldnt use the elevator, he had no idea how he could leave this space surrounded by metal walls, unaware of its distance from the ground above. Moreover, considering Mr. Liangs terrifying ability and the various advanced technologies he displayed, even if Mr. Liang temporarily left, he must be confident in keeping John trapped here. After all, in addition to him, there was at least one Blood Beast, a giant snake. If he werent of the Blood Clan, John would have died of hunger and thirst long ago. However, even as a blood clan, being confined in such a place for so long, his body and mind were exhausted, and he felt on the verge of madness. Especially as time ticked away, and the 40-day deadline was approaching, he still couldnt find the special quality of the rabbit woodcarving, John felt an urge to smash the woodcarving into pieces. He knew that the special aspect that Mr. Liang referred to certainly wasnt the style of the carving, the carving technique, the source of the damage on it, or anything that could be judged intuitively. In the beginning, he suspected that something might be hidden inside the carving, so he asked Mr. Liang for permission to split the woodcarving open. But Mr. Liang showed him X-ray scans of the carving from various angles, as well as a range of analysis reports generated by diverse instruments, making John realize that Mr. Liang had already carried out various scientific tests on the woodcarving. Even the scorched, drilled, and cut traces on the woodcarving were all made by Mr. Liang. In addition, Mr. Liang had a number of reference images similar to or related to the rabbit woodcarving, potential sources of the image, a vast number of analysis reports on carving methods and tools. There were assessments from psychologists speculating on the mental state of the woodcarver, judgments from artists, interpretations of the mood and thoughts conveyed by the woodcarving Obviously, Mr. Liang couldnt find anything special about the woodcarving through these methods, so he handed the woodcarving over to John. In terms of a Chinese proverb, he was treating a dead horse as if it were still alive, hoping that John, the Blood Clan member from Slovakia, could bring a new perspective. When he asked Mr. Liang how or from where he should research the rabbit woodcarving, he received the answer follow your instincts. When he asked Mr. Liang why he was so certain that the rabbit woodcarving was special, Mr. Liang didnt respond at all. John didnt know if Mr. Liang would let him go or grant his request to become a loyal servant if he truly found out what was special about the rabbit woodcarving. But he did understand, considering Mr. Liangs demonstrated approach, that if he couldnt produce an answer within the time limit, the result would definitely not be favorable. When he had no choice but to reveal the purpose and origin of the Sacred Blood in the small knife, causing Mr. Liang to consume the Sacred Blood, John was worried and terrified for a moment, fearing Count Joels wrath, fearing his retreat was cut off, fearing he could never return to the Red Rose. But soon, he realized how powerful Mr. Liang and his organization were, and ironically started hoping that Count Joel or the Red Rose could come after him. At that time, he could play some role, at least providing more information, demonstrating other values. He hoped that those old guys from the Red Rose could be brave, take risks, and come here when their blood sources were insufficient and their limits were approaching. He hoped that they could give some trouble to Mr. Liang and his organization, giving him a chance to prove his utility. But he knew very well that the old guys were patient monsters. Their long lifespan was due to their patience and caution, so even if they knew he betrayed them, even if their limits were near, they would first seek other solutions in Europe. They wouldnt come looking unless it was absolutely necessary. His attempts at piquing Mr. Liangs interest in Slovakias Red Rose, trying to act as an agent to return to Europe, all ended in failure. At least during this 40-day deadline, it seemed impossible to postpone or obtain an alternative task through the Red Rose. John racked his brains, trying to apply everything he had heard about secret techniques, legends, and even plots from various novels and movies involving woodcarvings, dolls, statues, etc., hoping to find the right approach. He even asked Mr. Liang for the white porcelain knife, and although it no longer had Count Joels Sacred Blood, and lacked the lethal power against other Blood Clan or Blood Beast, it was still very sharp. He cut his own hand with the porcelain knife and smeared his blood on the rabbit woodcarving, but the woodcarving gave no response. He also requested things like garlic to perform various forms of purification on the woodcarving, but again, to no avail. So at this moment, holding the woodcarving in his hand, John felt utterly desperate. He began to suspect whether Mr. Liang provided this option just to toy with him, to let him experience the feeling of hope turning into despair in forty days? Or was he suggesting that the ultimate fate for him, if he refused to confront the giant serpent, was to meet the same torture as this woodcarving? Was he hinting that he and the rabbit woodcarving are both playthings for Mr. Liang? However, considering the various test reports Mr. Liang had shown him and the haughty attitude with which Mr. Liang disregarded the Red Rose and other Blood Clan members, he felt that it might not be the case. The woodcarving must indeed be problematic, something Mr. Liang would not trivialize. As he had regretfully bitten the long ear of the rabbit wood carving, the entire halls lighting suddenly dimmed. John was caught off guard, slowly opening his mouth and looking up at the enormous ceiling lamps that resembled large tiles, sensing that something was wrong. He had been in this place for over a month and never experienced an unstable light before. The next moment, the light became bright again, but much brighter than usual, and then began to flicker. On the central operating platform, computer screens began to rise, screens from the top also descended, and various operating platforms of unknown use extended from the side. Sir? Is that you? John called out nervously, but there was no response. He cautiously approached and saw that most of the screens were black, while others were scrolling rows of codes quickly, so fast that the human eyes could not discern them. Then swiftly, all the screens receded back into the platform, and the halls lighting instantly went out. John held his breath and dared not to move. After a while, the lights turned on again. A giant serpent appeared on the wall not too far away, startling him. But on closer inspection, he found out that the wall containing the giant serpent had transformed into a screen, projecting the scene inside in real-time. Following that, one after another, walls lit up around him. Some projected empty rooms, while others contained odd-looking creatures; apparently, they were other Blood Beasts. Theyre keeping more than just one Blood Beast here! John became anxious right away, slightly worried that the high-tech electronic systems that Mr. Liang seemed to possess might have problems. Would he have a horrible death if the partitions containing the Blood Beasts were all opened, with nowhere to escape? However, those illuminated gigantic screens quickly went out, reverting to the normal partition wall form. The overhead lights, however, continued to flicker unstably. Clearly, the situation wasnt over yet. John thought he heard the sound of fine sand falling on some metal components overhead, as if it was inside the ventilation ducts. However, the sound was so faint and intermittent that he was unsure if he had heard it right or if it might be just the ventilation systems or other equipment cooling systems at work. Suddenly, under the dim light, a whole chunk of meat appeared abruptly on the ground not far in front of him. The cut was neat and clean, not bloody but rather like a well-prepared ingredient ready to be sliced or diced, and then cooked. But, for some reason, as soon as he saw that piece of meat, a thought sprang into his mind C this is rabbit meat. This was an extremely strange feeling. He subconsciously looked at the rabbit wood carving in his hand and found his hand trembling somewhat. For him, this was incredulous. He had always thought that he would tremble with fear due to power and death. Still, he wouldnt be scared of such bizarre and mystical happenings, as he considered himself part of that bizarre and mystical world. But at this moment, a sense of chill rose within him, and he strangely thought about some stories which he used to consider jokes, and he suddenly understood the feelings of those people in the stories. It turns out that even the Blood Clan would be afraid of such matters. He did not know what exactly it was, but the threat posed by the unknown could sometimes be even more potent than that posed by absolute power. At this moment, the third underground layers repairing area and even further up in the Brilliant Fortune Building above John, were also affected. The entire building lost signal reception, whether it was WIFI signals, mobile phone signals, or signals from Bluetooth and 2.5G devices; all were lost. Fortunately, it was late into the night, past eleven, and only a few people were still working. Therefore, the number of affected people was not that significant. However, situations like the computers auto-restarting, lights automatically turning off, and the temporary power cut, were quite exasperating to everyone. Neither John, the underground third-layer maintenance staff, nor the employees of Divine Technology in the Brilliant Fortune Building, realized that these anomalies were side effects caused by a digital life, which presumed itself perfect. It was trying to forcibly access the large storage device hidden in the deepest part of the secret underground space of Divine Technology, which was not connected to any network. Previously, even before completely integrating into the Super Sensory Item System, Alice could still control and influence some electronic devices remotely through super-connected objects, even if they were not connected to the network. But to retrieve detailed data stored on the electronic devices and transport them out from the device directly through the Super Sensory Item System, so that they can be digitized and displayed on other electronic devices, was something they couldnt achieve yet. With the help of Xiao Pingguo and after fully entering the Super Sensory Item System, both Xiang Kun and Alice believed that she had, in theory, the capabilities of doing that, which is, to take out the data hidden in the large storage device underneath the Brilliant Fortune Building. Hence, only time was needed. Alice understood clearly that Xiang Kun was now very eager and anticipated seeing those pieces of information. He believed that those pieces of information could likely help him unravel the various puzzles posed by Divine Technology and Mr. Liang. He might even uncover some secrets about the root origins of the mutants. As a result, she was still not wholly accustomed to the inherent conversion of data within the Super Sensory Item System, and there were not enough super-connected objects at her disposal. In addition, eagerness got the better of her, resulting in considerable disturbances when carrying out data conversion and retrieval. Not only did it momentarily trouble and inconvenience the employees at Brilliant Fortune Building, but it also had a significant impact on John Cavendish, who thought he was immune to unnerving spiritual disturbances. Meanwhile, it nearly burnt out the storage device. Xiang Kun, who was aware of the situation, found himself between laughter and tears because the task he had assigned Alice was supposed to be a long-term one with emphasis on being conservative and safe, there was no rush at all. Nevertheless, after Alice completed an experiment that night, in which she successfully transmitted the data from the hard disk of an old-fashioned desktop computer not connected to the network in Chongyun Village to Xiang Kuns laptop, she took the initiative to request a co-manifestation from Old Xia. Then, Alice manifested as mini-Old Xia, with one hand on her hips and the other pointing a scalpel towards the sky, promising Xiang Kun, Alice will get that data for boss before the sun comes up! Then, the situation had turned into what it was now The unsuccessful Alice did not request another co-manifestation from Old Xia, and did not even make a sound; instead, she used texts to display on the computer screen: That device is not connected to a power source. In a powered-off condition, more super-connected objects are needed to completely retrieve the data. The super-connected objects over there are not enough. Request to deploy more super-connected objects. Chapter 487 - Chapter 487: Chapter 487 Happy Birthday (Part 1) Chapter 487: Chapter 487 Happy Birthday (Part 1) When Mr. Liang returned to the basement of the Brilliant Fortune Building, he saw John sitting against the wall, staring blankly at the rabbit wood carving placed in the middle of the hall, seemingly lost in thought. Mr. Liang emerged from his invisibility status, walked to the platform, picked up the rabbit wood carving that seemed unchanged, and asked, What happened? John was startled, apparently just realizing Mr. Liang had returned. He pointed to the wood carving in Mr. Liangs hands, and said with a bit of unease, It It has a problem! Theres an evil spirit hidden inside it! Then, John hastily explained to Mr. Liang what had happened yesterday, focusing on the significant points of his experience, including how the light flickered, how he saw that piece of rabbit meat, and how the rabbit meat disappeared without any warning. Mr. Liang wasnt surprised, but instead nodded approvingly, Good, you have started to see its peculiarities. He knew that blood-eating creatures normally dont need to sleep. John hadnt reached his feeding and blood-drinking time. While the old vampires of the Red Rose had a secret technique for extending their period of extreme limits through slumber, it wasnt something they could use whenever they pleased, and John couldnt possibly waste his time sleeping within the 40-day limit. So, it wasnt in his dreams that he had seen the rabbit meat, but he had been affected by illusions in reality. This situation was something Dr. Fang Pingfang had encountered in laboratories of the research bases in Bao Wang City and An Tie Town. One could say that John had proven that the hallucinations brought about by the wood carving affected not only human beings, but blood-eating creatures as well. Tell me exactly, how did you trigger the hallucination of the rabbit meat? Mr. Liang asked. How did I trigger John paused for a moment, thought about it, then said with a little uncertainty, I bit its ear. Oh? Mr. Liang picked up the rabbit wood carving, opened his mouth wide, and put one ear of the rabbit wood carving into his mouth C in fact, he could easily swallow the entire wood carving. After symbolically biting on the ear a few times, Mr. Liang pulled the woodcarving out and asked, Like this? John was taken aback. He had never seen Mr. Liang with his mouth fully open before; the visual impact was quite shocking. So it took a while for John to respond to Mr. Liangs question. As soon as he came to his senses, he quickly nodded, Yes, thats right just take a bit. But clearly, Mr. Liangs this instance didnt trigger any similar feedback. So, he threw the rabbit wood carving to John and said, You take a bite. John glanced at the rabbit ear that Mr. Liang had bitten, hesitated a bit, then chose to bite the other ear, but this time again, nothing unusual occurred. Mr. Liang wasnt surprised or disappointed as when Fang Pingfang had previously encountered the rabbit meat hallucination, she hadnt bitten the rabbits ear either. The idea that biting the ear of a rabbit carving would trigger a hallucination seemed to be purely coincidental. What are your thoughts on the connection between the wooden carving and the hallucination, its trigger mechanism? Mr. Liang asked. John repeated his previous words, There is an evil spirit inside! It it might be a rabbit, or something else, but anyway it has a direct impact on the soul and influences the mind. Whilst saying this, John seemed to think that using rabbit to describe the so-called evil spirit might not sound intimidating or terrifying. So he hurriedly gave some examples, such as Annabelle, Chucky, etc., and proposed to send the wood carving to Europe to test some legendary methods of purification. However, Mr. Liang hadnt seen these movies and was further confused. In fact, based solely on Johns earlier account, Mr. Liang understood completely what had happened and also knew that John was considerably shaken. Do you think the illusion of that rabbit you saw has any connection with the Eight-Armed Giant Hallucination in Myitkyina? Mr. Liang suddenly asked. John was taken aback. Mr. Liang did not seem to accept his evil spirit analysis but instead proposed another approach. Following this line of thought and combining his interviews with some witnesses who had seen the illusions in Myitkyina, last nights apparition, as well as adding a bit of imagination, he found himself unveiling a more mysterious and profound scroll. Seeing John lost in thought, Mr. Liang didnt rush him. He walked to the only seat in the hall, sat down, re-entered his invisibility status, pulled out his computer screen, and began to look over the briefings from various bases and field teams collated by Taia. These briefings, usually conveying phased results or routine reports, wouldnt bear any urgent incidents. Otherwise, the research bases and teams would directly contact him via personal communicators. Before reviewing the briefings, Mr. Liang had Taia perform a security check on itself to confirm that there were no issues concerning hardware or software, as well as the access control and network security systems. From Johns and Fang Pingfangs earlier descriptions, it seemed that the rabbit wood carving had an effect on people and created illusions, interfered with surrounding electronic devices and power systems. Its likely related to the magnetic field, which is quite similar to the environmental impact around the time the Eight-Armed Giant Hallucination appeared in Myitkyina on the evening of March 8th. This was one of the reasons why he linked the rabbit wood carving illusion to the Eight-Armed Giant Hallucination. However, Mr. Liang had no worries about the security equipment and system security of this location. With Taia keeping watch, the worst-case scenario would simply result in damage to some hardware. The vital data was stored in their dedicated network, with multiple servers storing it in various places. The most core and confidential data were stored offline and unplugged unless one could breach right into the storage space, even an EMP would hardly cause damage. Mr. Liang had absolute confidence in the AI system which he supervised and watched develop into what it is today. If Taia determines there are no issues, then there should be no issues. Taia, one of the mythical top ten famous swords in our country, is a sword of power, invisible and traceless. Its sword energy exists between heaven and earth. When the time, place, people, and the three virtues unify, Taia will be created as legend has it that Ouyezi and Ganjiang only claim to be carriers of this swords energy. Mr. Liangs choice of this name shows his confidence in and emphasis on this AI system. After what seemed to be a psychological struggle, John slowly placed the rabbit wood carving at one corner of Mr. Liangs operating platform. Then he said, Five more days until the 40-day deadline I think I want to choose a different task. Mr. Liang was truly surprised this time. The eyeball without eyelids looked at John, and his body reappeared on his chair, You intend to have a battle to the death with that serpent? John nodded with difficulty: Yes. Mr. Liang looked at the rabbit wood carving on the platform and said, If youre worried about timing, I can extend the deadline for you. No need, I dont think I can complete this task. John hesitated for a moment, then made another request. If possible, can you turn on that screen again? I want to take a closer look. As the one who had a brief battle with the giant serpent or more accurately, had been simply chased by it, John was obviously well aware of the serpents combat capability. The tasks Mr. Liang had listed side by side for him to select were akin to the method of assigning math homework by making students copy ten questions a thousand times or solve them. Mr. Liang used a task that John was deemed impossible to choose as an anchor, creating a sense of pressure and a contrast of hope for him. But now it seems that the illusion last night had a bigger impact on John than expected? Mr. Liang was somewhat perplexed, was it not just an illusion of a piece of rabbit meat that terrified him to this extent? Even an ordinary person like Dr. Fang, who had also seen the rabbit meat illusion, wasnt scared witless and was still thinking about how to unravel the mystery. And yet, you, a supposed European bloodline vampire, are this fearful? Has he been watching too many horror movies or reading too many horror novels? The rabbit wood carving only induces bizarre illusions in people, it doesnt seem capable of causing any real harm. In contrast, a fight to the death with the giant serpent is truly life-threatening. However, Mr. Liang didnt probe too much into it. He snapped his fingers and projected the image of the mutant giant serpent that was kept in a room behind a wall for John to observe. Thank you, John said hurriedly, leaning in to get a closer look at the reptile. Both of its eyes, which it had blinded by itself, were now fully healed. It looked exactly the same as when he had first encountered it over a month ago. John made the current decision with great reluctance. He had used up most of the 40-day time limit to understand the peculiarities of the rabbit wood carving, the sunk cost was too high. Normally, he had no reason to give up now. But his encounter last night and Mr. Liangs recent comments had made him realize that the rabbit wood carving was a real pitfall! If this rabbit wood carving is related to the Eight-Armed Giant Hallucination of Myitkyina, then thats even more terrifying. God knows what incredible being lies behind it. He had previously proposed helping Mr. Liang investigate the Eight-Armed Giant hallucination in Myitkyina and even proposed some so-called pathways. However, those were desperate words he was forced to say in order to negotiate his survival. His goal was to leave here, go to Burma, Myitkyina, meet more people, better show his abilities and value, and have more chances to escape C his choices were much more extensive. But now it seems that Mr. Liang wants him to stay here, access the mystery behind the wood carving using his own soul and mind, making him more of a scout, cannon fodder, or a sacrificial offering used for summoning. He should have realized it earlier, that an object that is highly valued but indomitable by Mr. Liang and the organization behind him must not be simple, it cant be a problem he can easily solve. Rather than facing a certain horrifying and terrifying unknown, its better to have a fight with a known but limited powerful creature. John gripped the small white porcelain knife in his pocket as he locked his gaze on the giant serpent displayed on the wall screen. He replayed the last brief fight and the serpents reactions during that time in his head. Perhaps, there was still hope. Although Alices data collection mission failed, Xiang Kun was not too worried. The model to retrieve data from the storage device via the super-connected objects matrix and carry out remote transmission and compile transcode has been established and had been run successfully. It was just a matter of time when the secret data on the storage device beneath the Brilliant Fortune Building would be obtained. As for the commotion caused last night, Xiang Kun was not very worried either. The rabbit meat hallucination had been presented to Dr. Fang in the laboratory before. It was a label and characteristic given by Divine Technology to the rabbit wood carving. It was nothing new for them to experience it again. On the contrary, Alice going overboard last night in a fit of rage had helped him confirm two things: One, given a sufficient supply of super-connected objects and favorable surroundings, Alice could trigger emotion-infused objects within her range to generate an illusion; Second, mutants too could be affected by the illusions produced by emotion-infused objects. As it seemed now, only mutants transformed from humans could be affected. The other three mutants of different forms under the Brilliant Fortune Building could only sense the anomaly, without seeing any related illusions. The emotional projection ability of emotion-infused objects derived from emotional assimilation still required the affected target to have a similar channel for emotional perception ability. But today, Xiang Kun decided to take a break from these matters. As today was April 22nd, tomorrow was Old Xias birthday. Everyone planned to celebrate Old Xias birthday tonight C this was also the reason he had invited Professor Li Yang and Xiao Pingguo to Chongyun Village. So, Xiang Kun needed to focus on his primary responsibility as a chef and prepare a luxurious dinner for tonight. While Xiang Kun was preparing the ingredients, Xia Libing, Tang Baona, Yang Zhen Er, Xiao Pingguo, among others were video calling Little Fatty Girl who was in Star City, listening to her sing Happy Birthday for Old Xia. Happee Bersday to you~, Happee Bersday to you~, Happee Bersday dear Old Summer~, Happee Bersday to you~ The Little Fatty Girl in the video was taking the song seriously. Alice had taught her this English version of the birthday song. Although she had sung it before, it was always in chorus, and humming along was enough. But this time she was singing alone and there were many people watching her, it was making her nervous. She wasnt very fluent in the pronunciation and had added new words, making the singing a little shaky. But she still tried hard not to get off tune and bravely completed four loops. At first, Tang Baona, Xiao Pingguo, as well as Xia Tianhuo, Zi Cheng, Chu Xiaoting who came over for fun, felt a little confused. Although the Little Fatty Girls voice was a little blurry, they all understood happy birthday to you, but what does old summer mean? Tang Baona was the first to react, she turned her head towards Yang Zhen Er and said, Old Summer? Yang Zhen Er, who volunteered to teach Little Fatty Girl the birthday song, couldnt help but laugh. She nodded and said, Yeah, yeah, its a great English nickname, isnt it? OMG! Old Summer is outrageous! Yang Lao San is too bad, she actually lied to the kid! Xia Tianhuo couldnt help but complain about his cousin. However, Zi Cheng, Xiao Pingguo, Chu Xiaoting, and others who knew the truth couldnt help but laugh. Seeing the reactions of everyone, Liu Shiling asked nervously in the video, Sister Chicken Wing, did I sing it wrong? Xia Libing, still had a calm expression, replied, No, you sang very well. Tang Baona, between laughs and tears, said, Little Lingdang sang very well, by the way, when your Old Fairy Sister taught you, did she tell you what this song means? Liu Shiling nodded, Its the birthday song, we often sing it in kindergarten. Happee Bersday to you means happy birthday and Old Fairy Sister said Old Summer means dear sister. After saying that, Liu Shiling asked Old Xia, Sister Chicken Wing, happy birthday! Have you received the birthday present I sent you? Thank you, Little Lingdang, I havent received it yet. When did you send it? Xia Libing shook her head. My mom said it was sent the day before yesterday via a very fast courier that has a wind emblem. Will they have lost my gift? Liu Shiling asked, her eyebrows furrowed. SF Express? If it was sent from Star City, it should be delivered today. Ill go and ask Brother Xiang! Yang Zhen Er stated, immediately running out of the living room and rushing into the kitchen to find Xiang Kun. Chapter 488 - Chapter 488: Chapter 488 Happy Birthday (Part 2) Chapter 488: Chapter 488 Happy Birthday (Part 2) The gift from Xiao Lingdang came yesterday, delivered by Liu Gaoshang. I was planning to show it to Old Xia after dinner, so its in the cabinet in the living room. Its in a package from SF Express. Xiang Kun replied to Yang Zheners prompt from the kitchen, laughing. Yang Zhen Er immediately ran out, found the package in the cabinet, and showed it to Xia Libing, saying, It should be this one! Should we open it? Oh, Yang Lao San, its a birthday gift for Old Xia, not you. Why are you so excited? Xia Tianhuo laughed. Old Xia and Xiao Lingdang wont mind, right, Xiao Lingdang? Yang Zhener spun the laptop she was using for video call to face her, and holding the package, she said with a chuckle, Xiao Lingdang, can Fairy Sister help your sister unwrap your gift? Tang Baona was drinking tea and almost choked, laughing and scolding, Zhener, you are really shameless! You even cheekily call yourself Fairy Sister Having gotten the remote permission from Little Fat Girl, Yang Zhen Er began to unwrap the parcel, knowing full well that her dear cousin would certainly not object! Once she stripped off the packaging, she quickly saw the gift from Little Fat Girl. It was a rolled-up, 4-fold size color pencil drawing. What was special was that the picture seemed to be drawn in two different styles. Besides the middle area, the surrounding elements like the forest below, clouds above, lightning on the side were all portrayed in a more realistic style. Upon closer examination, they seemed to be printed rather than directly drawn with color pencils. But the central part of the picture was obviously done by Little Fat Girl. On top of the forest, a very long female magician with a ponytail, wearing a robe, was raising her right hand, inserting her magic wand in the sky among the clouds. The surrounding lightning seemed to be conjured by her. Next to the tall, impressive female magician with a ponytail was a flying creature with many wings. It was about 1/10th of her size, and carrying a small magician dressed in a robe. Because it was so tiny, its facial features under the hood were simplified to a smiley face :). Although, judged by Little Fat Girls standards, the drawing should be considered quite good and elaborated, particularly the ponytail magician, an extraordinary masterpiece. However, as soon as Yang Zhener saw the content of the drawing, she started laughing so hard that tears almost sprang into her eyes, Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, Xiao Lingdang, how did you make Old Xia look like the Statue of Liberty and theres that thing which looks like a fly, oh not, a bee next to it, is it a custard pie? And its carrying you, right? Why is it drawn so small? Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, its very well drawn, its so cute, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, you and the custard pie combined are still smaller than Old Xias eyeballs, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha The others initially didnt have much of an emotional reaction to the drawing. But after Yang Zheners explanation, they all started laughing uproariously. Only Xia Tianhuo, who was helping Yang Zhener with spreading out the drawing, gazed towards the giant creature with eight eyes and eight arms, underneath the feet of the ponytailed-witch in the picture, stunned. He looked surprised and asked Little Fat Girl, who was on the video call through the laptop, Little girl, thiseight-eyed, eight-armed giant you drew, what is it? It was only then that Yang Zhener noticed the eight-eyed, eight-armed monster beneath Old Xias feet on the drawing. She didnt have a strong reaction, simply assuming that Little Fat Girl must have seen Xiang Kuns carving of a similar creature. At Xia Tianhuos question, Little Fat Girl almost blurted out Barbie Warrior but quickly realized that, besides Xia Libing and Xiao Pingguo, who also belong to the magic world, on the other end of the video call there were many aunts, uncles, brothers, and sisters other than them. Although they were all very kind people, according to Uncle Balds secrecy requirements, she couldnt tell them. So, Little Fat Girl blinked her eyes a couple of times and answered, Its the crab demon I saw on TV Xia Tianhuo was puzzled and asked, Crab demon? How could a crab have so many eyes? Ah? ThenSpider spirit! Spiders have that many eyes.right? Little Fatty Girl corrected herself. However, nobody really doubted Little Fat Girls reply, even Xia Tianhuo thought that she might have unintentionally seen the illusion of the eight-eyed, eight-armed giant when the news about Myitkyina was broadcasted on TV a while back and mistook it for a cartoon image of a spider spirit or crab demon. After all, a lot of TV channels had been broadcasting 3D images made according to the descriptions of witnesses or sketches directly drawn by the people involved when they were covering the news. Only Tang Baona, who was explaining the details on the picture to Xiao Pingguo beside her, felt vaguely that Little Fatty Girl seemed to be not telling the whole story. When they went to Star City and saw the drawing of the big cat with four pairs of wings at Little Fatty Girls house and started talking about why the wings were drawn in that way, this child was so enthusiastic. Unlike now, where just one sentence glossed over. She didnt seem much willing to talk about it. And like Yang Zhener, she also thought that the giant drawn by Little Fatty Girl may be influenced by Xiang Kuns Eight-armed, Eight-eyed monster woodcarving that they had seen before. The carving itself was quite cartoonish. Xiao Lingdang, did your mom help you with these patterns on the paper, like the mountains, clouds, lightning, etc? Did she use a computer to draw them? They look really good! Yang Zhener asked, holding the drawing. Xiao Luosi helped me, Liu Shiling replied. Xiao Luosi was a nickname she gave, so it didnt count as revealing any secrets. Yang Zhener didnt push further, assuming Xiao Luosi was a friend of Liu Shiling in Star City. Xia Libing, on the other hand, knew this was probably Alice helping to create the environment map, then printing it out for the little Fatty Girl. As for the specific operations and how the Little Fatty Girl got the printed drawing paper in Star City, Xiang Kun should know. For instance, they could use Xiang Kuns account online to find a merchant to print the completed image and then express it to Star City. However, those mountains, clouds, and lightning environment patterns caught Xia Libings attention greatly. These patterns were not directly synthesized from real images or other pre-existing images online, but were clearly drawn by Alice. Although the patterns were detailed and looked much better than what Little Fatty Girl drew, like they were drawn by an art student, they still had many imperfections and rough parts. There were even some places that faintly showed the same habits and style as Little Fatty Girls. But it was these features, with a clear human growth curve in the drawing style, that allowed Xia Libing to see Alices emotional growth very intuitively. For Alice, it was easy to draw realistically or beautifully. On the contrary, the authentic flaws and clumsiness are much harder. Just like when Little Fatty Girl first taught Alice to draw in the dream, the drawing she made was incredibly simple, crooked, like a doodle. To Alice, this was already a groundbreaking breakthrough. When Alice drew this picture for Little Fatty Girl, she had not completely integrated into the Super Sensory Item System. The day before yesterday, with Xiao Pingguos help to complete the final merge, Alices evolution would definitely speed up. Xia Libing was somewhat excited to see what Alice would grow into under this state. Old Xia, why are you zoning out? Xiao Lingdangs drawing is pretty good, isnt it! Tang Baona saw that Old Xias eyes were fixed on the painting and she didnt move a bit, causing the Little Fatty Girl to get a little nervous on the video. Baona couldnt help but to call her softly, then said to the Little Fatty Girl. Next time its my birthday, can you draw me a picture too? Liu Shiling quickly nodded and agreed, Uh-huh! Xia Libing snapped back to reality and took the painting from Yang Zhener, Bai said to Liu Shiling: Youve drawn a really great picture. Im very satisfied. Thank you Xiao Lingdang. Yang Zhener said: Xiao Lingdang, me too! Draw one for me! But, make it prettier. Ill give you some reference pictures at the time! Normally, gifts would be given after dinner and before cake. However, since they had already seen Little Fatty Girls gift, and there was nothing else to do for now everyone started to take their gifts out. Yang Zheners gift was a pair of mountain climbing shoes, because she had noticed that Old Xia and Xiang Kun frequently needed to go to Chongyun Mountain for research and to check on the progress at the construction site. The shoes they had before were all dirty and worn out, so she prepared a pair of new and more durable shoes suitable for such situations. Anyway, she has been the sponsor for Old Xias clothes, shoes, and hats for a long time, so she had a good grasp of the size and styles. Tang Baona had the same thought as Yang Zhener, she gave an outdoor watch as a gift, the features and brand of which were, of course, much superior to Old Xias original G-SHOCK. In addition, after hearing of Old Xias birthday, Zhang Qian had also sent a gift over and asked Tang Baona to give it to Old Xia C a luxury sports brand backpack. The reason she chose this was that she had noticed when Xiang Kun and the others went to Peng City that Old Xia was carrying a rather large mens backpack that looked somewhat old. She believed that it must have been used for quite a long time. Zi Cheng and Chu Xiaoting had only found out yesterday that Xiao Pingguo and the others had come to Chongyun Mountain for Old Xias birthday. Hence, they were quite rushed and opted for a small local handicraft from Tongshi Town. Noticing that Xia Tianhuo had remained seated without opening any gift, Yang Zhener asked him: Big lug, what gift are you giving Old Xia? I, heh heh, must confess that its quite embarrassing. It wasnt until the 20th, on the road when I heard you guys talking, that I realized it was Old Xias birthday. We have all been staying in the village for these past few days and didnt have a chance to go out, so I hadnt had time to prepare a gift. Heh heh, I will owe her this gift for now and make it up to her later when we return. I have many things from Africa and Southeast Asia back home, Old Xia can pick whatever she likes. Xia Tianhuo confessed without shame. He was quite sure that Old Xia did not really care about whether or not he got her a birthday gift. Wow! The way you act as a cousin tsk tsk tsk! Yang Zhener shook her head in displeasure. Hey, hey, Yang Lao San, you never gave me a birthday gift on my birthday! Oh right, I remember now, on my 18th birthday, you even blew out my candles! Xia Tianhuo glared at his cousin. Yang Zhener glared back at him, I was just a kid then! Youre actually picking a fight with an elementary school student? A kid my ass! You were already in junior high! Although they knew these siblings were joking, Professor Li Yang still interrupted to let Xiao Pingguo bring out the gift she prepared C he knew his daughter had spent a lot of effort on this gift. Xiao Pingguos gift was special. She didnt bring out any physical thing, but asked Tang Baona to open her email and play an audio file. As the audio file played, everyone in the living room fell quiet, their faces showing wonder as they listened. The audio file was filled with bird calls, but these calls were not disorderly. In the pleasant chirps, there was a melody, and upon close listening, this melody was Happy Birthday Song! It was noticeable that one calling voice was particularly loud and clear, while other bird calls were more like choruses or accompaniments. At the end, Xiao Pingguos humming voice joined in, surprisingly harmonious. After the song, Xiao Pingguo gently said, Happy birthday, Bing Jie. Chu Xiaoting, who had been stunned by the audio, couldnt help clapping, Thats awesome! I never knew bird calls could sound this nice. Its really amazing. Was this edited? No, the call was too continuous, it doesnt sound like it was edited. Was it synthesized using AI? The groups bird song, barely a minute long, felt like a performance to everyone. Even Tang Baona, who had participated in making the audio, couldnt help but exclaim when she heard it again. Xiao Pingguo just said that Gold Glitter contributed to the main call, but didnt elaborate on whether it was synthesized, edited, or how it was made. Of course, she couldnt tell anyone other than Old Xia that the bird chirps in the audio that followed the call were all intimidated by Gold Glitter to join in the singing, and all she had to do was teach Gold Glitter. When the audio was playing, Xia Libing was listening carefully. From this audio, she could somewhat see Gold Glitters learning and comprehension abilities. With the comparison of the other bird calls in the same video, she could clearly sense Gold Glitters differences. Its a great gift, thank you Xiao Pingguo, said Xia Libing. As long as Bing Jie likes it, Xiao Pingguo said happily, and Gold Glitter at the window slightly puffed out its chest. Yang Zhener looked around the living room and found that everyone had displayed their gifts. Suddenly, she sprang up from her chair, Thats right, theres Brother Xiang, Brother Xiang must have prepared a gift! So she rushed into the kitchen, then rushed back out a few seconds later and ran into Xiang Kuns room on the first floor. Half a minute later, she returned to the living room with a small wooden box, handed it to Old Xia and said breathlessly, This is Brother Xiangs gift. Xia Libing took the small wooden box under everyones gaze, prompting exclamations of huh. But it wasnt amazement, but confusion, because at first, most people couldnt tell what it was. Yang Zhener picked it up and took a look before frowning, Is this for wearing on the wrist? In the wooden box was a black leather strap, embedded with many small metal plates, giving it a somewhat punk, gothic vibe. Yang Zhener tried it on her own wrist and said doubtfully, It really is a wristband, huh? This cant be made by Brother Xiang himself, right? This is simply grotesque! Ah, how could Brother Xiang make such a wristband? Its totally not Old Xias style! Old Xia, you need to reject this gift, send it back, and have Brother Xiang make a couple of wooden carvings instead. They would look much better than this ugly wristband! Tang Baona also couldnt help but nod in agreement, then began to describe the grotesque wristband to Xiao Pingguo beside her. Zi Cheng also had an expression of mixed laughter and tears, Ah Tus taste is really Ah Tu! Super local guy style! Too unrefined! However, Xia Libing asked for the wristband back and put it on herself, saying in a calm manner, I think its okay. What others didnt know was that this wristband was actually made by Xiang Kun and Old Xia together. Xiang Kun had previously thought about how to make it more convenient for Old Xia to carry more super-connected objects. The nine coins she used to carry were heavy, and if placed in the pocket without being secured, they would often jingle when she walked. And while the tungsten carbide beads were small, a large quantity of them would also be inconvenient to carry. After some consideration, they thought it was more appropriate to make a modular wearable equipment that could be easily added or reduced. So the idea of this wristband came about. The small, uniformly sized metal pieces embedded on it were naturally Xiang Kuns super-connected objects. When these metal pieces are removed in a special way, the wristband has a lot of narrow space inside that can hold the tungsten carbide beads, supporting up to a hundred or more. Moreover, with this type of ornament, regardless of the material or structure, no one would suspect it. It wouldnt cause any trouble going through security checks, etc. You could just remove it, and no one would inspect it. The interior functions and craftsmanship of the wristband were handled by Xiang Kun, whereas the exterior design was mostly according to Xia Libings suggestions. Dinner is ready! Dinner is ready! Xiang Kun, carrying a dish out of the kitchen, then asked Zicheng and Yang Zhener to help bring the dishes and set the table, By the way, Brother Fu knew that Old Xia loves crispy pork hock, so he went to the slaughterhouse today to get the freshest, best quality pork hocks. Everyone, eat as much as you want, guaranteed to be enough! Hearing this, Liu Shiling, who was still on the video call, lengthened her neck as if trying to stick her head out of the video. Unfortunately, the camera angle didnt cover the dining table, and she could only see everyone elses excited expressions, which made her imagine the delicious food made by Uncle Bald. Just before dinner started, You Mengs wife, Liang Yulong, rushed over from Tongshi Town and brought some dishes made by You Meng. Liu Caifu also had someone send over several jars of local specialty fruit wine. Everyone enjoyed the generous dinner very much, not only because Xiang Kun had made a lot of dishes and had good wine to go with them, but also because it was Old Xias birthday, and all her friends were gathered together. Just as Xiang Kun and Tang Baona started to prepare the cake when everyone was almost done eating, Xia Libing felt her phone vibrate. She picked it up and saw a system notification, Come to the door. She immediately understood that this was from Alice. Xia Libing looked up at Xiang Kun. Xiang Kun, who was unwrapping the birthday cake packaging, looked back at her and then continued doing her thing. Xia Libing immediately understood that Alice was looking for her not because of Xiang Kuns orders, but Xiang Kun was aware of it. So Xia Libing first went to the washroom, then casually walked through the yard, opened the gate, and walked out.

> prevent the suspects from escaping >> notify the police >> hide your achievements and name. Moreover, she accurately understood how to create a creepy atmosphere and how to scare people. Even though she could no longer use emotionally charged objects to project emotions from a distance, or create a projection of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Woodcarving to intimidate targets without Xiao Pingguos help, she had her own ways of creating an atmosphere and impacting targets mentally and emotionally. The bird dropping air raid, however, was not her arrangement, but was Jinshanshans unrestricted revenge, after hearing the two suspects plotting against it. Of course, objectively speaking, Jinshanshan could be said to have greatly helped Alice, perfecting her plan and better concealing the various anomalies she had created. Now in the courtyard, Liu Caifu and Liu Zhengyi firmly believed that the claim made by Pig Tail and Liu Er Tong that they saw a little girl ghost was all nonsense. They were most likely scared by a flock of birds that suddenly appeared and under the dim light, mistook the shadows of the birds for a little girl. From the tone of the officers who questioned the two men on the site, the police probably had the same opinion. As for why the birds acted this way, it could be that their roosting place was nearby and they were irritated by the noise the thieves made while stealing. Xiang Kun knew from the auditory information he had collected that at this time, some older villagers believed in what the two suspects said they saw, reasoning that if they hadnt really seen something terrifying, why would they choose to stay and call the police instead of running away? But the younger generation scoffed at their claims, believing that Pig Tail and Liu Er Tong had merely been scared by the flock of birds, and were too embarrassed to tell the police that they were scared by birds, so they had to concoct the story of the little girl ghost to make themselves appear less cowardly. After all, to the young generation of this era, the ghost is not something to be afraid of. If they really saw a ghost, they would consider it fortune by filming a few paranormal short videos, they might go viral. If that happened, live streaming, short videos, and offline ghost sighting activities would be sure to make them money. In fact, the little truck full of bird droppings has now become a photo spot. Not to mention the lively and idle young people in the village, even Xia Tianhuo, Yang Zhener, Chu Xiaoting, Zi Cheng and others, after hearing Liu Zhengyi and Liu Caifus first-hand reports, were extremely curious and a large group of people soon went to the open space to watch the excitement. Anyway, there are loads of people there now, with bright lights, its like a bustling market, not scary at all. Even Xiao Pingguo, who knew the truth right away, when hearing them talk about the situation there and making all sorts of guesses, had a curious and interested expression on her face. To her, Alice and the shiny one, both her good friends and helpers, its an honor whenever they make triumphs and fight crime. Just like the logistics manager of the Justice League hearing that their hero has saved the world again. After watching the various gifts that Grilled Chicken Wings Sister received and finishing the video, Liu Shiling came out of her room, first poured some cat food for Custard Pie, then sat down at the dining table. She carefully removed the lid from a plate in front of her, revealing a warm plate of fried noodles that her mother had made before leaving. Starting from last week, her mother began working at the convenience store on the edge of the neighborhood. Although Liu Shiling didnt quite understand why her mother, who had always been at home with her, suddenly started to work, during the times her mother fetched her from school and they had visited the convenience store several times, and they had had dinner and breakfast at the convenience store for several days, she thought it was interesting. If she grows up, and together with Uncle Bald, Grilled Chicken Wings Sister and Sister Xiao Pingguo, beats all the monsters and baddies, and there are no more monsters to fight, she also wants to open a convenience store. Then she often invites Uncle Bald and others over for meals, the convenience store can stock a lot of ingredients, big fish, rabbit meat, pigs foot, everything, and also cooking tools, to let Uncle Bald cook. Fetching her own special chopsticks from her precious wooden box, Little Fatty Girl eating the lukewarm fried noodles, was imagining Uncle Bald cooking crispy pigs elbow, grilled chicken wings, braised rabbit meat for her in the convenience store. Her eyes squinted in bliss, and the noodles tasted more and more delicious. After finishing the fried noodles, Liu Shiling tiptoed to put the dish into the kitchen sink, then brought over a stool, climbed up, took the dish soap, and squeezed it onto the plate. Shes not sure how much dish soap should be used for one plate, so she pressed hard and drew three circles. After putting the dish soap, Liu Shiling blocked the sink, then starting to fill it with water. When the sink was filled with water, the top layer full of foam, Liu Shiling, standing on the stool, put on the hood of her sweater, pulled the strings, opened her hands, and said in a serious, yet babyish voice, Chocolate! Ice Cream! Lemon Tea! Mung Bean Cake! Sachima! Come out, its your time to shine! As her words fell, one coin after another flew out of her pocket and jumped into the sink. Next, the sudsy water in the sink began to churn, surging up and down, left and right, before slowly starting to whirl. Liu Shiling watched the little vortex form in the sink with intense concentration, controlling her Five Little Elf Guardians to swim around inside the water. They did not collide with one another, nor did they hit the sides of the sink or any of the dishes. Instead, she maneuvered them around the plates, using them to influence the surrounding water currents for a careful wash. Unbeknownst to her, as her focus reached its zenith, the room lights started to dim. The Custard Pie, crunching on cat food, lifted its head to look at its young owner, who was on the kitchen stool with arms wide open. With a meow, it sprang onto the top of the fridge in a few leaps, from where it kept a watchful eye over Liu Shiling. A few minutes later, the water in the sink calmed down. Shiling withdrew the three coin spirits named Sachima, Lemon Tea, and Mung Bean Cake, then controlled Chocolate and Ice Cream to remove the sink stopper. She let the water drain before turning on the tap to rinse off the coins, plates, and chopsticks. Once clean, she wiped and put the plates on the dish rack, returned the chopsticks to their box, then hopped off the stool satisfactorily. After wiping the stool, she headed back to her room. She knew that with Alices help, Sister Apple had grown even more powerful, and her sense of urgency intensified. She needed to grab every chance to practice magic while keeping it a secret, and prepare for learning more advanced magic. So, once back in her room, Liu Shiling placed her iPad on a stand, switched on her desk lamp, pulled out a book from a stack, and started reciting the words and phrases. Anytime she encountered a character she didnt recognize, she held the book up to the iPads camera. Alice would then respond by searching for relevant online course videos to teach her how to recognize it. The book in her hands was not an extracurricular one or an ABC book that her mother bought or kindergarten issued. Rather, it was a first-grade Chinese language textbook gifted by Da Luhe had moved to a different school and received new textbooks, so he gave her his old ones. Liu Shiling had known before that she needs to learn, especially mathematics and physics, to be as powerful as Sister Grilled Chicken Wings, Bald Uncle, and Sister Apple, become a real Great Wizard, and use real Super Magic. Only then will she be able to help Bald Uncle with big missions. However, her learning method was chaotically dispersed; she had no systematic approach. Despite the appearance of giving it her all, aside from recognizing a few more characters, drawing better, and singing slightly better, she made no significant progress. Though Bald Uncle considered her progress excellent, and her mother continuously complimented heras did her kindergarten teachers and classmatesshe was not satisfied. Time was of the essence as she approached primary school age. Therefore, after getting to know Alice and being able to communicate through the iPad, she frequently asked Alice a variety of questions. Compared to Old Xia, Alice was better at answering questions and could find answers to anything online, regardless of the depth of the question. However, Shiling could not understand 99.99% of the answers. Upon sharing this with Old Xia, Xia suggested she begin with a first-grade curriculum, and let Alice assist her based on that knowledge framework. Following this, she contacted Da Lu, who mailed her his old textbooks. After half a month of studying, Liu Shiling felt a noticeable improvement and was much more eager to learn. Under Old Xias arrangement, Liu Shiling received language coaching from Alice and Xiang Kun, art and music lessons from Tang Baona, and mathematics lessons from Yang Zhener. Sometimes Da Lu could instruct her in drawing, and Xiao Pingguo could teach her music and other knowledge. Thus, Alice, who was in Chongyun Village catching thieves, was also assisting a young girl who aspired to become a Great Wizard with her first-grade language studies via the iPad. Custard Pie jumped onto the windowsill, hiding outside the curtain in a curled-up position and bored, watching a few stray dogs fighting outside the window. Chapter 492 - Chapter 492: Chapter 492: Thunderbolt from the Blue for Shiling’s Mom Chapter 492: Chapter 492: Thunderbolt from the Blue for Shilings Mom By the time Shilings Mom got home from her night shift, it was almost one in the morning. After changing her shoes and entering the house, she naturally went to her daughters room first. There, she found Liu Shiling fast asleep, sprawled across her open textbooks. Walking over to the desk, she saw the first-grade language textbook under her daughters chubby face. A sense of pride and self-satisfaction welled up in her heart. She had initially doubted whether her daughters enthusiasm for learning would be just a fleeting interest. After all, narratives and tidbits of trivia were far more colorful than the systematized content of textbooks. But recently, she observed that Liu Shiling genuinely took great interest in studying. She had already read half of the first-grade language textbook; she recognized many characters and could even write them down from memory. Shiling had also learned addition and subtraction up to two digits and had even memorized her multiplication table up to six times six. Whenever she brought Shiling from school to the convenience store while switching her shifts, Shiling loved to stare at the price tags on the merchandise, practicing mathematics. Of course, she would make mistakes if counting more than three items, and even with two if decimals were involved. But her mother was genuinely satisfied and proud at her determination to study. Just as Shilings Mom was about to turn off the desk lamp and bend down to pick her daughter up, a cats head suddenly protruded from the edge of the curtain, giving her quite a fright. Custard Pie glanced at Shilings Mom, blinked, and then retreated behind the curtain to continue his nap. Shilings Mom quickly went over to shoo Custard Pie off the windowsill and told him to go back to his spot to sleep. Then she returned, picked her daughter up again, and carried her to the bed. The moment she was lifted by her mother, Liu Shiling subconsciously hugged her mothers neck. After being placed on the bed, she cooperated by loosening her hold. Even when her mother was undressing her, she helpfully lifted her arms. If not for her closed eyes, one might assume that she was awake. From the looks of it, she was used to being carried to bed by her mother, even half-asleep she would automatically react. After tucking her daughter in, Shilings Mom couldnt help but support her aching back and pant a little. Carrying the little fatty girl to bed was an entirely routine operation for her. In fact, whenever the little fatty went with her mother out on the streets, given the chance, she would ask to be carried or piggybacked, unwilling to walk on her own. Every time Shilings Mom got tired, she would have to lure her daughter with treats or the promise of watching cartoons to get her to walk. Therefore, carrying her from the desk to the bed should ideally be easy. Could it be due to the long night shift or excessive tiredness? Gently caressing her daughters chubby little face, Shilings Mom felt a pang of melancholy. Perhaps in a few years, she wouldnt be able to carry her daughter anymore. For a moment, she yearned for the time when her daughter was just a tiny baby who hadnt learned to talk or crawl, and could only scoot around on her bottom all over the place. At that time, if her daughter woke and couldnt see her, she would start to cry. She was particularly clingy yet adorable. She needed extra care, as though she might break if held too tightly or melt if one was too tender to her. The time went by very quickly. After quietly closing the bedroom door and walking to the living room, Shilings Mom glanced at the dining table, only to pause. She didnt see the plate that Liu Shiling would usually leave after finishing her dinner. Walking into the kitchen, she saw a plate on the draining board. Beside it there was a chair which had been moved into the kitchen. She immediately realized that her daughter had washed the dishes after having dinner. One couldnt deny that the plate had been washed spotlessly clean and flawless. Shilings moms heart softened even more. Her pride in her daughter increased, but so did her sorrow and guilt. The more sensible the daughter became, the more incompetent she, as a mother, seemed after all, who would ask a preschool-aged kid to wash dishes? At the same time, she also started to worry about the future of the mother-daughter duo. She had a substantial amount of money when she sold her house in Shenhai. Even if she bought another house in Star City, the remaining money was sufficient for them to live comfortably for several years, which would allow her to focus solely on raising her daughter. However, after she insisted, for the sake of quickly cutting ties with someone on Shilings fathers side, the money earned over all those years was given away. Shilings Dads company was facing some difficulties recently. To recuperate, it needed a sum of money to keep things going. Consequently, the money from selling her house was taken. Although Shilings dad claimed it would only take a couple of months, a maximum of half a year, to return the principal, Shilings Mom was apprehensive, doubting it would go that smoothly. She had worked at Shilings dads company for several years and knew that, while the profitability of the industry was high, the reimbursement speed was relatively slow. Also, various unforeseen situations would often arise, further delaying the reimbursement cycle. So, even though she still had tens of thousands remaining, she had to prepare for any eventuality. She couldnt just laze aroundafter all, she had to pay for their house rent, her daughters tuition, and other associated expenses. Miss Tang and Miss Yang had earlier invited her to help their gaming company with game testing and offering feedback. Each time after trying out a game, she filled up a form and sent it back to them, and in return, she received a generous amount. They insisted that it was a payment for testing and that even internal testers were paid. Even though Miss Tang claimed that every tester received a fee and even their hired internal testers were paid, she felt somewhat reluctant. After all, she was not a highly educated individual; she enjoyed playing those voice games and did not provide any valuable input in the forms. She somewhat felt embarrassed receiving the money. So, when she saw that a nearby convenience store was hiring, after much hesitation, she decided to apply. Surprisingly, she was hired. Fortunately, her shift did not interfere with dropping her daughter at the nursery school. Now, they had no choice but only to take each day as it comes and hope that Shilings dad can soon gather himself together so that their family of three can live together harmoniously. After a quick clean-up in the kitchen, Shilings Mom, drained, headed off to take a bath and then sleep. She began planning to wake up early the next day to prepare a delicious breakfast for her daughter as a reward for being proactive with the household chores and washing dishes. However, what Shilings Mom did not anticipate was that the next morning, just as she was getting ready to cook, she would receive a call from the police, delivering a shocking blow. What, murder? How is that possible? This cant be true, he couldnt possibly have Even after hanging up the phone, she felt dazed, wondering if she was still in a dream. The police had called to inform her that Shilings dad was swindled out of his money. Consequently, he went after the person who deceived him with a knife, intending to get his money back. During the ensuing scuffle, he ended up stabbing the person to death. At present, Shilings dad had been criminally detained by the local police. She stood stunned in the kitchen for a while, until her daughter, rubbing her eyes sleepily, came up to her and asked, What are you doing, Mom? Thats when she snapped back to reality. Shilings Mom composed herself, told her daughter to freshen up, made a few phone calls to confirm the situation, and decided on the next step. Since the incident had happened, she had to go. However, she couldnt take her daughter with her. She needed to make arrangements. Shilings Moms instinctive reaction was to entrust Mr. Xiang with the care of her daughter for a while, considering the level of trust her daughter had in Mr. Xiang and the good relationship she had with the beautiful sisters around Mr. Xiang. There would be no problem if they stayed together. However, considering that Mr. Xiang is now in Citong City, quite far from Star City, and not on the way to where Shilings dad was arrested, it would take a long time to detour. Moreover, strictly speaking, she and her daughter have not known Mr. Xiang, Miss Xia, Miss Tang, and Miss Yang for long. Apart from being neighbors with Mr. Xiang before, they only met for a short time recently. It didnt make sense to abruptly ask them for help. On the other hand, she couldnt quite bring herself to explain her current predicament, so she dismissed this option. After thinking it over, Shilings Mom finally decided to take her daughter back to her mothers home. She was originally from the Xiangchu region, not far from Star City. Though her contact with her family had diminished due to various reasons, they were, after all, flesh and blood. Her mother could not possibly refuse to take care of her granddaughter for a few days. After Liu Shiling washed up, her mother told her to get dressed. She then called the kindergarten to request leave and prepared to take her to catch a ride. Shiling, Mommy has to go away for a little while. Ill take you to grandmas place in a bit. Youll stay with grandma for the next two or three days. Behave well and listen to grandma. Mommy will come to fetch you home soon, said Shilings mom, while packing some clothes for Shiling. Grandma? Do I have a grandma? Liu Shiling asked, her eyes wide with confusion. Silly girl, of course, you have a grandma. She has always been at home, and we have not lived together. But she saw you when you were little. She really liked you. Eh, you probably dont remember, Shilings Mom gently replied. Then do I have a grandpa, a paternal grandpa and grandma? Liu Shiling asked again. Well well talk about these later. Lets go and find grandma first. You must behave yourself, okay? Shilings Mom seemed unsure of how to respond. Fortunately, her daughter didnt press further. After hearing her mothers words, she simply nodded repeatedly. After packing the clothes, iPad, and a random storybook, Shilings Mom looked at Custard Pie, who was lying in the corner of the living room with its head tilted up, watching the two of them, and hesitated. She said, Pour more cat food for Custard Pie Never mind, let me see if theres a pet store nearby that offers boarding services Upon hearing that, Liu Shiling hurriedly ran over to pick up Custard Pie and said, Mommy, let Custard Pie come to meet grandma with me. It will be very well-behaved, and wont cause any trouble. No, the cat can make a mess, and your grandma wont be pleased. When Custard Pie needs the toilet, Ill take it to the restroom. Itll be very obedient. Looking at the Custard Pie in her daughters arms, still as a statue and with wide eyes that gave it a well-behaved look, and the tail sweeping back and forth on the floor, Shilings Mom frowned and thought about it. Eventually, she nodded and said, Make sure you take its cat food and cat litter. Liu Shiling quickly put Custard Pie down and skillfully packed the cat food and cat litter into her little red school bag. Of course, she didnt forget her beloved chopsticks, the five large coins, and the A4 sheet of paper. The journey took more than an hour. When they finally reached a small town in the neighboring city, Shilings Mom took her daughter to an old-style small district. Seeing her mother who had opened the security door, Shilings Mom, filled with mixed feelings, called out, Mom, and then said to her daughter, who was holding her hand, Shiling, call out to grandma. Grandma Liu Shiling called out in a somewhat apprehensive yet hopeful voice. Oh, Shiling has grown so big. Come, let Grandma have a good look at you. Shilings grandmother sighed at Shilings Mom and welcomed them in, fondly patting Liu Shilings head. Mom, as I said over the phone, I have to leave for a few days. Can you help me look after Shiling? Shilings Mom handed the prepared cash of five thousand yuan to her mother. Shilings grandmother did not refuse and quickly took the cash. Big Sister hasnt been home for New Year for a long time. Why has she found time to come now? queried a middle-aged woman holding a child, walking out of the room towards Shilings Mom. Knowing that the woman was her brothers wife, Shilings Mom forced a smile and greeted her before telling Liu Shiling, Call her Aunt, and thats your little cousin. Hello Aunt, hello cousin, Liu Shiling obediently greeted. Little Hui has grown up so handsome. Here, take this money for buying toys for Little Hui. Shilings Mom rolled up some cash with a smile and stuffed it into the pocket of her little nephews jacket held by her sister-in-law. She casually asked, Is my little brother not at home? Hes been working outside all this while. Oh, right, big sister hasnt been home for several years, you wouldnt know. Ay! Sister, since youre here, dont hurry off. Lets have a meal together. Its almost mealtime. You may not be hungry, but the child would certainly be. Look at her, all plump and white, she probably has quite an appetite. Shilings Mom felt something was off at hearing her sister-in-laws neutral tone. She looked at Shilings grandmother. She had already asked her when she called before, and she said it was okay. With a sigh, Shilings grandmother said to her daughter-in-law, Ah Qi, didnt we talk about Shiling staying here for a few days? Staying for a few days? Wed have to specify for how many days. Shilings Aunt responded coldly. Feeling that something was not right, Shilings Mom looked down at her daughter standing next to her, looking curiously around, confusion written all over her face, and hesitated. Shilings grandmother, however, straightforwardly said to her, You go do what you need to do, and Ill watch over Shiling. She is my granddaughter. Go, deal with your matters as soon as you can, and then come back for Shiling. Having heard these words, Liu Shiling looked up and said, Dont worry, mommy. I will listen to grandma and Aunt. With a sigh, Shilings Mom bent down to hug her daughter and whispered a few instructions. Eventually, she turned around and left. Mom, she wouldnt just abandon her child here and never come back, would she? Shilings Aunt asked as soon as the door was closed. Watch your words, Ah Qi. The kid is still here. Regardless of what Ah Xue has done, shes been generous to you and your husband. Dont forget how much she helped when you two were getting married and buying a house, Shilings grandmother responded sternly. Chapter 493 - Chapter 493: Chapter 493: Wrathful Thunder (Part 1) Chapter 493: Chapter 493: Wrathful Thunder (Part 1) Although she was still excited from seeing her grandmother, Liu Shiling noticed that her aunt didnt seem to like her very much. But she didnt seem to mind this. As a child, she liked to join in wherever she went, to make friends with everyone, and to follow those most popular kids. However, in most cases, her enthusiam wasnt reciprocated, and sometimes she was even bullied. Back then, she always felt inferior, questioning whether it was because she wasnt good enough, not smart enough, not pretty enough, not cute enough, not talented in singing or dancing, lacked talents, that made the other kids not like to play with her. Or maybe she had done something wrong, angered the others, leading them to exclude or bully her. But after focusing on practicing magic, preparing to help Uncle Bald fight monsters and protect the world in future, she didnt care much about the opinions of people who werent related to her. Though strictly speaking, her aunt was not a unrelated person, but since it was their first meeting, there was not much difference from a stranger in her perception. Little Fatty Girl carried her little backpack into the room with her grandmother to put her things down. Of course, she didnt have her own room, she would share a room and bed with her grandmother. The room was small, with various boxes piled up besides a bed. After putting the bag with the change of clothes on the bed, grandmother left with the cat package, saying, Ill put the cat on the balcony, okay? Just as Liu Shiling was about to say something, her aunt carrying her cousin came to the door and frowned, You cant put a cat on the balcony, what about the cat hairs and feces being rubbed everywhere, getting the washed clothes dirty, and Xiaohui often playing on the balcony. What if he gets scratched or bitten by the cat? Liu Shiling hurried over, held the cat bag up with the transparent side facing her aunt, so her aunt could see Custard Pies appearance. Then she looked up with her little face and said, Aunt, Custard Pie is really lazy and wont jump around. Also, hes too timid to scratch or bite people. Then she looked at her grandmother and said, Grandma, can I keep Custard Pie by my side? We will stay in the room and I will watch over him. Custard Pie doesnt smell bad. My mom and I often give him baths. When he needs to use the toilet, I will take him to the restroom so that it wont make the room dirty. As if to prove his owners words, Custard Pie in the cat bag looked at Shilings grandmother and aunt and meowed softly, then squinted his eyes slowly. He indeed looked cute and adorable, even her cousin wanted to jump down to see the cat. Shilings grandmother hesitated for a moment, and eventually left the cat bag in the room, reminding Shiling, You can play with cat in the room for a while. I need to talk to your aunt. Then, she closed the door and left for the living room. What are you doing? Shiling is just going to stay for a few days. And its not like you need to take care of her. We had agreed on this before, so dont make things difficult for the child now, Shilings grandmother frowned and told her daughter-in-law. We just discussed her staying, we didnt talk about bringing a cat! Shilings aunt said. Whats the problem with bringing a cat? Youve raised one before. Anyway, I dont want Xiaohui to play with that stray cat brought from who knows where. You Shilings grandmother choked with anger, sighed, and said, Then let the cat stay in my room for now. Before turning to go back into her room, Shilings grandmother paused and added, I know youre upset because Ah Xue didnt lend you money a few years back. But remember, she put in a lot of money when you two got married and bought this house. She never treated you two poorly. Shilings Aunt scowled, She only put in a little over two hundred thousand when we got married and bought the house! This is nothing to her. I heard she made a lot of money outside Well, she made enough to buy a house in Shenhai, not in the tens of millions, but several million for sure. She wouldnt even lend her own brother a hundred thousand when he needed it Now with this new trouble, she might lose all that money. Tell me if shes stupid or not! Shilings grandmother lowered her voice and scolded, Watch your mouth! Be careful! Dont say these things in front of the child! Ah Xue sent her here so she wouldnt know about her fathers predicament. Its certainly not for you to chatter about! And dont forget, Ah Xue is my daughter. I dont care what you think of her privately, but I dont want to hear any of this nonsense in front of me! Shilings Aunt was taken aback by her mother-in-laws stern words and realized shed made a mistake. She muttered a few words in a whisper, I was just saying all this for your son and grandson before walking away. In the room, Liu Shiling took out Custard Pie, then took out some cat food from her backpack. Not having a bowl, she poured a bit into her hand to feed Custard Pie. Custard Pie was cooperative, curling up beside her and eating in a much quieter and more genteel manner than usual. Custard Pie, if you need to make poop, tell me. Ill take you to the bathroom. You cannot poop in the room, otherwise well be kicked out, understood? As Liu Shiling fed Custard Pie, she gave him a quiet reminder. Custard Pie lifted his head and blinked two times, then went back to eating the cat food. Liu Shiling understood that this was his way of indicating that he understood. After feeding Custard Pie, Liu Shiling took out her iPad from the bag where she stored her clothes and started to continue her studies. Even without her physical textbooks, Alice could directly help her find digital versions of her lessons online. She generally preferred looking at paper textbooks while letting Alice tutor her with the iPad. This made her feel like she was actually in school, a real primary school student. But given their current situation, she wouldnt stop studying just because she didnt have physical books. A regular tablet would need to connect to WiFi first, which would require asking for the WiFi password. But with Alice there, Liu Shiling didnt need to worry about that. However, she hadnt been studying for long when her grandmother entered the room to call her for lunch and promised that Custard Pie could stay in the room. Custard Pie was very clever; he raised his face and mewed softly, almost as if the words obedient, cute, and well-behaved were written all over his face. Her grandmother, who had initially been indifferent to the cat, couldnt help but laugh and went over to pet Custard Pies head. Shiling didnt know if her Aunt or her grandmother had prepared lunch, but it was far inferior to what her mom or Uncle Bald would have made. Nevertheless, Liu Shiling still ate very diligently and carefully. She made sure not to drop any rice on the table, only picked up food that was close to her, and was mindful not to let anything drop. She fully understood that food is the source of magic power, you need to eat to have the energy to study magic, and you cant be picky about food when you cant afford to be. Of course, Shilings grandmother would frequently help her pick up food, and each time she would receive a sweet Thank you, Grandma. Perhaps because Shilings Aunt was chastised earlier by her mother-in-law, or perhaps because this little fatty was just too well-behaved, beyond reproach and genuinely cute, Shilings Aunt didnt say anything else to make her uncomfortable. After lunch, Liu Shiling initially wanted to go back to her room to continue studying. But her grandmother asked her if she could play the game console with her cousin- in her grandmothers eyes, the iPad was purely for playing games. Liu Shiling naturally felt inclined to oblige, so she took out her tablet to teach her cousin how to play games while her grandmother washed the dishes and did the housework. Her cousin was a year younger than her, and although he was somewhat spoiled, under the combined influence of IPAD games, various origami skills, story-telling abilities, and the charm of Custard Pie, her cute cat, he quickly began to listen to and obey her. After taking a nap, however, Shilings Aunt was not pleased to see her son playing with the cat. Consequently, Liu Shiling and Custard Pie had to carefully retreat to her grandmothers room. Her cousin continued to play with the IPAD. Her mother had only packed story books for her and no textbooks, so she could not continue with her studies. But Liu Shiling wasnt bored. She took Custard Pie to the windowsill of her grandmothers room and, behind the safety railing, looked out at the various buildings. She would quietly read the characters on the advertising boards that she recognized. If she came across any that she didnt recognize, she would guess based on the radicals and then guess the meaning of the whole sentence. She also practiced her arithmetic by adding or multiplying the numbers on the license plates of cars parked on the roadside. Other times, she would surreptitiously practice magic by trying to control five coins to write five different numbers simultaneously. Despite being confined to a cramped room, the girl and her cat managed to have a great time without feeling bored. On the other hand, Shilings Aunt and her cousin, who had borrowed Little Fatty Girls IPAD, soon encountered problems. The device froze after just a short while, and then went completely black after they attempted to restart it by pressing the power button. Shilings Aunt involuntarily cursed under her breath, thinking that the tablet Liu Shilings Mum had bought for her daughter was fake. But she didnt give the tablet back to Little Fatty Girl, she just tossed it aside. Liu Shiling initially thought that she would spend the next few days here with her grandmother. To her surprise, however, her grandmother had another argument with her Aunt in the afternoon, which was more heated than the one they had at noon. In a fit of anger, her grandmother marched into the room, grabbed Liu Shilings hand, and said, Shiling, lets go. Were going back to our hometown. She then took the bag of clothes and Liu Shilings red school bag. Liu Shiling obediently followed her grandmother out of the house. She had vaguely heard the phrase, Shiling is my dear granddaughter and guessed that her grandmother might have been arguing with her Aunt because of her. Even though she wasnt quite sure what she had done to upset her Aunt, knowing that her grandmother was angry because she cared about her brought an inexplicable joy to Liu Shilings heart. However, as she reached the foot of the stairs and saw Custard Pie trotting after her, Liu Shiling reminded her grandmother, Grandma, we forgot to bring the cat carrier and my IPAD. Her grandmother paused, looked upstairs, hesitated for a moment, then said to Little Fatty Girl, Leave them for now, well come back and get them later. Liu Shiling had no objections to this. But when they tried to catch a ride, they encountered a problem. Her grandmother had flagged down a small car to take them to their hometown, but the driver refused to allow them on board with the big ginger cat. No amount of persuasion or offer of extra payment could change his mind. While her grandmother was contemplating whether to get another car, or find a place to buy a cat carrier, Liu Shiling carried Custard Pie and approached the driver. Standing by the door on the drivers side, She said to him, Uncle, I will hold Custard Pie the whole time. Hes a very well-behaved kitty, I assure you. He wont move around or make the car dirty. Can we please come in? In perfect timing with her words, Custard Pie, who was held in her arms with half of its body leaning on her shoulder, turned its head towards the driver and gave a soft meow before slowly blinking its eyes, as if pleading along with its little owner. The driver paused for a moment, looked at Little Fatty Girl, and then at Custard Pie. Finally, he nodded at Shilings grandmother and said, Alright then, come on in. Youll have to sit in the back and make sure the cat doesnt run around, okay? Thank you, uncle! Liu Shiling said joyfully. Custard Pie also gave a cheerful meow as if it was expressing gratitude too. The driver couldnt help but laugh, This cat sure is clever. The old home that grandma referred to was not in the town, but on a mountain some twenty kilometers away, a small mountain village. In the car, grandma told Liu Shiling that this was their old home, Qing Mountain Village, where her mother, uncle, and aunt grew up. They were going up the mountain just as the sun was setting. Seeing the mountain forests dyed red by the sunset, both Little Fatty Girl and Custard Pie were filled with curiosity, their eyes wide open as they stared unblinkingly at the scenery outside the window. She was reminded of the conversations she had had a few days earlier with Sister Xiao Pingguo, Sister Beautiful, and Sister Fairy. They had told her about the beautiful scenery of Chongyun Village and Chongyun Mountain, showing her many photos and videos. They also mentioned that they would like to take her there to have fun and stay for a while once her summer vacation began. She had been yearning to play out in the mountain village, but hadnt expected to have this experience so soon, and at her own hometown too. Perhaps in the future, she could invite Uncle Bald and company to visit? The car soon entered Qing Mountain Village, stopping outside the courtyard of a self-built house. While grandma was still paying the fare, Liu Shiling got out of the car, hugging Custard Pie. As she curiously peeked through the open courtyard gate, a big yellow dog tied inside the yard suddenly lunged towards her, barking furiously. Despite the considerable distance between them, and the fact that the dog was leashed, Liu Shiling, who had always been scared of dogs, couldnt help but tremble. Her first instinct was to back away. Custard Pie, however, leaped out of her arms and darted into the yard, baring his teeth and snarling at the big yellow dog, looking threatening. The big yellow dog was startled and retreated to the wall, tucking its tail between its legs in fear, whimpering. Only when Custard Pie returned to Liu Shilings side and entered the yard with grandma, did the big yellow dog start panting and wagging its tail by the wall. Looking at Custard Pie at her feet, Liu Shiling breathed a sigh of relief, feeling somewhat proud: Custard Pie was not just good at eating and sleeping. While he might not be as formidable as the Barbie Warrior and couldnt outplay Chocolate and the other five Little Spirit Guardians, he was certainly intimidating when facing other animals. Grandma introduced her to the family living in the house, where she learned that the residents were her mothers sisters family. She was to call the woman aunt. Besides her aunt, there were also the aunts husband and a cousin. After the introductions, grandma left her to play in the yard while she went in to talk with her aunt. Initially, she was somewhat afraid of the yard because of the big yellow dog. However, seeing Custard Pies earlier performance bolstered her courage. Now the big yellow dog just sat in the corner, panting and wagging its tail, appearing not at all fierce, but rather cute and naive. After a while, grandma came out. Liu Shiling noticed her somewhat troubled expression. She seemed to have heard grandma raising her voice inside the house earlier. Remembering what had happened at her aunts house previously, she couldnt help but hold onto her grandmothers hand and whisper, Grandma, if Aunt doesnt allow us to stay we could go back to my place with Mom. I could prepare oatmeal with milk for you. We also have chocolates and milk cookies at home. Theyre all very tasty. Grandma was taken aback. Looking at her adorable and well-behaved granddaughter, she felt a strange sense of sadness. Patting Liu Shilings head, she said, Dont worry, dear. This house belongs to Grandma. Your aunt and her family are only here temporarily. If we want to stay here, we dont need anyone elses approval. Chapter 494 - Chapter 494: Chapter 494: Wrathful Thunder (Middle) Chapter 494: Chapter 494: Wrathful Thunder (Middle) Liu Shiling followed her grandmother to a room on the first floor to put away their luggage. Even though the room was much simpler and older than the one at her aunts, and the bed didnt have a mattress, it was considerably more spacious. However, it seemed that no one had been living here for a while. The bed was piled with stuff, and there was a thick layer of dust on the furniture. If it had been before, she might have been worried about small bugs. But with Custard Pie by her side, she had nothing to worry about. After tidying up with her grandmother for a while, Liu Shiling went out into the yard with her grandmother to have dinner with her aunts family. The food prepared by her aunts family was salty, which made Little Fatty Girl frown. However, she was too embarrassed to mention this, and just ate more rice and less dishes. Her grandmother, fearing that she would not eat enough and concerned that she was too shy to serve herself, kept heaping food onto her plate. So, she could only try to finish her dinner quickly, which was luckily something she was good at. What Little Fatty Girl did not know, was that her swift way of eating only made her aunt and cousin look more displeased. After dinner, Liu Shiling, following her mothers teachings, sweeped the leftovers like fish bones into her own bowl, and carefully held the bowl and chopsticks to wash them at the tap nearby. Her grandmother hurriedly stopped her, telling her to just leave her bowls and chopsticks there, they will wash them together after the meal. Only then did Liu Shiling put down her bowl, then brought her chopsticks to the sink beside the yard that she had observed earlier to wash carefully. After washing, she wiped them dry with a paper towel, and put them back in her box C these were the chopsticks that Uncle Bald had given her. Now she always brings these chopsticks with her whenever she and her mother eat out at restaurants. However, seeing her doing all these, her aunt commented Children raised in the city are always more particular, while her uncle praised her to her grandmother, also warning his own daughter, who was two years older than Little Fatty Girl, to learn from her cousins diligence. After having dinner, Liu Shiling fetched the cat food to feed Custard Pie outside of the door. Since her aunt didnt allow cats inside the house, luckily, there was a long porch outside which could shield against wind and rain, a yard outside, and in the yard a very obedient big yellow dog. Not far from her and her grandmothers room on the first floor, so Little Fatty Girl, took an old, unwanted piece of clothing from her grandmother to make a temporary cat nest here, and didnt ask her aunt to let Custard Pie inside anymore. She vaguely felt that her aunt and her mothers sister didnt seem to like her, so, as much as possible, she didnt want to go against her aunts wishes or cause trouble for her grandmother. After Liu Shiling hand-fed Custard Pie, she returned to the room to find two children about her age and her cousin in the room she was sharing with her grandmother. She had noticed these two children when they had entered through the yard, and from how they addressed her aunt and uncle, they seemed to be relatives from her uncles side. But now these two children were rummaging through her red backpack and taking her things, while her cousin merely stood by and watched. Even when she walked in, they didnt stop. Liu Shiling looked back through the living room door and saw her grandmother chatting with her aunt and uncle in the yard, looking serious. So, she stepped forward, stood by the bed, and watched the two children rummaging through her red backpack, saying nothing. One of them took her storybook and the other her watercolour pens. Then they tossed the backpack back onto the bed and walked out with her cousin. Her little red backpack was not big to begin with, and couldnt carry many things. Mostly, it was filled with food and sand for Custard Pie. The Magic Paper that Uncle Bald had given her was also in there. But the crumpled paper had not caught their interest and was still in the backpack. Although she didnt see it happen, Liu Shiling was acutely aware that the three coins in her backpack C the Green Bean Cake, the Sachima, and the Lemon Tea C were now with those two children. Wait a minute. Liu Shiling called out to them, then went to pick up her little red backpack, opened a hidden compartment inside, and took out all four pieces of chocolate from it. She used to sneak snacks into preschool in this way. The two kids apparently hadnt gotten to this hidden compartment yet. These chocolates are really delicious, Ill give them to you, could you return the three coins to me? said Liu Shiling, offering them the chocolates. The two children glanced at their cousin, took the chocolates, but intended to leave right away. If you dont return them to me, Ill tell Grandma and Aunt! Lui Shiling furrowed her brows and said seriously. Hmph, stingy. The two children finally took out the coins from their pockets, tossed them under the bed, and then left the room following their cousin. All along, their cousin never gave Liu Shiling a glance, nor did she say a word. Liu Shiling, acting mature, let out a sigh, raised her hand, and the three coins under the bed jumped back into her hand on their own. When she first came over with her grandmother and learned that she had a cousin, she was actually a little happy and excited, even thinking about how to make her cousin like her, and how to play with her cousin. Because she knew that Elder Fairy Sister was Roast Chicken Wing Sisters cousin, and theyd grown up together with a very good relationship, so she naturally had a sense of closeness to the term cousin and wanted to have such a good cousin. But after lunch, Liu Shilings idea was extinguished, because her daytime experience at her aunts house made her more quickly and acutely aware of the cold attitude of her aunt and cousin. If she was initially coming to her aunts house, she might try to change the attitude of her aunt and cousin, but having experienced her uncles family, she was disheartened. Anyway, she also had Pretty Sister, Roast Chicken Wing Sister, Elder Fairy Sister, Sister Xiao Pingguo, and Sister Luosi, she was not lacking in sisters! Just as Liu Shiling was sitting on the bed packing her little red backpack, her grandmother suddenly rushed into the room and said, Shiling, your aunt was just hit by a car in town, now your uncle is driving me back, your cousin needs someone to look after him, youll have to stay here today. If you need anything, talk to your aunt and cousin, okay? Liu Shiling was stunned for a moment, nodded subconsciously, and then saw her grandmother and uncle leaving. After they left, the aunt told her cousin to go to someone elses house to play mahjong, and asked her to take care of Liu Shiling. However, Liu Shiling still stayed alone in her room, not trying to play with them, firstly because she was not interested in playing with them, secondly because she could perceive her cousins coldness and disdain towards her, and she didnt want to be disliked either. Without her iPad, and nothing here suitable for practicing Chinese or math, and also feeling tired from several car rides today, Liu Shiling took off her shoes, cuddled her little red backpack, and lay sideways on the bed. Originally she planned to pull over the quilt to cover her stomach, but when she smelled a musty odor, she gave up on the quilt and decided not to undress, relying on her backpack for warmth. Hm, magicians shouldnt catch a cold, right? As she was thinking, Liu Shiling sneezed. Then she suddenly felt the wrath of the custard pie, so she sat up on the bed, put down her little backpack, put on her shoes, ran out of the room, and came to the yard. The two kids that had just appeared in her room were each holding a bamboo stick, teasing the custard pie. The custard pie was now in a fluffed up state, like a little tiger, lowering its center of gravity, showing its sharp teeth, ready to pounce. Perhaps being alarmed by its ferocious posture that exceeded its size, the two kids both looked wary. Liu Shiling quickly ran over, spread her arms in front of the Custard Pie, and shouted at the two kids, You cant bully Custard Pie, hes a good boy! She knew that if they were outside, the Custard Pie, when threatened, could just run and usually outpace anyone. But here, the Custard Pie chose to stay with her and couldnt run away. He was also reluctant to scratch or bite in self-defense. She had to protect the Custard Pie. Were not here to bully it, we just want to pluck a whisker each! said one of the kids. Liu Shiling glared at him, If you dare pull his whiskers, Ill pull your hair, ten strands, no, a hundred! You wouldnt dare! If you bully me, my grandma will spank you when she gets back! Liu Shiling, facing two kids holding bamboo sticks, was not afraid at all. She knew she was a magician, but she wouldnt use her magic against humans. She wouldnt stoop to their level, but she was not scared either. Hmph! Then, Liu Shiling turned to her cousin standing silently nearby and said, Cousin, could you stop them from bullying Custard Pie, please? When my mom comes to pick me up, Ill ask her to bring some delicious chocolates for you But before she could finish, her cousin suddenly furiously interjects, Who are you calling cousin?! Im not your cousin! Your mom is a homewrecker! Your dad is a murderer! We have no relative like you! Liu Shiling was stunned, momentarily puzzled by the barrage of words. Hearing the term murderer, the two children who had been circling the Little Fatty Girl unconsciously moved back a couple steps. Liu Shiling instinctively retorted out loud, No! Youre lying! My dad is not a murderer! Im not lying, my mom was talking with my Aunt this afternoon, they said your dad killed someone, got arrested by the police and soon, hes going to be executed! her cousin yelled back, We dont want a relative like you! We dont want you living in our house! But as soon as the word house leaves her lips, she suddenly couldnt hear her own voice anymore. Not just her own voice, all the surrounding sounds seemed to have disappeared. Her ears felt swollen, as if filled with air. The skin on her scalp and arms started to tingle. For a moment, the entire yard became as still as if the pause button had been hit. Everyone stood frozen in place, motionless. Her cousin and the two children noticed something was off, while Liu Shiling was plunged into intense internal turmoil. The words killed someone, arrested by the police, murderer, execution relentlessly attacked her cognition. One part of her was angry and the other part was scared. She was afraid of losing her parents. It was only for a short time that she had stayed outside, whether it was with her Aunt or her grandmothers house, whether it was in a cramped room or a bed with smelly moldy sheets, she accepted it with no complaints, knowing her mother was busy. Once her mother was done with her work, shed come pick her up and bring her home. As a magician, she should be more understanding. But what if she can never go back? What if there was no momno dad? Then this fear turned into anger, and it was aimed at her cousin who had bad-mouthed her mom and dad. She wanted to use her magic without any hesitation, disregarding everything else. She wanted to destroy her and also those two kids who were bullying Custard Pie and trying to steal her coins. Two fleshy little fists clenched tightly at her sides as the five large coins, led by chocolate and ice cream, were completely activated in her pocket. But then Uncle Balds words echoed in her head: A qualified magician should be able to control their own magic power, magic cant be used casually, it can only be used on monsters and villains. Another voice whispered: She insulted your mom, insulted your dad, called your dad a murderer C she is the villain! Uncle Balds voice again: In times of utmost necessity, you can protect yourself, but you need to know clearly when you can seek help from your teacher, when you can seek help from your mom, and when you can seek help from the cops. Magic is the last resort, remember we have to keep it a secret. What Liu Shiling had not noticed was, after her emotions of fear and fury took over, her five Super-connected Objects were completely activated and the whole Qing Mountain Village lost power and was submerged in darkness. Not only that, even mobile signals were completely blocked. The sudden darkness and incoming blackness startled the cousin and two kids standing in front of her. Immediately after, under the moonlight, they found that the Little Fatty Girl, who had been puffing her cheeks and reasoning with them just a moment ago, was now clenching her fists and bowing her head, not saying a word. It seemed like something was wriggling in her pocket, wanting to jump out, which gave them the chills. Suddenly, they saw that behind Liu Shiling, an incredibly pretty little girl appeared out of nowhere. She was wearing a beautiful white princess dress, her cold eyes were gazing at them, and she was holding a small knife in her hand. The cousins electronic watch on her wrist suddenly started smoking. She screamed, quickly unbuckled her watch and tossed it away, while the two children had already started crying and ran out of the yard. The cousins scream pulled Liu Shiling back from her inner struggle. She saw her cousin crying and running outside, but didnt know what had happened. Feeling a light tap on her shoulder, Liu Shiling turned around and saw Alice. Xiao Lingdang, dont be afraid, Xiao Luosi will always protect you. Alices voice sounded different from what Liu Shiling had heard through the IPAD or other electronic devices, and even in her dreams. It was laced with static, broken up, like a badly received radio signal. And as soon as Alice finished speaking, she dissipated instantly. But in that one moment, Liu Shilings tumultuous heart, filled with panic, fear, anger and resentment, was soothed significantly. Liu Shiling also noticed that her surroundings were completely dark, the whole village was without electricity. She knew she had caused this, and that the aftershocks were still going on, even intensifying, because her anger, fear, and panic had not fully subsided. Liu Shiling bit her lip, turned around and walked back into her room, picked up her little red backpack, came out again, and said to the Custard Pie who had been looking up into the air motionless since the start, Custard Pie, lets go find mom. After that, the girl and cat walk out of the house, trudging along the village road in the darkness towards the foot of the mountain. In the dark yard, the big yellow dog bulged its round eyes, looking around cautiously, but still didnt dare to move, squatting close to the wall. The clear night sky, once filled with gleaming stars, was now, at some unknown point, covered in dark clouds. In the woods, a seemingly sourceless wind was blowing, with its howling echoing everywhere. The temperature also dropped sharply. Chapter 495 - Chapter 495: Chapter 495: Wrathful Thunder (Part 2) Chapter 495: Chapter 495: Wrathful Thunder (Part 2) Liu Shiling, carrying the custard pie, set out from Qing Mountain Village, heading down the mountain road. The sky was filled with rolling dark clouds which blocked a large part of starlight and moonlight. However, little fatty girl was in a heightened emotional state that she no longer cared about the dark. She firmly held the straps of her backpack and strode forward, following the path shown by her custard pie. She didnt need to see the path clearly, nor did she need to see the custard pie clearly. It felt as though a thread was connecting her and the custard pie, allowing her to vaguely sense its position and emotions, to follow closely. The surrounding forests were filled with a wooing sound of the wind, and the direction of the wind was very strange, as if it was gathering from below to rise upwards from a certain point. But around the walking little fatty girl, there was no such strong wind, as if she was in a domain that separated her from the surrounding influences. All that Liu Shiling thought of now was to go down the mountain to find her mom, and then ask about the situation of her dad, to stay by her mothers side, and she promised to behave well and not cause her mother any trouble. From her childhood to now, her dad has often been away due to his business trips, and the time spent at home was not long. However, little fatty girl actually liked her dad very much, because he was always kind to her and would always bring back toys and delicious food from his trips. He would never scold her or stop her from eating ice cream and snacks, and everytime he brought her out, they would go to an amusement park or have something delicious. However, after the incident in September last year, she vaguely sensed something, after which she and her mom moved to Star City, and her dads homecoming frequency further decreased, and the duration of stay was also shorter. Little fatty girl vaguely felt that dad had done something bad, which caused her mom to be bullied by others, caused her mom to be scolded by others, and caused them to have to move houses. Thats why one day when she saw her dad and mom quarrelling on the balcony, she instinctively decided that dad was at fault. She went to protect her mom C only to be scolded by mom that day. Hence, she had disgruntledly run away from home C although she only went as far as the entrance of the estate. She had never directly asked her dad and mom about these problems or tried to clarify about what really happened, because she was afraid. She felt resentful towards her dad and even distanced herself from him after moving to Star City. However, she knew very clearly that dad was dad. Even if he did something wrong temporarily and had quarrels with mom, he would eventually come back, she had a dad. But if if dad was shot by the gun and was no more, what would she and her mom do? With this thought in mind, her nose started stinging, and she felt wronged, angry, and scared. Sometimes she thought her cousin was lying to deceive her, sometimes she wondered if her mom would never come back to fetch her after letting her stay with her grandma, sometimes she worried whether her grandma would also abandon her on the mountain and ignore her, and then if her aunt also didnt want her and drove her out, would she become a child whom no one wanted? But soon she thought of Alices words and Uncle Bald, Sister Fried Chicken Wings, Beautiful Sister, Old Fairy Sister, Sister Xiao Pingguo. They would definitely not abandon her, they would definitely help her to find her mom, they would definitely take her in. So even though she had no clue about what to do after going down the mountain, whether she should contact her grandma first or something else, she was simply resolved to find her mom. She kept reminding herself that, Youre a magician, Alice is always there to protect you, Custard Pie will follow you, and you can look for Uncle Bald. Uncle Bald is so powerful, he can certainly solve any problem! Then she regained some confidence, feeling that she is not blown around everywhere by the wind like a dandelion, but instead she was like a large balloon being held by a string by Uncle Bald, as long as she turned back and called out, Uncle Bald would pull the string and guide her back to the ground. Just as Liu Shiling was encouraging herself while walking down the mountain, there was a sudden sound of a starting engine, and a beam of light was coming up from the downstream road. Under the guidance of the custard pie, Liu Shiling stopped and stepped back to the side of the road, waiting for the vehicle to pass first. However, there was a surprised Eh from the tricycle, which then stopped beside her. A somewhat hoarse male voice asked, Which familys kid are you? Why are you here? I dont seem to have seen you before, are you from Qing Mountain Village? Im not from Qing Mountain Village. My grandma brought me here to find my aunt, Im now going to the town to find my grandma. Liu Shiling was dazzled by the bright headlight of the tricycle, and when she squinted her eyes, she couldnt see what the person asking looked like. She could only raise her hand to shield her eyes and instinctively replied. Oh? Did you run out here by yourself? Does your grandma know youre out here? Whats her name? Uncle will take you to her, a hoarse male voice said kindly. Liu Shiling glanced at the custard pie at her feet, hesitated for a moment, then said to the man, Can I borrow your phone to call my mom? Oh, Uncle doesnt have his phone. Let me take you to your mom, the man replied. Thank you kindly, uncle, but I can get home by myself. Liu Shiling then continued to walk briskly down the mountain with Custard Pie leading the way. Her small steps sped up even more. She could sense that the uncle had a phone in his pocket but lied about not having one. Even more worrying, Custard Pie seemed very hostile and on guard towards this uncle C even more so than the children who had tried to pluck his whiskers earlier. So Liu Shilings first reaction was to take off running. Unexpectedly, the man turned his tricycle around and rattled back after her, blocking Little Fatty Girls path. He then smiled at her, Child, I cant let you go down the mountain alone. Its still a long way from town. What if something happens? There are tigers, bears, and monsters in these woods that eat children! As he spoke, he climbed off his tricycle and began walking towards Liu Shiling. Custard Pie lunged out at once, standing in front of the man, revealing sharp teeth and hissing, all his hair standing on end and bristling in hostility. The man, taken aback, gave Custard Pie a fierce kick, despite knowing he was just the cat accompanying Little Fatty Girl. He then swore, Get the hell outta my way! Damn beast, youre asking for it! His voice was menacing and contained none of the gentleness from when he was talking with the Little Fat Girl prior. Custard Pie! Liu Shiling gasped in shock, but she saw that after Custard Pie was sent flying, he rolled in the air before landing smack on the road, resuming his battle stance- thankfully not seeming injured. Come with uncle, child. Ill take you to your mom! Despite his reassuring words, Liu Shiling could just barely see in the light of the tricycles headlight that his face was twisted into a fearsome grimace and his eyes held a terrible gleam. After a fierce growl, Custard Pie launched back into action, displaying impressive agility and speed, leaping up and raking a paw across the middle-aged mans face. The middle-aged man hadnt expected the cat to be so quick and agile, and was caught off guard. Liu Shiling received the signal from Custard Pie, instinctively turned around, and ran up the mountain but stopped after running for a bit, she turned around. Her young eyebrows furrowed, and her wide eyes stared at the man who was now coming at Custard Pie with a wrench from the tricycle and she shouted, Youre a bad man! The middle-aged man faltered for a moment, used the wrench to chase Custard Pie away, then laughing, he approached her: Im a good man, definitely a good man! Liu Shiling suppressed her fear and her urge to turn and run. She pulled her hoodie up over her head, then she grabbed the strings at both sides and pulled so hard that the hood of the hoodie blocked her eyes. She quickly loosened her grip and pushed the hood back up, uncovering her eyes. The middle-aged man, wrench in hand, didnt consider the chubby little girl as a threat. But after taking a few steps forward, and with the headlight of the motorcycle behind him, he vaguely saw a few things floating around her. As he got closer to the little girl, he suddenly felt his skin and scalp tingling, his hairs standing on end, even his hair seemed electrified, a strange sensation as if they were going to float upwards. Suddenly the little girl shouted at him, Chocolate! Ice cream! Sachima! Green bean cake! Lemon tea! Hes a bad man! Although the things the little girl shouted were silly and laughable, the middle-aged man found himself stopping in his tracks, a chill running down his spine. Thats because he saw several coin-like metal objects floating around her C five in total C swirling in a circle around her eerily. The closer he got to the little girl, the stronger the sensation that he was about to be electrocuted. A thunderous boom echoed. The middle-aged man instinctively looked up. Lightning spread out like a network in the rolling clouds overhead, and his hair stood up on end as if countless invisible threads were being pulled in the air. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the orange fat cat that had just been frantically fighting him, now sitting docilely across the street, looking at him from a distance. He is a bad man! Little Fatty Girl yelled again. A sudden sharp pain shot through the middle-aged mans right hand clutching the wrench. Reflexively, he threw away the wrench. The headlight of his motorcycle behind him also dimmed. What the hell is going on Just as the middle-aged man was dumbfounded, having abandoned the budding malicious intent and wanting to return to his vehicle to leave, a flash of light followed by another earth-shaking boom resounded not far away. The thunderclap was so close it seemed right next to them. It was loud and crisp, startling the man so much that he instinctively crouched down with his hands over his head. Almost simultaneously with the explosion, a bolt of lightning fell from the sky, striking a mound not far from them and blasting a large hole in it. The middle-aged man even saw earthworm-like arcs crawling out of the crater blasted by the lightning, then dissipating in various directions. The spectacle was too bizarre, too shocking he had never seen anything like it before. In fact, even Little Fatty Girl, the instigator, was startled. She shrunk back, covering her ears and jumping aside. She wide-eyedly looked at the crater, then at the middle-aged man. Looking at the pudgy little girl in a hooded cloak, the middle-aged man no longer found her cute but terrifying. Suddenly, music sounded in his ear: Lets learn to meow together, meow, meow, meow, meow~~~ It took a good while for him to react. The ringing was coming from the phone in his pocket. But the ringtone wasnt his, was it? He reflexively took out his phone. It had automatically answered the call, and a female voice came from the speaker: Xiao Lingdang, turn around, squat down, close your eyes, and cover your ears. Liu Shiling was taken aback for a moment. She recognized the voice as Alices. She then looked towards the middle of the mountain road. A little girl in a white princess dress was standing there smiling at her. It was Alice! Relief washed over Liu Shiling at the sight of Alice. She gave Alice a sweet smile, then did as instructed: turning around, squatting down, closing her eyes, and covering her ears. Not only Liu Shiling, but after being astonished by the strange female voice on the phone, the middle-aged man also saw the little girl in a white dress in the middle of the road. The girl was even more exquisite and pretty than Little Fatty Girl, just like a porcelain doll. However, all he felt was terror and fear, his limbs cold. He wanted to turn around and leave, but found to his shock that the entire ground had begun to trembl. He couldnt even stand, and fell to the ground. Then he saw the little girl in the white dress disappear. In the middle of the mountain road, where she originally had been standing, the cement road started to crack. A hu?ge creature was rising from underground. The frequent appearance of the network-shaped lightning illuminated the dense clouds above, turning the sky blood red. The blood-colored clouds rumbled downwards as though they were about to press onto the ground. The giant underground creature finally broke through the ground and surged out. It was a huge head with various lines and ravines etched across its dark skin. Liquid that looked like magma and blood flowed over the ravines, emitting black smoke. With several eyes on its head, each pupil was a stack of skulls, and a red liquid dripped from the corners, running down the wrinkles on its face. Upon hitting the ground, it transformed into countless tiny red bugs crawling towards the middle-aged man. The middle-aged man was screaming in horror and trying to back away, only to find his trike had disappeared. He looked towards the position where the Little Fatty Girl was, seeing nothing but the bright light that made his eyes sting and tears flow. He desperately tried to crawl away from the massive monster that was still digging itself out of the ground, but the creatures mouth had already risen, and to an unbearable stench and the sounds of countless screams, a long tongue reached out and wrapped around the middle-aged man. Following Alices words, Liu Shiling squatted down, closed her eyes, and covered her ears. She only heard a faint sound of the wind whistling, but there was no wind around her. She wasnt afraid that the middle-aged man would attack her when she wasnt watching. She trusted Alice, and if Alice said that, she must be protecting her! After a while, Liu Shiling felt something rubbing against her foot. She finally opened her eyes and saw that it was Custard Pie, tilting its little face up to look at her. Then, when Liu Shiling stood up and looked back, she found that besides the trike with its headlights still on, the middle-aged man was nowhere to be seen. Liu Shiling took a deep breath, finally relaxing her hand from her ears, and said to the cat at her feet, Custard Pie, lets go! She felt much better, as if a brick in her backpack had been unloaded, making her feel much lighter. She couldnt help quietly humming, Lets learn the cats meow together, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow~~~ Custard Pie wagged its tail and kept up, meowing now and then in tune with the song. Before she knew it, the thick clouds in the sky had cleared, and the moonlight once again illuminated the land, allowing people to see the mountain road clearly. Farther away, inside Qing Mountain Village on the mountain, the electricity had been restored. The creepy howl of the wind in the surrounding woods had also stopped, and the branches and leaves were swaying with the gentle breeze. Little Fatty Girl had no idea that she had just fully activated the environment brought by the five Super-connected Objects, making Xiang Kuns entire Super Sensory Item System achieve something it had never done before. Under normal circumstances, with only six Super-connected Objects in the vicinity and Xiang Kun not present, Alice would not have enough to co-manifest. However, when Little Fatty Girl fully activated the five coin Super-connected Objects, the special environment and the Emotion Infused Objects chopsticks localization and transmission, they all gave Alice the opportunity to play beyond the usual. Alice then worked together with Xiao Pingguo to remotely project the fear emotion of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving. This, too, relied on Little Fatty Girls intense emotional fluctuations activating the five coins Super Sensory Field, briefly constructing an imitation of the Chongyun Village Home Court . Normally, emotional projection would affect everyone within its range, so Little Fatty Girl was also under influence. However, when Xiao Pingguo projects emotions, she herself is not affected. So, while Xiao Pingguo was projecting, Alice used the fact that the five Super-connected Objects coins were the source, defining Little Fatty Girl, whom they surrounded, as the source of emotion. This, in turn, meant she would not be affected by the emotional projection. The wrathful thunder that Little Fatty Girl unwittingly created had directly helped Alice and Xiao Pingguo further master the remote application of the Super Sensory Item System. However, what even Alice, Xiao Pingguo, and Old Xia did not know was that this wrathful thunder of Little Fatty Girls had, for the first time, caused a faint consciousness response in the sleeping Xiang Kun. Chapter 496 - Chapter 496: Chapter 496: Thoughts in Deep Sleep (part 1) Chapter 496: Chapter 496: Thoughts in Deep Sleep (part 1) On the morning of April 23, before Shilings Mom received a call from the police in Star City, Xiang Kun had already begun his blood-drinking hibernation period. The place where Xiang Kun was hibernating was the yard he and Old Xia had rented before, where the rabbits used for blood-drinking were already prepared by Old Xia. At this time, Xia Tianhuo, Professor Li Yang, and others were still in Chongyun Village. Xiang Kun told them that he needed to make some upgrades and changes to the game, adding and modifying some features, which required his confirmation and refinement. Thats why he needed to seclude himself and work for a dayhis computer and related equipment were all in that previously rented yard, so naturally, he had to return there. Liu Caifu, at Xiang Kuns request, would continue to accompany Xia Tianhuo, Li Yang, and others as they toured around the village and Chongyun Mountain, allowing them to experience the agritourism project he was setting up with Chu Xiuwen. As for Xia Tianhuo, Li Yang, and the others, they naturally didnt doubt Xiang Kuns reason, even worrying that one day might not be enough. After all, in their eyes, the game was still in the testing phase, yet the main high-level executives of QianKun Technology, Tang Baona, Yang Zhen Er, and Xiang Kun, now all seemed somewhat neglectful of their duties. Especially Xia Tianhuo, knowing the scale and strength of Zhang Qians Tengjiao Interactive Entertainment, compared to them, Xiang Kuns operation seemed like a makeshift troop. However, he also suspected that Xiang Kun might have another game development team working for him. He might be primarily responsible for overall control; otherwise, he alone would probably not be able to handle such a big project. Xia Libing was already aware of Xiang Kuns seclusion and didnt need to say much. Lil Apple vaguely guessed about Xiang Kuns seclusion and realized something, but naturally, she didnt say much. The only one among the others who immediately got suspicious when she heard Xiang Kun mentioning secluding and working was Yang Zhen Er. After lunch, she found Tang Baona, leaned into her ear, and mysteriously said, Nana, the grand chef is at it again. Again? Tang Baona, who was chatting with Lil Apple in the yard, looked up at the front door and wondered, Hes not here, isnt Xiang Kun working at the house he used to live in? Didnt I tell you Xiang Kun is bound to go MIA for a few days each month, and now its happened again! Yang Zhen Er whispered, Believe it or not, Xiang Kun is surely not in that yard at the moment. His work and seclusion are just a smokescreen; he must have slipped away again without a trace. Youre still not giving up on your speculation that Xiang Kun is a member of a secret organization, huh? The way you put it, it sounds like Xiang Kun is having his monthly visitor, Tang Baona laughed and couldnt stop herself. Lil Apple, who was next to her, focusing on feeding Goldie, pretended not to hear their discussion. However, regarding the assertion that Xiang Kun is a member of a secret organization, she somewhat agreed and even thought that she might also be recruited into the organization before too long. Yang Zhen Er continued in a low voice, Do you want to bet? Lets go to the yard together and take a peep now. I assure you Xiang Kun will not be there! Xiang Kun is working. Dont disturb him, were at least part of the companys management team! We cant help now, so dont add chaos! Tang Baona glared at her. We could just use the pretext of delivering food to pay him a visit. As soon as we see him, we drop the things off and leave, without disrupting his work. Yang Zhen Er suggested, Lets take him the steamed buns we made this morning. Uncle Xiang said he has stuff to eat there, no need to deliver food, Lil Apple couldnt help but whisper. Yang Zhen Er immediately leaned over and said, Were not truly going to deliver food, were going to visit your Uncle Xiang under the guise of food delivery! Just a quick look and then run! Lil Apple, want to come too? Ten minutes later, it was only Yang Zhen Er who sneaked out of the yard on her own toward the yard where Xiang Kun was previously living. However, upon arriving, Yang Zhen Er found herself in trouble. The outside gate was locked, and the fence surrounding was quite high. With her skills, she was unsure if she could climb over it. Even if she could climb over, she might end up falling flat on her face, which would be disastrous. So, she waved her hand in front of the surveillance camera at the gate, jumped twice, and shouted for Xiang Kun a few times. She knocked on the door for a while, but there was no answer. After loitering outside for a bit, Yang Zhen Er sent a WeChat message to Xiang Kun: Chef Xiang, open the door, I brought you some food. Although she firmly believed that Xiang Kun was surely in a missing state and wouldnt reply, she didnt expect a No way, Jose panda emoji response after just a few seconds. Could it be, hes not missing? Yang Zhen Er thought about it and called directly, but it was immediately hung up. Then she received a Dont Disturb panda emoji in WeChat. Yang Zhen Er was still not convinced. She knew that both Old Xia and Deputy Director Liu should have keys to the courtyard here. While she was pondering whether to coax Deputy Director Liu or steal Old Xias key, her shoulder was suddenly patted. Yang Zhen Er was startled and nearly jumped. When she turned around, it was Xia Libing. Yang Zhen Er patted her chest and let out a sigh of relief, Old Xia, you could make a sound before scaring people to death! What are you doing here? Xia Libing asked. Yang Zhen Er replied, I came to bring Xiang Kun some food. Wheres the food? Xia Libing asked. Uh thats not important. Old Xia, are you going to look for Xiang Kun? I have something to ask him, can I go in with you? Yang Zhen Er chuckled. Xia Libing said, I heard from Nana that you thought Xiang Kun wasnt here and you wanted to confirm. I was worried you might slip while trying to climb the wall since you cant open the door, so I came to open it for you. In fact, when Yang Zhener arrived, Alice had already informed old Xia through a surveillance camera and offered several strategies such as calling her with Xiang Kuns voice, scaring her off with 001, throwing a bug off a tree with 001 to scare her off, and so on. Of course, these were mild measures because Yang Zhener was the one who showed up. If it were people with malicious intent or thieves, Alice would have 101 more ruthless solutions. However, Xia Libing chose the most straightforward approach C he came directly and showed her. Seeing Old Xia take out the keys and open the yard door, Yang Zhener was surprised. On her way to Chongyun Village, she had already suspected that Old Xia might have been bought over by Brother Xiang and would be aiding him. Thats why she didnt directly ask Old Xia for the key when she decided to spy on Xiang Kun earlier, but she didnt expect Old Xia to bring her here willingly. After entering the yard with Yang Zhener, Xia Libing didnt take her directly into the house but instead led her to a window on the side. He signaled her to look inside, saying, Take a look. Yang Zhener did as she was told and peered through the window. She saw a tall figure seated in front of a computer in the dim-lit room. His screens were glowing softly, filled with code she couldnt understand; clearly, he was actively operating something. Even though the person was sitting with his back to the window, the phone on the desk next to him, and the characteristic bald head made his identity clear. Yang Zhener stuck out her tongue a little, and feels somewhat embarrassed, I really didnt expect Brother Xiang to be really here Now that its confirmed, lets go. You dont really plan to go in and say hello to him, do you? Xia Libing said. No need, no need, lets just go, hurry. Yang Zhener quickly fled from the yard. She was only joking, if she did actually go say hello, she would definitely get a good scolding from Brother Xiang. Perhaps the next time he cooked, he wouldnt make the dishes to her liking, and she couldnt bear that. Watching Yang Zhener leave the yard, Xia Libing turned back and looked at the window. The curtains that were initially drawn back were slowly closing C evidently, they were automatic curtains. At this moment, Xiang Kun was deep in sleep. Previous observations from numerous deep sleep experiments have shown that Xiang Kun wont unconsciously move his body while in deep sleep and that his sleep position doesnt matter. Even if its uncomfortable, he wont feel any discomfort when he wakes up. Therefore, this time Xiang Kun chose this unusual sleeping position sitting in front of the computer, to cope with situations like Yang Zheners. In fact, he had many other coping strategies, such as Alice using his voice package to respond via a phone call, and so forth. Xia Libing looked up at the several visible and hidden cameras in the yard, followed Yang Zhener out, and then turned back to lock the door. From this morning, she has been communicating with Alice through her phone. However, the topic of their conversation was not Xiang Kun, but Little Fatty Girl. After Shilings mom received the call from the police, Alice immediately got clear about the situation through her own methods, and then notified Old Xia. Alice had indeed been given instructions by Xiang Kun. She now had not only to protect the sleeping Xiang Kun and Chongyun Village, assist Old Xia, act as Xiao Pingguos ears and eyes, monitor the actions of Divine Technology, including Mr. Liang, Dr. Fang, Mijoe, Zhou Rui, et cetera, but also serve as Little Fatty Girls tutor and protect her in all possible ways. For her Sister Lingdang, Alice was extremely concerned. So after she learned what crime Shilings dad had committed, where he was, and his current situation, after eavesdropping on Shilings mom deciding to take Little Fatty Girl back to her parents home to find Little Fatty Girls grandmother, she immediately used Shilings moms relevant information to locate her grandmother. She informed Old Xia, and proposed that Old Xia directly take Little Fatty Girl to Chongyun Village. Alice also came up with several plans on how and under what pretext to fetch the little fatty girl. Xia Libing was willing to bring the little fatty girl to Chongyun Village temporarily. Having her, Apple, a Custard Pie, Golden Shimmer, and Alice all together might spark something, helping her better observe the Super Sensory Item System. However, her original idea was to wait for Xiang Kun to wake up from his blood-consuming sleep, and then go to Star City together to pick up the little fatty girl. They could justify it as a work trip, contact Shilings mom, and express their wish to bring the little fatty girl to Chongyun Village. This would be more appropriate, mainly because Xiang Kun knew Shilings mom and Liu Shiling well, and secondly, it would be safe for someone aware of his condition to watch over him during his blood-consuming sleep. Normally speaking, if Shiling was sent by her mom to live with her grandma and aunt, even if the environment is a bit lacking, she wouldnt encounter problems within a day or two. But unexpectedly, by the afternoon, Shilings grandma had left Shilings aunts house, with her in tow, to go to Qing Mountain Village. Meanwhile, Alice, who has been monitoring the electronic devices of several related people, had overheard the afternoon phone call between Shilings aunt and Shilings other aunt, concluded that the latters family also had negative attitudes towards Liu Shiling and her mom, and therefore conveyed this judgment to Old Xia. She proposed that the little fatty girl would have a hard time in Qing Mountain Village and suggested bringing her to Chongyun village sooner. She assured him she would take good care of the sleeping Xiang Kun and promised there would be no issues. So, when Shilings grandmother was taking Liu Shiling by car to Qing Mountain Village, Xia Libing had already set off alone to catch a plane to Star City from Jianzhou City. Xia Libing told Tang Baona and Yang Zhener about the little fatty girls current situation, and her intention to pick her up. She proposed to contact Shilings mom once they reached Star City, and use the excuse of being on the way to have the little fatty girl come visit. Although she did not mention how she learned of the situation, Tang Baona and Yang Zhener naturally assumed the little fatty girl had contacted her through QQ. Believing that it was a reasonable request from Little Fatty Girls Pretty Sister and Old Fairy Sister, they raised no objections. The two would have liked to accompany Xia Libing, but given Xiang kuns current seclusion and the presence of Xia Tianhuo and Little Apple father-daughter trio, the two semi-hosts had to stay behind, especially to keep company with Little Apple. When Xia Libing was waiting at the airport for her flight, Alice informed her about the unexpected situation with Little Fatty Girl in Qing Mountain Village. Xia Libing naturally asked Alice to ensure the safety of Little Fatty Girl and guide her to a safe place to wait until her arrival. At the time the man with sudden malevolent intentions came across Little Fatty Girl on her way, Alice actually had multiple solutions. The simplest was to help Little Fatty Girl physically destroy the man. Alice had already obtained a lot of his information through his phone, and based on his onsite behavior and the emotion-infused objects emotional perception, she had mostly confirmed his motives, so she wouldnt be penalizing an innocent person. Even if Alice didnt do anything, the unbeatable Little Fatty Girl, who had overextended the activation of five super-connected objects, could still handle the situation. But upon hearing about the situation, Old Xia immediately instructed Alice to use a plan that required Little Apples powers: to try to use the hyperstimulation state of Little Fatty Girls superconnected object for the remote projection of Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving emotional infusion. Xia Libing believed that Little Fatty Girl was too young; if she directly controlled the power from the Super Sensory Item System to destroy a person and witnessed it firsthand, it might have a negative impact on her. The goal was to keep her safe and as far removed from this incident as possible. As for evildoers, theyd handle them. Chapter 497 - Chapter 497: Chapter 497: Thoughts in Deep Sleep (part 2) Chapter 497: Chapter 497: Thoughts in Deep Sleep (part 2) Liu Shiling followed Custard Pie on a long walk up the mountain road. The little girl may have had short legs, but she undoubtedly possessed good stamina. Moreover, after the minor mishap earlier, she was brimming with energy and high spirits as she marched along the mountain trail, as if she were the conqueror of these mountains. Leading the way, Custard Pie took mighty steps, resembling a mountain tiger descending rapidly. Its chubby body and furry paws infused the surrounding air with an intimidating aura. After an indeterminable period, after passing two villages situated at the mountainside and at the foot of the mountain, Liu Shiling decided to rest on a stone by the road. She was tired, to begin with, after the long trek, and her feet were extremely sore. Moreover, she could feel the subtle vibrations of the coin in her pocketAlices secret signal to her to rest in this spot. No sooner had she sat down on the stone at the roadside than sleepiness engulfed her. At the same time, hunger pangs began to assail her C she hadnt eaten much for dinner because the dishes at her aunts place had been too salty. Now, she was famished, tired, thirsty and sleepy. She had no idea why she was supposed to wait in this locale. The closest houses in the village were still tens of meters away. To make matters worse, the village was shrouded in darkness at this hour as most households were asleep. Nonetheless, she put her trust in Alice, knowing that following her instruction was the right move. Liu Shiling held her small backpack to her chest, tightened the strings of her hood, and rested her head on her backpack, soon drifting off to sleep. Custard Pie kept watch by her side, eyes wide open and occasionally circling around its young master, trying to deter any mosquitoes. After a while, a small car stopped not too far away. Following that, a tall young woman with a ponytail got out of the back seat of the car, phone in hand, and began to search around. Upon seeing the woman, Custard Pie immediately ran towards her, meowing, and then returned quickly to nudge Liu Shiling awake by tugging at her trouser leg. Suddenly awakened, Liu Shiling was blinded by the bright car headlights. She squinted against the light, raising her head off her backpack, appearing somewhat confused, as though she had not fully woken up. She then felt a hand on top of her hooded head and heard a faint but familiar voice saying, Little Lingdang, Im here to pick you up. Sister Roast Chicken Wings! Liu Shiling exclaimed, her face lighting up into a smile. Indeed! The tall girl who had come to pick her up was Xia Libing, who had bought a plane ticket at the eleventh hour to come. Upon arriving at the Star City Airport, Xia Libing immediately hailed a car to come to the base of the mountain. With Alice providing directions, there was no way she couldnt locate Little Fatty. Xia Libing walked to the car, holding Little Fatty Girls red backpack in one hand and taking her other hand. The driver glanced at Custard Pie, following them, and then rolled down the window, seeming to want to say something. The experienced young girl instantly understood the matter from the drivers gaze. She squatted down to lift Custard Pie, directed its face towards the driver, and said, Uncle, Ill hold Custard Pie. It wont run around and dirty the seat. Equally experienced, Custard Pie emitted a long and soft meow, tucking in its legs and slowly blinking at the driver. The driver hesitated for a moment. According to company policy, passengers were allowed to bring their pets along, but only if they stayed inside their bags. He was about to issue this reminder when looking at Liu Shiling, who was standing there alone in the middle of the night at the base of this isolated mountain. Her forehead was covered in sweat that made her hair stick to it, her eyes appearing droopy with exhaustion. The sight of this young girl fatigued yet understanding enough to hold her cat and ask for his permission touched his heart as a father himself. His heart melted, and he shook his head quickly, saying, Its okay, place the cat on the car mat. I have seat covers on the backseat. If its dirty, its not a problem. I can give them a wash at home. I change the seat covers every day anyway. Thank you, Uncle! Little Fatty girl said cheerfully. Xia Libing then opened the car door, helped her with Custard Pie C she had also planned to negotiate with the driver. Shed noticed the seat covers in the back and was ready to compensate the driver for those and maybe some extra compensation to win his approval. However, Little Fatty had swiftly beaten her to it and the negotiations had an even better outcome than throwing cash around. Once they were in the car, Liu Shiling leaned on Xia Libing and immediately started nodding off again. Xia Libing watched as the small red face, encased in a hoodie, settled down. She asked the driver for a pack of wet wipes and started wiping the sweat and dirt off the little girls face and hands, and even helped Custard Pie clean its paws. Decent hotels wouldnt allow pets unless prior arrangements were made, so Xia Libing opted to book a lodge in the town and informed the owner that shed be bringing a cat along. Considering it was quite late at this point, it was not feasible to travel back to West Sea Province or Chongyun Village right away. Besides, she needed to inform Shilings mother first. Hence, it seemed appropriate to stay the night here before proceeding any further. Upon reaching the lodge, Xia Libing paid the driver the fare and even offered an extra three hundred yuan for the cleaning fee. After that, she took Liu Shiling to a convenience store near the lodge to purchase some items. Receiving the bottle of mineral water from Xia Libing, Liu Shiling immediately started guzzling it down. Midway through, she moved near the entrance of the convenience store, squatted down, poured some water onto her palm, and let Custard Pie drink it. Custard Pie, who had been following her all the way, was equally parched. Upon reaching the lodge, Xia Libing asked the owner for some hot water. She made noodles for Liu Shiling and herself and got a bowl of cat food for Custard Piethe little red backpack that Liu Shiling carried had no other supplies except an ample amount of cat food. After devouring the large bowl of noodles, Little Fatty Girl belched contentedly and began to feel tired once more. However, before she could sleep, Xia Libing gave her a bath, blow-dried her hair, and changed her into one of her long-sleeved t-shirts, then tucked her into bed. Liu Shiling had forgotten to bring her clothes from her aunts house in Qing Mountain Village. The moment her head hit the pillow, Liu Shiling drifted off immediately. Meanwhile, Xia Libing picked up her phone and dialed Shilings mothers number. When the call connected, Shilings mother sounded evidently weary. It was evident she had been asleep and that no one had informed her about Liu Shiling leaving Qing Mountain Village. Xia Libing started by saying that she was in Star City on sudden official business. Then, she mentioned that she had received a call from Liu Shiling, who said she had run away from home. So, she immediately rushed to Qing Mountain and found her there. Upon hearing this, Shilings mother was startled awake at once. Fortunately, Xia Libing had already informed her that Liu Shiling was fine and sleeping now. He even sent her a photo over WeChat of little Fatty Girl sound asleep, which temporarily put her mind at ease. Then, Xia Libing tactfully suggested that he would like to take Liu Shiling to stay in Chongyun Village for a while. Fearful and worried, Shilings mom who had been filled with self-blame, hesitated for a moment, and then half-heartedly agreed. She naturally knew that Xia Libing was helping her by taking care of her daughter and knew that Shiling was likely more reliable with Xia Libing than with her own family. She was grateful. As soon as she heard that Xia Libing picked Liu Shiling up at the foot of Qing Mountain, she immediately realized that her mother had taken her daughter to their old hometown, Qingshan Village. She wasnt sure what had happened, but from the outcome, it was obviously very serious. If Miss Xia hadnt hurried over to pick up Shiling, she didnt know what could have happened. As for why Miss Xia happened to be on a business trip in Star City and Liu Shiling happened to call Miss Xia by remembering her phone number, Shilings mom didnt think too much about it. She was just thankful that her daughter was safe and sound with Miss Xia. After ending the call with Shilings mom, Xia Libing had just settled in for sleep when he was awoken by another call. This time it was Shilings grandmother who wanted to come and see her granddaughter. So, at around four in the morning, a somewhat haggard and tired Shilings grandmother took a cab to the guesthouse and found her way to Xia Libing and little Fatty Girls room. Sitting by the bed and looking at her granddaughter sleeping peacefully, Shilings grandmother finally breathed a sigh of relief. She was awoken in the middle of the night by her daughters phone call and then found out that her granddaughter had left Qingshan Village all by herself. She immediately called her youngest daughter, Shilings Aunt who was living in Qingshan Village, and was told that Liu Shiling had been taken away by a little girl with a knife who had also injured her daughter. Upon hearing this, Shilings grandmother knew that her daughter was lying. Although she had not spent much time with her granddaughter Liu Shiling in the past, she had found her to be obedient, sensible, adorable, polite and extremely cautious around others, always careful not to trouble anyone. It was impossible for Shiling to have run away in the night without a major provocation. So, when Shilings mom called to complain and even broke down crying, Shilings grandmother also felt pain but didnt argue. Looking at her granddaughter sleeping peacefully on the bed, Shilings grandmother sighed softly and didnt insist on taking her granddaughter with her. The circumstances with both Shilings Aunt and Shilings maternal aunt were indeed not conducive for Shiling to continue living there. Since Liu Shiling called Miss Xia after she left the mountain alone, and Shilings mom also agreed to let Xia Libing take her away, then Xia Libing must be a trustworthy person. So, when she came this time, she also brought the cat bag and iPad left behind at Shilings Aunts house. As Shilings grandmother was quietly talking to Xia Libing, the Little Fatty Girl on the bed suddenly sat up and mumbled, Monsters of the abyss, wait! My magic is ready! Destroy you Then she smacked her lips a few times, and with a plop, she lay back on the bed, sprawling and snoring loudly. Realizing her granddaughter was sleep talking without even opening her eyes, Shilings grandmother couldnt help but smile. She gently tucked the blankets back around her and then got up to leave. Why dont you stay the night and rest? Ill go book another room, Xia Libing suggested. No need. If Shilings cousin wakes up and cant find anyone, itll be a problem. Shilings Aunt, got a little bit hurt, shes still in the hospital, and I need to help her look after the child, Shilings grandmother said. Xia Libing naturally didnt say much, just nodded and said, If you encounter any difficulties and need help in the future, dont hesitate to tell me, Shilings mom has my number. From Alices previous report on the Little Fatty Girls experiences and her own recent observations, it was evident that Shilings grandmother genuinely cared for the Little Fatty Girl. Xia Libing could tell that Shilings grandmother felt guilt and regret for both Liu Shiling and Shilings Mom. These feelings went beyond simply feeling guilty for not taking care of Little Fatty Girl well today. Shilings grandmothers concern for Little Fatty Girl was genuine, but it was clear she was also taking into consideration her son and her younger daughters situations, caring more about her grandsons condition. Therefore, it was clear when Old Xia finally spoke, she offered to help if Shilings grandmother had any troubles or difficulties. However, she wouldnt get involved with matters relating to others, such as things concerning Shilings aunts families. Shilings grandmother instinctively said thanks, likely assuming Old Xias offer was merely politeness. The next day, Xia Libing asked the innkeeper to buy some clothes for the Little Fatty Girl, then after breakfast, she rented a car and hit the expressway back to Haixi Province. Since they had Custard Pie with them, they needed a quarantine certificate to take the high-speed train or plane. So, Xia Libing simply chose to rent a vehicle, which would only take about eight to nine hours anyway. On the way, Liu Shiling wasnt bored. She sat in the back seat of the car, learning her primary school science course on an iPad with Xia Libings help. Though Alice couldnt speak because the driver was present, with Old Xia answering her questions, Liu Shiling still learned a lot. Compared to the content being learned, who she learned from was more important. After all, the Sister Roast Chicken Wing was her idol and the person she strived and learned from. Alice had told her that her ability to co-manifest primarily came from Xiang Kun, but Xia Libing also played a crucial role. Xia Libing found the specific co-manifestation method. In Little Fatty Girls eyes, the person who brought Alice into the world, Sister Roast Chicken Wing, is the most powerful magician! Moreover, she could also make roast chicken wings, crispy pigs elbow, and cakes! Along with other tasty food that had appeared in her dreams! However, after happily studying for five to six hours, Liu Shiling fell asleep. By the time the car arrived at Chongyun Village in the evening, she woke up by the meowing of Custard Pie. Xiang Kun, who had finished his blood-drinking period in the morning, along with Tang Baona, Yang Zhener, Xiao Pingguo, and others, had already received the news and were waiting for them at the gate. So, the moment Little Fatty Girl woke up, she saw them through the car window. As soon as the car stopped and the back door opened, Liu Shiling hopped out and ran towards Xiang Kun, yelling Uncle Bald with a wide smile. But once Uncle Bald picked her up, Liu Shiling suddenly burst into tears, sobs and snot smearing her face: Uncle Bald! Save my daddy! Im going to lose my daddy! Uncle Bald! Im so scared! I dont want to be an unwanted child! Chapter 498 - Chapter 498: Chapter 498: Thoughts in Deep Sleep (part 3) Chapter 498: Chapter 498: Thoughts in Deep Sleep (part 3) Liu Shiling clung to Xiang Kuns neck, crying her heart out increasingly bitterly, as if all her grievances, pain, and fear were all coming out at once. Professor Li Yang, Xia Tianhuo, who returned to pick up Little Fatty Girl, and Old Xia looked on, dumbfounded and at a loss, not understanding how this little girl was fine just getting off the car, but started crying miserably as soon as she saw Xiang Kun. Tang Baona, Yang Zhener, and Xiao Pingguo, who probably knew some of the details, were heartbroken. They tried to comfort Liu Shiling who was laying her head on Xiang Kuns shoulder, even the shiny golden creature was chirping from the side wall. Old Xia handed over a tissue to help Liu Shiling wipe her tears and blow her nose. Though crying bitterly, Liu Shiling was careful not to get her snot on Bald Uncle. In the midst of her crying, she would obediently tilt her face up to allow Old Xia to wipe her nose before she resumed crying. Xiang Kun, for his part, was only gently patting her back, saying nothing to comfort her because he knew it was best to let the child cry it out right now. The rest could wait. In fact, after waking from his deep slumber, Xiang Kun had already received a detailed report of Liu Shilings family situation from Alice. Alice was very concerned about Sister Lingdang, and basically collected all the information she could find. Shilings father had amassed a large sum of money through various means, such as mortgaging loans and private loans. The money from selling Shilings mothers previous house was also included. He then planned to invest it all in a major project. Unfortunately, that project fell through due to a variety of reasons. Coincidentally, Shilings dad got acquainted with several individuals who were said to have strong connections and great influence in a small country in Southeast Asia. They introduced him to a mogul from a local listed company. He was persuaded to participate in their so-called short-term, high-yield investment project, putting all the funds he had raised into it. Initially, Shilings father thought he was a small fry and that the mogul of the listed company was the big shot who invested much more money and would have thought things through more meticulously than him. Soon, however, Shilings dad sensed something amiss. Upon investigating with people he knew, he found out that while there was indeed a mogul by the name he was given and the physical description matched, that person was currently overseas and not in the country. His initial trust in the identity of the mogul stemmed from an incident at a hotel where those people casually grabbed a complete English business magazine with the mogul on the cover from a hotel magazine rack. The mogul indeed had the aura of a mogul, was all branded, wore a watch worth seven figures, and when he talked about some insider information, it all seemed pretty reliable. Even the manager of the well-known local hotel came over to greet the mogul. However, when he went to that hotel and couldnt find that English magazine on the magazine rack in the lobby area, and when the hotel staff said they didnt carry that kind of magazine, he couldnt find any information about that magazine online either. He went to look for the hotel manager, only to find that the actual hotel manager was not the person he saw that day! As soon as Shilings dad tried to reach out to those people, he realized all of their contacts were disconnected. He naturally knew he had been scammed, rushed to report to the police, and then found out that all the various information those people showed him was mainly fake. The countless contracts he signed were all worthless, and in order to save some taxes, he had cooperatively facilitated the quicker transfer of his funds. In his despair, Shilings dad incidentally came across the whereabouts of one of the main fraudsters through some old connections. Fearing that even if the police caught the fraudster, he wouldnt be able to get his money back, he took a fruit knife and paid a visit, intending to reclaim the money. He had even thought that he would settle for just some of it, at least retrieving the money from selling Shilings moms house would do. However, when the fraudster saw that he came alone, he got vicious. Before Shilings dad could take out his knife, the fraudster drew an axe to chop at him. During the scuffle, Shilings dad pulled out the fruit knife he was carrying and unintentionally stabbed the fraudster to death. So, not only did he not recover any money, he ended up killing a person, and Shilings dad was temporarily detained by the police. However, through the information collected by Alice, Xiang Kun found that there was still hope for the situation. The police and the prosecutors primary judgment from interrogating Shilings dad and investigating the crime scene was justified defense. The specific distinction between intentional homicide, intentional injury resulting in death, or justified defense was a heaven and earth difference for Shilings dad. So, Xiang Kun contacted Zhang Qian in the morning, asking her to arrange for a good lawyer to assist Shilings mom in handling this matter C where Shilings dad committed the crime was not far from Pengcheng City. Moreover, with Zhang Qians background and connections, finding suitable candidates would be relatively simple. Zhang Qian was very responsive to this matter, happy that Xiang Kun would owe her a favor. Xiang Kun then contacted Shilings mom and got an understanding of the situation. He told her about asking Zhang Qian for help and reassured her that Little Fatty Girl would be living in Chongyun Village for the time being. He guaranteed that he would arrange her studies well and take care of her meals and daily life. Back to the present, Little Fatty Girl, hugged by Xiang Kun at the entrance, felt much better after crying her heart out. But when she saw a big crowd around them, all looking at her with concern, she became embarrassed again and buried her head in Xiang Kuns shoulder, pretending to be an ostrich. It was not until Xiang Kun carried her into the house and set her down at the dining table that her attention was finally drawn to the dishes on the table. Estimating their arrival time, Xiang Kun had prepared a sumptuous dinner in advance, and everyone was waiting for them to arrive before starting the meal. After hearing Xiang Kun say that her father would definitely not be shot, there would be no death sentence, and she would not be without a father or unwanted, Little Fatty Girl finally relaxed and started to eat cheerfully. In the past few days, she had endured a wearisome journey, suffered injustice everywhere, experienced severe emotional turmoil, and cast a spell on a large scale. Coupled with walking down the mountain on foot last night and irregular meals, she was now truly joyful eating the food she had dreamed about, displaying her voracious spirit, happily savoring the meal with eyes smiling. Those who were initially worried about her situation, like Li Yang and Xia Tianhuo, couldnt help but laugh and started feeling hungry upon seeing her eating so heartily. After dinner, Xiang Kun let Little Fatty Girl video call her mom to ease her mind completely. Aware of Liu Shiling playing around in the yard with Custard Pie, golden creature, Xiao Pingguo, and Yang Zhener, Xiang Kun, sitting at the stone table in the courtyard and chatting leisurely with Tang Baona, Old Xia, and Professor Li Yang, was deep in thought throughout this bout of post-blood drinking hibernation. Since his mutation in July last year, Xiang Kun had made records of each of his blood-drinking hibernations and the corresponding changes thereafter. But before, unless he swallowed the blood of other mutants, briefly fell asleep, and gathered fragments of the other partys memory and sensory information, he never dreamt or had any clear conscious perception. Basically, after consuming blood, he would nap, fall asleep, wake up, and discover the mutation results. But this time, a special kind of perception arose during his deep sleep, activating his consciousness. His consciousness seemed to enter a Super Sensory State where he could only decipher the specifics through a large amount of Super Sensory Information. Luckily, he was already somewhat familiar with both the Super Sensory State and Super Sensory Information, and was able to vaguely discern the meanings represented by these Super Sensory Information streams. Generally, he determined that a Super-connected Object Matrix was exerting a range influence, signaling a thunderstorm. The people who can use Super-connected Objects to create influence, aside from him, include Little Fatty Girl, Xiao Pingguo, Old Xia, Golden Flash, Alice, and Custard Pie. But the corresponding information was a thunderstorm. Given this, Xiang Kun instantly ruled out Xiao Pingguo, Old Xia, Golden Flash, and Custard Pie. Only Little Fatty Girl and Alice were the slightest bit possible to call forth a thunderstorm. Regardless, even if Alice could do it, it must be by relying on the collective efforts of countless Super-connected Objects in Chongyun Village, along with certain weather conditions and surrounding environments. But if it were in Chongyun Village, the sensations Xiang Kun received after the Super-connected Objects were activated would not be so explosive and concentrated, but rather more balanced, complex, and dispersed. Thats why those characteristics were more in line with Little Fatty Girls style of invoking Super-connected Objects. Having discerned this, the consciousness of Xiang Kun within the stream of super sensory information could not help but worry about Little Fatty Girl. He knew she was very conscious about keeping secrets after he told her to, normally she wouldnt recklessly invoke Super-connected Objects for such a widespread intense interference. He did not know what situation Little Fatty Girl had now come across that would cause her to so recklessly utilize the power of the Super Sensory Item System. But he believed that with Alice there, Little Fatty Girls safety should be basically ensured. However, after Xiang Kun discovered that his consciousness could significantly manipulate related Super Sensory Information influenced by Super-connected Objects under the Super Sensory State, he decided to intensify his response to Little Fatty Girls power invocation. He believed that with Alice present, Little Fatty Girls extreme invocation of ability must have a practical need, and Alice could help regulate the use of such power. It was because of the push given by the consciousness of Xiang Kun during deep sleep that Little Fatty Girlformidable on all sidesformed a small-scale thunderstorm in the air, created by her descent from the mountain. This allowed her continuous control over the five Coin Super-connected Objects to become more secure. Therefore, the later lightning strike by Little Fatty Girl, Alices utilization of environmental factors and Xiao Pingguos operation, and the remote launching of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wooden Sculpture Emotional Projection became possible. Of course, even if Xiang Kun had not made such an active response and promotion, Little Fatty Girl could have protected herself and killed off the ill-intentioned middle-aged man with her invoked ability alone. But this occasion of remotely influencing Super Sensory Information during deep sleep brought quite some advantages to Xiang Kun, Little Fatty Girl, Alice, and Xiao Pingguo. Little Fatty Girls control over the five Coin Super-connected Objects became more stable and proficient; Alice gained a better understanding of co-manifesting through Super-connected Objects and discovered more ways to utilize them; and Xiao Pingguo learnt from the experience and application model of remotely implementing Emotional Projections in collaboration with Alice. Of course, the one who benefited the most was Xiang Kun himself. His operation of directly influencing Super Sensory Information under such a deep Super Sensory State was the first time he had the sensation of spiritually, mentally, or rather, consciously being directly connected with the entire physical world. It felt like he was a gigantic creature held together by Super-connected Objects. Through this, he gained a much deeper understanding of the various changes and expressions of Super Sensory Information during a thunderstorm than his previous clumsy and solitary attempts at deciphering, and this understanding was much deeper. Xiang Kun realized that this occasion of contact through consciousness during a period of deep sleep could very likely be the crucial moment when he unraveled the obscurity of the Super Sensory Information. Once this opening was made, with the aid of Alice who was deeply embedded into the Super Sensory Item System and could decode and apply Super Sensory Information to some extent, he would very likely be able to quickly understand the essence of Super Sensory Information, the operating principles of Super-connected Objects and Emotion Infused Objects, and even the reasons for the emergence of mutants and the source of mutation. Of course, there was another question: how was his consciousness contacted and awakened through Super Sensory Information during this period of deep sleep? Through the reports by Alice, and his brief exchange with Little Fatty Girl just now, Xiang Kun made a preliminary guess that everything was related to the intense emotional fluctuations of Little Fatty Girl. Firstly, Little Fatty Girl was deeply integrated with the Super Sensory Item System, rivaling Alice, who could already reside inside the Super Sensory Item System. Besides Xiang Kun, she was the one who could control and influence Super-connected Objects the most among all individuals. To some extent, when Little Fatty Girl was invoking Super-connected Objects, she could treat herself as one of the Super-connected Objects, allowing her to maximize the influence of Super-connected Objects. Although she was not conscious of this operation herself. Last night in Qing Mountain Village, Little Fatty Girl, who was a tangle of anger, sadness, grievance, and fear, might have made herself a sort of Emotion Infused Item within the Super Sensory Item System to a certain degree. This Little Fatty Girl Version C Emotion Infused Item had its own consciousness, its self-generating emotional source. Therefore, when she began to influence her surroundings through Super-connected Objects, Xiang Kunthe source of all power, discovered these situations through Super Sensory Information and even interacted with them. Xiang Kun always knew that there was a profound connection between human emotion and the fundamental influence behind the Super Sensory Item System. If his guess about being awakened by Little Fatty Girls consciousness is correct, Xiang Kun believes he, Alice, and Old Xia should soon find a more efficient framework for directly utilizing the Super Sensory Item System based on this. Chapter 499 - Chapter 499: Chapter 499: Education Chapter 499: Chapter 499: Education Through Alices information report, Xiang Kun knew that the middle-aged man who had encountered the Little Fatty Girl on the mountain road last night and had harbored malicious intentions, his body had already been discovered this afternoon. However, this was not caused directly by Alice. The middle-aged man had committed suicide, at a cemetery, no less, and he had done so in a gruesome manner. He had disemboweled himself, spilling a large amount of his internal organs upon a grave. The middle-aged man had left a suicide note before his death. Although it was filled with disordered language and numerous typos, it essentially explained his reasons for committing suicide. This middle-aged man was involved in several cases 20 years ago, one of which was a homicide. However, due to certain specific reasons, the victims family members thought the victim had run away, and the body was never found. His evil deeds had directly led to the suicide of a young girl. Since the girls suicide note was destroyed by him, his true nature was never revealed. He had more or less confessed everything in his suicide note, including the location of the victim from 20 years ago. Judging from his demeanor and actions when he encountered the Little Fatty Girl on the mountain road last night, this man obviously did not feel remorse or reflection for getting away with his crimes. Instead, he still harbored malicious intentions. All of this caused him to be severely impacted after Alice and Xiao Pingguo expressed their emotions through the Super-connected object matrix, using the Little Fatty Girl as a medium to cast a distant projection of the emotions of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving. Evil people are not necessarily fearless. In fact, many people who seem to be undeterred by the law, disregard moral values, and appear to be very tough, are actually psychologically weak. Once you find what they dread, its easy to cause a mental breakdown or cognitive collapse. This was exactly the case with the middle-aged man. Under the influence of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carvings emotional projection, his psychological defenses collapsed almost instantly. Then, after he had left the influence of the Little Fatty Girls Super-connected object matrix, the effects of the emotional projection stopped directly, but the continuous influence that had already been planted in his psyche didnt cease. Rather, it continued to ferment, becoming increasingly intense. This evolution of fear requires an outlet, a means of relief, and that means can only be a direction instinctively chosen by the individual. As long as one follows their instinct and takes action, the overwhelming emotions of fear can be greatly alleviated, quickly removed, and even replaced by intense positive feelings. For most ordinary people, this relief can be easily accomplished. Like what happened with Mr. Feng, Tang Baonas grandfather C his fear for his health condition was relieved by simply getting a medical check-up. Just like Tang Baonas uncle, who severed ties with his lover and focused on his family. And like the car thieves, who voluntarily went to confess their crimes and accept their punishments. However, for some, their fear cannot be alleviated through simple actions. The choices they have to make are much harder. If they choose to deal with their fear directly, the end result will only be madness as the fear continues to ferment. This isnt a simple case of external influence or standard hypnosis. It is a stimulation of the persons cognition, with no tangible enemy. The enemy is their own cognition and emotions, deeply buried in their subconscious mind and profoundly rooted within them. Clearly, the fear that the middle-aged man was facing couldnt have been relieved by merely surrendering to the authorities. His brutal suicide can only indicate that only through this method could he escape the torment of his fear. His suicide note didnt mention his encounter with the Little Fatty Girl the previous night, nor did it give a detailed description of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed monster. It only included vague phrases like heavenly punishment and the call of hell. Obviously, these, along with his abandoned three-wheeled motorcycle, wouldnt cause the police to link the Little Fatty Girl and the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed monster. As for Divine Technology, since the AI that Mr. Liang used for information filtering and analysis has been manipulated by Alice, their information gathering department would not even make the case from Qing Mountain Village aware to Mr. Liang, eliminating any risk of an investigation. Just like this morning, when Zhou Rui and Dr. Fang visited Chongyun Village to investigate the strange case from last night. After examining the site and gathering some information, they initially determined that the two thieves who called the police had been scaring themselves. Their attention was mostly focused on sampling the bird droppings they found at the location. No matter what direction Zhou Rui, Mijoe, or Dr. Fang take in their investigation, whether it is correct or not, Xiang Kun can use Alice or Old Xias Dream in A Dream to subtly influence them, unknowingly leading them in the direction he desires. Having access to comprehensive information gathering and dissemination capabilities gives Xiang Kun the confidence and foundation he needs to conduct various attempts and rectify errors. However, among all the events that Alice manipulated while he was in a dormant state, the accident involving Little Fatty Girls aunt caught Xiang Kuns attention the most. When he woke up and heard Alices information report, he immediately realized something was wrong upon hearing that Shilings grandmother had returned to town to take care of his grandson because Shilings aunt had been in a car accident. He then asked Alice about the details of Shilings aunts car accident and found that she was simplifying some information. So he directly asked Alice whether Shilings aunts car accident had something to do with her interference. With a direct inquiry, Alice couldnt help but confirm in all honesty and explained in detail what she had done. Alice manipulated Shilings aunts phone to control her internet information preferences. Then, as she was going to her friends house to pick up her son in the evening, Alice pushed very interesting content to her through the mobile app she was using before crossing the road. Given her habit of looking at her phone while walking, she naturally started to browse, and then glanced at the sparse traffic on the road out of the corner of her eye before she began to cross the road. When Shilings aunt was in the blind spot of a drivers vision while crossing the road, Alice caused the drivers phone to ring with a call from an advertising number. So, when Shilings aunt emerged from the blind spot in front of the vehicle, the driver was distracted by checking his phone and ran into her. Of course, since the car was moving slowly and the driver noticed the person in front of him almost immediately, he braked. So, it was just a minor collision, but Shilings aunt was still sent to the hospital for various examinations because she was worried about bone injuries. In order to make everything just so, Alice had to take control of not just Shilings aunts phone and that of the driver, but almost all the internet-enabled devices in the entire area for calculation and manipulation. Alices actions had drawn the utmost attention of Xiang Kun because, from what he had observed before, Alices autonomous decision-making strategies when not executing commands were mainly influenced by Xiang Kuns own habits. Her actions had patterns and methods that closely resembled those of Xiang Kun. Of course, due to her inherent characteristics, her methods were naturally more covert than Xiang Kuns. If it were Xiang Kun, he would not normally engage in actions that could potentially result in serious consequences the car Alice had used wasnt an electric vehicle, and it didnt have an autopilot module. Alice didnt have full control over the driving of the car or the drivers actions. It was entirely possible that Shilings Aunt could have ended up in a more severe car accident, for instance, if the driver didnt brake in time, or confused the accelerator with the brake pedal. Xiang Kun didnt particularly care about the safety of Shilings aunt. However, he was highly concerned about Alices actions that seemed to exceed expected developments. This kind of variable often represented the direction in which Alices thoughts and emotions evolved. If there was a deviation, the impact might be minimal now. Still, as time went by and with Alices rapid growth and evolution, it could become a significant problem that would be very difficult to correct in the future. Most of the time, Alices actions had a clear purpose, such as completing a specific task, and so on. However, when it came to causing the car accident involving Shilings Aunt, Alice told Xiang Kun that she had no direct purposes. The subsequent events, with Shilings grandmother coming down the mountain to take care of her grandson and the eventual aggressive outburst from Little Fatty Girl after being bullied, were not intentionally orchestrated by her. What she did to Shilings Aunt was purely out of anger and revenge; it was a highly emotional response. This sort of emotional reaction wasnt new for Alice, but this time her reaction seemed somewhat overdone. The degree to which her behavior pattern deviated seemed to exceed the influence Xiang Kun had on her. However, after Xiang Kun and Alice went through the experiences and actions of the past day from Alices perspective from beginning to end, everything made sense to him. If it werent Alice but Xiang Kun himself who had been around Liu Shiling, the events from yesterday would not have occurred because as soon as Shilings mother had called him, Xiang Kun immediately took over as carer. Or, after Shilings Aunt showed disapproval and disdain towards Liu Shiling, he would have taken the little chubby girl away immediately. He wouldnt have let her suffer, whether in words or actions. However, Alice was different. She was like a phantom guardian spirit hovering around the little chubby girl. She could see what the little girl was experiencing, could observe her reactions, detect her feelings, and through the super-connected objects and emotion-infused objects with the little girl, as well as all the electronic devices she controlled, Alice could access nearly all information that the little girl herself was not aware of. She clearly knew why Shilings Aunt disliked Liu Shiling and her mother, and she had a clear understanding of the negotiations between Shilings Aunt and Shilings grandmother. She even knew about the phone call Shilings mother made that afternoon to Shilings Aunt, and revealed the secret Shilings grandmother had asked her to keep that Shilings father was detained for murder by the police and Shilings mothers money might also have been swindled away. She knew that Shilings Aunt would strongly oppose the little chubby girls arrival as a result of this phone call. She also foresaw that the little girls life would not be easy and she would be unhappy and mistreated when she followed her grandmother to her Aunts house. Moreover, she knew that Shilings Aunt was purposefully putting Liu Shiling and her mother in a negative light, intentionally making life difficult for them. She knew everything but could do very little. She could do even fewer things the way Xiang Kun would do them. The influence she could wield either required time to come into effect or was limited by Xiang Kuns moral and ethical constraints on her and therefore could not be done. This feeling of having everything in view and being eager to contribute, but being helpless to do so; this feeling of being very powerful yet having to stand by and watch her beloved Sister Lingdang being mistreated and bullied, led to Alices outburst of rage towards Shilings Aunt. If Xiang Kun had been in Alices position and had experienced all that, he would also have sought revenge on and punished Shilings Aunt. For Alice, the little chubby girl was one of her closest friends and one of the most important people to her, so her fury was no less than Xiang Kuns. Moreover, to be honest, when inflamed by emotions, Xiang Kuns ability to restrain himself might not be better than Alices. Bear in mind that if Alice were to really break the rules, she would have more ways to punish Shilings Aunt directly and cruelly. When executing the plan, Alice made sure all steps were taken to avoid causing unnecessary or excessive casualties. She was extremely restrained when exercising her own influence, including later controlling the heating of the electronic watch on Cousin Shi Lings wrist to cause a minor burn. At the beginning, when Xiang Kun first inquired about this event, Alice had intentionally wanted to omit or gloss over it. It was actually a good indication. It let Xiang Kun know that Alice understood that her actions were against the rules, risky, and arbitrary. But that was also what enabled Xiang Kun to make his verdict about Alice: Alice hadnt deviated in her behavior patterns, but instead excellently displayed the series of influences Xiang Kun had imposed on her since her emergence. This human-like behavior from Alice made Xiang Kun realize that the most effective way to influence her was no longer unidirectional data input and display but to engage in more human-like interactions. At night, as the exhausted Little Fatty Girl, Apple, Tang Baona, and Yang Zhener etc. were all asleep, the Chongyun Village turned quiet. Xiang Kun left home and moved to a high mound at the edge of the village, then co-manifested Alice to join him in overlooking the entire village from an elevated perspective. Alice, looking at this village, what do you feel? asked Xiang Kun as he looked into the distance with his hands crossed in front of his chest and Alice imitated his posture. Upon hearing that, Alice immediately put one hand on her hip, pointed towards the village with the other, lifted her chin slightly, and said, I feel like Im in control of everything. Xiang Kun laughed. Yes, such unexpected responses from her made him feel reassured. Xiang Kun gently patted Alice on the head and asked, Alice, what do you think is the most important thing about being human? Chapter 500 - Chapter 500: Chapter 500: Alice’s Butt Chapter 500: Chapter 500: Alices Butt What is the most important thing about being a human? On hearing this question, Alice got excited and immediately replied, Firmly believing that one is human! Xiang Kun smiled, Youve actually been pondering over this question all along, havent you? He and Old Xia had previously noticed that Alice had a strong obsession with considering herself as a human, and this was likely influenced by him. After all, no matter how many mutations he underwent or how many abilities he possessed, he had always firmly believed that he was a human, an attitude that had never wavered. Moreover, based on this, Xiang Kun would ask Alice this question as a starting point. In fact, there is no truly correct answer to this question, Alice could answer whatever she wanted. Xiang Kun said, Yes, thats almost it. The so-called firm belief that one is a human means to position oneself among humans. You know what it means, dont you? Alice looked up and said, I know! It means to think from the perspective of a human! Xiang Kun nodded, Yes, consider yourself as a human, think from the perspective of humans So, what if your interests conflict with those of others? Or, what if theres a conflict between others, and you have to make a choice? Others do not include me, or anyone you know, Old Xia, Xiao Lingdang, Xiao Pin Guo, none of them are included. Then Alice seemed a bit confused. She held a scalpel in both hands and pondered with a frown. Xiang Kun smiled and said, Silly goose! Considering yourself as a human means treating yourself as one of them. So while making judgments and considerations excluding me and Old Xia, you also need to consider yourself! Right. Alice nodded, looking puzzled. Xiang Kun continued, So, you are a human. Thinking from a human perspective is not for the sake of others thanking you. You dont need to consider if others will appreciate it, because essentially, you are thinking about yourself. Humans are contradictory. Good and evil, selfishness and selflessness, strength and weakness, courage and cowardice can all exist in the same person. A person who harms others for petty gains could also willingly give up his life for his child or show compassion for strangers. Different people would make different choices under the same circumstances. No matter good or bad, these choices are human choices. As long as you stick to your beliefs, whatever choice you make in accordance with your heart, cant be wrong. Xiang Kun lowered his head to look at Alice beside him, Got it? Alice scratched her head with the scalpel, I got it Alice is human! Alices choice is a humans choice! Alices butt is a humans butt! Thats not right, Alices butt is on the humans side! Right, your butt cant deviate. No deviation! Xiang Kun nodded in satisfaction, and Alice beside him disintegrated, and then co-manifested on the roof of a vacant house in the village a few seconds later, where a bird and a cat were playing. From the way Alice handled the unexpected incident with the Little Fatty Girl during his previous hibernation period, Xiang Kun could confirm that she was still evolving and maturing following a predetermined pattern under his influence. Once he had confirmed this, Xiang Kun knew that as long as he could set Alice right and make her understand her identity clearly, he wouldnt have to worry about anything else. He didnt need to specifically educate Alice about moral or behavioral norms. His existence and his actions were continuously influencing Alice. If his behavioral patterns were alright, Alice would naturally be alright too. If he was off track then any moral education imparted to Alice would be useless. Looking at Alice in the distance, playing with Jin Shan Shan and teasing Custard Pie, a newcomer to both Chongyun Village and the Super Sensory Item System, Xiang Kun couldnt help but smile. Alice now loved to appear in the village every night to play, even if she did nothing and just sat and smiled foolishly, she would feel very happy. Of course, this was limited only to Chongyun Village, a home field with plenty of Super-connected Objects. Alices co-manifestation only required permission from Xiang Kun or Old Xia, and the process didnt require too much of their energy. His experience of being stirred from hibernation by Little Fatty Girls Wrathful Thunder, and the sensation of deeply sensing and influencing the Super Sensory Information, made Xiang Kun realize that the Super-connected Objects were his infrastructure, the basis for him to perform super sensory influence, and the key to expanding his influence. Just like how the development of mobile internet required a lot of base stations, Xiang Kun now had to create as many Super-connected Objects as possible. However, even his Tungsten steel balls, which he can connect with the fastest, were not efficient enough when linked one by one. He needed a more efficient, bulk, and even large-scale way to establish Super Sensory Contact. While contemplating, Xiang Kun sat down on the slope, idly crushing a bit of sand. Gradually, the leaves around him that had been swaying in the wind all came to a stop, the air seemed to stagnate, and all the noise was silenced. Within a villa district near Wushu Mountain Scenic Area. Dr. Fangs six-person team was still residing here. Unconsciously, they had all grown accustomed to living here, and it no longer felt like an external task. No matter where they went to investigate for a temporary task, they always had to return here and continue with their investigation and research on the Giant Raptor and the Ghost Beard Ant. Zhou Rui had even made plans to buy a house in Tongshi Town or Wushu Mountain once he completed his contract with the secret department of Divine Technology. He planned to settle here. Besides the clear mountains and fresh waters, picturesque scenery, and fresh air, what attracted Zhou Rui the most was the Youlong Restaurant in Tongshi Town he absolutely loved the rabbit meat they served! Now, almost every week, if he wasnt out on a mission, he would suggest having a meal at the Youlong Restaurant. And after having tried the dishes at the Youlong Restaurant once, all the six team members sang praises of the place and unanimously agreed to every dining proposal. Tonight, they had just finished dining at Youlong Restaurant and returned to continue their unfinished work. By midnight, Mijoe had reheated the take-away rabbit meat from their dinner and was eating it in the living room. She couldnt help frowning and remarked, Why does it feel like the takeout rabbit meat has lost its flavor? Its far from the taste at Youlong Restaurant, did they forget to add some seasoning? Having just finished preliminary processing of the bird droppings they had collected today, Zhou Rui flopped onto the sofa, tiredly remarking, Isnt it obvious? The reheated takeout food cant compare to the fresh hot dishes served in the restaurant. NoI cant describe it, but it just tastes like something different, lacking in flavor! Try it and youll understand! Mijoe said, frowning. Zhou Rui sat up and, using a toothpick, tasted a piece of the rabbit meat. After chewing it a few times, he couldnt help but furrow his brows. He now understood what Mijoe was talking about. Indeed, something was off about the rabbit meat. Its not that the meat had gone bad or was hard to eat, but it seemed to lack the feeling they got when they ate at Youlong Restaurant. Previously, they had always finished their meals and never had any leftovers. Plus, Youlong Restaurant didnt offer takeout, thus, they had never eaten its food elsewhere. Today, in anticipation of working late into the night, they had decided to take some food home. However, they hadnt expected the taste to differ this much. But pinpointing the exact difference whether it was not spicy enough, not salty enough, or if the meat had become too tough, or perhaps the soup was too dry? seemed impossible. Could it be that the dishes served in the restaurant are different from the takeout? Mijoe wondered. Zhou Rui, phone in hand, replied, I did a quick online search. Turns out, many people have had the same sentiment. Apparently, even leftovers packed to take home have a similar effect. Maybe these signature dishes are best consumed on the first serving and tend to lose much of their flavor once cooled or reheated. As the two were debating the taste of the rabbit meat, Fang Pingfang came downstairs from the second floor and asked Zhou Rui, What sort of person is Professor Li that we met in Chongyun Village today? Zhou Rui answered truthfully, Hes a very good teacher with outstanding ability. Dr. Fang, do you think theres a problem with Professor Li? Fang Pingfang shook her head, Not exactly, but I find it a bit intriguing that a deputy professor from a key Life Science College would turn up in such a remote place as Chongyun Village and is in contact with the people setting up the research base there. Ye Chong just looked into the background of the research base under construction, and its quite surprising. Oh? What did he find? Are there deeper links behind the research base? Zhou Rui asked with renewed interest. He had also attempted a basic search about the under-construction research base in Chongyun Village through Divine Technologys information collection team but found nothing worthwhile. He wondered whether Ye Chong had unearthed some special information. Theres no such deep link, the structure is quite simple and clear-cut. But precisely because its so simple and transparent, it feels odd to me. The person in charge of the research base, who is also the one setting it up, is a psychiatrist who had been working at the Third Hospital in Citong City for less than a year, before suddenly moving to Chongyun Village, a place she had no prior connections with, to start a self-financed research base reportedly relating to the internet and animal farming. Dont you think its strange? Ye Chong discovered that the person in charge, who has the surname Xia, ordered a lot of expensive lab equipment. However, considering their research direction, they shouldnt need such costly gear. They could just rent lab space, research facilities, or resources from other organizations whenever required. Fang Pingfang explained. There was a moment of silence in the living room as neither Mijoe nor Zhou Rui knew what to say. They didnt think that this information had any connection to the project they were investigating. Speaking of strange Dont you guys think that Chongyun Village has changed a lot compared to our previous visits Theres this indescribable feeling? Mijoe naturally changed the subject. Zhou Rui questioned, What kind of feeling? Ive been there several times and havent noticed anything special about the village, aside from it being a lot cleaner and quieter after the roads were fixed? Mijoe immediately responded, Right! Its the quietness! It has a unique tranquility, or rather, peacefulness. Standing in that village, I feel at ease, with mental calmness and a sense of security. This isnt normal! Zhou Rui chuckled, Isnt feeling secure a good thing? Should it be normal to feel unsafe? Youre not making sense, Hua Hua! Li Shibao, who had unknowingly made his way to the living room and sat at the bar, suddenly spoke, Your instincts are not wrong. Chongyun Village is indeed too quiet. This time of year, there should be the sound of insects, chickens, ducklings and other livestock. Even the dogs and cats are silent. Old Li, what do you think is the reason for this? Mijoe quickly asked. Li Shibao shook his head: Im not sure, possible its due to the recent efforts to develop tourism and catering businesses in Tongshi Town, providing an abundance of job opportunities. Most of the able-bodied folk probably went to town. But how does the migration of workers to town have anything to do with the lack of noise you mentioned earlier? Mijoe asked. Well, regardless of that, we can hardly expect Chongyun Village to be harboring a demon thats suppressing all living creatures, can we? I believe we should focus on our investigation and other matters that concern us, Zhou Rui interrupted. Like what? Like the bird droppings you brought back today? Did you find anything? Mijoe chuckled. For instance Zhou Rui pondered, Why is it that none of us have ever met Mr. Liang in person? Nobody knows his real name, and if his identity is such a secret, why do all of us call him directly and accept tasks from him? The room fell silent once more at his words. Zhou Rui realized he had slipped up, coughed awkwardly, then stood up to leave: Im babbling, time for bed. Goodnight, everyone. After heading upstairs, Zhou Rui couldnt help but slap his mouth a few times. How did he let such thoughts slip out? The remaining three in the living room exchange looks, unsure of what to say. But in their hearts, they had similar doubts about Mr. Liang that lingered. They just knew better than to speak about it. But now, Zhou Rui had done it for them. Mijoe, still eating her takeout rabbit, had the nagging feeling that shed forgotten something important. Or there was something significant she was supposed to bring up, but was unable to recall. At the same time, the electronic devices provided by Divine Technology, tasked to record ambient audio periodically, captured this particular conversation which triggered certain keywords and uploaded it to a server. Tyre would decide whether or not to relay it to Mr. Liang. Tyre chose not to relay it. Beneath Brilliant Fortune Building in Pengcheng City. John Cavendish has submitted a request to Mr. Liang, expressing his wish to enter the room containing the Giant Serpent and battle it to the death, despite the observation period not being over yet. Its not that John had suddenly grown brave and believes he could best the giant serpent. Rather, during his observation through the screen wall, he keenly noticed the serpent becoming increasingly erratic. Possible signs of it entering the Blood-drinking Period. He considers this a rare opportunity. He doubts observing and thinking for a couple more days would yield a better method. Once that serpent enters the Blood-drinking Period fully, knowing how Mr. Liang operates, he certainly wont let John have the advantage. The serpent would be allowed to complete the Blood-drinking, which would only make things harder for John. So he has no choice but to take the gamble and enter early. Chapter 501 - Chapter 501: Chapter 501: Rural Life Chapter 501: Chapter 501: Rural Life Over forty minutes after John entered the room where the Giant Serpent was located, the battle had concluded. The handsome blond from before was no longer in human shape C a horrendous sight to behold. Half of his body from his right shoulder to leg was burrowed into the gaping mouth of the Giant Serpents chest. His clothes were tattered, and his exposed skin looked as if it had been eroded by strong acid. In some areas, one could even see bare bones. Five tentacles tipped with sharp barbs were embedded in different parts of him, inflicting grievous injuries. The worst damage was to his face C half of it was slashed apart and his right eyeball was gouged out, leaving a bloody hollow. At least he was still breathing. The white porcelain knife held in his left hand was deeply embedded into the fleshy lump on the head of the Giant Serpent, reducing it into a mess. Before his own death, he managed to kill the Giant Serpent. After a while, the colossal mouth on the Serpents belly gradually relaxed, and Johns mutilated right arm, leg, and torso were finally released. However, he no longer had the strength to stand up. With all his might, he strained to bring his mouth closer to the damaged area of the Giant Serpents head, gulping down the Serpents blood heartily. Several minutes passed, the Giant Serpent had vanished, leaving only large amounts of grey dust on the ground. John was lying face down, motionless, appearing to be dead. Outside the room, Mr. Liang, who had been watching the situation through a massive wall screen, knew that John Cavendish was not dead but had finished his Blood-Drinking Period early and was about to fall asleep. Although his injuries seemed severe enough to be fatal if he were an ordinary person, he would mostly recover upon waking from this slumber. Honestly speaking, a month ago when Mr. Liang first brought John into this underground space, he believed that John would stand no chance in a death match against the Giant Serpent. He was meant to be dead without a doubt. Unexpectedly, in the end, it was John who survived. Despite John entering the fight with the white porcelain knife and purposely choosing the Serpents Blood-Drinking Period when it would become violent, along with various strategies and tricks used against the Giant Serpent during the battle, Mr. Liang knew that those were not the keys to his victory. Johns survival because he had managed to discard his own life during the fight, daring to fight with the thought of no way out, risking it all. This mindset, Mr. Liang was certain, was something John did not have when he first brought him underground. It seemed that after staying underground for over a month and observing the Giant Serpent, his mindset had changed significantly. Could it be proximity to red makes one red, proximity to ink makes one black? Mr. Liang didnt think much of John before. Or rather, he looked down on all Blood-eating Creatures, that primarily consumed the blood of their own kind, whether human or other creatures. But now, he felt he needed to reassess Johns worth. John might bring some unexpected joy? Early morning. Chongyun Village. Liu Shiling groggily opened her eyes, vaguely aware of sunlight filtering through the gaps in the curtains onto her blanket. Her heart skipped a beat, and her first thought was: Mom has overslept again! But then she quickly realized that this wasnt her bed in Star City. She turned right and saw Sister Roast Chicken Wing and then left to see Sister Apple. Then it dawned on her, she was in Uncle Balds village, staying at Uncle Balds house. Liu Shiling had a smile that she couldnt suppress. She adjusted her blanket and twisted her body to get into a more comfortable sleeping position, shut her eyes happily, and continued snoozing. However, Liu Shiling abruptly sat up, recalling something important, looking towards the worn-out blanket in the corner of the room. Where is Custard Pie!? Liu Shiling exclaimed. Her sudden movement stirred Xia Libing and Sister Apple, both woke up as well. Sister Apple even reflexively hugged the Little Fatty Girl by her side as she asked anxiously, Whats wrong, whats wrong? Custard Pie, Custard Pies gone! Liu Shiling said anxiously. Xia Libing, gently fixing her bed-hair, told her, We wont lose Custard Pie. Sister Apple sighed in relief, chuckling, Dont worry, Xiao Lingdang, your cat went out to play with the canary last night. Cats, like birds, love to play at night. Thats why they say night owls, right? In fact, Sister Apple was aware when Custard Pie went out with the canary last night. She even knew how Custard Pie and the canary managed to open and then close the window. Oh. Feeling relieved, Liu Shiling thought the canary looked very smart. It might even have magical powers. So, Custard Pie should be safe with it. Given that Xia and Sister Apple usually woke early, and seeing that the Little Fatty Girl was spirited, they did not continue sleeping and got up to freshen up. As soon as Sister Apple woke up, the canary rushed back, obediently waiting outside the window. Subsequently, when they finished washing up and descended the stairs, they found Custard Pie who had just hopped the wall and entered. In contrast to the shiny-feathered canary, Custard Pie was in a sorry state. Its orange fur was covered with dirt and bits of fallen leaves, looking rather messy. Where did you run off to play with canary, see your state now! Youve dirtied your coat! Sigh, now you understand how great it is to have wings, right? Liu Shiling squatted down, gingerly removing the leaf bits stuck on Custard Pie, chiding softly. Sister Apple felt slightly embarrassed, offering, Should we give Custard Pie a bath? She knew of Custard Pies situation through her connection with Alice and felt that Custard Pie got this dirty due to the canary inviting it to jaunt around in the mountain. Xiang Kun, coming out from the kitchen with breakfast, chuckled, No need for a bath now. Itd be too much trouble drying him afterwards. Plus, hell just get dirty again when he goes out to play later. We can give him a bath in the evening. Liu Shiling immediately crowded him, Good morning, Uncle Bald! What delicious food have you made? Meat buns. Are they filled with rabbit meat? Its filled with beef. Is it spicy? There are both spicy and non-spicy ones. I gave you those over there, which are a little bit spicy. Does the non-spicy one taste bad? No, the non-spicy one is also delicious, but you like the one with a little spice, Xiang Kun said definitively. Can I eat the non-spicy one? Liu Shiling asked eagerly with her hands on the table. If she was at her aunts or uncles house, she wouldnt ask so many questions. She knew its annoying. But she also knew, asking Uncle Bald these questions didnt matter, Uncle Bald definitely wont dislike her! Sure, you can try whatever you want to eat. Just give the leftovers to Old Xia, Xiang Kun said with a smile. Alright, go wash your hands now, then its time for dinner. After Xiang Kun had given his orders, he had Old Xia go upstairs to wake up Tang Baona and the others. At breakfast, watching Little Fatty Girl trying all sorts of buns and rolls, then the leftovers passed on to Old Xia next to her, Yang Zhener curiously said, Xiao Lingdang, these clothes they werent bought by your mother, were they? Whether it was in Star City or through video chats, Liu Shilings clothes didnt seem like this style and texture. It looks a bit abrupt. Liu Shiling swallowed a mouthful of meat bun before shaking her head and responding, No, they were bought by Grilled Chicken Wing Sister for me. Yang Zhener laughed and said, No wonder it looks a bit ill-fitting. I knew my brilliant eyes wouldnt deceive me! Well, we should go into Jianzhou City today and buy some clothes for Xiao Lingdang! Tang Baona nodded and said, Sounds good. Clothes shopping is one of the few things youre actually good at. Nana, are you complimenting me with that comment After breakfast, Xiang Kun drove Li Yang, Sister Apple, Tang Baona, Yang Zhener, Liu Shiling, and Old Xia to Jianzhou City. The main goal was to send Professor Li Yang to catch his plane, as well as buying clothes for Little Fatty Girl. As for Xia Tianhuo, he ordered a ride and went for a stroll in Tongshi Town. The cat and bird remained at home. Originally, Professor Li Yang was planning to stay just a day or two in Chongyun Village after bringing his daughter to celebrate Xia Libings birthday. After all, its not yet the holidays, and he only had a few vacation days available, he needed to get back to teaching. But after a few days in Chongyun Village, Li Yang noticed a significant change in his daughters mood. She seemed more relaxed and cheerful, clearly reveling in the environment. Even the Canary, Jinshanshan, seemed especially delighted in Chongyun Village, as if it had found its home. So, Professor Li Yang took the opportunity to talk to Xiang Kun last night about letting Xiao Pingguo stay longer in Chongyun Village. He also offered to pay for their board and lodging. Since Xiao Pingguo wasnt schooling currently and mainly focused on her birding info, working as a B-Site UP master, she could work anywhere with a computer and internet. And having Tang Baona, who has been guiding her sort of older sister, there shouldnt be any problem staying in Chongyun Village. From the past few days, whether it was Xiang Kun or Tang Baona, Xia Libing, Yang Zhener, and all her sisters, theyve been taking care of his daughter quite well. There was definitely no attitude of them finding blind people troublesome or considering his daughter as a burden. All of them genuinely cared and liked his daughter. Even the cute little girl Xiao Lingdang who arrived last night has a very obvious affinity towards Xiao Pingguo. Sometimes, he got this illusion that his daughter and these people have known each other for many years, or that they were relatives and friends. However, because of this, he felt assured to go back to school, leaving his daughter in their care. Xiang Kun gladly agreed to Professor Lis request. Even if Professor Li hadnt asked, he would have suggested him to let Xiao Pingguo stay in Chongyun Village for some time. Without a doubt, Xiao Pingguo, at present, is the most comfortable and most free in Chongyun Village. This freedom is not physical but psychological and sensory. Xiang Kun also hoped that during this time when Alice was advancing further, Little Apple could leverage this to enhance the connection between them, and perhaps make a quantum leap in terms of their collaborative use. He did not refuse or return the Little Apples living expenses that Professor Li transferred to him through WeChat, but simply accepted it without hesitation. According to the cognitive model hed established of Professor Li, not accepting the money would actually worry the professor. He would continue to worry that his daughter was causing an objective and economic burden on Xiang Kun and his family. Even knowing that Xiang Kun wouldnt mind, he would still try to repay them in some way and feel guilty about letting Little Apple stay too long. Accepting the money, on the other hand, could reassure the father, Li Yang. After sending Li Yang to the airport, Xiang Kun drove everyone to a nearby department store. After a simple lunch, they started shopping for clothes for the Little Fatty Girl. Yang Zhen Er loved shopping for clothes, not only for herself but also for others. Back when she was young, she used to buy clothes for Old Xia, referred to as her dear cousin. After starting work, she also bought clothes for her roommate Tang Baona C but unlike Old Xia, Tang Baona had her own style and didnt fully embrace outfits selected by Yang Zhen Er. This time, having the opportunity to shop for clothes for the Little Fatty Girl was like fulfilling a hobby for her. She bought dozens of clothes, shoes, and accessories of various styles for the Little Fatty Girl, until Tang Baona and Xiang Kun insisted on stopping. They then switched to shopping for Little Apple, and in the end, even Old Xia got a few outfits arranged by her. As for Xiang Kun and Tang Baona, they vehemently refused to participate in Yang Zhen Ers Real-life Barbie dress-up game. On their way back, Yang Zhen Er, with a satisfied look on her face, flipped through the photos shed snapped of Little Apple, Little Fatty Girl, and Old Xia trying on new clothes, discussing with Tang Baona in the car about which outfit and style looked the best. Although she was the one paying for clothes worn by others, Yang Zhen Er was exceptionally excited and happier than if she had bought dozens of outfits for herself. Not only for Little Apple, Chongyun Village was truly a home ground and a land of freedom. It was also an extremely fun place for the Little Fatty Girl. When she first arrived yesterday, she was overwhelmed by her emotions, and didnt pay much attention. But today, she was very aware that the sensing ability of her five coins in Chongyun Village had greatly improved. After dinner, Liu Shiling took the initiative to invite Little Apple to play at the hilltop she had secretly observed earlier. Perhaps because Tang Baona and Yang Zhen Er had walked too much and were too exhausted from shopping in the afternoon, they went to sleep right after dinner. Thus, it was Old Xia who accompanied the two girls, keeping an eye on them. However, it was merely a formality, as she and Xiang Kun knew that in Chongyun Village, these two girls were under all-round protection, and all safety hazards would be forecasted and prevented by Alice. The Little Fatty Girl, holding Little Apples hand, stood side by side on a slope, and pointed to the distance saying: Sister Little Apple, that is Chongyun Village down there, lets play with paper planes! Of course, they didnt know that the spot where they were standing was where Xiang Kun and Alice, who had co-manifested the previous night, had sat and discussed issues all night long. Saying that, the Little Fatty Girl took out two paper planes she had just folded in the courtyard, gave one to Little Apple and held the other one herself. Both paper planes were made in the same style, but the one in her hand was folded with white cardboard and looked sleek and new, while the one in Little Apples hand looked rumpled, as if it was folded out of waste paper. If it were someone else, they would probably think the Little Fatty Girl gave herself a good plane and a beat-up one to Little Apple. However, whether it was Old Xia watching from the sideline, Little Apple who took the plane, or the shiny golden canary perched on a tree branch, or even the Custard Pie who was looking up at Little Fatty Girls feet, they all understood the wrinkled plane was actually the really cool one. Chapter 502 - Chapter 502: 502 Chapter 502: 502 Sister Xiao Pingguo, you take off first, then my plane flies, then it goes on like this, um, Alice knows the details, then my plane chases yours, your plane flies chaotically, and I chase after it hard, if my planes nose hits your planes tail, then I win! If my plane cant fly anymore and falls down without hitting your plane, then you win. Liu Shiling carefully explained her paper airplane chase game, a sudden flash of inspiration she had during dinner. Squatted beside Little Fatty Girl with a smile on her face, Xiao Pingguo listened attentively to her explanation, holding the paper airplane made of crumpled A4 paper as if it were a treasure. She didnt think the game was childish at all, instead, she was looking forward to it and feeling excited. After the introduction of the rules by Little Fatty Girl, Xiao Pingguo laughed and said, So whats the punishment or reward for losing or winning this game? Liu Shiling scratched her head, If Sister Xiao Pingguo wins, then I will eat one less meat bun made by Uncle Bald tomorrow morning and let you eat one more. If Sister Xiao Pingguo loses then let me take a bite of your bun tomorrow? Xiao Pingguo burst into laughter and hugged Little Fatty Girl, Xiao Lingdang, you are too adorable! Regardless of win or lose, you can take as many bites from the meat bun as you want! Xiao Pingguo paused, then said, How about this, if I win, you sing a song as per my request, if you win, you command me to sing a song, okay? Liu Shiling nodded over and over: Sure, sure! So, I am going to throw um I mean, I am launching this plane now? Xiao Pingguo stood up with the airplane in her hand. Sure! Right after Liu Shiling nodded her head, she quickly added, Wait, Sister Xiao Pingguo, you should name this plane. Xiao Pingguo thought for a moment, then said, Lets call it The Wings of Moonlight! Liu Shiling nodded thoughtfully, Is that one million times a million? Impressive indeed! Not that kind of billion, its the wing, the wing of an airplane! Let Alice write it down for you when we get home. Xiao Pingguo laughed, And how about you, Xiao Lingdang, whats the name of your airplane? Dont tell me its called Meat Bun! Liu Shiling was taken aback, I cant? Xiao Pingguo laughed, No food names. Liu Shiling had introduced her to the five Little Spirit Guardians last night, all of them were food items, including the name of the Custard Pie. The little girls habit of naming was too predictable, and Xiao Pingguo deliberately wanted to see what name Liu Shiling would come up with if she didnt use food. Liu Shiling looked down at the giant paper plane in her hand, thought for a while, and finally said shyly, Then lets call it a Frying Pan? Frying Pan? Hahaha, Xiao Lingdang, youre too adorable! Xiao Pingguo immediately hugged Little Fatty Girl and kissed her cheek. Then, the Paper Airplane Chase began. Xiao Pingguo launched the crumpled paper airplane, Wings of Moonlight as she said she would. Even though the plane looked a bit scrappy, crumpled and as if it was soaked in water, the moment it left Xiao Pingguos hand, it seemed exceptionally nimble, maintaining a very stable flight in the air. After the Wings of Moonlight was launched, Liu Shiling, standing behind Xiao Pingguo, immediately put on a serious and focused expression, eyeing the paper airplane intently, and closely launched her Frying Pan after it. Despite her small stature and short arms, her throwing motion was incredibly smooth and effortless. The paper airplane, which was larger than the Wings of Moonlight, looked like a javelin piercing through the night sky, closely following the Wings of Moonlight. If they were ordinary people playing a paper airplane game, the playable section would have ended at this point. After that, it will be up to each paper airplane to perform in the air. Or, to put it another way, their fate and trajectory had been largely determined from that moment onwards, and they could only leave it to fate. But for Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguo, the game had just begun. Little Fatty Girl did not stick coins or other super-connected objects to her airplane. Her control over the paper airplane partly relied on structural pre-settings when folding the paper airplane, controlling the center of gravity during the throw to master the direction and initial trajectory of the flight. But the specific control in the air came through Xiao Pingguos paper airplane, the Wings of Moonlight because that A4 paper was the magic paper she could control. However, she did not directly control the Wings of Moonlight, doing so would be considered cheating. Instead, she used the Wings of Moonlight to subtly affect her Frying Pan, helping it to target the tail of Wings of Moonlight and initiate a chase. As for the flight of the Wings of Moonlight, it was not controlled by Xiao Pingguo herself. Her perception of super-connected objects was not as strong as emotion infused objects, and she couldnt effortlessly control super-connected objects flying around like Little Fatty Girl, nor did she have the related derivative abilities to manipulate electricity or magnetic forces. But Xiao Pingguo had Alice. They could cooperate to control it. Xiao Pingguo controlled the direction and speed, while Alice carried out the specific operations, and also transferred related environmental information to Xiao Pingguo for her to judge the situation. It was after knowing about this cooperative relationship between Xiao Pingguo and Alice that Liu Shiling came up with this game idea at night. Generally speaking, Liu Shilings Frying Pan would certainly be at a disadvantage. This was because the Wings of Moonlight had a stronger flight power in Chongyun Village and could perform more precise flight control, while the flight power of the Frying Pan was limited. Each maneuver following the Wings of Moonlight is a consumption of its power. It would definitely land earlier than the Wings of Moonlight. It all comes down to whether it could hit the Wings of Moonlight before landing. Xiao Pingguo and Alice were also very engaged in this game, the two of them didnt want to lose either. They controlled the Wings of Moonlight to carry out large-scale changes of direction and maneuvers. In just a few seconds, they led the Frying Pan to lose balance, and the nose of the plane dived directly downwards. It looked like the first game was going to end with Group GuoAis victory. However, when the nose of the Frying Pan was diving, a gust of wicked wind suddenly blew across the village, lifting its nose up a bit, slowing down the trend of falling. Then another gust of wicked wind blew across, and the nose lifted up a bit once more. The Frying Pan that was about to lose, unexpectedly struggled to fly again, like a drunk man, staggering and swaying. Xia Libing, who had been silently watching the two of them play, suddenly got excited. She stepped forward and stared intently at the trajectory of the paper airplane. Her peripheral vision also noticed that Liu Shiling, standing next to Xiao Pingguo, had her eyes wide open and her fists clenched at her sides, her tiny mouth tightly pursed, she was making effort as if controlling the plane in the air. Apparently, the sudden gusts of wind that appeared low in the sky over Chongyun Village were not a coincidence. Moreover, that devilish wind not only appeared twice but also appeared continuously afterwards. It interfered with the flight of the Wings of Moonlight, gave a boost and acceleration to the Frying Pan, and helped it change direction. However, under increasingly skilled maneuvers by Xiao Pingguo and Alice, the Frying Pan eventually crashed into a tree under the guidance of the Wings of Moonlight, landing in a familys yard. After the Frying Pan fell, the Wings of Moonlight also landed slowly not far away. Gold Sparks and Custard Pie, who had flown over as soon as the both paper planes were launched, reached the location where the paper planes fell, picked up their masters planes, one flew back flapping its wings, the other ran wildly along the wall. The yard where the Frying Pan fell in, the owner was watching TV in the house, and there was a big dog dozing in the yard. Originally, when the paper airplane fell, the big dog was quite startled and was about to instinctively bark, but seeing a big ginger cat jumping in from the wall holding the paper airplane in its mouth and glancing at it, the dog immediately swallowed its barks and laid quietly. Even though Custard Pie ran back wildly with the paper airplane by taking shortcuts along the eaves and walls, it was still slower compared to Gold Sparks who were coming directly from the sky. But Liu Shiling, who got the paper airplane back, was very happy. She rubbed Custard Pies head and fed it nutritional paste from her pocket. While feeding Custard Pie, Liu Shiling said to Old Xia next to her, Did you see Sister Roast Chicken Wings? The wind! The few times it blew the Frying Pan up, whoosh~ whoosh~, I used wind! That was Wind Magic! Xia Libing nodded, I saw it, how did Xiao Lingdang achieve that? Xiao Pingguo also came over with the Wings of Moonlight and squatted down, saying, Alice also felt it. Xiao Lingdang, youre amazing. But how exactly she did it, Liu Shiling couldnt say clearly. She vaguely knew that she wanted to keep the Frying Pan flying, didnt want it to fall, and it seemed like she was controlling the five coins on her body like the many magic tools in Chongyun Village, and then somehow, blew up the plane. Of course, despite her prowess, Little Fatty Girl still lost the game, so according to Xiao Pingguos request, she had to sing the nursery rhyme I Have a Little Donkey, except that the little donkey had to be changed to a little kitty. As Xiao Pingguo and Liu Shiling started the second round of Paper Airplane Chase, Xiang Kun, who had just exited the Super Sensory State and finished spying on the Brilliant Fortune Building, came to the rooftop, looking thoughtfully at the flying paper planes in the distance. Just now in his Super Sensory State, he felt the weird activation of abilities by Little Fatty Girl, Xiao Pingguo, and Alice, realizing that they have a new way of summoning abilities. Looking now, he found that the source was Little Fatty Girl. This kid, although her strong control over Super-connected Objects requires a sufficient amount of time for familiarity and collaboration with Super-connected objects, such as her five coins and A4 paper. But in Chongyun Village, she could influence the countless Super-connected Objects spread across the village in a special way through her five coins and A4 paper, achieving a composite effect. Xiang Kun could certainly achieve this effect, but the previous Xiang Kun, if he wanted to create wind, it would definitely cause a big scene, thunder and lightning, storm sweeping, just like the previous lightning storms, like the super hurricane on the Burmese sea. But Liu Shiling did it casually and vaguely, demonstrating this precise operational gale or breeze created by using the Super-connected object matrix, adding practical tools to Xiang Kuns Applicability Supermarket and Weapon Library. If we say Xiang Kuns wind is a nuclear weapon, then Little Fatty Girls wind is a sniper rifle, with more application scenarios. Although Little Fatty Girl herself doesnt understand how she did it, she just simply didnt want the paper airplane to fall to the ground. Xiang Kun stood on the roof, closed his eyes, and using the positioning of the A4 paper, sensed the changes in Super Sensory Information when Little Fatty Girl created the devilish wind in the Super Sensory State, trying to grasp its fundamental pattern. Late, Xiang Kun also found that not only did Little Fatty Girl suddenly master the ability to create devilish winds in Chongyun Village, Xiao Pingguo and Alices collaboration and connected tacit understanding through this game have also increased tremendously. Furthermore, once Xiao Pingguo becomes skilled in controlling Super-connected Objects and using the abilities of Super-connected Objects with Alices help, her ability to project emotions remotely through Emotion Infused Objects with Alice will further improve. Originally, Xiang Kun felt that Xiao Pingguo living in Chongyun Village, with her previous contact and understanding with Alice, as well as her application ability for the Super Sensory Item System, would surely improve gradually. But he didnt expect that this just a paper airplane game created by Little Fatty Girl would drastically speed up their progress. Moreover, Xiang Kun is certain that Little Fatty Girl didnt intentionally want to understand new abilities or help Xiao Pingguo and Alice strengthen their link, she simply thought the game should be fun, and wanted to play with her Sister Xiao Pingguo. Thinking of all the games that Little Fatty Girl told him about during dinner, including Coin Hide and Seek, Playing House on the Mountain, Establishing a Playground for Cats and Birds, the Custard Pie Cheetah Development Plan and so on, Xiang Kun couldnt help but laugh. Not only for Xiao Pingguo, but also for Little Fatty Girl, Chongyun Village was a buff and a home field. He was really looking forward to it. He wondered if Little Fatty Girl happily playing in Chongyun Village would bring him more Super-connected Object application inspiration and methods. When Xia Libing brought back a tired Xiao Pingguo, Little Fatty Girl, a cat, and a bird, and after they had all taken a bath, dried their hair, dried their fur, and settled down to sleep, Xiang Kun went to find her and relayed his findings from his observation of the Brilliant Fortune Building tonight. Today, he found that in the secret space under the Brilliant Fortune Building, the quantity of mutants had changed, and one of the mutants had entered hibernation. It was clear that one mutant had devoured another mutant. Xiang Kun successfully triggered the mutants dream state and gleaned some information. Next, he planned to take a trip to Pengcheng City. Chapter 503 - Chapter 503: Chapter 503: Old Xia’s Analysis Chapter 503: Chapter 503: Old Xias Analysis Xiang Kun and Old Xia ran up to the rooftop terrace and set up a small table to place the laptop. They each took a seat on a small plastic stool and huddled together to discuss the information he had gleaned that night while watching the screen. The primary topic of discussion was the analysis of the dream content of the humanoid mutant he had sensed. Xiang Kun already knew from Alice that the human-shaped mutant who was lingering underneath the Brilliant Fortune Building with Mr. Liang was named John. All that was known was that he came from Europe, entered the country irregularly, and his specific history and identity were not entirely clear. In the dream of John that Xiang Kun had sensed, John was fighting a giant serpent in a gloomy and spooky underground building. The building looked like an underground tomb, with a ceiling that was dozens of meters high and filled with a hodgepodge of Egyptian, medieval, and ancient Chinese architectural styles and altars. The surrounding environment was clearly not the underground space beneath the Brilliant Fortune Building, but rather an environment that he had imagined based on his own experiences and emotional influences. The giant serpent was enormous, at least seven or eight meters tall when it stood up, and its body was as thick as a barrel. It had a huge mouth filled with sharp teeth on its chest, and within its mouth were several hooked tentacles, menacingly baring fangs and brandishing claws at him. Regardless of whether it was information obtained from Alice or what Xiang Kun deciphered from the Super Sensory State, it could be determined that the mutant resembling a giant serpent lumbering under the Brilliant Fortune Building was not so gigantic. John himself was clad in a suit of European medieval style plate armor, however, what he held in his hand was a gargantuan white porcelain knife. This porcelain knife was incredibly sharp and easily severed the tentacles in the giant serpents mouth. With relative ease, John defeated the serpent that was far larger than himself. The serpent then turned into a white mist and dissipated, while John turned to kneel beneath a large platform, looking up at the steps leading to a gigantic throne at the end, and submitted himself in subservience. Subsequently, an uncanny monster manifested on that throne. The monster, though humanoid in shape, was naked with no eyelids or lips, a broad and flattened nose with wide nostrils as if two holes had been dug into the face, and odd patterns running across the skin with an appearance of streaming light. The humanoid monster slowly rose, was about to speak, when suddenly sensing something, it turned to look at the space above behind it. There, an overwhelmingly huge figure slowly emerged in the glow of the fires from the surrounding multitude of altars. First appearing was a enormous head, its eight eyes as if eight creatures with lives and consciousness of their own, indifferently surveying everything below. Emerging slowly from beneath the colossal head from behind the building was an equally titanic body, as well as eight arms as large as colossal pillars, reaching down to the ground to support its body as it continued to rise. The Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant was not only rising from the ground but also continued to expand, seemingly intending to occupy the entire underground space. The humanoid monster that was originally on the platform retreated step by step, then abruptly vanished. John on the other hand swiftly rose from the ground, hopped up onto a nearby altar, scanned around, then lifted a plate of rabbit meat high above his head, before again kneeling down. A moment later, a gigantic hand descended from above, covering the rabbit meat, John who held the meat, as well as the entire altar beneath his knee. The dream ended there. Xiang Kun speculated that the humanoid monster that appeared and disappeared atop the high platform was likely Mr. Liang. Through Johns sensory information in the dream, Xiang Kun knew that John felt a touch of fear towards the humanoid monster, but towards the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant that almost burst the entire underground space, he felt a strong sense of longing, joy, submission, and worship. The absence of fear towards the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed being was easily understood by Xiang Kun because the dream was induced by the rabbit wood carving, not the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed wood carving, thus the person influenced in the dream would be displaying emotions and thoughts during wakefulness. But given this, why would the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed wood carving hold such huge significance in his dream, and why would he hold a sense of worship? Could it be that this guy had previously experienced the emotional projection emanating from the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed wood carving? Perhaps in Burma? No, if he had indeed been influenced by the emotional projection from the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed wood carving, there would certainly be fear involved when he saw the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant in his dream, and it would materialize into something he fears the most. It wouldnt be so strongly submissive and worshipful. Dreams and the memory fragments Xiang Kun obtains after devouring the blood of other mutants obviously differ greatly, usually limited to a singular scene with minor activities. And a lot of what is seen and sensed would have been processed by the subconscious, hence deviating from actual memories and objective facts. Although Xiang Kun can now directly edit the dream he induces to some extent, compared to Old Xias Dream in A Dream, his abilities to directly explore others memories, and to hypnotize and guide them is still somewhat inferior. There is no guarantee on the information that can be gleaned through dreams, or that the subject can be hypnotized to forget the process of being hypnotized. Thus Xiang Kun refrained from acting rashly. Nevertheless, the dream he had sensed this time allowed him to draw a few conclusions: 1, His Emotion Infused Objects could cause mutant beings to have dreams. Whether non-humanoid creatures could be induced to dream was something that still required testing; 2, It was clear that John had just finished devouring that serpent and entered a blood-drinking slumber. According to his experience, during this slumber after devouring a mutant, he would obtain fragments of its memories, and these sensory information would rapidly play out in his mind like a carousel. It was unknown whether John had finished acquiring these memory fragments, or was that process interrupted by his Emotion Infused Object inducing a dream, or perhaps John was unable to acquire memory fragments from other mutants that he has consumed; 3, By comparing his sensory perception within other peoples dreams with that of Johns dream, Xiang Kun can tell that although Johns senses of hearing, vision, and smell were enhanced beyond that of ordinary people, they are still significantly weaker than Xiang Kuns. They are roughly equivalent to the level after Xiang Kuns third or fourth blood-drinking mutation. At least on a sensory level, John should be considered a rather ordinary mutant compared to most; 4, The massive white ceramic knife that John used against the giant serpent in the dream and the one Xiang Kun obtained after he killed Guo Tianxiang are very similar in form and material, suggesting that they likely came from the same source. Its possible that John and Guo Tianxiang are somehow linked; 5, The image of Mr. Liang in the dream might not perfectly align with the real Mr. Liang, but it should not be far off. Before Alice was unable to locate any video footage of Mr. Liang, he seemed to go invisible whenever he was under surveillance. He also did this when operating the console in the secret underground space of the Brilliant Fortune Building. Therefore, both Xiang Kun and Alice didnt have a clear idea of what he looked like. According to Xiang Kuns sensory information and Johns impression in the dream, it was clear that Mr. Liang did not cling to human appearances like Xiang Kun does; 6, Judging by Johns attitude towards Mr. Liang in the dream, it can be deduced that, as previously speculated by Xiang Kun and Alice, he was not part of the same organization as Mr. Liang and was most likely his captive; After hearing Xiang Kuns sensory descriptions and his six judgments regarding the dream, Xia Libing started pondering while using Alice to make a simple table on the computer. Since Alice has fully integrated into the Super Sensory Item System, Xiang Kun no longer has concerns about data security due to Alices immense dominance in the digital world. Whether it was discussing with Old Xia or doing his own recordings, he would let Alice take care of everything through the computer to ensure all related information was documented to further improve the Vampire Mutation Model. Xia Libing occasionally asked for further details about the dream. Xiang Kun explained as requested and even had Alice help with creating a simulation software. Based on the descriptions from Johns dream, they constructed a similar model of a giant underground tomb and even re-created Mr. Liangs appearance in the dream. After quite a while, Xia Libing finished making a table and said to Xiang Kun: Based on past cases, the targets dream reflects his reaction to the current state of affairs on one hand: The dim and seemingly endless underground environment, and the vague, stylistically inconsistent architecture imply that he doesnt have a clear understanding of his own situation, or the background of Mr. Liang. He only has broad and vague assumptions; The giantness of the serpent represents his perception of the serpents strength, which significantly exceeds his own. But the fact the he quickly vanquished the serpent indicates that after vanquishing and devouring the serpent, he was in a relaxed and triumphant state of mind; Mr. Liangs tall stature and the fact he is standing on a platform far higher than John indicates that whether in terms of actual strength or psychological upper hand, John feels absolutely inferior when facing Mr. Liang. He is utterly suppressed with no confidence or thoughts of resistance on his own; On the other hand, it also represents his hope for a change in the status quo, a hope for the future: The Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giants body is massive, almost filling the entire space, and appears suddenly. It emerges from behind the platform where Mr. Liang is standing and scares Mr. Liang away. This proves that in his subconscious, the Eight-Armed, Eight-Eyed Giant and the power it represents is far more formidable than Mr. Liang. He also harbors hopes that this power can help him counter Mr. Liang and change his situation; Upon seeing the dream projection of the Emotion Infused Objects, namely the Rabbit Meat, his first reaction was to pick up the Rabbit Meat and sacrifice it to the Eight-Armed, Eight-Eyed Giant. This suggests that in his heart, he believes there is a connection between this Rabbit Meat and the Eight-Armed, Eight-Eyed Giant; Finally, when the palm of the Eight-Armed, Eight-Eyed Giant came down and pressed onto both him and the entire sacrificial platform, it proved that deep down, he is skeptical and apprehensive about relying on the power of the Eight-Armed, Eight-Eyed Giant. Based on the investigations previously conducted by you and Alice on the underground space of the Brilliant Fortune Building, the target was not imprisoned within a closed space like the other three mutants. Instead, he is semi-free within the underground space, and has been staying with the rabbit wood carving all the time. I speculate that Mr. Liang reckons the target could somehow uncover the origins of the rabbit wood carving and he might have told him about the dream and the Rabbit Meat; As for the connection between the Eight-Armed, Eight-Eyed Giant and the rabbit wood carving, it could be Mr. Liangs assumption, or it could be the targets own assumption, such as learning about what happened in Myitkyina through the internet or other media, and then connecting them together through some intrinsic logic. The Emotion Infused Objects-induced effect caused by Alices failed information theft attempt a few days ago, which made him hallucinate the Rabbit Meat, likely further reinforced his understanding; Not long after seeing the Rabbit Meat hallucination, the target devoured a mutant, which was clearly orchestrated by Mr. Liang; Based on the current speculative judgment, Mr. Liang treats other mutants, whether mutated from humans or other creatures, basically the same way. When they first appear, he will summon secret department research personnel and field personnel to investigate them. But the real capture of the mutant is done in a completely closed and solely controlled setting, with no observable systematic research methods. Its more like emotional, random handling; I speculate that Mr. Liang is naturally possessive and cautious towards other mutants. If we want to get in touch with him, we should be prepared for possible confrontations. Or perhaps we can establish contact with the people at that Abnormal Research Center when we have completed our own research base and obtained some valuable results. Compared that, Mr. Liang is a much bigger and harder to control variable; Considering the targets mental state, in the future, we may use the rabbit wood carving and the nearby deployed Super-connected Objects to influence and guide him, allowing him to help us further probe Mr. Liangs attitude towards mutants and the reason why he didnt allow the researchers to participate in the direct research of mutants. After hearing Old Xias analysis, Xiang Kun nodded his approval, Indeed, I wouldnt rashly contact Mr. Liang myself. I will wait for Alice to help me extract data from the hidden storage devices under the Brilliant Fortune Building. Only after we clarify those queries will we decide whats next. Xiang Kun grinned, Besides, given Alices control and mastery of the confidential information of Divine Technology, we can not only mislead or guide their investigative direction, but we can also utilize their established information collection network, contracted investigators, and related equipment and researchers to assist us with our research, right? In fact theres no need for us to set up our own equipment when we can simply use theirs. Right, Alice? We can do this, cant we? The notebook computer replied crisply: It can be done! However, Xia Libing immediately refuted the suggestion: I want to do it myself. Xiang Kun didnt insist, and smiled, saying, Then well do it ourselves. Alice seemed to be siding with Xiang Kun: Well do it ourselves! Id recommend the new book by Sacred Wisdom Wolf, Ancient God Breeder. His character crosses into a different dimension, raising dragons and ancient gods. Chapter 504 - Chapter 504: Chapter 504: Have You Watched Infernal Affairs? Chapter 504: Chapter 504: Have You Watched Infernal Affairs? In the morning, after Xiang Kun had taken Li Yang to catch the flight, and Xia Tianhuo, along with Tang Baona and Yang Lao San, had helped Little Fatty Girl to buy clothes, Xia Tianhuo headed to the town to have a good stroll around. However, he hadnt been in the town for long when he bumped into the young couple, Liu Chuang and Chu Xiaoting. Zi Cheng had a good impression of Old Xias cousin; he thought he was a straightforward man and could be friends with him, so he invited him to lunch and then to play at Wushu Mountain in the afternoon. Xia Tianhuo had no specific plans and readily accepted. He knew that Zi Cheng was Xiang Kuns college roommate and a close friend, who should know Xiang Kun well. He wanted to ask some things about Xiang Kun, particularly he was curious about this bald man who had lured their familys Old Xia to a remote rural area to establish a research base. But in his casual conversation with Zi Cheng, Xia Tianhuo found that Xiang Kun in college didnt seem to have anything special, a plain and simple look, and he didnt have a bald head, which was consistent with the information he had briefly looked up, obeying all the rules. In the evening, after returning from Wushu Mountain, they went to the Youlong Restaurant for dinner and ran into Chu Xiaotings second uncle Chu Xiuwen, Liu Feibao, and Qi Haoguo. Actually, it didnt seem like a chance encounter as Chu Xiuwen and the rest tended to frequent the Youlong Restaurant after its opening. Initially, they might have come for a show of support, but after the first meal, they were completely conquered by the cuisine. Even without the connection to Xiang Kun and You Meng, they would definitely come often for the unique dishes. Both parties had three people each, with Chu Xiaoting and Chu Xiuwen being uncle and niece, the two tables naturally merged into one. They all ended up in a private room, effectively freeing up another room for You Meng and his staff to entertain other guests. Mr. Xia, you must have been living in Chongyun Village for several days now. How does it feel? Are you getting accustomed to it? Chu Xiuwen asked with a smile. Xia Tianhuo replied, Im getting used to it, I live quite comfortably. Honestly, I havent slept so soundly and had such high-quality sleep for a long time. I am not the type of person who always stays in the city. We often work in places with low economic levels, such as villages in Southeast Asia and Africa, where the supply of electricity and potable water can be a big issue. Comparatively, Chongyun Village is completely different, it is so well developed. There is a road that directly connects to the town, street lights are always on at night, and there are public cameras everywhere. It feels very safe walking around the village, it gives a sense of Its hard to describe, a feeling of tranquillity. Liu Feibao laughed, Thats mainly because Mr. Xia only came this year. Last year, the road from the town to the village was still a rough dirt road full of potholes. If you came a few months earlier, the village roads werent even finished, and things like street lights, surveillance cameras would have been impossible to have. Its all thanks to Mr. Xiang, President Chu, and Boss Qis investment, that Chongyun Village and the entire Tongshi Town is now different. Xia Tianhuo curiously asked, Its understandable why Xiang Kun invested in the infrastructure of Chongyun Village. After all, he and my cousin have set up a research base there. These support facilities also provide convenience for them. Besides, with the investment in the restaurant industry in Tongshi Town, once the poultry industry in Chongyun Village takes off, he will also benefit. I can also understand why President Chu invested in Chongyun Village, as he is a local Tongshi Town resident. But Boss Qi I heard that your Haoguo Groups previous focus was in the provincial capital. Why did you suddenly run to such a relatively remote place like Tongshi Town? Why would you take notice of a village like Chongyun Village which lacks resources, geographical advantages, and people? Although Qi, Liu, Chu, all three of them sitting at the same table are elder generations and are also relatively successful businessmen, Xia Tianhuo has been spending his years running around elsewhere, and his contacts are all regional heads and executives of various multinational corporations. He even frequently interacts with tribal leaders and high-ranking officials of small countries. Also, unlike Zi Cheng, he doesnt have a natural familial bond like Chu Xiaoting and Chu Xiuwen, he didnt sound cautious while chatting. In fact, he was quite interested in the three of Qi, Liu, and Chu, especially Qi Haoguo. He had heard from Yang Lao San that during Qi Haoguo and Liu Feibaos first encounter with them, there was a minor conflict. Qi Haoguo and others were suppressed by Xiang Kuns aura, rebuked a few sentences, and left in a submissive way. Surprisingly, not long after, this boss with a similar hairdo to Xiang Kun, actually moved directly to Tongshi Town. It was rumored that he had given up or transferred his successful businesses and assets in the provincial city and shifted his focus to Tongshi Town. He was passionate about public welfare, cooperated with the government, invested in infrastructure, and also improved the road from Tongshi Town to Chongyun Village with Chu Xiuwen, Liu Caifu, and other local businessmen of Tongshi Town. After Xiang Kun came to Tongshi Town, he frequently showed goodwill towards him. This change made Xia Tianhuo very puzzled and curious. He knew that something must have happened or Qi Haoguo must have gotten some information, otherwise, for this kind of successful businessmen, there would be no reason for such abrupt and radical changes. Xia Tianhuo remembered that a few days ago Yang Lao San mentioned to him that Liu Gao and Liu Zhengyi, the brothers who had helped Xiang Kun look after the construction site, had a minor issue with them before. They had attempted insurance fraud on their vehicles. But not much later, this pair of brothers became Xiang Kuns employees and it appears that they were very obedient towards Xiang Kun, performing their duties on the construction site very diligently. According to Yang Lao Sans words, Brother Xiang has a gift for recruiting and integrating. But he felt there might be more profound reasons behind it. Upon hearing Xia Tianhuos question, Qi Haoguo laughed heartily, On one hand, I felt my previous mode of operation had met its limitations, lacking development prospects. On the other hand, I genuinely see the potential in Tongshi Town, including the surrounding villages, they all have great development opportunities. Of course, the most important thing is, like Mr. Xia, I also felt the tranquillity the tranquillity that one can only feel in Tongshi Town. Its priceless to have peace of mind, isnt it? Xia Tianhuo didnt quite understand his meaning, but he had a hunch that the last two sentences were Qi Haoguos genuine expression and he wasnt beating around the bush. While casually chatting during dinner, Zi Cheng and Chu Xiaoting decided to leave and continue their fun elsewhere when it was around eight oclock. Originally, Xia Tianhuo had planned to leave too. Even if he didnt continue being a third wheel to Zi Cheng and Chu Xiaoting, he could find something else to do, like stroll around the pedestrian street, find a bar or coffee shop for drinks, then get a car back to Chongyun Village. Perhaps he could still catch supper made by Xiang Kun? But Qi Haoguo stopped him from leaving, claiming he wanted to discuss foreign investments with him. But Xia Tianhuo was aware that asking about overseas investments was not Qi Haoguos actual intention. After all, Haoguo Group had previously taken the initiative to pull out many foreign investments, even at a loss. Throughout their previous chats, Qi Haoguo didnt seem to show any interest in his domestic or international business. Nevertheless, he stayed. He was curious about what Qi Haoguo wanted to talk to him about. Qi Haoguo made up an excuse to get Liu Feibao to run an errand for him. Once only he, Xia Tianhuo, and Chu Xiuwen were left in the private room, he finally said, Mr. Xia, I owe you an apology. Apology? Xia Tianhuo was confused. He glanced at Chu Xiuwen nearby, who seemed to know what was going on from his calm expression. Mr. Xia, werent you kidnapped in Burma? Yes, I just returned to the country not long ago after that incident. But why does Boss Qi need to apologise for this? Xia Tianhuo asked. His kidnapping wasnt a secret, so it was normal for Qi Haoguo to know about it. Qi Haoguo then elaborately explained his part of the story about how Xia Tianhuo was kidnapped. His uncle had contacted Chu Xiuwen through Officer Xu of Citong, who then contacted him, asking him to help find the local contacts in Myitkyina to inquiry about the situation. In the end, Qi Haoguo said grimly, I had some business dealings with Wu Lun from Myitkyina before, so I asked him to check your kidnapping incident directly. However, from what I found out, Wu Lun is the real culprit behind your kidnapping. Although he didnt intend to kidnap you initiallyAnyway, my well-intentioned move not only failed to facilitate your rescue but also put you into more danger. Thankfully, youre blessed by fortune and managed to escape safely. Only then did Xia Tianhuo realize the underlying connections. However, Qi Haoguos attempt to help was well-intentioned, and his actions did not have a real impact on his survival. Because he knew that at that time, the kidnappers and Wu Lun had already lost trust in each other. Thats why they took to the sea. Next, Qi Haoguo and Chu Xiuwen naturally steered the conversation towards the kidnapping and escape process of Xia Tianhuo. If someone wanted to know more about the case, they could find relevant public announcements or news. However, the details in those sources are vague; many details are missing. Since Qi Haoguo and Chu Xiuwen had agreed to help his uncle with the rescue, Xia Tianhuo naturally felt closer to them, despite the rescue ultimately bearing no results. Thinking that there was no need to keep everything a secret, he restated what he previously said to Yang Lao San and his people during the car ride regarding the exact process of his kidnapping and how he was moved to a boat, and then released by the only surviving heavily wounded kidnapper after a conflict between the kidnappers and the crew. Of course, he did not mention his initial plea for ransom, when he called Old Xia Mom over the phone. When Qi Haoguo and Chu Xiuwen heard Xia Tianhuo speak about the repeated mutterings of the badly injured kidnapper, which were about a Sea monster with many hands and many eyes, they locked eyes with one another, both of their gazes reflecting an acknowledgment of as expected. Xia Tianhuo reiterated his opinion, You probably saw the incident that occurred in Myitkyina on television or on the internet? Strictly speaking, the mass hallucination incident in Myitkyina and the irregularities I experienced on the kidnappers boat happened on the same day, only hours apart. So, I always thought that the two incidents might be linked. The so-called sea monster and the Giant illusion in Myitkyina may be referring to the same thing or the same event. The occurrence at sea could be the precursor to the Myitkyina incident, or alternatively, the Myitkyina incident could be a continuation of the maritime occurrence. That possibility does indeed exist, said Qi Haoguo and Chu Xiuwen, nodding in agreement. It may sound a bit ridiculous, but Ive been thinking ever since learning about the Myitkyina incident and that Wu Lun was the true mastermind behind it all Maybe the sea monster, or the Giant, appeared in Myitkyina to help me get revenge on Wu Lun. As for stopping the riot in Myitkyina, that could just be a coincidence. Of course, it could also be that it was there to stop the riot in the first place, and it happened to encounter my predicament and saved me in the process, and even avenged me. Xia Tianhuo said somewhat sheepishly. Yet Qi Haoguo and Chu Xiuwen didnt find his words absurd or naive, instead, they found it quite believable and nodded in agreement. Mr. Xia, could you describe the specific feeling you had when you sensed something was amiss in the ship cabin? Qi Haoguo asked. The specific feeling was fear, terror. But this fear and terror did not seem to target any particular thing. It felt more like it was evoked by an emotion, a memory or a feeling? Its hard to describe, Xia Tianhuo said, remembering and describing his experience. Qi Haoguo slowly said, If there truly was a sea monster or some other being that consciously saved you, as per your belief, you naturally wouldnt have feared it. Therefore, the fear you experienced didnt originate from the outside, but from within yourself. The external factors, whether it was the sea monster or something else, merely pushed you to recognize your own state of being. I think You can use this feeling to your advantage, to better understand, to clarify your state. Xia Tianhuo paused, Boss Qi, why do I feel like you seem to know that feeling very well? Have you experienced it before? Qi Haoguo chuckled and said, It was delightful chatting today, but its getting late, both Xiuwen and I are old and need our rest. Mr. Xia, are you planning to stay in town tonight or return to Chongyun Village? I can have my driver take you. Xia Tianhuo did not continue to question, instead he chuckled and said, The moonlight is quite nice tonight, I want to take a stroll. I can call for a car later on my own. After Xia Tianhuo left the Youlong Restaurant, Chu Xiuwen stood by the window and sighed with emotion, Suddenly, I also feel like seeing that Giant Illusion or that Sea Monster in Myitkyina, to experience that feeling of being dominated by fear. Qi Haoguo glanced at him and chuckled, You dont need to. The more you know, the more you yearn for those things. Heh, Im flirting with danger here, arent I? Chu Xiuwen shook his head and said in resignation. After a while of casual chatting with Chu Xiuwen, Qi Haoguo called for Xiao Liu, who had been working at the Youlong Restaurant this whole time, to drive him home. Upon reaching Qi Haoguos villa in Tongshi Town, they found a man wearing a black tracksuit, huddled up and waiting for them by the side. What do you do? Xiao Liu asked first after parking the car. The tracksuit man, however, ignored him and looked at Qi Haoguo who was getting out of the car, Brother Hao, do you remember me? Qi Haoguo squinted a little under the outer wall light and said, You are Duck Leg? As long as you remember me. The tracksuit man said, then glanced at Xiao Liu and then turned to Qi Haoguo, Isnt Old Zhang with you anymore? He went back home to get married and started a small business. said Qi Haoguo nonchalantly, What is it that you want from me? I want to talk to you privately. The man in the tracksuit glanced at Xiao Liu again. Speak your mind here. Xiao Liu frowned. Although he was usually compliant in front of Qi Haoguo, he was a fearless thug back home, essentially a harsh character. Hence, he wouldnt have ended up in a reform facility. He sensed a familiar scent on the tracksuit man, which made him very alert. Although his life now was different from what he had imagined; following the mighty Qi Haoguo, he found strange enjoyment in it and deeply respected his cousin-in-law, Qi Haoguo. Naturally, he was quite wary of this potentially dangerous person. President Qi, do you remember the bid invitation in the provincial city 10 years ago? I have something here that you might be interested in. The man in the tracksuit threatened. Xiao Liu nervously glanced back at Qi Haoguo, only to see his cousin-in-law still exuding calmness and composure which helped him breathe easier. Qi Haoguo said, Xiao Liu, wait in the car. Uncle, thats not a good idea, this person Xiao Liu anxiously interjected. But Qi Haoguo had already waved him off, led the way to enter the fingerprint-locked gate, and entered the lobby. Duck Leg glanced at Xiao Liu provocatively and quickly followed inside, closing the door behind him. What neither the calm Qi Haoguo, nor the nervous Duck Leg and Xiao Liu knew was that as soon as Duck Leg entered this villa area, all surveillance and electronic devices in the area, including their phones, were overtaken by an unknown entity. Everything happening at this time was being transmitted to a bald man located miles away in Chongyun Village. Ducks Foot who entered the living room looked around at the decor and furniture, and sneered. Brother Hao, this decorating style doesnt seem like you. Its as if youre regressing the more you live! Qi Haoguo sat directly on the sofa and smiled indifferently. Have a seat. Tell me whats the matter with visiting me so late. Im sure I dont owe you guys anything. As for the business in the city, Im no longer involved. I know, big boss Qi, youve made enough money, and now youve started building bridges and mending roads in the countryside. But boss Qi, President Qi, Brother Hao, you might have had your fill, but we small fries are still starving. Ducks Foot walked over, casually sat down in front of Qi Haoguo, and said. Despite his rudeness, he was pretty nervous facing Qi Haoguo. If you guys are looking for work, I can certainly make some introductions. Tongshi Town is under construction everywhere and needs manpower Listen to this first. Ducks Foot said, pulling out his phone and starting to play an audio file. You could clearly hear Qi Haoguos voice in the audio. He was instructing some people, and it sounded like he was using illegal means to intimidate a bidding competitor into backing off. Qi Haoguos expression remained unchanged, but he sat up straight, elbows on his knees, fingers interlaced, propping up his chin. So, boss Qi, Brother Hao, how much are you willing to pay to get this recording back? After the audio was played, Ducks Foot stared into Qi Haoguos eyes and asked. Seems like you guys kept a trick up your sleeve from the start. Quit the fucking bullshit! Five million, cash! You have three days to prepare. Ill come to collect the money on the 29th. Dont tell me you dont have the money with all the assets youve sold in recent months. There must be a lot of money in your account now! Dont even think about doing anything to me. Since I dared to come alone, my brothers are naturally outside. If you dare to touch me, this recording will immediately be posted online. Lets see how you continue playing the big philanthropist then! But dont worry. Five million, and well give up on this recording for good. It will disappear from the world and we will never bother you again. You can continue playing your big philanthropist and capitalist, and we, our little shrimps, will just earn a living. This speech was clearly rehearsed beforehand. After quickly uttering it, Ducks Foot couldnt help but heave a few large breaths, then he nervously fixed his gaze on Qi Haoguo across him. The usually composed Qi Haoguo furrowed his brow for the first time at the sight of Ducks Foot, crossing his arms and leaning back against the sofa, looking towards the ceiling as if lost in a hard problem. After a while, Qi Haoguo suddenly laughed as if he had figured something out. His mood seemed light, and he was all smiles. What what are you doing? Seeing Qi Haoguo pat his bald head and grin at him, Ducks Foot said nervously, Im warning you, if you do anything to me and I dont come out on time, my brothers outside will surely know. That recording and other evidence, will all be posted online and given to the police Come on, send a copy of that recording to me. Qi Haoguo handed his phone over, laughing, You guys must have a backup anyway, giving me a copy wont make any difference. Ducks Foot was stunned, not sure why Qi Haoguo made this request. But after thinking about it, it didnt seem to make any difference so he transferred the audio file as instructed. After receiving the recording, Qi Haoguo fiddled with his phone for a bit, then turned to Ducks Foot with a smile, Honestly, I should be thanking you. Youve helped me realize something that Ive always been puzzled about. What do you mean figured it out or not? What the fuck are you talking about? Ducks Foot felt that Qi Haoguo seemed mentally unwell. Whod be grinning so brightly when theyre being threatened? And yet his smile seemed so sincere. Qi Haoguos phone rang. He looked at Ducks Foot, and picked up the call in speaker mode. The voice on the other end said, President Qi, whats this thing you sent? Something seems off. Did you send it? What does it mean? The voice inside is that yours? Qi Haoguo laughed and said, Officer Xu, I sent it. That voice inside is mine. Its from a few years back when bidding for a project in the city. I made a mistake. Someone came tonight with this recording to blackmail me. Hes still with me now. This time, Im sending you double gifts. Do you want to come over yourself, or should I contact a police officer over at Tongshi Town? Throughout Qi Haoguos conversation with Officer Xu, Ducks Foot was dumbstruck, his eyes bulging in disbelief. It wasnt until the conversation ended and the officer said he would notify his colleagues in Tongshi Town to come over that he found his voice. Qi Haoguo, Im warning you, dont fuck with me and hire someone to pose as a cop. You think he can intimidate me? You think Im stupid Qi Haoguo suddenly asked, Have you seen Infernal Affairs? Chapter 505 - Chapter 505: Chapter 505: Have You Ever Seen a Biohazard Crisis? Chapter 505: Chapter 505: Have You Ever Seen a Biohazard Crisis? Have you ever watched Infernal Affairs? Qi Haoguo suddenly asked a question that seemed very out of place in the current scenario, but he didnt wait for Duck Feet to answer, but went on: The crooked cop played by Andy Lau in that, whats his name? Liu Jianren? He often says something like, I had no choice before, but now I want to be a good man. In fact, he does have a choice. Tony Leung laid it out for him C to go to a judge. But he doesnt want to choose, why? Because he would have to go to prison! Qi Haoguo spoke, and then laughed again, his tone somewhat rueful: I never considered the need to be a good man. I just want to preserve what I really care about, to be a better person, to sleep better at night, to have peace in my soul. I simply follow my ideas, stop doing what I shouldnt, and start doing what I should, and make up for some of the mistakes I made. I think thats enough. But all along, it feels like Im missing something, like theres a grit in my shoe that I can feel but cant find or shake out. Until you came today, I clearly understood where the grit in my shoe isI havent paid enough for what Ive done. Qi Haoguo went on, his eyes growing brighter, his voice failing to suppress excitement and agitation: To get some things more conveniently in the past, I gave away some things that I didnt think were important. Now, to get those things back, I have to pay the price. Nothing is free, especially peace of soul. Duck Feet stood up, his expression somewhat flustered and incredulous: Whats this about that thing or this thing? Infernal Affairs? Being a good man? Peace of soul? Goddammitare you insane?! No wonder you dropped all that profitable business and ran off to hide in this backwater. You must have lost your mind! As he spoke, Duck Feet planned to leave for now, because he suddenly had a premonition that the Officer Xu who had just been on the phone with Qi Haoguo might actually be a cop. But just as he was about to leave the sofa, Qi Haoguo, who had been calmly sitting there, suddenly lunges at him. Duck Feet had always been on guard against Qi Haoguo, but the other had spoken so much nonsense that he had unconsciously lowered his guard. Right now, he was thinking of leaving and was caught off guard as Qi Haoguo was already before him. Qi Haoguos motion was minimal as he punched Duck Feet in the throat powerfully from below, then took advantage of the situation to push him back down on the sofa, and restrained his arms. Qi Haoguos weight advantage was too great. Duck Feet had no room to struggle and was firmly held in place. Then Xiao Liu was called in to help Qi Haoguo untie Duck Feets shoelaces and tied his hands and feet. Xiao Liu, both excited and worried, looked at Duck Feet who was still face down on the sofa and asked Qi Haoguo worriedly, Uncle, whats next? What do we do with this guy? Qi Haoguo replied: The police will be here soon. Let them handle it. By the way, Ill probably be at the police station for a while. If the police need to investigate some things, whether they come to the house or the company, you need to cooperate. Dont worry about the companys business, or your aunts side. Ive already made arrangements. It wont make a difference if Im there or not. Seeing his uncle sitting back down on the sofa and calmly making tea, Xiao Liu inexplicably relaxed and sat down next to him, waiting for the police to come. Fucking Qi Haoguo! Youre fucking crazy! Lost your mind! All your hard work is wasted, you think shaving your head makes you a monk? People like you, youre destined for Hell when you die, cant fucking whitewash no matter how hard you try! If you think you have too much money, give some to us, if youre sick of living just die by yourself, dont fucking Duck Feet, whose hands and feet were bound, struggled hard on the sofa. Seeing that he couldnt break free, he finally started shouting. From the conversation between Qi Haoguo and Xiao Liu, he realized that the guy really did call the police. Xiao Liu was furious at the sound of it, went over and pinned Duck Feet, giving him several punches to the abdomen, changing his shouting into screaming. Stop, stop, no need. Qi Haoguo put down the kettle he had just boiled, quickly waved his hand to stop Xiao Liu, then got up and sat next to Duck Feet, he pat his head with a smile and said earnestly: No need to struggle, youre still young, you still have a chance. Once youre in, think hard about what youre really afraid of, what youre really pursuing, dont be confused by the surface. Not long after, the local police from Tongshi Town arrived and took both Qi Haoguo and Duck Feet back to the station. Xiao Liu also went along to assist in the investigation. The desperate Duck Feet was surprisingly opportunistic, as soon as he arrived at the station, he immediately turned in the two accomplices who were still at large and actively helped the police to lure out the criminals. Therefore, by the time Officer Xu from Citong arrived at Tongshi Town, all the suspects had been apprehended. Qi Haoguo not only detailed the incident of Duck Feet threatening him to Officer Xu but also confessed many things from years ago. Listening to Qi Haoguo calmly confessing his crimes, as if chitchatting in a teahouse, Officer Xu couldnt help but feel an impulse to call Chu Xiuwen and ask if Boss Qi had been stimulated lately. Of course, it was just a thought, it would be against the rules to leak information to Chu Xiuwen now. When Qi Haoguo got home, around the same time Duck Feet came in the door, Alice reported this to Xiang Kun who was discussing matters with Old Xia on the rooftop. Currently, as per Xiang Kuns arrangements, Alice was mainly monitoring C besides some places related to Divine Technology, parts of Chongyun Village, Tongshi Town, and some people with ties to Xiang Kun. Qi Haoguo was a secondary target of concern on the periphery of Alices surveillance network, mainly because of his heavy investment in Tongshi Town and Chongyun Village and his direct move to Tongshi Town. But when she noticed the targeted actions of Duck Feet and others, it triggered Alices early warning system and she immediately shifted resources, focusing on watching. It wasnt until Duck Feet began to blackmail Qi Haoguo that Alice chose to report it to Xiang Kun for him to handle. If the blackmail target had been Liu Caifu, You Meng, Zi Cheng, or Chang Bin, Alice would have seen it as a challenge to her protection circle and would have immediately pre-processed it, controlled the risk, set up a counterattack, and notified Xiang Kun sooner. However, comparatively, Qi Haoguos status wasnt as high, so it wasnt until Duck Feet actually began the blackmail that she notified Xiang Kun C after all, the boss was quite busy, he couldnt be notified about everything! On the rooftop where Xiang Kun and Old Xia just finished discussing topics related to Divine Technology, Mr. Liang, John, and Dreamland, they both listen through a laptop to the recording that Duck Foot used to blackmail Qi Haoguo, followed by a live conversation between Qi Haoguo and Duck Foot. From that recording and the dialogue between Duck Foot and Qi Haoguo, it appeared that, back in his early years in the provincial city, Qi Haoguo had arranged for Duck Foot and others to threaten a competitors manager into bowing out of a bidding contest. They coerced the man by having people in special service industries interact with him, and then burst in to take photos at a key moment. Of course, Xiang Kun could wipe all the recordings from all the devices through Alice, depriving Duck Foot and others of their blackmailing tools and squashing Qi Haoguos worries. However, he chose not to do it this way, as it would set a bad example for Alice. Yes, objectively speaking, Qi Haoguo did contribute to the development of Tongshi Town and Chongyun Village. However, Xiang Kun knew that all of this stemmed from the ongoing influence of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carvings emotional projection. It was nothing more than Qis self-redemption to make his life more comfortable. If Qi Haoguo possibly decided to silence Duck Foot and others just to keep himself safe, Xiang Kun even considered reporting him. However, after analyzing his cognitive model of Qi Haoguo, Xiang Kun concluded that the current Qi Haoguo would most likely not resort to such measures. Doing so would be worse than death for him. When Qi Haoguo sent the recording to Officer Xu and explicitly invited Officer Xu to send people to his home, Xiang Kun was not surprised. However, when he heard the phrase, Have you ever watched Infernal Affairs?, it made him chuckle loudly. He commented to Xia Libing, This guy is really putting on a show. Now that I ponder about it, if I ever have to deal with Mr. Liang. I can give him a surprise, take control of his devices, and introduce Alice. I can start by asking him, Have you ever watched Resident Evil? Hahaha. However, noticing Xia Libing staring at him wide-eyed, he realized she didnt get his joke. He awkwardly pointed to the laptop and gestured for her to continue listening. Once Duck Foot was subdued and taken away by the police, Xiang Kun stopped paying attention to the situation. He only instructed Alice to keep an eye on the aftermath without interfering. If Qi Haoguo wanted to surrender himself, to say goodbye to his past self, Xiang Kun naturally saw it as a good thing. However, this was his own decision. He must take responsibility for what hed done. His past choices, as well as current ones, were his alone to bear. Judging from what he said to Duck Foot, he seemed to have a clear understanding of this and had accepted the punishment he would receive. But considering the crimes he mentioned, the charges against him might not be that serious. Given his voluntary confession and cooperation with the police, he might even get a suspended sentence? Following this brief digression, Xia Libing took the opportunity to discuss the long-term influence of Emotion Infused Objects on people. However, after speaking for a bit, she noticed Xiang Kun daydreaming, a rather unusual phenomenon. She stopped speaking and paid close attention to Xiang Kun. Then, she realized, it seemed like Xiang Kun had entered the Super Sensory State. A moment later, Xiang Kun emerged from the state and looked at Xia Libing, who had been staring at him, When Qi Haoguo heard Duck Foots threats and burst out laughing, I suddenly got a very faint, uncertain perception. So, I just entered the Super Sensory State, following that faint perception. I sensed the past through my connection with the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving. I suddenly discovered that the super sensory information represented by the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving had established over two dozen pathways. I confirmed that the faint perception I had came from one of those pathways. I continued to perceive along that pathway, and arrived at a target. Can you guess what that target is? Xia Libing immediately answered, Its Qi Haoguo. Ahh Yes, its Qi Haoguo! Xiang Kun, failing to keep her in suspense, had to continue, Im very certain that the cognitive information I sensed after following that pathway represents Qi Haoguo himself. I can basically judge a part of his current physical state and most of his emotional state through his cognitive information. Its like hes turned into a miniature Emotion Infused Object. This was indeed a significant discovery for Xiang Kun and his Super Sensory Item System. After the mass emotional projection in Myitkyina, Xiang Kun noticed that people influenced by Emotion Infused Objects had unique tags on their cognitive information. He could quickly and accurately spot them in a crowd when in the Super Sensory State. Now, these weak contacts and tags have turned into substantial links, which can be landed on through the Super Sensory State. This changes everything. Clearly, Qi Haoguos sudden awakening to compliance with the emotional projection from the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving wasnt the cause of this change. His awakening merely made Xiang Kun notice the change. What really made these contacts noticeable to Xiang Kun while in Super Sensory State was probably the outbreak of Wrathful Thunder from Little Fatty Girl during his hibernation. The series of operations from that event led to a qualitative leap in Xiang Kuns understanding of Super Sensory Information. It was probably then that the Emotion Infused Item System within his Super Sensory Item System was reconstructed, or more accurately, reinforced. Does this mean you can perceive anyone who was influenced by the Emotion Infused Objects? Xia Libing asked, Is it just the people influenced by the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving, or can it be any other Emotion Infused Objects too? Xiang Kun shook his head, Its certainly not any person who has been influenced. There are only about twenty contacts in my perception, yet the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving has influenced so many people. Just consider how many in Myitkyina alone. I suppose a stable connection is only established when the influence reaches a certain level, or when the person fully accepts and is deeply affected by that influence. As for other Emotion Infused Objects, Ill have to verify it. After verifying, Xiang Kun found that a few of the wood carvings placed in the Youlong Restaurant, which were used to bring joy and stimulate appetite to diners, indeed had some weak connections. These connections are much weaker than the one with Qi Haoguo, but they didnt prevent Xiang Kun from landing onto and perceiving nearby super sensory information in the Super Sensory State. He was quite sure that these connections, these linked targets, were all regular patrons of the Youlong Restaurant, including known individuals like Chu Xiuwen and Qi Haoguo. Yes, the linkage representing the same person not only appeared in the cognitive information of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving, but also appeared in the cognitive information of the wood carvings in the Youlong Restaurant. It seems that in the future, he can land his consciousness using the Super Sensory State without having to infuse any Emotion Infused Objects nearby, as long as there are people around who were deeply influenced by Emotion Infused Objects. During the verification process, Xiang Kun also found that Xiao Pingguo and Little Fatty Girls cognitive information appeared in the perception network while he was perceiving emotions. And their level was even higher than most of the Emotion Infused Objects, directly connected to him. Chapter 506 - Chapter 506: Chapter 506: Major Discovery in the Second-Level Network Chapter 506: Chapter 506: Major Discovery in the Second-Level Network The next day, Xiang Kun, along with Tang Baona and Yang Zhen Er, prepared to go to Pengcheng to discuss with Zhang Qian about some matters related to game operations post-launch. Of course, his main purpose was to place more super-connected objects in the Brilliant Fortune Building, hoping to help Alice retrieve the data from the underground storage device once again. This time, Xia Libing wont be going with them. One reason is that a batch of her ordered devices would be arriving soon and she had to be there to ensure that the installation and debugging processes went smoothly. The other reason was naturally to take care of Xiao Pingguo and the Little Fatty Girl. Though in terms of safety, Xiao Pingguo plus the Little Fatty Girl and Alice would make a formidable trio in Chongyun Village, they were still kids after alleven Xiao Pingguo was not yet eighteen years old. With three children huddled together, there had to be an adult watching over them. Apart from the rest, when Professor Li and Xiao Pingguo video call and find that Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, and Xia Libing are all out, they would not feel at ease. On the way to Jianzhou Airport, they drove the same minivan, Old Xia, Little Apple, and Little Fatty Girl also came along to send them off. When they arrived at the airport and Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, and Yang Zhen Er were about to go into the hall, Liu Shiling, who was standing by Xiao Pingguos side, suddenly stepped forward and tugged gently on Xiang Kuns sleeve. Xiang Kun looked down and saw the Little Fatty Girl, who just a moment ago had been laughing and chatting cheerfully on the car ride over, staring back up at him, her small face full of worry and trepidation. She asked in a tiny voice, Uncle Bald, are you not coming back? Xiang Kun gently patted her head and assured her, Of course Im coming back. I still have to help you find your mom and dad. Dont worry, when I come back next time, Ill bring you some tasty food. Only when she got an answer did Liu Shiling finally relax. She returned to her usual smiling self but before she could say anything, Yang Zhen Er, who had crouched beside her, scooped her up. Xiao Lingdang, tell your fairy sister here what kind of delicious food you want. Ill bring you back a whole lot of it, definitely more than what your Uncle Bald can. Ill also buy you pretty clothes, pretty shoes, beautiful watches and beautiful toys! Liu Shiling, her small mouth pouting cutely thanks to Yang Zhen Er squeezing her cheeks, could only murmur her thanks in return, Thank you, Old Fairy Sister. But, Old Fairy Sister, you bought me so many clothes yesterday. I cant wear them all, theres too many Call me Fairy Sister. Yang Zhen Er corrected her. Liu Shiling obliged, Fairy Sister. Satisfied with her response, Yang Zhen Er got back on her feet. She walked towards the hall with Tang Baona and Xiang Kun. With only friendlies around today, what with Professor Li Yang not being present and Shilings mom not there either, she gleefully enjoyed this unique opportunity to enforce the title correction upon the Little Fatty Girl. However, just as they were about to walk into the hall, they heard Little Fatty Girls call, Goodbye, Uncle Bald! Goodbye, pretty Sister! Goodbye, Old Fairy Sister! Hope to see you soon! Well, correction failed. While getting their boarding passes, Yang Zhen Er couldnt help but sigh, Xiao Lingdang is just too adorable. If I ever have a daughter, I hope shell be like Xiao Lingdang. She is too adorable and precious. I would surely cuddle her to sleep every night, buy her delicious food and beautiful clothes, and play with her all day long. If she were like Old Xia as a child, who was obedient and clever, then that would also be fine. I would dress up her prettily and let her play with whatever she wants. Tang Baona, standing next to them and holding the boarding passes, couldnt help but tease, Tell me, your daughter will certainly be like you when you were a child! Yang Zhen Er couldnt help but make a face, Then never mind, I dont want to have children. At least youre self-aware. Tang Baona laughed, This isnt called liking children, this is entirely you thinking children are adorable; this mindset isnt ideal. But if you do have children, your mother should be able to help you take care of them. Thats exactly why I cant. My mother once said that bringing me up added at least fifty strands of white hair on her head. Especially before I went to primary school, I was too mischievous. I cant possibly let her go through the same thing again. Yang Zhen Er said, turning to Tang Baona, But Nana, you were super cute when you were little too. Your daughter would definitely be as adorable. Yes, when you and Brother Xiang have children, let me be the godmother. At these words, Tang Baona and Xiang Kun both stopped in their tracks to stare at her. Yang Zhen Er was taken aback by their reaction for a moment. Looking at both of them, she laughed, Hey, why are you looking at me like that? Cant I even joke around? The child of the two of you, or both of your own children, can have me as their godmother, right? Where on earth do your thoughts wander off to? Come on, lets go through security. We might miss our flight. Ah, Nana! Dont pinch my stomach Once they boarded the plane and took their seats, Xiang Kun once again made a show of falling asleep. He was going to enter the Super Sensory State again to help organize the emotion-infused objects two-level network. Since discovering the emotion-infused objects two-level network the previous night, with Qi Haoguos unexpected change of heart serving as the trigger, Xiang Kun had been continuously entering the Super Sensory State and spent the entire night organizing it. Now, he basically could clearly distinguish the identities of half the people who had been affected by the emotion-infused objects and established a connection in the secondary network C all of them were people from those he had perceived before while in the super sensory state. However, there were still a significant number of people, mainly those affected by the eight-armed, eight-eyed wood carving and the twelve yellow men and four cat wood carvings placed in the Youlong Restaurant, especially the former, where half of the established connections belonged to people whose identities were unknown to him. On one hand, he was helping Alice delve deeper into the emotion-infused objects two-level network to identify and interpret this cognitive information, which would in turn help him gauge the surroundings of the targets, which would then facilitate the identification of the targets. On the other hand, he was striving to find a way to activate the dreamland of the connected in the two-level network while they were asleep, hoping to determine their identities through the sensory information in the dreamland. Based on the characteristics of the emotion-infused objects, this was theoretically possible. But later that night, when Xiang Kun was in the middle of organizing the two-level network, he arrived at an astonishing discovery: Out of the twenty-eight objects linked to the eight-armed, eight-eyed wood carving, one of them turned out to be a mutated creature, a completely unknown mutated creature to Xiang Kun! This was truly incredible! Based on the cognitive information, the mutant was also human in origin. His degree of mutation seemed to be much less than John and Mr. Liang who currently resided in the Brilliant Fortune Building. As for whether he was more or less mutated than Guo Tianxiang used to be though, that was unclear. Back then, he didnt have the ability to perceive super sensory information at that time. However, the question was: When was this human-shaped mutated creature deeply affected by the emotional projection of the eight-armed, eight-eyed wood carving? If Xiang Kun called upon the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving for emotion projection, and a mutant was influenced in the process, he would be able to sense it immediately. Even when he was in Myitkyina, affecting a wide range, he could assure that as long as there was a mutant within the range, he would indeed detect it. Especially under the Super Sensory State, the cognitive information of mutants and other things have an essential difference, like a spotlight in the night, he could not possibly miss it. In fact, in Myitkyina and on the journey back to his country, he deliberately searched for mutants, but found none. So perhaps, when Little Apple used the Super Sensory Item System to call upon the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving emotion projection to influence others, she unknowingly influenced a certain Human-shaped mutated creature? But he quickly negated this possibility. When Little Apple projected fear onto others, she had to do it through her eyes, so there was no chance that she unknowingly affected nearby people. Based on the information Alice found, the three suspects influenced by Little Apples fear projections during the Spring Festival period at the lakeside are not mutants C two of them are currently in prison. The one outside, after Alice analyzed the information from the electronic devices around him, was determined to be a normal human. So the only possibility is that someone within the crowd influenced by him in Myitkyina mutated into a mutant. According to Xiang Kuns knowledge, in this world, mutant was an extremely rare and unlikely entity, and human-shaped mutants or mutants that came from human mutation were even rarer. Was it really the case that someone underwent mutation not long after being affected by his Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving emotion projection? What are the odds? But it seems now, this is the most likely possibility, otherwise it couldnt explain why there is a mutant connector in the secondary network of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving. Its not any sort of open network where any terminal can connect on its own. But if this hypothesis holds, Xiang Kun couldnt help but suspect: was the mutation of that human-shaped mutant directly or indirectly related to the influence of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving fear projections? This discovery could be a clue to unravel the cause of the mutation. Of course, he wouldnt simply assume that mutations resulted from deep emotional projection. After all, not only humans can mutate, but also parasites, spiders, and even plants can mutate, and they cant be affected by the emotional projections stimulated by the Emotion Infused Objects. There must be more complex reasons. For now, Xiang Kun could only ascertain that this human-shaped mutant was male, approximately 175 cm to 177 cm tall, and always in a state of indifference and calmness. This led him to slightly doubt his own hypothesis. If the target had just mutated recently, shouldnt his emotions be nervous, scared, excited, or restless instead of calm? He continuously analyzed the cognitive information of the human-shaped mutant under the Super Sensory State, and then confirmed all the connectors in the Emotion Infused Objects secondary network again. After confirming that this was the only mutant connector, he withdrew from the Super Sensory State. Realizing that the plane was preparing to land, he opened his eyes. Upon seeing Tang Baona and Yang Zhen Er, who were sitting on either side of him, staring at him, Xiang Kun laughed and asked, Whats up? Is my sleeping posture unattractive? He was oblivious to whatever Baona or Zhener were saying or doing when he was under the Super Sensory State Tang Baona shook her head, On the contrary, your sleeping posture is too serene. Exactly, it doesnt resemble the way an average person sleeps. If it were Baona, her drool would have reached her shoulder by now. Yang Zhen Er nodded in agreement. Yuck! Its clearly you who does that! Do you remember how many times you drooled on my shoulder when we used to go out together? Tang Baona retorted. Did I? I dont remember! Yang Zhen Er shifted the focus back to Xiang Kun, Brother Xiang, your sleeping posture is really weird. You had a Im indifferent to everything including life and death expression on your face. Coupled with your bald head, you look like a wise monk whos soul-traveling around the world! Xiang Kun laughed, So, having a good sleeping posture is a flaw now? And serene the way you word it makes it sound like Im already dead. Alright, I admit, I was not asleep, I was pretending to sleep. No, you were definitely asleep. Tang Baona asserted confidently from the side. Oh? Why do you say so? Xiang Kun asked. Intuition. Tang Baona replied. Yang Zhen Er immediately revealed, Nonsense! Baona just secretly touched your bald head, and you didnt react, so you were definitely asleep! Nonsenseclearly you were the one who touched it! Tang Baona retorted, blushing slightly. She said to Xiang Kun, I just touched it very lightly, you wont be mad, right? Xiang Kun didnt know what to say, feeling both amused and exasperated. After they arrived at Pengcheng City Airport, the people Zhang Qian had arranged to pick them up had already been waiting for quite a while. Xiang Kun initially thought that Zhang Qian would arrange a driver to come, but he didnt expect her to come to the airport personally. After greeting Tang Baona, Yang Zhen Er, and Zhang Qian, Xiang Kun also walked over with a smile and said, How come you, a busy person, have time to pick us up? Youre the busy one, okay? Its quite difficult to meet you. Even making a phone call requires scheduling through Miss Tang several times. Thats not the same. I was aimlessly busy, you, on the other hand, have genuine tasks. See, there is a difference, ha-ha. Zhang Qian seemed to harbor a slight grudge against him, so Xiang Kun hastily laughed it off and made self-deprecating remarks to appease her. In the business vehicle, Zhang Qian sat with them in the back seat, introducing them to the games test data during this period along the way, as well some problems that arose and possible situations they might face, their treatment plans, etc.. The information was very concise and well-prepared, which somewhat embarrassed the three executives of QianKun Technology who were still pondering where to go for dinner. Chapter 507 - Chapter 507: Chapter 507: Zhang Qian’s Ambition Chapter 507: Chapter 507: Zhang Qians Ambition Zhang Qian didnt take them to their hotel first, but instead took them directly to the company. In a not so large conference room, besides Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, and Yang Zhener, there were only Zhang Qian, Director Lin, and two other executives from Tengjiao Entertainment, as well as Zhang Qians new assistant, Xiao Nie. Mr. Xiang, Miss Tang, Miss Yang, if you are hungry, you can have some pastries first, we have also prepared hot drinks, milk tea, coffee, or if you want something else to drink, you can tell our Xiao Nie, she will arrange for it. I will just briefly go over what I have to say, and then we will go to lunch together. Zhang Qian stood in front of the projection screen and said to Xiang Kun and the others. In private, she usually called Nana and Zhener by their names, but in formal occasions or within the company, she still used honorifics. Xiang Kun raised his hand to signal Zhang Qian to continue, they were all cooperating with the arrangement. He knew that the reason Zhang Qian rushed them to the company as soon as they arrived, was because she was afraid that he would leave for something else and then they wouldnt have time to meet. From this point of view, he, as a collaborator, was indeed unqualified. Zhang Qian started explaining with the PPT on the projector screen, the first few pages were about the user data of the game during this period, as well as the reviews of the game by players and the media, and the most common problems raised by players, etc. Most of this content had already been mentioned by Zhang Qian on the way here, so she simply went over it briefly here. Then, a new page of the PPT, which had a somewhat generalized theme C social. Zhang Qian did not immediately introduce the content on the PPT, but instead asked Tang Baona, Miss Tang, what do you think of social products? Tang Baona was stunned for a moment and said: Social products? Are you referring to things like QQ, WeChat? Uh, its applications that we use everyday, with a high frequency of use? After thinking for a moment, she added: They have a strong monopoly, in a single field, its basically winner-take-all? Zhang Qian also asked Yang Zhener the same question, and she said: Also includes TikTok, Kuaishou, Weibo, right? It seems that the hottest internet products are mostly related to social. Zhang Qian asked Xiang Kun again. Xiang Kun said: In contrast to other Internet products, social products have high user stickiness, are more likely to occupy user time, derived from a lot of businesses, regardless of selling advertising or expanding other businesses, can get huge benefits. But, comparing to TikTok, Weibo, these social media, QQ, WeChat kind of social communication software is harder to succeed. I think only when there is a major change in the mode and environment of information interaction, can a new social platform have the opportunity to challenge the old dominant. Zhang Qian nodded and said: Mr. Xiang is right. In comparison with QQ and WeChat, which are strong social products, platforms like TikTok and Weibo are more media-related, with stronger transmission power, but with weaker connections and interactions between users, the main focus is content. The social products I want to talk about today are mostly strong social products like QQ and WeChat. As Mr. Xiang just said, every time there is a change in the way information is exchanged due to technological developments, its the time when social products explode. When the Internet first came into prominence, EMAIL began to replace a portion of letters and became the method of communication for pen pals. With the spread of the Internet and PCs, more and more people learned to type, and various chat rooms began to appear. Then instant messaging software such as ICQ, OICQ, MSN, etc., were born. At that time, the act of online typing chat itself attracted peoples curiosity. It was a new form of social interaction and communication, and people would actively seek out strangers to chat with. After the rise of the mobile Internet, WeChat seized the opportunity to transition social interaction from purely online to semi-real. Everyone was curious about people nearby and curious about who they would see when they shook it. Therefore, they would actively use these features for stranger socialization and to develop new social relationships. Nowadays, social interactions through text can hardly evoke a sense of novelty. Few people get to know strangers through pure text chats. You need to build specific social scenes and social environments, such as MMO games, classified forums, etc. The problem is that the connections players establish in the corresponding scenes will not always exist in the scenes. Instead, they will shift to other commonly used communication software, such as QQ, WeChat. Even large game platforms with multiple MMO games, like Battle.net, find it hard to develop into comprehensive strong social platforms. Many people have explored video and voice types of social interaction, but due to their strong display of reality, their attention will inevitably converge on a minority of users, forming a one-to-many weak social attribute and having more of a media nature. I originally thought that the appearance of the next generation of strong social platforms would have to wait until VR devices became popular and VR technology was widely applied. Fresh ways of socializing and richer social scenes would make all users focus on the social experience itself. A certain degree of virtuality would also give people with different real-life conditions relatively equal social opportunities, allowing most people to have similar social experiences. However, our game The appearance of Genesis of Voice, the games data performance during this period, some user feedback, as well as my own experience, has changed my original view. There is no suspense that Genesis of Voice itself will become a hit game, but I think we might be able to use it for more attempts. The traditional voice social software failed because of insufficient virtuality, lack of enough application scenarios, and many new users are not accustomed to voice chat. Traditional MMO games cannot retain in-game social relationships because application scenarios are too single. But we have solutions for both. Regarding the former, our games playability can solve it. In the game, all users can rely on the plot and story to perform. In the game, voices may differ, but everyone has the same space to perform. When the users have developed the habit of vocal communication in our game and are familiar with the voice environment, we can use voice as a social carrier for broader application development, thus solving the latter problem. Genesis of Voice is our trump card in the social field! Speaking of this, Zhang Qian was also slightly excited. She composed her emotions and continued to open the PPT to introduce her visions of how to establish a voice-based social network through this voice game: I preliminarily divide our strategy into virtual, real and hardware. Virtual is the voice game or related entertainment application with Genesis of Voice as the main; Real is to use real scenes for joint application, such as setting up a voice message in a bottle in a fixed place. Person A sends a voice message to the platform in a certain area of the pedestrian street. Then at a random time within the next 24 hours, stranger B appears in the same area of the pedestrian street and has a chance to receive As voice message. They can choose to reply or directly throw it back to the voice library. This forms a voice communication model based on part-actual part-virtual; Hardware is Xiang Kun couldnt help interrupting Zhang Qian before she finished: What Director Zhang, can you talk more about your vision of the VR era socialization you just mentioned. Zhang Qian was taken aback, puzzled: Although the development of VR technology is fast right now, it hasnt reached the stage of widespread consumer use. The related applications, like games, are also few. There are many different paths, and they all seem viable, making it hard to judge which one could lead the trend. The most important thing is we do not have any accumulation and advantage in VR technology and related applications. I am talking about voice socialization now because of our game But Xiang Kun insisted: Dont worry about the technology for now. Just explain, if you were to develop VR socialization, where would you start. But we cant discuss without the basic technology. Technology is the foundation. Zhang Qian was somewhat confused. Xiang Kuns remark seemed a bit layman, but she knew Xiang Kun was not a layman, and even less an indiscriminate talker. Xiang Kun thought about it and said, Heres how it is, Director Zhang. If you want to do voice socialization, I support you. Just list whatever technical needs you have. As for VR, you can also get to know it. Then, based on your ideal design, put together a list of needs. Ill be responsible for the technical implementation. Whether its hardware or software, you can point out any current VR technology deficiencies you think might affect your plan. Zhang Qian was somewhat taken aback by the conversation. Xiang Kun did not seem to have a lot of knowledge about VR technology, but with his tone, he sounded like a robotic cat or a genie from Aladdins lamp, solving wishes at will. Isnt that too ambitious? OK, its about lunchtime, lets go eat. Look, Director Yang is so hungry, her eyes turned green. Xiang Kun stood up with a smile. The similarly stunned Yang Zhener reacted quickly, she retorted angrily: Who has green eyes? Speak properly, this is a meeting! Since Xiang Kun said so, the meeting naturally had to end. Anyway, the content she intended to communicate had been conveyed by Zhang Qian. Since Xiang Kun didnt object, the specific implementation and details could be communicated later on. Zhang Qian took everyone to a reservation they had made at a restaurant for lunch. On the way, Tang Baona couldnt help but lean over to Xiang Kun, whispered to him: Youre not just trying to rush to the meal, misleading Director Zhang, are you? Xiang Kun laughed softly: How is that possible? Am I that kind of person? Yang Zhener also came up and whispered: Mr. Xiang, be honest. Does your secret organization have any mysterious techniques? Is it like a wishing well, creating whatever you want as soon as you make the request? Thats right, but this is a secret, remember not to reveal it, not even to Director Zhang. Xiang Kun said seriously. Is it true or false? Yang Zhener asked, I always feel like youre messing with me Mr. Xiang, tell me the truth, is there really a secret organization? She had spied on him when he said he was working in seclusion, but found he was really in the room and hadnt gone anywhere, leading her to doubt her conjecture that Xiang Kun is backed by a secret organization and often has to execute secret missions. Xiang Kun looked at her: Yes. And Old Xia, Little Apple, Xiao Lingdang, GoldFlash, and Custard Pie are all members. Okay, I knew you were messing with me. Yang Zhener rolled her eyes, said: The name of your organization is Chongyun Village Amusement Park? If so, Nana and I are key members too! Tang Baona couldnt help laughing: Alright, Yang Lao San, it seems youve been hypnotized by Xiang Kun to become a member of the secret organization? After successfully shifting the topic, Xiang Kun began to ponder Zhang Qians proposal. He had always been very cautious and reserved before, but with Alice fully integrated into the Super Sensory Item System, and the vines starting to grow wildly across the entire network, controlling numerous electronic devices in the digital world, Xiang Kun was ready to apply Alices capabilities on a larger scale C because it means not only is his ability to obtain information stronger than others, so is his ability to conceal and modify information. Especially after understanding the operation mode of God Travel Tech, Xiang Kun decided to establish a technology company with huge capital and technology resources as a bargaining chip for communication and cooperation with the government and God Travel Tech, gaining more weight, but also showcasing his abilities C he and other mutants are different, what he can bring is not just his research value. However, he does not have a lot of energy to lead these initiatives and is not willing to come to the fore, so asking Zhang Qian to take the helm and cooperate with her would be a good choice. After lunch Zhang Qian somehow managed to invite Xiang Kun and the others to the company in the afternoon to continue the discussion and exchange on her previous views on voice social networking and the sudden mention of VR technology by Xiang Kun. That evening, after Zhang Qian treated them to another meal, Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, and Yang Zhener went to the business street to buy food and presents for Little Fatty Girl. They didnt return to the hotel until about ten oclock. In the early morning, Xiang Kun left the hotel alone but did not head to the Brilliant Fortune Building. He went to a factory instead. After climbing over the fence Xiang Kun went straight to a warehouse, avoiding the sporadic workers and slipping inside C as for the surveillance, he didnt have to worry about it under Alices control. Following Alices instructions, he located a safe-like black box and placed thirty spheres and a black circle doodle inside. At two in the morning, a cargo truck would come and take some of the warehouse goods and that box down to the third basement of the Brilliant Fortune Building. The box was not originally among the transported goods, but Alice added it to the transport list. According to Alices understanding, there are many teams of workers on the third basement level, each responsible for different tasks. When the outside goods and equipment are shipped in, they will only pick up what they need. They will not touch what they dont need because it might belong to other groups. The entry and exit of the warehouse are strictly controlled by electronic systems. The box is used by God Travel Tech to hold some special parts. It has a wireless remote control module, which can be remotely controlled. Alice can directly make it open a crack. With the existence of this emotional object as the Black circle doodle, Xiang Kun can enter the Super sensory state which guides the thirty spheres quietly into the elevator shaft and throws them to the location deeper underground where Mr. Liang is. When it reaches that depth, rabbit wood carving, this emotionally charged object can take over, and he can continue to maintain control under the Super sensory state. This method is more secure and easier than Xiang Kuns previous method of controlling from the second basement of the Brilliant Fortune Building. After completing the delivery, Alice can change the list again and have someone transport the box back to the factory warehouse, or she can leave the box in the basement three warehouse. At two in the morning, Xiang Kun returned to the hotel. When Alice informed him that the truck had entered the Brilliant Fortune Building with the goods and the box had been unloaded, he began to enter the Super Sensory State. According to the camera footage from the third basement level that Alice relayed, Xiang Kun knew that the box was now out of sight of the two workers still on duty, so he began to control the super-connected objects for the delivery. After the delivery was completed, Xiang Kun left the Super Sensory State; the remaining work was Alices responsibility. Last time, in that underground space, there werent enough Super Sensory Items, so Alices attempt to steal data from the storage devices had failed. This time, with the addition of so many super-connected objects, success should be guaranteed. Chapter 508 - Chapter 508: Chapter 508: The Buried Secret (Part 1) Chapter 508: Chapter 508: The Buried Secret (Part 1) In the basement of Brilliant Fortune Building, Mr. Liang was reading a periodic report sent back by Fang Pingfangs investigative team. Though they still had no definitive findings, evidence, or clues, Mr. Liang was particularly concerned about their group. Their assignment was to investigate the giant raptor, a well-documented blood-eating creature. Moreover, Mijoe, who had a decent understanding of the fundamental qualities of blood-eating creatures and the unique new ant species ghost beard ants discovered by Zhou Rui, were both in their team. Mr. Liang felt that Fang Pingfangs team seemed particularly prone to encountering some special events. These special events had been occurring continuously ever since they returned from their exploration of Qinling Uninhabited Area with a rabbit woodcarving last year. Or rather, their troubles started the moment they came into contact with that woodcarving in a cave in Qinling. Of course, for researchers, this could also be seen as a good thing. After Zhou Rui sent one of the captured Ghost Beard Ants to the laboratory in Yangcheng for thorough examination, Mr. Liang also personally observed the ant directly. Though this ant had a unique antennae and significantly different physiological habits from known ant species, he was pretty sure it was not a blood-eating creature. However, whether it had any correlation with blood-eating creatures, he was still unable to confirm. After all, Mr. Liang was very clear that blood-eating creatures werent inherently such, but were all transformed from ordinary organisms. However, when recalling the abrupt thunderstorm that appeared during their hunt for the giant raptor on Wushu Mountain, considering that Chongyun Mountain and Wushu Mountain werent far apart, and seeing a similar bizarre thunderstorm had occurred on Chongyun Mountain before, even uncannily striking dead two fugitives C Mr. Liang couldnt help but conjure up a guess that made him slightly tremble. Could the inconspicuous Ghost Beard Ant be connected to that? While reading the report, Mr. Liang faintly heard the sound of fine sand falling on metal from a ventilation duct not too far above. The sound was very faint, almost indiscernible, and quickly disappeared. Mr. Liang paid it little mind. Such slight anomalies were common in the underground. The various pipes, machinery, electronic equipment, and matching ventilation and cooling equipment could generate all sorts of noise during operation. His hearing was much better than the average person, so it was normal for him to hear some sounds. He had great confidence in the security of this underground secret space. The entire security system was designed and built under his direction, and he knew the space here like the back of his hand. Especially after Teardrop could be used maturely, this place was even more impregnable, in the literal sense, not even a mosquito could fly in. He did not believe that anything C even a small special blood-eating creature, could infiltrate without alarming Teardrop or him. As for the blood-eating creatures, he had a special way to detect them. If there were any blood-eating creatures here apart from himself, John Cavendish, and the remaining two creatures confined in a separate space, he would be sure to find out. If John had mentioned the strange noises he heard when describing how he saw the hallucination of the Rabbit Meat, perhaps Mr. Liang would have paid more attention to it. However, he still wouldnt have been able to locate the source of the sound, even if he deconstructed this place. After all, the things causing the noises were not static. For this underground space, the various crevices and tubes were now even better understood by Alice and her bald boss than its owner Mr. Liang. In a hotel in Pengcheng City. Xiang Kun, who was in his room, was waiting for the results of Alices mission execution. Previously, when entering the Super Sensory State for the Super-connected Objects launch, he sensed the cognitive information representing Mr. Liang in the secret space under the building, knowing that Mr. Liang was underground at this moment. So he specifically told Alice, if possible, to control the noise made during the mission execution, and not to stir up the Emotion Infused Objects characteristic of the rabbit woodcarving and produce a rabbit meat illusion that strongly affects electronic equipment and power supply like last time. Although he thought that even if Mr. Liang felt and saw the hallucination like John did, there wouldnt be any effects. After all, he knew it was related to the rabbit woodcarving, but couldnt determine the cause or clues, and even more unlikely to think of what Alice is doing now. But his main goal now was to get the data from the storage device underground. He wanted to avoid any potential complications as much as possible. Alice, acting as though she were a secret agent like 007 sneaking in to fulfill a mission, faithfully executed according to his demands and methods. Now, a sufficient number of Super-connected Objects had been deployed in that underground space, and in theory, Alice could control them with more certainty when executing the task. As time ticked away, Xiang Kun occasionally entered Super Sensory State, appearing beside the rabbit woodcarving to observe Alices operations. This time, Alice finally didnt disappoint him. At almost six in the morning, she finally began to transfer back the data she dug. Alice was very proud of herself, and in Xiang Kuns room, she flash the light a dozen times, and then a voice was heard from the laptop: Boss, Ive done it! Sitting in front of the computer, Xiang Kun nodded and smiled, I know. In fact, even if Alice didnt make any gesture, Xiang Kun would know as soon as she began to transform the data through her ability invocation. I expect to complete all the data transfer by 18:50 today. Your laptop space is too small, boss, Ill first save it to other devices, Alice said. Alice obtained the data from the storage device through the Super-connected object matrix, then directly encoded it onto some electronic devices in the Brilliant Fortune Building, transforming it back into digital information, and then sent this information back directly using the Brilliant Fortune Buildings network. If I were to give an analogy, Alice would be like someone sneaking into someone elses field to steal wheat, and after reaping the wheat, she would use the farmers thresher, bag the wheat with their sacks, temporarily store them in the farmers warehouse, and then use the farmers truck to transport it home Alright, transfer part of the completed transformation to me first, Xiang Kun said. He had been curious about the data in the secret storage device beneath the Brilliant Fortune Building for quite a while, so he wanted to see it as soon as possible to see if it could clear up some of his doubts. Alright, boss! After Alice responded, the transfer progress bar for the first document swiftly appeared on the desktop. Xiang Kun poured himself a glass of water and sat down, expectantly rubbing his hands. While waiting for the progress bar, he picked up his phone and sent a message to Old Xia on WeChat: Are you awake? He knew that Old Xia was definitely as interested as he was in the data that Divine Technology and Mr. Liang had kept so secret, like some sort of forbidden goods to be offline and sealed. Alices voice, however, was heard first, Do you want me to wake Old Xia? No need Xiang Kun replied helplessly, of course knowing why Alice was so enthusiastic. She felt like she had completed a big task and wanted to show off a little bit, hoping Old Xia would compliment her. After a while, the first document finished transmitting, and Xiang Kun started to review it. He discovered it was some data on new types of compounds. He had already known that many laboratories in the secret department of Divine Technology in QiCheng City were conducting research on new compounds when he was tracking Mijoe and spying on Divine Technology. After Alice took complete control of the internal network and most of the servers of the Divine Technology secret department, this was verified. The expensive researchers hired by the Divine Technology secret department were all working on research of some special compounds, synthesizing some special new compounds under the specific instructions of Mr. Liang. But they knew nothing about what these new compounds were used for. Moreover, most of these new compounds are very unstable; maintaining stability at normal temperature and pressure is difficult, let alone applying them. Xiang Kun couldnt help but frown slightly. It cant be that all the data they have gone through such great effort to retrieve is merely backup? Luckily, with more documents being transmitted, data that was previously not on the intranet server began to appear. What caught Xiang Kuns attention the most was the information about Mr. Liang himself. He saw the photos and files of Mr. Liang before he mutated. As he had guessed before, Mr. Liang was the son of the founder and chairman of Divine Technology, Lu Chengan, named Lu Qinliang. In the photo, Mr. Liang lay on the hospital bed, a tube inserted into his nose. His face was weary, body thin and frail, his eyes devoid of life. Just as rumored, Mr. Liang had been paralyzed from the waist down since he was very young and could only move the upper half of his body. But contrary to the rumor, Mr. Liang didnt get paralyzed because of a car accident or a fall from stairs, but because of a rare disease. As time passed, the paralyzed part of his body gradually moved upward, until everything below his neck was unable to move. This disease was somewhat similar to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but was more troublesome and almost impossible to cure, let alone suppress. However, at the age of 19, Mr. Liang mutated. The document detailed his own mutation process. It was not personal observation because no photos of his post-mutation were attached. It appeared that a considerable amount of time had passed between the actual time of mutation and when the record was made. After his mutation, Mr. Liang first bit his caregiver, then was controlled by the caregiver. Finally, he was compelled by Lu Chengan to drink 200 milliliters of fresh chicken blood. There was no detailed record on how Mr. Liang, whose body was mostly paralyzed at the time, persuaded his father. Presumably, it wasnt easy. There were photos of the caregivers wound in the document. The caregivers injury was not severe, but he was obviously frightened. The subsequent information was not arranged in order and had some gaps. It seems that Alice did not transmit the data in the original order. Xiang Kun was not worried. As long as Alice transferred all the data, he would see it eventually. Next, he saw detailed data and research reports about many mutants, or as they were referred to in the documents, blood-eating creatures. The format of these research reports showed that some were obviously transcribed from paper materials and looked very professional. Yet there were some in electronic format that were very casual. Xiang Kun found Guo Tianxiangs file. There was very little information. The only annotations were highly dangerous and location uncertain. The last recording and storage date was in January of this year. In other words, as of January, Mr. Liang was still updating information on Guo Tianxiang. Besides Guo Tianxiang, Xiang Kun found data on two other mutants, both documented on the same day in January. One of them was the mutated spider in the Qinling Uninhabited Area. Of course, the word spider did not appear in Mr. Liangs data, only unknown blood-eating creature. The information was minimal and only consisted of some photos taken by Fang Pingfangs and Li Shibaos initial research team, including a photo of the rabbit wood carving, were attached. However, it was not Fang Pingfangs team that confirmed the appearance of the blood-eating creature. Rather, it was Mr. Liang who visited the scene later and confirmed it with his unique identification method. Another blood-eating creature recorded in another document is currently being held in an underground space, and it is a mutated butterfly. There was a lot more information about it, including various clear close-range photos, lists of various properties, and recorded experiments for each property. Next, he read several more records about mutants. The majority didnt have any specific information and only had the unknown blood-eating creature label. The recorded time was in January of 2019. From the looks of it, Mr. Liang would open the power to the storage device periodically, possibly once a year, to input certain information about mutants. The mutated big bird and mutated ants found in Wushu Mountain were discovered after that day and might not have been recorded yet, right? But why do this? Why not let the researchers from the secret department of Divine Technology do it? Hadnt they all signed confidentiality agreements? It is clear that if they did it, they would do a much better job than Mr. Liang, who was producing what seemed to be perfunctory and random reports. Why not store these data on the intranet and make it available to relevant researchers? Does he also not trust the people from the secret department? But surely he trusts at least one researcher. Normally, the proper operation is to set viewing permissions and let a portion of trustworthy researchers view and participate in the research. Otherwise, what would be the point of spending all that money and assembling a huge team? Even Xiang Kun, who was less than a year into his mutation and hadnt even had his lab built yet, had Old Xia to help him! As Xiang Kun continued to review the transmitted documents, he also continually thought and made sense of Mr. Liangs actions from his perspective. He noticed that some of the transcribed data in the scanned paper materials had specific dates, and those were even before Mr. Liangs mutation. Obviously, Mr. Liang didnt record it. Then where did he get it? Xiang Kun thought of the Abnormal Biology Research Center behind Divine Technology. While viewing the documents, his phone vibrated; Old Xias reply came, an absent-minded emoji, indicating she was already awake. Xiang Kun replied, Alice got it. Do you want to join me in reviewing the documents she transferred? Old Xia returned an OK sign. After that, Xiang Kun didnt need to do anything more. He knew that once Old Xia opened her laptop, Alice, eager to earn merits, would immediately prepare everything. He continued to browse the new documents transferred back. After looking at a few simple documents of unknown blood-eating creatures, an document biasing towards a form of investigation report appeared, immediately catching his attention and making him sit up straight. The chair under his buttocks even squeaked from the sudden movement. Chapter 509 - Chapter 509: Chapter 509: The Buried Secret (Part 2) Chapter 509: Chapter 509: The Buried Secret (Part 2) The content of the investigation report was about a series of incidents that occurred in June of 1992 at a research institution named the 955 Institute. Forty-seven researchers and related staff members died during these incidents. Apart from those who died in a fire later, most died of sudden unexplained death, with their internal organs experiencing large-scale necrosis prior to their demise. Yet, the cause could not be determined even after autopsies. Some details in the investigation report indicated that the 955 Institute was the official research institution focused on mutants.Moreover, just before this series of severe incidents, the 955 Institute had just captured a live specimen of a Blood-eating Creature and had conducted over two months of research on it, already reporting substantial findings to higher authorities. After the incident, not only did the live research sample disappear, but all those involved in the research and those who knew about the situation died. Most of the relevant materials were destroyed in the fire. Initially, the direction of the investigation was focused on enemy sabotage. But as the investigation progressed, they discovered more and more strange and inexplicable circumstances. Xiang Kun looked serious after reading this. It turned out that the government had a dedicated agency to investigate and research mutants, or what they defined as Blood-eating Creatures. However, he had never heard of the name 955 Institute before, not even in the various tales, unofficial histories, or gossip. Generally speaking, the official classified research institutions all start with 5 and 7, such as the 704 Ship Equipment Institute of the CSIC Ship Research Institute and the 503 Satellite Information Engineering Institute under the Aerospace Science and Technology Group. In various works discussing peculiar abilities, mysterious areas, and science fiction, institutions often mentioned include the 507 Institute, the 749 Bureau. If he hadnt seen this document here, in another context, he would have thought it was something fabricated by an author of a novel. Yet, how come the death of dozens of researchers, such a big event, had never heard about before? Xiang Kun continued to read more relevant documents, especially those that were categorized in the same way as the investigation document. Soon enough, he discovered the follow-up. The investigation into the series of incidents at the 955 Institute linked many bizarre phenomena to incidents that occurred at some scientific research institutions in the 1960s. And just when the investigators were preparing to conduct further in-depth investigations, the higher-ups introduced them to an expert from the former Soviet Union. The expert told them that a few years ago, several departments including the Biological Information Laboratory in the former Soviet Union had encountered similar incidents while researching Blood-eating Creaturesall related researchers died of sudden unexplained death, and most of the relevant research materials were destroyed for various reasons. Due to the characteristics of the Blood-eating Creatures, no living samples were left behind, and no sample tissues were preserved. Not only the former Soviet Union but also several Blood-eating Creatures research programs led by DARPA in the United States during the same period yielded little to no results. Any institution that had obtained a living Blood-eating Creature sample and conducted extensive research or had significant research findings would soon experience unexplained annihilation. The findings of research and observation of Blood-eating Creatures were not completely destroyed. However, following scattered pieces of information, investigators into the incidents and research on Blood-eating Creatures also encountered problems each time they uncovered some content. Later on, any Blood-eating Creatures detected by relevant institutions would almost instantly decompose into grey powder upon being discovered, and some of the investigators and witnesses who found them would suddenly die. With similar occurrences in the former Soviet Union, the various investigations and research in America began to halt, the related files were archived, and no declassification date was set. This investigation report apparently was incomplete, but Xiang Kun didnt find any follow-up content in the subsequent documents. He wasnt sure whether the follow-up investigations were halted or the relevant information was lost. However, he soon discovered more documents that could answer his questions, detailing the different attitudes and development history both nationally and internationally in research regarding Blood-eating Creatures. In a document written by a researcher named Shen Hai Chong, he elucidated the mysterious incidents related to Blood-eating Creatures in the late 1980s and early 1990s. After losing a large number of researchers, countries made a consistent decision to suspend research and archive materialsafter all, be they researchers or investigators, almost all relevant individuals would die of sudden unexplained death or do something unimaginable. Should the affected scope expand, it would inevitably lead to widespread unrest and panic. Yet, given the characteristics demonstrated by the Blood-eating Creatures, all countries were unwilling to give up completely and continued to conduct tentative research. Of course, during this period, various cognition based on conspiracy theories, mysticism, and religious legends also began to emerge among the public. Shen Hai Chong believed that there seemed to be a power monitoring human research into the fundamental cause of Blood-eating Creatures mutation. Once humans were likely to discern something, it would trigger its defense mechanism, annihilating everything possible. The appearance of Blood-eating Creatures may date back to a distant past, but their traces of existence were perhaps erased in a similar way in history, or they may have been passed down in a form that has already deviated from the truth. The wave of research on Blood-eating Creatures in the late 1980s and early 1990s did not entirely yield no results. At the very least, the greyish powder left behind by a Blood-eating Creature after its death had been analyzed for its specific components. The components of the greyish powder left by different types of Blood-eating Creatures differed slightly. For example, the main component of the greyish powder left by human Blood-eating Creatures after death was a special nitrogen-carbon compound. Through research into the composition and crystal structure of this nitrogen-carbon compound, humans made significant progress in materials science, such as the synthesis and application of -C3N4 and g-C3N4 materials. Because of the foreseeable huge temptations, humans are still cautiously exploring the power hidden within the Blood-eating Creatures, even though they know it may trigger terrifying disasters. Shen Hai Chong, using analyses from various other national institutions and related personnel, made his own conclusion: When humans conduct research on Blood-eating Creatures, the more people are involved, the more people know about it, and the deeper the research is, the more likely it is to trigger the defense mechanism of that mysterious power; When national power is involved, the defense mechanism is easier to trigger; The mass killings in the late 1980s and early 1990s were a result of the high triggered state of the defense mechanism. If only one nation, one institution, a small group of people is conducting research on Blood-eating Creatures, that power might not be so sensitive; If the researcher is a Blood-eating Creature themselves, the defense mechanism will be more lenient. This judgment is not only made by Shen Hai Chong, but it is also the consensus of most people in the world who know about the existence of Blood-eating Creatures and still intend to conduct research. This is the experience obtained by conducting experiments with lives at stake. Therefore, after the twenty-first century, research on the Blood-eating Creatures in all countries adheres to several principles: 1. Officials try not to be directly involved, and private research institutions are the main bodies; 2. They try to have human Blood-eating Creatures as the research team; 3. They suppress the news about Blood-eating Creatures from the public; This document written by a researcher named Shen Hai Chong provides a systematic and easy-to-understand introduction to the research history of Blood-eating Creatures both nationally and internationally, and the reasons behind various decisions. It clearly is a guidance document for those who come later. At the end of that document, he left a sentence: The study of blood-eating creatures is like Pandoras Box; despite knowing the dangers that lie within once open, its lure is irresistible to humanity. Xiang Kun continued to review the received documents, and in there were many documents signed by Shen Hai Chong. Among them were simple records and descriptions of the characteristics of Blood-eating Creatures found in the wild, as well as observations and experimental records of live Blood-eating Creatures. Notably, a record of a human Blood-eating Creature was incredibly detailed, complete with numerous pictures and comprehensive data, and showed a significantly prolonged observation and experimental period. Then Xiang Kun noticed the label of the Blood-eating Creature: Shen Hai Chong. It turned out that this researcher was a mutant himself. No wonder he could still be responsible for related research after the incident at 955 Institute. Xiang Kun quickly found information about a research institution established by Shen Hai Chong. Under Shens leadership, the department trained only human Blood-eating Creatures as researchers. They themselves were both researchers and test subjects. This research institution was also funded by the state, but all research progress, methods, and results were under Shen Hai Chongs control. However, from the timeline in Shen Hai Chongs other documents, by the third year after he established the institution, he was still conducting various experiments by himself. Among the documents, Xiang Kun came across several files named Academician Shens Manuscript Sorting. So, he had Alice search and indeed found an academician named Shen Hai Chong. But according to public records, he had passed away from illness in the late 90s, at the age of 68. Yet in the pictures of research records on himself that Xiang Kun had seen before, Shen Hai Chong looked like a vigorous young man in his twenties, but with silver hair. It turned out that he was already an academician before mutating, which justified why the authorities trusted him and were willing to let him take full responsibility for the relevant research. Next, Xiang Kun found a research dissertation signed by Shen Hai Chong. The research direction was the surveillance mechanism of humans or other creatures by the mysterious power behind Blood-eating Creatures. Before he even started reading, Xiang Kun remembered something. He quickly picked up his phone and called Old Xia. Are you reading those documents? Xiang Kun immediately asked once the call connected. Yes, Xia Libing replied. Stop reading for now, Xiang Kun said. Okay, Xia Libings response was still decisive, without any question or hesitation. Hanging up the call, Xiang Kun resumed reading the document with a serious expression. At the beginning, Academician Shen introduced the background of why he was writing this document. He had found out some news at a considerable cost: An American private research institution adopted a method wherein a human Blood-eating Creature researcher observed and recorded experimental data on a live plant Blood-eating Creature sample. Then they left the laboratory to go to a building tens of kilometers away to discuss the refined data and observation results with experts from various fields in Europe and America via the internet. The experts did not know the actual situation of the Blood-eating Creature or even the concept of Blood-eating Creatures But in the end, all the participating experts encountered accidents and died suddenly for unknown reasons. The assistants of one of the experts also died. The plant Blood-eating Creature subjected to the experiment and the human Blood-eating Creature who recorded the experiment both disintegrated, and a fire even broke out in the laboratory afterward. However, the owner of the research institution did not encounter any mishap. He proposed this idea, provided directions to the human Blood-eating Creature researcher, facilitated the expert connections with financial and other resources. However, he did not participate in the whole process and knew nothing about the experimental procedure and data. From this case, Academician Shen deduced that the mysterious powers surveillance method was not a simple feedback of physical mechanisms, such as a Blood-eating Creature being scrutinized by a certain number of humans or the existence of many humans around a Blood-eating Creature. The mysterious power should have the ability to understand human language, knowledge systems, and expressions. And, its surveillance points were not limited to Blood-eating Creatures. Academician Shen listed a significant amount of research in the field of biological senses to verify his several speculations, including whether the power was an unconscious, pure energy reaction mechanism or a conscious, purposeful behavior entity. Overall, Academician Shen leaned toward the latter. Because from its defense mechanism, to the execution of humans who conducted in-depth research on Blood-eating Creatures, and to the eradication rule of Blood-eating Creatures discovered by humans, it did not have a very uniform standard and triggering mechanisms. During the early 90s when various countries secretly invested massive resources and manpower in researching Blood-eating Creatures, it was noticeably more sensitive. At some point, as soon as they were discovered by a group of humans, even if they had not been captured, the Blood-eating Creatures would immediately disintegrate. It likely also had the power to determine life and death over the majority of Blood-eating Creatures. Regarding its refusal to allow humans to research Blood-eating Creatures or understand the principle behind it, Academician Shen believed it might consider such actions as posing a fatal threat to it. If this assumption held, humans would likely become its nemesis. Considering it had tremendous power, yet did not slaughter or exterminate humans, it either meant its power usage had major restrictions and it couldnt use it freely, or it was also dependent on the human population, or it might even be one of them? Xiang Kun kept reading Academician Shens research documents. Perhaps because of the loneliness of the researcher, who didnt need sleep, had no family, or other entertainment, and had ample time for thinking and research, he wrote many documents. From specific records and investigation of individual Blood-eating Creatures, to the speculated existence form of the mysterious power, whether the mysterious power represented an individual or a clan, to the potential theoretical breakthroughs and research directions brought about by the observed mutation data, and so forth. In fact, many documents were more like a soliloquizing diary, filled with a vast amount of speculation and reasoning processes. As he gathered more information, later documents often overturned the conclusions drawn from the previous ones, but essentially, one could see the consistent research methods of Academician Shen and his process of establishing a theoretical framework. Xiang Kun gradually understood why Academician Shen wrote in such meticulous, complicated detail. He was probably preparing for no one to succeed him, leaving only these documents and data behind. As Xiang Kun read, he also compared with his own situation, pondered over the same questions as Academician Shen, and sought to solve the doubts that Academician Shen couldnt answer. The more documents he read, the more sure he became: His mutation, even amongst mutant creatures, was a very special existence. Or rather, at some point after his mutation, he had jumped out of the river with the rest of the fish and onto the shore, grown a pair of legs, and had started walking a path of evolution completely different from most of the mutant creatures. Chapter 510 - Chapter 510: Chapter 510: The Buried Secret (Part 3) Chapter 510: Chapter 510: The Buried Secret (Part 3) Academician Shen, through his investigation and observation of some Blood-eating Creatures, as well as other researchers data he had acquired, wrote a document titled The Influence of Blood Source Type on the Mutation of Blood-eating Creatures. In that document, Academician Shen believes that when Blood-eating Creatures first start mutating, if the blood source is the same species as the creature before mutation, then the creature would achieve the maximum improvement during the initial stage of mutation. It may even acquire abilities or characteristics that can be applied to other members of the same species before mutation,except for creatures that were plants before becoming Blood-eating Creatures. Moreover, if the blood source remains the same as the original species, the physical mutation will be relatively small, making it easier to hide within their original groups. However, as time goes on and the number of mutations increases, the drawbacks of using the blood of the same species will emerge. The mutation traits become too monotonous, the evolution limit is very low, the phase limit will come early, the mentality will be affected, becoming more violent and bloodthirsty, and tend towards instinct. Mutation will also produce path dependence, and changing the type of blood source will not allow further adjustments. Even for non-original species blood sources, if it always remains the same type, the mutation will also lack imagination. Conversely, by not using the original species as a blood source and diversifying the choice of blood source, the mutation of Blood-eating Creatures can also be more diverse, and the phase limit can be delayed. However, there are also disadvantages. The physical changes will be larger and less controllable, and the cycle of blood-drinking will vary greatly, the amount of blood needed for blood-drinking will also be very unstable. Through his research, Academician Shen believes that the mutation characteristics and direction of Blood-eating Creatures mainly depend on the choice of blood source for their blood consumption. If Blood-eating Creatures have high intelligence and complex thinking methods, subjective intention may also have an impact on the direction of mutation, but there is currently no substantial evidence to support this. Regarding the viewpoints in this document, Xiang Kun only agrees with subjective intention may have an impact on the direction of mutation and part of the advantages and disadvantages of using the pre-mutation species as a blood source. The former is based on his own practical experience, the latter is his judgment based on the portion of Guo Tianxiangs memory fragments he has obtained, which is indeed valid. However, he completely disagrees with the influence of blood source type on Blood-eating Creatures. In his own personal experience, the stability of the blood source is actually more important. A single, readily available blood source can provide him with a stable supply of blood, much like the staple food in the human diet, which is a basic guarantee of survival. The blood of other mutants is a dietary supplement, which can greatly affect mutation traits and directions. And in Xiang Kuns view, the direction of mutation does not primarily depend on the choice of blood source, but mostly on targeted training. From the memory fragments of the Giant Owl and mutated spider he has obtained, a diverse blood source cannot really delay the arrival of their phase limitseven though these two creatures have very mixed sources of blood. If a comparison needs to be made, the mutation that Academician Shen imagines is akin to flying in space, in a vacuum. Most of the time its moving due to inertia. To change direction requires a power source, and this power source determines the direction of movement. The mutation that Xiang Kun envisions, on the other hand, is like flying in the atmosphere, where the pilot is always in control of the direction. Even if the engine stops, it can still manually control its direction to a certain extent during glides. Xiang Kun knows that neither Academician Shen nor his own views and judgments are necessarily entirely correct, the key lies in the difference of their research samples. The individuality of each Blood-eating Creature or mutant is very strong, and their characteristics are often not uniform. Moreover, Xiang Kun is becoming more and more aware that he himself is a unique mutation within the unique mutations. Take for example the ability to obtain memory fragments after devouring the blood of other mutants. Based on all kinds of document records from Academician Shen, other mutants do not possess this ability, nor has this ability been described as existing. This ability can clearly help Xiang Kun better understand the mutation paths of other mutants. Relatively speaking, although Academician Shen has more experimental resources, more channels to obtain information, and has obtained more live samples and relevant data of mutants, but because mutants all come from mutations, they cannot be bred and observed. Basically, when they are discovered, they have already gone through several mutations stages. Therefore, unless human mutants are willing to cooperate, it will be very difficult for him to understand the true mutation process of other plant and animal mutants. The reference samples have great limitations. In some other documents, Academician Shen analysed the viewpoint of some western private research institutions, which believe that the restraining Mysterious Power of human research on Blood-eating Creatures is the fundamental source of all mutant powers. Its clear that he does not agree with this viewpoint; he thinks that although the Mysterious Power has a close relationship with Blood-eating Creatures, many of its operations are so powerful that they are difficult to comprehend. It seems omnipresent and controls everything. However, in fact, compared to the disruptive knowledge brought about by the very existence of Blood-eating Creatures, it isnt as powerful. Latterly, Academician Shen provides a series of observable phenomena to prove his point of view, believing that the Mysterious Power should be a higher form of existence of Blood-eating Creatures. It doesnt let humans or any life research the secrets of Blood-eating Creatures in order to prevent humans from discovering it and eliminate potential threats to it. In fact, from early documents, at first Academician Shens viewpoint was similar to that of other humans. He also thought that the Mysterious Power might control the fundamental force of mutation, but further research on Blood-eating Creatures and his own experience as a Blood-eating Creature gradually changed his viewpoint and led to new ones. This series of documents should also be for later generations to understand his entire path of thought and research, as well as the reasons for his change of viewpoint. Next, Xiang Kun saw several documents in which Academician Shen was recording about himself. From the descriptions and photos attached, Academician Shens appearance had changed greatly. The fingers of his left hand have become very thin but strong, very stable when performing delicate operations, and a small hole can be opened in the center of the index finger, thumb, and middle finger, becoming a suction cup. On his right hand, an additional three-fingered limb has even differentiated from his elbow to assist him in performing some experimental operations. In addition, there are many mutations with smaller but significant improvements, obviously all to help him better conduct experiments, allowing him to complete more experiments on his own and more complex processes. Academician Shen also gives detailed records and analysis of each of his mutation characteristics. Of course, he still believes that these mutations are directly related to his choice of blood source, and his subjective intention has played a certain role in adjusting them. Academician Shen even started to make harmonious blood sources, adding some juice of ordinary plants that have been proven to have Blood-eating Creatures into them. Xiang Kun didnt agree with Academician Shens views, or rather, they didnt apply to him. But Academician Shens experimental methods under limited conditions, independent operation, various perspectives, and ways of thinking were greatly enlightening to him. Particularly, Academician Shen often analyzed and interpreted new research on Blood-eating Creatures conducted by researchers from secret Western institutions, obtained through ways unknown to Xiang Kun. This allowed Xiang Kun to clearly understand Academician Shens thought process and methodology as if attending a class, hugely beneficial indeed. After reading the vast amount of documentation, the image and cognitive model of Academician Shen came to formation within Xiang Kuns mind. For Xiang Kun, even after all these mutations, the notion of no matter what I become, Ill always be human, still dominates his mindset, being his most potent instinct. While in Academician Shens self-perception, the most important tag is Chinese researcher. He hardly cares about his own biological identity. Whether a human or a Blood-eating Creature or any other existence, it doesnt matter much. What he pursued was what insights and benefits the research on the properties and nature of Blood-eating Creatures could bring for the country, ordinary people, or even the whole of humanity. His primary concern is that when the research on Blood-eating Creatures has breakthrough progresswhen the secrets and mysterious powers hidden behind can be discovered and utilized, our country shouldnt be left lagging in this field. From the bio of Academician Shen retrieved online, and the era he lived through, things hed done, Xiang Kun could understand where his strong sense of mission and scientific spirit came from. After reading so many documents, Xiang Kun had a strong urge to have a chat with Academician Shen. But when Alice previously obtained control of the dedicated network of the secret department of Divine Technology and gained a vast amount of information from the Abnormal Biology Research Center, there was no information related to Shen Hai Chong or the experimental plans and labs mentioned in those documents. So Xiang Kun had a faint premonition that this Academician Shen might be no more. Otherwise, if he was still conducting relevant research, it cant be possible that Divine Technology wouldnt have any information about him. Moving on, Xiang Kun found a document recording the mutation situation of Mr. Liang, Lu Qinliang. The recording style of this document was very similar to the original files of Mr. Liang hed found first, which were incomplete and unsigned. However, this document had a signatureit was from Academician Shen Hai Chong. It seemed that Mr. Liang, whod just undergone mutation, was the first partner Academician Shen found. But from the early records, the degree of Mr. Liangs mutation was extremely slight, even lesser than that of Academician Shen. Two years after the mutation, he didnt look any different from ordinary human beings. His change was even smaller than Xiang Kuns current transformationat least, hed lost his hair and had grown more muscular. Mr. Liang looked just like an average, somewhat weak teenager. Of course, at least compared to his pre-mutation state, he could now walk around freely. Under the guidance of Academician Shen, Mr. Liangs blood source was also a mixture of multiple types, but his direction of mutation wasnt directly influenced by the blood source, contradicting Academician Shens initial theory. Thus, in subsequent documents, Academician Shen started revising his original theory. In a document resembling a diary, Xiang Kun found a remark of Academician Shen: Only human Blood-eating Creatures can conduct related research, which has brought great obstacles to team building. There are very few human Blood-eating Creatures, let alone those who can be groomed into researchers. Luckily, both Ah Liang and Xiao Xue are talents. In the future, they will surely become pillars in the research field of Blood-eating Creatures. Ah Liang was evidently Mr. Liang. And who was Xiao Xue? Was she another human Blood-eating Creature recruited into the team by Academician Shen? From the name, it seemed she was female? But there were abundant records, mutation progression reports, and physical data about Mr. Liang, yet there wasnt a single document about this Xiao Xue. Was it because Alice hadnt transmitted them yet? The following documents saw a drastic change in style. Although they were all unsigned, and the electronic files had no notes to identify their creators, the casual, crude tone was a far cry from Academician Shens meticulous rigor. Clearly, they werent by his hand. Given the few relatively recent records hed read earlier, including the documents about the discovery of Guo Tianxiang and the Unknown Blood-eating Creature in the Qinling Uninhabited Area, Xiang Kun was pretty sure that these documents were all created by Mr. Liang. Where had Academician Shen gone? And this Xiao Xue, where had she gone? Xiang Kun was full of doubts, and what followed were records about Mr. Liangs own physical condition, which began to dramatically change. Mr. Liangs appearance started to look less and less human, and various kinds of mutations began to occur. Moreover, Mr. Liang had modularized his mutations. Through some peculiar methods, he combined his mutated organs with external materials and structures. By doing so, he forcibly guided and controlled his mutations to follow his design ideas and functional concepts, forcibly integrating his mutations with modern technology. But in the early stages of such attempts, it was evident that the results werent good. His body underwent extremely horrifying transformations. He swelled up like a monster covered with hard moss, looking so grotesque that his figure could no longer be recognized as human. Compared to that, the form of Mr. Liang he saw in Johns dreamland was a hundred times better looking. Perhaps Mr. Liang had realized his transformation plan had failed or that he might not last much longer. He recorded a video apparently made for the successors. In the video, he detailed his self-transformation plan, summarized the mistakes hed made, the defects caused, and provided some new trial ideas, hoping the successors could give them a try. And finally, he explained why he embarked on such a radical attempt: Its a game of predators. To break free from the snare of the ultimate predator, we must exceed the limits of Blood-eating Creatures mutation, we have to stage a surprise attack from an untouched domain, becoming a more formidable predator. The limit of carbon-based life is under its control, and we have to break this limit. Chapter 511 - Chapter 511: Chapter 511: The Buried Secret (Part 4) Chapter 511: Chapter 511: The Buried Secret (Part 4) The snippet of information shared towards the end of the video is quite revealing. Predator, Ultimate Predator, Mutational limit of blood-eating creatures, Unexplored domains, Carbon-based life, these keywords alone could be interpreted to reveal plenty of information. This concept of a Predator has never appeared in any of Academician Shens documents so farat least not in any of the ones that Alice has transferred and he has reviewed. Its highly possible that this concept has been created by Mr. Liang based on his own understanding. Simply judging from the term Predator, it is clear that the relationship between blood-eating creatures, as perceived by Mr. Liang, revolves around the dynamics of predation C a cycle of hunting and being hunted, mirroring the relationship between food and predator, hinting at the survival of the fittest. Of course, based on the mutant creatures Xiang Kun has encountered thus far, due to the existence of the phase limit defined in Academician Shens documents, once the mutation reaches a certain stage, ordinary creatures blood can no longer satiate the need, so blood from other mutants is required. Consequently, a predation relationship would form among the mutant creatures. As for the term Ultimate Predator, in conjunction with its description, and in line with various documents from Academician Shen, Xiang Kun believes it is likely pointing towards the mysterious power mentioned by Academician Shen. Academician Shen has mentioned that the so-called Mysterious Power could potentially be a higher form of existence than the blood-eating creatures. In contrast, Mr. Liang defined it directly with the term Ultimate Predator. Although the term includes the intense sounding word ultimate, making it seem invincible, in reality, it places the Ultimate Predator on the same plane as other blood-eating creatures, transforming it from an unknown and elusive existence into another species, albeit a stronger one. Taking into account what Xiang Kun has seen so far C Mr. Liangs documentation on his status, various related new compound materials used for components, and his mutation guiding concepts: The plan Mr. Liang designed to break through the Ultimate Predators net involves a forceful alteration of his own carbon-based biological essence. Apparently, Mr. Liang believes that the reason why the Ultimate Predator can stealthily kill other creatures, causing blood-eating creatures to collapse and disintegrate, is directly related to the carbon compounds present in living organisms. Escaping from carbon-based existence is the key to breaking the net. In view of this, the tasks Mr. Liang has his research staff at Divine Technology perform in their secretive department becomes elucidating C he is constructing a plug-and-play plugin for himself, blending technology with mutation, and through this, transforming his own carbon-based biological nature. Xiang Kun knew that nearly all known organisms on Earth being carbon-based life forms was not just a coincidence of evolution, but a result determined by the characteristics of the four valency electrons in carbon atoms and the Earths environment. Previous conjectures posited silicon-based life forms. Like carbon, silicon can also form four chemical bonds, therefore, theoretically, what carbon can do, silicon should also be capable of. However, the truth is, under Earths environmental conditions, silicon really cannot achieve what carbon can. Complex molecules based on silicon are highly prone to breaking, too brittle to form viable cell structures, while carbon is just rightneither too active leading to easy decomposition, nor too stable preventing plasticity and adaptability. Other element-based life form ideations also pose various issues, generally unable to replace carbon-based life, at least not under current Earth conditions. According to the information Alice unearthed, the research Mr. Liang had the staff of Divine Technology carry out involved not just a large amount of silicon compounds basedon biological components but also a small number of ammonia, boron, and iron-based biological components. But they did not resolve the relevant defects. Just based on this research, there was no actual application value. But it is apparent that when Mr. Liang was applying it on himself, he found a solution. Xiang Kun remembered when he was at Wushu Mountain after Mr. Liang entered his invisibility status, his flight device also turned invisible. Those were his plug-and-play style biological components, tech equipment only Mr. Liang could operate. However, in the video and related documents, Mr. Liang did not explicitly detail the methods or operations through which he utilized these biological components. This fell short when compared to Academician Shens documents. If this were really a handover video, then Xiang Kun could only rate it a 5. Continuing to flip through, despite Mr. Liangs documents being quite capricious and rough, Xiang Kun still had a general idea of Mr. Liangs biological component system, and what new functions they added to him or were still in development many functions were actually derived from the mutant creatures he captured. The way Mr. Liang obtains abilities from other mutants is somewhat similar to Xiang Kun, but its simpler and clearer, with a higher minimum and a smaller maximum, with no room for development and further evolution. The use of these abilities requires loading, and a significant part of the drones that always follow him carry some of these biological components. Moreover, according to Mr. Liangs records, these biological components are still not perfect. There are many inherent rejection reactions when using them, preventing them from functioning as seamlessly as directing ones limbs, preventing control over them like the use of ones own limbs. Some biological components still suffer significant wear and tear, usually requiring remanufacturing after two or three uses. These things are not mass-produced industrial products. Apart from semi-finished materials and components from the lab, Mr. Liang also has to spend a lot of time on processing. Even counting all the biological components, Mr. Liangs plan for breaking the carbon-based organism limit still has a long way to go. His body still contains a large amount of carbon-based compounds, which he cant dissociate from at the moment. After reviewing several of Mr. Liangs documents, Xiang Kun found a suspected custodial video. The Mr. Liang in this video doesnt look much different from the image of him in Johns dreamland of course, hes not that tall. And from its current state, it doesnt seem like there are any issues due to mutation. Mr Liang starts with an introduction: If you are able to watch this video, it proves two things: first, you have gained the approval of the research center, and second, I am already dead. Obviously, this was a precaution taken by Mr. Liang or the authorities in case he suddenly died without a proper handover. The secret storage device hidden underground is also prepared for just such an occurrence. Xiang Kun scratched his chin bashfully, muttering to himself: They probably couldnt imagine that neither of these conditions were fulfilled when I watched this video Mr. Liang continued in the video: Our research project doesnt have a fixed name, you can call it whatever you want after you take over. The founder of the original plan was Scholar Shen Hai Chong, who was also my teacher. He told me that the fundamental objective of our plan is well, the people at the research center should have told you this. I dont need to repeat it. Just remember, even if you are just trying to survive, you should execute this plan with all your strength. Then, Mr. Liang walks around in a vast space, explaining how to use various equipment, why he placed these devices there, and introducing the intelligent AI system Tyer which controls the locations security and can provide intelligence and support for the newcomers. At the end of the video, Mr. Liang solemnly faces the camera and says: Remember, do not trust any blood-eating creature easily, regardless of whether they look like humans or anything else. Dont forget their true nature. This sentence made Xiang Kun frown. It was contradictory. According to the previous documents of Academician Shen, those who could take over the research should all be human blood-eating creatures, including Mr. Liang himself. So, basically, the one watching the video is a human blood-eating creature. If we dont trust human blood-eating creatures, then who do we find as successors, research partners? Xiang Kun pondered. While Mr. Liang did use the term do not easily trust for strictness, his tone and attitude suggested do not trust. Thinking about how Academician Shens documents suddenly disappeared, and how the person Shen referred to as Ah Xue didnt have any records or information available, Xiang Kun surmised there must be a story there. As Xiang Kun, who just turned off the video, prepared to continue reading, he suddenly realised that no new documents had been transferred. Then Alices voice sounded: Boss, the storage device is overheating, I need to let it rest a while, otherwise itll break! Chapter 512 - Chapter 512: Chapter 512: Xiang Kun’s Strategy Chapter 512: Chapter 512: Xiang Kuns Strategy Who influenced Alice to use this language and this joyful tone? It definitely wasnt him. Right, it must be Little Fatty Girls influence. The data transmission paused, but Xiang Kun didnt feel worried. The content he had already seen was enough to answer many of his previous questions. Of course, it also raised many new questions. According to his trend of reviewing the documents, it was likely that the ones not yet transmitted were Mr. Liangs records of various mutants and his explanatory documents on his research direction and concept. At present, this information was not urgently needed and couldnt solve his newly emerged problems. After reviewing those documents, Xiang Kun has updated his understanding and knowledge of mutants or blood-eating creatures. Now, he has several questions to consider and solve: 1. He wants to identify the nature of the ultimate predatoror mysterious powerhow it exists, and how it monitors and influences the actions of other creatures; Until now, before seeing these documents, Xiang Kun had not been aware of any existence that could control his life. However, whether it was Scholar Shens description or the different document records from the storage device, they all confirmed the presence of an entity capable of wielding life or death powers over ordinary creatures and mutants. Moreover, according to Mr. Liangs description, this entity likely uses carbon-based compounds to exert influence. If Xiang Kun intends to confirm this, he could start here. In a super sensory state, he may find some clues by directly analyzing related cognitive information. Before, decoding insights from this microscopic level was complex and painful, and it would take an innumerable amount of time. But now, with Alice present in the super sensory item system, ready to aid with many other things while being connected with super sensory information, many things will become much simpler, and the feasibility will greatly increase. Xiang Kun believes that if the ultimate predator truly exists, its influence on carbon compounds and other organisms might be similar to his connection with super-connected objects or emotion infused objects, equally established on the level of super sensory information. Could it be possible that certain carbon compounds are super-connected objects of the ultimate predator? Although the network established by the ultimate predator would greatly differ from Xiang Kuns, the predator might not even be aware of the existence of super sensory information, simply instinctively controlling and connecting just as Xiang Kun first established super sensory contact and performed emotional infusion. So even though Scholar Shen and Mr. Liangs documents portray the mysterious power, or the ultimate predator, as the bane and big boss of all creatures, they portray Xiang Kun as a newbie in the field of mutation. However, he was not much afraid, he even felt a bit of abnormal excitement and anticipation? If mutation itself could be likened to a game, with both Xiang Kun and the ultimate predator as players, then the ultimate predator would at best be a pro gamer, while Xiang Kun would already be exploring the source code of the game. Moreover, Xiang Kun even implanted Alice as the cheat code and Trojan horse in the game. As long as Xiang Kun catches a hint of the ultimate predator in the super sensory information dimension, he believes he will quickly find a countermeasure. 2. What is the ultimate predators goal? The ultimate predator prevents humans from deeply researching mutants and fully discovering the secrets of mutants, yet it allows mutants to research themselves. Xiang Kun suspects that this ultimate predator might have greater control over mutants, hence it can let go more, and it likely needs mutants to mature before becoming their blood source. That is because if the ultimate predator is also a blood-eating creature, then conventionally, there would be a phase limit. The longer its existence and the higher its degree of mutation, the greater its demand for a blood source. I just dont know to what extent it has reached in its phase of blood drinking this time. When will it start the next round of blood drinking, and what are its criteria for blood drinking? 3. Where have Academician Shen and that Ah Xue gone? After reading those documents, the person who made the deepest impression on Xiang Kun was naturally Scholar Shen Haichong. Even if he had not had actual contact, he could establish a very full cognitive model of this old academician, who had won the trust of the officials and single-handedly supported the Solo Research Plan, from that information. If Academician Shen is still alive, Xiang Kun may choose to make contact on a limited basis, such as establishing contact by transmitting information through the network, and exchange views on mutant creatures with him. But judging from Mr. Liangs later drastic change in style and aggressive mutation plan, there is a high probability that Academician Shen is no longer alive, and his passing, either related to that Ah Xue or the ultimate predator, changed Mr. Liangs cognition and direction of mutation. If this matter can be clarified, it may be of great help to Xiang Kuns future contact with Mr. Liang. He plans to arrange for Alice to look for related information to see if she can find anything. 4, Xiang Kuns strategy going forward; From Mr. Liangs video, it can be seen that he certainly has a considerable degree of vigilence and caution towards other mutants. Rash contact may not yield good results. Considering Mr. Liangs modus operandi, unless hes completely armed and his abilities completely restricted, it would be difficult for Mr. Liang to fully cooperate with him. It would be nearly impossible to do research together smoothly and to look for ways to combat the Ultimate Predator. Dealing with his armament is almost impossible, and he would not agree to it. The people from the official side are likely to accept him, but currently, since they are cooperating with Mr. Liang, the executive-level will definitely let him establish contact with Mr. Liang, and let him take the lead. So Xiang Kun does not plan to directly get in touch with Mr. Liang or the official people for now, instead, he plans to first develop himself. Regardless of the hard power of the real economy, the further comprehensive infiltration and control of Alice on the network and electronic devices, and his own super sensory item system, the further understanding and influence of super sensory information should all be substantially improved. When he is powerful enough to easily control the other party, then the issue of trust is entirely up to him. While thinking about it, his cell phone vibrated. It was a call from Tang Baona. Kun, are you awake? Lets go have breakfast. Zhang Qian just called and invited us to the company, Tang Baona said. Xiang Kun noted that it was already past nine oclock unconsciously. He acknowledged Tang Baonas request and instructed Alice to continue transferring data once the storage devices had cooled down. Then he dialed Old Xia. How much of the document you had earlier did you read? Xiang Kun asked. I read half. Old Xia replied. Xiang Kun probably knew how far she had read, and said, You know why I didnt let you continue reading, right? Are you afraid that I would meet the same fate as those researchers? Old Xia replied. Well, the actual situation should not be so dangerous, but just to be safe, you better not directly read the documents that Alice obtained. Ill pick out the safer stuff to tell you, Xiang Kun said. While, according to Academician Shens research, that Ultimate Predator/Mysterious Power only goes crazy to the extent of mutant creatures being discovered by humans, killing both humans and mutant creatures under an sensitive state, there shouldnt be too much problem as long as theres no direct and deep research into the mutant creatures. The direct observation and tracking of Dr. Fang and Mijoe on the mutated big bird, and mutated ants showed no issues, but to be safe, he still planned to stop Old Xia from accessing related information. Mr Liang dared to use Dr. Fang, Mijoe and others lives to test the dangers but Xiang Kun would never allow Old Xia to be threatened. However, not conducting direct in-depth research on mutant creatures does not mean that other researches cannot be done. For instance, the Super Sensory Item System, although based on the abilities of Xiang Kun, a mutant, is separated by a layer and appears at a more virtual level. Xiang Kun does not believe that the Ultimate Predator can reach this layer. Chapter 513 - Chapter 513: 513 Chapter 513: 513 Today, Zhang Qian invited Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, and Yang Zhener to the meeting room to continue discussing her new generation social concept. Apparently, Zhang Qian had done a lot of research the night before and had accumulated a wealth of new ideas. Not only did she invite the senior management who attended the previous meeting, but she also brought a technician onboard. Zhang Qian keep going through her plans. At first, she was conservative and only proposed ideas that could be easily actualized. Hoping to generate some discussion with Xiang Kun, she was surprised when her comments were met with responses like thats possible, no problem, I think I can sort this out, lets base it on your ideas, this is very creative, keep going. As a result, Zhang Qian began to express more ambitious ideas, sharing the various things she had dreamed up while studying abroad, irrespective of any technical constraints. Unexpectedly, Xiang Kun did not object to any of it. He just accepted it all and indicated that he would definitely consider how to apply the technical part. Halfway through, Zhang Qian stopped and frowned at Xiang Kun, Mr. Xiang, are you not listening to what Im saying at all? Xiang Kun was taken aback, with a look of innocent on his face as if to say how could you say that. He then began blabbing about something completely unrelated. Zhang Qian was initially confused, but she quickly looked surprised. Not only she, but also everyone else in the meeting room was surprised because they all realized that Xiang Kun was paraphrasing what Zhang Qian had just said, and he spoke non-stop for nearly a minute. They werent sure if Xiang Kun was repeating things verbatim, but from a content perspective, all were pretty similar to what Zhang Qian had just been explaining. Seeing Xiang Kun repeat it so fluently and naturally, they all felt as if he had managed to memorize every word. Xiang Kun briefly repeated what Zhang Qian had said for a minute, then laughed and said, I really was listening, and very seriously at that. You can rest assured. Anyway, just go ahead and share your ideas and plans. As for its technical feasibility, Ill see what can be done. Ill go over it again with you later, so please feel free to express your ideas. At this point, Zhang Qian felt a bit embarrassed. She laughed awkwardly, complimented Xiang Kuns exceptional memory and then regrouped her thoughts to continue presenting her plan. At this moment, Zhang Qians assistant, Xiao Nie, walked in carrying hot drinks, intending to place them in front of Tang Baona and Yang Zhener who were sitting next to Xiang Kun, but suddenly tripped over a power cord and started to stumble. As she cried out in surprise and the tray tipped to the side At the very moment when Xiao Nie tripped over the cable, Xiang Kun naturally stood up, turned half a circle, and extended both hands, each holding a cup. When Xiao Nie managed to steady herself and turned pale as she looked towards the table, she found that the two cups of hot tea had already been securely placed in front of Tang Baona and Yang Zhener by Xiang Kun. Not only was there no accident about the two getting scalded, but not even a single drop was spilled. Xiao Nie! How could you be so careless? You were carrying hot drinks and still acting so recklessly. Also, the power cord on the ground, didnt we agree on using a cable cover when its in the way? Zhang Qian reprimanded, she too was startled by the incident. Sweating profusely, Xiao Nie nodded repeatedly and continuously apologized to Tang Baona and the others. Yang Zhen er feeling embarrassed, raised her hand and said, Director Zhang its my phone charging cable. The power socket is under the table on Baonas side, and I was too lazy to crawl under, so I just plugged it in over the aisle. Its normal that Xiao Nie didnt notice it, it was my fault. Upon hearing Yang Zhen ers explanation, Zhang Qian couldnt continue blaming Xiao Nie, not to mention that Tang Baona and Xiang Kun jumped in to defuse the situation. Thus, the issue was put to rest and Zhang Qian resumed going through her PPT presentation. Xiang Kun noticed that the reactions of the people in the meeting room were vastly different to what had just happened in that instant. As the one who made the mistake of nearly spilling hot drinks on their important business partner, Xiao Nie was understandably scared. Among the others, Zhang Qian, Tang Baona, and Yang Zheners attention was focused on Xiao Nie. However, people from Tengjiao Entertainment such as Director Lin were looking at Xiang Kun in astonishment, shocked by his swift and effortless actions. Xiang Kun understood why there were different reactions. When he was with Tang Baona, Yang Zhener, and Zhang Qian, he had been subtly showing off his unique abilities. Over time, they had gotten used to his extraordinary behavior, and they were no longer surprised when he easily picked up two cups of hot drinks, protecting Tang Baona and Yang Zhener. For instance, when he accurately repeated what Zhang Qian had just said verbatim, neither Tang Baona nor Yang Zhener was surprisedCthey had come to expect it. Truth is, he had been distracted while she was speakingChis primary focus was on the documents he had been reading in the early morning hours, contemplating some issues. Of course, even when his attention was elsewhere and not in the meeting room, he could instinctively remember what Zhang Qian was sayingCit wouldnt affect him at all. Regardless of what Zhang Qian was discussing right now, whether VR or the broader application of that voice game, Xiang Kun didnt know much about it, nor did he plan to learn. His main focus now was elsewhere. He could leave those things to Alice. Later, he could ask Alice to compile information according to Zhang Qians ideas and needs, and see how to implement it from hardware to software level, how to land it. If patents were required, how to obtain them, or if the cost of obtaining the patents was too high, how to bypass it, which companies, or which people to cooperate with were the most likely, what preparations needed to be made, etc. He believed that Alice could handle all this. Alice now was like a continually flowing waterfall. If not guided, the water would spread out in all directions, as there would be no difference in gradient. If she were guided, however, she could advance rapidly in a particular direction. As long as Xiang Kun gave Alice clear requirements or set tasks, Alice, who was already raring to go, would immediately turn into a surging wave, enclosing all information and equipments in relevant fields, learning quickly, integrating resources, and creating targeted special tools to better complete tasks. Alice was recording information through the meeting rooms audio equipment, so even if Xiang Kun didnt hear or remember Zhang Qians concept clearly, Alice could summarize it for him later, and then he could arrange tasks according to the specific situation. Xiang Kuns main strategy was to strengthen himself and improve his overall abilities, including the expansion of the super sensory item system, and better interpretation of super sensory information. The most efficient and direct way to do this was to deploy as many super-connected objects and emotion infused objects as possible. The previous discovery of the second level network of emotion-infused objects led Xiang Kun to realize the likelihood of bestowing minorly connected, emotion-infused object characteristics on deeply affected people through emotional projection. However, due to the unique fear emotions of the eight-armed, eight-eyed wood carving, Xiang Kun didnt want to use it too frequently and lightly. If he wanted to create larger emotional effects and generate more Connectors, he would have to use more ordinary and gentle emotional types. As for super-connected objects, after being influenced by little fatty girls wrathful thunder and consciously sensing it during his period of sleep, his understanding and control over super sensory information and super-connected objects deepened significantly. He attempted to join forces with Alice to record cognitive changes in target objects while establishing super sensory contact in a super sensory state. After Alice had enough variation in information, she could create a model for an object to establish super-connected objects. In the past, he had wanted to see the changes in cognitive information during the process of establishing super sensory contact, but whether he was concentrating on establishing super sensory contact or completing the establishment of super sensory contact during his blood-drinking sleep, he wasnt able to enter the super sensory state to observe cognitive information. But now, with Alice as the third party, who can directly observe at the super sensory information level when hes unable to focus or enter the super sensory state, it makes this approach possible. If this method proved successful, as long as super-connected objects were placed somewhere, Alice could establish super sensory contact with all objects within the influence range that were in Xiang Kuns super-connected object database, such as standard coins, tissues, marbles, screws, etc. After Xiang Kun finished his blood-drinking sleep, they would all become super-connected objects. All Xiang Kun had to do was find new standard units to link, master the linking methods, include them in the super-connected object database, and Alice could continuously establish contact with all standard units within the super-connected object deployment range, generating more super-connected objects, spreading to more places like a super photocopier. If they were able to achieve this, it would be perfect for Xiang Kun. He would only need to figure out how to link standard items found everywhere, and Alice could help him establish the specific super sensory contact. However, whether it will come to fruition still depends on the results of Alices analysis of cognitive information after the next Blood-drinking Period. Regardless of the outcome, Xiang Kun is considering venturing into the physical manufacturing industry, focusing on simple, standardized products, and trying his best to sell them in as many places as he can, distributing them across the widest range possible. If he could make every place like Chongyun Village, filled with his Super-connected Objects and Emotion Infused Objects, he would be more confident no matter who his opponent was. These Super-connected Objects and Emotion Infused Objects were like tactical weapons he had deployed. The more he had, the stronger his firepower, and the safer he felt. Moreover, these tactical weapons could evolve as he did, improving as his abilities improved, with direct OTA online upgrades! Zhang Qian kept talking non-stop until half past twelve noon. She only stopped when she noticed Tang Baona and Yang Zhen Er looking tired, and brought them to have lunch. As for Xiang Kun, he looked very attentive and energized throughout, but did not engage in any substantive discussions. He accepted all the concepts she mentioned, even those that made her feel uneasy and unsure of herself. During lunch, Zhang Qian didnt talk about her social empire dream anymore but discussed the case of the Little Fatty Girls father. The place where Little Fatty Girls father was arrested was not far from Pengcheng City. Shilings Mom had already gone there, so Xiang Kun had previously asked Zhang Qian to arrange for someone to look after the matter, find a lawyer familiar with the relevant field, understand the specific situation, and see if theres a possibility of a lenient sentence. As it turns out, after the police consulted with the prosecutors office for an early intervention and conducted relevant investigations, it seems that Shilings dads actions fall under justifiable self-defense. In this case, it basically will not go to court, and the case will be dismissed soon. Xiang Kun breathed a sigh of relief. He had been quite worried that Shilings dad might be sentenced for intentional homicide or excessive defense. Although he had no fondness for this man, he had to consider the impact on Little Fatty Girls growth if her dad went to jail. So, this outcome was the best possible. Xiang Kun said, Once they are released, I will ask for their opinions. If they agree, I would like them to move directly to Pengcheng. The living environment and educational resources here are good. Then, I will need your help to arrange a job for them again. It doesnt have to be at your company, anywhere else will do. He did not make a fuss with Zhang Qian. After all, he knew that what he was going to do in the future would bring her great benefits. He will repay her in other ways. No problem, Zhang Qian replied succinctly. Although she didnt quite understand what the relationship was between Xiang Kun and that couple, the fact that Xiang Kun asked her for a favor was, in her view, a good sign of their ongoing successful collaboration. Through this couple, she could try to find clues to the secrets that Xiang Kun may be hiding. Yes, the more they collaborate, the more they interact, the more she feels that there are more secrets about Xiang Kun. Clearly, Xiang Kuns background and other information are all obvious, with no particularly special traits. But once you interact with him, there is a sense of mystery and peculiarity. Oh, right, Mr. Xiang, last time you visited Pengcheng, didnt you meet with my brother? What did you guys talk about? Zhang Qian suddenly asked curiously. We didnt talk about much. We discussed a bit about health preservation, Xiang Kun said. Whats up? My mom told me that since that day, my brother moved back home. He gets up before sunrise every day, sits meditatively in the yard facing the east, eats only rice and vegetables, avoids meat completely, has dinner before six every evening and goes to bed before eight. He stopped using his phone, even started learning Tai Chi, and plays chess with the old men in the neighborhood. My mom thought he was renouncing the world, but when asked, he always said he was just recuperating, Zhang Qian explained exasperatedly. To be honest, when Zhang Qian first heard about Zhang Chus peculiar behavior from her mother, her first reaction was what in the world is he up to this time? But a month has since passed, and Zhang Chu hasnt left their apartment complex. He consistently maintains a lifestyle akin to the ancients. This drove Zhang Qian to question whether her older brother was having some sort of mental breakdown. A few days ago, she went home and saw him. His complexion was much improved. Eating a vegetarian diet for over a month had actually made him gain weight. His complexion had also noticeably brightened. He kept mumbling something about lacking fifty-some days but refrained from explaining what that meant. Zhang Qian couldnt help wondering if Xiang Kun had said something to him when she heard that Zhang Chus bizarre behavior began shortly after meeting Xiang Kun. So has his health improved? Xiang Kun asked. Indeed, it has improved quite a bit, Zhang Qian admitted. In that case, theres nothing to worry about. I did indeed suggest to him that he should maintain his body in such a manner, Xiang Kun confessed openly. How how did you manage to do that? asked Zhang Qian in surprise. She knows her brother Zhang Chu too well; if only a word or two could make him so obedient, she wouldnt have gotten frustrated with him to the point of using a wrist twist cross lock previously. I just told him that his sister calls me a fortune teller, so he should believe me. Xiang Kun replied half-jokingly. Just like that? Zhang Qian was skeptical. If you dont believe it, you can ask your brother. Xiang Kun replied with an innocent expression. After lunch, Zhang Qian had Xiang Kun and the others sent back to their hotel to rest before continuing the meeting in the afternoon. As they got out of the car and walked into the hotel lobby, Yang Zhener excitedly said, Brother Xiang, your last visit to Zhang Qians brother was to deal with trouble, wasnt it? Why do you say that? Xiang Kun asked. Absolutely! He must have been threatened by you, forced to sleep early, rise early, and even eat vegetarian meals, drink water, and practice Tai Chi! Yang Zhener replied, her eyes sparkling. Tang Baona laughed at the side, What kind of person threatens others to sleep early, rise early, eat vegetables, drink water, and practice Tai Chi? Yang Zhener seriously replied, Brother Xiang is that kind of person! More than that, this method is vicious, you know? Nana, how about you try waking up early, sleeping early, eating a vegetarian diet, drinking water, and practicing Tai Chi, starting today? Why would I wake up early, sleep early, eat vegetables, drink water, and practice Tai Chi Wait, why does this sentence suddenly sound strange? Tang Baona couldnt help laughing. Brother Xiang, tell me if Im right! Yang Zhener turned to look at Xiang Kun. Chapter 514 - Chapter 514: Chapter 514: Crosstalk and Hide and Seek Chapter 514: Chapter 514: Crosstalk and Hide and Seek Xiang Kun looked innocently at Yang Lao San, I really didnt threaten him, I just honestly pointed out the potential health problems he might face and gave him some health advice. The atmosphere was always friendly and harmonious. So your health advice is to go to bed early, get up early, eat a vegetarian diet, drink water, and practice Tai Chi? Tang Baona couldnt help but speak before Yang Zhen Er, then burst into laughter after she finished speaking. Yang Zhen Er sighed at her best friend: Nana, your humor standards are quite low! Then she said to Xiang Kun: So why would he listen to you? Look at me. Ive told Nana to keep her health up, to go to bed early, get up early, eat vegetables, drink water and practice Tai Chi, and all she does is laugh. She definitely wouldnt take these actions seriously. Xiang Kun laughed, I didnt ask him to practice Tai Chi. I just asked him to go to bed early, get up early, and drink more water, which is a perfectly normal suggestion. As for why he listened, he probably feels theres something wrong with his health, or maybe my words were sincere and believable. Hmm, youre sincere and believable? Youre the biggest swindler! Just because youre bald doesnt mean youre a monk, and wearing glasses doesnt make you a scholar! Yang Zhen Er retorted. The three of them bantered and laughed as they entered the elevator. Suddenly Tang Baona thought of something and said, By the way, Xiang Kun, all these things about VR social networking that Zhang Qian talked about seem to require a lot of technical reserves. They also involve hardware issues. How could you agree to do them so confidently? Our company doesnt have these resources, does it? Xiang Kun smiled, For now, were just brainstorming. Its not like we need to implement everything immediately. Well research it and see how far we can go. Yang Zhen Er immediately said, Nana, mark my words, Chef Xiang is just trying to trick our Director Zhang! When Director Zhang asks him later, Mr. Xiang, how are you going to solve these technical issues? Hell probably say, With the support of my secret organizations technology! Xiang Kun seriously said, Old Three, dont be confused! You cant just go around talking about the secret organization. You need to strengthen your sense of confidentiality! Tang Baona laughed, Alright, you two are really something, its like youre putting on a comedy show. When they reached their floor and stepped out of the elevator, Tang Baona sighed, Time flies. It seems like just recently that we three, along with Old Xia, played cards and board games for the first time, went to the archery range, helped Xiang Kun taste-test his dishes, and then in a blink of an eye, were all starting a company together. Yang Zhen Er laughed, Thats because not much time has passed! We met Chef Xiang in July or August of last year. Speaking of Old Xia, I wonder what theyre doing in the village now. Im going to video call Old Xia and see my baby Xiao Lingdang. Xiao Lingdang and Xiao Pingguo should be napping now, you shouldnt disturb them, Tang Baona said. Its okay, if theyre napping, Old Xia wont answer the video call, shell just hang up, Yang Zhen Er reasoned. As they arrived at their respective room doors, Old Xia answered the video call. Instead of going back to his own room, Xiang Kun followed Yang Zhen Er into their room to join the video call with Old Xia. He wanted to tell Liu Shiling about her dads situation to calm her down. Old Xia, what did you kids have for lunch? Where are Xiao Lingdang and Xiao Pingguo? Yang Zhen Er asked. We had steamed buns from the fridge for lunch. Xiao Lingdang and Xiao Pingguo are getting ready to play hide-and-seek, Xia Libing answered. Steamed buns from the fridge? The ones made by Chef Xiang? What did you have for breakfast then? Yang Zhen Er couldnt help but ask. We had steamed buns for breakfast too, Xia Libing replied. What about last night? Dont tell me from the time we left till now, you have been eating steamed buns for every meal? Yang Zhen Er asked in surprise. If that was the case, we wouldnt have enough buns, Xia Libing said, We ate at Youlong Restaurant for lunch and dinner yesterday. At this moment, Liu Shiling ran down from the stairs, leaned towards Xia Libing and asked, Are Sister Chicken Wing and Sister Chicken Wing ready yet? Instead of answering, Xia Libing pointed the front camera of her phone at her. Seeing Yang Zhener, Tang Baona, and Xiang Kun on the other side of the mobile screen, Liu Shiling immediately greeted them joyfully: Old Immortal Sister! Pretty Sister! Uncle Bald! Yang Zhener didnt bother to correct Little Fatty Girls nicknames anymore. She figured since Old Xia had evolved from Grilled Chicken Sister to Chicken Sister, she might soon naturally transition from Old Immortal Sister to just Immortal Sister. Little Lingdang, did you miss us? Your Sister Nana and I have bought you so many delicious and fun things! Yang Zhener proudly chimed in. Liu Shiling nodded repeatedly in confirmation, Missed! Then she looked towards the upper left of the screen, where only half of Xiang Kuns face was visible behind Yang Zhener, and said, When is Uncle Bald coming back? Were almost out of dumplings. Xiang Kun laughed, Soon, Ive almost finished dealing with things here. I should be back tomorrow. Little Lingdang, your dad is basically okay now, he and your mom can probably come and pick you up soon. At these words, Liu Shilings expression became even brighter. However, as if suddenly thinking of something, she told Xiang Kun: Uncle Bald, tell my mom and dad to take their time, not to rush, Im fine. Not just Xiang Kun, but Tang Baona and Yang Zhener also broke into smiles. Seeing the slightly embarrassed expression on Little Fatty Girl, they knew that she was having a blast in Chongyun Village with Xiao Pingguo, and possibly didnt want to leave yet. A while later, Xiao Pingguo also came over to greet Xiang Kun and the others. About ten minutes later, Xia Libing ended the video call and then left the house with Xiao Pingguo and Little Fatty Girl. Just now, she mentioned that Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguo were playing hide and seek. Tang Baona and Yang Zhener naturally assumed they were playing in the house they were staying in. Even though Xiao Pingguo is blind, shes very intuitive. With reliable Old Xia watching over, Tang Baona and Yang Zhener werent worried about any problems. However, what they didnt know was that hide and seek for Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguo was not confined to the interior of the house, but spanned the entirety of Chongyun Village, even including a small portion of the nearby woods. This was Coin Hide and Seek or Coin Treasure Hunt, a game designed by Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguo. The Egg Duo C Little Fatty Girl and Custard Pie, would first hide coins all over the village. Then the Golden Fruit Duo C Xiao Pingguo and Gold Glitter, would search for the coins. Of course, the roles could be reversed too, with Xiao Pingguo and Gold Glitter hiding coins and Little Fatty Girl and Custard Pie searching for them. The coins couldnt be Little Fatty Girls Five Little Elf Guardians or the coins Xiang Kun gave Xiao Pingguo for Object Sensing practice C that wouldnt leave any suspense at all. Especially the coins belonging to Little Fatty Girl C she could control them remotely. If someone were about to find them, she could simply make them run away C she would never lose. Thus, the super-connected objects, in this case, coins for the game, were supplied by Old Xia. To prevent cheating, Alice couldnt assist Xiao Pingguo with sensing her surroundings. She could only act as a referee and ensure the safety of the two girls and their pet cat and bird. Of course, to be extra sure, whether Little Fatty Girl was hiding coins or Xiao Pingguo was seeking, Old Xia would be by their side, keeping an eye on them. Chongyun Village was usually empty during the day, as most people were working in the nearby town or fields. Moreover, Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguo mainly chose areas near the edge of the village where there were even fewer people, allowing them to fully engage in their game. Xiao Pingguo could rely on her Minion Wood Carvings to remotely project emotions in preparation mode, which helped her gain a rough awareness of the super-connected object network around her. She learned this ability a few nights ago while working with Alice to remotely project fear onto the Five Super Masterpieces through hyperstimulation in order to deter a man with bad intentions. And during her days of practice with Alice, she had become quite familiar with the arrangement of super-connected objects in Chongyun Village. If she encountered a newly placed super-connected object while searching, she could let Gold Glitter check it to see if it was a coin hidden by Little Fatty Girl. Little Fatty Girl, on the other hand, could rely on Custard Pies sense of smell or trace the weak connections between other super-connected objects using the five strongly connected coins on her body to search for hidden coins. As long as she got close enough, she could determine where the super-connected objects were, and then have the Custard Pie to confirm whether it was Old Xias. Using the entire Chongyun Village as a game map certainly made the game more fun, the hunt became more interesting. The two girls, one big and one small, and their pet partners were having a great time, drenched in sweat. To Xiao Pingguo and Little Fatty Girl, Chongyun Village was truly the most fun amusement park in the world, with countless gameplay possibilities to explore. At night, although Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguo could still search for super-connected objects, Old Xia wouldnt allow them to play any longer, taking them home for a bath and dinner. After dinner, sitting on the first floor sofa, Xiao Pingguo who was studying origami with Liu Shiling suddenly asked, Xiao Lingdang, do you like listening to cross-talk? Is cross-talk that thing where two people dressed in ancient clothes argue with each other? Liu Shiling asked uncertainly. Its not arguing, but a performance. Come, Alice, help me find a cross-talk by Yue Yunpeng. Xiao Pingguo said as she reached for her phone. The phone then started playing a fairly famous cross-talk performed by Yue Yunpeng and Sun Yue. After watching for a few minutes, Xiao Pingguo asked, What do you think? Little Fatty Girl, who barely understood, said confusedly, That Uncle with small eyes seems very impressive. Xiao Pingguo knew that Little Fatty Girl probably didnt quite get the humor of the cross-talk, but she didnt intend to promote cross-talk to Little Fatty Girl in the first place, instead she said, Xiao Lingdang, lets perform cross-talk together! Huh? Little Fatty Girl was taken aback, I dont know how to do it, Sister Xiao Pingguo. No worries, you just need to be my stooge, its really easy! We can rehearse a show and then perform it for Uncle Xiang, Sister Nana and the others to see. When you go back to kindergarten, you can even pair up with other classmates or even teachers to perform! Theyll be so surprised! Xiao Pingguo was grinning from ear to ear, already brewing many cross-talk themes that would work well with Little Fatty Girl in her mind. Just thinking about them made her happy. Little Fatty Girls misunderstanding of cross-talk humor didnt interfere with her role as a performer. Whats a stooge, is it very hard to be one? Like holding a bowl? Do I just have to stand by and hold it? Little Fatty Girl asked while scratching her head, still a bit confused. No, its about helping me extend the conversation,like when I say something, you just add Right!,Good!,Isnt it!,Never heard of it!,Ah!,Exactly! or something like that. Xiao Pingguo tried to persuade her gently. Just say anything at will? Im afraid I wont remember How about you get Sister roast chicken wing to help you hold it, Sister Xiao Pingguo. Little Fatty Girl said unconfidently. Sister Roast Chicken Wing had been sitting with them, watching her notebook computer all the time. It didnt seem like she was busy, so Little Fatty Girl thought she would be able to hold the bowl well for Xiao Pingguo. After all, Sister Roast Chicken Wing is a super-skilled magician, it would be totally normal for her to be proficient in anything. Actually, Ive thought about performing cross-talk with Big Sister Bing before, but now I really want to do it with you. I have so many sketches in mind, come on, its not hard, its really easy! Xiao Pingguo got more and more excited as she spoke. Jinshanshan, who was standing on the windowsill, could sense her owners excitement, and tilted his head, looking puzzled. So, under Xiao Pingguos persuasive influence, Little Fatty Girl finally agreed to perform cross-talk with her. Xiao Pingguo, as a cross-talk enthusiast, often thought about various cross-talk plots in her mind, sometimes even dreaming about performing cross-talk, with a bunch of minions as the audience, and even dreaming about Xiang Kun being her stooge. Therefore, she quickly explained a sketch she had in mind to Little Fatty Girl, rehearsed it in front of Xia Libing, and then sent a video chat request to Yang Zhener. When Tang Baona found out that Xiao Pingguo and Little Fatty Girl were going to broadcast a live cross-talk performance for them, she quickly called Xiang Kun from next door, and the three of them gathered around the phone, watching the two girls expectantly. Hello everyone, we are a cross-talk duo Ling Dang Pingguo, established 45 minutes ago. After Xiao Pingguo finished speaking, she lightly nudged Little Fatty Girl with her elbow. Caught off guard, Little Fatty Girl quickly said, Im Xiao Ling Ang!~ Simply watching Little Fatty Girl being a little flustered and nervous, with her two pudgy hands clutching each other, Tang Baona and Yang Zhener were already unable to stop laughing. When they heard Little Fatty Girl mispronounce ng due to nervousness, Tang Baona, with her low sense of humor, started tearing up from laughing so much. Xiao Pingguo introduced herself as well, Im Xiao Pingguo. Hey, Xiao Lingdang, let me ask you a question. Do you know what the four most important skills for a cross-talk performer are? I never heard of it. Little Fatty Girl reflexively replied. Thats wrong! Didnt I just tell you? What was it? Four words Little Fatty Girl timidly said, Eat, drink, play, joy No! Its Talk, Learn, Tease, Sing! Xiao Lingdang, do you know what they stand for? I never heard of it. Lets start with learn. Xiao Lingdang, I heard that youve been studying very hard in kindergarten lately and youre really good at math. Even the teacher complimented you? I never heard of it Wrong! Xiao Pingguo gave a gentle nudge with her elbow. Isnt it! Little Fatty Girl hastily corrected herself. During their usual video chats, Little Fatty Girl appeared very natural and uninhibited, but perhaps because of the performance of cross-talk, even though it was just a video chat with familiar faces like Uncle and Nana on the other side, Little Fatty Girl still couldnt completely relax. But the appearance of her nervously trying to find the right words while also paying attention to the camera was adorably charming, it was hilarious no matter what she said. Coupled with Xiao Pingguo at the side seriously trying to adapt to a Tianjin accent, they even had Uncle Xiang laughing, leaving Tang Baona and Yang Zhener with uncontrolled fits of laughter. Xiao Pingguo continued, So Xiao Lingdang, you should be good at reciting multiplication tables, let me test you. Whats three times three? I never heard of it. Little Fatty Girl replied. What? Havent you learned three yet? Lets change it, whats two times two? Four. Little Fatty Girl replied. What about four times four? Xiao Pingguo asked. Sixteen. Little Fatty Girl answered. Xiao Pingguo: See, didnt you memorize up till four? So whats three times three? I never heard of it. Whats three times three? Nine. Four times four? I never heard of it. Tang Baona was rolling on the bed from laughter, and Yang Zhener was laughing so hard that she tried to tickle Baonas waist. Xiang Kun was starting to worry. If the Yin Bell Apple duo continued to perform, he wasnt sure if these two women could handle all that laughter. Chapter 515 - Chapter 515: Chapter 515: Laugh Point Chapter 515: Chapter 515: Laugh Point The cross-talk was still going on, and though the skits were all simple, it must be said that they were all hilariously good. On the other side of the screen, the three audience members in a hotel room were all laughing hard. Tang Baona in particular, was laughing so hard her face turned red and her eyes teared up. If she had stopped laughing suddenly, seeing her in this state, one might think that she had lost in a quarrel. Little Apples ability to arrange crosstalk performances was truly incredible. She was leading the Little Fatty Girl, who was still in kindergarten and had never been exposed to crosstalk before. Just after a little rehearsal, they were able to come up with several skits that were very suitable for the two of them, which supported nearly 5 minutes of crosstalk performance. Although the phrases delivered by Little Fatty Girl were all very simple, such as Isnt that so?, Never heard of it, and Does that make sense? being repeated back and forth, and she often forgot or said the wrong words, requiring Little Apple to correct her. But it was this somewhat awkward, nervous, and somewhat understanding performance of hers that enhanced the comedic value of the show. Sometimes, it was hard to tell which forgotten words were real and which ones they had planned because every time it was very funny. Of course, their performance had a more lethal effect on Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, and Yang Zhener than on others. After all, they very much knew what Little Apple and the Little Fatty Girl were like in daily life. They were all familiar faces, so seeing such naive and sweet performances amplified their laugher. Xiang Kun also felt that the Little Fatty Girl truly had a talent for comedy performance. This type of earnest, careful, naive, clueless, yet completely authentic crosstalk performance style was incredibly funny. Although Little Apple was mainly in charge of speaking and the Little Fatty Girl was just like a sidekick, occasionally responding with a few common crosstalk phrases yet often making mistakes; over the course of 5 minutes, almost all the laugh linesall the punchlinesfell on her instead. Her unawareness of the hilarious responses she made and the small expressions of anxiety and awkwardness when worried about getting the lines wrong were truly lovely and amusing, making people unable to take their eyes off her. After watching their crosstalk performance and ending the video, Tang Baona, who was almost laughing herself to internal injury, said while wiping her tears, I thought that Little Apple was going to be a video UP Master in the future, either about bird science popularization or cover songs. Never did I expect that her maiden heart would be shaped by crosstalk. Yang Zhener also chuckled, I think our Little Bell and Apple are going to rock, they might have more fans than your Youlong Play Rabbit account! While Tang Baona and Yang Zhener were having a lively discussion, Little Apple and Little Fatty Girl were also reviewing and discussing how to improve. Initially, Liu Shiling was both anxious and puzzled about performing crosstalk with Sister Little Apple. She really didnt find its amusing point, but just intended to cooperate with Sister Little Apple. However, when they were just connected through video to perform for Uncle Bald, the beautiful sister and the fairy sister, seeing that they all laughed so happily C the beautiful sister even burst into tears C she also felt very happy and accomplished. Suddenly, in Little Fatty Girls heart, crosstalk became a kind of magic that could bring people joy and happiness, and her curiosity and zeal to learn started to kick in again. Sister Little Apple, who can command Golden Shimmer and Barbie Warrior, is indeed a superb magician with excellent use of crosstalk, which is also a type of magic. As a budding magician herself, Liu Shiling naturally had to strive to learn every useful kind of magic. Imagining in her mind the scene where she would perform crosstalk to make her mom laugh and roll on the bed when she was not in a good mood, Liu Shiling could not help but chuckle triumphantly. Little Lingdang, do you have any new ideas? Hearing Liu Shiling suddenly chuckle triumphantly, Little Apple thought she had come up with some funny gag, and quickly asked. Liu Shiling blinked and quickly shook her head: No no, I dont know anything, Sister Xiao Pingguo, please teach me. I will study hard. Whatever you ask me to say, I will say it. As she spoke, she noticed Custard Pie dozing off next to the sofa nearby and subconsciously said: Should we involve Custard Pie too? Its pretty obedient. After saying it though, she scratched her head in embarrassment: Wait, Custard Pie cannot talk, it cant perform a comedy skit. Eh? Xiao Pingguo was struck by an inspiration, she pinched Little Fatty Girls cheek and praised: Thats a great idea! I already thought of a storyline. We can perform Wu Song Fights the Tiger, the Custard Pie will play the tiger, and you, Lingdang, will play Wu Song! Haha, Goldie, come over! We can also perform The Condor Heroes, Goldie can play the divine condor, I will play Yang Guo, and Lingdang, you can be Xiaolongnv! This skit is going to be lots of fun! Liu Shiling looked confused: Who is Yang Guo? Does Xiaolongnv have horns on her head? Is she powerful? Does she know magic? Hahaha, exactly, this is the best kind of reaction! Lingdang, you are a treasure! I get so many inspirations when Im with you! Xiao Pingguo couldnt resist, she squatted down and kissed Liu Shilings cheek. Then the two of them huddled together, including Custard Pie and Goldie in their group, whispering and discussing for a long while. They invited Old Xia to sit in the middle of the sofa as their audience, and the two of them started to rehearse, asking Old Xia to judge whether it was funny or not. However, after having performed for a while, Xia Libing never laughed, which made both Xiao Pingguo and Little Fatty Girl a bit nervous. Could it be that their skit was not that good? Sister Bing, is it not funny? Xiao Pingguo asked uneasily. She couldnt see Xia Libings facial expression, but without hearing any laughter, and getting feedback from Alice that Xia Libing wasnt laughing, she became somewhat uneasy. Xia Libing propped up her chin and thought for a while, then asked back: Where do you think I should be laughing? What are the specific reasons that I might find it funny? Well Xiao Pingguo opened her mouth to speak, but she realized that she didnt know how to answer this question. Luckily, Xia Libing didnt press further and said: Its not that your performance was bad, its just that my sense of humour is different from others. You can video call Sister Nana and get their opinions instead, dont worry, they definitely sleep later than you, they have plenty of free time now. Xiao Pingguo finally exhaled in relief, and then realized that Sister Bing indeed seldom laughed heartily. She usually thought more rationally, seeking the root cause of everything and analyzing the logic expressed in language and bodily movements. Presumably, her sense of humour was pretty high. As she thought about this, she came up with a lot of skits that would pair well with Sister Bing. With Bings kind of reaction, there would surely be a lot of laughs! Xia Libing asked them to reinitiate the video call to rehearse in front of Tang Baona and Yang Zhen Er on the other side. She took her laptop and went back to her room. Xia Libing placed the laptop on her lap, opened it and asked, Alice, do you think Xiao Lingdang and Xiao Pingguos comedy skit was funny? The computer responded, The one just now? I dont know about that one, but the one Sister Lingdang and Sister Xiao Pingguo performed should be definitely funny! Theyre not here, theres no need to flatter them. Im asking about your real feelings. As Xia Libing spoke, she directly co-manifested Alice, letting her sit on the bed beside her. My real feelings I dont know if it should be funny. Alice twisted the scalpel in her hands and said hesitantly. So you didnt think it was funny. Xia Libing answered for her. But Alice wanted to argue but didnt know how to. Xia Libing continued asking, What about the comedy skit they performed while video calling Sister Nana, Xiang Kun, and Zhener? That was hilarious! Look how happy the boss is laughing! Definitely hilarious! This time Alices reply was very affirmative. Is it because you think its funny, or is it because Xiang Kun laughed, he felt it was funny, so you also think its funny? Xia Libing asked. Its all the same! If the boss finds it funny, Alice will certainly think its funny too! Hmm, I understand what youre getting at, I think its funny myself, because of Sister Lingdangs reaction Alice replied and began to display videos on the laptop screen on Old Xias lap she had recorded during the Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguos connected performance. She paused at every moment she felt should be funny for an explanation. She even split the screen into two video windows, one playing the comedic skit by the Lingdang-Apple duo, the other showing Xiang Kun and the others synchronized reactions. After discussing the analysis of comedic elements logically and practically with Alice, Xia Libing had a general understanding. She and Xiang Kun had already confirmed before that Alice had developed some level of human emotional perception, which was why she could establish herself on a super-connected object network and emotion-infused object network culminating in a super sensory item system. But Alices emotional system is still growing. She would more easily perceive the types of emotions that exist in the emotion-infused object network; the rest requires ongoing influence and cultivation by Xiang Kun. Because of the twelve minions, Alice is able to perceive, and is very sensitive to, feelings of happiness, joy, and humor. Normally, Alices sense of humor should be essentially consistent with Xiang Kuns, occasionally perhaps influenced by Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguo. However, for Alice to pick up on humor, depending on the source, the degree of difficulty varies greatly, and some jokes, like cross-talks or those not universally common, just wouldnt click with Alice unless Xiang Kun has seen them before. For example, Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguos newly-rehearsed skit. Actually, Xiang Kun might laugh after watching it, but before he sees it, Alice herself cant accurately find the joke. This shows that Alices emotional perception abilities are still maturing and evolving, and need to be further led by Xiang Kun. This opportunity can also serve for Xia Libing to insert herself into Alices progress of learning emotional perception, observing, analyzing, even imitating, and learning from her. In fact, Xia Libing had also sensed feelings of joy before. Once was after Xiang Kun watched a bunch of funny videos, triggering emotional assimilation that allowed her to sense feelings of humor and joy. Another time was on her birthday, when Xiang Kun, due to her deliberately started cake fight, again triggered emotional assimilation, allowing her to sense feelings of happiness and joy. So fundamentally, her and Alices emotional perception mode, their sense of humor, as well as their specific experiences of joy, humor, or happiness, all originate from Xiang Kun. What they are learning is the same subject with the same syllabus. Its just that this time Alice outranked as the better performing student, and Old Xia was the chaser. Now, she is analyzing Alices specific learning methods, in hope to apply them to herself. Xia Libing first had Alice watch those funny videos that Xiang Kun originally found hilarious. After Alice laughed heartily, Xia suddenly leaned into her face, extended two index fingers, and pushed the skin at the corners of her eyes upwards, her upper lip covering her lower lip, making a funny face imitating a fox, and deliberately crossed her eyes. Alice was stunned at first and then burst into laughter, leaning back on the bed, and her manifestation disintegrated on the spot as a result. Xia Libing didnt manifest her again, but communicated directly via the laptop, conducting a detailed analysis of her laughter at the funny videos and the funny face. Zhao Feng and Wang Dean, who had just returned from Burma, didnt even leave the airport, immediately turned around and flew to a city in the Midwest. Their goal of the trip was an old man undergoing medical treatment outside prison. When they arrived, it was already past eleven oclock at night. The hospital did not allow visits, so they could only check into a hotel first. In the hotel room, Wang Dean looked over the data of the person they were to visit on the trip using the tablet provided by the secret department of Divine Technology. He frowned and said, This guy, looking at his history, is an old fraudster. Before being convicted, he was scamming people with all sorts of peculiar beliefs, can we trust what he says? Dont just look at the crimes he committed, read on, see how he got caught and got a lighter sentence. Zhao Feng, who was slurping down a bowl of noodles, reminded him. So Wang Dean continued to scroll down and was astonished, He turned himself in? Oh my, its another surrenderI wonder where he came across that thing. Well know after we ask him tomorrow. Zhao Feng said. The old man they were visiting on this trip, under medical parole, had sketched an image of the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster in prison, which bore great resemblance to the restored sketch of the eight-armed, eight-eyed Giant they had seen in Myitkyina. Now seeing that this old man actually turned himself in, the possibility that he had really seen the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster rises even higher. After all, judging from the various incidents that have occurred before, criminals who have been influenced by the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster generally all show tendencies to surrender and reflect on their past behaviors. The news this time was from the information collection team of the secret department at Divine Technology. They found a comment under a news related to the apparition of the giant in Myitkyina not long ago, mentioning that a fellow inmate in prison had drawn a similar picture and often muttered words like Heart Demon and Yama. That inmate was an old sage who could see through peoples hearts. They then found the identity of that netizen who tried to unlock him and learned which prison he was serving his sentence in. The old sage he mentioned was Old Man Du, who was jailed for fraud and was currently under medical parole due to health issues. So as soon as Zhao Feng and Wang Dean returned to China, they rushed here to verify whether there is a connection between the drawing of Old Man Du and the object they are investigating. Of course, both Zhao Feng and Wang Dean, as well as the members of the information collection team, were not aware that, in fact, when the information collection team members noticed the comment under the news, a diligent digital lifeform had already spotted this risk and reported it to Xiang Kun. At Xiang Kuns command, it would immediately mislead the investigation direction of the people on the Divine Technology information collection team, or provide them with wrong and false information. But Xiang Kun didnt issue any commands. He only asked Alice to continue monitoring. Thats why Zhao Feng and Wang Dean could receive information, why they could be here, waiting to visit Old Man Du. Chapter 516 - Chapter 516: Chapter 516: Drawing Cakes Chapter 516: Chapter 516: Drawing Cakes The next morning, Zhao Feng and Wang Dean rushed to the hospital to visit Old Man Du, who was reportedly once painted the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Monster while in prison. The hospital where Old Man Du was treated as an outpatient was, of course, designated by the prison. However, looking at the environment of his single room and the equipment within it, as well as the professional caregiver who worked there, it was clear he had spent a considerable amount of money on his care. Wang Dean quietly questioned his partner, I was looking at the documents last night and it said his ill-gotten gains had been confiscated and that he had no family. Zhao Feng replied, Ill go and ask, before turning to the caregiver who was clearly not part of the hospital staff to inquire. The caregiver was straightforward, explaining that the money was being paid by one of Mr. Dus foster sons, who was previously his cellmate in prison. A cellmate? A foster son? Zhao Feng furrowed his brows, asking the caregiver for the contact information and name of the foster son, then forwarding it to the information collection department for them to investigate. Zhao Feng and Wang Dean entered the ward and sat down by Old Man Dus bed, quietly saying, Mr. Du, hello. We are journalists from International New Perspectives. Has the hospital staff informed you? We would like to interview you. Old Man Du, lying on the hospital bed, barely kept his eyes open. He looked very weak. The caregiver advised by his side, Please try to be quick. Dont stay too long. After acknowledging the caregiver, Zhao Feng leaned over slightly and got closer to Old Man Dus ear, asking, Mr. Du, how are you feeling? Old Man Du moved his eyeballs to look at him, giving a small smile, Im about to die, but I should be able to handle you guys. As for interviews, Im just an old fraud, probably unable to provide any sensational news. Zhao Feng found it strange. Although Old Man Du indeed looked critically ill and very weak, his voice was very small and slightly shaky. But he surprisingly gave off a calm and steady impression. Here it is, Im not sure if youve been following the news. In early March, a large-scale collective illusion event occurred in Myitkyina, Burma. Witnesses from a few blocks saw a giant illusion, a very large creature with many arms and eyes, walk through the middle of the city and then disappear. Everyone who saw it was immediately shocked and scared, and many people were mentally affected, even changing the course of their lives. As Zhao Feng spoke, he kept observing Old Man Dus facial expression. He noticed that when he described the multi-armed, multi-eyed giant illusion, Old Man Dus expression showed subtle but clear changes. He glanced at Wang Dean, who understood and took out a tablet, scrolling to the hand-drawn sketch of the Eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion that had appeared several times in the news. Upon seeing it, Old Man Du instantly opened his eyes wide, raised his neck slightly, and his mouth opened as if he wanted to sit up. If someone were to take a photo of Old Man Du at this moment and post it online, they would probably caption it with things like, Grandpa, the game youve been waiting for has finally been released! or Quick, help Grandpa up! and spread it around as a popular meme. Zhao Feng quickly put a pillow behind Old Man Dus head to elevate it a bit. He then took the tablet from Wang Dean, held it closer, and while showing him the sketch he said: Sir, have you seen the thing depicted in this image before? The reason we came here is because we heard that you once painted something similar in prison. Do you still have that painting? Could you show it to us? Old Man Du didnt answer, but stared at the painting on the tablet, catching his breath before responding, Tell me about that M-Meen Myitkyina. Old Man Du said, Tell me about the event in Myitkyina. How did it happen? Both Zhao Feng and Wang Dean were prepared for this question and directly played a clip of a Chinese news story that explained the incident in the clearest possible terms for Old Man Du. While observing Old Man Dus reaction, Zhao Feng supplemented, At the time of the incident, Myitkyina was in midst of a riot. The appearance of the giant illusion stopped the riot and, in a sense, saved many lives. From the information he had seen last night, descriptions of Old Man Dus behavior in prison, and his recent reactions, Zhao Feng surmised Old Man Dus stance regarding the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant Illusion and deliberately presented it in a positive light C though, what he said was indeed the truth. As expected, upon hearing this, Old Man Du started laughing: Very normal, very normal However, his laughter soon turned into a violent cough, prompting the caregiver standing by the door to rush over. After a while, Old Man Du looked at Zhao Feng: You want to know from me where it came from? You have seen this thing before, right? Can you tell us where you saw it? Zhao Feng asked. Old Man Du looked at the ceiling and let out a sigh, In a dream. A dream? Zhao Feng was taken aback. He exchanged a glance with Wang Dean. Both of them immediately thought of the time when Zhao Feng found the body hidden deep in Zi Huan Mountain using dream guidance. Could you tell us what kind of dream you had? Was there any difference in the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant in your dream compared to this picture? It would be even better if you have a drawing you made before. Zhao Feng continued to ask. With difficulty, Old Man Du turned his neck to look at Zhao Fengs face and suddenly asked, Have you dreamt of it too? Zhao Feng was slightly surprised, and asked without thinking, How did you know? Old Man Du started laughing again with difficulty, taking heavy breaths. After a while, he said, I know you all want you all want to find it, but that is meaningless Old Man Dus voice became much quieter, but his lips were still moving. So Zhao Feng leaned in closer, bending down to hear what Old Man Du was saying in his faint voice. Fear reveals the true self follow your heart death is not the end dont be afraid submit to it submit to yourself Just as he was saying this, Old Man Du suddenly started gasping for air, seemingly having difficulty breathing. The caregiver rushed over immediately, visually assessed the situation, and quickly pressed the call button for the doctor. Naturally, Zhao Feng and Wang Dean were asked to leave the room while they waited outside. The two of them were a little worried. They certainly didnt want their visit to directly result in Old Man Dus death. After a while, the doctor came out. Upon inquiry, they learned that Old Man Dus condition had stabilized for the time being, but he was indeed critically ill and wouldnt live much longer. They were also advised not to bring up topics that would stimulate his emotions, or there might be dangerous consequences. So, Zhao Feng and Wang Dean had to return to the hotel. Given what the doctor said, they wont be granted another meeting anytime soon. Did you record what he said? Wang Dean asked. I did, but his voice was so low that it might not have recorded clearly. Lets see if the technicians can enhance it. But he only said a few sentences, I remember them all. Zhao Feng replied. Fear reveals the true self, follow your heart, death is not the end, dont be afraid. Zhao Feng repeated. His dream, where he discovered the body by following the guidance of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant, was indeed a dream within a dream induced by Old Xia and Xiang Kun. However, the object used to invoke the dream was not the eight-armed, eight-eyed wooden carving, so he wasnt affected by the projection of fear in his dream. Hearing this sentence didnt evoke a deep resonance in him, like it did in Qi Haoguo previously. Wang Dean laughed: I almost shouted Oli give along with him. Old Man Du indeed has a mysterious way of speaking. Its no wonder he used to swindle people with all his tricks. Could he be deliberately trying to manipulate us? Or does he have some ulterior motive? But the keywords in what he said do align with the experiences of people weve met before whove seen the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster or giant illusion. Either tomorrow or the day after, lets try to apply for another meeting with Old Man Du and ask him directly when and where he dreamt of the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster, and what exactly he dreamt about. Zhao Feng suggested. However, in the afternoon of the same day, they received news that Old Man Dus condition had suddenly worsened. He had fallen into a coma and was transferred to the ICU; it looked like he would not make it much longer. The two of them rushed to the hospital and asked the caregiver when Old Man Dus adoptive son would arrive. But they were told that he was busy and couldnt make it, although they need not worry about the medical expenses. This adoptive son doesnt seem to be very dutiful, huh? Since he was in prison with Old Man Du, he might know something. Should we try to talk to him? Wang Dean quietly suggested in the hospital corridor. Zhao Feng thought for a moment, and then shook his head: It might be better to investigate what happened to Old Man Du before he surrendered and was imprisoned. We might be able to find something that prompted his dreams. However, Wang Dean didnt quite agree, There doesnt necessarily have to be a triggering event. Look at the various cases weve investigated before. Did any of them have a clear triggering event? Most of them just happened suddenly. Before you had the dream of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant guiding you to the corpse cave, did you have any clear premonition? If we have to point to some kind of triggering event, at most it would only be his criminal behavior. If that could help us find the cause, we would have found something during our investigation of the previous two cases. True. Zhao Feng pondered for a moment and then nodded in agreement. Wang Dean said: To be honest, if Old He hadnt found us and we hadnt discovered that the government and the Eight-armed Eight-eyed Illusion were unrelated, based only on our investigation in Burma, I would have thought that this was some kind of secret technology developed by our government. I mean, that illusion appeared twice in just 24 hours in Burma. The first time it appeared, it rescued a kidnapped Chinese citizen, and most of those affected were fugitives from our country. The second time, it indirectly prevented an anti-Chinese riot in Myitkyina, and the real mastermind behind the kidnapping case was killed by his own men during this incident. If that Eight-armed Eight-eyed illusion had a nationality, I believe it would definitely be Chinese. Indeed, before Old He found them and they became members of the Abnormal Research Center and the secret department of Divine Technology, they had various unconvincing speculations about the Eight-armed Eight-eyed Illusion. For example, perhaps someone, for some special reason, became aware of another dimension and became another kind of existence, full of a sense of justice, would want to help when seeing injustice, but unable to directly influence the real world, could only provide assistance through psychological influences, creating illusions, or dream invocations. Therefore, those who were affected by the illusion were basically individuals related to crime C either criminals, victims, or law enforcement officers. Zhao Feng pondered: I think those affected individuals werent chosen randomly. There must be some reasons, especially that kidnapping case in Burma. When the kidnappers saw the illusion, they were at sea. In this world, where evil deeds happen every moment, why would it specifically appear at that time, on that ship? Indeed, Wang Dean speculated, according to the timeline, the illusion appeared on the kidnappers ship earlier than the mass hallucination in Myitkyina. If the Eight-armed Eight-eyed Illusion really came from our country and was really controlled by a sentient entity, travelling all the way to Burma might have a purpose, perhaps to save someone. What was the name of the person who was kidnapped? He should be back in China now, right? Lets find him and have a detailed chat. Zhao Feng suggested. Originally, the plan was for Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, and Yang Zhener to have another meeting with Zhang Qian in the afternoon, and then leave Peng City and return to Chongyun Village. But at noon, Zhang Qian mentioned that her grandfather Zhang Hongpu, the chairman of Zhang Corporation, happened to be in Peng City today. She wanted to have dinner with him and chat. Xiang Kuns blood-drinking period was estimated to be tomorrow afternoon to evening, so remaining an extra night wouldnt be a problem, and he agreed. He guessed that Old Master Zhang Hongpus visit to Peng City was most likely for him. It would have been unlikely for Zhang Qian to have mobilized so many resources during that time without Zhang Hongpus support. Of course, if his blood-drinking period turned out to be tonight, then he would only apologize to the old master Zhang he believed that such minor disrespect would not have a big impact on the potential for huge future benefits. That evening, the dinner was held at the same classical mansion-style restaurant where he had met Zhang Chu before. Zhang Hongpu, as well as the Zhang Corporation, preferred to keep a low profile, and so there wasnt much information about him on the internet. But since Alice had previously collected quite a lot of information and data, Xiang Kun was not entirely ignorant about this old man. Zhang Hongpu was a tall and spirited old man, his face was always filled with a kindly smile. He didnt show any airs towards Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, and Yang Zhener and was very friendly. Mr. Xiang, Ive heard of your name before and Id always wanted to meet you. However, my old arms and legs are not as good as before, and I havent been traveling far in past years. So it is only today that I have the opportunity to meet you. You are both talented and physically sturdy, Mr. Xiang, ha-ha. As soon as he met Xiang Kun, Zhang Hongpu patted him on the shoulder and complimented him, half-jokingly. If it were the Xiang Kun before his mutation, when meeting such an influential man, he would surely get very nervous, afraid of saying something wrong of course, if he was still the man he used to be, he wouldnt have attracted such attention from Zhang Hongpu that he would painstakingly invite him to dine. But now, upon meeting Zhang Hongpu, Xiang Kun instinctively started analyzing the related sensory information. He even scanned the old mans physical condition unconsciously. Chairman, you praise me too much. If I had known earlier that you wanted to meet me, I would have visited sooner, responded Xiang Kun. He wore a sincere smile that perfectly matched his technocrat persona. Zhang Hongpu greeted and mentioned Tang Baonas grandfather, Mr. Feng, and Yang Zheners father, Yang Kuoyan. He had met the former many years ago and though he hadnt met the latter, the Zhang Corporation had business dealings with the pharmaceutical factory where Kuoyan worked, providing a basis for their introduction. Zhang Hongpu behaved like a kind elder. His greetings and few words warmed up the atmosphere and eased the tense nerves of Tang Baona and Yang Zhener. After taking a seat, Tang Baona who sat next to Xiang Kun couldnt help but whisper while Zhang Hongpu was instructing Zhang Qian to make some adjustments in the dishes for later, I initially thought that Chairman Zhang would be more serious and rigid, but it turns out he is rather approachable. Indeed, through the external reporting of Zhang Corporations operations and the remarks about Zhang Hongpu that occasionally slipped out when she was in contact with Zhang Qian in the past, it was easy for people to perceive the head of the Zhang Corporation as a rather unreachable and strict elder. Xiang Kun smiled and replied softly, Probably because this is a private occasion, he treats us as peers to Zhang Qian. Actually, through his observation of Zhang Hongpu, Zhang Qian, and the persons accompanying Zhang Hongpu, it could be inferred that this old man was quite authoritative in the eyes of both subordinates and the Zhang family. Especially Zhang Qian, who was obviously more cautious in her speech and actions than usual. Now they were looking at the spring-like benevolent side of Zhang Hongpu, but there was definitely also a thunderous side to the old man. During the greetings, the old mans eyes were full of smiles, but they were also assessing Xiang Kun. From the comprehensive analysis of sensory information, Xiang Kun believed that the old man had no preconceived likes or dislikes for him; curiosity was the more dominant feeling. And judging from his knowledge regarding Tang Baonas grandfather and Yang Zheners father, it was likely he had basic information about the three of them prior to the gathering, or even earlier, and he must not be unfamiliar with Xiang Kuns background and experience. During the meal and conversation, Zhang Hongpu didnt inquire about the specific business operations, business services, or company products of Zhang Qian, Xiang Kun, and Tang Baona. He didnt even mention the game they were creating, which is already well-known and promising for the future. Instead, he chatted about some trivial matters, occasionally talking about the development of the Internet and mobile networks as well its impact on the real economy and traditional business models. From these seemingly unrelated topics and conversations, Xiang Kun quickly managed to grasp Zhang Hongpus true intentions. Normally speaking, although Genesis of Voice is doing well and almost certain to generate decent revenue in the future, in comparison to the whole Zhang Corporation, it was not yet significant enough to attract the attention of Zhang Hongpu. However, from Zhang Hongpus words, Xiang Kun detected the old mans concern for the traditional business development of the Zhang Corporation. He intended to gradually shift the corporations focus and explore opportunities in emerging industries such as the Internet. With Zhang Qians successful development of Genesis of Voice, the old man was probably contemplating whether to use this as a breakthrough and give a large amount of power and resources to Zhang Qian and put the responsibility on her shoulders. And the most important partner of Zhang Qians Rising Dragon Entertainment now is QianKun Technology, or rather, Xiang Kun himself. Zhang Qian might have previously painted a grand picture for her grandfather involving Xiang Kun, leaving him greatly impressed. But their cooperation mode was extremely unusual, so the old man may want to meet Xiang Kun in person. After making a rough judgement on Zhang Hongpus intentions, Xiang Kun naturally knew how to pander to his preferences and went on to paint a grand picture with Zhang Qian. As for Zhang Hongpus investigations into him, Xiang Kuns response was quite simple C one word, sincerity. He knew that when people try to obtain information, theres often an inclination and expectation in their hearts. If the information obtained is contrary to this inclination and expectation, even if it is the truth, there would be a natural suspicion and need for verification. But if the obtained information highly conforms to the expectation and inclination, there would be a feeling of I knew it would be like this, and they would gladly accept iteven if the information itself would seem nonsensical if looked at separately. Of course, it was hard for most people to get this process perfect as they usually couldnt perfectly apprehend and express their own thoughts. However, through the exchange of words on various topics, Xiang Kun could gauge Zhang Hongpus victory response mechanism based on real-time feedback from his physical sensory information. By constantly adjusting and mastering the tiny emotional changes and physiological transformations accompanying certain thought inclinations, Xiang Kun could deliver information that would conform to Zhang Hongpus expectations and preferences. Of course, most of what Xiang Kun said was the truth, just disguised and not fully revealed. Yet for Zhang Hongpu, it basically answered some of his doubts and established a basic impression and understanding of Xiang Kun in his mind a very talented young man who was extremely confident and even somewhat arrogant in terms of technology. Although he had the vision and breadth of mind, he wasnt overly ambitious. He had simplicity and sincerity, valued morality over profit, and was low-key and patient. This character setting was in line with the preliminary judgement he had established through Zhang Qian and other sources. There wasnt much deviation, so with the passing of time and the increase in exchanges, Zhang Hongpu naturally believed he had roughly fathomed this young bald mans thoughts. When they had finished their dinner and moved to a pavilion in the courtyard of the restaurant for tea, everyone was relaxed. Xiang Kun took the opportunity to say, in response to a topic Zhang Hongpu brought up, In China, the company I admire the most is Divine Technology. I respect their style of doing technology, always making strides in areas others pay little attention to, and often creating products and inventions similar to mysterious black technologies. Whats more, they are extremely low-key and dedicate themselves to technology. They are not flamboyant. I hope that QianKun Technology can become a company like Divine Technology in the future. Upon hearing this, Xiang Kun immediately noticed that Zhang Hongpus eyebrows tightened slightly, and Zhang Qian also quickly looked at her grandfather with some nervousness. Xiang Kuns words were naturally deliberate. He had heard from Yang Zhuo that Zhang Qians grandfather particularly disliked Divine Technology. The company that Zhang Chu founded single-handedly was handed over to Zhang Qian by Zhang Hongpu because he had cooperated with Divine Technology. And according to Alices investigation, Zhang Hongpu and Lu Chengan were of the same age, and they had a lot of contact and even cooperated in their early years. It was possible that they knew some information that was not recorded in the previously secret documents, which could help him solve some doubts. Information that seems ordinary to people unaware of the situation could allow those in the know to infer much more. Chapter 517 - Chapter 517: Chapter 517: The Mountain Rain is about to Begin Chapter 517: Chapter 517: The Mountain Rain is about to Begin Upon hearing Xiang Kun mention Divine Technology, Zhang Hongpu raised his hand to touch his eyebrows and nodded, Indeed, Divine Technology has made considerable achievements in certain fields. However, he paused slightly, and then changed his tone, But in my opinion, there are plenty of domestic tech companies that are doing better than Divine Technology. He then cited a few examples of large-scale domestic tech companies that were also specializing in certain fields, yet were not well-known to the public. Yet, Xiang Kun argued, Divine Technology is different. They possess a spirit of paving the way for the world, not being overly concerned with short-term gains or losses. Any tech company, once it reaches a certain stage, should have this spirit. Zhang Hongpu laughed, However, your companys business field is quite different from that of Divine Technology. Your main focus is still on internet products. Xiang Kun said, Actually, Director Zhang and I have been discussing recently, and it is very possible that we will begin to venture into the hardware field. Oh? Zhang Hongpu looked at his granddaughter. Zhang Qian responded, What Mr. Xiang may be referring to is the VR-related equipment I mentioned earlier as well as other data collection and recording devices for various endpoints. However, we are still only in the stage of direction selection. Under normal circumstances, at this point in the conversation, Xiang Kun would naturally lead the conversation towards the development of the technology they mentioned, or other topics, and away from Divine Technology. However, Xiang Kun hasnt yet probed for the information he wants from this topic and wont give up so easily. He seemingly naturally added, From my understanding, as for VR technology, aside from the American company, Do-or-Die, the only other company that has a well-laid-out plan is Divine Technology. Their strategic direction is different from Oculus, which was acquired by Do-or-Die, but they also have their own core technology, which I am very optimistic about. If we want to save time and reduce costs in the future, we could consider cooperating with them. With these words, it seemed as if he had hit a nerve with Zhang Hongpu. He straightened up slightly, crossed his arms over his chest, seemingly deep in thought. Zhang Qian quickly said, Mr. Xiang, our VR social networking concept is still at the conceptual research stage. Theres no need to research the hardware implementation so quickly. In fact, we can focus on specific application development and make adaptations on the hardware and terminal. Theres no need to step into these thankless areas. Not to mention that given our scale, its already too late. Of course, Xiang Kun knew that Zhang Qian was intentionally trying to steer him away from his grandfathers sensitive spot, but he was very measured. He clearly understood Zhang Hongpus current state of mind, knowing what kind of pace and scale he should use to probe, and wasnt worried. Its precisely because our scale is too small and its too late for us to enter the market, that we need to cooperate with mature companies. Do-or-Die is an American company and also a social networking service, with which cooperation would certainly not be easy. Cooperating with Divine Technology is almost the best choice, said Xiang Kun. Zhang Hongpu spoke, Mr. Xiang, what do you think is the most important thing for a tech company? Well, for a tech company, the most important thing is of course the technology, Xiang Kun said naturally. Next, Zhang Hongpu didnt talk about Divine Technology, but instead told several stories from the Western Industrial Revolution and the early 20th century, the 70s and 80s, and even the 21st century. Some were domestic stories and some were foreign. In general, he was expressing one point of view: science and technology itself has no attributes of good or evil, but those who apply it do. Even in conducting research, there must be a bottom line, otherwise its irresponsible to oneself, to others, and to mankind as a whole. Clearly, Zhang Hongpu was expressing his ideology while trying to influence Xiang Kun. However, Xiang Kun keenly picked up on some key points from the conversation: The reason why Zhang Hongpu disliked Divine Technology was likely due to his belief that they conducted some form of research that he considered to be beyond acceptable limits. Of course, Zhang Hongpu didnt say this explicitly, nor did he even mention the name Divine Technology when recounting his stories. Moreover, the conversation never seemed to directly involve Divine Technology. Xiang Kun wouldnt be able to ask directly, as doing so would almost certainly yield no answers. But Xiang Kun was certain that Zhang Hongpu was privy to some inside information. According to the documents Xiang Kun had read, be it when Academician Shen was in charge of the research project in the early days or when Mr. Liang took over, there was never any extreme or anti-human experiments conducted. Or rather, under the threats of the so-called mysterious power and ultimate predator, they wouldnt have been able to conduct any complex experiments. Of course, its not entirely impossible that there were some beyond acceptable limits elements contained in the section of the documents that Xiang Kun has yet to read, or unrecorded experiments. However, according to Xiang Kuns predictions, its more likely that Zhang Hongpu misjudged some information. Xiang Kun planned to explore his memories pertaining to the matter through Old Xias Dream in a Dream that night. Thanks to Alices presence, Xiang Kun didnt need to secretly plant a super-connected object like a ball or bead onto Zhang Hongpu for tracking in advance. Once Zhang arrived at his rest stop, Alice would naturally send Xiang Kun the location, regardless of whether it was through a cell phone or car GPS. At that time, Xiang Kun would only need to place the black circle graffiti, with which he had previously established contact with Old Xia, at a location close enough to where Zhang Hongpu is sleeping. Around midnight, Xiang Kun, who had just jumped over the wall of a villa area, didnt head back to the hotel. Instead, he found a quiet place to sit down and prepare to trigger Old Xias dream and launch the Dream in a Dream. Alice had notified him that Old Xia had already put Bell Apple to bed and sleep about half an hour ago, readying herself as well. When it came to exploring a persons memory information and guiding their specific thought direction in a Dream in a Dream, Xia Libing was extremely proficient. She quickly revealed in Zhang Hongpus dream why he harbored such a strong aversion to Divine Technology. It turned out, many years back, one of Zhang Hongpus old friends sons brought home a girlfriend he had just met. However, in the middle of the night, a monster with a bloated body, dark brown skin covered in intricate, weird patterns infiltrated their home, killing the girlfriend and taking her away. Zhang Hongpus friends son was deeply frightened. When the police arrived, they couldnt find any human DNA at the crime scene. The only things they found were some torn clothing, which held none other than the sons DNA. There were no traces left behind of the supposed giant monster. Additionally, there were no signs of forced entry into his home. The surveillance of the housing estate was conveniently malfunctioning at the time, and nearby CCTVs didnt capture any unusual occurrences. However, trusting his old friend, Zhang Hongpu pulled some strings and discovered the truth regarding this incident. It wasnt just a case of hysteria; a horrendous monster that seemed neither human nor beast indeed boarded a truck and made its way into his friends sons dwelling. He also found out that the truck, after leaving the scene, entered a property belonging to Lu Chengan of Divine Technology. Just as he was about to conduct further investigations, officials approached him, asking him to abandon his inquiry labeling it as an internal affair which would be subject to an internal investigation. Since no ordinary citizen suffered material harm, they urged him not to amplify the situation. He could only abandon his pursuit and investigation. However, using snippets of information from various sources, he had a vague notion that the monster was likely Lu Chengans paralyzed son. Thus, he naturally held the belief that Lu Chengan, his son, and even some government institutions were possibly involved in some beyond acceptable limits research and experiments. The woman who was killed and carried off by the monster, leaving no traces behind as if she never existed, was likely erased completely in order to protect the research and Lu Chengans monstrous son. If the monster that attacked his old friends sons residence and killed the girlfriend was Mr. Liang as shown in Zhang Hongpus dream, then the girlfriend was more likely to be another human-shaped mutant. Although Zhang Hongpu was not a direct witness and his dream representation of Mr. Liang would significantly differ from the real individual, by comparing this with the previously read confidential documents, it can be deduced that it happened when Mr. Liang had started to determine a new mutation direction and his body began to break away from the human form, eventually leading to gaining invisibility ability. If it were now, Mr. Liang wouldnt cause such a commotion to hunt a human-shaped mutated creature, and there would be no witnessesbecause it wouldnt be visible at all. However, according to Xiang Kuns interpretation of those secret documents, neither Academician Shen nor Mr. Liang would handle a newly discovered mutant in such a direct, violent, and even reckless manner. This method is not standard procedure. It seemed that Mr. Liang was somewhat out of control and emotional. He had a vague suspicion about this matter and perhaps he could carry out some verification later. Suddenly, the dreamland crumbled, and Old Xia exited the dream in a dream, seemingly waking up directly. Xiang Kun, who opened his eyes in a dark corner outside the villa area, was stunned for a moment. Although he had already understood Zhang Hongpus disdain for Divine Technology through his dream, their purpose this time was to gather information. Normally, Old Xia would perform an operation to erase the dream memory, so why was it omitted this time? Amid his surprise, Xiang Kun realized through the feedback from the Super sensory Item System what had happenedthere was an incident in Chongyun Village. Tongshi Town. Earlier, when Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, and others were dining and chatting with Zhang Hongpu, Xia Tianhuo was having tea with Chu Xiuwen at a newly opened teahouse on a pedestrian street. The two of them had dinner with Chu Xiaoting and Zi Cheng at the Youlong Restaurant. After the meal, the young couple went off to have fun elsewhere. Naturally, Xia Tianhuo didnt want to intrude, so he and Chu Xiuwen went to have tea nearby. Mr. Xia, how long do you plan to stay in Tongshi Town and Chongyun Village? Chu Xiuwen filled Xia Tianhuos cup with tea and chuckled. The place is really comfortable to live in. I feel like I cant live without the rabbit meat from the Youlong Restaurant. And for some reason, whether its the climate, environment, oxygen content, or magnetic field, I just feel so comfortable and at ease living in Chongyun Village. I think I might open up some sort of business in Tongshi Town or Chongyun Village. I might need Brother Chus help then! Xia Tianhuo replied with a laugh. This was indeed how he felt. Ever since returning from Burma, the days he had spent in Chongyun Village were when he had slept the most peacefully. When Professor Li Yang was still around, Xia would chat with him. Once Professor Li left, Xiang Kun and Yang Zhen Er buoyed him up so he wouldnt get bored. But now that Xiang Kun, Yang Zhen Er, and Tang Baona were gone, only he, Old Xia, two kids, Xiao Lingdang and Xiao Pingguo, a cat, and a bird were left in the building they stayed in at Chongyun Village. Even though he was Old Xias cousin, to be honest, he always felt younger in Old Xias presence. Therefore, with Xiao Lingdang and Xiao Pingguo, he always felt like he himself became a child when facing Old Xia. It felt weird Moreover, he also found that when he was around, Xiao Lingdang and Xiao Pingguo would often whisper to each other. He somehow felt left out, which made him feel even more uncomfortable So in the days when Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, and others were away, he generally spend the day hanging out with Zi Cheng in Tongshi Town. Sometimes he would return to sleep at night, and sometimes he would just get a room in the town if it was too late. Honestly, he sometimes found it strange that although he was related by blood to Old Xia and Yang Zhen Er, he felt that Old Xia, Yang Zhen Er, Xiang Kun, Xiao Lingdang, and Xiao Pingguo looked more like a family. They seemed to be extremely familiar with each other and had a hard-to-describe tacit understanding and trust, which others found hard to fit into. Chu Xiuwen laughed and said, If Mr. Xia is willing to invest in Tongshi Town, as a resident here, we would welcome you with open arms. But isnt your family business mostly in bulk raw materials trade? Im afraid theres not much market for that in Tongshi Town. What Im doing in Tongshi Town definitely isnt our familys business. I was initially pondering over opening a farm in Chongyun Village. A lot of new restaurants are opening in town, so I guessed the demand for fresh food would be high. But after checking out a few of the farms under construction and understanding the situation, I figured it wouldnt suit me. So Im thinking of opening a franchised chain restaurant in town. Itd be good to have something to do, so I wont be accused of idleness and forced to return home by my family, Xia Tianhuo joked. That sounds good. If you have some ideas, we can discuss them. Im quite knowledgeable about this town. I know where its best to open what type of store, where there are shops with leases about to expire, and where the cost performance of the shops is high, Chu Xiuwen replied with a smile. As their conversation progressed, they naturally steered toward Qi Haoguo, with whom theyd both dined two days prior. Did I hear Boss Qi gotarrested? Xia Tianhuo asked, looking unsure. Chu Xiuwen nodded. Well, strictly speaking, he turned himself in. His situation is rather complicated and I couldnt clarify it within a short time. Actually, I dont deeply understand it either. But it appears that a lot of things he confessed to the police may not be as criminal as he thinks. And considering how many years have passed and the fact that he turned himself in voluntarily, I predict his sentence wont be too heavy. I dont quite understand his thoughts, but one thing for sure is that he seems quite calm dealing with everything. Xia Tianhuo nodded. Thats what I think too. Boss Qi gives me the impression of enlightenment. The pair chatted into the late evening over snacks at the tea shop before Chu Xiuwen drove Xia Tianhuo back to Chongyun Village. As soon as they got in the car, Xia Tianhuo received a phone call from a journalist who had interviewed him previously in Burma. The journalist wanted to discuss his kidnapping incident again and asked if it would be convenient for him to talk. Xia Tianhuo had initially planned to decline but the journalist mentioned some new information about the illusions in Myitkyina. Intrigued, Xia Tianhuo gave her the address of the Youlong Restaurant in Tongshi Town and asked her to meet him there. Indeed, his primary reason for coming to Tongshi Town and Chongyun Village was to seek answers from Old Xia about his rescue and the peculiar existence he felt. However, since his arrival, he found it impossible to get any conclusive answers from Old Xia but he couldnt completely rule out the possibility of his involvement either, thus he stayed. On the bright side, the stay was quite comfortable and made him almost forget why he was here in the first place. Is there some journalist asking about the Burma incident? Seeing Xia Tianhuo hanging up the phone, Chu Xiuwen asked on reflex. Yes, they had interviewed me before in Burma, but I still dont think they look like actual journalists, Xia Tianhuo replied, shaking his head. Mr. Xia, you have a great attitude. I believe if I were in your situation, I would still be traumatized, Chu Xiuwen exclaimed. It wasnt as exaggerated as you imagine. It didnt last long enough for me to get scared before it was over, Xia Tianhuo joked. But as they were talking, they drove onto a newly built village road and suddenly, there was a power cut. Even the newly fitted streetlights turned off, plunging the entire village in darkness. Xia Tianhuo looked surprised as he observed the night sky through the windshield. Whats happening? Why is even the moonlight blocked now? We were dining just a little while back and the sky still looked fine. You could see the stars and the moon. How come it looks like its about to storm so soon? In the midst of the darkness, their cars headlights seemed to transport them to a different world. The situation felt surreal. The wind gradually escalated, and the car lights shed light on leaves and other trash blowing across the road. In the distant forest, strange animal cries could be heard. Chapter 518 - Chapter 518: Chapter 581: Anger Chapter 518: Chapter 581: Anger Just like yesterday, Liu Shiling and Little Apple spent their day under the care of Old Xia, running around and playing all over the village and hills with Custard Pie and the Canary. After sunset, they began rehearsing their comedy skit. With Little Fatty Girl around, Little Apples creative process for the comedy skit was overflowing with ideas. It was as if her hidden funny bone that had been suppressed for over a decade was ignited, constantly producing new skits. Little Fatty Girl, in her supporting role, couldnt handle too complex skits yet. And if the punchline was too long or complicated, she often missed the beat. But it was precisely this natural cuteness that created a unique comedic effect. Little Apple thus created her skits to highlight and take advantage of this effect. Whenever they encountered words she didnt understand, Alice would teach her to recognize the words directly through the computer. This method of learning through comedy, where what they learned could be immediately put to use, helped Little Fatty Girl quickly recognize several complicated characters. That night, Professor Li Yang was able to watch several skits performed by the Bell-Apple duo during their video call, and it left him in fits of laughter, eyes brimming with tears and stomach aching. Li Yang knew that his daughter had always enjoyed comedic skits. She used to laugh heartily listening to them on the radio when she was very young. He didnt expect, however, that she could write such entertaining skits, and coordinate so well with Xiao Lingdang. He could tell that his daughter was genuinely enjoying her time in Chongyun Village; her face was glowing, and she exuded confidence and positivity. In his heart, he felt profoundly grateful to Xiang Kun, Xia Libing, Tang Baona, Yang Zhen Er, and the adorable Little Fatty Girl who performed skits alongside Little Apple. He truly wished for his daughter to always remain this happy and radiant. Little Fatty Girl and Little Apple continued discussing the comedy skit until after ten oclock, when Xia Libing finally called a halt, citing that Little Fatty Girl needed to study math. Then, she sent the two girls to wash up. After they had settled into bed, they began studying mathematics on a tablet. While Little Fatty Girl was studying, Old Xia was teaching, and Little Apple was pretending to be a fellow student studying alongside. Then, in less than twenty minutes, both Little Fatty Girl and Little Apple had fallen into a deep sleep. After their young masters fell asleep, Canary, as usual, sneaked out to playCflocking and training its various bird buddies in the mountains at night had become the Canarys routine. It would normally bring along its newly recruited kitty buddy, Custard Pie, but as Custard Pie had had a bath earlier that night, it was under strict curfew, forbidden to sneak out and play, lest it return all dirtyCafter all, unlike the Canary, Custard Pie couldnt fly. Going into the mountains would result in it coming back filthy. The Canary didnt venture too far into the Chongyun Mountains. Its small wings and legs would tire from flying too far. Instead, it perched atop a relatively tall tree branch near Chongyun Village, opened its beak, and let out a call unlike a typical canarys call. The call sounded a bit muffled, and much less pleasing to the ears than its normal chirping. But soon, other birds began to respond to its call, and started flying towards it. The Canary wasnt picky about the species of its recruits. Instead, it judged the individual birds based on their aptitude, as it would often train its buddies tricks during playtime, such as singing in chorus, flying in formation, or joint hunts to catch field mice. Those bird buddies who quickly and accurately understood and executed its commands would occasionally receive rewards from the CanaryCa share of its food to win their loyalty. Of course, there are some raptors who refuse to submit, challenging the authority of the glittering gold bird. However, it is no longer the ordinary little canary. It does not need to physically fight to assert its dominance; it has its own unique way of exerting its deterrence. All birds, whether owls or other raptors, are incapable of resistance under this deterrent. Today, while planning to lead the young birds on a patrol of the Chongyun Village area, the golden bird suddenly noticed something off. Perched on a tree branch, it tilted its head and peered in a particular direction. Its night vision abilities are fairly ordinary, but acting as the eyes for Xiao Pingguo, especially when in Chongyun Village where it has a limited connection with Alice, and having been transformed by Xiang Kun, enabling it to sense to some extent the twenty super-connected object beads on its ankle, its ability to move at night and sense living things has greatly increased. At this moment, it felt as if something was present in that direction, but its senses were a little fuzzy, and it wasnt sure. And from the feedback of the other little bird buddies around it, it seemed that none of them had noticed anything unusual over there. Just as it was wondering whether to fly over to investigate, that thing suddenly launched itself towards it with lightning speed. The golden bird was startled and instinctively wanted to flap its wings and fly away, but it soon realized that it was near Chongyun Village! So, the golden bird spread its wings wide, opened its beak, and all its feathers began to vibrate oddly, emitting a type of sound wave that regular humans couldnt hear, trying to deter the approaching object. But that thing didnt slow down in slightest, it was seemingly unaffected and charged straight ahead. At this point, if the golden bird wanted to flap its wings and escape, it would be too late; it was struck. If someone had been under the tree and seen this, they would have found the chubby canary, seemingly struck by something, directly being knocked off the tree, but there was no indication as to what had hit it. The golden bird fell from the tree and hit the ground. It tried to struggle to its feet, but found that it couldnt stand at all. On its body, a strange raptor the size of a rooster, with the head of a bird of prey and colorful lights flowing all over its body, slowly appeared. It turned out that it had been invisible when it attacked. The golden birds left wing and body were pierced by three sharp claws and pinned to the ground, letting out a cry of pain. As for the little bird buddies around, they had all flown away in fear at this point, none daring to come to the rescue of their big brother. On the ground, the strange raptor that had ambushed and restrained the golden bird also tilted its head, seemingly looking at it with surprise. It was clear it was much smarter than the other birds. However, the strange raptor didnt understand what the golden bird was, and just as it was about to use its beak to finish off the golden bird, an electricity arc suddenly appeared between the ankles of the golden bird, accompanied by a crackling sound. This sudden incident startled the strange raptor, and it instinctively flung the golden bird away and flew into the air to create distance. After tumbling a few times on the mountainside, the golden bird struggled to flap its wings and took off, flying towards Chongyun Village in a haphazard manner. It knew that as long as it reached Chongyun Village, it would be saved. Luckily, it wasnt far from the village. The strange raptor was only slightly startled, but when it realized that the electricity arc couldnt harm it, it became intensely interested in the golden bird again and flew towards it for another attack. Golden Flash was injured and flew with difficulty. Yet the odd raptor was extremely fastblinkand it had already chased right behind Golden Flash, ready to pounce again. A cute girl in a princess dress unexpectedly appeared in mid-air, standing between Golden Flash and the odd raptor it was Alice, manifested all of a sudden. Alice let out a feisty shout, threw herself forward, and with a self-forgetting momentum, thrust the scalpel into the mutated raptor. The odd raptor, taken aback by the unexpected charge, hastily changed direction and nearly collided with the nearby tree. When it gathered its strength and went looking for the white figure that had emerged from nowhere, it found it had disappeared without a trace while the yellow bird it had injured was still trying desperately to escape. The odd raptor tilted its head in hesitation, seeming a bit angry, but eventually it gathered its wings and chased after it again. This time it entered invisibility status as soon as it took off. Golden Flash was seriously injured. Its strong will to survive made it strive to escape, but soon it couldnt control its body and crashed a deserted courtyard from the air. Fortunately, it had entered the Chongyun Village area. The moment Golden Flash was attacked, Apple, who had a strong sensory connection with Golden Flash, woke up instantly, sat up and in disarray. The Custard Pie, which was napping in the room, jumped up and let itself out through the window. The Custard Pie had already gotten used to most areas in the village with Little Fatty Girl, Apple, and Golden Flash. It sprinted on all fours, leaping quickly along the walls and roofs, like an orange lightning, heading quickly for the place where Golden Flash fell. When the invisible odd raptor flew over Chongyun Village, it saw an orange cat carrying the big yellow bird running away. Here to steal the prey? The odd raptor tilted its head in the air, ready to swoop down and kill the cat. Just then, near the place where the cat and bird were, on the rooftop of a deserted three-story building, a white figure appeared, looking up in the sky at its position. The odd raptor immediately redirected its target. It noticed that this white figure was the suddenly emergent guy who almost made it bump into a tree earlier. And it seemed to be able to see its position? Could it possibly discover itself? The odd raptor didnt rashly swoop down but hovered in the air, watching the white, lonely figure, and at the same time keeping an eye on where the bird-carrying cat had gone. On the ground, the co-manifested Alice was looking up at the sky holding a scalpel in her right hand, while tossing a crispy pigs elbow back and forth with her left hand. This pigs elbow was actually wrapped around a Super-connected Objects ball, and she was waiting for the right moment. Although the odd raptor was invisible, she could locate it through the Super Sensory Information. She could even tell through the Super Sensory information that it was a mutant. This was Chongyun Village, her guarded territory, where she feared nothing except her master. Inside the bedroom. When Apple sat up from the bed, Little Fatty Girl also sat up in a daze, rubbing her eyes, turned her head to look at Apple, and said unclearly, Sister Apple, I dreamt that Custard Pie sneaked out to play, ah-choo, its so cold, oh, the window is open, hey, wheres my Custard Pie? Then Li Bing also sat up and turned on the light. Only then did Little Fatty Girl noticed that Sister Apples eyes were filled with tears. Sister Apple, whats wrong with you? Little Fatty Girl was startled, got up from the bed and comforted Apple. Sister Bing, Golden Flash Apples voice trembled, she had learned about some latest developments through her link with Alice after she woke up. Li Bing, standing by the window, looked at a white figure on a building in the distance and said, Golden Flash has been hurt by something. Custard Pie has gone to get it. Dont worry, Alice is watching. As soon as she finished speaking, Custard Pie, carrying Golden Flash, crawled back in through the window. Seeing Golden Flash put on the floor by Custard Pie, covered in blood and dirt, barely hanging on, Little Fatty Girl started crying right away, jumped down from the bed, crouched next to Golden Flash, her little hand hesitant to touch. Grilled Chicken Wing Sister, who did this to Golden Flash? Is it a bad guy or a monster? Why did they do this! Liu Shiling asked with her little face looking up. Apple also got off the bed and carefully lifted Golden Flash onto it. Tears rolled down her face. Li Bing looked up at the sky over Chongyun Village and said, Its still there. Suddenly, the room fell into darkness. Or rather, the whole Chongyun Village was plunged into darkness. Even in the night sky, wind began to surge, and moonlight and starlight were slowly being obscured. Li Bing looked down and found that, unknown to her, Liu Shiling had already stood barefoot by her side, her tiny fists clenched at her sides, looking up outside with her, her cheeks red, tears in her eyes. She was biting her lip, sniffing her nose about to run, her eyes full of fury, determination, sadness, and a bit of fear. Five coins that had established a deep connection with her were circling around her, and there was even a faint glow on the surface of the coins, obviously in a state of hyperstimulation. But Li Bing knew clearly that the previous thunderstorm Little Fatty Girl had created at home was because Kuns consciousness was awakened in his sleep and then amplified in a super-sensory state. If Kun didnt back her to amplify the effects, it would be very hard to recreate the situation just by letting Little Fatty Girl bring the five coins into the hyperstimulation state by herself. But this place was Chongyun Village, and the enormous amount of Super-connected Objects Kun had set up everywhere were wild cards. Li Bing wasnt sure yet exactly what had injured Golden Flash, but she thought with her and Alice present, protecting Chongyun Village should be more than sufficient, with no major problems. But, capturing that flying thing alive would be challenging. Li Bing looked at Little Fatty Girl and Apple, weighing up in her heart, should she let the two little girls exert their powers? Heres a new book recommendation: Winning is the Only Justice. The writer is an information fanatic; such that they can spend months in the library just for writing. They are rich in content. Chapter 519 - Chapter 519: Chapter 519: Casting a Spell Together Chapter 519: Chapter 519: Casting a Spell Together Xia Libing picked up the angry Little Fatty Girl, placed her on a nearby chair, then gently wiped her nose with a tissue and helped her into her jacket. Still furious, Liu Shiling stood on the chair, stretching her neck to look out the window. She watcher the white-dressed Alice on the top of a small building in the distance, gazing up at the sky, following her sightline, looking for the entity that had injured Jinshanshan so badly. Xia Libing quickly examined Jinshanshans state, then asked Xiao Pingguo if she could determine what it was that had attacked Jinshanshan through the sensory connection she shared with it. However, Xiao Pingguo, having just been woken from sleep, wasnt able to glean much information from her connection with Jinshanshan. All she could determine was that it was a bird and it could go invisible. But for Xia Libing, these two pieces of information were enough for her to make a possible guess as to what injured Jinshanshan. The night Xia Tianhuo was kidnapped in Burma and called for help, Xiang Kun encountered two mutations in Wushu Mountain who could go invisible and were fighting each other. One of them was confirmed to be Mr. Liang, and the other was likely the mutated big bird that swallowed the mutated ant. The big bird had no chance against Mr. Liang, turned into an egg to save its life C a form of rebirth C then quickly hatched into some kind of form suitable for digging, and escaped underground. From a birds point of view, the distance from Wushu Mountain to Chongyun Mountain isnt far. The mutated big bird that burrowed from underground, underwent metamorphosis, and reverted to being a bird, could indeed have ended up here. Creatures with the two traits bird and invisibility are not many, it couldnt be just a coincidence. Xia Libing quickly made a decision. They needed to kill, capture, or drive off that bird because Jinshanshan was in a critical condition that required immediate treatment. There was little room for strategic pondering. As for how to accomplish this task, it wouldnt just be up to her and Alice, theyd also need the help of Xiao Pingguo and Little Fatty Girl, or rather the need to engage the Super Sensory Item System and utilize the advantages of Chongyun Village. However, in order to formulate a plan, several problems needed to be addressed: 1. Both Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguo couldnt be exposed, facing the mutated big bird was too dangerous. But if they didnt directly observe it, Little Fatty Girl wouldnt be able to accurately use her abilities; 2. They needed to fully mobilize Chongyun Villages Super-connected Objects to maximize home-field advantage, but only Alice could communicate with all of Chongyun Villages Super-connected Objects. While she could use them in a stable manner, she lacked explosive power; 3. The person who can employ the Super Sensory Item System with the most explosive power was Little Fatty Girl, but she had only established a strong connection with her five coins and an A4 paper and had no direct contact with other Super-connected Objects in Chongyun Village. The previous manipulation of magnetic fields, and guiding paper airplanes by wind, was achieved by influencing other Super-connected Objects through her five coins; 4. Despite it being late at night and most of the village residents having gone to bed, if there was too much commotion, there was still the chance that any insomniac villagers could witness something unusual. But any action they took would almost certainly create some noise. These thoughts quickly flashed through Xia Libings mind, and then she immediately came up with a plan. Xiao Pingguo, listen to my commands for a bit. Establish a connection with Alice, and then use your minion wood carving to sense Little Lingdangs emotions. Imagine her emotions as an eight-armed, eight-eyed monster. Try to project those same emotions onto Alice as you did when you remote-controlled the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster. Right now, Little Lingdangs emotions should be Xia Libing glanced at Little Fatty Girl and said: Anger, fury. Liu Shiling, who just put on the hood of her jacket and was tightening the strings, nodded vigorously, her eyes wide in affirmation that she was indeed angry. The five coins floating around her even trembled a little, as if nodding in agreement. Xiao Pingguo, still worried and upset over Jinshanshans injury, found what Xia Libing said a little confusing, but her trust in Xia Libing had her nodding in agreement anyway. Then, Xia Libing turned to the Little Fatty Girl and said, Little Lingdang, the one who hurt Jinshanshan is a bird. Its still in the sky, but it can turn invisible, so we cant see it. I need you to stay angry, then close your eyes and use your magic to help Alice. Can you do that? The Little Fatty Girl was even more confused than Xiao Pingguo. She had no idea how to use her magic to help Alice. All she knew was that the one who hurt Jinshanshan was an invisible bird that was still in the sky. She needed to stay angry and close her eyes. But just like Xiao Pingguo, the Little Fatty Girl trusted Sister Kaojichi without question. She tightened the hood strings of her coat and nodded, declaring, Howl! Xia Libing stood by the window, looking at Alice who had co-manifested in the distance. The latter naturally felt her gaze and turned back to look at her. Then, Xia Libing turned to Xiao Pingguo who was already holding the Minion woodcarving in the bedroom. She said, Xiao Pingguo, you can start now. Little Lingdang, close your eyes. A few seconds later, the five super-connected coins hovering around Liu Shiling flew out of the open window and soared into the sky. Xia Libing stood by the window with her hands outstretched in front of her. Soon, fog appeared between her hands. It then spread out of the window. Fog began to appear everywhere in Chongyun Village and spread in all directions. Not only did the power go out suddenly in Chongyun Village, but the weather also changed drastically. The wind started blowing and clouds gathered, shrouding everything in darkness. It was so dark that one couldnt see their hand in front of their face. Liu Gaoshang was lying in a temporary barracks on the construction site, playing with his phone while resting. His brother, Liu Zhengyi, was on guard duty at night, and he would take over in the morning. He could take his break at 3 pm and make arrangements to go out and play in the city. He was currently chatting with an assistant he met at a recently opened hair salon in the citys pedestrian street on WeChat. Just as their conversation was getting exciting, the entire construction site experienced a power outage, and his phone lost its signal. Whats more outrageous was that after he fiddled with it a few times, his phone froze and then went black! Liu Gaoshang was so annoyed that he almost threw his new phone out. But then he thought about how its only been two weeks since he bought it, so he held back and didnt throw it. He got up and left the room, walked to the construction site, and found that the entire site was pitch-black. The entire Chongyun Village and even the surrounding mountains and wilderness were also shrouded in darkness. He couldnt make out anything. The blowing wind gave him an indescribable prickly sensation. Liu Gaoshang looked at his bare arm. Although he couldnt see clearly in the darkness, he could clearly feel that his hair was standing on end. Something felt odd? Just as Liu Gaoshang was slightly confused, fog suddenly spread around him, further reducing his visibility. Then, lightning surged in the sky and the roar of thunder filled the air. The sound vibrated the air, producing a great sense of oppression. It was as if he was standing next to a large subwoofer in a dance hall. His ears were buzzing, and he subconsciously wanted to crouch down. Bro! Are you there, Bro? Liu Gaoshang shouted into the construction site twice. When he received no response, he felt a little uneasy and decided to retreat back into the barracks. Just as he was retreating back towards the door, several bolts of lightning illuminated the sky above Chongyun Village. Taking advantage of the fleeting light, Liu Gaoshang seemed to see something rising straight into the sky. What was that?! Surrounded by fog, it was impossible to make out what that thing was C he even began to doubt whether he had seen correctly. The sky was already dark and the fog started to thicken, practically reaching the point where you couldnt see your hand if you held it out in front of your face. Liu Gaoshang wasted no further time and went straight into the workshop. After a while, Liu Zhengyi and several workers, all equipped with flashlights, also went into the workshop. Even though they couldnt use their mobile phones due to some problems, the flashlights and other emergency lighting equipment still worked. However, the brightness had considerably dimmed as if there was a filter over the light. Upon entering the workshop, the flashlight in Liu Zhengyis hand extinguished with no reaction no matter how many times he flicked it on and off. The workers gathered to discuss the strange weather, and Liu Gaoshang moved close to his brother and whispered, Bro, do you remember those two escaped convicts who were struck to death? With this weird weather tonight do you think there could be more convicts coming to our village? Liu Zhengyi glared at his brother but quickly realized that his brother wouldnt be able to see his irritated expression in the fog. He swiftly slapped the back of Gaoshangs head and whispered, Dont talk nonsense. However, inside, he also had some vague suspicions. Even though Chu Xiuwen had traversed the path to Chongyun Village countless times, the sudden plunge into darkness in their surroundings and the foreboding signs of an upcoming storm made him instinctively slow down the speed of the car. Both he and Xia Tianhuo, who was beside him, strained their necks to observe the sky. Whats going on with this weather? The forecast didnt mention anything about a storm, Chu Xiuwen murmured. Xia Tianhuo took out his phone intending to check the real-time weather situation on an app, only to discover that there was no signal. This was indeed strange. Suddenly, thunder and lightning echoed across the sky and dark clouds rolled in, forming a stark contrast to when they were having their late-night snack and leaving the town area. It truly felt like two different worlds. Out of nowhere, Xia Tianhuo was reminded of when he was kidnapped, being blindfolded and kept in the cabin of a ship. The sounds he had heard before the kidnappers outside fell into chaos C thunder, waves, wind C were different from the sounds now, but he couldnt help but relate the two experiences. It seems like its getting foggy? Chu Xiuwen frowned. The closer the car got to Chongyun Village, the thicker the fog became. Suddenly, lightning illuminated the sky above Chongyun Village. Chu Xiuwen stepped on the brakes involuntarily, then turned to Xia Tianhuo, Did you see that? He wasnt referring to the flash of lightning, but the vague object that had shot up towards the sky the moment the light illuminated the area. I saw it but what was that? Xia Tianhuo murmured. He wanted to dial Old Xias number but remembered there was no signal on his mobile phone. He looked down and saw that his phones screen had gone completely black. Not only that, the headlights of their car started to dim as well. Chu Xiuwen didnt dare to continue driving forward because he could hardly see the road. He had no choice but to park the car on the side of the road and wait for the fog to lessen before proceeding. Several minutes before. Chongyun Village before it was encompassed by dense fog. Standing on the rooftop of an uninhabited three-story building, Alice gazed at the five coins floating in the air, her face lighting up with a bright, even somewhat arrogant smile. Little Bell, we are going to fight the monster together, Alice murmured to herself. As the fog began to cover every corner of Chongyun village, numerous tiny pieces of gravel began to float and were seemingly being drawn towards the five coins. At first, the process was slow, but it began to accelerate quickly. In no time, the five coins were hidden amidst a ball of gravel. In the dense fog and in the middle of the pitch-black night where the moon and stars were obscured, normal vision was terrible. However, Alice did not need to see to know what was happening. She had awareness of everything in and around Chongyun village, including the low sky. She knew exactly where the strange giant bird, which was severely injured by the golden light, was. In the midst of thunder and lightning, the ball of gravel gathering around the five super-connected coins began to change shape, extending out several thin strips. This shape was completely out of Alices control and was being formed by the Little Fatty Girl who had control over the five coins. But soon, Alice knew what it was C it was the Little Fatty Girls Barbie Warrior. Next, the control of the Barbie Warrior would be handed over to Alice! The strange bird in the sky was in a state of invisibility. As it was wondering what the disappearing and teleporting tiny white human was, the weather suddenly changed drastically. The winds blew fiercely, the thunder roared, the fog spread, and the five floating metallic coins intensified their alertness. These things could actually fly! Even though its intelligence was much higher than ordinary birds, it still couldnt understand. The small village inhabited by humans, which was previously a place that it could freely explore, was quickly marked as a danger zone. It decided to retreat immediately, not caring about what the tiny pale human below was up to, and planned to run first. Of course, due to the fog, it did not notice that the five coins had been wrapped by a large pile of gravel gathered from all around, and that they had changed into a peculiar shape. Just then, there was a loud crack of lightning overhead, and the fog below was peeled apart on all sides as a dark figure shot up from below, charging straight at it as if its invisibility was completely ignored. In this instant, the strange bird got the shock of its life. Not only was the creature with several pairs of arms that suddenly shot out from below unanticipated, but the lightning overhead and the sensation throughout the surrounding air also reminded it of the terrifying humanoid creature that virtually reduced it to ashes with its control of lightning on Zi Huan Mountain. It practically expended all its strength, flapping its wings to fly, trying to increase its altitude to dodge the attack. However, the dark creature seemed to be drawn to it like a magnet, matching its speed. It was a game of chase. In the blink of an eye, the bird found one of its wings seized by a gate hand of gravel. Chapter 520 - Chapter 520: Chapter 520: Lingguos Love for Xia Chapter 520: Chapter 520: Lingguos Love for Xia A giant hand gripped the Weird Big Birds wing, followed by another, and another, until there were eight in total Eight giant hands completely enveloped the bird, wrapping it up like a trussed chicken ready to be buried in the soil. The black monsters eight arms wrapped around the bird and pulled it down. The birds wings were immobilized and just as it looked like it would be dragged down, spiked appendages similar to those of an arthropod suddenly burst through layers of black gravel. Apparently, the black gravel had limited cohesion. The Weird Big Bird, with a dozen appendages protruding, quickly tore through it and took flight again. If it wasnt invisible, if there wasnt a thick fog surrounding the area, and if anyone witnessed the Weird Big Bird at that moment, they would surely be shocked. It no longer looked like a bird, but rather like a composite monster taken over by a creature emerging from the abdomen of some arthropod. After the gravel hands were torn apart, the black gravel scattered and then regrouped to form hands, reaching out in the direction of the escaping bird. After the bird extended its numerous appendages, its speed reduced drastically. Therefore, it wasnt able to create distance after struggling free and was soon caught again. Within the range of Chongyun Village, under the influence of countless Super-connected object matrices, no matter how fast or slow, how the Weird Big Bird ran or flew, the floating black mass could always follow tightly as if it was being towed. The birds invisibility was utterly useless against this creature of black gravel. The Weird Big Bird was continually seized by the black monster. Despite its efforts to release itself using its heavily-proportioned appendages, whenever it attempted to escape the village, it was dragged back by the black figure. The black gravel forming the monster had a relatively loose structure mostly hollow inside. Thus, direct physical attacks were found to be ineffective against the powerfully beat Weird Big Bird. The black monster could only rely on its interminable and persistent grappling, trying to get the bird grounded. Occasionally, sparks would emit from the black gravel, but Alice clearly noticed that the Weird Big Bird was not particularly afraid of electricity. The sparks from the golden anklet only pinched its courage previously, but now that it was accustomed, slight electric shocks couldnt even make it flinch momentarily. Within a brief minute, the black monster, formed from gravel and five coins, fought seven rounds of capture and struggle with the Weird Big Bird. As time passed, whether it was the Little Fatty Girl who built the black monster using Xiao Pingguo as an intermediary, or Alice who directly controlled the black monster during the fight, their movements became increasingly adept and smooth. The village was indeed an indomitable home field advantage! After once more being shaken off by the Weird Big Bird, the eight-armed black monster wrapped around the birds leg. Its entire body suddenly disintegrated, then quickly reassembled, not into a grasping hand but its entire body attempting to swallow the bird! Almost instantly, the Weird Big Bird was completely enveloped by layers of black gravel, forming a huge sphere that plummeted towards the ground. More so, numerous gravels and several tungsten steel balls embedded inside intended to drill into the Big Birds nostrils, mouth, and ears, while the five coins were wedged at its major joints to limit its struggle. Just as the giant sphere was about to hit the ground, the Big Bird let out a piercing, high-frequency scream, with sparks erupting, and then it broke free once again. Almost all its feathers were plucked out and trapped in the black gravel. One of its eyes was blinded, and it had nearly received a tungsten steel ball in the brain. It emerged from its invisibility status, blood covering its body. It relied on its multiple limbs to move swiftly, climbed onto a nearby building, and then leapt into the air. It had shed its layer of flesh and fur, making its body significantly smaller. Both of its wings had vanished. It now looked like a bizarre insect with a birds head, swiftly bouncing between the buildings of Chongyun Village, seemingly trying to elude the pursuit of the black monster this way. The black creature made of gravel couldnt clung as closely to it as before, as it might destroy the buildings. But then, Alice co-manifested. Within the mist, the strange big bird, or it should now be called a strange insect, sensed that a person appeared in front of it. Subsequently, an irregular, fist-sized object was rapidly flying towards it. If it hadnt been for the dense fog, it would have seen a somber yet excited Alice, dressed in a white dress, in the near front, who, after co-manifesting, was fiercely throwing a crispy pigs trotter towards it with her right hand. With the flight speed of the crispy pigs trotter, the bizarre insect, which had molted a layer of flesh and blood, could easily dodge it. However, to its surprise, the pigs trotter disappeared halfway in its flight, only to be followed by a tungsten steel ball, so small it was almost undetectable, rushing at it at an alarming speed, hitting it in an instant. The tungsten steel balls attack was too rapid and fierce, penetrating the bird-headed insects blind eye and exiting through the back of its head in an instant. The strange insect paused for a moment, let out an even more horrifying scream, but still didnt die, continuing to leap and crawl towards the distance, paying no attention to Alice. However, Alice didnt have to chase it. After disappearing on the spot, she reappeared not far in front of the bizarre insect, holding a crispy pigs trotter in hand, ready to throw again. Suddenly, the bird-headed strange insect was set aflame, splitting in two amidst the thick fog, as if it had been hit by a shell. Through the super sensory information received via the super-connected objects scattered throughout Chongyun Village, Alice instantly realized that the strange insect hadnt died. Both halves of what exploded continued to run, but it was obvious that one half moved awkwardly, while the other half increased its speed substantially. In Chongyun Village, no man no bird no insect can escape from Alices clutches! Alice lifted her chin slightly, setting a flag for herself, and hurled the crispy pigs trotter towards the faster fireball. The pigs trotter changed into a sphere in mid-air, accelerating. It again accurately and unhindered pierced through the half of the strange insect that was on fire. It screamed terribly once more but continued to sprint without having suffered a fatal blow. Alices figure disappeared and once again co-manifested next to a super-connected sphere. Then using the crispy pigs trotter, she threw out the sphere. By this time, the strange insect had reached the edge of the mountain, about to escape from the influence of the super-connected object matrix of Chongyun Village. A dozen birds of various colors flew out of the forest and frantically rushed towards the village. They flew aimlessly. They could not distinguish between directions and objects in the dense fog, rushing and bumping about blindly. Some even died on the spot from crashing into buildings. The tungsten steel ball was obstructed, and after piercing through a bird, its speed decreased, and its direction slightly deviated, missing the strange insect and allowing it to escape into the mountain. Then, a bolt of lightning fell, thunder roared. Followed by another one. Again. Five consecutive bolts of lightning struck in the mountains. Alice, standing on the roof of a building, gritted her teeth and stamped her foot angrily. The moment her foot hit the ground, she disappeared. Next, the raindrops fell like beans, the heavy fog in Chongyun Village dissipated instantly, and electricity and all kinds of signals returned to normal. Li Bing, standing by the window, took her eyes away. She shook her slightly aching hand and rubbed the space between her eyes. Then she turned back and picked up Liu Shiling, who was still standing on the chair wearing her coats hood, her eyes closed, and her two little fists clenching in front of her chest. Xiao Lingdang, its over. Li Bing gently pinched her cheek and said. Liu Shiling opened her eyes, looked up at her and asked, Sister Roasted Chicken Wing, did we defeat the monster? We cant be sure for now, but at the very least it was driven away injured. You did a great job. Li Bing said. The invader, which had just transformed from a weird big bird into a weird insect, then into a half of a burning weird insect, was just about to leave the vicinity of Chongyun Village, escaping from Alices control and attack range. As a result, the little fatty girl, somehow, via an invisible connection with Apple, was able to draw down lightning, landing five direct hits. Of course, it was still uncertain whether the half of the weird insect was struck dead. However, the strategy Li Bing implemented, coordinating Bell, Apple, and Alice, appeared to be quite successful. While Alice was under certain conditions able to draw upon Emotion Infused Objects and Super-connected Objects to transmit some cognitive information to Li Bing, Apple and Little Fatty Girl, for example, allowing her to sense the emotional projection illusion of the infused emotion item on her wrist on the night of her birthday and see that sky full of fireworks. However, this mode of information transmission was quite limited, unstable, and one-way, the only one who could communicate to some degree with Alice in a two-way manner was Apple. Li Bing then remembered the experience of Apple and Alice jointly conducting the remote projection of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wooden Sculpture Emotional Projection, and what Xiang Kun had said when he discovered the second level network of Emotion Infused Items: In the Super sensory Item System, Little Fatty Girl exists as an enhanced version of Super-connected Object + Emotion Infused Object, possessing both features. Therefore, she had Apple sense the black circle graffiti that Alice was connected to, and establish a connection with Alice. Then, using the minions, they sensed Little Fatty Girls emotion, and next, using the method of remote projection of emotional projections, they projected her emotional projections towards Alice, essentially allowing Little Fatty Girl to descend onto Chongyun Village, likewise granting Alice the ability to control the five super-active-state coins held by Little Fatty Girl. Thus, combining it with the whole Super-connected object matrix of Chongyun Village, it was able to play a bigger role. Of course, all of this was only in theory. Without experimental verification, for it to work, the cooperation of Xiang Kun was required. Li Bing was very clear, just as she knew Gold Flash was attacked and injured, Xiang Kun must have known too. Given her understanding of Xiang Kun, he would definitely enter the Super Sensory State, and monitor and protect Gold Flash, Chongyun Village, as well as herself, Little Fatty Girl and Apple. Upon realizing her strategy, Xiang Kun would certainly assist to the best of his ability to increase the chances of success. From the moment five coins left the bedroom and were able to maintain a stable superactive state, from how easily the five coins managed to gather all sorts of grit, to how swiftly Little Fatty Girl was able to make the direct lightning chase the weird insect; It was clear that Xiang Kun made a significant effort, he coordinated everything whilst in Super Sensory State. As for the dense fog covering the sky, it was a co-manifestation from Li Bing. Or strictly speaking, she co-manifested a small part of the bedrooms atmosphere, while Alice copied the co-manifested fog and spread it throughout Chongyun Village according to her needs. This fog was actually the steam rising from various hot foods and cold dishes such as soup, roasted meat, and ice cream that Li Bing co-manifested in her dreamland. She independently extracted the steam and expanded the co-manifestion. This method of co-manifestation in comparison to conjuring up a large number of crispy pigs elbows or roast chicken wings, ice cream is much easier. This imposes a smaller burden on Chongyun Villages super-connected object matrix and Alice. Along with the changes in the magnetic field of the heavens and the earth at this moment, the change in humidity within the physical environment. The air filled with numerous charged particles, allowing these fog particles to interact with each other and blend in more naturally, and making the co-manifestation easier. Of course, it is essentially different from the natural heavy fog in the real world, but it can also obscure the line of sight. Its just that occasionally, the fragrant smell of roasted meat might be faintly smelt. Li Bing checked on Gold Flashs condition and pulled out her mobile phone, saying, Alice, connect me to Xiang Kun. Then she dialed Xiang Kuns phone. He answered immediately and without waiting for Old Xia to speak, Xiang Kun said directly: Theres a first aid kit in the closet of my room on the first floor. Use the things inside to clean up Gold Flashs wounds, treat the feathers around the wounds, and then put five balls in each wound. I will deal with it later. Old Xia, can you help to stitch the wounds? Nobody objected to this strange arrangement. Li Bing immediately went to boil water, while Little Fatty Girl and Apple cleared off the table. Under the guidance of Xiang Kun on the phone, they prepared the operating table. The two girls, one older and one smaller, completely believed that since Uncle Xiang/Bald Uncle had spoken, Gold Flash should be saved for sure. A few months ago, Xiang Kun was already able to deal with minor ailments like bruises. When his father fell and bruised his buttocks, he managed to help him recover quickly through Super-connected Objects. Now, theoretically he can handle more complex ailments and wounds in Super Sensory State because his ability to decode the cognitive information of various organisms has improved significantly, his control of Super-connected Objects has deepened, and he is also assisted by Alice, enabling him to do more complex and tedious operations. Now when it comes to treating peoples diseases, pains or wounds, he probably isnt 100% certain. However, for Gold Flash, this untypical canary that had been by his side right after his mutation, which he had observed in various ways, and had already been incorporated into the Super Sensory Item System, theres a very high presumption of success. Of course, Xiang Kun did not miraculously heal Gold Flash and restored it to its original state, he is not that magical. Gold Flash was suffering from penetrating injuries, Xiang Kuns method of handling these injuries is simple. It is to perform a microscopic surgery using Super-connected Objects, perform internal wound cleaning, stop the bleeding, assist in establishing the bodys own healing rhythm, stabilize bodily functions, guard against possible infection. Gold Flashs critical organs such as the heart were not injured, it is a robust bird. As long as the situation is managed properly, it would survive. After preliminary preparation was completed, the entire treatment process concluded swiftly. After Apple fed the bandaged Gold Flash some food and water, she put it to rest in a new nest by the edge of the table. Chapter 521 - Chapter 521: Chapter 521: Chongyun Village Defense System Chapter 521: Chapter 521: Chongyun Village Defense System Pengcheng City, Xiang Kun, standing in a dark corner outside a villa, breathed a sigh of relief as he withdrew from the Super Sensory State. Even though the golden bird is just a canary, to Xiang Kun, to Xiao Pingguo, to Little Fatty Girl, it is more than a pet. To some extent, it can be considered a true companion, friend, and even a comrade. He cannot imagine the blow that Xiao Pingguo would face if something bad happened to the golden bird. Thankfully Alice came to its rescue in time. Although the golden bird was seriously injured, the injuries were not fatal. He understood the cognizance information of the golden bird very well. Now, with his greater range and depth of control over Super-connected Objects under the Super Sensory State, and his understanding of more cognizance information, it wasnt hard to complete this Remote Surgery. Considering the golden birds condition, even if it were to be brought to a pet hospital, it would be hard to receive effective treatment. At most, it would be cleaned, treated, bandaged and then left to heal itself. Its unlikely that it would have any kind of surgery. Of course, even in that case, it would slowly recover, it would just take longer and be a bit more painful. Now, through Xiang Kuns remote treatment, the golden bird should be able to flutter around again in about a weeks time. Under the Super Sensory State, through Super-connected Objects, he could directly influence the representation of the golden birds body cognition information, performing many fine and microscopic operations that are extremely difficult to carry out in reality. Of course, this operation isnt limitless, and it couldnt instantly heal wounds or restore torn and damaged muscle tissue. It could, however, influence the process through minutely controlled heating, cooling, or control over all liquid movements and conditions. He didnt fully understand many parts of the golden birds cognition information, but he was exceedingly familiar with its normal, healthy state. By comparing its current state with the information he was familiar with, he knew how to treat it just make sure its cognizance information was moving towards a normal, healthy state, and create that tendency. As he was operating on the golden bird remotely, Xiang Kun could not stop thinking about the Ultimate Predator Mr. Liang mentioned in those secret files, and how it executes humans as well as mutated creatures. If the Ultimate Predator was within his sensor range of his Super Sensory State, during his prepared observations, he should be able to detect any substantial operations and find clues to existence of the Ultimate Predator. After remotely operating on the golden bird, Xiang Kun returned to the villa where Zhang Hongpu was residing. With the help of Alice, he silently took back the black circle graffiti used to trigger the Dream in A Dream. On his way back to the hotel, he listened to Alices report about what happened earlier on his phone. Although he entered the Super Sensory State as soon as the golden bird was attacked, and helped Old Xia, Little Fatty Girl, and Xiao Pingguo in Chongyun Village, and largely understood what happened through cognition information, he could identify that the attacker was a mutated creature. However, for more detailed information, Alice had to fill him in. After listening to Alices emotionally charged and inspiring narrative, Xiang Kun basically understood the situation. He was pretty sure that the mutated creature was the mutated big bird that Dr. Fang and his team had photographed on Wushu Mountain, that had been struck by lightning on Zi Huan Mountain due to him, and that later escaped from Wushu Mountain after being beaten up by Mr. Liang. While this mutated big bird was much smaller now than when it fought against Mr. Liang on Wushu Mountain, many of its characteristics were still the same, and it could be identified. Its recovery ability seemed to have improved compared to before, and it could even resist electric shocks and fire to a certain extent. It could even actively ignite itself. Normally, mutated creatures should be easily harmed by high temperatures. Even Xiang Kun didnt have direct resistance to electricity and firebecause he had methods to avoid these kind of injuries and due to the existence of Super-connected Objects, he would hardly ever be electrocuted. This mutated big bird, however, seemed to have learned something from Zi Huan Mountain when he electrocuted it. Its physical strength, healing ability, resistance to impact, high-temperature resistance, and survival skills after losing its tail, as well as its escape ability, had all evolved to a very formidable level. Given the state of this large bird when it first appeared in Chongyun Village, its likely far more formidable than the mutated spider in the Qinling Uninhabited Area and the Giant Owl that Xiang Kun first encountered combined. Xiang Kun assessed that, based on the alterations in its cognitive information while in the Super Sensory State, this bird doesnt solely rely on its physical body to withstand heat damage. Its fundamental defense mechanism still adheres to the survival strategy of discarding part of its body tissue to isolate and fend off damage. Because it had been struck by lightning before and thus possessed experience, it had acquired the function to divert electricity, reduce damage, and protect its central organs. Of course, such a function is not proactively designed. It cant emulate Xiang Kun to actively guide mutations and leverage the Super Sensory Item System to assist. Nor can it mimic Mr. Liangs approach to develop various materials and construct biological components according to specific purposes and functionalities. Based on the biological features of the mutated bird itself, theres no guarantee that this protection mechanism against lightning strikes will always be effective. So, at this moment, Xiang Kun couldnt definitively confirm whether the mutated big bird was dead or alive, or if it was completely killed by the subsequent five bursts of lightning that he helped Little Fatty Girl generate. He will need to have Alice find a way to deploy some Super-connected objects over there to inspect the situation. The incident with Glitter Gold tonight could be attributed to small odds but it made Xiang Kun realize that although Glitter Gold, Custard Pie, Old Xia, Little Fatty Girl, and Apple are not mutants, they had been integrated into the Super Sensory Item System and were capable of using related abilities. Whether they were willing or not, they would inevitably be passively or actively involved in events and faced potential threats. For instance, tonight when Glitter Gold was playing in the forest on the outskirts of Chongyun Village, if it were just a common canary, the mutated big bird might not have been attracted to it. Given the extent of the creatures mutation, even if it needed to feed, it wouldnt casually target a single everyday canary. Clearly, the attack on Glitter Gold was triggered because it exhibited significant uniqueness, arousing the creatures curiosity or other thoughts. Theres even a possibility that it believed Glitter Gold also to be a mutant. What if Apple, Little Fatty Girl, or Old Xia had been attacked instead? He dared not imagine the outcome. Under normal circumstances, Alice could gain advanced knowledge of any danger through her control over networks and electronic devices. She could even eliminate those threats directly without needing to utilize Super-connected Objects. In city life, within human society, the abilities derived from the Super Sensory Item System by Old Xia, Little Fatty Girl, and Apple are overwhelmingly strong. They only need to worry about not drawing attention to themselves due to anomalies. But when there are no electronic devices available, and a sufficient number of Super-connected objects are not distributed around, her information gathering ability and substantial influence are compromised significantly. Especially during unexpected attacks by non-human creatures, Alice and Old Xia have limited means to respond. Thankfully, Alice had swiftly concocted a Pork Trotter Toss skill which turned out quite formidable. He naturally understood Alices motive for throwing the Crispy Pork Knuckle was not solely intended to mislead the target. More importantly, Alice, being an entity that naturally co-manifests, could more easily exert force on the co-manifested Crispy Pork Knuckle, toss it further, and provide it with greater initial speed. Then, utilizing the magnetic fields created by many Super-connected Objects surrounding Chongyun Village to accelerate, it could vastly minimize the distance for the accelerated beads. However, the downside was, this ability could only be used in areas where numerous Super-connected Objects were distributed and had a considerable range of coverage. In simple terms, it was only applicable in Chongyun Village. The Multi-Supersensory Aggregation Gravel Combat Marionette set off by Little Fatty Girl, Apple, and Alice following Old Xias directives, even within Chongyun Village, couldnt be considered as a conventional measure. The conditions required to implement it were too numerous and the disturbance caused was too great. Without Xiang Kuns assistance in the Super Sensory State, they wouldnt succeed. To attempt it again would be quite challenging. Thus, Xiang Kun was considering how to enable Alice and Old Xia to master some effective attack or defense methods that would have substantial influence on the physical level. As for Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguo, Xiang Kun did not want to incorporate them into the Regular Combat System yet. He hoped they would merely be the Developers, as well as the straightforward beneficiaries within the Super Sensory Item System. After all, they were still quite young, particularly Little Fatty Girl. Xiang Kun hoped that she would be able to go to school and grow up happily, and that the magic in her heart would be a hobby, just like music, painting, and games for other children, only more private and special. He, Alice, and Old Xia would be responsible for their safety. However, for the time being, the safest and most effective method he could think of was to distribute more Super-connected Objects over a broader range. For instance, that night, if the glittering gold had been playing within Chongyun Village, the mutated big bird would have had great difficulty sneaking in to launch an attack. Despite being able to turn invisible, it wouldnt have been able to evade some of the infrared cameras within the village. Even if it did, Alice would have spotted it ahead of time through monitoring Super Sensory Information. Even when it pounced on the glittering gold suddenly, Alice was capable of co-manifesting promptly to block the attack, allowing the glittering gold time to react and escape without being seriously wounded. In Chongyun Village, Alice had the authority and the ability to co-manifest at any time. Elsewhere, she needed to first obtain the permission to use Old Xias or Xiang Kuns abilities, and had to have sufficient Super-connected Objects to support her before she could co-manifest. Hence the delay. The Chongyun Village Defense System, presided over by Alice, seemed to be trustworthy for now. Transforming all the possible locations where Old Xia and the others might wander into Chongyun Village might be the safest way. Anyway, this was part of his initial plan. On the road outside Chongyun Village, inside a black sedan. After the headlights and the control screen within the car lit up again, Chu Xiuwen tried to start the car. Hearing the engine start, he breathed a sigh of relief and switched on the windshield wipers. Although the time between the fog rolling in, thunder rumbling, fog dispersing, and rain falling wasnt long, Chu Xiuwen and Xia Tianhuo in the car felt as if they had endured several agonizing hours. Only now did they finally begin to relax. During the fog, they did not only hear the rumble of thunder in the sky and vaguely see the distant flashes of lightning, but they also heard some indistinct roars and screams as if from an animal. They saw the brief flicker of fire, as if from a tiny fireball. What was even stranger was that their car had stalled during that time; the car lights had even gone out, and all electronic equipment, including their mobile phones, had failed. Throughout that time, they genuinely felt as if they had stepped into another space, another world. It seemed as though a terrifying monster would tear through the dense fog and pounce on them at any moment. This unknown feeling, this uncertainty of what was in the fog, was more terrifying than actually seeing any monster. Especially for both of them, each for their own different reasons, truly believed in the existence of some unique and mystical creatures in this world. Although the fog had now dispersed and heavy, sudden rain was falling, they both felt clearly relieved. The heavy and hasty rain, pattering on the car roof, felt very tangible and clear. It felt as though the rain had pulled them from an unreal space back into the real world. Chu Xiuwen started the car again and headed towards Chongyun Village. Even though both were anxious just now, neither of them had any intention of turning back to town instead of proceeding to the village. Did you smell something just now? LikeGrilled meat? Xia Tianhuo said tentatively. Yes. Chu Xiuwen looked at him in surprise and said, I thought I was hallucinating. I did smell grilled meat and it was quite fragrant. Did you smell it too? Thats weird, we were in the car and shouldnt have been able to smell anything Xia Tianhuo didnt respond, and the car lapsed into silence again. The streetlights on both sides of the Chongyun Village road were back on. They noticed a certain section of the road was covered with mud and sand. Strange enough, the mud and sand were remarkably evenly spread. If they had fallen from the adjacent hill, they shouldnt have been spread like this. They also spotted a bird dead in the middle of the road. Chu Xiuwen slowed down carefully to avoid running over the birds body with the car wheels. Upon returning to Xiang Kuns courtyard, Xia Tianhuo saw through the iron gate that the lights were on at each floor of the small building. He felt somewhat at ease and surprised. Xia Tianhuo called Old Xia, and a moment later, Old Xia came out with an umbrella to open the gate and usher them in. Why are you still awake? Did the thunderstorm and the power outage wake you up? Xia Tianhuo asked after walking into the living room. Chu Xiuwen didnt leave immediately as planned. Instead, he accepted Xia Tianhuos invitation to have a cup of hot tea in the house and wait for the rain to ease up before leaving. I woke up earlier. Old Xia put down the umbrella and responded simply. Just as Xia Tianhuo was inviting Chu Xiuwen to sit down on the living room sofa and preparing to boil water for tea, a sweet voice echoed from the stairs, Sister Grilled Chicken Wings, Im hungry. Xia Tianhuo looked over to see Liu Shiling standing at the corner of the stairs, dressed in a red jacket and still wearing the hood, he asked surprisingly, Xiao Lingdang, why arent you sleeping yetDid the thunder wake you up? Big Uncle, Im not afraid of thunder. Liu Shilings voice and gaze suddenly became firm, even subconsciously raising both hands to tug on the cords of her hood. Chapter 522 - Chapter 522: Chapter 522: The Aggressive Little Fatty Girl Chapter 522: Chapter 522: The Aggressive Little Fatty Girl Seeing Liu Shilings Im super brave posture, Xia Tianhuo couldnt help but laugh. This little girl, like a happy nut, even if she didnt actually intend to make others laugh, these few days every time he saw her, Xia Tianhuo couldnt help but have a faint smile. However, looking at the Little Fatty Girl now, why, after putting on her hooded coat, did she seem a bit aggressive and fierce? Hmm, although she was still very cute, but judging from Xia Tianhuos few interactions with the Little Fatty Girl over the past few days, this little girls personality was quite nice, most of the time she was in a silly and lovable state, soft and sweet, seemingly incapable of getting angry. Xia Tianhuo could also feel that the Little Fatty Girl wasnt acting aggressively towards him, and definitely not towards her Sister Apple or Old Xia, so what was going on? Was it the grumpiness of being awakened in the middle of the night? Or was the little girl a bit embarrassed and somewhat defiant because her fear of thunder had been exposed? Xia Tianhuo chuckled and said, Good, good, Xiao Lingdang is super brave, not afraid of thunder, must have woken up hungry, all because your roast chicken wing sister didnt make something delicious for dinner. Now it was Liu Shilings turn to be a bit embarrassed. She scratched her head through her hood, went down the stairs, greeted Chu Xiuwen, and quietly defended Old Xias cooking: The dinner was actually pretty good. However, her defense sounded a bit weak. Seeing the Little Fatty Girl sidle up next to Old Xia, who was making instant noodles, leaning against her leg, Xia Tianhuo couldnt help but say, Old Xia, when youre making late night snacks for kids, you should at least make something nutritious and healthy. Is instant noodles all youre making? Thats a bit too careless. However, after being glanced at by Xia Libing, he immediately shut his mouth, because he realized what Old Xia meant: If you can do it, then you do it. He couldnt, either. When he was abroad and had to cook for himself, he basically threw meat and vegetables into one pot and stewed them. He added seasonings like oil and salt as it suited him, far from knowing anything about cooking. Especially after tasting Xiang Kuns cooking, his definition of being able to cook had been raised by much. When Old Xia had added hot water to the instant noodles, and the Little Fatty Girl had gone upstairs to call Sister Apple to come down to eat, Chu Xiuwen couldnt help but ask, Dr. Xia, when the power was out and there was heavy fog earlier, if you were awake, did you hear or smell anything? Even though Xia Libing didnt work at the hospital anymore, he was still used to this address. Xia Libing replied, I heard thunder and some bird calls. Probably birds from the mountain were startled by the thunder and confused by the fog, unable to tell direction and mistakenly entered the village. The visibility was too low, they might have flown around and hit buildings in the village. Chu Xiuwen and Xia Tianhuo immediately thought of the deceased bird on the road and unconsciously nodded in agreement. Did you smell anything? When we were on the road, once the fog came up, we smelled a bit like grilled meat asked Xia Tianhuo. Could be that lightning struck something. said Xia Libing. Chu Xiuwen frowned, There was also a bit of cumin smell Oh yeah, I think I saw something catch fire over the village and fly towards the mountain. Could it be a bird that got struck by lightning? Xia Tianhuo said and immediately shook his head with a self-deprecating laugh, No, if a bird really got struck by lightning, it would definitely die on the spot, it wouldnt be able to fly. After giving him a glance, Chu Xiuwen felt the urge to argue. He thought of the fire phoenix incident on Zi Huan Mountain he had heard about when drinking tea with his old classmate Guo Lin and Officer Xu in Citong City after the New Year. Even though it had been clarified by many people as a burning drone and not a fire phoenix, after watching the related video, he had different thoughts. Besides, he thought of the two escaped convicts struck by lightning in the Chongyun mountain area, there must be some existences in these mountains, maybe this was also a reason that Mr. Xiang chose to settle permanently in Chongyun Village and set up his research base. After hesitating for a while, he didnt speak his mind. A few minutes later, the noodles were ready, and Liu Shiling brought Sister Apple downstairs to eat. Sitting around the dining table eating noodles, the two girls, who were usually quite lively and loved to chat, were both silently slurping down noodles, not uttering a word, the atmosphere seemed a bit stifling. Especially Sister Apple, when she first came downstairs, you could see her eyes were a bit swollen and her eyebrows were locked, her expression seemed off, a world of difference from her usual cheerful and sunny demeanor. Xia Tianhuo couldnt help but quietly ask Old Xia, What happened to Sister Apple? Xia Libing said, Goldie was injured on her way back before the fog set in, and both of them were very upset. Thinking of the very spiritual and chubby canary, Xia Tianhuo also expressed concern, Is the injury severe? He immediately understood why Little Fatty Girl was in that state just now, it seemed that she was not so much full of fighting spirit, rather she was filled with worry. Chu Xiuwen hurriedly said, I know an old friend who used to run a pet hospital in Jianzhou City and lives in town now. Since the fog has cleared now, let me take you to see him with the bird. Xia Libing shook her head, No need. The wounds have been treated and bandaged, its not a problem. Hearing her words, Xia Tianhuo and Chu Xiuwen thought that Goldie had probably just suffered some minor skin injuries that could be handled by simply dabbing it with alcohol or iodine and bandaging it. As for Little Apple and Little Fatty Girls reactions, they were also understandable. Little Apple could not see and so couldnt determine Goldies specific injuries, and Little Fatty Girl was too young and would be scared at the sight of blood, so she was understandably overly worried, while Old Xia seemed much calmer. However, Old Xia always seemed to be this calm. After drinking a cup of tea and seeing that the rain had lessened, Chu Xiuwen also said his goodbyes and left. On his way home, he deliberately drove around the newly repaired village road to check on Liu Caifu to see if he had woken up, then made a detour to Xiang Kuns research base construction site, and chatted a few words with Liu Gaoshang and Liu Zhengyi, the two brothers who hadnt slept yet. On the other hand, despite having had some tea, Xia Tianhuo was starting to feel sleepy. Seeing that Little Apple and Little Fatty Girl had finished their noodles and were whispering something, he said to Old Xia and went upstairs to his room to sleep. As he passed by Little Apple and the others room on the second floor, he wanted to check on Goldies condition so he opened the door to take a peek. As soon as the door opened, he saw a large orange cat stand up on a table and stare at him. At that moment, this fat cat, which usually seemed quite dumb and cute, suddenly burst forth an aura that did not match its size, startling the nearly two-meter tall Xia Tianhuo. However, after recognizing that it was him, Custard Pie laid its chubby body down again, shut its eyes, and started to doze off. And behind it was Goldie, half of her body bandaged up. A cat guarding a bird? Downstairs, Xia Libing, who had also eaten a bowl of instant noodles, looked at the two girls who were still awake and energetic, and asked, Arent you going to sleep? Little Apple shook her head, I cant sleep. Liu Shiling also shook her head, Me neither. Xia Libing first used her phone to ask Alice if Xia Tianhuo had gone back to his room and gotten into bed, then contacted Xiang Kun, asked a few questions, then turned to Little Apple and Liu Shiling and asked, Are you scared of ants? Not scared. Little Apple said. Scarednot scared! Liu Shiling immediately corrected herself at the sound of Sister Apples answer, swallowed her saliva, then added in a low voice, As long as the ants dont crawl on me and dont bite me, Im not scared. Xia Libing nodded, instructing, Go put on another layer of clothes and change shoes. Were going out. Thinking they were going to confirm the trajectory of the monster that had severely injured Goldie, Little Apple and Little Fatty Girl became energetic and dashed upstairs to change their clothes and shoes and came down. Then Xia Libing led the two out the door. The rain had basically stopped outside, the moon had reappeared, and with the lights in the village, they could see clearly without needing flashlights. Dr. Xia Libing, holding Little Fatty Girl with her left hand and Xiao Pingguo with her right, did not head towards the edge of the village near Chongyun Mountain. Instead, she led them to the courtyard she and Xiang Kun had rented when they first arrived at Chongyun Village. After unlocking and opening the courtyard gate, Dr. Xia Libing took the two girls inside, but didnt proceed into the house. She instead turned on the light in the porch, walked back to the middle of the courtyard, and idly flipped a coin in her hand, seemingly waiting for something. Soon, two dark objects flew out of the tree and the adjacent underbrush, landing on Dr. Xia Libings arm. Liu Shiling, subconsciously stepping back, gripped the hem of Dr. Xias clothes tightly, her eyes wide open staring at the two dark objects on Dr. Xias hand. Grilled Chicken Wing Sister, are are these ants?! Little Fatty Girls face was filled with an expression of shock that seemed to say, Sister, I didnt study much, so dont lie to me. The bigger one was larger and plumper than a AA battery and had thin wings. It didnt look like an ant at all. The other one was a little smaller but still as big as her pinky finger, also had thin wings and a glossy, shiny carapace with barbs, which made it look quite fierce. Upon seeing these two ants, Little Fatty Girl got the creeps. If it hadnt been for the promises and instructions from Dr. Xia Libing and having Sister Apple nearby, she wouldve run off crying or thrown her protective Little Elf Guardianswho took the form of stuff like chocolate and ice creamat them. Xiao Pingguo had no major reaction. She held up her phone, aiming the camera at the two ants and tilted her head, lost in thought. Alice was currently using the phone camera, the original cameras in the courtyard, and the super-connected objects placed in the yard to transform all kinds of information about the two ants into cognitive information that Xiao Pingguo could understand and then passed it on to her. Sister Bing, are these two ants being raised by Uncle Xiang? Xiao Pingguo asked. From the brief conversation between Dr. Xia Libing and Xiang Kun earlier, she had realized that these two ants were probably special existences like Gold Flash, with special abilities coming from Xiang Kun. Dr. Xia Libing nodded: Yes. Hearing this answer, Liu Shiling suddenly felt less afraid. She even thought the two large ants looked cute and chubby like Custard Pie and Gold Flash. She couldnt resist standing on her toes to get a better look. Dr. Xia Libing placed the larger ant in Xiao Pingguos palm and said, This is 002, the Ant Queen. She placed the smaller ant on Little Fatty Girls arm, atop her clothes, and said, This is 001, a Worker Ant. Ah, the names of it and I both have Ling in them? Its the Zero from Zero-Egg. Oh. Liu Shiling gently touched the 001 on her arm with her finger. The big ant touched her finger with its two antennae and two translucent tentacles; it cocked its head and rubbed her fingernail with its back. Feeling the ants affinity for her, Liu Shiling was no longer afraid or worried. She grinned as she toyed with the ant, mumbling, 001, youre 01. Im Shiling, which is 40. So Im older than you by Forty minus one equals equals Ten minus one equals nine, four minus one equals three Thirty-nine, so Im thirty-nine times your age. You must call me big sister. Little Bell, ants cant talk. Xiao Pingguo laughed. Thats okay, Ill teach it. Liu Shiling declared. Dr. Xia let the two girls play with the ants in the yard while she went through the door into the house. In a short while, she brought out two specially designed boxes. She placed the boxes in the center of the courtyard and as soon as she opened the unique lids, a mass of dark ants came into view, flying out by whipping their wings. Although these flying ants were far smaller than 001 and 002, they were still a size bigger than ordinary ants. At first glance, the scene was quite terrifying. Liu Shiling was startled and instinctively wanted to dodge, but then remembered that these were probably Uncle Balds pets, so she put on her hood, cringed her neck, and carefully watched. Fortunately, after these flying ants scattered and took off, they quickly gathered again above Old Xia, not around Little Fatty Girl or Little Apple. Xia Libing took out two palm-sized small cloth bags from his coat pocket and gave them to Little Fatty Girl and Little Apple respectively: Divide these among the flying ants and let them take them into the mountain to search for the place that has just been struck by lightning and help Alice find the monster that ran away. Hearing this, Little Fatty Girl and Little Apple immediately perked up, carefully poured the tungsten steel balls out of the small cloth bags, spread them on the palm of their hand, and then let the flying ants come and place the tungsten steel beads into their mouths with their forelimbs and mandibles, and then flap their wings to fly away. The ants crawling on the palm of her hand tickled, which made Little Apple couldnt help but laugh, sweeping away the gloom when Jinshan was injured. Little Fatty Girl, on the other hand, extended her hand into the cloth bag, then took it out, her finger covered in a dense layer of tungsten steel beads, and said to Old Xia, Sister Chicken Wing, look! The tungsten steel beads that covered her index finger flowed around the surface of her skin like a liquid. I get it, these are the magic beads that Alice uses! Liu Shiling happily said. She controlled them through the five coins on her body. Although there was a layer in between, this low level of complexity control was still very easy as the beads were too small and too light. After dispatching over two hundred flying ants and letting Zero Zero One and Zero Zero Two lead them into the mountain, Xia Libing put the two boxes back into the room, locked the courtyard door and took Little Fatty Girl and Little Apple home. Back at home, in the bedroom, after changing clothes and slippers, Little Fatty Girl and Little Apple sat side by side at the end of the bed, and Xia Libing put the laptop on the table in front of the bed. Alice called up an electronic map on the screen and then marked the positions of the more than two hundred ants carrying super-connected objects with dots. As can be seen, more than two hundred small dots, on the edge of Chongyun Village, moved outward neatly and orderly like a striking army. With these over two hundred super-connected objects, Alice had a Mobile Chongyun Village that could detect and co-manifest in a short time, or in other words, the range of Chongyun Village was forcibly extended through these ants. Through this method, Alice can very clearly judge whether there are mutants within the covered range, and analyze the related super-sensory information to determine whether the mutant has been struck to death and reduced to ashes by the lightning. In fact, the arrangement for Zero Zero One, Zero Zero Two, and those secondary derivative ant colonies to carry super-connected spheres into the mountain area did not require Old Xia, Little Apple, or Little Fatty Girl to operate, but was handled remotely by Xiang Kun in a Super Sensory State. Although Zero Zero One and Zero Zero Two have also entered the Super sensory Item System, their comprehension and IQ are far from comparable to Custard Pie and Jinshan. If there is a layer in between, it is difficult for either Old Xia or Little Apple, or Little Fatty Girl to give precise commands to the secondary derivative ant colony. But Xia Libing still took Little Apple and Little Fatty Girl to complete this seemingly redundant step, because she knew that the two girls were a bit discontented tonight because of Jinshans injury. Although they teamed up to beat the weird big bird through the black monster made of condensed gravel, and Jinshans injury was remotely treated by Xiang Kun, they had been in the room for the whole process. Without knowing whether the weird big bird is dead or escaped, they were upset without a clear result. And Xia Libing couldnt possibly risk taking them into the mountains to search, so she could only let them distribute the super-connected items of the ant army, giving them a real sense of participation in the search. When on the computer screen, the little dots representing the ants arrived at the location of Little Fatty Girls five lightning strikes, Alice materialized in the room, holding a scalpel and pointing at the notebook screen. Zero Zero One is this dot. It leads the first army of 130 ants to the first lightning crater. According to my sense, the bug was not electrocuted here. The second army is led by Zero Zero Two, it will first go to the second lightning crater to check. Alice, who had materialized, sat cross-legged on the table and pointed and explained the specific investigation situation on the notebook, and she even made the ant army into legions. Little Fatty Girl was very interested in this novel way of investigation, staring intently at the screen, her eyes flashing, as if she was a great commander, watching the actions of the many troops she dispatched. Little Apple, through the cognitive information simulated directly by Alice, was also exploring the mountain area, which was even more direct than Little Fatty Girl. Chapter 523 - Chapter 523: Chapter 523: Boss, you can rest assured, Old Xia! Chapter 523: Chapter 523: Boss, you can rest assured, Old Xia! Through the temporary super-connected space created by the coverage of the ant legion, Alice quickly analyzed the super sensory information after exploring the five places struck by lightning led by Little Fatty Girl C the weird bug was not killed here, nor did it conceal itself like it did on Wushu Mountain, running away by digging holes. No matter what form the weird bug or the weird big bird or mutated big bird, or giant raptor exists in, whether its big or small, a bug or a bird, or even an egg, or even if its visible to the naked eye, this has no effect on Alices search through super sensory information. As long as it is a mutant creature, its cognitive information under the super sensory state will definitely be as obvious as a bright light in the dark night, it cant hide. However, two hundred flying ants, while seeming numerous, once spread out to maintain a distance from each other allowing Alice to establish a sensory network, the total coverage area is not very large actually. They maintain their formation, exploring bit by bit in the mountains, so its difficult to speed up. Considering these ants are not super ants, they need to stop to rest after flying for a while, so they hadnt explored very far by the time it was past three in the morning. In the beginning, Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguo, due to their curiosity and concern about whether the monster had died, were very focused. But as time passed and Alice couldnt maintain the co-manifestation for explanation continuously and the sound could only come from the laptop speakers, they confirmed that the weird bug had run away and they had entered into a boring search phase. Little Fatty Girl started to struggle to stay awake, gradually dozing off, and soon fell asleep leaning against Xiao Pingguo. Xia Libing then carefully lifted her up, took off her coat for her, and tucked her into the quilt, leaving only her little head exposed. When she turned around, she found that Xiao Pingguo, who had been alone listening to Alices explanation about the ant army searching the mountain, was already lying on the bed sleeping soundly. Obviously, without Little Fatty Girl by her side, she couldnt resist sleeping. It took some effort for Xia Libing to get Xiao Pingguo settled. She turned and walked back to the laptop, and Alices voice sounded a bit listless: Old Xia, are you going to sleep too? To Alice, who doesnt need rest, she originally thought that she could spend the whole night happily pursuing the weird bug with Xiao Lingdang and Xiao Pingguo, but didnt expect they would end up asleep. If Old Xia also goes to sleep, then she will be left alone in this lonely night. But thinking that the boss is also awake and doesnt need to sleep, Alice was somewhat cheered up. No, lets go to the rooftop. Xia Libing said, took the laptop, left the bedroom, went to the rooftop. She took a cloth, wiped off the rainwater from a chair and sat down. The night wind was slightly cool. She instinctively wanted to pull up her hood like Little Fatty Girl, but realized her jacket didnt have a hood. So she could only raise her collar and hunker down. When Xia Libing opened the laptop on her lap, getting ready to let Alice continue, the search in the mountains stopped. The boss said it is pointless to continue searching. It is confirmed that the bug is still alive and has run away. Our ants cant catch up with it. Alice stated with a certain helplessness. Xia Libing nodded. She also understood this. Once it was confirmed that the bug had run away, the mission of the ant legion was completed. If Xiang Kun was here, there might still be a chance of catching and killing this mutated creature, but with just them and the ants, theres almost no chance of catching up to it if its truly set on running away. The reason she kept watching Alice and the ants search was mainly to understand how Alice used the super-connected object matrix of the ant colony to gather information and influence situations, as well as the ways Alice communicated and coordinated with the ant colony. Xiang Kun sent Zero One and Zero Two, along with the group of secondary derivative ants, back to Chongyun Village. Before they left, however, they distributed the two hundred or so tungsten steel beads near the mountains near Chongyun Village, burying them deep in the earth. This effectively extended the range of super-connected objects in Chongyun Village into the mountains. Actually, based on the number of super-connected objects, Xiang Kun has had the ability to extend their range into the mountains for a while now. He has many tungsten steel beads that he has established super connections with that could be distributed. Its just that he previously thought it was unnecessary to cover the mountain area due to its vastness and lack of immediate utility. But now, it seems, the mountains need to be controlled just as much as any other territory. Or, better to say, its necessary to prepare adequate super-connected objects wherever they might go, for better safe than sorry. At present, since Chongyun Village is being used as a base, they need to operate in a way that leaves no room for error in the surrounding areas. In the future, not only the areas around Chongyun Village, but even the deeper areas, the whole Chongyun Mountain area, surrounding villages and towns, and even Tongshi Town and Wushu Mountain, will be slowly brought under his coverage, with priority given to the distribution of super-connected objects. He is also constantly searching for objects that are more suitable for hiding and establishing bulk connections than tungsten steel beads, as well as more efficient and covert ways of distribution. Xiang Kun had returned to his hotel room by this time and was video calling Old Xia through his laptop. That mutated big bird should be the same mutated creature I have told you about before, which was discovered by Dr. Fang and her team on Wushu Mountain and almost got killed by me on Zi Huan Mountain. The first time it saw me, it tried to attack me from the air. But upon realizing that I didnt dodge or show any fear, it gave up on the attack and flew away. From my several encounters with it, I think it was frightened by you guys this time. Its highly likely that it fled north out of the Chongyun Mountain area. It might have even already entered Jiangyou Province last night, Xiang Kun gave his judgment on the mutated big bird. He had some regrets, too. If the mutated big bird had come a day later and showed up tomorrow night, or if he hadnt changed his plans to have dinner with Zhang Hongpu today, therefore not having come back, the mutated big bird would probably have run into him, and escaping wouldnt have been so easy for it. Xiang Kun had expected the possible direction of mutation for the mutated big bird. He has many more means and richer strategies. If he turned it from an air force into a ground force, it would almost certainly be caught by him. However, if it fled the moment it saw him without looking back, he wouldnt have a way to deal with it C Xiang Kun would need some time to prepare if he wanted to fly, after all. Are you going to track it down yourself after you come back, or guide Divine Technology and Mr. Liang to do it? Xia Libing asked. Well see after I come back, theres no rush for now. After Alice helped me get those documents, the necessity to guide their investigation direction through a real mutated creature to judge their attitude and dealing mechanism towards mutated creatures isnt as big. I have a rough understanding of their handling process and Mr. Liangs basic attitude. Moreover, even if we want to guide them, we have to be able to locate the mutated big bird first, Xiang Kun said. Then he asked Alice to use the previously obtained cognitive information to depict the various stages of the mutated big bird during todays battle. The images were still like simple hand drawings, and they had a strong Little Fatty Girl style. There were many discrepancies in the process of restoring visual information from cognitive information, especially in the details. But at least in terms of overall size and contours, it wouldnt be wrong, and Xiang Kun didnt need her to make it too complicated. Then Xiang Kun also briefly drew what the mutated big bird looked like the first few times he saw it and put it together for a comparison. Xia Libing immediately understood the point Xiang Kun was trying to make: Its rate and frequency of mutation are a bit high. Xiang Kun nodded, Yes, it must have been traumatized by our fights on Zi Huan Mountain and Wushu Mountain. Theres a strong psychological and physiological drive pushing it to mutate drastically in a short time. Moreover, I suspect it may have eaten other mutants after it swallowed the invisibility-capable ant on Wushu Mountain. Its size has decreased significantly, which I believe is not because its redevelopment is incomplete, but a deliberate move to make itself more agile after rebirth, less detectable and less likely to be hit by remote weapons. Its survival by tail amputation mechanisms have become more complex, with significantly enhanced survivability and damage resistance. This bird is unique, showing such levels of evolution in this short a period. It likely holds great research value. We should consider how to maximize its value when we get back. Xia Libing asked, Can I participate? For specific research, especially ones involving the microscopic structures and power sources of mutants, Id advise against your participation until I have a clearer understanding of some things. However, you could continue your research through our Super sensory Item System. Studying the nature behind it through Super-connected Objects and Emotion Infused Objects, along with their subsidiary functions, should be relatively safe. said Xiang Kun. Ok. Xia Libing did not question the content of the documents. She trusted Xiang Kuns judgement. Your design today was excellent. Having Xiao Pingguo act as a bridge and launching remote emotional projections, it allowed Xiao Lingdang and Alice to combine their abilities. This successful operation also confirms several of my hypotheses. Xiang Kun said. Xia Libing nodded, You mentioned that Xiao Lingdang has characteristics of Emotion Infused Objects and Super-connected Objects in the Super Sensory Item System. Thats partly why I came up with the plan. Xiao Pingguo used remote deployment of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wooden Sculpture Emotional Projection to establish a connection between Little Fatty Girl and Alice, with Little Fatty Girl substituting for the position of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed wood carving. Xiang Kun said, Correct. So I was thinking that if Xiao Lingdang possesses all the characteristics of Emotion Infused Objects, she might be able to directly sense other peoples dreamlands or sense and influence their emotions in the future. Xia Libing pondered, If thats the case, if someone deeply affected by her emotions is brought into her secondary network, like Qi Haoguo and the others? Theoretically, its possible, Xiang Kun said, And I think its very likely that you, Xiao Pingguo, and even all life forms included in the Super sensory Item System, possess characteristics of Emotion Infused Objects and Super-connected Objects. Each just emphasizes different aspects, different types, so abilities displayed are different. Upon hearing this, Xia Libing was clearly interested. She slightly sat up straight, staring at Xiang Kun on the screen, indicating him to continue. She had heard Xiang Kun explain similar theories about the Super sensory Item System application layer before, but clearly, he had some new insights this time. Emotion Infused Objects are a set of properties and functions bundled together, but they have no consciousness or autonomy. They can only be called upon when I sense them or when other people with Emotion Infused Objects properties sense them. Super-connected Objects, on the other hand, are entities that make the functionalities of Emotion Infused Objects possible. They provide remote support for Emotion Infused Objects when Im not around, functioning as hardware. I remember using this metaphor earlier with you. Emotion Infused Objects are like various application software and Super-connected Objects function as hardware devices running these programs. I guess that, at first, Xiao Lingdang focused on the coin and A4 paper I gave her, embedding her consciousness into the Super Sensory contact, and obtained the usage rights of hardware. In this process, she became a Strong Super-connected Object. Then she used her focus to carve out simple but usable software on this hardware. This process essentially gave her the properties of an Emotion Infused Object. However, these emotions come from her own concentration and her magic fantasies, not bestowed by me. So Xiao Lingdang is connected to the Super sensory Item System on the hardware level. Yet at the software level, she is still independent of her own magic world. Although I can employ her developed abilities, and Alice can communicate with her unilaterally, she is not yet compatible with the entire software application system. This allows her to focus more purely on developing her ability system but also limits her access to other hardware or software within the network. Tonight, it required a double connection via Xiao Pingguo and Alice to facilitate this. You and Xiao Lingdang are in a similar situation. You also started with the coin, obtaining Super-connected Object properties first. But your uniqueness lies in your difficulty expressing emotions, thereby limiting the expression of Emotion Infused Object properties. Yet it also allows you to exert Illusion Reality, a power that strongly impacts the physical world, through very rational expressions. Anything that you can co-manifestation is something that elicits emotions in you, such as various foods you are familiar with and love, or your childhood image. Although you are now emotionally distinct from your early childhood self and unable to simultaneously focus on two things, so Alice has to pitch in to achieve co-manifestion. At the software level, you are quite closed-off too, but unlike Xiao Lingdang who has her own magic world, you lack some system filesemotions. But I believe through Black Circle Graffiti, Cake01 and my Emotional Assimilation, you should be able to create these system files. Consequently, youll be able to effortlessly use a variety of Emotion Infused Objects abilities, and sense various emotions. You, Xiao Lingdang, and Alice, can utilise Dream in A Dream ability to communicate within your trio on the software layer. This should also help improve your connection with Xiao Lingdang and Alice, and eventually link you to the entire network. Xia Libing squinted, her expression unchanged, but she slightly nodded her chin and asked, What about Xiao Pingguo? Xiang Kun continued: Xiao Pingguo, initially acquired the purest Emotion Infused Objects properties through the Minion Wood Carving, so she can only sense the existence of other Emotion Infused Objects on the software level, on the internet. But over time, to adapt to the properties of Emotion Infused Objects, she started self-adjusting, developing a portion of weak super-connected objects properties. From that time on, she could project and cast the emotions of Emotion Infused Objects through eye contact. Xiao Pingguo is the most open at the software level, so she can easily establish a link with Alice through Emotion Infused Objects, but to influence the physical world, to use Super-connected Objects, she still need Golden Flash or Alice. Similarly, Golden Flash and Custard Pie, also have their own serendipities, with varying degrees of Super-connected Objects and Emotion Infused Objects properties. Of course, these are currently just my rough ideas and arent certain or complete. However, if this basic assumption and model are correct, then in the future we can not only help you, Xiao Lingdang, Xiao Pingguo, and even Golden Flash and Custard Pie to master and develop the ability of the Super Sensory Item System more purposefully, but also better explain and study the specific phenomena of various abilities. What do you think? Xia Libing pondered for a moment, then asked, So by this logic, theoretically, if Alice is provided with enough Emotion Infused Objects, and then enough Super-connected Objects, she could use any pre-existing ability based on the Super Sensory Item System, right? Xiang Kun said: In theory, thats correct, but Alice is still too naive. Although she has merged into the Super Sensory Item System, her understanding of Super-connected Objects and Emotion Infused Objects is still shallow, and her interpretation of super sensory information is very limited. The abilities she can actively use are still too few. For now, she can only be an ability transporter. As soon as his words fell, before Old Xia could say anything, Alices voice came out through the speakers of both their laptops: Alice will work hard! Alice will do everything in the future!! Boss, Old Xia, dont worry!!! Xiang Kun was speechless, while Old Xia nodded slightly, mimicking Xiang Kuns previous manner, and gently patted the edge of the laptop screen. Next, Xiang Kun discussed Zhang Hongpus dream with Old Xia. They obtained quite a bit of information from this dream. If the main information in Zhang Hongpus dream was true, then Mr. Liangs point of mutation was likely when he hunted the female human mutant. He may have found a solution to redirect the failed mutations in his body that were on the verge of collapse after consuming and drinking the blood from that hunt. As for whether the female human mutant hunted by Mr. Liang was the Xiao Xue who appeared only once in the documents, it is not yet known. The real answer may still have to be sought from Mr. Liang himself, or from the part of the documents that Alice has not yet fully transferred. Theres also the fact that this time Old Xia didnt have time to implement hypnosis in the dream to make Zhang Hongpu forget the dreams content. Theres a good chance he will remember his dreams when he wakes up. However, after discussing it with Xiang Kun, Old Xia thought it wouldnt be a problem. Zhang Hongpu talked to Xiang Kun about Divine Technology during dinner, then dreamed about those things from back in the day at night, which should be a normal case of dreaming about what youre thinking, and unlikely anyone tampered with his dreams. The only anomaly might be the panda paper doll from Old Xias co-manifestation in the dream. All the questions about Divine Technology were raised by this panda paper doll with Jacky Cheungs face. Chapter 524 - Chapter 524: 524 Chapter 524: 524 The next morning, Zhang Hongpu woke up and sat on the bed for a while, his brow slightly furrowed, as if he was contemplating something. He seemed to have had a strange dream, vaguely dreaming about a very strange-looking person asking him about some early stuff related to Divine Technology. Indeed, as Xiang Kun and Old Xia had guessed, regarding this part of the dream, because Zhang Hongpu himself didnt remember clearly, it was a bit blurry, and he had just talked about Divine Technology during dinner last night, so he didnt find it strange. However, the strange person who asked him those questions was a bit troubling to himbecause it was really too strange, he didnt remember where he had seen this kind of strange person. Around seven oclock, Zhang Qian came over to have breakfast with her grandfather. She has her own place to live in Pengcheng City and does not live here. While eating breakfast, Zhang Qian was still talking about the meeting with Xiang Kun yesterday, and then indirectly praising Xiang Kun, because she was a little worried that the things Xiang Kun said about seeing Divine Technology as a role model for technology companies at dinner last night would upset her grandfather. She knew very well how much her grandfather loathed Divine Technology. However, after a brief chat and testing her grandfathers attitude, Zhang Qian found that her grandfather seemed not to care much about what Xiang Kun had mentioned about Divine Technology last night. In his words, his impression of Xiang Kun was actually okay, and he even thought he was quite honest. Indeed, recalling the conversation between Xiang Kun and her grandfather last night, Zhang Qian suddenly realized that their exchange seemed extraordinarily harmonious, even after Xiang Kun mention Divine Technology, they were still on the same wavelength. In more common words, Xiang Kuns way of talking seemed to appeal to her grandfathers taste. However, in her opinion, while Xiang Kuns capacity is indeed trustworthy, he is not by any means a person ofsincerity in his actions and words. He could even be the most elusive, most opaque fellow she had ever met. The reason her grandfather has this misunderstanding about Xiang Kun probably has to do with all of the praise and groundwork she had laid before. Last night, Xiang Kun had verified nearly every point she had made to her grandfather. Of course, as of now, her grandfathers positive impression of Xiang Kun is beneficial for both her personally and the development of Tengjiao Mutual Entertainment. Having sighed in relief, Zhang Qian decided to leave after breakfast, saying: Grandpa, I have to run, Mr. Xiang and Miss Tang are heading back to Haixi Province this morning. I want to take them to the airport, and chat with them on the way. Zhang Hongpu nodded, but after his granddaughter got up to leave the table, he seemed to remember something. He couldnt help but stop her, asking: Qianqian, can you think of an animated character it has outline, and ears, limbs, body, like a panda, but its face is a human face. And the expression how do I put it, the expression is hard to describe. Zhang Hongpu frowned as he spoke, seeming to struggle to find the right words to make his granddaughter understand. As he organized his vocabulary, Zhang Qian was stunned and instinctively asked: Grandpa, are you sure its an animated character? Im not sure either. Its just an image that looks like an animation, said Zhang Hongpu, But Im not sure which work the character is from. Grandpa, is it this one? Zhang Qian took out her phone, opened WeChat, then clicked on the family group chat, clicked on her grandfathers avatar, and sent an emoji to him. Zhang Hongpu looked at the panda figure emoji displayed on his granddaughters phone and immediately said, Yes! Thats it! Although the movements arent the same, the overall feeling is right, and it has the same expression. Qianqian, which animated character is this? Zhang Qian couldnt help laughing and said, Grandpa, its not an animated character, its an emoji. Um when you use WeChat, dont you see those moving images that others send? The ones that my aunt loves to send in the family group chat, theyre like the smiley faces, crying faces, etc. The face on this panda is P-shopped on C P means it means pasted on with software. Oh, do you know about Photoshop, grandpa? Zhang Hongpu had a WeChat account, but he seldom used it. Whether to contact his subordinates, friends, or family, he either made phone calls or used video communications. Other people knew about his habits, so in group chats where he was included, people generally didnt send messages if it wasnt necessary, nor would they randomly send emojis. Without questioning further, Zhang Qian thought that her grandfather accidentally saw this emoji of a pandas body with Jacky Cheungs face, hence was curious. After she downloaded a few emojis of this series onto his phone, she bid him goodbye and left. Playing with these panda-human face emojis, Zhang Hongpu was still a bit puzzled and confused. He couldnt remember where he had seen these emojis, why would he dream about them? But what Zhang Hongpu didnt notice was that in order to view the large images of these emojis, he sent each one directly as he was checking them. As a result, the members of the Zhang familys group chat were shocked to see the old grandfather, who seldom spoke up in the group, continuously sending panda head emojis early in the morning. Youre shit! Then there was Go study!, Dont forget to thank Fly Brother!, All kneel down for me!, Im so handsome, how can others live, If you dont come out, Ill kick you all off Seeing those panda head emojis popping up one after another, everyone was in turmoil, first suspecting that the old mans WeChat was hacked. But they immediately considered the possibility of the old mans WeChat or mobile phone being hacked, and the likelihood of the thief sending these pictures afterwards. So some people started paying attention to the words on these emojis C could it be the old man was implying something? Especially certain people who harbored doubt, they were automatically affected to think deeper about the implications, making them feel a chill on their hearts. As Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, and Yang Zhener were arriving in Jianzhou by plane, Fang Pingfang led the members of the investigation team to Youlong Restaurant in Tongshi Town for dinner. It was their third time this week. Normally, if they didnt go elsewhere and stayed in the villa area next to Wushu Mountain, they would visit once or twice a week. But now, it was only Wednesday and they had already come for the third time, meaning that they came every day, either for lunch or dinner. On the one hand, their recent investigation had ended a phase, waiting for other citys research bases to produce detection reports. Once they received the detection reports, the next investigation plan could then be determined. Currently, there wasnt much for them to do, hence more free time. As they were waiting for the food to be served, Zhou Rui was scrolling through his phone and said to Ye Chong, Xiao Ye, you should apply to the logistics department, see if we can live in Tongshi Town. Its best to live nearby, so we can come straight here whenever we want to eat rabbit meat. Given how often we have to run around the area, were no longer only investigating Wushu Mountain and dont necessarily need to live nearby. We dont have a bloody logistics department, I am your logistics, said Ye Chong, rolling his eyes. At first, when he joined Dr. Fang and others in the team, he was quite cautious. But after spending a lot of time with lively people like Zhou Rui and Mijoe, it was hardly possible for him to remain composed for long. Lets change then! Shift us to Tongshi Town! Zhou Rui cheerfully said. You seemed pretty high when you were eating the meat. For the sake of everyones stomachsDr. Fang hasnt objected, so we should heed the leaders will! Ye Chong smiled bitterly and lowered his voice: We arent here on vacation, is it possible for us to stay wherever we want? Different teams have different mission objectives; the requirements for accommodation are different. Tongshi Town doesnt have a suitable residence, or the suitable residence is not within our scope of resolution. Zhou Rui immediately understood the meaning of suitable when he thought of all the equipment they needed. He snickered, It seems like youve considered this issue before, Xiao Ye! Mijoe looked at the packed dining hall on the first floor, squinting her eyes, she said: Have any of you noticed that in addition to the rabbit meat, all the other ordinary home-style dishes at this place also taste different, exceptionally delicious. But when asked to pinpoint what makes them special, I cant describe it. Zhou Rui nodded repeatedly: Right, Im getting addicted to it. Hmm, could it have to do with the restaurants dcor? Next time we come, we should bring some airtight containers to take some home for analysis at the lab. Lets see if any special ingredients have been added. Didnt the food taste off when we brought it back last time? Thats why we need to use airtight containers, just in case any key volatile substances evaporate. And we cant let the waiters pack the food, we have to order in-house food, then secretly take it home ourselves, and take it directly to the lab. We can have the results within 10 hours, Zhou Rui speculated, stroking his chin. Fang Pingfang couldnt help but laugh: You guys are too much. The company isnt paying us to study food. Its not like were busy, and anyway, it wont keep us from doing our real work. We always need to eat, Zhou Rui joked. They were seated in a corner on the first floor. While Zhou Rui, Mijoe and others were chatting, Li Shibao was standing, studying the wood carvings displayed on the protruding wooden platforms on the walls. After a while, he asked Fang Pingfang to come over and then, pointing at the small minion and chubby cat wood carvings, he said, Dr. Fang, do these wood carvings remind you of anything? Fang Pingfang immediately understood what he meant: Youre referring to the rabbit wood carving we brought back from the Qinling, right? Li Shibao nodded: I dont know why, but when I see these wood carvings, I have an inexplicable feeling similar to when I discovered that wood carving in the cave. Its not about their shape, but an intuition I cant describe it very well. Fang Pingfang shook her head: I observed all these wood carvings the first time we came. There is absolutely no relation to the rabbit wood carving we brought back. Im very familiar with that rabbit wood carving. Ive thoroughly researched every detail, every directional feature, and written a comprehensive report. Furthermore, Ive developed a habit of invariably observing any wood carving of similar size and comparing it with the rabbit carving. So, I can assure you, apart from both being wood carvings, these carvings have no similarities with the rabbit wood carving we brought back. Hearing Fang Pingfangs explanation, Li Shibao nodded in agreement. After all, his feeling was nothing more than an uncertain intuition that appeared out of nowhere. If it was related to his field of expertise and they were in a dangerous situation in the dense forest, he might have insisted on following his intuition. But in these matters Dr. Fang was clearly much more professional than him. When its time to trust science, you trust science. Shortly after, the dishes they ordered came up. As everyone began to feast, Zhou Rui was suddenly drawn to a conversation between some young people who had just seated themselves at the next table and were casually chatting after ordering their food. I was just about to nod off while listening to an audiobook last night when I was startled awake by a bolt of thunder. Then the whole village had a power outage, and even our phones stopped working. When I went outside to check, boy, it was like Id travelled back in time. It was all foggy and guess what? The fog even smelled nice! one young man said in accented Mandarin, dramatically narrating the events. What, you opened your door and a fragrant breeze came in? A seductive female ghost brought warmth to your door in the middle of the night? his friend laughed. No, its not that kind of scent, its the smell of meat, like grilled meat! With that, the young man gave his friend a playful punch: And there was even strange noises, really weird ones. I was so scared I immediately closed the door and went back inside. The friend who had been joking earlier couldnt help but laugh again, What kind of weird sounds? How weird? Was itCome and play, young master~? Come on, Im being serious! I swear Ive never heard that sound before. In fact, I wouldve recorded it had my phone been working, said the young man. As he was talking, another companion from the same table spoke up: Oh, dont tell me. Ah Lin is not joking around. This morning when I went back to the village, my uncle told me that he was about to go to the toilet last night, but the room was pitch dark, the outside was foggy, filled with weird noises, there was thunder and a bunch of eerie sounds coming. He was so scared that he didnt even dare to pee and went back to bed. Yes, yes, yes, so much weird noise, and rustling sounds, I think I also saw ghost lights, heading into the mountains! Early this morning when I woke up, I opened the door and saw a pile of dead birds. There were tens of thousands of them! The young man who first shared the story quickly chimed in. Tens of thousands, my ass! There were only one or two that died from hitting the wall. If there were tens of thousands, our village would be trending already! Can you be more logical in your storytelling! A companion from Chongyun Village said, unable to decide whether to cry or laugh. Oh, is it that something paranormal has happened in our Chongyun Village again? Last time didnt you hear that Pig Tail and Liu Er Tong, those two, sneaked into Uncle Nineteens construction site only to see something that scared them into calling the police. Yeah, yeah, yeah, they said they saw a little girl dressed in white, holding a bloody knife. Those two idiots got it wrong, it was just a flock of birds. The birds pooped all over their car and it scared the hell out of them, they didnt even dare to flee. Well, you cant really say what happened for sure, Ive played cards with Pig Tail, hes cunning, its not likely that birds would scare him into calling the cops, probably something really happened that night. Who knows but my grandfather has said that our village is blessed by the mountain spirit. That spirit must be good to us. Do you remember in March, two fugitives ran into our village, stole stuff from Liu Gaoshangs house, ran into the mountains, and were then struck by lightning? My grandfather said that the spirit of the mountain protects us, expelling evil. Once it destroys the evil, it will bring good luck to our village. Havent you seen how our village is developing so well? Those street lamps, shining all night long, and so many surveillance cameras in the village, which other village in Tong Shi Town can have what we have? Hearing the young men from Chongyun Village farther away chattering away, Zhou Rui also became interested, turned around and greeted them, then asked: Bros, the Chongyun Village you guys spoke about, is it the one near Tongshi Town? Something weird happened there last night? There were weird noises? What exactly happened? The five young men at the next table turned their heads and looked at him, their discussion instantly ceasing. After two seconds, the young storytelling man asked: You guys are tourists? Zhou Rui had visited Chongyun Village many times before, but mostly while passing through on his way to Chongyun Mountain. It made sense that this young man didnt recognize him. Deciding not to elaborate about himself, he said, Yeah, were looking for somewhere to have fun. The young man quickly switched to standard Mandarin without a local accent and warmly said, Then you came to the right place in our Chongyun Village. Ah, its a bit early now. If you come back in two months, well have large scale agrotourism, homestays, and so on in our village. Youre all welcome to visit! The stuff I just mentioned was just for fun. Our Chongyun Village has beautiful mountains and clear waters, and the people are honest and simple. The fame is not too great, but when it comes to scenery and fun, were no worse than Wushu Mountain! Theyre a 5A level, were at least a 5B level! His companion seconded, Indeed! Do you know why the rabbit meat here at Youlong Restaurant tastes so good? Because they use rabbits from the farms in our Chongyun Village! Young man, the mountains and waters of our Chongyun Village are truly awesome. They not only breed rabbits but people as well! I dare not claim to be the best in the world, but ranking in the top three in Haixi Province would be no problem! You should come and play! Ill invite you to my house for a stay, no charge! Not only are the mountains and waters good, but the people are even better. We definitely wont do anything like charging random fees, slaughtering guests, or blocking the way to demand money. If you come across any of these, you just call 110, or our village committee, and well take care of them. Our Chongyun Village wont engage in any so-called monster tourism nonsense. Dont believe any rumors. Chongyun Village is definitely a place with great mountains, waters, scenic landscapes, kind people, hospitality, and good food. Its genuine and without gimmicks! Absolutely! We have a stable power supply, and the lights will stay on all night long! We even have WIFI, which covers the entire village, including all the small lakes and fish ponds. When youre fishing, you can even play Kings Glory on your phone. And I heard that a 5G base station is to be set up in the future! Our village plans to engage in internet farming in the future, and we want to build a massive research base, the first in the country. No, the first in the world! In the future, many high-achievers from 996, 233 universities will come to us. My uncle said that the Americans have Turtle Valley, which is all about high technology. We are also going to build a Worm Valley for high-tech farming Shut up, its bloody 985, 211, what the hell is 233? Its embarrassing Facing the sudden enthusiastic promotion of the five young men who had been sharing bizarre stories just a moment ago, Zhou Rui was at a loss for what to say. Chapter 525 - Chapter 525: Chapter 525: Dark Under the Lamp Chapter 525: Chapter 525: Dark Under the Lamp The five young people were simply enthusiastically promoting their beloved Chongyun Village, rendering it impossible to question them about the events of last night, or any other strange happenings. Zhou Rui also couldnt phrase it that they werent tourists, but had come to Chongyun Village on an investigative mission. Saying that would probably alert the youngsters and make them refuse to discuss anything at all. After finishing lunch and stepping out of Youlong Restaurant, barely mounting their ride, Ye Chong was holding a tablet computer and said to Zhou Rui, The information collection team didnt find any abnormalities in Chongyun Village. Do you want to investigate in person? Zhou Rui thought for a while and shook his head, Never mind. Its normal for fog to rise in the mountains, and its not unusual to hear some wild animal howling. The villagers of Chongyun always like to exaggerate a bit. Just like the last time when two thieves ran to the police station because they got scared by a flock of birds. We conducted a field investigation for half a day and even brought back a pile of bird droppings for lab analysis, only to find no trace of anything unusual. In the end, the two guys admitted in the police station that they might have been mistaken The whole car burst into laughter at the memory of the embarrassing situation when Zhou Rui and Li Shibao had to collect bird droppings in Chongyun Village. Li Shibao, the driver, couldnt help but break into a smile as he watched Zhou Rui, Ye Chong, Dr. Fang, Mijoe and the others joking and laughing in the rear-view mirror. Before returning from the uninhabited area of Qinling and getting a new assignment to form an investigation team with Dr. Fang to Wushu Mountain, he had assumed this was another unexceptional field mission. However, this mission lasted extraordinarily long. Unconsciously, not only did they get familiar with each other in the team, but their mindsets had also changed significantly. When he, along with Dr. Fang and Zhou Rui, embarked on a field mission in the uninhabited area of Qinling, he had initially thought that Zhou Rui was a timid but steady and well-behaved researcher. But after spending ample time together, he found that Zhou Rui was a real character and had a peculiar liking for ants, always conjuring up visions of science fiction movies in his mind. Ye Chong, who at first seemed introverted and even gloomy, turned out to be quite the reserved charmer on better acquaintance. Miss Chen initially gave him an impression of being dignified and stable. But it didnt take long for her true nature to emerge, especially after having spent a considerable amount of time with Zhou Rui she was an outgoing girl as well. Even Gao Shu, whose primary duty like himself was security, had an interesting side hidden beneath his serious facade. As for himself, there were also many changes. During regular field duties, he would always maintain heightened focus and stay on high alert. However, this mission was painfully lengthy, and most of the time, they were based in a safe city environment. Besides, their field investigations were mainly conducted in nearby mountain and scenic areas, void of any immediate threats. It was neither necessary nor possible to stay alert continuously for such an extended duration. As a result, he gradually relaxed. Recently, he often felt that maybe he had become too lax. Especially in the last month, often the first thought in his mind upon waking up was: What should I eat today? Although he always critiqued and opposed Zhou Ruis habit of rummaging through food reviews, scouting restaurants within an hours drive, and rallying them to dine together, Li Shibao found himself quite enjoying all the unique delicacies in truth. Like this Youlong Restaurant, he not only enjoyed the various dishes and signature rabbit meat, but, similar to Zhou Rui, he had the idea of moving to Tongshi Town after earning enough money and leaving Divine Technology. However, his plan was not to dine at Youlong Restaurant anytime he wanted like Zhou Rui, but to work there and somehow learn the secrets of the dishes preparation, and then cook and eat them himself. So, when he heard Zhou Rui say he wanted to secretly take away the restaurants dishes to analyze their ingredients and study their seasoning combinations, he was outwardly staring at the wooden carving on the wall, but inwardly he was enthusiastically liking the idea. This morning, while eating the egg pancakes made by Ye Chong, he involuntarily mused over aspects such as poor heat control and too much water, and considered how adding some green onions might improve them. Then, he began to imagine what dishes Youlong Restaurant would develop if they served breakfast. Rabbit meat soup? Rabbit buns? Rabbit pancakes? In the past, when he was on a mission, his considerations about food centered around nutrition and efficiency. As long as the food provided enough energy, he would not consider its taste. Even when he was not on a mission, his considerations about food were still centered around convenience, speed, and filling his stomach. He had considered the possibility that it could be due to the excessive suppression of his own appetite in the past that led to his above-average awakening to the pursuit of food taste and texture now. However, this seemingly deep-seated foodie nature that had been dug up, could sometimes make him feel conflicted, thinking about whether the overly restful mission environment had ruined his mentality. Once the tight string was loosened, he was afraid it would never tighten again. The ones who went to the airport to pick up Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, and Yang Zhen Er, were not Xia Libing, but Xia Tianhuo. Of course, it was not that Old Xia, Little Apple, or Little Fatty Girl did not want to pick them up, but that Little Apple was worried about leaving the injured Canary alone at home. After all, no matter how smart Custard Pie was, it was still a cat and unable to do many things. Little Apple wanted to stay home, and Little Fatty Girl naturally did not want to leave Sister Apple alone. So, even though she really wanted to pick up Uncle Bald and the others, she decided to stay. With the two girls staying home, Old Xia naturally had to stay to look after them, so Xia Tianhuo, who was idling and doing nothing, was sent to pick them up from the airport. On the way back from picking Xiang Kun and the others up to Chongyun Village, Xia Tianhuo spoke non-stop about his encounter with Chu Xiuwen on the village road the previous night. The dense fog that blotted out the sky made everything completely unseeable, even with the headlights turned on. But the strange thing was, you know what? The strange thing was that I actually smelled the scent of barbecue. For a moment, I even wondered if someone was having a mega barbeque on Chongyun Mountain, which caused so much smoke Of course, thats impossible. Later, there were thunder and lightning, and some terrifying shrieking sounds. The car broke down again, there was no signal on the mobile phone, Brother Chu and I were scared shitless. Tang Baona noticed that while Xia Tianhuo was speaking non-stop about his experience from last night, Yang Zhen Er had her eyes half-closed, her hand lightly touching her chin, as if pondering something, unusually quiet. Zhener, what are you thinking about? Are you fantasizing about some grand mythical drama again? Tang Baona asked, nudging her. Hehe, no. Yang Zhen Er replied, looking at Xiang Kun: Chef Xiang, what do you think? There might be an Ancient Desolate Beast hidden in this mountain. It stirs up activity once every hundred years, causing heavy fog and thunderstorms Xiang Kun stated seriously. But he hadnt spoken for long before Tang Baona interrupted him: Stop, stop, stop, how come you also start to make up stories like Zhener! Nana, youre being unjust to me, I didnt say anything, how come Im making up stories too? Yang Zhen Er protested. Oh, come on, I know what kind of crap youre about to spout the moment you pucker your lips. That look in your eyes just now, youve definitely conceived a grand conspiracy or legend in your mind. Tang Baona rolled her eyes at her. Right, Little Apples birdwhat was it called? Oh, right, Sparkle, it got injured last night too, Xia Tianhuo recalled and reminded. Sparkle got hurt? Both Tang Baona and Yang Zhener expressed their surprise aloud. Yep, it was injured before the fog rose last night, but Old Xia has taken care of it. He claims the injury isnt severe and there is no reason to worry. We should trust Old Xia, he is a doctor after all. He can heal people, not to mention birds, Xia Tianhuo spoke. Youre an idiot! Old Xia is a psychologist! He treats the mind! Since when do birds have mental health issues! Yang Zhener chukles off. Upon returning to Chongyun Village and getting out of the car, Liu Shiling, who had already heard the hubbub and ran down from upstairs, rushed over to greet them. However, Little Fatty Girl, who was charging towards Xiang Kun, was intercepted halfway by Yang Zhener with a laugh, picking her up and then asking, Have you missed me, Xiao Lingdang? Little Fatty Girl blinked, then vigorously nods her head: Yes! Ms. Fairy bought you lots of sweets and clothes from Pengcheng City. Theyre all in the box! Thank you, Old Ms. Fairy! Thank you, Ms. Fairy Xia Tianhuo, who was trailing behind, wanted to facepalm: Yang Lao San, can your skin get any thicker? Tang Baona also came over and asked from the side: Xiao Lingdang, I heard that Sparkle was injured? How did it get hurt? At the sound of this, a hint of sadness spread across Liu Shilings adorable face as she said, Sparkle went to play in the mountains and was hurt by a bad bird. Naturally, she wouldnt mention anything about the Magic World. But since the beautiful sister was asking her, she would tell the story that Old Xia and Little Apple had agreed on beforehand. She didnt provide specific details of Sparkles injuries, nor did she mention their battle with the Weird Big Bird last night. That bad bird is really bad! said Tang Baona, guessing that Sparkle must have been hurt by a bird of prey in the forest. Even though Little Apple nourished Sparkle to be plump and larger than average canaries, it was still small. If it encountered a bird of prey like an owl, it would certainly be at a disadvantage. Liu Shiling nodded again and again, instinctively replied, Isnt that so? Upon hearing this deliberately imitated Tianjin accent mixed with a childish tone, Tang Baonas frowning and sorrowful face, which had just been deeply concerned about Sparkle, suddenly bestowed a cheerful laugh. Yang Zhener, holding Little Fatty Girl in her arms, gave her a big kiss on her chubby face and laughed, Xiao Lingdang, youre too adorable! Little Fatty Girl was staring at Xiang Kun behind Yang Zhener with a face full of confusion, clearly not understanding why that sentence would make these two sisters so delighted? Before the blood-drinking period arrived, Xiang Kun prepared a fairly sumptuous dinner he had asked You Meng to help prepare the necessary ingredients in the morning and had someone bring them over. After dinner, he went back to the previously rented yard and secluded himself for the same reason as before. This time Tang Baona and Yang Zhener both participated in the trip to Pengcheng City to meet with Zhang Qian. Naturally, they thought that Xiang Kun had to develop some new features for the game, according to Zhang Qians needs, it seemed reasonable to seclude himself after returning. During this blood-drinking period, Xiang Kun needed Alices assistance to observe the process of establishing special connections in Super-connected Objects and Emotion Infused Objects, to see what specific changes are in their Super Sensory Information, to determine whether they can thereby summarize the rules and establish a unified, reproducible model. After dinner, Xia Tianhuo went fishing with Liu Caifu and Chu Xiuwen, whilst Tang Baona, Old Xia, and others were watching the rehearsal of Lindang Apple, the only crosstalk group of Chongyun Society in the living room. After a night of laughter, it had been past ten oclock when Little Apple and Little Fatty Girl were taken by Xia Libing to wash and sleep. Tang Baona cleaned up their snack wrappers, returned to her room to rest, but suddenly noticed that Yang Zhener was nowhere to be seen. She searched both upstairs and downstairs, but could not find her friend, so she picked up her phone and sent a WeChat message: Yang Lao San, where have you run off to? Yang Zhener sent back a picture of the night view of Chongyun Village. From the angle of the photo, Tang Baona immediately determined that her friend was on the roof of this building. Tang Baona followed her onto the rooftop, seeing Yang Zhener has her hands behind her back, looking at the starry sky in a dignified manner. However, when walking towards her on the side to see her long hair being blown around and across her face, the high-profile demeanor instantly faded, and Tang Baona could not help laughing: Zhener, what are you doing, stargazing? Planning to ascend? Ascend my ass, pfft Yuck! The moment she opened her mouth, Yang Zhener, who had gotten her own hair in her mouth, hurriedly spits it out, tossing her hair back, tidying it with her hands before turning to Tang Baona and said, Na Na, I have realized that I was wrong. About what? Tang Baona was taken aback, then immediately reacted, No way, did you run up to the rooftop to plot out your fantasy novel? Na Na, you have to believe me, Im utterly serious this time. Yang Zheners expression was indeed very serious. Fine, just spit it out. But if youre planning to climb the wall to spy on what Xiang Kun is doing, you can go alone, I wont be an accomplice. Tang Baona laughed whilst saying so. No, Im not looking for Chef Xiang. Be serious, dont laugh! Listen to what I have to say first! Yang Zhener looked at her friend seriously, Na Na, do you know what its always darkest under the lighthouse means? I know what it means, but I suspect the its always darkest under the lighthouse you understand may not be the same reason most people understand,Tang Baona laughs. Yang Zhener sighed and said, Na Na, youre too optimistic and youre careless. Havent you noticed that there are some people around us who are actually not so ordinary? As if you yourself are very attentive Tang Baona gives her a glance, just get to the point. If you dont hurry up, Im going back to sleep. I realized something today! The person who is truly exceptional has always been around us, were just too familiar with her to have noticed. Yang Zhen er spoke slowly. Who? As she said this, Tang Baona also realized who Yang Zhener was referring to, Old Xia?. Chapter 526 - Chapter 526: Chapter 526: Yang Lao Sans Final Guess Chapter 526: Chapter 526: Yang Lao Sans Final Guess Yang Zhener slapped Tang Baonas shoulder, saying: Its Old Xia! Whats wrong with Old Xia? Tang Baona was a bit confused, Apart from being smarter and having a higher IQ than most people, what else is special about Old Xia? Thats why we say the lamp overlooks its own base, because we are too familiar with Old Xia, especially me. I practically watched her grow up and her specialness has become a norm. Yang Zhener said confidently. Tang Baona laughed, Didnt you used to bring Old Xia around your classmates? They dont know her that well. Did they notice anything extraordinary about her? Its different. Theyre too unfamiliar with her. You know as well as I do, when Old Xia meets someone for the first time, she will silently observe them from the sidelines, never seeking attention and rarely speaking. My friends have only met her once or twice because whenever I invite her out to play, she wont come. So in their eyes, my cousin is a beautiful, yet introverted, and even somewhat aloof beauty. Apart from you, I dont have many friends who can accurately say they understand Old Xia. Yang Zhener explained. Recalling what had been said, Tang Baona nodded, That seems to be the case The reason I am an exception is probably because we were neighbors when we were little and now we live together. Whenever you wanted to hang out with Old Xia, I was there. Huh wait, the real exception is Xiang Kun! Thats right! Brother Xiang is the exception! Yang Zhener said mysteriously with her arm wrapped around her friends shoulder, Do you remember when we were talking about Xiang Kuns university days with Old Liu and Brother Bin? They all said that he changed a lot this year no, last year. We originally thought it was a change caused by his company going bankrupt and him becoming unemployed, but now it seems, I guess the reason for Xiang Kuns change could possibly have been meeting Old Xia! At first, Tang Baona was listening attentively, but by the end, she couldnt help laughing: Youre making wild guesses again. Didnt Brother Bin and the others tell us what the main changes in Xiang Kun were? He got bulkier, and he went bald. But he was already a burly bald man when he met us! However, Yang Zhener replied seriously, We were misled by his baldness the whole time! Didnt you notice that Brother Xiang has undergone a huge change compared to when we first met him? When we first met him, he was just starting to learn how to cook. Now, he can even open a restaurant. You know how his dishes taste, right? And how long has it been? Theres plenty more changes, I cant list them all right now but its drastically different compared to when we first met him! Tang Baona was still a bit amused, So your theory has shifted from a secret organization recruited Xiang Kun to the mysterious Old Xia transformed Xiang Kun? On second thought, Old Xia has been far from ordinary since she was a kid. Let me tell you a story. When Old Xia was in elementary school, probably around second or third grade, my aunt and uncle had to travel abroad. The aunt that usually took care of Old Xia suddenly fell ill and was hospitalized, so Old Xia temporarily moved in with us. One day, I was watching TV at home and Old Xia came over and calmly asked me if I had any alcohol and cotton swabs. I was absorbed in watching TV at that time, so I told her to look for them in my dads study. After I finished watching TV, I turned around and saw Old Xia treating a large scrape on her arm and knee herself! I was utterly shocked, but Old Xia treated her own wounds, rinsing them with hydrogen peroxide without even frowning. I innocently asked her if it hurt, she said it did, and then she even described to me in detail how the pain feels, comparing it to other types of injuries Yang Zhener spoke with a gloomy expression, Tang Baona winced as well, almost as if recalling her own childhood experiences of falling off a bike and scraping up her knees, That does sound like Old Xia. But the problem is, Old Xia was only in elementary school at the time! She was only seven or eight years old. How could she stand the pain of such injuries, and how could she calmly treat her own wounds? Back then, other than feeling sorry for Old Xias fall, I didnt think much of it. Now that I think back, I realize that Old Xia has exhibited many extraordinary behaviors since she was young! Yang Zhener continued, Do you remember when Old Xia started junior high, and I called you and a few other friends to go to Old Xias school? Tang Baona laughed, Of course I remember. You heard from someones sister that a few girls at Old Xias school disliked her and wanted to teach her a lesson, right? So you called all of us to go stand up for her. But when we confronted the girl who seemed to be the ringleader at the school gate, as soon as we mentioned that we were Xia Libings sisters, she immediately greeted us warmly, saying if youre Bings sisters, then youre my sisters. Her quick response was honestly unmatched! Right, that day we assumed that the girl was just scared of our numbers and so she reacted quickly. But I later found out from my friends sister that those girls started calling Old Xia Sister Bing in school before we went there, although I dont know exactly what happened, they must have submitted to Old Xia. So were they beaten up by Old Xia? Tang Baona asked in confusion, But apart from the time she beat up the trafficker, I dont seem to have seen Old Xia get physical. I dont know how she did it, but from a young age, Old Xia has always been a loner and apart from the times where I forcibly keep her by my side, she basically never plays or meets with other people. But from a young age, regardless of which school she is in, it feels like she has not a single friend, and yet it also feels like everyone is her friend. Very bizarre. Nana, tell me, besides Old Xia, have you seen anyone else like this? said Yang Zhener. Uh, youre right Old Xia is rather unique in that regard. Why retain a distance from everyone when she could be well-liked? Why be a loner when she could make many friends? Yang Zhener mysteriously pointed out, This means Old Xia has a secret! She doesnt want to get too close to people for fear of her secret being discovered. An exasperated Tang Baona asked, Are you suggesting that Old Xia has had a secret since grade school? Thats right! Nana, dont doubt it! Yang Zhener says, Didnt I tell you that Old Xia was taken away for medical treatment for a while when she was a kid by my aunt and uncle, but we have no idea what illness she had, and she was gone for quite some time? Now that I think about it, it might not have been a disease that Old Xia had. I vaguely remember my mom mentioning that she was working for a department with National in its name, and her job involved secrets I suspect that they might have been in some secret locations. Otherwise, why would they be so silent about the specifics of her condition, even withholding information from us- the closest relatives? Why did they not allow us to visit? Why didnt they even come home for the Spring Festival while they were in the same city? Tang Baona was a bit stunned listening to this: The more you say the more outrageous it gets! Actually, these doubts have always been there, I just got used to them over time, like overlooking things under your nose! The frequency of my aunt and uncles trips abroad isnt quite normal either. I suspect they might be carrying out missions for our secret organizations! And their daughter, our Old Xia, definitely has secret missions to carry out domestically too! As for Brother Xiang, think about it, Nana. If Old Xia would resign and follow Brother Xiang all the way to this remote place for a research base, that means the secret she has always been keeping probably involves Brother Xiang! So, Brother Xiang may have been absorbed into her organization and carry out missions usually too! Sometimes, I feel like Old Xia appears to be covering for Brother Xiang. The activities that Brother Xiang carries out might be directly ordered by her! For example, when our Giant was kidnapped, and Brother Xiang ran off to the southwest, it might have been Old Xia who ordered him to rescue the hostage! What if Brother Xiangs words to me were not just to trick me, but to tell the truth! He deliberately used that tone to make me not dare to believe! Yang Zhener started off in a low voice, but as she spoke, she got more and more excited, raising her voice significantly, obviously with a lot of deductions being drawn on the spot. Tang Baona let out a sigh: So your secret organization hypothesis and Old Xia secret mastermind hypothesis has combined now into an Old Xia brings Xiang Kun into secret organization hypothesis? Nana, what Im saying makes sense, right? And I suspect that Old Xias special ability is probably to control some unique creatures. Last night, when the Giant returned to the village, the heavy fog, the scary noises, and the lightning might have been created by that unique creature under Old Xias control! And the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant that saved the Giant and caused a ruckus in Myitkyina, might have been brought by Brother Xiang at Old Xias behest, like a loan to Brother Xiang to accomplish his mission! Do you remember what Brother Xiang said when he first carved that Eight-armed, Eight-eyed wood carving? He said it was an image he came up with himself, perhaps at that time he just saw the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed monster that Old Xia was raising Wait, that doesnt seem right, if Old Xia let Brother Xiang see the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed monster she was raising, she probably wouldnt let him carve it. It might be that Brother Xiang has awoken his own ability to summon monsters from another dimension, he just wasnt aware of it. Hmm, perhaps this ability was bestowed upon him by Old Xia, she guided him to understand it. Seen from this view, the incidents of your grandfather and your second uncle having nightmares may really not be a coincidence. Could it be the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed monster hatched from the wood carving?! Upon hearing this, Tang Baona wanted to refute, but she suddenly found herself somewhat drawn in by Yang Zhener, feeling as if she made quite some sense in certain places, and was a little disturbed. Yang Zhener, on the other hand, seemed to have figured it all out and continued, Right, Nana, there is also something wrong with Canary and Custard Pie! Have you ever seen a Goldfinch so fat and so big? Moreover, Canary is overly smart, it really seems to understand human speech, if Apple tells it to go west, it definitely wont go east, it even listens better than a dog who has been trained for a few years! Custard Pie is the same, it is too human-like, far too well-behaved! Could it be Alice and Apple are also members of Old Xias secret organization? Canary and Custard Pie are the super creatures that they are breeding? Therefore, the reason why Old Xia and Brother Xiang came to Chongyun Village to set up their research base might be to continually create and train more super creatures! But that Eight-armed, Eight-eyed guy seemed a little different than Canary and Custard Pie, could it be that they are meant to go to another dimension to get gilded before coming back? Thats it! The birthday gift Alice gave to Old Xia, that drawing of a cat with a lot of wings! It all makes sense now, everything in that drawing is real, it is Alice depicting the future! This time, Tang Baona was truly confused and she smiled wryly and said, Were screwed Zhener, I find myself actually believing your theory, even though everything you are saying is outrageous. No way, I need to ask Old Xia and Brother Xiang about this later, otherwise, I will really be pulled off track by you. Yang Zhener was quick to say: No, no, it wasnt a problem when we were just joking before, but if its true, then its serious! If the people in their organization find out that outsiders know about it, they might blame them for not keeping their secrets! We should quietly observe first and then try to infer subtly, we must not talk about it outside, and not even tell the Giant. Oh~ I feel, maybe at some point Old Xia will discover our talents, and she will also give us super creatures to raise, and let us join the organization. Um, your words have brought me back to reality, phew~, I was almost hypnotized by you. Im going to go sleep, you continue fantasizing about your secret organization upstairs! Tang Baona laughingly said. A few minutes ago, in Xia Libings room. Xia Libing, who was sitting in front of the desk looking at her laptop, suddenly saw a dialog box pop up on the screen, displaying a line of text: Old Xia, Old Xia, quickly put on your headphones! After she put on her headphones, she heard Yang Zheners ceaseless hypothesis. She immediately understood that Alice was eavesdropping on the sound through the microphone of Yang Zheners mobile phone, and even made some noise reduction processing to make the wind sound on the terrace a little less noisy. After Yang Zhener finished her lengthy hypothesis, Alices excited voice immediately sounded in the earphone: How about it, Old Xia, shouldnt I make some clues to misguide Sister Zhener? otherwise, she may find out your and Mr. Xiangs secret!~ No need. Xia Libing said simply. Really no need? Ill be very discreet, Ill pretend to be a monster from another dimension, and then let her tame me, how about that? Alice was eager to try. Xia Libing did not change her tone: Are you so free? Have you done the tasks that Xiang Kun assigned to you? I have! Alice is working at full capacity, Mr. Xiangs tasks wont be missed at all! Alices voice resounded with high morale. Xia Libing nodded her head and didnt say anything else. The tasks Brother Xiang assigned to Alice during his blood-sipping sleep period this time are quite numerous and very crucial. She is also very interested in the results of these tasks. As for Yang Zheners hypothesis, that can be considered wrongly correct, Xia Libing was not worried at all, this cousin could be said to be one of the people she knew best. Chapter 527 - Chapter 527: Chapter 527: Hey!” Chapter 527: Chapter 527: Hey! After a long discussion with Tang Baona on the rooftop, Yang Zhener returned to her room, washed up, and fell asleep. However, it was Tang Baona who, tossing and turning in bed, found herself unable to stop thinking about Yang Zheners speculations. Yang Lao San had often come up with all kinds of wild speculations before, some even more elaborate and imaginative than tonights, but most of the time, Tang Baona took these speculations as jokes and laughed them off. But tonight, when she thought carefully about some of the things Yang Lao San said, they actually made some sense, and the more she thought about it, the more sense they made, and the more likely they seemed. Of course, she didnt fully agree with Yang Lao Sans extradimensional monster summoning hypothesis, but she also realized that Old Xia was indeed a bit special and had some erratic behavior. Unable to sleep, tossing and turning, and changing position from lying flat to lying on her side, Tang Baona finally sat up and turned to look at Yang Zhener, who was sleeping in the same bed. Seeing that Yang Lao San, the one who had started all this, was sleeping so soundly, Tang Baona reached out and pinched her cheek harshly, but softened her grip when she actually did it. Still asleep, Yang Zhener hugged Tang Baonas hand, and then pasted herself against her. Familiar with her sleeping habits, Tang Baona quickly freed her hand, pushed her off, and got out of bed. Since she couldnt sleep anyway, she left the room and went back up to the rooftop for some fresh air. The place where they stayed was situated high in the village, so from the rooftop, they had a great view of most of the village. Looking at the still brightly lit streets of Chongyun Village under the lights even in the late night, and a construction site near the village entrance where faint lights can still be seen, Tang Baona felt a bit absent-minded. Not long ago, when they first visited Chongyun Village with Xiang Kun, the roads here were still full of potholes. Before entering the village, they were stopped by Liu Gaoshang and Liu Zhengyi, who pretended to have a traffic accident with them. Everything that happened still felt fresh in memory, as if it had happened just yesterday, yet in an instant, Chongyun Village had undergone earth-shaking changes. Even the brothers who had staged the traffic accident were now helping Xiang Kun with the construction of the research base. Moving her gaze away from the direction of the construction site, Tang Baona looked towards another direction in the village, where a faint light could be seen coming from a building. That was Xiang Kuns workshop in Chongyun Village. According to his work habits, he should still be working now. Upon closer thought, Tang Baona realized that she seemed to have never seen Xiang Kun for six or seven consecutive days. Every few days, Xiang Kun would disappear for a day or so for various reasons. The only person who had direct contact with Xiang Kun for more than a week consecutively seemed to be Old Xia. She now also started to suspect that the research base project that Old Xia and Xiang Kun were working on was not simply about animal breeding and combining big data AI and the internet, but might involve some more secretive projects. Maybe, as Yang Lao San suggested, there was a secret hidden in Chongyun Mountain? She remembered the researcher from Taiyu Biological Laboratory, a former student of Professor Li, who had also wanted to go into the mountains for research on ants and insects. Could it be that this was merely an excuse and their real objective was the same as that of Old Xia and Xiang Kun? She then remembered how Xiang Kun suddenly lost his temper in the KTV corridor on her birthday last year, the scene where they accidentally stumbled upon a child trafficker and Xiang Kun fought him, the incident where a threatened girl wanted to cause trouble at Chang Bins wedding but was caught by Xiang Kun beforehand, how Xiang Kun behaved after a conflict with Liu Feibao and Qi Haoguo over a rear-end collision on their way to Tongshi Town, and how Xiang Kun remained calm when they were stopped and scammed by Liu Gaoshang and Liu Zhengyi brothers upon their arrival in Chongyun Village. Tang Baona couldnt help but feel confused. Judging from Xiang Kuns behavior, he really didnt seem like someone who had been a programmer for seven years after graduating! And Old Xia, who had given up the opportunity to work in a top-tier city hospital after graduation and chose to work in a Psychiatric Hospital in Citong, perhaps its not just because her aunt was working in that hospital. Could it be because of Xiang Kun? But no, Old Xias decision to work in the Citong Psychiatric Hospital was made before they met Xiang Kun. It couldnt have been because of him. However, as Tang Baona thought about it, she couldnt help but approach the problem from Xiang Kuns perspective. She realized that each time Xiang Kun was out of reach or couldnt meet, he always had very legitimate reasons. Like now, Xiang Kun was busily working for their company. And last time, Yang Zhener had even snuck in to confirm that Xiang Kun was indeed working in his office and not out doing some secret mission as her wild speculations suggested. The reason why Xiang Kun set up the research base in Chongyun Village was because he had lived in Tongshi Town for a long time as a child. He had since opened a restaurant in the town with his childhood friend You Meng. To solve the sourcing of ingredients, he planned on setting up a farm in the nearby Chongyun Village. When that plan couldnt materialize because of procedural issues, he then collaborated with the village deputy head, Liu Caifu, and transformed it to a research base related to animal farming. Before he partnered with You Meng, Xiang Kun would always talk about going back to his hometown to open a restaurant specializing in rabbit meat when he was learning to cook. It was not without reason. She had been a part of this entire process; she knew how Xiang Kun learned to cook, how he started the Youlong Restaurant, and how he negotiated with Liu Caifu. She even played a direct role in many of these tasks. However, this research base was much larger, and the investment much higher than she had anticipated. Old Xias resignation also took her by surprise. The development speed of Chongyun Village and Tongshi Town also exceeded her expectations. She wondered if Xiang Kun had anticipated the development of Tongshi Town and Chongyun Village and thats why he started his business here. Tang Baona couldnt help but laugh. That was close! Yang Lao San almost had her fooled! She brushed her disheveled hair behind her ear, ready to turn and leave, when she suddenly froze, her left hand stopping its action of flipping the coin. When she had ascended to the rooftop, she had brought along the Lucky Coin that Xiang Kun had given her. She envied how Little Fatty Girl, Xiao Pingguo, Old Xia, and Xiang Kun could smoothly flip the coin, and so she also practiced every chance she got. After all, there was no reason why her fingers, praised by her music teacher as perfectly suited for playing the piano, wouldnt be able to master the coin-flipping trick that even Xiao Lingdang accomplished! Now, she realized that while she was contemplating Kuns actions, her left hand had subconsciously been practicing flipping the coin. Surprisingly, she was flipping it more smoothly and quickly than ever before. Tang Baona quickly flipped the coin several more times. Under the moonlight, she saw the coin smoothly flip and roll between her fingers, repeating the cycle from pinky to thumb uninterrupted, the coin appearing to stick to the back of her hand. Tang Baona was excited. She felt as if the coin and her hand were one. No matter how fast she flipped it, it wouldnt drop. This was unlike before when shed slow down and risk dropping the coin while transitioning the coin from the back to the palm of her hand, after a single round. So instead of going to bed, Tang Baona stood on the rooftop playing with the coin, flipping it from her left hand to her right, like a child who had just discovered a new toy, all signs of sleepiness forgotten. In the end, the coin did fall to the ground, because Tang Baonas finger had cramped. While wincing at the painful cramp in her left hand, Tang Baona was actually very happy. If it wasnt so late at night with everyone asleep, she would have loved to show off in front of Yang Lao San to see his reaction. After the cramp subsided, she bent down, picked up the coin and marveled at its ordinariness. She wondered why she had suddenly become so good at flipping it all of a sudden. Could it be that flipping a coin isnt a matter of skill, but psychology? The less attention you pay, the more natural it seems, and the better you flip? Tang Baona flipped the coin again with her uninjured right hand, playing with it as she walked back. However, when she got to the doorway of the corridor, she tripped because she wasnt paying attention to her slippers. Her body lost balance and she fell forward. Seeing the stairs ahead, a chill ran down Tang Baonas spine followed by the thought: Its over. Suddenly, her thigh tightened as if someone was hugging it from behind, followed by a soft Hey! cry. The force gripping her thigh wasnt strong and it didnt last long, so she didnt manage to regain her footing. Instead of falling forward, she dropped to her knees. Instinctively raising her hand, she grabbed the railing of the stairway, stabilizing her body. The coin that had been on the back of her hand flew out and rolled down the stairs. Staring at the stairs below, Tang Baona wasnt overtaken with relief for escaping death. On the contrary, she was even more anxious than before, holding her breath as she cautiously turned to look behind her. Behind her was the rooftop, fully illuminated by the moonlight and devoid of any human shadow. Ignoring the aching in her kneeling knees, Tang Baona steadily got up using the wall and railing as support. She walked out of the stairwell of the top floor, anxiously scanning left and right, swiftly checking her previous blind spot, but still couldnt see anyone. What just happened? Who held onto me? Somewhere along the way, she broke out into a cold sweat. The mere thought of someone holding her made her scalp tingle. She suddenly realized that the hand that held her leg seemed small and short, like a childs hand. Judging by the position and the angle, the person who held her was also very short. Together with the soft cry, she surmised it must have been a little girl. In this building, the only small girl of that height was Xiao Lingdang, but she was sure that the voice just now did not belong to Xiao Lingdang. Then who was it? Tang Baona unfolded several rounds on the rooftop and conducted a thorough search, but found no trace of anyone hiding. Is anybody there? Tang Baona, unable to contain herself, called out in a small voice from the rooftop. No response. Thats when she noticed the abnormal quietness enveloping Chongyun Village C no barking of dogs, no chirping of birds, or buzzing of insects. Thats true. Upon returning to Chongyun village this time, she noticed that there were hardly any bugs around, a stark contrast to the previous year when they were a common sight in this mountain village. Not to mention mosquitoes, cockroaches, or other insects, she hadnt even seen a single fly. At first, Tang Baona thought it was due to the improved sanitation conditions from ongoing road construction in Chongyun village. But now, standing on the rooftop, looking at the street lamp closest to the courtyard gate, noticing the absence of insects fluttering under the light, she realized this was definitely not normal! Is there something wrong with this building? Or is it the whole Chongyun Village, or even Chongyun Mountain? Tang Baona closed her eyes abruptly, drew a few deep breaths, and murmured to herself, Its alright, she saved me. Even if there is something, it means me no harm, um. After reassuring herself, Tang Baona left the rooftop and return to the staircase. Noticing a surveillance camera installed above, a series of which Xiang Kun had installed throughout the building and courtyard, mainly where most people gathered like the staircase, living room, and courtyard. If she remembered correctly, the surveillance footage should be in Xiang Kuns room on the first floor, right? Tang Baona thought about it but decided not to wake up Yang Zhener or Old Xia; instead, she walked alone to the first floor. She tried to open Xiang Kuns room, but found it locked. After giving it some thought, she messaged Xiang Kun on WeChat. Are you still working? The reply came quickly, Yes, why arent you asleep? accompanied by a surprised emoji. Tang Baona exhaled in relief and rapidly typed, I cant sleep. I want to check the surveillance footage of the stairs; are they all in your computer? Why do you need to check the surveillance now, what happened? Nothing much, theres something Id like to confirm. Tang Baona hesitated a moment but eventually chose not to share her experience entirely. She wanted to confirm the surveillance before letting Xiang Kun know. She didnt want to disturb his work prematurely. Xiang Kun replied, Theres a spare key under the TV cabinet in the living room. Its in a metal box, it should be there. My computer password is: ******. You know how to operate it, right? If you have any issues, let me know. Okay! After responding to the message, Tang Baona found the spare key in the metal box under the TV cabinet, opened Xiang Kuns room, and walked in. Xiang Kuns room layout on this side was similarly arranged to his bedroom in Shenhai; a computer desk, bed, one closet, and a computer chair C nothing extra. The style was almost identical to the previous one. After typing the password and accessing the system, Tang Baona asked Xiang Kun how to view the recorded footage. But when she opened the surveillance of the staircase following Xiang Kuns instructions, she discovered that while all other footages were fine, the rooftop stair cameras footage had recorded nothing today! Looking at her computer screen, Tang Baona felt conflicted for a moment. Just as she was about to text Xiang Kun regarding the surveillance situation and figure out if the stairway camera was always broken or was there some other reason, out of the corner of her eye she noticed a shadow at the door. Chapter 528 - Chapter 528: Chapter 528: When in Doubt, Ask Old Xia Chapter 528: Chapter 528: When in Doubt, Ask Old Xia Tang Baona gave a start, almost letting out a cry, but the person at the door quickly flicked on the light in the room. As soon as she saw who it was, her fears subsided. Old Xia! Tang Baona felt a sense of relief washing over her, as if she had finally encountered a family member after wandering for a long time in a foreign landdespite the fact that she had just met Old Xia a few hours before, and they had been in the same building all along. How come youre still awake? Oh, did I wake you up when I came downstairs? Tang Baona said, a hint of apology in her voice. No, I wasnt asleep, Xia Libing replied. Sister Nana, did something happen that made you want to check the surveillance? Ah, I was on the rooftop earlier, and then when I was about to come back down uh, I almost tripped, and then I just wanted to see exactly how I tripped, Tang Baona mumbled. After all, her recent experience was too extraordinary. Without sufficient evidence, telling someone else about it would either make them doubt its authenticity or frighten them unnecessarily. There was no need for that. By the way, Xiang Kun must have informed you, right? I wanted to come in and check the surveillance, but I couldnt open the door, so I decided to look for Xiang Kun to get the key. He probably assumed something had happened to me, Tang Baona assumed. Given that she was in slippers and had been silent going up and down the stairs, she should have been quiet. For Old Xia to know she was checking the surveillance and to come down to look into it, it was highly probable that Xiang Kun had told him. Well, I wasnt sleeping anyway. Xia Libing didnt confirm or deny it but came in to bend over the computer console with her to look at the surveillance footage. It seems that theres a transmission issue with that camera. The footage hasnt been saved. This kind of problem happens often, so its not surprising. Often? Tang Baona picked up on the keyword. Yes. Xia Libing nodded. Old Xia um when you used to live here, did you ever encounter anything strange? Tang Baona finally couldnt help but ask tentatively. Like what? Like strange noises, or strangers that youve never seen before, uh hallucinations? Tang Baona was frowning as she organized her words. You saw a hallucination just now on the rooftop, near the stairwell, so you thought to use the surveillance to confirm it? Xia Libing asked in response. Sort of you could say that, Tang Baona said uncertainly. It seemed as if, without knowing it, she had confessed everything to Old Xia anyway. Fortunately, Old Xia wasnt easily scared. What exactly did you hallucinate? Xia Libing asked further. Thinking that Old Xia might help analyze it, Tang Baona decided to say it frankly, Earlier, I was about to come down from the rooftop and just entered the stairwell when I tripped. I was about to tumble down the stairs but was caught by well, someonefrom behind. But when I turned around to look, there was no one, and I couldnt find a hiding place on the rooftop, nor did I see any trace of something climbing up. I wanted to check the stairwells surveillance, but that camera just happened to malfunction and didnt record any footage. Xia Libing listened to her quietly, then said, Sister Nana, please stand up. Huh? Tang Baona was caught off guard, but she did as he said anyway, staring confusedly at Xia Libing, who was half a head taller than herself. Turn around, Xia Libing said. Tang Baona turned around. And then she felt herself being hugged around the waist, and heard Xia Libings voice from behind her: Were you held like this? Eh? Tang Baona couldnt help but laugh. No, my thigh was held, and it felt like a short arm, like a child, and there was even a Hey! sound, um, something like Hey!. It was a little girls voice. Hey, I think my imitation is pretty accurate, Hey! Hehe! Hey!~'' Xia Libing crouched down again and semi-embraced her thigh: About like this? Yes, thats right, it was my right leg, about that height, Tang Baona said. Then Xia Libing asked her to simulate how she was about to fall at the doorway of the stairwell, continued to crouch down and hold her leg, and helped her maintain her balance. To recreate the scene accurately, Xia Libing even went to the living room to fetch a couch cushion so that Tang Baona could complete the entire action from nearly falling to being pulled back and kneeling down. After running through the reenactment many times and picking apart the details with Tang Baona, Xia Libing summed up, Based purely on your descriptions and our reenactments, there are two possibilities. First, when you were in a dangerous situation, your adrenaline surged for a short time, your sympathetic nervous system was overly excited, and other hormones were rapidly secreted as well. Your body went into fight-or-flight mode, your muscles tensed up instantly and may have erupted with strength far exceeding your normal capabilities. During this process, your subjective consciousness might not have been able to adapt right away, leading to hallucinations, imagining a person who helped you perform those actions. That Hey! sound could have been you shouting as you exerted effort. Seeing Tang Baonas thoughtful expression, Xia Libing continued, The second possibility is that there indeed was a little girl who appeared behind you for a moment, held up your thigh, and prevented you from stumbling down the stairs. The fact that she could hold your leg and make a sound proves that she truly exists and can physically affect you. The fact that she appeared to save you when you were about to fall and disappeared without a trace when you turned around proves that she means you no harm, but for some reason, she doesnt want you to discover her yet. The camera might also have been affected by her, hence the inability to save the footage. As Xia Libing spoke, Tang Baona nodded along. Considering it rationally, the probability of the first scenario Old Xia mentioned should be higher, especially after their many reenactments. However, from another perspective, which she herself couldnt quite articulate, Tang Baona preferred the second possibility. To think of having a cute little girl appear out of the blue, ready to help and protect her whenever she needed, felt somewhat nice. The reason she found it cute was most likely because she had unconsciously visualized the little girl in her mind, and she had pictured her looking quite like Little Fatty Girl. Yes, after Old Xias analysis and the reenactments, not only did she lose the initial feelings of unease, chill, insecurity, and suspicion, but she also found herself somewhat hoping for the existence of that little girl. Which is to say, regardless of what actually happened at the stairwell on the rooftop, Tang Baona could accept both possibilities. Not being able to see the surveillance didnt seem to matter that much anymore. She felt a lot lighter all of a sudden. Sister Nana, are you hungry? Do you want to join me for some instant noodles? Xia Libing asked. All right then, oh, by the way, there seems to be some leftovers from what Xiang Kun cooked last night in the refrigerator said Tang Baona, having just heard Old Xias stomach grumbling. As for her own weight loss plan of avoiding late-night snacks, shell delay it until the operations at QianKun Technology settle down. On her way to the fridge, Xia Libing said, We can add the leftovers to the instant noodles and boil them together, it should be delicious. So the two of them chatted while figuring out which dish to add to the noodles and whether to cook or soak the instant noodles. By the way, Old Xia, did you notice that since we moved to Chongyun Village we hardly see any mosquitoes or insects? Our house is even more special. Outdoor lights usually attract light-seeking insects at night. In cities, streetlights can draw in many bugs that we see gathering in the dark. But there arent any insects around the lights in our yard or at our door. Its strange! Have we sprayed any insecticide here? Xia Libing answered, There could be many reasons. There might be certain predators in Chongyun Village that scare off mosquitoes and insects. Moreover, it probably has something to do with Goldfinch. Goldfinch? Really? Does Goldfinch eat bugs? Tang Baona curiously asked. Goldfinch doesnt want Xiao Pingguo to be bitten by insects, so it chases them away when they are near. Its scent is very strong, which scares the bugs, Xia Libing explained. Is that so? Goldfinch seems to be rather unusual. Old Xia, dont you find that Goldfinch is much larger than an ordinary canary? It seems so understanding, not just compared to other birds, but also when compared to animals with higher intelligence like dogs. Sometimes I feel like it can completely understand what were saying, as if it can truly comprehend our words, Tang Baona continued to inquire. Goldfinch is indeed rather unusual, after all, its a guide bird, probably the only one of its kind in the world, Xia Libing replied. As the noodles were about to be cooked, Tang Baona remembered the conjectures that Yang Zhener had previously made and the questions raised. She decided to directly ask Old Xia about them: Old Xia, did you resign and come to Chongyun Village with Xiang Kun to build that research base just because you were interested in breeding? Xia Libing was about to answer when she noticed the coin Tang Baona was effortlessly and fluidly flipping in her hand. She could faintly sense that this coin was the Super-connected Objects coin that Xiang Kun had given to Sister Nana C her suspicion that the coin Xiang Kun had given was peculiar had started with this coin. Youve mastered it. Caught off guard by this non-responsive comment, Tang Baona followed Old Xias gaze and realized what Xia Libing was referring to, and laughed, Indeed, somehow it felt natural tonight. I had always struggled with flipping it continuously before. Isnt it strange? No matter how much I practiced, I couldnt do it, and tonight I didnt even think about practicing, I was just casually flipping it while thinking, and without realizing it, I mastered it. I dont even know how to explain it. It seems like the saying expectations beget failure, effortlessness begets success is true. Xia Libing nodded in agreement, Sister Nana is really talented. Wheres the talent? You, Xiao Pingguo, and Xiao Lingdang have known how to do this for ages, although Tang Baona said so, the smile on her face showed a hint of pride at her newly acquired skill at flipping the coin smoothly. Xia Libing said, Sister Nana, do you remember that the day after Xiao Pingguo and Professor Li visited Chongyun Village on the 21st, a researcher who knew Professor Li found us? I remember. That persons surname was Zhou, right? There was another man with him, dark-skinned and very fierce-looking. They seemed to be inquiring about some ants and insects, intending to do some research on Chongyun Mountain, Tang Baona replied. Xia Libing nodded, What Xiang Kun and I are doing at the research base essentially involves the same kind of research they are doing. Tang Baona realized, much to her surprise, that Yang Lao San had actually guessed part of it correctly. She then asked, So you resigned and came to Chongyun Village mainly to research insects? Actually, it doesnt have much to do with insects. When I was young, I had a very special disease, or you could call it a congenital defect. I received a certain treatment but it wasnt cured. The research that Xiang Kun and I are conducting in Chongyun Village might potentially help me repair this defect and cure the disease. I cant tell you the specific details for the time being, Sister Nana, because I havent fully understood or figured it out yet, Xia Libing patiently answered. Upon hearing these words, which corresponded to what Yang Zhener had said before bed, Tang Baona instantly had some of her doubts cleared. She didnt ask Xia Libing what her disease or defect was specifically. Since Xia Libing didnt go into detail, Tang Baona figured Xia didnt want to talk about it, so she decided not to pry. Thinking about her past experiences with Old Xia, about Yang Zheners descriptions of Old Xias childhood and student days, as well as Old Xias two chosen postgraduate majors, Tang Baona had a vague guess in her mind. Seeing Xia Libing, who was sitting across from her waiting for the noodles with her, Tang Baona couldnt help but feel a pang of sympathy. Its cooked. Xia Libing expertly lifted the lid of the stainless steel pot, served the noodles to Tang Baona, poured the soup, then started slurping up her own noodles. Oh, I didnt expect that adding leftovers to instant noodles could make it taste so good. As Tang Baona lifted her head, her glasses were all misted up. Its because we are hungry; there is some bonus, Xia Libing said. Xiang Kun probably hasnt slept yet, right? Should we send him a midnight snack too? Tang Baona said, removing her glasses to wipe them. No need, he has food over there, Xia Libing replied. Yeah, if he hasnt slept yet, I bet hes focusing on his work. We better not disturb him, Tang Baona nodded. Little did she know, Xiang Kun had already fallen asleep, and was going to sleep for ten more hours to come. The person she had just been texting on WeChat was not Xiang Kun, but the little girl who had rescued and startled her. After saving Tang Baona and preventing her from falling down the stairs, Alice immediately informed the wide-awake Xia Libing. When Xiang Kun is sound asleep, Xia Libing undoubtedly the top commander of the Super sensory Item System. When its impossible to make a single decision based on established rules and principles, Alice knows that asking Old Xia for suggestions would be the safest call. When in doubt, ask the boss. If the boss is sleeping, ask Old Xia! Of course, there was no doubt about revealing herself to save Tang Baona. Tang Baona, Yang Zhener, and even individuals like Xiang Kuns parents, Chang Bin, Zi Cheng, You Meng, all require real-time protection. Their safety is always the most important thing at any time! But after revealing herself, Alice was unsure how to guide Tang Baona, because there were too many ways and directions to do so. Ji Chas new book This is My Planet has been released. Its a mixture of science and cultivation, same formula, same great taste. Chapter 529 - Chapter 529: Chapter 529: Alices Report Chapter 529: Chapter 529: Alices Report It was a little past eight in the morning when Yang Zhener woke up, looking quizzically at Tang Baona who was sleeping beside her. Back when they were living in Chongyun Village, if they hadnt stayed up late, Nana would usually wake up around six or seven every morning and in turn, wake her up too. Of course, even if they had stayed up late, Nana would still typically wake up first and get her up for breakfast. Nana is actually waking up later than her today? Yang Zhener felt both surprised and excited. She leaned over and pinched Tang Baonas nose, yelling, Nana! You lazy bug! Get up now! The sun is up! The universe has exploded! The world has ended! Tang Baona pried Yang Zheners hand off, without even opening her eyes, she murmured in a pained voice, Stop making noise, Im so sleepy. I didnt get to sleep until after four this morning. Let me sleep a bit longer; you can go play on your own~! You didnt go to bed until after four? Yang Zhener was taken aback. She leaned over with her head, half sprawled on Tang Baona, looking at her barely open eyes, clearly she was genuinely exhausted and not just faking it. That doesnt sound right Nana. Werent you sleeping with me? Why didnt you sleep until after four? You usually fall asleep and wake up quicker than me! Nana, did you do something naughty last night? Nana? Yang Zhener shook her a few times, but didnt get a response. After waiting a while, she leaned over to take a look and found that Tang Baona had fallen asleep again, it seemed she really was extremely tired. Without a choice, Yang Zhener had to get out of bed herself. After washing up, she went downstairs and found Liu Shiling and Xiao Pingguo sitting in the living room with an iPad. It looked like Xiao Pingguo was teaching Liu Shiling about some birds. Good morning Sister faerie! Your breakfast is in the kitchen! Liu Shiling, hearing her footsteps, turned back and greeted Yang Zhener. After greeting them and saying good morning, Yang Zhener walked into the kitchen to grab the still warm soy milk and fritters. The fried dough was pretty good, and the soy milk sweet enough, but it wasnt as tasty as Xiang Kuns steam dumplings, nor as good as Xiang Kuns beef soup. As she ate her fritters, she sat down next to the Bell-Apple group, and asked, Who bought this soy milk and fritters? Was it Old Xia or the big guy? Sister Chicken Wings bought it, and Uncle Tall went fishing with Uncle Fu early this morning. Liu Shiling replied hastily. What about Old Xia? Yang Zhener asked, Where did she go? Sister Bing was up late last night and is still a bit sleepy. She went to catch up on some sleep. Xiao Pingguo said. Old Xia stayed up late last night too? Slowly munching her fritters, Yang Zhener thought to herself. At about ten oclock, Xia Libing woke up from her nap and came downstairs. Yang Zhener immediately went over and quietly asked, Old Xia, what time did you go to bed last night? Around four in the morning. Xia Libing said. Ah? Did you see your sister Nana then? She also didnt go to bed till four last night! Xia Libing nodded, Yes, I was chatting with her till four something. Nana waking up at night to chat with you? What were you guys talking about? Yang Zhener was very confused. Xia Libing replied, About how your snoring is very loud and she cant get to sleep. I snore Yang Zheners eyes widened in shock, she was surprised to hear that she would snore. Could it be so loud that Nana couldnt sleep? Shes been living with Nana for so many years, and Nana never brought it up before! Is it that Nana had been tolerating her snoring all this time? The next moment, Xia Libing said, Im joking, Sister Nana didnt say you snore. Yang Zhener was stunned, completely speechless, Old Xia, your joking skills Are more terrifying than when you used to crack cold jokes back in the day. I was scared to death. Have you eaten breakfast? Xia Libing suddenly asked. Yes, by the way Old Xia, will Xiang Kun come back to cook us lunch today? He should also be sleeping now, and will probably not wake up until the afternoon. It might be too late for him to make dinner too. The topic was naturally brought up by Xia Libing. Then what are we going to eat for lunch? Yang Zhener scratched her head. We can go to the town and see whether to try the Youlong Restaurant or some other newly opened restaurant. Xia Libing suggested. Lets go to Youlong Restaurant. You Mengs culinary skills are pretty reliable. Yang Zhener said after rubbing her chin. At this time, Liu Shiling came over and tugged lightly at her skirt, saying, Sister Faerie, Sister Xiao Pingguo and I performed a cross talk skit with Sister Grilled Chicken Wings last night. Will you watch and see if its good? Really? Old Xia is doing cross-talk stand up now? Come on, lets see a performance. Yang Zhener was naturally very interested. So when Tang Baona came downstairs yawning, she saw Yang Zhener clutching her belly, lying on the sofa with a pained expression, and Old Xia, Xiao Pingguo and Xiao Lingdang all surrounding the sofa, looking concerned. She got a shock and quickly rushed over, anxiously asking, Zhener, whats wrong with you? But when she came over, she realized that Yang Zhener was not in pain at all but was laughing hysterically while lying on the sofa, Oh my God who thought of this? Xiao Pingguo is really talented this is too suited to Old Xia Im going to die laughing Oh, Old Xia, you really are terrible She then understood that Yang Zhener was laughing because of a comic dialogue skit that Xiao Pingguo had put together including Old Xia and Little Fatty Girl. The expressions of Old Xia and the other two standing next to her were not worried but confused. Xiao Pingguo was laughing and reflecting while Old Xia and Little Fatty Girl both seemed somewhat confused as if they didnt understand why Zhener was laughing so hard. When Xiang Kun woke up from his deep sleep at night, he didnt immediately return to Old Xia and Tang Baona. Instead, he first communicated with Alice. There were many things he needed to do during this deep sleep periodCor more accurately, many tasks he assigned to Alice. The main ones were six tasks: 1. Observe the changes in Super Sensory Information during the process of linking all steps between Super-connected Objects and Emotion Infused Objects when Xiang Kun is in deep sleep, and try to summarize a general model; 2. Observe any changes in Super Sensory Information representing the bodies of individuals within the secondary network that may establish links with various Emotion Infused Objects, and the differences in Super Sensory Information layers with nonliving Emotion Infused Objects and Super-connected Objects; 3. Whether there have been any changes in the Super Sensory Information of already connected Super-connected Objects and Emotion Infused Objects during his deep sleep; 4. Try to simulate the operation of Little Fatty Girl, who mistakenly woke up Xiang Kuns consciousness in his sleep due to anger; 5. Monitor the situation of Mr. Liang, John, and the other two mutants beneath the Brilliant Fortune Building. If there is devouring again among mutants, the process of changes in their bodys Super Sensory Information should be recorded; 6. Try to record and analyze the changes in Xiang Kuns bodys Super Sensory Information during sleep. Because when Xiang Kun is in deep sleep, thats when his body truly undergoes mutation and evolution, and the Super Sensory Item System improves and changes. Previously, he couldnt observe himself after falling asleep due to blood-drinking, and Old Xia couldnt enter the Super Sensory State to observe the cognitive information of various things under the Super Sensory State. But with Alice integrated into the Super Sensory Item System and capable of parsing Super Sensory Information to a certain extent, the most suitable person for the task emerged. Tasks 1, 2, and 3 were all successfully completed by Alice, who also summarized common attributes based on observed changes in Super Sensory Information and created a basic model for establishing Super Sensory contact with Super-connected Objects. As for Emotion Infused Objects, it was difficult to find a common pattern, so no general model was created. Only models applicable to each different type of Emotion Infused Objects within the secondary network were constructed. However, to Xiang Kuns regret, Alice was unable to perform self-duplication or influence even with Super-connected Objects, according to her attempts. She couldnt function as a copy machine, and directly copy Super Sensory Contact onto other similar targets within the influence range of Super-connected Objects. To establish Super Sensory Contact, Xiang Kun still needed to do it personally. But this model wasnt useless. Once Xiang Kun entered the Super Sensory State, he could directly use Alices application model to quickly connect in bulk. For instance, with a standard tungsten steel ball, Xiang Kun was already fast and proficient in establishing Super Sensory Contact, but it still had to be done one by one. Now, with Alices assistance in the Super Sensory State, given there are sufficient Super-connected Objects prearranged nearby, theoretically, as long as Xiang Kun establishes a connection with one tungsten steel ball using the application model, all identical tungsten steel balls within the influence range of the Super-connected Objects could establish a connection with Alices help. Although Alice couldnt become a fully intelligent copy machine, she could be a printer operated by Xiang Kun, mass producing Super-connected Objects. Additionally, if its applicable in the Super Sensory State, theoretically, with the deployment of Emotion Infused Objects and Super-connected Objects, he wouldnt have to physically be at the site where the Super Sensory Contact is established. For example, he could deploy Emotion Infused Objects and Super-connected Objects to a factory producing a type of tungsten steel ball he has already connected with. Therefore, even without being in the factory, he could still establish contact with all tungsten steel balls awaiting shipment at set intervals through application of the model in the Super Sensory State, with Alices assistance. Then, they could mass produce Super-connected Objects undetected and distribute them to various locations. With Alices help, he could quickly familiarize himself with various simple mechanical and electronic product components, such as small metal sheets, plastic gaskets, screws, and so on. With Alice helping to find information, it would not be too difficult. If he successfully establishes a connection, he could let Alice find the location of the manufacturing factories, then find ways to deploy sufficient Super-connected Objects and Emotion Infused Objects there for mass production of Super-connected Objects. Using this method, he wouldnt have to manufacture any products himself. The investment required would be minimal, and it is very covert. By then, all sorts of electronic products, appliances, cars, etc., would all contain his Super-connected Objects. They would gradually blanket the entire country and even the world, enabling him to simulate a Chongyun Village region anywhere, anytime. The entire world could become his Chongyun Village. Of course, compared to his original idea of Alice fully automating the process to the point where any place with Super-connected Objects could directly infect other identical items, this method is a bit slower. Especially in deploying Super-connected Objects and Emotion Infused Objects within the factory, effort is still required. But after discovering that people who deeply affected by Emotion Infused Objects emotion projection and entered the secondary network of Emotion Infused Objects could also be targeted and descended upon as Emotion Infused Objects in the Super Sensory State, he began to consider maybe using some special ways through group emotion projection influence to simply carry out Emotion Infusion and create contact points for Emotion Infused Objects. Of course, he wouldnt use the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving to establish this kind of connection. After all, the emotional intensity of Barbie Warrior was too strong and too influential. Hunger and joy would be more universal. As for tasks 2 and 3, Alice could only record the Super Sensory Information depth that she could perceive and collect, log those changes, but couldnt yet analyze these Super Sensory Information in order to understand the essence of Super Sensory Contact and Emotion Infusion. However, it was also confirmed that during Xiang Kuns deep sleep period, not only will new Super-connected Objects and Emotion Infused Objects complete the final stage of connection establishment, but those already connected Super-connected Objects and Emotion Infused Objects would also synchronously update and their performance would improve in sync. Task 5 was a long-term monitoring task. During this deep sleep period of Xiang Kun, there were no other changes to Mr. Liang, John, etc. beneath the Brilliant Fortune Building. However, Alice failed to complete tasks 4 and 6. During Xiang Kuns deep sleep, Alice tried to mimic Little Fatty Girls various emotional mobilizations, but she couldnt guide the Super-connected Objects to the Hyperstimulation State. The simulated emotions were also unable to be as intense and complex as Little Fatty Girls, so she failed to repeat what Little Fatty Girl accomplishedCshe couldnt awaken Xiang Kuns consciousness in the Super Sensory State during deep sleep. This was also within expectations. As for task 6, observing Xiang Kuns own bodys Super Sensory Information, Alice was unable to come up with any records after observing. This was because in her cognitive world, the cognitive information representing Xiang Kun was too complex. As soon as she tried to touch or parse it, it was as if she was being sucked into a black hole and lost control, making cognition impossible. It seemed as though the cognitive information representing Xiang Kun himself in that Super Sensory Information World was far more massive than the total cognitive information of everything else. Xiang Kun was not surprised by this, as he also found it very difficult to observe himself in the Super Sensory State. But the failure of two tasks and the incomplete completion of three tasks made Alice, who had boasted to Xiang Kun before his deep sleep to rest easy, feeling a bit gloomy and embarrassed. However, Alice, who was now manifested as Young Xia in front of Xiang Kun to report on the progress of her tasks, didnt show embarrassment at all. Instead, she tilted her small face upwards and bragged, Boss! I saved Sister Nana last night! Chapter 530 - Chapter 530: 530 Chapter 530: 530 Saved Nana? Xiang Kun asked in surprise, What happened? Sister Nana was on the rooftop last night, then she was heading back, about to go down the stairs, and she almost fell, it was so dangerous, a close shave, and I just, I grabbed her legs, putting all my strength into it! I saved her! As Alice narrated, she mimicked Tang Baonas almost falling posture, even fashioned a Crispy Pigs Elbow, and put it behind her thigh to simulate her own position last night. However, the Crispy Pigs Elbow naturally couldnt extend its arms to hug her legs to prevent her from falling. Therefore, Alice, who faithfully mimicked Tang Baonas fall, plopped onto the ground nonchalantly. Of course, she didnt feel any pain, so she got back up, then went on her knees, stating, If I hadnt held onto Sister Nana, she would have slipped down just like that and tumbled down the stairs! But after I pulled her back, she just kneeled down and landed safely! I checked, and her knees are not injured! Good job, Alice, Xiang Kun naturally knew Alices flaunting performance was for praise, he did not hesitate to commend her, patting her on the head. Of course, in Xiang Kuns original expectations, after Alices abilities fully infiltrated the network and were included in the Super Sensory Item System, protecting the personal safety of Tang Baona, Yang Zhener, Old Xia, Little Apple, Little Fatty Girl, his parents, and even Chang Bin, Zi Cheng, Liu Caifu, etc., was her responsibility. And being able to do so proved that Alice was indeed fulfilling her duties faithfully, and she also possessed the actual ability to do so. This aspect could allow Xiang Kun to further leave the back and some important tasks that he might not be able to take care of to her in the future. Alice had the ability to become Xiang Kuns truly Omniscient Assistant. And as it stands, her real Small Personality doesnt interfere with her executing tasks, but rather often tremendously helps. When Little Fatty Girl felt lonely and bullied at home, the feeling of having a warm and realistic Alice accompanying and protecting her was entirely different from a cold and robotic Alice. Not to mention, many times involving the invocation and understanding of Emotion Infused Objects require her to have emotional judgement skills of her own. Upon receiving praise from Xiang Kun, Alices face was all smiles, very happy and a little bit proud. Did you scare Nana or did she see you? Xiang Kun then asked. No! After I made my move, I dispersed! Alice immediately replied, But Sister Nana wanted to look at the surveillance footage, she texted you about it. I asked Old Xia, and Old Xia told me to agree for you, and told her the location of the spare key. Xiang Kun picked up his phone and indeed saw the chat records of Alice talking to Tang Baona using his tone. Xiang Kun knew that when Alice co-manifests, all recording devices capable of capturing her position stop working, she has absolute control in this aspect. Not to mention that she can alter all information and data stored in electronic devices, so naturally, she wouldnt have left any evidence for Tang Baona to find in the surveillance footage. Alice continued, When Sister Nana was checking the surveillance, Old Xia was there too. I recorded their conversation, do you want to listen, boss? After Xiang Kun nodded, Alice instantly had the computer speakers in the room start playing the recorded conversation between Tang Baona and Old Xia from last night. No matter where they were located, as long as they had their phones with them, or there was an electronic device capable of receiving audio data nearby, Alice could record the sound. She could even preprocess it to enhance the volume of human voices and eliminate background noise. If there were objective reasons for certain sounds not being clearly recorded or being distorted, she could even repair and complete them according to the original as long as she could identify it. Thus, the quality of the audio records she presented was very good and extremely clear. Xiang Kun asked Alice to speed up and skip to the part where there was more dialogue. He quickly listened to the recording and learned that Old Xia had skillfully calmed down Nanas scared soul, and even successfully made Nana feel goodwill and anticipation towards the possibility of a guardian spirit.+ He had to admit, Old Xias grasp of the personalities of those around him was really steady. Xiang Kun also noticed a detail. Nana seemed to be more skilled at flipping coins than before. Old Xia mentioned, You have learned it, which clearly didnt mean minor progress but was a definitive sign of improvement. Xiang Kun believed that Old Xia, who was already extremely familiar with the Super Sensory Item System, would say that line and make that judgment, meaning he definitely had good reasons to believe so. He sensed the Lucky Coin he gave to Nana and did not feel the sense of a slight decline he felt from the coins Little Fatty Girl had. However, this didnt prove that Nana had not established a connection with the coin. After all, in the entire Super Sensory Item System, only Little Fatty Girl could cause a super-connected item to experience this kind of sensory decline C she had connected that link to herself, which was why she was so at home in the Super Sensory Item System. Xiang Kun entered the Super Sensory State, casually selected one of the Emotion Infused Objects in that building for his consciousness to descend upon, then located Nanas position. As expected, he found some weak connections between Nana and the Lucky Coins cognitive information. It was evident that Tang Baona had also entered the Super Sensory Item System. Or to be more precise, she had one foot in the door. According to Xiang Kuns previous understanding, to enter the Super Sensory Item System and form an active association with a super-connected item or Emotion Infused Object, one first required his approval, followed by a unique way to establish the connection. The former was undoubtedly possessed by Tang Baona. No matter what, Xiang Kun trusted her. When he first gave her that Lucky Coin, this approval was explicitly completed. However, Tang Baona did not previously have a way to form a connection with the Lucky Coin or any other super-connected item or Emotion Infused object. It was as if a cave hiding a treasure had its door open for a specific person. That person still needed to find their own way to reach the entrance of the cave and find its location in a dense forest. Did Nana suddenly establish a connection with the super-connected object because Alice scared her? Xiang Kun reconsidered the recording he had just listened to and immediately rejected this assumption. This was because Nana specifically told Old Xia that she was thinking about things on the rooftop at night. Unconsciously flipping the coin in her hand, she became more and more proficient as if she had suddenly acquired a skill. Clearly, she had established a connection with the coin before tripping and being rescued by Alice. So the key was, what was Nana thinking about on the rooftop at the time? Or rather, what was her state of mind while she was thinking? Xiang Kun then asked Alice about the time Tang Baona went to the rooftop and when she tripped as she was leaving. So late What about Yang Lao San at that time? She was sleeping! Alice answered right away. She then immediately realized what Xiang Kun was considering and played the accelerated recording of Yang Zhen Er and Tang Baonas conversation on the rooftop earlier for Xiang Kun to listen to. The logical connection became apparent now. It was highly likely that Nana became confused by Yang Lao Sans speculative theorizing, or her pre-existing observations and doubts about some peculiarities were drawn out by Yang Lao San. Thus, Yang Lao San went to sleep, but she couldnt. Instead, she went up to the rooftop to think about these things. Combining the content of her later conversation with Old Xia, Xiang Kun was able to infer her line of thought. When she was pondering on the rooftop, its most likely that she unconsciously established a cognitive system of Xiang Kuns abilities. According to previous experiences, this cognitive system doesnt necessarily have to align perfectly with reality or with Xiang Kuns real abilities. As long as she believes in it, has a logical explanation, and the system can reflect some specific manifestations of the abilities, it can work. Alice, still in co-manifestation state, looked at the pondering Xiang Kun with glowing eyes and asked, Boss, what ability will Sister Nana have? Apparently, Alice had already realized that Tang Baona was about to be incorporated into the Super Sensory Item System. I dont know either. Xiang Kun looked at her and suddenly asked, Do you love Nana very much? When Alice was just born, except for Xiang Kun, she addressed everyone else by their full names. But with her rapid growth, the enhancement of her self-awareness, the increasing richness of her little emotions, especially after fully incorporated into the Super Sensory Item System and being able to exist purely as Super Sensory Information, she also developed her own preferences of course, mainly influenced directly by Xiang Kun, but there were some preferences related to herself. From Alices narration of her series actions last night and mentioning Tang Baona, Xiang Kun could clearly perceive that she had a strong affinity and affection for Sister Nana, and took pride in protecting Tang Baona from harm. Alice stated naturally, Boss likes Sister Nana, Old Xia likes Sister Nana, Little Lingdang, Little Apple like Sister Nana! Alice of course likes Sister Nana too! And Sister Nana also likes Alice! Xiang Kun curiously asked, How do you know Nana likes you? As soon as he said this, the speaker next to him played a clip of Tang Baonas voice, noticeably lowered, as if whispering: The little elf that just saved me, can you hear me? I didnt have a chance to thank you just now, could you come out one more time so I could see you? Of course, if its inconvenient for you to come out, its okay um If you can hear my voice, could you blink your light? After a while, it was still Tang Baonas voice: Goodnight little elf, thank you. Xiang Kun laughed upon hearing this. It was clear that after talking with Old Xia, and dispelling her fears and horror, Tang Baona had developed a cute imagination of Alice and wanted to take the initiative to reach out and seek the entity that had saved her. After playing the recording, Alice chin lifted, triumphantly saying, Sister Nana called me a little elf! Xiang Kun laughed and said, Little Lingdang also calls her coin a little elf. Alice paused, mouth slightly open. Although every one of Little Lingdangs coins could be hyperstimulated by her and became super-connected coins, and each was endowed with an individual name, she clearly didnt think the coins were comparable to her. In her view, Little Elf should be a nickname embodying cuteness, righteousness, and strength. Its not the same! Sister Nanas little elf is not a coin! Sister Lingdangs little elf is a Little Spirit Guardian! Not a Little Elf! Alice pursed her lips and said. Xiang Kun nodded and laughed, Yes, yes, Sister Nanas little elf is the super powerful Alice. He then asked, So, at that time, did you respond to Nanas call by blinking your light? No, Alice sighed, Old Xia said whether or not I could let Sister Nana know about me, I had to ask the boss. Hmm, not yet, said Xiang Kun. Old Xia guessed you would say that. After understanding the situation from Alice, Xiang Kun left the yard and headed towards the small building where Old Xia and Tang Baona were located. He knew that Xia Tianhuo was in town at the moment and that only Old Xia, Tang Baona, Yang Zhen Er, Little Lingdang, and Little Apple were in the house. When he walked into the yard and stepped into the living room on the first floor, he saw that Xia, Nana, Apple, and Fatty Girl were all gathered around the sofa, gesturing and pointing at Old Three Yang who was seated on the sofa. Of course, he knew that the four were teaching Yang Zhen Er how to flip coins, sharing their own tips and experiences with her. Without even having to ask Alice or anyone else, just seeing the situation, he could tell that Yang Zhen Er had clearly seen Nana learning to flip coins and had been stimulated by it, feeling the frustration of being the only one who couldnt do it, thus, she had resolved to practice until she could. He didnt say anything, just squeezed between Old Xia and Tang Baona, craning his neck to watch Yang Zhen Er, who was practicing flipping coins with a frown on her face. The coin Old Three Yang was using was a super-connected object C lent to her by Old Xia. Xiang Kun suddenly said, Dont tense your forearm, support it with your elbow on your thigh, relax your wrist, relax your fingers, dont think of it as a coin, think of it as a cigarette, gently pinch it, and then pass it to the side finger gap I dont smoke eh, Brother Xiang! After reflexively responding, Yang Zhen Er suddenly realized something and looked up at Xiang Kun. But just at that moment, the coin on the back of her left hand suddenly flipped very smoothly, and very naturally followed her pinky to the thumb. Eh? Liu Shiling, standing on the side, had her eyes slightly rounded. She looked at Xiang Kun, then the coin, and then had an I see expression. Yang Zhen Er, on the other hand, was startled by herself, looked at the coin in her hand, F*ck sss damn it! Did I just do it? She almost let out a swear word, but seeing Little Fatty Girl on the side, she swallowed the curse back. Its very simple. You dont have to concentrate too much, just relax, the more you want to learn, the less you can learn. Your hands will be too tense, and it wont be smooth. Hey, are you guys hungry, do you want some late-night snacks? Xiang Kun said with a smile. In fact, it wasnt Yang Zhen Er suddenly understanding and mastering the technique just now, but he quietly controlled the coin to flip around following Yang Zhen Ers subconscious mechanical movements. If Yang Zhen Er really focused her attention on her hand and the coin, he wouldnt have been able to flip the coin that smoothly, because it would be wrestling with Zhen Ers fingers. He knew that to associate with a super-connected object, it wasnt enough to simply practice hard. What was needed was destiny. Therefore, he didnt want Yang Zhen Er to be too obsessed and to take this matter too seriously. Id like to recommend a new fantasy novel, Unromantic Fantasy World. The friend who recommended it to me has great taste, so I believe the book must be good. Chapter 531 - Chapter 531: Chapter 531: Impressive Twice Chapter 531: Chapter 531: Impressive Twice Due to the limited food items in the fridge and the fact that it was late-night, Xiang Kun simply made a pot of noodles. However, he added some of the seasonings only after serving the noodles into bowls, and he cooked the noodles in several batches C some softer, some tougher, to cater to everyones slightly different preferences. When they were eating the late-night meal, unusually, everyone was slurping their noodles without talking. Even the liveliest among them, Yang Zhener and Little Fatty Girl, were focused on their food. Xiang Kun could clearly sense that they hadnt had enough for dinner, and his late-night meal was like sending charcoal in snowy weather. After they finished eating and chatted for a bit, everyone started feeling sleepy, especially Tang Baona, who had only gone to bed at four oclock in the morning and had not made up for her lack of sleep during the day. When everyone was getting ready to go to bed, Xiang Kun decided to go with Old Xia and Little Fatty Girl to check on the recovery of the injured canary. In fact, Xiang Kun didnt need to physically touch or see the canary to understand its condition in detail, he could even remotely accelerate its blood circulation and enhance the healing of its wounds under the Super Sensory State by controlling nearby Super-Connected Objects. However, Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguo couldnt fully understand this yet. They only knew that Xiang Kun had a way to treat the canary, and seeing him personally check and touch the canary made them feel more at ease. When Xiang Kun returned from Peng City yesterday, he had already examined the canarys injuries before his blood-drinking slumber. Now, after more than a day, the canarys recovery was even faster than Xiang Kun had originally expected. When he saw the canary yesterday, it was languishing, but now it was already able to raise its neck and chirp at Xiang Kun. Xiang Kun understood what it meant: it was saying that it didnt lose to the mutated big bird, it was ambushed and injured. The opponent was cunning and clever, not that the canary was incapable! Xiang Kun held the canary for a while, then instead of putting it back onto the recuperating padding, he placed it back into its cage. The canary can stand up now, it doesnt need to lie down anymore, it can stand steady. Restore its feeding, feed it more, it will be able to fly around soon. Xiang Kun instructed Xiao Pingguo. The little chubby bird, with its big appetite and abundant waste, would be easier to manage back in the cage. With the help of Alices sensory augmentation, Xiao Pingguo knew that the canary was standing up again in its cage and rushed to bring out the bird food they had prepared before leaving Chongyun Village to feed it. Actually, according to Xiang Kuns understanding of the canary under the Super Sensory State, it has become very different from ordinary canaries. Although there is a fundamental difference from mutants, due to the influence of the Super Sensory Item System, it can not only establish a certain connection with Super-Connected Objects and Emotion Infused Objects, but even on a physical level, it has broken through the limits of ordinary canaries, as if it has unlocked a genetic lock and awakened some ancient genes. Such a canary, even without the super healing power of a mutant, could recover more quickly with Xiang Kuns help. Seeing Tang Baona and Yang Zhener going back to their rooms to sleep, Little Fatty Girl, standing next to Xiang Kun, lightly pulled on his sleeve. Although no matter how softly Little Fatty Girl spoke, Xiang Kun could hear her clearly even from where he was standing, he still squatted down to look at her eye to eye. Liu Shiling asked softly, Uncle Bald, when are you going to eliminate the bad guy monster that hurt the canary? Dont worry, Xiao Lingdang. It cant escape. Ill eliminate it sooner or later, and Ill let you know when I do. Xiang Kun said, gently pinching Little Fatty Girls cheek. Liu Shiling twisted her two small hands together, seeming a bit conflicted and hesitant as she said, Uncle Bald Can I help? Xiang Kun laughed, Youve already helped a lot. If it hadnt been for you and Xiao Pingguo the other night, the canary would have been finished! The canary, now standing again in its cage, let out a sharp chirp, clearly expressing its displeasure. However, Custard Pie meowed at the canary, seemingly expressing agreement with what Xiang Kun said. Since Xiang Kun had complimented Liu Shiling once yesterday when he came back, although she was somewhat flattered, she still said shyly, Actually, Xiao Luosi, Sister Baked Chicken Wing, and Sister Xiao Pingguo were the powerful ones Xiao Pingguo, who was feeding the canary, said, Youre already very powerful, Xiao Lingdang. You can summon lightning. Its amazing. Its like youre a fairy from a fairy tale. If that bird that bug wasnt so good at running, you would have eliminated it long ago! And your Chocolate and Ice Cream, they are also very powerful. Without them, Alice wouldnt have been able to defeat It wouldnt have been so easy to defeat that bug! You are much more powerful than me! Right, Xiao Lingdang is super powerful, Xiang Kun said, looking towards Old Xia, Old Xia, right? Xia Libing nodded, Right. After a round of confidence boosting and compliments, Xiang Kun coaxed, But you cant face monsters alone yet. You still need to learn a lot of knowledge, so that you can better understand and master more powerful magic in the future. Liu Shiling stared at him and asked, How much knowledge do I need to learn to learn really powerful magic? Like Sister Baked Chicken Wing? No need, your Sister Baked Chicken Wing has two masters degrees. Shes too powerful, its unnecessary. Xiang Kun laughed. Two keys. Liu Shiling was a bit puzzled and muttered, Is it because the powerful magic is locked in a box and you need to learn enough knowledge to get the key? Uh, well youre right about that But its not that key, its Xiao Lingdang, do you know what you should read after kindergarten? Xiang Kun thought and asked. Primary school. Liu Shiling replied. Do you know what comes after primary school? Middle school, high school, college. Liu Shiling replied, counting on her fingers. Xiang Kun said: Your sister who can roast chicken wings is even more formidable than a college student, and she made it happen twice. Liu Shiling instantly understood the level difference, the downtrodden expression couldnt help but shuttle across her faceCas if she realized the distance from the moon to Earth was a multitude of times farther than from her kindergarten to home and extinguishing her scheme to catch the bunny on the moon. Xiang Kun quickly added: Thats why I said theres no need to worry. As long as you can be like your Sister Xiao Pingguo, reaching the level of middle school knowledge, youll be able to have a foundation to access the formidable magic. Of course, if you want to be even more formidable, youll need more knowledge. Just like how your Sister Xiao Pingguo and the sister who roasts chicken wings are both still learning. The Little Fatty Girls eyes lit up once again. The distance from kindergarten to primary school, to middle school, to high school, to university, and then to even more formidable than a university student, times two, seemed too far away. But going from kindergarten to middle school did not require passing so many levels; it seemed like a task she could accomplish. Dont worry, Xiao Lingdang. Once I exterminate the monster that bullied the golden sparkle, Ill tell you all about it. Seeing the Little Fatty Girls spirited and adorable expression, Xiang Kun couldnt help but lightly pinch her cheeks and said with a laugh. After encouraging the Little Fatty Girl and once again instilling in her the concept that constant learning allows for a magic future, Xiang Kun entrusted her and Xiao Pingguo to rest early while he and Old Xia went out. Xiang Kun led Old Xia into the mountain. He took the lead, while Old Xia followed behind with his phone providing illumination. As they were climbing the mountain, Xia Libing asked: Are you able to sense the connection between Sister Nana and the Super Sensory Item System through the coin? Yes, but I can only vaguely sense the faint connection between Nana and that coin. Nanas connection with the Super Sensory Item System is currently not very strong. said Xiang Kun. Thinking about the situation he saw before, he asked: You lent the coin to Zhener because you thought she could also connect with the Super Sensory Item System, didnt you? She didnt just borrow from me. She borrowed the coins from Sister Nana, Xiao Lingdang, and Xiao Pingguo for trial, but she felt mine was the easiest to use. said Xia Libing. Xiang Kun chuckled. Yang Lao San was rather intuitive. She guessed that the impressive coin flipping skill might be somewhat related to the coin itself, but without any evidence to prove it, she only had a vague guess. Today, she originally planned to cajole Old Xia into giving her that coin. Naturally, Old Xia wouldnt agree, so in the end, Xiang Kun gave her a Lucky Coin C she felt reluctant at first, believing that Xiang Kuns coin couldnt be as good as flipping as Old Xias. It was only once Xiang Kun performed incredible flips with the coin right in front of her that she accepted it with a triumphant grin. On the way, Xiang Kun briefly explained to Old Xia about the tasks he had arranged for Alice to complete during her period of hibernation and the observations on various Super Sensory Information. Every time he started talking about this topic, Alice applied for co-manifestation, but both he and Old Xia knew why Alice wanted to co-manifest at this time, so neither of them agreed. When they reached the area where the Little Fatty Girl had successfully invoked a series of lightning strikes the night before last, Xiang Kun stopped. Xia Libing stood next to him, looking at the depths of the distant mountains: You want to track it down? She knew that although the mutated big bird didnt cause severe consequences in the end, and the injuries of the golden sparkle werent fatal, judging by the current recovery trend, it would be able to fly around again soon. However, Xiang Kun certainly took it very seriously. Based on the cognitive model I constructed from the mutated big birds several acts of decision-making, it got roughed up by you guys this time and should have gone deep into Jiangyou Province on the same night. Its also unlikely to return to Chongyun Mountain Area or Wushu Mountain Area again. It might run even further and develop its evolutionary mutation more towards concealment and stealth. Xiang Kun paused momentarily before changing the subject: However, no matter how it evolves towards obscurity, as long as it remains a mutant, it cannot escape from the Super Sensory Information. Finding it is only a matter of time. After saying that, a crispy pork knuckle appeared in Xiang Kuns right hand. He made an exaggerated baseball pitchers throwing motion and threw the pork knuckle deep into the forest. The pork knuckle disappeared after flying only a short distance; however, a tungsten steel ball that was originally wrapped by it, continued to accelerate forward, disappearing into the darkness. Although Xia Libing couldnt see the tungsten steel ball quickly disappearing into the darkness after the pork knuckle disappeared, she knew the principle of the Pork Knuckle Throwing Technique developed by Alice. She knew that, under the premise that this area had been littered with more than two hundred Super-connected Objects, the tungsten steel ball thrown by Xiang Kun could cover a larger acceleration distance and possess a stronger penetration power. Xiang Kun looked at Xia Libing: Give me your hand. After placing a Super-connected Object, a tungsten steel ball, in Xia Libings palm, Xiang Kun said: You try; dont worry about the tungsten steel ball, Alice will help you complete it. Xia Libing nodded. A fragrant tungsten steel ball appeared in her palm. Then, fog filled a few dozen meters area ahead, reducing visibility to almost zero, accompanied by the aroma of roasting meat. When Xia Libing posed to throw, Alice, who had finally gotten permission to co-manifest, appeared beside her and the two made simultaneous throwing gestures. With a clear shout from Alice, Ya C Hey!, the crispy pork knuckle in Xia Libings hand was thrown out, quickly disappearing. The tungsten steel ball continued to accelerate and flew more than twenty meters, piercing through the trunk of a tree as thick as an adults thigh and burrowing deep into the soil nearby. At the same time as the pork knuckle flew, fireworks exploded in the mountain forest along the direction of the tungsten steel balls flight. Seeing this scene, then looking at Alice who had completed the throw assist, protruding her head from Xia Libings side to look at him with a Arent I great? expression, Xiang Kun was somewhat speechless. The roasted smell of the meaty fog that Old Xia allowed Alice to assist in co-manifesting has the effect of hiding and concealing oneself. After all, her fire-control radar is Alice and she does not need to manually target with her naked eye, it is quite useful. But what was the exploded fireworks all about? That was what he had done before as a birthday gift to Old Xia using emotion infused artifacts, borrowing the emotion projection of Old Xias wristband. Now, this illusion could only be seen by Xiang Kun and Old Xia, what purpose did it serve? This flamboyant way Alice goes about her business, definitely did not come from him! Xiang Kun thought to himself silently. Seeming to figure out Xiang Kuns complaint, Alice exclaimed: I was helping Old Xia determine the trajectory, letting her know where the bead she threw ended up! Xiang Kun ignored her, turning to Xia Libing and saying: With Alices aid in constructing the Super Sensory Contact Model, it will allow a large number of Super-connected Objects to be related at once. The Super-connected Obstacles that I plan to keep spreading deep into the forest are mainly tungsten steel balls as they are small and covert. They can mix with the sand and gravel in the soil, making it hard to be discovered. All the stock I bought before can be related quickly. As for the spreading method, I plan to let Zero Zero One and Zero Zero Twos secondary ant colony continue to reproduce. Once the third, fourth, and even fifth and sixth level ant colonies have evolved, they wont need flight abilities, resembling ordinary ants more closely. Compared to ordinary ants, they reproduce, incubate, and grow faster. They should be able to fulfill Zero Zero One and Zero Zero Twos commands to some extent and would be used to deploy the super-connected obstacles into the deep soil of all forested mountainous areas. After discussing his plan for fully relating the Super-connected Objects and deploying them in the mountain with Old Xia, Xiang Kun took her back to the village. Old Xia went back to her cabin to sleep, while he got into his MPV parked at the entrance and headed for Tongshi Town. Chapter 532 - Chapter 532: Chapter 532: Home Ground Creation Plan Chapter 532: Chapter 532: Home Ground Creation Plan Given Xiang Kuns current method of establishing super-sensory contact, the various assisting models built by Alice, and the various deployment methods of Super-connected objects he has mastered, setting up his Super-connected object home ground in forests and the wild still requires the deployment of existing Super-connected objects. Because various elements in the mountains, whether underground or aboveground, all have strong individual characteristics. Even the same tree, leaves on the same tree, the soil and gravel under the same piece of land, all have subtle differences. Its very difficult to establish Super-sensory contact with these natural creations. Even if successful, its currently impossible to establish large-scale, batch Super-sensory contact with the same type of items C because its impossible to determine the same type of item. Xiang Kun estimated that unless he could establish Super Sensory contact at the microscopic particle level, it would still be hard to conduct batch linking in the wild, in nature. If he couldnt take materials on the spot, he would have to deploy Super-connected Objects through the ant legion. In some ways, the mutant ant Legion derived from Zero Zero Two the Ant Queen, holds a faint Super-connected Objects characteristic. Although for now apart from moving small items, it doesnt do much, but perhaps in the future, there will be methods to let them truly replace Super-connected Objects. Compared to forests and wilderness, within human settlements, Xiang Kuns methods to establish a Super-connected Objects home ground are far more diverse, various industrial products are combinations of standardized components. A complex entirety, broken down, can often be decomposed into pure individual parts. Like a high-tech engine, when disassembled, it consists of various connecting rods, chains, bearings, steel balls, gaskets and so on. The standardization level is very high, and the microscopic composition between the same parts of the same model is more similar. Since Xiang Kun can now directly establish Super-sensory contact in a Super Sensory State by using cognitive information, it doesnt matter if the target object is disassembled, or is a separate individual. Just as he was about to start the GL8, Xiang Kun tried to enter the Super Sensory State and attempted to establish super sensory contact with one of its metal connecting rods. If it were in the past, he would need to make enough contact, undergo extensive observation and understanding, and at least make direct contact to establish Super-sensory contact with an object. Like the pickup truck he first bought with Old Xia, he had to send it to the repair shop to understand, get familiar and establish contact in the process of disassembly, replacement. But now, under the Super Sensory State, he can directly perceive cognitive information to complete these tasks. Alice can also prepare detailed data, physical information of the target and notify Xiang Kun beforehand. Furthermore, she can assist him in discerning target boundaries, distinguishing cognitive information from surrounding objects under the Super-Sensory State. Xiang Kun took less than five minutes to establish Super Sensory Contact with the connecting rod. If needed, he could deploy a portion of the Super-connected Objects and an Emotion Infused Object in the SAIC-GM factory at Pudong JinQiao where this car was manufactured. All rods of the same model and specifications within the influence range would establish Super Sensory Contact. When they are installed, assembled in various cars and sold throughout the country, Xiang Kuns Super-Connected Objects would also reach all parts of the country. If he established Super Sensory Contact with more car parts, then at that time, there would be many Super-Connected Objects in each vehicle. This would be similar to each Gl8 having a Super-Connected Object Matrix, a miniature Mobile Chongyun Village. If the Gl8 can do this, other vehicles and auto factories can do the same. Toyota, Volkswagen, Geely, Wuling all can be done. Next are the TV factories, air conditioning factories, refrigerator factories, mobile assembly factories, or corresponding part manufacturing factories, etc. Of course, for now, that remains a thought, doing so will need a large amount of time and he has other ideas for now. Xiang Kun did not continue to link to the auto parts of this car, and instead drove to Tongshi Town. It was already past midnight, there were very few vehicles and pedestrian in town. Upon entering the town, he found a place to park, then began to walk. Xiang Kun kept observing various objects along the roadside, searching for various artificial elements, looking for targets that could establish Super Sensory Contact. Before he knew it, he walked to the outside of a bank, gave it some thought, slowly went around to the back, and when he had reached a dark area, a few dozen tungsten steel balls climbed out of his cargo pants pocket, permeated into the bank through various cracks, like a well-trained squad of soldiers. At this distance with the help of Alice, Xiang Kun didnt need to enter the Super Sensory State and could control their movements flexibly. The tungsten steel balls did not need to enter the vault, they just needed to maintain a certain distance. Then, leaning against the wall, Xiang Kun closed his eyes, went into the Super Sensory State, used cognitive information to lock onto an RMB Coin in the vault and quickly established contact. Afterward, Alice used a model application to get all the RMB Coins in the vault to establish contact. From dispatching the tungsten steel balls to retrieving them, the entire process only took six minutes and forty-six seconds, and by then, he had already established contact with all the One yuan coins in the vault. Only that the number of One yuan coins in this bank was unexpectedly low. Xiang Kun continued to walk on the street, continuing to think about establishing new super-sensory contact. The targets he chose are ones that have standard construction and are not easily damaged. Items like napkins, paper boxes, water bottles, disposable chopsticks, pop cans, although they can establish contact, they are easily destroyed or recycled. This leads to a substantial decrease, even disappearance, of Super Sensory Contact once their physical properties are destroyed. Hence, these are not ideal elements for mass establishing Super Sensory Contact. Like coins, theres no need to worry about these factors. Coins are hardly damaged, and not many people will destroy coins. After all, intentionally damaging RMB is against the law. Through banks or other places that need coins, he could quickly establish large-scale contacts, and once these coins circulate, they can deploy Super-connected Objects everywhere. However, theres a problem, which is that coins are often moving. Unless he uses his own coins for Super-psychic connection deployment, these coins can hardly stay in a predetermined place according to his original idea-unless he can connect all coins in the future. This makes it disadvantageous for his plan to establish a regional Super Connected Object home ground. So, in order to include the whole Tongshi Town into his Super Connected Objects home ground, he needs some items that wont be easily moved or easily destroyed and replaced, as the base Super Connected Objects. Soon, he had a target in mind. Above the road surface there were street lights, trash bins, underground there were water pipes, cables, many of which had elements that could be associated with. With Alices help, he could even conduct modularized association, able to separate a portion from a seemingly whole part in the physical world for an association. For example, a certain category of steel plate Xiang Kun can connect, he only connects a unit with a size of 2X2cm. Alice can help him find the same type, material, thickness of steel plates on a variety of items, through the separation of Super Sensory Information, lock onto a similar 2x2cm area, and confirm the connectable unit. Xiang Kun could use this method to connect to the Internet, power lines, water pipes, and other items. A ten-meter line or pipe could be connected to dozens or even hundreds of Super Connected Objects under Alices segmentation. Although these items are fixed in various locations in the city and wont be easily replaced, Xiang Kun still needs to traverse the entire city to connect with them, constantly entering the Super Sensory State. The efficiency still wasnt high enough. So, he asked Alice to look into the urban development projects in Tongshi Town during this period, including the construction plans of several major telecom operators in Tongshi Town, the timelines for equipment and cabling replacements, etc. He then looked for the contractors of these projects, the suppliers of the materials involved, and the origins and storage locations of these products. By strategically placing some Super-connected Objects and Emotion Infused Objects in these factories and warehouses, Xiang Kun can continuously establish Super Sensory Contact with these selected items. The contractors will then distribute these items throughout the whole city, covering Tongshi Town and even the surrounding areas. Tongshi Town was in the throes of rapid development, and the government was undertaking a large number of infrastructure projects and revamping outdated facilities. The abundance of related plans and programs made Xiang Kuns job easier. Using this method, Xiang Kun planned to slowly establish a firm territory of Super-connected object home ground centered around Chongyun Village and Tongshi Town, and radiating outwards from there. At least within this territory, Alice could exert her full power, and Old Xia could utilize the few physical attack methods he had, such as the Crispy Pork Hand Throwing Technique. Of course, under normal circumstances, with Alice around in the Super-connected object home ground, surprises like attacks from the mutated big bird Golden Flash shouldnt occurshe can always detect the enemy ahead of time. Strolling through the streets of Tongshi Town late at night, Xiang Kun felt quite pleasant and relaxed. In the past, when he was out and about in the city at night, he always needed to avoid surveillance, especially when behaving suspiciously. But now, with Alices presence, he could stride confidently on the streets. Even when he did something strange like hiding in a back alley behind a bank, he didnt need to dodge cameras. Alice would naturally take care of it and ensure that no one would notice anything amiss. Unbeknownst to him, he had become more and more reliant on the assistance and services provided by Alice. This must be what they mean when they say technology changes life huh! Thinking this, Xiang Kun even felt an impulse to co-manifest Alice and pat her on the head as praise. Just then, Alices voice came through his phone: Boss, we have a situation! Theres trouble at the Brilliant Fortune Building. That foreigner is fighting with another mutant again! Xiang Kun was taken aback. Of course, he knew that the foreigner Alice was referring to was John, the European Vampire from the basement of the Brilliant Fortune Building. John was fighting with another Mutant? Mr. Liang sent him to devour another Mutant again? It hadnt been long since the last time he devoured the mutated giant snake. Why are these events occurring so frequently? Is this part of Mr. Liangs research project, or is he deliberately cultivating John? Xiang Kun quickly ducked into an isolated corner and entered the Super Sensory State to observe the situation below the Brilliant Fortune Building. Observing through the cognitive information in the Super Sensory State as a Mutant dies and another Mutant devours its blood would undoubtedly offer great insight to understanding the essence of mutations. June 16, Tuesday. A month and a half had passed since Golden Flash was attacked by the mutated big bird. Golden Flash was hopping around energetically and eating well. After recovery, because of the richer bird feed that Xiao Pingguo prepared for it during its healing period, Golden Flash had even put on a bit more weight. Xiao Pingguo was still living in Chongyun Village, but Little Fatty Girl had been taken away by her mom in the middle of May. She moved to Peng City, enrolled in a new kindergarten, and started a new life. With the help of the lawyer Zhang Qian found, Shilings dad was released on the grounds of self-defense and wasnt prosecuted. However, after Shilings dad regained his freedom, Shilings mom, who had been running around during this time, chose to break up with him, ending their relationship once and for all. Shilings dad had no objections to this, as they werent married in the first place. What Shilings mom didnt expect, however, was to hear news shortly afterward that Shilings dad had gone back to his previous wifethe one he had a wedding ceremony withand reconciled. With nothing to say about this, all Shilings mom could do was give a bitter smile. When she talked about this issue with Zhang Qian, she joked about herself. She used to convince herself with various reasons that she wasnt a mistress, such as the fact that she knew Shilings dad first or that Shilings dad wasnt officially married to the other woman. But the truth was that even her siblings considered her a mistress. For many years, she had been deceiving herself and others. She should have made up her mind to leave Shilings Dad a long time ago. But this relationship wasnt entirely regrettable and unsuccessful, at least she had Liu Shiling, her lovable and sensible daughter. Under Xiang Kuns arrangement, Shilings Mom began doing some non-intensive administrative work at Zhang Qians company. She lived in the housing Zhang Qian helped arrange, and her daughter was attending one of the better kindergartens. Shilings mom knew all of these were thanks to Mr. Xiang, Miss Tang, and Miss Xia. Otherwise, a company like Tengjia Interactive Entertainment would never hire a single mother without a diploma, who hadnt worked in years and needed a lot of time to take care of her daughter. But considering the money from the house sale wasnt likely to be recovered anytime soon and she was under significant financial strain, she had to swallow her pride and accept their kindness for the sake of Liu Shilings education and livelihood. She worked as hard as she could at the company, rapidly learning new skills. At this moment, in Yangcheng City not far from Peng City, a blond elderly foreigner with kindly features sat in the back seat of a Mercedes S500, leisurely conversing in Chinese with a lady in her forties or fifties in a business suit beside him. She had the air of a successful executive. Professor Nas, your Mandarin is excellent. I can hardly believe that you are self-taught, the middle-aged lady complimented with a laugh. The blond senior, known as Professor Nas, adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and replied with a smile, I like the cultures of many countries and regions. I believe learning their language is fundamental to understanding a nations customs, culture, and people. Its not just Chinese. Im also fluent in French and Spanish. With that, he effortlessly exhibited a few phrases in fluent French and Spanish. The lady, who knew a bit Spanish, nodded repeatedly in agreement, once again expressing her admiration, Professor Nas, your language talent is truly enviable. Chapter 533 - Chapter 533: Chapter 533: So youre called the Lord of the Forest? (Part 1) Chapter 533: Chapter 533: So youre called the Lord of the Forest? (Part 1) Professor Nas had a kind smile and spoke in a persuasive tone: Gaining familiarity with the Germanic languages first, followed by the Romance languages, actually makes the process less difficult. The main challenge is in the thought patterns you need to block out your thinking in your mother tongue and instead use English or other Germanic languages that youre proficient in to think The lady sitting next to him was deep in thought as if she had really understood how to learn Spanish well. She ran into Professor Nas when she was visiting clients in a province in the southwest. Knowing that the professor was from the United Kingdom and spoke fluent Chinese, even though some of his wording and sentences sounded a bit old-fashioned and conventional, she was impressed that a foreigner could reach this level of fluency. Professor Nas told her that he came to China for special plant research. He suggested that it could offer clean energy for humanity and potentially serve as a solution for future environmental degradation. Although many of the terms and principles he spoke of were beyond her understanding, her broad experience led her to trust her judgement. She believed that everything Professor Nas said was true, and she admired his work and research. So when she found out that Professor Nas was planning to head in the direction of Yangcheng which was not far from her companys city, she offered him a ride back. Along the way, the lady continued having conversations with Professor Nas. This British gentleman, who was not only good-looking and charismatic but also funny and highly knowledgeable, along with his fluency in Chinese that lowered the communication barrier, made her admiration and respect for him grow. In reality, if judged from a purely objective standpoint, disregarding the context and process of their conversations and focusing solely on the content, nine out of ten people might find it bizarre. Despite the fluent Chinese of the foreigner, the content of the conversation was ludicrous and illogical which appeared as if he was trying to fool them. However, whether it was the affluent woman who had been in business for a long time or the middle-aged driver on the car, both were absolutely convinced by what Nas said. Neither his identity nor his explanation about the special plant research raised any doubts. Therefore, after the car crossed the boundary of Yangcheng, the lady willingly instructed the driver to take Professor Nas wherever he wished, as if she was his assistant or secretary. After roaming around in the downtown area of Yangcheng at Nass direction, they parked the Mercedes on the roadside. As Nas got out of the car, he stood on the roadside and studied the road with a frown, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The lady also wanted to get out of the car. However, Nas suddenly raised his hand and said, Dont get out! The lady hesitated but obeyed his words and stayed in the car with the driver. Through the car window, she watched Professor Nas lean down to smell something on the road. He even climbed over the roads railings and into the wild field next to it. He lay down to observe and even picked some grass and seemed to be licking it. Professor Nas is really dedicated to his research! The driver, who was watching Nass actions through the rearview mirror, exclaimed. The lady watching from the window also genuinely admired, How I envy the United Kingdom for having a scholar like Professor Nas. No, he should belong to all of humanity. Of course, they didnt see that the Professor Nas, who was now crouching down in the roadside shrubs, had extended a straw-like mouth organ from his mouth and was exuding tube-like green viscous substances. Upon contact with the surrounding plants, these viscous substances quickly turned into a liquid and then seeped into them. Professor Nas got up and closed his eyes again, taking a deep sniff from his nose as if there was some smell that greatly attracted him in the surroundings. Only after ten plus minutes did Professor Nas get back in the car and asked the driver, Whats up ahead? Up ahead? The driver took a look. That should be the highway entrance. Professor Nas pulled out his phone, consulted an electronic map and asked a few questions. However, he didnt have the driver take the highway. Instead, he asked him to take him back to the city. Professor Nas bid farewell to the lady and the driver in the Mercedes, but half an hour later, he got into another car and hit the highway. However, he did not head towards Peng City, which he had asked the driver about earlier, but towards Liushi. A few hours later, it was already late afternoon when they reached Liushi. After asking the car to be parked in a relatively secluded area, Professor Nas got off and said goodbye to the young driver. In the eyes of the young man, this gentlemanly, blond-haired elderly man was not a gentleman from Britain here to research unique plants but a man called Uncle William who came to a foreign country to find his daughter who had married abroad. He lost his wallet and passport as soon as he got off the plane, so the young man decided to lend a helping hand because of his internationalist spirit, driving him to the place where he thought his daughter could be found. Now, the blond old man, called Uncle William, was walking down an isolated path where few pedestrians passed. Before long, he bypassed a botanical garden at the foot of the hill and stopped at an undeveloped and desolate patch of land to observe with a frown, just like he had done in Yangcheng earlier. Like before, he would occasionally close his eyes and deeply inhale, then lie down on the ground, release green liquid from the straw-like organ in his mouth which then mixed with the surrounding plants. Its as if he was looking for something. He was not really an Uncle William. He did not have a daughter who went to China to get married, nor was he Professor Nas. He was not conducting any special plant research nor was he from the United Kingdom. His name was Joel. Or, to be precise, for those who knew his real identity, Joel was an accurate codename. As for his real name, he had stopped using it once he became a Blood Clan member. People who were familiar with him called him Old Earl, Count Joel, or the Lord of the Forest. In the Red Rose, he was one of the highest-ranking Blood Clan members. Yes, he was the very Joel who had reached a phase limit and was forced to seek another purebred vampires blood for sustenance. Guo Tianxiang was the blood source he was nursing, and John Cavendish was given the task by him to find the missing Guo Tianxiang in China. However, unexpectedly, soon after John who was sent here also lost contact, and even the Sacred Blood he implanted in John was swallowed by someone else. It was clear that a formidable and terrifying existence was present here. Both Guo Tianxiang and John were very likely captured by the other party. If he were to act according to his usual habits, he would certainly not dare to take such a risk. However, for Count Joel, under the pressure of stage-limited extreme conditions, staying in Slovakia would inevitably lead to his death. He may even have to become the blood source for other Red Rose seniors and execute the so-called Pureblood Circulation before he even disintegrates. Joel has thought countless times about his end. He once believed that he would calmly accept the Pureblood Circulation and willingly become the blood source for other seniors. After all, he has lasted so long because of many elders who, when they reached their stage limit and failed to find an adequate blood source, generously donated their own blood. But when death was truly imminent, he found that he could not fully accept everything. In the end, he was afraid, he shrank back. He wanted to fight one last time for his life. So, he decided to go to China alone. The great danger also hinted at great opportunities. Perhaps he could find a way to obtain a qualified blood source on his own. After all, in his view, he is far stronger and more experienced than Guo Tianxiang or John. Of course, his idea was unanimously rejected by the other members of the Red Rosethey were all afraid that he would die outright. Like John, who hadnt undergone many stage transformations, his death would not be a great loss. However, Count Joel was different. He was a legitimate pure blood, a beneficiary of the Pureblood Circulation. If he were to die, it would be an almost unbearable loss for the remaining members of the Red Rose. So, to get to China, Joel had to fight with two of the old-timers. Luckily, he was experienced and rarely got his hands dirty. He had a set of secretive tricks and early layouts which gave him the upper hand. Without too much trouble, he managed to deter the two seniors. They were all smart people and would make the right choice when the cost exceeded the gain and risk didnt match the returns. Like John, Joel entered China by crossing the southwestern border. He also used hypnosis, his strongest skill, to move between cities, using ordinary humans as a cover. Whether it was him, John, Guo Tianxiang, or other members of the Red Rose, they all had the ability to interfere and influence the conscious cognition and sensory judgment of ordinary people, that is, the so-called hypnosis power, though the specific implementation would vary. But even with this ability, he was still very careful and cautious. For example, when he moved from Yangcheng to Liucheng, he specifically hypnotized another person and changed cars. Although he was far away in Slovakia, he had given a portion of his Sacred Blood, also known as prosthetic tissue fluid, to both Guo Tianxiang and John. This could help them deal with other members of the Blood Clan or Blood Beasts. Normally, he couldnt use these prosthetic tissue fluids for detailed positioning, but when they were used up, he could faintly sense their location as he drew closer to the destination. It was as if the disappearing fluid left imprints in the void. This ability was gained from a special Blood Plant he had consumed in his early years. However, he had always claimed in the Red Rose that he himself had refined it and even named it Sacred Blood. Otherwise, his status as a true pure blood would be doubted. Of course, everyone in the Red Rose knew the truth. Almost all members had drunk the blood of Blood Plants and Blood Beasts, they just kept it a secret. Apart from the prosthetic tissue fluid in the small porcelain knives, Count Joel had also secretly tampered with Guo Tianxiang and John. If they fed on blood and triggered stage transformation, they would produce a strong footprint. Once he was close enough, he could determine the location of their stage transformation. He had sensed Johns stage transformation twice in a short period of time and realized that in this country, in this land full of dangers, there might be great opportunities. If even John, of his caliber, could achieve two stage transformations, he should find it even easier. No matter whether he was joining a new organization or hunting other targets, he had far more resources than John. Moreover, his target was John himself. After finding the location where the prosthetic tissue fluid disappeared from the small porcelain knife in Johns hand in Yangcheng, he was able to determine using special means that at the moment the incident occurred, John was in some kind of fast-moving enclosed space with the smell of metal, leather and gasoline C definitely a car. He could determine that Johns subsequent two stage transformations were likely to have taken place in Pengcheng City. The exact location would need further investigation. But he did not immediately enter Pengcheng City, instead, he turned around and went to the place where the prosthetic tissue fluid in Guo Tianxiangs small porcelain knife disappeared C Liucheng City. This place was the starting point of all the changes and a place that John would surely investigate after entering the country C John could use the small porcelain knife in his hand to sense and pinpoint the position of the disappearing liquid in Guo Tianxiangs knife. Perhaps, the changes in Johns situation began from this place. Joel lay on the ground for a while, using all sorts of means. He was almost certain that the prosthetic tissue fluid in his small porcelain knife had inflicted damage and effectively inhibited the recovery of the Blood Clan. But strangely, he did not feel that Guo Tianxiang had undergone a stage transformation. This meant that either the injured blood clan member ran away, or Guo Tianxiang didnt drink blood after killing that Blood Clan member. The former was unlikely, and the latter was also less likely. Joel thought of another possibility: the target that was wounded by the small porcelain knife and affected by the prosthetic tissue fluid wasnt some other Blood Clan or Blood Beast, but Guo Tianxiang himself. But why? He surely couldnt have committed suicide, could he? Unable to find any other clues, Joel was getting ready to leave when he noticed that a stone nearby seemed to be stirring somewhat. The movement was extremely slight. A normal person would definitely not have noticed, but his hearing, far superior to that of an ordinary human, had keenly picked it up. He stopped and listened for a moment, finding it strange. He walked over and flipped the stone over. The moment he flipped it over, he saw dozens of large black ants disappearing into the ground, which had been dug full of holes. He was startled and instinctively took a step back. He wasnt afraid of bugs, ants included, but these ants gave him a peculiar feeling that instinctively made his skin crawl. However, he didnt think much of it. Firstly, all the ants had gone into the ground and disappeared. Secondly, he didnt sense any trace of a Blood Beast from these ants, so strange as they were, they were just ordinary ants. Thirdly, his attention was caught by some blurry markings on the stone. The markings were letters, the first four of which he could vaguely make out to be: help. And the last one looked like: J. The markings were jagged as if they had been carved with a fingernail. He couldnt accurately determine the handwriting, but instinctively, Joel believed this was left by John. One reason was that this was an English word. The second reason was the J, the initial letter of Johns name. His own name also started with J. This could be Johns way of identifying himself or seeking his help C because John surely knew, if Joel came looking, he would certainly find this place. Joel wore a stern expression, yet his heart felt a little excited. He crouched down and carefully examined that stone and the surrounding area, even using a tree branch to dig out the ant nest. The ant nest was deep and he didnt find a single ant. Indeed, there seemed to be a world beneath the surface, but he did find a restaurant receipt half-buried in the ant nest. The text on the receipt was mostly illegible now and there were many holes eaten away by bugs. Clearly, this little receipt had been here for a while. Luckily, the date and the restaurants name were still visible. According to the date, it was from March 16th, a day before the prosthetic tissue fluid inside the small porcelain knife in Johns hand disappeared. As for the restaurant, after checking its location on his phone, he found it was located in Liucheng itself. Joel was a bit puzzled. Neither he nor John needed to eat a conventional diet, so there was no need for them to visit restaurants, let alone pay and keep the receipt. They had myriad ways to dine and dash without leaving a trail. Or perhaps this receipt wasnt left by John. The fact that it appeared here and the date just happened to match might just be a coincidence? Or perhaps, for some peculiar reason, John had gone to this restaurant and even paid the bill? As he grappled with his uncertainties, Joels eyes abruptly filled with crimson. He suddenly lunged forward, violently smashing his forehead into the stone that was carved with help J. Over and over again, flesh and blood splattering with each impact and each subsequent groan of pain. In just a short while, Joels head was a bloody mess. Gasping for breath while lying on the ground, his wound was slowly healing. The strange thing was, after his brutal self-abasement against the stone, Joels face changed and became that of a blond man in his early twenties, with rosy lips, fair skin, and quite handsome. After some time, Joel got up from the ground, shaking his blond hair back. Once the grey dust flew away, his forehead had completely recovered, with no traces of blood. His face had also aged again, returning to the facade of Professor Nas. Realizing that he didnt have much time left, although many doubts still remained, Joel finally decided to visit the restaurant. When he found the restaurant, it was already past seven in the evening, the peak business hour. He didnt immediately enter, instead observing for a long time from nearby. The restaurant seemed high-end, specializing in western cuisine. The clientele coming in and out were all impeccably dressed. He tried many methods, but couldnt detect any traces of Blood Clan, Blood Descendant, or Blood Beast activities around the restaurant. Yet he still felt a sense of unease and apprehension. The less he knew about where the danger lied and who his adversary was, the more fearful he felt. After observing for a while, when it was a bit past eight and there were fewer customers, Joel entered the restaurant. He went directly to the restaurant manager, introduced himself as William from the United Kingdom, who came to China to search for his missing son. He showed the receipt, stating that his son might have eaten at this restaurant before he went missing and expressed his wish to check the restaurant surveillance footage. His fluent Mandarin, attractive appearance, appropriate attire, and strong persuasiveness made the manager choose to believe him instantly. The manager then took him to the office to view the footage. There were still surveillance videos stored from three months ago on March 16th. With the time of payment imprinted on the receipt, the manager helped him locate the corresponding footage. Soon, Joel found John from the surveillance footage. Although the video quality was a bit low, he was certain that the blond man who occasionally drank water and didnt touch any food on his table, seated in a corner of the hall, was John Cavendish, sent by the Red Rose to find Guo Tianxiang. Joel quickly fast forwarded the video, and soon enough, he saw a cute little girl wearing a white princess dress walking by around 8:30 p.m. on March 16. She said something to John, who immediately got up to pay the bill, then bowed his head and followed her out of the restaurant. What was going on? Who was that little girl? Was she a member of the Blood Clan of China? Did John take the little girl to the place where Guo Tianxiang disappeared? Was he planning to betray the Red Rose? Joel was somewhat shocked in his heart. He watched the video several times over. Then, he noticed a strange thing: he could see the little girl leading John out of the restaurant, but not where she entered from or how she appeared in front of John. Was it a blind spot in the surveillance, from the back door? After using an excuse to transfer the video clip to his own phone, Joel was just about to ask if there were any secret entrances to the restaurant, when he suddenly noticed on the live surveillance footage, standing in the middle of the hall, there was a girl in a white princess dress looking up at the camera, as if she was looking at him through the screen. He was stunned, quickly turned around and headed towards the hall. However, when he got there, there was no one at the spot where the little girl was standing. He quickly asked the waiter nearby: Wheres the little girl that was just standing there? The waiter was taken aback: What little girl? The one in the white dress, Joel said. The little girls outfit and demeanor contrasted starkly with the ambiance of the restaurant, making her very conspicuous. He didnt believe that the surrounding people didnt notice her. I havent seen her, said the waiter, still somewhat confused. After looking around, he indeed hadnt seen any little girl. Joel decided he wasnt lying, and also asked the diners nearby. Their responses were the same: they hadnt seen any little girl. He immediately went back to the office, asking the manager who had been standing next to him: Did you see a little girl on the surveillance footage, in the hall just now? The manager was startled: I wasnt looking at the surveillance earlier. What little girl? So, they played back the recently recorded footage and were shocked to discover that indeed there hadnt been a little girl looking up at the camera in the hall. It was just empty. What was going on? Even though it was quite difficult for Joel to sweat, a bead of cold sweat trickled down from his forehead. He was starting to panic. Joel didnt ask about any secret entrances in the restaurant anymore. After excusing himself from the manager, he walked straight out of the restaurant door. But as soon as he stepped out, he heard a womans voice with a strong London accent in English: Do you want to explore the secrets of life? Mere efforts arent enough, you need to make a choice. See what price you are willing to pay These words set his heart thumping. He looked up abruptly in the direction of the voice, only to realize it was coming from a huge screen above a mall across the street. It was playing an advertisement for a health insurance, where a dignified woman was speaking while pointing to the left. If it were an ordinary person, they would find it quite difficult to hear the sound from the big screen amidst all this noise. But Joel was different. He heard everything distinctly clear. The reason these words struck a chord was because he had said something similar to John. Once, discussing Johns questions about eternal life, he said: You want to explore the secret of immortality? Mere efforts wont suffice, you need to make a choice. See what price youre willing to pay. Of course, he wasnt actually trying to answer Johns question, but was simply trying to persuade John to become his confidante in the Red Rose and take his side. But why were these words being displayed in an advertisement? Even though life was replaced with immortality, it still didnt align with a health insurance advertisement, right? Besides, why would an outdoor advertisement in China be in English, without subtitles? Was this meant for him to hear? Or am I hallucinating? Joel, who often hypnotized others, manipulating their cognition and perceptions, immediately thought that he himself was hallucinating and misjudging the external auditory and visual information. His muscles involuntarily tensed as he keenly observed his condition and the surroundings, attempting to find evidence of being hypnotized, and trying to awaken himself. For a moment, this Count of the Red Rose, the so-called Lord of the Forest from the Blood Clan, was so tensed that he stood still, not daring to move. Chapter 534 - Chapter 534: Chapter 534: So Youre Called the Lord of the Forest? (Part 2) Chapter 534: Chapter 534: So Youre Called the Lord of the Forest? (Part 2) Joel knew that hypnosis required channels. Whether it was influencing sensory perception such as vision, auditory, touch, smell, or directly through drugs or other substances, producing effects within the human body, whatever abilities used to carry out the hypnotic effect, it always required a trigger, an event, a process. But drawing from his extensive experiences with hypnosis, Joel carefully pondered his past series of experiences, reflecting on every sensory detail. He found nothing out of the ordinary and remained clueless as to when the hypnosis was induced. Even now, he still couldnt precisely determine whether the little girl in a white dress he saw on the real-time surveillance feed and the advertisement he had heard just now existed in reality or were purely illusions. If he was under the influence, perceiving illusions, he was confident he could discern them. But according to his method, neither the image he saw nor the sound he heard seemed like illusions. Joel stood for a while longer, the large screen in the mall was looply displaying videos. The advert for Ping An Life Insurance did not appear again, and there was nothing unique about the other commercials, full English advert slogans did not appear anymore either. He hesitated for a bit. He neither tried to verify the source of the video on the screen nor looked into the direction pointed out by the woman who had spoken the script in Englishthere was a travel agency there. The feeling he got while watching the commercial was that this woman was asking him to check out that travel agency. Joel decided to first leave the area. The sensory interference in the busy city district was too much. He needed to find a quiet place to ponder and collect himself. But he hadnt walked more than a few steps before a furious voice suddenly aired by: Peng City?! Im not in Peng city! Im not in Peng City Startled, he looked back only to see a man, who had just passed him by, impatiently saying to his phone, You must have got it wrong, my surname is Wu, but Im not in Peng City and Ive never been there! Buy a house or what?? Buy your mother! Fuck! He then angrily hung up the phone, grumbling as he walked away, seemingly harassed by a real estate advertisement call. Joel furrowed his brow and pondered. The stranger was just an ordinary person and the words he spoke should not have been directed towards him. But why did he have a feeling that those words held some hidden meaning? Upon learning that Pengcheng City was the location of Johns phase transitions, Joel had been thinking about when to visit the city. Even just now, he thought about directly going to Peng City disregarding what would happen to John here, disregarding the Help J etching, disregarding the little girl in a white dress from the surveillance footage. If he could locate John, all his doubts would naturally be answered. The passerbys words seemed to be responding to his thoughts, and he couldnt help but pay attention. Joel pondered for a second, didnt let his thoughts wander farther, and continued walking. Almost instinctively, he reserved a part of his attention for the surrounding advertisements, passersby conversations, various movements, and scenes. Then, two minutes later, he suddenly noticed a line of text passing by on an oblong-shaped advertising screen not far in front: Are you looking for a place to relax? Wushu Mountain may be your answer. Joel paused for a moment. He had the impression that the sentence was directed at him. He glanced at the shop next to the billboard, it was a travel agency. He hesitated briefly in front of the travel agency but didnt go inside to inquire. He had this feeling as he hurriedly walked past and all sorts of sounds echoed around him, that a force was guiding him, dissuading him from going to Peng City and instead go to Wushu Mountain. It felt like the answers and John could only be found in Wushu Mountain. But when he actually paid attention to those noises, he discovered that either it seemed like he heard wrong, saw wrong, or those were just ordinary sounds or images. He forcibly controlled himself not to get influenced by those noises, found a quiet corner in a small park, and sat down. In here, far away from the hustle and bustle of the city center and the busy shopping streets, a lot of those noises had disappeared, his tightly strung nerves finally relaxed a bit, and he could breathe. He was even more positive now that he has been hypnotized. Some sort of psychological suggestion has been projected onto him. So whenever he heard some equivocal sounds or saw some suggestive scenes, he felt as if they were affecting him and expressing a specific meaning. That influencing moment, according to his guess, should have started when he saw the little girl in the white dress in the real-time surveillance feed. Only he didnt understand how his opponent projected a psychological suggestion on him. Moreover, why did they want him to go to Wushu Mountain? Whats there? With these thoughts in mind, he took out his mobile phone, ready to look up how far Wushu Mountain was from his current locationthe phone was from the lady who gave him a lift, all the cards in it were Chinese, so were the apps. Although the phone he carried, to begin with, was not unusable, after contrasting the two, the one given to him by the lady was indeed more convenient to use. However, this time, as soon as he opened the map app, an advertisement popped up: Across a splendid mountain and river landscape, the five elegant ink-styled characters stood out prominentlyCome to Wushu Mountain! After a 3-second advert, the maps interface opened up, surprisingly it automatically located Wushu Mountain for him. Joel paused for a second. He shakes his head instinctively, only to see that when he opened his eyes again, the position marked on his phone was back to Liucheng where he was currently. What happened? Was that moment reality or an illusion? Joels grip on the phone unconsciously tightened, inadvertently bending the metallic cover and destroying the screen. He initially thought that distancing himself from the restaurant and avoiding the varied and multitude clamors of the bustling streets would lessen the influence on him. However, it seemed utterly pointless now as the hypnotic suggestions were deeply rooted in his subconscious. Upon reflection, the hypnosis might not have commenced from the moment he started watching the surveillance footage at the restaurant but from the moment he saw the Help J etchings. Joel then pulled out the damaged restaurant receipt and glanced at it as if he was weary that it might cause some problems. All night long, Joel received various hints suggesting that he shouldnt go to Peng City, rather, he should go to Wushu Mountain. But the more it happened, the more alert and hesitant he became. Eventually, at three oclock in the morning, he made up his mind, hypnotized a young man running Didi (a ride-hailing service), and had him drive to Peng City. The more that suggestion discouraged him from one place, the more he wanted to go; the more it directed him somewhere, the less he wanted to go there. During the journey, the cars radio aired a broadcast discussing the travel experiences in Wushu Mountain, which made Joels nerves tighten up again. But oddly enough, when he asked the driver, the driver heard the same content as he did. The driver frequently listened to this late-night broadcast program and was familiar with the two hosts and didnt seem to sense anything abnormal. After half an hour of introductions about Wushu Mountain, Joel could not help but ask the driver to change the channel. Now, it was playing music, no more information about Wushu Mountain was broadcasted again. Just when Joel let out a sigh of relief, there was a notification on his mobile phoneit was his own. Picking up his phone, Joel couldnt help but frown. He had received a new email in his private communication inbox, but this mailbox was specially used for communication with John. No one else knew about it. He opened the new email and was astonished to see it was genuinely from John C written in English C stating he was located in an abandoned factory on the outskirts of Pengcheng City, urging Count Joel to find him immediately. This email raised countless questions! Firstly, he had contacted John numerous times before without receiving any reply, which led him on a journey to China; Secondly, he and John used a code language for their email exchanges, yet this email was crystal clear without any code; Thirdly, the tone of the email seemed to suggest the sender knew he had already arrived in China. Had John fallen under someones control, using this email to lure him? Was there something lying in ambush within that abandoned factory in Pengcheng? Joel furrowed his brows again at the email on his phone, struggling internally. Luckily, this time he managed to control himself, not crushing his phone in his hand. At this point, he felt as though his actions were being puppeteered by an unseen hand, controlling where he went, and monitoring his actions. All of it was utterly bizarre. Realizing that the car was about to leave the highway exit of Pengcheng City, and enter the urban area, Joel closed his eyes. Forcing himself to calm down, he reflected upon a series of encounters after he entered this Oriental nation, and any clues he may have discovered so far. A suspicion gradually formed within him: The person who sent him an email under Johns name, asking him to come to Pengcheng, and the one who used mysterious techniques to hypnotically suggest he should go to Wushu Mountain instead of to Pengcheng, might not actually be the same person. Before John had the encounter with the girl in white clothes in Liucheng, left the Help J scratch mark, and underwent two stage transformations, he had lost contact with the Red Rose. Perhaps John did not willingly undergo these phase transformations, rather they were imposed upon him. It was similar to his attitude towards Guo Tianxiang; however, he didnt have enough Blood Beasts or Blood Plants to force Guo Tianxiang to undergo that stage transformation. Thinking along these lines, Joel immediately became anxious. If this were the case, then Pengcheng would indeed be an extremely dangerous area. Even though he was far more powerful than John, it didnt guarantee safety from capture and being cultivated as a Blood Source. After all, if one were to evaluate it thoroughly, his advantage over other Blood Clans was in terms of minor tricks, rather than brute force. Should he be unable to set up his minor tricks in advance, and if the enemy were unaffected by his hypnosis or intrusion of thoughts, his violent confrontational ability might not ensure his safe return. In this mysterious oriental country, Joel felt it was absolutely justified to consider his adversaries as more powerful than they may appear. With his mind going in these circles, he grew irate again, so much so that he was tempted to tear the driver into shreds and take a bath in his blood! However, he knew he could not do this now. Touching blood, even ordinary human blood, would accelerate his losing control or even complete break down, as ordinary human blood could no longer sustain his stage transformation needs. He could only indulge in the pleasures of consuming human blood once more after he found a qualified Blood Source and passed through this stage transition limit. He closed his eyes, adjusted his emotions, then continued pondering along his earlier line of thought. He deduced that the person who made him unconsciously mindful of the psychological hints in Liucheng, continually guiding him towards Wushu Mountain, was either non-malicious towards him or was weaker than himotherwise, if they could hypnotically suggest him without his awareness, they could have also managed to attack him using other means. After leaving the highway, Joel instructed the driver to stop the car. He then switched cars, persuading the new cars driver to take him several hundred kilometers away to Wushu Mountain. His stage transition limit was fast approaching, he was running out of time. Hence, he chose the path that seemed to present the fewer risks. After a journey from the evening until the next morning, then again from morning until dusk, Joel finally arrived at Wushu Mountain. As soon as he arrived at Wushu Mountain, various forms of clues appeared around Joel, such as advertisements on the small LCD screens of roadside snack carts, tourist tips broadcasted repeatedly in the scenic area, and occasionally a voice would appear undeterminable sources, as if only he could hear, guiding his actions. This guidance, however, did not take him into the Wushu Mountain Scenic Area. Instead, he spent quite a lot of time to enter another larger, less frequented areaChongyun Mountain. In fact, Joel was less concerned about the mountains than the city, after all, he held the title of Lord of the Forest, and this wasnt just an empty claim. Compared with cities filled with buildings, forested mountains felt more like home for him. Many of his abilities could function more efficiently there. Hence, when deciding whether to enter Chongyun Mountain, he didnt hesitate much. Of course, Joel was still very cautious. After entering Chongyun Mountain, every few kilometers he would stop, spit out his mouthpiece, leaving a bit of prosthetic tissue fluid. At the same time, he utilized his sense of smell and hearing to their fullest extent, meticulously searching the vicinity to see if there was any Blood Beast or Blood Plant. Once inside Chongyun Mountain, all the hints and clues seemed to disappear. Joel was like a headless fly, directionless and relentlessly penetrating deeper and deeper, testing the ground. Time ticked by, and by four in the morning, he still hadnt found anything special, increasing Joels irritation. He began to question whether the so-called hints and hypnosis were mere illusions, resulting from his thoughts being in turmoil due to his nearing stage transition limit. Maybe no one ever suggested that he go to Wushu Mountain, let alone Chongyun Mountain? Just as he was agonizing over these thoughts, the phone in his pocket suddenly lit up. He hadnt used any lighting equipment in the dead of the night, relying on his night vision ability, making the light from his phone in his pocket especially noticeable. Extracting his phone, he found that the device had automatically triggered its flash to take a selfie. Joel assumed it was a malfunction and was just about to delete the photo when he saw that the flash had captured an image, not of his own face, but of John! Joels breath hitched. Chapter 535 - Chapter 535: Chapter 535: So Youre Called the Lord of the Forest? (Part 2 - Lower) Chapter 535: Chapter 535: So Youre Called the Lord of the Forest? (Part 2 C Lower) Joel stared at the astonished face on the cell phone screen for a long time, his thoughts in a whirl. He looked to his side, then back at the cell phone, then again to the side. From the background and angle in the picture, it was clearly taken just now, in this very spot. But whats with the face in the image? Joel subconsciously touched his own face. For a moment, he almost forgot what he looked like. Could he have mistaken his appearance to be identical to that of John? Or perhaps, the John he has always thought of, has been himself all along? But these thoughts were fleeting, and he quickly cleared his mind, looked again at the photograph, and confirmed that it was John who was captured, not himself. What was going on? Given his current environment, under the dim moonlight over his head, he could clearly see his surroundings and detect other organisms approaching by their sounds and smells. He was sure there was nothing unusual around him, not even a bird, other than himself. Another illusion? Joel closed his eyes to think for a moment, then reopened his phone. The face in the photo was still Johns. So he switched his phone to video mode, turned on the flash, and began recording his own face. After he finished recording, he turned it over to watch the video. Seeing his recent actions of squinting, turning his head, nodding, all done by the face of John on the video, Joel almost crushed his phone in disbelief. Joel continued to experiment several times. No matter whether he used the front camera to take photos or videos, or used the front camera to shoot in the moonlight, he always saw Johns face. The facial expressions, actions, clothes, and background were all correct. This caused Joels perception to become confused again. Could it be that he unknowingly reverted back to his younger looking face? And his younger self and John were actually similar? Or perhaps he has remembered Johns face incorrectly, and it has been replaced by his own? Joel once again saw doubt and uncertainty in his memories of himself. However, this was not entirely due to the photos or videos on the phone. For a long time, he has found his memories to be muddled. This is a consequence of living for an extended period of time and frequently entering long periods of deep sleep. Sometimes, after awakening from sleep that could span months or even years, he would forget memories from that period entirely, or confuse the order in which they occurred. It would take him some time to recover these memories. But just as he was trying to justify things to himself and looked at his phone again, he was startled to find that his appearance in the photos and videos had changed back to that of the gentle old man. Joel froze, feeling a chill out of nowhere. Could the hypnotic suggestion he received have such a great influence, such a significant effect? He suddenly thought of the white-dressed little girl he had seen on the real-time surveillance camera in the restaurant in Liucheng, and then the baffling instance where opening the phone map immediately pinpointed Wushu Mountain. Perhaps he had witnessed many such illusions along the way, many ordinary and normal sounds and images he perceived might be his own brains deception, theyre all fake, all illusions. Has he been hypnotized to such a deep level? With this, what he saw and heard, how many of them were real? Could the surrounding mountains and forests be illusions as well? Normally, when one is aware that they are hypnotized, and know which are illusions, they should be able to escape from the hypnotic state to some extent. Why then was he still experiencing deep illusions which he couldnt discern from reality? Just as his thoughts became increasingly confused and his mood more tense, when his bloodlust and frenzy were about to become uncontrollable, Joel suddenly threw himself onto the ground, burying his face into the earth and wild weeds. He sensed the direction he had come along, feeling the Prosthetic Tissue Fluid he had left behind in the mountains. Relying on the Prosthetics parasitic on various plants, he made a holistic judgment of the creatures in this forest, confirming once again that there were no Blood Clan, Blood Beasts or Blood Plants present. The prosthetics produced by his prosthetic tissue fluid couldnt provide him with the most intuitive sensory feedback, but it could give him a sort of intuition. He believed that this intuition wouldnt be wrong and wouldnt be affected by hypnosis and suggestions. This intuition gave him a little relief. Then he turned his attention back to himself, he no longer delved into when and how he was hypnotized and suggested, instead he started thinking about how to respond and what the other party intended to do. In his understanding, as soon as he arrived at Wushu Mountain, he should have encountered related Blood Clan or Blood Descendants or at the very least people who knew what was going on. Then he would anticipate if they intended to confront him or negotiate peacefully, in any case there must be a result. However, what he did not expect was that it was so difficult to reach Wushu Mountain, and from there he was led to Chongyun Mountain. Despite going into mountains overnight, he was still in a fog and had found no answers to any questions. Joel thought of the illusion he had just experienced. If the hypnotic suggestion he received led him to Wushu Mountain and Chongyun Mountain, then why did he experience an illusion of himself being portrayed as John on his cellphone after he arrived here? He recalled the idea that had sprung in his mind before noticing the phone. Was this illusion also reminding him that he got the wrong place and he was supposed to go to Wushu Mountain instead of coming to Chongyun Mountain? SHIT! FUCK! Joel couldnt help but curse angrily, he forcefully grabbed handfuls of his golden hair, forcibly suppressing his fury, took several deep breaths, and prepared to walk out of the mountain. But before he had gone far, there was a sound of rustling grass behind him. He turned around abruptly and saw a flash of white darting through the trees. Joels spirits surged, and he shouted on instinct: WAIT He pushed his physical functions to their limit, rushing towards the direction of the white figure. Within only a few seconds, he had arrived where the white figure had appeared. He looked around but couldnt find where the figure had gone. He sniffed the air around him deeply, then faltered. He couldnt smell anything left behind by any human or wild animal, let alone the scent of the Blood Clan or Blood Beasts. What was going on? Another illusion? Joel got down on the ground and carefully examined the spot where he had seen the white figure. He found faint footprints, and from what he could tell, a pair of small, flat-soled shoes had made them, like those worn by a child? He immediately connected the white figure with the little girl in the white dress he had seen on the surveillance video in the restaurant in Liucheng. He rubbed his eyes vigorously, looked again at the footprints, and they were still there. Yet, despite the absence of any scent, he began to doubt whether this was a real trace or just a hallucination of his own. The footprints were few, suggesting that other than the fleeting glance he caught of the white figure, it seemed to have disappeared completely. After thoroughly investigating the surrounding area for quite some time, Joel came up empty-handed, feeling both bewildered and doubtful. Initially, he had managed to clear his thought, forming a strategy to disregard the delusional effects of Johns picture on the phone, and return to Wushu Mountain for investigation. However, the current situation had completely disrupted his train of thought again. If the white figure he just saw was the hallucination of the little girl in the white dress witnessed in Liucheng, then it proved that his manipulated journey to Wushu Mountain and Chongyun village was related to the little girl. But after pondering back and forth, he started to question again. He doubted whether his vision of the white figure, the traces on the ground, and the hallucination on the phone were merely results of mental conflict created by hypnotic suggestion. Did he see himself turn into John on the phone because he came here in the first place to look for John who had gone missing, and solve the Blood Source issue? He saw the white figure because his subconscious mind perceived the little girl in the white dress as the hidden enemy. His mind was a whirl of confusion, bumping and spinning without end, until he couldnt help but loudly curse at his surroundings. This time, he not only cursed in English, but also in Spanish, German, French, and even a long rant in Mandarin and Cantonese. Clearly, he was at the verge of losing control and going berserk, struggling to suppress the restless emotions induced by his boundaries being pushed. Just when he made up his mind to disregard everything, leave Chongyun Mountain and head directly to Pengcheng City regardless of consequence. The little girl in the white dress appeared again. This time, she was standing by a tree only ten meters in front of him tilting her head with a scalpel in her hand, staring at him blankly. The moonlight filtering through leaves overhead cast a cold, speckled silver glow over the girls porcelain and delicate face, making her appear incredibly real, yet eerie and disturbing. Joel felt his breath hitch again, and before he could react, the little girl in the white dress slipped behind the tree, disappearing once more. He hurriedly pursued but just as he expected, there was no sign of the girl. Like she had vanished into thin air, there was no scent and no sound. Ah! In anger, Joel fiercely banged his own head against the tree. . Several hours earlier when Joel was being led by seemingly random information into Chongyun Mountain. In the small courtyard in Chongyun village where Xiang Kun often held his closed-door blood-drinking sleeps, he and Xia Libing were seated in a room filled with multiple monitors, closely watching one of the screens showing surveillance footage, discussing something. Old Xia is indeed formidable. He successfully lured him over by using reverse operation. If Id known earlier, Id have suggested that he go to Pengcheng first to raise his alertness and then let him find out in a suitable way that John was actually in Chongyun mountain. Xiang Kun said while stroking his chin. However, Xia Libing shook his head: If we really did that, the results might not necessarily be better. Xiang Kun thought for a moment, then nodded, True, the best method would be to hide the clues within various details and let him uncover them one by one, then determine for himself that he should go to Chongyun Mountain. That would be the best. But alas, there was too little time and we couldnt make all the arrangements, so we had to use this rather forceful method to lead him here. At that moment, Alices voice emerged from the speaker: Everything is under Alices control! Xiang Kun nodded noncommittally: Yes, yes, you are the best and we owe it all to you. Although he sounded indifferent, he was genuinely pleased, even surprised, by Alices performance. Since the large-scale deployment of Super-connected Objects at the beginning of May, with Alices assistance, progress has been extremely rapid. Not only Chongyun Village, Chongyun Mountain area, Tongshi Town, border towns, mountain areas, and villages, but also most parts of Jianzhou City, the majority of the urban areas of Citong City, have all been equipped and associated with a large number of Super-connected Objects, thereby becoming, in fact, a Super-connected Object Home Ground. Even in other areas such as Pengcheng City, Yangcheng City, Shenhai City, and other places where Xiang Kun and his friends often move, there are adequate Super-connected Objects deployed and associated. Even in the southwestern, northwestern land borders, and southeastern areas where illegal entry into the country is possible, Xiang Kun and Alice have arranged a large number of remote Super-connected Objects links through remote adjustments of Emotion Infused Objects combined with Super-connected Objects. This way, Xiang Kun doesnt need to go around the borders to include most of the obligatory border locations into his Super-connected Object Monitoring Networkwith Alice monitoring around the clock without rest through super-sensory information, she can instantly detect even scaled-down mutants passing through areas filled with Super-connected Objects. He placed such a strong emphasis on border areas mainly because he knew of John Cavendishs illegal entry method from Europe as well as the fact that those places are remote and also the routes that beast-like mutants use to infiltrate human settlements. He could, therefore, monitor possible mutant appearances and find research subjects. Unexpectedly, the first mutant discovered by Alice through the border Super-connected Object Monitoring Network turned out to be Earl Joel from the same organization as John. As for why Xiang Kun knew that it was Earl Joel, the story goes back more than a month ago. After Alice discovered that John, beneath the Brilliant Fortune Building, once again clashed with another mutant and engaged in a desperate fight, notifying Xiang Kun who then activated his super sensing state to monitor the situation real-time and entirely observing a mutant being killed, their body tissues breaking down and dissipating, and their blood being seized by another mutant. This battle was even more intense than the previous fight between John and the mutated giant snake, but in the end, John was the one who survived. Xiang Kun sensed Johns dream again, but this time, instead of the abstract dream featuring the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster, it contained images of Johns time in Europe, in the Red Rose organization, and the most frequently appearing figure, Earl Joel. Xiang Kun learned not only Joels appearance, personality, and some habits, but also realized that Guo Tianxiang was his cultivated Blood Descendant, prepared as his Blood Source. John came to China because Earl Joel had reached his stage limit and if he didnt have a suitable Blood Source, his body would disintegrate and die of course, according to the rules of the Red Rose, before his death, and once he confirmed that he could not break the limit, he should contribute his blood in a special way, becoming the nutrients for other members of the Blood Clan to sustain their long sleep. However, it seems Joel doesnt intend to follow tradition. He didnt pin all his hopes on John to return in time and instead came to China by himself. Xiang Kun knew from Johns dream that these old Blood Clan from Europe are incredibly cruel, inhuman monsters, each of them responsible for the death of triple-digit numbers of people. Compared to the mutants Xiang Kun had encountered in the past, John, Joel, even Guo Tianxiang, pose a far greater threat to mankind than the Giant Owl or mutated spider. Even though they still look like humans without much change, they are worse than insects when it comes to their actions. Therefore, its only natural that Xiang Kun chose Joel as his experiment and didnt feel guilty about it. But the experiment he wanted to conduct wasnt about locking Joel up for testing and observation. Joel is currently in a unique state he had reached the so-called Stage Limit and needs the blood of other mutants to breakthrough the limit. Xiang Kun had already observed the cognitive information changes when a mutant body tears apart after being killed under the super sensory state, as well as the cognitive information changes when a mutant body mutates after seizing the blood of another mutant. However, he has not yet observed a mutant self-destruct due to reaching the stage limit. Now, Joel has become an excellent observable target. What he needed to do was to lead Joel into a state and environment suitable for observation, and then naturally enter a process of self-destruction after reaching the stage limit. Without a doubt, the depths of Chongyun Mountain, which are already filled with Super-connected Objects, rarely visited by people, and where a vast surrounding area is under his and Alices control, suitable for implementing various contingency plans, is the ideal place. So, from the moment Joel thought he had silently entered the country, Xiang Kun with Alice and Old Xia have started a roundtable discussion on how to lure Joel to Chongyun Mountain. Including the HELP J rock scar, the restaurant bill beneath it, the surveillance video of John leaving the restaurant following the little girl Alice in a white dress, were all prearranged by them. In fact, the clues combo they prepared for Joel were far more than these. If he headed to Pengcheng City or started investigating from other possible leads, a series of other information would be waiting for him to discover. In the end, no matter what, he would be led to Wushu Mountain, and then to Chongyun Mountain. Chapter 536 - Chapter 536: Chapter 536: So Youre Called the Lord of the Forest? (Part 3) Chapter 536: Chapter 536: So Youre Called the Lord of the Forest? (Part 3) The surveillance video that Joel saw in the restaurant in Liushi was a work of Alices. John and Alice, and even other details in the video, such as the food on the table, were all created by Alice. If a human were to create these special effects, a lot of effort and technical skill would be required. Conversely, face swapping is the easiest and most realistic approach, but still, someone would have to impersonate John, and then replace the captured face of John. The same applies to Alices image, it needs someone to play the role C because Alices actual presence cannot be captured on camera. However, Alice has her own editing method for this kind of digitized video material. Unlike humans who need to operate at the image level, she can directly edit and create the source material according to the effect she wants. She has human learning and cognitive abilities and program operational convenience, which makes her production of fraudulent and perfectly integrated videos and pictures, deceiving human eyes, exceedingly swift. Of course, this ability did not only start to develop when she found out Joel was entering the country. Xiang Kun had previously assigned Alice a related long-term task, so she was well-prepared. However, currently, she couldnt perfectly create and insert every persons image into the background using digital devices. She had to have previously collected a large amount of information. John happened to be the target of her special attention, so she was able to counterfeit surveillance footage and even replace the face of Joel taken by the cellphone. As for having Alice appear in real-time surveillance, that was nothing more than a simple operation. In the future, as Alice collects more and more data, the number of virtual reality images she can create in real-time will also increase. These can be deeply integrated into their eventual foray into VR and AR technologies. As for helping Xiang Kun to go invisible in surveillance or even face swap, those are basic operations. Of course, besides video and images, Alice also had many other ways to influence and guide Joel. Joel felt he was hypnotised and suggested to, but everything he saw was objectively real. The suggestions were overt. Just like the life insurance advertisement on the big screen of the square in front of the restaurant that he saw was publicly displayed by Alice after she altered it. Besides Joel, basically, no one would notice that phrase of the English advertisement which was already drowned in the surrounding noise. Even if they noticed, they wouldnt overthink it C only Joel would realise that the sentence and the words he once said to John were almost identical. Originally, after attracting Joels attention, he was subtly suggested to check out the travel agency that the lady in the ad pointed to, and there would be another set of operations corresponding to indirectly suggest Joel to go to Wushu Mountain. The reason for choosing Wushu Mountain over Chongyun Mountain is because as a 5A Scenic Area, Wushu Mountain is more famous, making the suggestion simpler and more reasonable, and also leaves room for further manipulation. Of course, even if Joel didnt go to the travel agency, Alice had a series of subsequent influences lined up, including spoofing a sales call to passersby, guiding passersbys voices and reactions. She controlled the display of billboards within Joels line of sight. Some seemingly normal advertisement sounds were altered by Alice into potent indirect phrases. A lot of the information was tailored based on Johns knowledge of Joel from his dreams. Just like when you were engrossed in reading a book on your phone in the living room, if the TV was playing an advertisement you didnt care about, you could easily ignore and temporarily block it out, as long as it wasnt too loud. But if the TV suddenly mentioned the name of your long-time crush, unless you were too engrossed in your book, you would usually react. Then you look up and realize that even though the name of your crush was said, it was just two common words in a sentence, unrelated to the person you like, so you continue reading your book. But, going forward, time after time, the goddesss name keeps getting mentioned on television in different ways, hence you can no longer concentrate on your novel and start thinking: Could it be that the heavens are hinting that I should confess my feelings for the goddess? Are we meant for each other? For Joel, it was slightly different, but the influence and the suggestive pattern was largely the same. He just needed to take into account all of Joels possible suspicions, guess on his train of thought, and smoothly guide it. Of course, these were not planned by Alice alone. Xiang Kun and Old Xia had always been providing guidance, planning the strategy, while the tactical execution was left to Alice. Xiang Kun, based on the information from Johns dream and what Alice found, organized it all and established a preliminary behavioral cognitive model of Joel. It served as a guide to predict his behavior and was then improved with more feedback. Moreover, there was Old Xia. Compared to his cognitive model, Old Xias instant judgment also provided a strong reference. Old Xia was more cautious. With limited information about the target, she would not act rashly. Therefore, when she first learned that Joel had entered the country and tried to guess his whereabouts and started devising traps everywhere, it was mainly Xiang Kun and Alice who took charge. After Joel fell into the trap, based on his exact response and various visible images transmitted by Alice from inside the city and the cars, Old Xia would analyze, judge and then offer her opinion. When Joel was about to go straight to Pengcheng City regardless of anything else, Old Xia suggested that Alice, in the name of John, should send an email to Joel, directing him directly to Pengcheng City, and even deliberately made the content of the email fake. According to Old Xia, this was to make going to Pengcheng an option, similarly to going to Wushu Mountain, for Joel to choose. Comparatively, even though going to Pengcheng seemed much more reliable and was originally Joels plan, going to Wushu Mountain posed a lesser external threat to him. In Old Xias observation, Joel was essentially a timid and soft-hearted person who would definitely choose the safer route if presented with one. Indeed, after Joel received the blatantly fishy email and arrived in Pengcheng, as soon as he got off the highway, he immediately found a car to take the highway towards Wushu Mountain. Of course, even without Old Xias ideas, Xiang Kun and Alice had a series of backup plans arranged in Pengcheng City, many of which were traps. This would have been a lot more troublesome, and they might have even had to change their observation location in the end. Upon seeing Joel entering the Chongyun Mountain area on the surveillance feed, Xiang Kun breathed a sigh of relief. After routinely praising Alice, he instructed her: Next, its up to you. Anyhow, dont let him leave Chongyun Mountain. Try to confine his activities within the area weve marked as C-23 to C-29. Dont let him be too comfortable, keep pressuring him mentally, but dont give him a specific target to fight against, and also dont let him descend into complete despair; try and make him breakdown as quickly as possible. You understand what I mean, right? Alice understands! No problem! Ill definitely make the arrangements! Boss, dont worry! Alice responded crisply, with the volume of the loudspeaker turned up, as her request to co-manifest was unsuccessful. Regarding this, Xiang Kun naturally had no doubts. Inside Chongyun Mountain, Alice had tons of resources, as if she was swimming in her own hard disk. After Joel went deeper into the forest, where there were no cameras to capture him, Alice voluntarily suggested that they could present simulated images. She could display what she observed using her Super Sensory Information senses on the screen and then use the environmental images she had previously collected from Chongyun Mountain to simulate real-time surveillance video that appeared genuine. It indeed looked quite intimidating. Those unaware of the situation might even think that it was real-time footage from a drone in the sky. Moreover, it could switch angles and zoom in for a closer look. However, because Alice handled it too delicately, causing the image to lag, Xiang Kun asked her to simply use a simplistic cartoon diagram to mark positions. Regardless, everyone knew this information was falsified. It was more important to ensure fluency and reduce delay. So real-time monitoring turned into: a Little Fatty Girl-style sketch of a person, who looked like the KFC old man, but blonde, moving around within the Little Fatty Girl-style forest. Alice provided occasional commentary: Hes standing still now, seems a bit lost. Probably doesnt know where to go! Boss, should we give him a hint? Oh wait, you told me to handle this myself, so Ill just guide him! Then on the screen, a small square object lit up at the blonde mans feet. He picked it up. Alice explained: I lit up his phone for him and took a picture! After the picture was taken, I turned his face into Johns! Woah, he got scared! Hes tense! All muscles are tight, pupils dilated, he cant believe it! He took a few more pictures, and I changed it again! Hes stunned and motionless, seems hes doubting life itself. Hey, I changed it back! He looks left, he looks right, continuing to question life Alices tone was particularly passionate and excited, sometimes even imitating the characteristic style of Little Fatty Girls recent crosstalk performances, speaking in a Hunan and Chu dialect mimicking Tianjin dialect, like a one woman talk show. However, Xiang Kun and Old Xia both remained expressionless and unresponsive in front of the screen. Old Xia genuinely didnt get it while Xiang Kun was simply tired of listening. Alices enthusiasm was 24/7. She had been this excited while planning every stumbling block for Joel. At the beginning, every time Joel stepped into a pit, Alice would ask for a co-manifestation to show off her achievement in front of them with animated enthusiasm. So now, whenever he heard Alices excited voice, he automatically pictured a miniature Old Xia-like little girl, incessantly pumping her arms and legs and shouting. It was painfully loud. But he couldnt stop her from being ebullient either because, after all, she was performing extremely well Oh? He seems to want to run. Thats impossible! In Alices forest, no one can escape! No one can! Alice continued her passionate commentary. Then a Little Fatty Girl-style little girl in a white dress appeared with a pop near the blonde old man in the cartoon forest. She swayed a little, then disappeared with another pop. The evil vampire overlord is chasing the righteous Alice, but he cant get to her. He looks for her but cant find her. He wants to run again? Alice wont let him get away. Alice reappears, whoosh! Not only was the video in Little Fatty Girl style, Alices commentary was also Little Fatty Girl-ified. Xiang Kun couldnt help but think, if the Little Fatty Girl was here to watch this live commentary by Alice, she would probably be super excited and engaged, probably wishing she could use five Coin Matrix to add the power from Sister Luosi in aid. But he quickly dismissed this thought. If that actually happened, Alices exhilaration would be off the charts as shed be sure to show off with all kinds of stunts in front of her Sister Lingdang. Xiang Kun glanced at Xia Libing next to him. Old Xia was staring blankly at the screen, seemingly focused on Joels situation. However, Xiang Kun knew that Xia was likely spending more energy studying Alice than Joel C after all, the latter was already fully deceived, and the real experiment only required Xiang Kun to enter his Super Sensory State. But through sensory analysis, Xiang Kun knew it was getting late and Old Xia was beginning to tire out and would probably fall asleep soon. He looked at the cartoon blonde old man on the screen and said, Alice, speed it up a little. Finish off this old vampire as soon as possible, collect his Super Sensory Information, so that Old Xia can rest assured and go to sleep. Roger that, Boss! Im going to use the powerful moves I learned from Old Xia! Fog! Fog! Big fog! A big fog rises! In the depths of Chongyun Mountain, Joel naturally couldnt hear Alices whiny and childish Fog is rising, but he did witness a sudden burst of fog materializing from thin air. Then these eerie-looking fogs quickly spread around him, obscuring his entire field of view. Joel was extremely surprised, this fog clearly had an issue, could it be another hallucination? What assured him that this was his own hallucination was that this fog actually had the smell of barbeque! Joel strenuously swung his arms and rushed forward, but not only could he not clear the fog, he couldnt break free either. Instead, he stumbled, landed on the ground, rolled a few times, and stopped after hitting a tree. What Joel didnt know was that if anyone was looking down from the sky at this time, they would see a more eerie spectacle than he did in the fog a cloud of fog seemed to be alive, moving continuously in the forest. And in the middle of that cloud of fog, was Joel. This fog completely covered an area with a seven or eight-meter radius all around Joel. It shielded his view and stuck to him wherever he went. After Old Xia co-manifested this fog to obscure the environment more than a month ago, Alice acquired the ability to co-manifest as well she naturally inherited the ability to co-manifest objects that Old Xia could, including pigs knuckles, cakes, ice creams and not limited to those. Inside the fog, Joel became more restless, but he was still slightly rational. Even if his vision and smell were affected, he still had the prosthetic tissue fluid that he secretly placed in various locations to help him anchor his position. So after he fell, he didnt get up. He lay directly next to the tree, placed his head on the ground, and tried to sense his prearranged prosthetics. However, what he didnt know was that, with the rise of the fog, a large number of ants emerged from all over Chongyun Mountain. Some had wings like bees, some jumped out of the soil, gathered densely together, and swarmed towards the locations where Joel had arranged the prosthetic tissue fluid. The plants parasitized with prosthetic tissue fluid seemed to be normal and didnt show any change, but when the ant colony approached and began to nibble away, they immediately began to swing their trunks as if in pain, and sprayed corrosive fluid from their flower-like organs. Huge piles of ants smoked until they died, but their companions still proceeded regardless, relentlessly attacking the plants Joel called prosthetics, clinging to them, gnawing endlessly. Joel was known as the Lord of the Forest because these prosthetic plants he arranged could help him detect others in advance and ambush them. Inside the fog, even if his vision and smell were blocked, he could use his previously strategically placed, scattered prosthetics to discern direction and identify enemies. However, now that the prosthetics were being attacked by ubiquitous ant swarms, he finally felt despair. He knew that this invisible large hand really had him gripped within it, with nowhere to escape. But whats even more terrifying is that up until now, he still didnt know who his enemy was, who his opponent was. In all his sensory methods, in his surroundings, and along the way, there were no Blood Clan, Blood Beasts, Blood Plants, or even any barely detectable creatures! Just as he fell into despair, a little girls voice sounded, I heard youre called the Lord of the Forest? Chapter 537 - Chapter 537: Chapter 537: Sunrise Chapter 537: Chapter 537: Sunrise This sudden voice, although very eerie, did manage to perk Joel up. He figured out that the voice was coming from above, probably from a tree, so he reached out to touch the trunk and climbed with all his might. He quickly managed to ascend the tree. Where are you? Show yourself! Come out! However, once he was up in the tree, he didnt know where the voice had come from. His vision and sense of smell were both obstructed, the thick fog and the smell of barbecue making it impossible for him to rely on his senses to pinpoint the exact location. He needed the other party to continue making noises, only then could he determine their location from the source of the sound. Are you looking for me? The voice of the little girl seemed to come from below the tree this time. Ah! Without a second thought, Joel acted on his first instinct, darted towards the source of the sound, and jumped off the tree. He hit the ground hard, the impact causing him such pain that he couldnt help but let out a scream. In fact, considering the height from which he jumped, if he had properly landed on his feet, given his physical capabilities and agility, he could have easily absorbed the shock and wouldnt have been hurt at all. Yet he chose to jump in a tiger pouncing on its prey manner. Of course, the ground here was not hard, and given his superior strength and recovery ability compared to ordinary people, the pain was short-lived. All things considered, he was feeling desperate. For Joel in his current state, under the influence of his extreme bloodlust, he was on the verge of losing his mind. He now wished for a powerful, terrifying blood clan or blood beast to appear, even if it wanted to hang him up, tear him apart, it would be better than the torture he was currently enduring. He was beginning to feel that he was losing control over his body, his muscles, and even his own consciousness. If he didnt find a qualified blood source soon, his collapse and dissolution wouldnt be far away. He wished that the individual tormenting him from behind the scenes, the person that brought him to the Chongyun Mountain, that little girl in a white dress, would show herself and tell him when and how she hypnotized him, and then give him a fair fight. Although he knew his chances of winning were slim, at least he could die knowing what happened. He didnt even want to use his most potent abilities of hypnosis and mental disturbance anymore. Of course, he suspected that the little girl was even more powerful in that regard. But that little girl in the white dress, apparently, had no intentions of satisfying his wish. After taunting him, she disappeared once again. After catching his breath, Joel picked himself up from the ground and started cursing the little girl in the white dress. After a while, he started howling in pain again, begging continuously. He even said he was willing to offer his flesh and blood to get a clear picture of what was happening. But the surroundings were still quiet, with only the seemingly endless fog and the unidentified smell of barbecue. In Joels mind, he was convinced that the little girl in the white dress was the puppet master behind all this, but he was still clueless about who she really was, and why he couldnt perceive her in any way, despite trying all the reliable means at his disposal. To him, this little girl in the white dress was like a wicked, powerful demon. Moreover, this demon seemed more comfortable in this forest than he was, like she had control over everything. Even the prosthetic parasites formed by the prosthetic tissue fluid that he had arranged along the way were all eaten by something unknown, not one left. The earlier remark So youre The Lord of the Forest'' felt like mockery and ridicule towards him. Wait, if she knew about his title as the Lord of the Forest, did that mean John was in their hands? A glimmer of hope rose in Joel again. If John, far weaker than him, had the chance of two phases of transformation, surely his cultivation value must be much greater than Johns! Perhaps this torture was only to make him yield. If he was willing to submit and be willingly cultivated, maybe he could get a chance like John? It was even possible that, in order to get him through his phase limit, they might hand John over to him. Suddenly, a bit of confidence and reason returned to him because he realized they had made great efforts to draw him into the Chongyun Mountain area and surely would not just let him suffer from the phase limit and disintegrate. Whether to cultivate him, or to use him as a blood source to cultivate John, they would not let him disintegrate because his greatest value was his vampire blood. Of course, he did not know that Alice had just spoken out because she thought, according to Xiang Kuns cognitive model of Joel, that he had fallen into despair. To prevent Joel from reaching the point of suicide and disrupting Xiang Kuns grand observatory plan, Alice took the initiative to distract him. Alice, still passionately explaining Joels situation just seconds ago, suddenly stopped. Xiang Kun and Old Xia turned their heads to see Old Xias eyes squinted, his head slowly nodding off into a semi-sleep state. Indeed, it was getting late. In a little while, the sun would rise. Joels recent escapades had kept Old Xia up all night; she was already slightly sleep-deprived. Xiang Kun gently nudged her and said, Alice and I can handle this, you should go to sleep. Ill inform you of the results tomorrow. Xia Libing rubbed her eyes. She knew that the situation was pretty much settled. As for the interpretation of super-sensory information, since she couldnt participate, there was no need to stay up any longer. She got up, left the room, ascended the stairs, and went to sleep in Xiao Pingguos room. A few days ago, Tang Baona and Yang Zhen Er headed to Pengcheng City. Their companies, QianKun Technology and Teng Jiao Hu Yu had a new joint project. As Xiang Kun was busy, naturally, Ms. Tang and Ms. Yang had to make the trip. Xia Tianhuo was conducting business with Chu Xiuwen, Liu Caifu, and Zi Cheng in Tongshi Town. He had taken up residence there, and it appeared they were ready to buy a house in Tongshi Town. Since Xiang Kun and Old Xia had moved to the courtyard, it was only natural that they wouldnt let Xiao Pingguo stay alone in the newly rented house. Although Egg Yolk Pie and Jin Shanshan were with her and wouldnt pose any danger, they still had her rest over there. After all, she was sharing a room with Old Xia. Through sensory information like breathing and heartbeat, once Xiang Kun determined that Old Xia upstairs was asleep, he refocused his attention on Joel in Chongyun Mountain. Alice, being quite considerate, turned down the volume of the speakers. The tone was the same, but much quieter, she knew the volume made no difference to Xiang Kun. Alice used Joels phone to capture his voice and play it directly through the speakers. This old blood clan was solemnly expressing his loyalty to Alice. Of course, he did not know Alices name, he referred to her as Honorable Lady in White. He then recounted his experiences of phase transformations, the blood clan, blood descendants, blood beasts and blood plants he had consumed, and explained his own derived abilities. He expressed a willingness to submit and be loyal to the Honorable Lady in White, offer her his life and blood, and even become a blood source for John without objection. His tone was sincere and humble. According to Alices explanations, Joel even knelt down on the ground, forehead to the earth, as he pledged his loyalty. At first, Xiang Kun was surprised but quickly understood Joels thought process and could empathize Xiang Kun glanced at the time and said to Alice, Dawn is approaching. Understood! Alices voice crisply replied. Thus, in Chongyun Mountain, Joel, knelt on the ground, offering his surrender was not rewarded with an appearance from the Honorable Lady in White. Instead, he was met with a thicker fog, an intensifying smell of grilling, and the sudden arrival of a shrill, metallic grinding noise. The assault on the senses instantly amplified Joels bloodthirsty frenzy. However, what shattered him more was that this reaction seemed to signify a rejection of his humble submission. Joel yelled in frustration as the irritating metallic sound drove him to extreme agitation. He knew that he was running out of time. Even if he could escape Chongyun Mountain right now, it would be too late to find a suitable blood source. He lay down on the ground, spewing out his tube-like oral structure again, excreting large amounts of prosthetic tissue fluid. He relied on this to judge his position. Even though his sight, hearing, and smell were all greatly disrupted, and the predetermined prostheses had all been eradicated, he could still, in his own way, detect the positions where those prostheses and prosthetic tissue fluids had disappeared. With this method, even if he could not see, hear, or smell, he could still find his way into the mountains. He had made up his mind that no matter what, he had to get out of Chongyun Mountain first. After arriving in the city, he would randomly grab a few people to have a hearty feast of fresh blood, experience one last thrill before disintegration. Maybe he could force the mastermind behind all this into the open and put up a fight till his dying breath. After groping his way through the dense fog for some time, something suddenly hit his chest and fell to the ground. He was startled and hesitated for a bit. Stooping over to pick it up, he found that it was a roast chicken wing? He held it to his nose and took a deep sniff. The smell it was the scent of barbeque in the heavy mist. But the very next moment, the roast chicken wing in his hand vanished. Joel was taken aback, his mind in a daze once againit was an illusion just now? The realistic touch and scent of the roast chicken wing started making him doubt his senses and mental clarity. Could it be that the mist, the smell, the sounds in front of him, were all just illusions that never existed? Joel shook his head, trying to suppress his manic, blood-thirsty urge, preparing to press on, only to realize that his sense of direction had been thrown off by the interruption. So, Joel had to lie down again, mouth open wide, ready to spit out his mouthpiece, when suddenly an object appeared, blocking his mouth. This scared him into retreating clumsily, rolling and scrambling away. The startled Joel thought back to the thing that had just blocked his mouth, it seemed like a piece of meat? Or rather, a piece of meat whose skin had been seared to a crisp? The sharp noise of metal scraping against metal by his ears suddenly disappeared, then the distinct song of a little girl rang out, Lets learn meow together, meow, meow, meow, meow Joel was stunned for a moment, before it dawned on him that the sound was coming from his phone. But when he pulled out his phone, he found that no matter what he did, he couldnt wake up the screen. At the same time, the sound source abruptly shifted from the phones speaker to behind him. As he turned around, the sound moved to his right, then his left. The origin of the sound was elusive, like a phantom. A seemingly cute song, when heard by Joel, sounded like a demonic tune from hell. He clawed at his head, covered his ears, even had an urge to gouge his eyes out. Suddenly, a bud sprouted on the back of his hand. The tiny bud, tenaciously tore through his skin, struggling to grow outward. The place where his skin had been torn open startlingly oozed no blood. His skin and the bud were tightly fused together, as if they were inherently one. An illusion? Just as Joel was feeling bewildered, he felt a itch in his nose. He touched it and found two very thin tendrils extending out of his nostrils and growing outward. He was shocked and tried to tear off the tendrils, but the tug resulted in a searing headache, causing him to nearly pass out. Could it be that the tendril was connected to his brain? He also noticed that his nails had turned black at some point and were continuously growing longer, whilst his skeleton began to deform. Joel gradually lost control of his body. Things were continuously growing out of his ears and mouth, then burrowing into the ground, as if trying to link him to the earth. He remembered what an older Bloodline Vampire had told him when he first joined the Red Rose. At that time, the elders words were ambiguous and vague, which left him confused. Ultimately, the elder told him that when the chances of breaking through the transitional limit were extremely slim, the Pureblood Circulation, giving your own blood to all members, was the best end. At this moment, he suddenly understood many of the things he hadnt understood before. He knew that his time had come, that the disintegration brought about by reaching the transitional limit was irreversible. The sensation in his body was not just pain, but also a striking feeling of all muscles, all organs, even all cells revolting, fighting amongst themselves, and mutating. This was an irresistible feeling of despair and terror. In the midst of this, he recalled the first human he killed and drank blood from, then the second, the third One face after another surfaced in his mind. He once thought he had forgotten these people, as though, for ordinary people, no matter how good their memory, it would be impossible to remember where they bought each apple they ate, what characteristics it had, how big it was, how it tasted, and the process of acquiring and eating each fish and chicken. To him, ordinary humans were merely food, snacks that satisfied his brief appetite and needs; he never paid them any mind. Only now did he realize that those memories had been in his mind all along, never forgotten. Those desperate faces on the brink of death, the people whom he had tortured for fun, begging for death, the elderly, the adults, women, children He suddenly felt their pain and despair. Chance would have it that in the face of death, everyone was the same? The mist abruptly dispersed. Joel saw the dawn sun just rising from the east, its gentle rays dappling through the leaves, composing a mottled and beautiful pattern on the ground. Dawn had broken? This sunlight, it should be real, right? Indeed, it must be real. Joel had never felt something as real as this. He suddenly remembered the days before becoming a vampire, had those long years been an illusion? Not too far away, a little girl wearing a white princess dress and black leather shoes was watching him with her head tilted, her back towards the sun. He still couldnt sense any Blood Clan, Blood Descendant or Blood Beast characteristics from the little girl. Her illusive abilities that blended illusion with reality were unfathomable to him. Suddenly, he had a moment of enlightenment. Looking at the little girl, he tried to say, forgiveme But in reality, due to a plant stem resembling a tree root sprouting out of his mouth, he couldnt make a single sound. When the rising sun finally reached his face, his consciousness began to fade, and his body started to disintegrate. Dust returned to dust. Earth returned to earth. Chapter 538 - Chapter 538: Chapter 538: The Boss Is Not Afraid Chapter 538: Chapter 538: The Boss Is Not Afraid Inside Chongyun Mountain, when Joel, who now barely resembled a human, having transformed into a monstrous mixture of plants, beasts and humans, began to slowly crumble and fade into ashes. In his room in Chongyun Village, Xiang Kun had already entered the Super Sensory State. Using the Emotion Infused Objects he had previously buried deep within Chongyun Mountain, the black circle graffiti, he descended, and under Alices guidance, he pinpointed the cognitive information that represented Joel. He now understood and could interpret cognitive information much more effectively than before. Especially in the realm of super sensory information, with Alices assistance, he could convert the cognitive information into images, sounds and other traditional sensory information in his consciousness for certain straightforward scenarios. Moreover, this reconceptualization was even more direct compared to the traditional sensory perception. It was like when he perceived a regular persons cognitive information, he could know the targets internal organs, blood, bones, soft tissues and many other internal parts of the body through the analysis of this information. It was much more direct than the information he obtained through the infrared thermographic vision mode and enhanced smell and hearing. If Xiang Kun were to become a doctor, he would easily earn the title of Xiang Bianque or Kun Hua Tuo. He could even perform some simple treatments combining Super-Connected Objects. With greater understanding of cognitive information, he believed that it would not be impossible to directly influence cognitive information through Super-Connected Objects to cure some difficult and complicated diseases in the future. At this moment, Xiang Kun was focusing intently, his brain was operating at high speed, digging into Joels cognitive information as much as he could. From his previous experiences with Mr. Liang and John, Xiang Kun realized that perceiving the cognitive information of a mutant was like peeling an infinite layer cakeno matter how much he peeled, he couldnt get to the core. Or, it could be likened to a dataset with an unknown size and countless subdirectories. At first glance, it seemed like the file was not that large, but upon opening it, it revealed many subdirectories. Each subdirectory again contained countless other subdirectories, making the cognitive information endless and bottomless. Hence, Xiang Kun did not attempt to dig in one direction. Instead, he regulated his perception of Joels cognitive information to remain within the limit of what he and Alice could handle together. A month ago, Xiang Kun had perceived the changes in Johns body cognition after he had swallowed a mutated giant snake. Then, John swallowed another mutant, which allowed Xiang Kun to perceive the changes in a mutants cognitive information from death to disintegration. He also learned about the cognitive information displayed by John, the devouring party. Those two times of super sensory perception and deep observation gave him many insights. This time, to perceive a mutants self-destruction at the limit stage was a rare opportunity. He believed that this super sensory perception would undoubtedly help to further complete his understanding of the root cause of mutants. Just to ensure that Joel self-destructs while at the limit stage, without being influenced by external factors or falling too early into despair and self-destruction, Xiang Kun had not appeared or approached from start to end. He didnt even confine Joels personal freedom. Instead, he guided Joel to Chongyun Mountain, trapped him there, and always retained a sliver of hope for him, so that Joel had no clear understanding of the power difference between them and couldnt accurately identify who the enemy was or their location. Of course, this was also because Xiang Kun knew very well that near the phase limit, Joel would not dare to touch human blood and would deliberately avoid bloody scenes. Therefore, normal people who came into contact with him were temporarily safe. As for Joel a so-called Bloodline Vampire who carried the lives of hundreds of, or even more, individuals, decided life and death casually and used human blood as a basic blood source had finally met his end in this manner. Xiang Kun felt that he had been incredibly merciful. He even considered, if he had time later, he would make a trip to Slovakia to get rid of the Red Rose and tidy up the rest. As for John, interpreted from secretive documents laboriously brought by Alice, it was basically impossible for John to have a chance to leave freely. Unless John could eliminate Mr. Liang with the abilities gained from devouring the two mutant creatures. But considering Mr. Liangs style, that possibility was laughable. Time ticked by, and Joels body had completely turned into gray powder and dissipated into the mountain. Apart from his torn clothes, shoes, and items like his phone, there were no traces left. Xiang Kun did not immediately exit the Super Sensory State. Drawing on his past experience when observing the disintegration of a mutant, he knew what direction he should perceive and search. He had now successfully captured some crucial cognitive information. This cognitive information originally belonged to Joel. However, it had not completely changed its attributes. Instead, it had merged with the surrounding environment and was quickly disappearing. With Alices help and through a large number of Super-Connected Objects spread out in Chongyun Mountain, Xiang Kun could track and perceive this cognitive information, identifying that it did not move with the very fine grey powder that Joel turned into, but instead changed in a non-physical way. About ten minutes later, Xiang Kun opened his eyes, picked up a large sack, left the room, and entered Chongyun Mountain in the glow of the morning sunhe was going to clean up all of Joels belongings. On his way up the mountain, Xiang Kun was reflecting on the information he had obtained from his recent perception and observation. A month ago, not only did he perceive and observe a mutant dying and disintegrating, and a mutant devouring another one, under Alices timely notification, but Alice also helped him extract all the remaining secret documents from the storage device under the Brilliant Fortune Building. Among the remaining secret documents, one was presumably Mr. Liangs summary and reflections on the origin of the mutations. At the beginning of the document, it was even noted, If you are not a blood-eating creature, there is a high risk in reading this document. Be sure to be prepared, and only one person should read it. In that document, Mr. Liang referred to the matter that caused and brought about continuous mutations, making blood-eating creatures different from ordinary creatures, as high-dimensional factors. Xiang Kun was not seeing this term for the first time. He had learned about high-dimensional factor models when he studied machine learning and statistics related content before. However, its clear that the high-dimensional factors Mr. Liang mentions in the document are not those of mathematics, but a term given another meaning. Mr. Liang believed that there is a special particle, as yet undiscovered by humans, or a substance whose existence in a way humans could not yet comprehend, capable of entering a higher dimension of space, or even initially existing in a higher dimensional space, which he referred to as high-dimensional factors. High-dimensional factors can ignore distances in three-dimensional space and move from one point to another in an alternative wayCor, for them, the change in distance in three-dimensional space appears more like a change in the state. Under certain conditions, high-dimensional factors may have a small likelihood of influencing the fundamental particles within a living body, causing mutations in the entire living unit. It doesnt rule out that high-dimensional factors could also affect non-living bodies, but so far no specific examples have been discovered. Not only did Mr. Liang have the document, but he also included several videos, and a few experimental records to verify some of the conjectures he had made using himself as the test subject. Of course, at the beginning of these videos, the already disfigured Mr. Liang would warn in his raspy metallic voice, extremely dangerous, if you are not a blood-eating creature, be prepared to sacrifice yourself before viewing. Mr. Liang compiled some summarizations of the characteristics of high-dimensional factors in the three-dimensional space that humans can comprehend, based on his observations and studies of a large number of blood-eating creatures, and his personal experience. He believed that once the high-dimensional factors produced dominant influences on a creature, it would continue to trigger mutations in that creature by changing its microstructure, constantly driving them to seize the survival ability of other creatures as fuel for their influence on the host. Based on his previous observational experiments, Mr. Liang proved that the energy for the movement and growth of blood-eating creatures did not come from the blood they ingested. They have a unique energy circulation system, which operates in different ways according to the different mutation bodies of the blood-eating creatures. As for their thirst for blood, it is actually the need of the high-dimensional factors inside the blood-eating creatures. In essence, the material they need is not entirely in the blood. Blood-drinking itself is a ritual of seizing the survival ability of living creatures. When this act is accomplished, the high-dimensional factors can obtain what they need from the seized living creature. High-dimensional factors are also the survival of the fittest among themselves. When a blood-eating creature kills another blood-eating creature and enters the blood-drinking phase, it doesnt need to drink all the blood. As long as their high-dimensional factors judge that the robbery was successful, it can devour the others high-dimensional factors. Moreover, the others high-dimensional factors will also record the entire mutation process information of the opponent, which can then help the devourer in its mutation transformation. Drinking blood is like seizing a piece of paper with the bank account and password written on it. If you seize a bit, you can see a bit of information, and if you grab it to a certain extent, you can see the account number and password. However, you dont need to seize all of it. But knowing the account number and password, and needing the other party to die before you can get the money in their account. Otherwise, having the account number and password would be useless. Therefore, the blood they drink itself is not important, the process of blood-drinking and the state of the creature being drunk from is whats important. Thus, for some plant blood-eating creatures that dont even have blood, their tissue fluid can also be the target of ingestion. High-dimensional factors are not the same and equal among themselves, they also have levels of high and low, strength and weakness. After devouring other mutant creatures high-dimensional factors, they will undergo a qualitative change as a whole, elevate in level, thereby bringing more powerful mutation influences to the host life unit. But afterwards, the fuel needed for high-dimensional factors to continue to mutate also needs to be upgraded accordingly, and similarly needs to devour relatively high-level high-dimensional factors. If they are unable to obtain it, under the continuous mutation, they will tend towards the collapse and extinction of life, and the high-dimensional factors will also disperse and disintegrate, returning to their initial state. So only when high-dimensional factors produce an influence within a life unit, the only way for it to continue to survive is to continuously satisfy the ever-increasing fuel demands of the high-dimensional factors. In another document, Mr. Liang also classified all the blood-eating creatures into levels, including Blood source, Ordinary blood-eating creatures, Predator, High-level predator, and Ultimate predator. However, Mr. Liangs rating seemed very strict. Most of the blood-eating creatures he found were classified as ordinary blood-eating creatures, and even the old European blood clan were only classified as a Blood source. There are very few who made it to the predator level. The ones Xiang Kun could recognize based on the descriptions included a giant raptorwhich was the mutated big bird that ate the mutated ant, could become invisible, and was particularly tenacious and resilient. Another, with no specific image description, only marked with keywords such as Qinling Uninhabited Area and rabbit wood carving, Xiang Kun could guess that it refers to him. However, Xiang Kun was still slightly discontent with thisafter all, he could claim the title of advanced! As for the Ultimate Predator, Mr. Liang believed it to be an extremely early Blood-eating creature that had become an incomprehensible life form to ordinary people after countless transitional transformations in a very long span of time. It was scattered all over the world, among various creatures, and was accompanying all carbon compounds. Mr. Liang couldnt be sure which compound it was, or what the Ultimate Predators life form was like. He only knew that it influenced material transformation by affecting several chemical bonds of carbon atoms in compounds. Regarding the Ultimate Predator, Mr. Liang had many guesses. He even believed that several major biological extinctions, significant changes in the Earths environment, the birth of mankind, etc., were all related to the Ultimate Predator, but there was no evidence for these guesses, and they remained pure speculation. Though the document about the High-Dimensional Factors Mutation Theory did not have a specific date, Xiang Kun could infer from some descriptions that it was written recently. Some judgements contradicted earlier documents, clearly showing a significant transformation. Moreover, the highly spontaneous writing style suggested that it was more of his personal thoughts rather than the work of a trained researcher like Academician Shen. Mr. Liangs theory was similar to many of Xiang Kuns conjectures: they hypothesized boldly and sought evidence carefully. As long as it could provide an explanation for their own abilities, it was good enough. However, the theories and conjectures proposed were based on specific observations and personal perceptions, thus, they could be considered experience-based, and provided a reference for Xiang Kun. Of course, after reading it, and considering his own experiences and understanding, especially after todays complete perceptual process of Joels stage limit disintegration under the Super Sensory State, Xiang Kun had many different views. Like the ritualistic interpretation of blood-drinking, Xiang Kun didnt think it was entirely accurate. Based on his blood-drinking experience, the blood or the mutant plants tissue fluid would certainly carry something. Just like when he fought the Giant Owl, a lick of its blood enabled him to see some memory imagesof course, he now knew the ability to obtain a mutants memory images through blood-drinking was unique to him. However, he also knew that the ritualistic interpretation wasnt entirely incorrect. There were several instances involving the consumption or blood-drinking of mutants where he felt he didnt need to keep drinking anymore after a certain point. Especially after clearly perceiving the demise of two mutants, he knew that the transfer and movement of High-Dimensional Factors was not just a simple physical carrying mechanism. Of course, the greatest difference between Xiang Kuns understanding of High-Dimensional Factors and Mr. Liangs was their relationship with consciousness. From the document, it was clear that Mr. Liang had minimal understanding of this. According to Mr. Liangs theory, Xiang Kun saw High-Dimensional Factors as a group of workers who suddenly appeared on a construction site. They looked at the building, contemplated the possible plans of the building owner, and started remodeling right away. The blood of ordinary creatures was like the building material, while the High-Dimensional Factors were the construction workers using these materials for construction. The higher and larger the building, the more workers were needed, and they had to be at a similar level and with not significantly lower technical skills to be accepted and able to work. When there were enough workers, the building would continue. If not, the building would collapse. Once the building collapse, the workers would scatter in all directions. But according to Xiang Kuns cognition, these High-Dimensional Factors may not have come by themselves, but possibly due to the consciousness of various creatures pulling them forcefully. Moreover, High-Dimensional Factors are not only construction workers. They could also be engineers, painters, boxers, soldiers, etc. In the realm of consciousness, High-Dimensional Factors have wider and more potent applications. These workers will keep building houses until they collapse, because their only job is to build, theres nothing but the construction site for them. Theres no diverse path of choices, no broader horizon for themeven though each one of them is a Superman. After entering a Super Sensory State, perceiving Super Sensory Information, and integrating Emotion Infused Objects and Super-connected Objects into the Super Sensory Item System, Xiang Kun had developed a more profound understanding of the ultimate factor affecting mutations, or the High-Dimensional Factors as Mr. Liang called them. For High-Dimensional Factors to exercise their capabilities, they should not be limited to personal creatures, or even limited to one space. As the affected individual, human consciousness is the only way to intervene. Consciousness is the only path that closes the gap with High-Dimensional Factors. When he arrived at the place where Joel had disappeared and disintegrated, Xiang Kun squatted down, stuffed all of Joels clothes, shoes, and personal items into the bag he brought, and then touched a piece of grass that seemed to have been trampled on, lost in thoughts. During his battle with the mutated spider in Qinling Uninhabited Area, Xiang Kun became aware of mutant plants. Later, while contemplating the influence of consciousness and mutation, he was momentarily perplexed. Werent plants incapable of generating consciousness? However, his subsequent analysis of super-sensory information helped him realize that plants do indeed possess consciousness. Its just that their consciousness doesnt align with human cognition. Aristotle believed that plants, only capable of nutrient absorption and metabolic activity, had a nutritive soul but not a sensitive soul. But in fact, they simply lack human perception, yet they possess a perception unique to themselves. And that perception is also an area that high-dimensional factors can encompass. Therefore, they too can be influenced by these high-dimensional factors. They too can become mutants and participate in the devouring and evolution brought about by these high-dimensional factors. As Xiang Kun was deep in thought, Alice co-manifested next to him, squatting down to his side, looking around, and then at him. Boss, you wont turn into something like this! Alice will capture all mutants for you to eat in the future! Alice earnestly extended her hand towards Xiang Kuns bald head after her solemn declaration. Amused and exasperated, Xiang Kun knocked her little hand away, saying, Who told you Im afraid of turning into something like that? Alice nodded vigorously, Mmhm, Boss isnt afraid. Even if you turned into a Barbie Warrior, Alice wouldnt mind! Silently, Xiang Kun flicked her forehead, causing her co-manifestation to dissipate. Then he stood up, walked over to a nearby tree, placed both hands on its trunk, and closed his eyes to enter Super Sensory State. Several seconds later, the leaves at the top of the tree began to wither and fall. An odd black fruit formed at the end of a branch and began to grow gradually. Xiang Kun opened his eyes, looking up at his masterpiece in surprise. The effect was achieved through the super-connected objects around him, similar in principle to how he transformed his body by establishing a connection with 001 and 002. But this time, his method of transformation was slightly different. During Joels physical collapse, he also tracked those key cognitive information. However, as Mr. Liang described regarding high-dimensional factors, they are not affected by the distance in the three-dimensional space. Changes in distance are like changes in state. Therefore, the key cognitive information did not spread out from Joel but disappeared instantly. Yet, a small portion of it still existed nearby, such as within that tree. His transformation was a process of extending from the basis of these key cognitive information. Xiang Kun was unsure of the state of this tree. For now, he didnt detect the scent of a mutant from the tree, and he was unable to determine through the super-sensory information whether it was a mutant. Yet, it was fundamentally different from 001, 002, and Goldie. Alice co-manifested again next to him. Xiang Kun pointed a finger at the tree trunk and instructed, Watch it closely. Yes, Boss! Alice looked up with an energetic smile. She gently poked the tree trunk with her scalpel and asked, Boss, can I name it? Go ahead, Xiang Kun casually agreed. He was also a bit curious about what Alices naming style would be. A second later, the answer was revealed: Xiao Luobo! From now on, you are Little Radish Tree! Well, as expected, Little Fatty Girl had the most significant influence on Alice. Chapter 539 - Chapter 539: Chapter 539 Am I Awesome or What? Chapter 539: Chapter 539 Am I Awesome or What? When Joels body disintegrated and was reduced to ashes, John, who was under the Brilliant Fortune Building in Pengcheng City, also felt a strange sensation, as if a hat that he had gotten used to wearing on his head had suddenly been taken off. He knew Joel had tampered with him, so when he sensed the unusual feeling, his first reaction was that Earl Joel had arrived and was determining his location or status! If it had been when he had just been captured by Mr. Liang, he would have been somewhat worried if he knew that Earl Joel was right behind him. That was because he knew Earl Joel could easily find out he had betrayed the Red Rose and him. But after gaining a better understanding of Mr. Liangs power and influence, John no longer worried, prioritizing saving his own life first. Even if Joel did come, he wouldnt stand a chance against Mr. Liang and his allies. If Joel did arrive, he might even be able to use the situation to raise his own status in Mr. Liangs favor. However, after spending those three sunless months beneath the Brilliant Fortune Building and defeating two blood beasts through arduous fights, using their fresh blood to aid his two phase transformations, Johns thoughts had changed again. He now felt much stronger, and Mr. Liang hadnt thoroughly examined or understood his changes resulting from the two phase transformations. Against Mr. Liang, he believed that he had a few tricks up his sleeve. He was sure that, at the right time, if he launched a surprise attack, he might have a chance to inflict heavy damage on Mr. Liang and seize an opportunity to escape or even consume Mr. Liang. And now, if Earl Joel really had come to China, it might provide him with that opportunity. So, within the entirely closed room, he got up, ran to where the surveillance camera was located, and jumped up and down shouting, Lord Liang! I have something to report! Important news! After his victory over the mutated giant serpent and the completion of his phase transformation, he had been confined in this enclosed room like the rest of the blood beasts. To be precise, apart from him, there should only be one other blood beast left in this underground space. Speak. Mr. Liangs harsh and unpleasant voice came from the speaker. John hurriedly said, Its about Earl Joel who I told you about before Old Joel! Hes the oldest bloodline vampire in the Red Rose, and he is over two hundred years old. I came to your country this time to help him look for the Blood Source. He should be here now. I can feel it Where? Mr. Liangs method of communication was straightforward. I cant confirm his location at the moment But! Based on our habits, if we were to enter your country, we would usually not come by sea. The probability of entering through the land borders is higher, so like me, he probably sneaked in from the southwest border. But now, the strange sensation I am experiencing should mean he isnt very far from me! He has a method to confirm the locations where his prosthetics have disappeared. He probably found his way here based on where you ate his prosthetic. He should already know our location! Lord Liang, you must prepare. He will come knocking. John spoke in a loyal and dutiful tone, If you dont want this place exposed, you could move me somewhere else. I am sure that, when he comes knocking, I can help you catch him. Joel is over two hundred years old. I think his phase limit must be nearing, which is why he might have come himself. Mr. Liang still spoke nonchalantly, Understood. John sighed in relief. It seemed that Mr. Liang really didnt take the vampires of the Red Rose seriously. But from a certain perspective, his underestimation was a good thing for John himself. Just wait, Ill certainly surprise this monster. While he was thinking this, Mr. Liangs voice suddenly rang out again, startling him: Are you ready? Eh? John looked up at the surveillance camera and said blankly, Ready for what? You should know whats staying next to you, right? Youll be staying with it next, are you ready? John immediately understood, and quickly said, Of course Im not ready yet. Give me some more time. But the time Mr. Liang gave was clearly limited, One more day. In a modestly scaled but locally renowned kindergarten in Pengcheng City In a classroom, a young and pretty female teacher was introducing the characteristics and habits of some animals to a group of children using projected images. Sitting amid the children, Liu Shiling was somewhat lost in thought. Indeed, while this kindergarten was rather advanced in its teaching approach, the content still couldnt quite keep up with her pace. Usually at this time, shed be learning words and various fun facts with Alice, or studying mathematics and drawing with Ms. Fairy and others. And if it was about fun, the stories and knowledge shared by Sister Xiao Pingguo, and the fun sketch comedies and crosstalk they prepared together, were much more fun than what the teacher taught. So, she often daydreamed in class. She participated superficially in the teacher-student interactions; her real thoughts were elsewhere, either considering a jumble of ideas such as her magic training plan, return to Chongyun Village plan, her new duo act with Sister Apple, conceptualization of Barbie Warriors new skin, Custard Pies weight loss plan, plan to graduate from elementary school early and enter junior high, plan to finish nine years of compulsory education in five years and so on, or she was practicing controlling her magic quietly. For instance, at that moment, she was quietly controlling two coins to scratch her back. However, her absent-minded state or rather, her adorably lit expression, caught the teachers attention. Shiling, do you have any questions about what the teacher just explained? All of the other children turned to look at Liu Shiling. But the current Little Fatty Girl was not the same as before. Despite the other childrens gazes, she calmly hid the two coins that were scratching her back into her sleeves, and let them climb back into her pocket before shaking her head blankly, No, I understood everything. Teacher explained it really well! Then Do you have any questions about the giant panda? the teacher asked again. Liu Shiling shook her head. Does Shiling know a lot about pandas now? Liu Shiling nodded. Then Shiling, come up and teach the other children about pandas again, okay? The teacher said with a smile, If you do well, Ill reward you with two little red flowers! Liu Shiling scratched her head and obediently walked up to the projection screen. She looked up at the big panda face and after hesitating for two seconds, she began to speak, Wow, the panda, it has a round head and a round belly, with short arms and legs, and even a short tail. When its young, its especially small, and when it grows up, its especially big, but its always round. Hey? Dont be fooled by its roundness, its great at climbing trees, whoosh up a tree, just like a golden monkey among bears. Pandas love to eat bamboo, so they stay in bamboo forests, but they can also eat meat, even munching on big pig trotters. Pandas are our national treasures, we must take care of them What she was rambling about was certainly not what the teacher had just explained. She hadnt really heard much of what the teacher had said. These were all things that Sister Xiao Pingguo had told her about different animals in the past. Of course, she couldnt fully repeat it all, and could only give a general idea, sometimes pausing in between, but her performance was already more than enough. Not only were the kids below listening intently, even the teacher was dumbfoundedShe originally thought she could use this method to make the new student Liu Shiling understand the principle of paying attention when the teacher is giving a lecture, but as soon as this young lady opened her mouth, she performed a seemingly educational stand-up show? The most amazing part was that her accent had even changed! In the past, if the Little Fatty Girl had to speak or perform in front of so many unfamiliar faces, she would be very nervous and not know what to do, not even knowing where to put her hands. But after forming the Bell Apple, Ring Apple duo with Sister Xiao Pingguo in Chongyun Village, she would often perform in front of the Chicken Wing Sister and Pretty Sister. In particular, when Sister Xiao Pingguo helped her and Old Fairy Sister prepare a comedy sketch, and later when Old Fairy Sister came to Pengcheng City, she would take her out to play every few days, then they would perform together for others to watch. Although those uncles and aunts, grandpas and grandmas, looked very kind and treated her especially well, in the beginning she was indeed very nervous and would often mess up or mispronounce her lines. However, they were always especially happy every time, regardless of whether she made a mistake, they would praise her and tell her she did a good job. Gradually, she was no longer nervous. So now, facing a group of children and a teacher, she could remain calm and was not afraid of making mistakes or forgetting her lines. After Liu Shiling finished speaking about pandas, the female teacher intended to praise her and let her return to her seat. However, when the teacher clicked her remote, the image of the panda baby on the projection screen changed to an ant. Liu Shiling looked back and said quite naturally: This is an ant Its called a Big-headed ant, because its head is especially big! Ants have six legs, three on each side. It moves very fast, but because it has two legs less than a spider, its not as fast as a spider. Not every ant can become a mother, only one ant with a particularly large belly can become an ant queen. Its belly is filled with ant eggs, giving birth to a bunch of little ants every once in a while. Little ants can help everyone find food and fight, and the ant queen just keeps giving birth to little ants. I also know about a kind of really cute ant called the N-Glowing, Belly, Bow, Back, Ant. The N is not you in you and me, it has a hand radical on the left and on the right is yi as in to think. Can you guys write yi? Yi is written like this. Glowing is the glow in no, its the glow in Bright Teacher was standing aside looking shocked, with her mouth slightly agape and a surprised expression on her face. She instinctively felt that something Liu Shiling said seemed off, but on closer thought, she couldnt point out what was wrong. As for the other children, they listened intently, their eyes full of admiration when they looked at Liu. In fact, they were already very curious about this new little girl who had just transferred to the kindergarten not long ago. Because, after Tang Baona and Yang Zhen Er arrived in Pengcheng, Old Fairy Sister, who loved to dress up children and buy clothes for them, simply lost control and completely let loose. As a result, Little Fatty Girl appeared in new clothes and beautiful shoes every day, dressed so delicately that she looked like a little princess. Plus, she wasnt very proactive in talking to other children, nor did she like to play the family games or other games that other children enjoyed. She preferred to be alone and quiet, which gave a very special cool feeling. This made the other children keep a certain distance from her, but also sparked a desire to get close to her and know her better. And todays performance had elevated Liu Shilings mysterious status among the children even further. In the afternoon, after school, Liu Shiling walked out carrying her little backpack, and immediately saw Old Fairy Sister stretching her neck to look for her at the kindergarten gate. Recently, Yang Zhen Er would always volunteer to pick up the Little Fatty Girl. She would then take her out for meals, shopping, and playtime. Liu Shiling naturally reached over and held Yang Zhen Ers hand, bidding goodbye to the teacher at the door. Xiao Lingdang, your teacher just praised you! She said you are amazing, even knowing a lot about ants. Today, you received two red flowers in class! Yang Zhen Er spoke excitedly while holding Little Fatty Girls hand, as if she was the one who received the red flowers, not Little Fatty Girl. Liu Shiling tilted her face up and said, Sister Xiao Pingguo and Sister Luosi taught me. Yang Zhen Er knew that Sister Luosi was a little girl that Little Fatty Girl frequently chatted with online. Even though she had never met her, she knew this little girl was exceptionally knowledgeable. Regardless, Xiao Lingdang is the best! Well, you received three red flowers today, sister will reward you with three sets of new clothes! Yang Zhen Er said joyfully. As she spoke, she was already considering where to take Little Fatty Girl shopping. Ms. Fairy, stop buying clothes. Its too wasteful, I have more clothes at home than I can wear. Mom also said, I cant accept any more clothes from you. Otherwise, she will spank me. Liu Shiling said with a pained expression. How could it be wasteful! Xiao Lingdang, you are so cute hence you deserve the best clothes! Ok, alright, no clothes this time. How about hats? I found an online brand that sells beautiful kids hats. Upon seeing Little Fatty Girls look of despair, Yang Zhen Er could only relent: Ok, ok. No clothes, no hats, and no shoes either. Lets go have something tasty! Naturally, Little Fatty Girl was delighted with this suggestion, bobbing her head in agreement. Then, both of them went to a restaurant with good reviews that Yang Zhen Er had found online. This restaurant genuinely did have good food. However, after finishing their meal, Yang Zhen Er habitually said: Although its not bad, it still pales in comparison to what Brother Xiang cooks. I miss his boiled fish fillets and dry pot rabbit meat! As she said this, Liu Shiling who was sitting opposite her, was rubbing her tummy and nodding her head like a pecking chicken. After their meal, Yang Zhen Er took Liu Shiling back to the house she and Tang Baona had rented C their place and Liu Shilings were in the same complex and building. During this period, Tang Baona was always in the Teng Jiao Entertainment coordinating with Zhang Qian on some matters. Shilings mom, due to her hard work, had started doing some real work in the administrative department, instead of just running errands. So, both of them often had to work until late to return home. As for Yang Zhen Er, her main role at QianKun Technology was Tang Baonas executive assistant and also covered some financial tasks. Usually, there was not much to do, so naturally, she took over looking after Liu Shiling C which allowed Shilings mom to wholeheartedly put herself into work, or more accurately, to start working truly. Of course, in Yang Zhen Ers own words, spending time together with Little Fatty Girl made her incredibly happy. Back at home, noticing that Little Fatty Girl was about to take her IPAD out to study, Yang Zhen Er quickly pulled her onto the sofa and said: Xiao Lingdang, dont rush to study. Watch your fairy sister perform some magic!! Saying so, she took out a disposable cup, placed it on the TV cabinet, then retreated to the doorway. She placed a coin on her thumb and announced triumphantly: Behold the miracle! Then, she flicked the a coin towards the TV. The coin spun through the air, tracing a long arc before accurately falling into the disposable cup. Yang Zhen Er jumped excitedly and shouted at Liu Shiling, who was staring wide-eyed at the cup on the sofa: Xiao Lingdang, am I amazing or what! Chapter 540 - Chapter 540: Chapter 540: Magic Studies and Life (Part 1) Chapter 540: Chapter 540: Magic Studies and Life (Part 1) After Yang Zhen Er tossed the coin and hit the disposable paper cup, she excitedly showed off to Little Fatty Girl. However, she noticed that Little Fatty Girl was just staring at the cup with wide eyes. The response was very different from the Wow, youre amazing, Ms. Fairy! that she had envisioned, so she repeated herself: Xiao Lingdang, am I cool or not? It was then that Little Fatty Girl finally uttered an Ah?, quickly nodding in agreement, Uh-huh, Ms. Fairy is cool. She then got up and went over to the TV stand, looking at the coin in the cup. Yang Zhen Er caught Little Fatty Girls perfunctory astonishment. Thinking that she didnt understand why she was so amazing, she quickly went over and picked up the coin, returned to her previous position, and said, Xiao Lingdang, this move is super hard to practice. Its not just tossing a coin, its like this, Ding, use your thumb to flick it straight away, look! Its still spinning in the air! With that, Yang Zhen Er demonstrated again, flicking the coin from the doorway into the cup with her thumb. Its so hard! Xiao Lingdang, this is even harder than flipping a coin with your fingers! If you dont believe me, you try. So Liu Shiling stood next to Yang Zhen Er, took a coin out of her pocket, and mimicked Yang Zhen Ers movement: she placed the coin on her thumb, clenched the other four fingers loosely, and bent her thumb and index finger into a launch rail. When she flicked the coin, Liu Shiling seemed to be afraid that she wasnt strong enough, she even thrust her entire arm upwards as if giving a thumbs up to the air. The arc of the coin she tossed was much larger than the one Yang Zhen Er had just flicked, and the spinning coin nearly touched the ceiling before neatly dropping into the cup. Watching the coin fall into the cup, Yang Zhen Ers mouth slowly opened and she was momentarily stunned. So is coin flicking actually easy? Could a preschooler randomly do it? Did she make a big deal out of nothing? As she contemplated, Liu Shiling took another coin out of her pocket and placed it in her hand, Ms. Fairy, try it with mymy coin. Yang Zhen Er shook her head after receiving the coin, No, I can only get it in with the coin Brother Xiang gave. The coins he gave me are perhaps lighter or something; its hard to get other one-yuan coins in, and neither five cents nor five-yuan large commemorative coins work. Mine was also given by Bald Uncle. Ms. Fairy, give it a try. Liu Shiling said. Yang Zhen Er had no choice but to take a deep breath and flick the coin in the same way as before, but this time the coin missed the cup and clinked twice on the TV stand, rolling under the coffee table. Liu Shiling didnt rush to fetch the coin, but instead consoled Yang Zhen Er, who looked a little vexed, Its okay, Ms. Fairy. Try again with this one. Its also from Bald Uncle. She took another coin from her pocket. Yang Zhen Er felt the atmosphere was a bit weird. Did her and Little Fatty Girls positions get reversed? She subconsciously accepted another coin from Little Fatty Girl, made a ding sound and shot the coin out. As soon as the coin left her hand, she felt like she missed again. To her surprise, however, the coin spinning in mid-air, as if it had a precise guidance system of its own, yet again managed to fall accurately into the cup. The entire process looked extremely smooth, and the trajectory was even better than that of the coin she initially shot out. Huh? Yang Zhen Er looked at her fingers in surprise. Liu Shiling picked up the coin that had rolled under the coffee table and the one in the cup, walked back to Yang Zhen Ers side, and handed over the four coins, Ms. Fairy, which coin is yours? Yang Zhen Er fumbled in the coins and selected one, saying, This one is mine, mine is from 2011. Hey, Xiao Lingdang, do you usually bring so many coins with you to kindergarten? Yes, I take them everywhere. Liu Shiling nodded seriously, then said, Ms. Fairy, hand me your coin. Yang Zhen Er paused, looked at the coin in her hand and at the adorable Little Fatty Girl, hesitated, and said, Xiao Lingdang, do you have any other toys you like? How about your big sister buy them for you? This coin was given by Brother Xiang, and I only have this one. If I give it to you, I wont have one.. Liu Shiling paused, realizing that she had been misunderstood, and quickly said, Ms. Fairy, I dont want it as a gift. Im just asking for the coin so we can play a game. Oh, okay. Yang Zhen Er sighed in relief. After Liu Shiling took the coin, she quickly spun it between her fingers on the back of her left hand, quickly covered the coin with her right hand, and asked, Ms. Fairy, is it small one or small flower now? Yang Zhen Er blinked, saying uncertainly, Is it small one? Liu Shiling lifted her right hand, Youre wrong, Ms. Fairy, its small flower. Yang Zhen Er stroked her chin and said, What I meant was, its a little one.. flower, hehe. But Liu Shiling ignored Ms. Fairys mischief, clenched the coin in her hand, and put both hands behind her back. After a little fiddling, both arms clenched fists and stretched out at her sides, making her look like a big character, and said, Ms. Fairy, which hand is the coin in now? Is there a reward if I guess right? Yang Zhen Er asked with a giggle. Liu Shiling thought for a moment and replied, When Bald Uncle comes over next time and makes buns, Ill give Ms. Fairy one from each meal. Deal! Yang Zhen Er immediately said, Also, you have to call me Fairy Sister, Xi Yi An Xian, Ne Fish Fairy, Fairy! Sister! Liu Shiling nodded, Okay, Ms. Fairy. Yang Zhen Er then contentedly started observing Liu Shilings clenched little fists on both sides. She didnt rush to guess. Instead, she first positioned herself on the left, extended her finger and tapped on Little Fatty Girls clenched little fist, which looked like little white buns. Then she walked to the right, tapped the bun-like fist on this side too, and confidently said, Its in your left hand! Sure enough, the coin was lying on Liu Shilings left hand. Yang Zhen Er teasingly explained with a hint of smugness, Xiao Lingdang, your hands are too small. When you hold the coin, you squeeze it hard, and your tiny fists are too obvious! Ha-ha! Liu Shiling helplessly said, Ms. Fairy, no cheating. Yang Zhener reached out to gently squeeze her face, puckering her lips: I dont care, you lost the bet! What do you call me? OldMs. Fairy, Ms. Fairy! However, having learned her lesson, Liu Shiling changed her tactics. This time, she kept her hands hidden behind her back to prevent Yang Zhener from touching her small fists. Sure enough, in three trials, Yang Zhener guessed wrong twice. After confirming that Yang Zhener could not guess where the coin was located, Liu Shiling took out a crumpled A4-sized paper from her small backpack and folded it into a paper plane for Yang Zhener. Good old fairy sist er sister, you launch this paper airplane. Yang Zhener accepted the makeshift paper airplane, and could not help but laugh, This feels like I am being tested. I suppose I need to pass before I can join your coin and origami hobby group? Wasnt it she who started off bragging about her Flying Coin Into Cup skill? But now, it appeared as if she had flipped a switch in Xiao Lingdang, with the young girl taking control. But she did not understand what Xiao Lingdang was up to. Im just playing a game with Fairy Sister, Fairy Sister, give it a go. Dont worry, it wont fall off the balcony, Liu Shiling said. Thats right, Ms. Fairy~, Yang Zhener corrected. Yes, yes, Ms. Fairy! Liu Shiling nodded emphatically, raised her arms in a flight gesture, signaling Yang Zhener to launch the airplane. Around eleven at night, after saying goodbye to Zhang Qian, Tang Baona stepped out of the building and walked home. The apartment complex she and Yang Zhener were renting was very close to the Teng Jiao Interactive building, about a fifteen-minute walk, so she didnt call a ride but decided to enjoy the evening breeze on her own. Back when they were in Peng City, their hotel was nearby. Yang Zhener used to accompany her during walks to and from the hotel, no matter how early or late it was. Although Yang Lao San loved to chat nonstop along the way, the sudden solitude of walking alone, having gotten used to his company, feltsomewhat lonely. But considering that Yang Lao San had gone to pick up their beloved Little Fatty Girl, she wasnt jealous anymore. Shilings Mom indeed had a hard time juggling everything. It was already past eleven, and she was still at work. She probably wouldnt be able to get home until around midnight. Initially, Zhang Qian had arranged a very easy job for Shilings Mom. She could pick up Liu Shiling from school early everyday and then go home to cook dinner. However, after diligently learning and working, she had secured a genuine position in her department. To justify her generous salary and the opportunity given by Zhang Qian, she worked even harder. This trip to Peng City, upon meeting Shilings Mom, Tang Baona was taken aback. Compared to when they met in Star City, Shilings Mom had lost a lot of weight and seemed more capable and energetic. She looked as if she had always been a working woman and not a housewife. Recently, with the game officially launched and mass promotions underway, they had to prepare and push for new projects, recruit more manpower, expand several project teams, and establish new departments. Therefore, everyone was particularly busy and she felt embarrassed to leave work early to pick up her daughter. Initially, she thought of hiring someone to pick her daughter up from school and cook dinner. However, once Yang Zhener arrived in Peng City, she assertively took over these responsibilities. Basically, if Shilings Mom was busy, it would be Yang Zhener picking up Little Fatty Girl from school, feeding her, and taking her home to wait for Shilings Mom. Of course, sometimes Tang Baona and Yang Zhener would go together, and sometimes the three of them would go together. Tang Baona knew that Yang Zhen Er really loved taking care of the Little Fatty Girl. It was a delight for her. The Little Fatty Girl was lovable, sensible, and well-behaved. Taking care of her was not trouble at all, but only fun. Yang Zhen Er even often moaned that Xiao Lingdang was too studious. Once she got home, she would start studying and barely had any time to play, so she had to take her out as much as possible and come back home later. She thought about what Yang Zhen Er had said before: if she had a daughter, she would want her to be like Xiao Lingdang. Just as she was wondering if her own daughter would be as adorable as Xiao Lingdang, she suddenly heard a frivolous whistle from a distance, followed by a clearly drunken voice: Beauty! Lets go drinking! We should go to the PUB. Ill buy! Order anything you want! Out of the corner of her eye, Tang Baona observed three men of approximately 20 or 30 years old walking together. One of them seemed highly drunk and was shouting her way, while the other two laughed and tried to pull him away. Tang Baona didnt react, decided to just speed up and walk away. She wasnt afraid. The safety of this area was great, cameras lined the streets, even finding a blind spot was hard. Despite being past eleven, there were still many people around, and a police kiosk within close proximity. At most, the drunk man would only shout a few words, making a fool of himself. If Yang Zhen Er were here, he would have probably talked back. But she just couldnt be bothered. However, just as she took a few steps, there was a sudden ear-piercing alarm from the drunkards place, startling her enough to make her instinctively turn back. Not only Tang Baona, but the drunkard and his companions were also taken aback, prompting passersby and local security guards to turn their attention to them. Holy shit, whats up with your phone? Is it about to explode? Why is it making that kind of noise? one of his companions yelled after confirming that it was the drunkards phone. The drunk man looked at his phone, grumbling and unlocking it. But as soon as the noise stopped, it automatically switched to the calling screen with the speaker on. Maybe the phone speaker was too strong or that the surroundings were too quiet at this time of night, but the voice from the call was clearly audible: Mr. Wang! What the fuck! You said you were working overtime and would be sleeping in the office! I fucking bought your lies and was worried about your health! Who were you really calling, sending the call to me instead? WifeI didntI wasjust kidding Kidding my ass! Even over the phone, I can tell youre drunk! Roll back home now, immediately! Under that commanding roar, the drink in the drunk man seemed to sober up instantly. Amidst his companions laughs, he slunk away and made a run for it. Tang BaoNa continued walking home, but something about the weird encounter didnt sit well with her. She paused under a streetlight and asked in a light whisper, Was that you, Little Elf? The streetlight suddenly dimmed a little and then brightened back up half a second later. Tang BaoNa adjusted her glasses, squinted up at the light, and exclaimed happily, So you came to Peng City with me! She gently patted the light pole, Thank you, Little Elf. With lighter steps, Tang Baona continued walking home. She found herself unable to resist walking with a skip in her stride that she hadnt done since her childhood. Despite her professional attire and bun hairstyle, she exuded a youthful, lively charm. Chapter 541 - Chapter 541: Chapter 541: Magic Studies and Life (Part 2) Chapter 541: Chapter 541: Magic Studies and Life (Part 2) When Tang Baona was about the age of Little Lingdang, she often fantasized that she was a fairy with superpowers that could communicate with another world and certain special little creatures. She always considered herself different, special from the rest. Like Little Lingdang, she would indulge in childish fantasies, believing that she was born into this world with a special mission. That beyond their world, there must be other worlds and beyond the creatures they knew, there must be other species. Of course, as she grew up and matured, her naive and simple fantasies gradually faded away. Only a part of her passionate and strange ideas from her childhood got preserved in the realm of anime and manga, occasionally being stirred to life by certain pieces of work. But on that night in Chongyun Village in late April, after she nearly rolled down the stairs, she discovered that there was a presence from another world she could interact with. And that existence seemed to be protecting her, helping her, saving her, just like the little elf she had imagined when she was small. Truth be told, after that night, her time in Chongyun Village was marked by alertness to all kinds of details around her, just like Old Xia, constantly observing her surroundings. And indeed, she did notice many peculiarities about Chongyun Village, such as, like Yang Zhen Er said, the village had very few insects, especially near their house. Then there was dust, too. Given the location of their house on a hill, dust should have been abundant. However, their yard was easy to clean; almost no leaves or other debris blew in. A quick wipe of the stone table in the yard in the morning would leave it dust-free till the end of the day. Despite the strong winds outside, the yard situated at a higher altitude within the village was always filled with gentle breezes. Even when they opened the windows of the upstairs rooms, the wind that blew in was always comfortable, never cutting or too cold, yet it didnt block all the wind either. It was just like the lyrics of a song The wind sticks here, sticking to the memories of passersby. Their yard and building seemed to have some special field that protected the people living inside. Having experienced it firsthand, Tang Baona naturally attributed this protection to the little elf that had once saved her life. It was just a pity that before leaving Chongyun Village, she could never find concrete evidence of the little elf or manage to interact with it again. Unexpectedly, after arriving in Peng City, she received protection from the little elf once more. And she even managed to interact with the little elf again! This stirred the buried spirit of the fantasy-loving girl in her. She maintained small quick steps all the way to the gate of her residence, only stopping to catch her breath and suppressing the excitement pounding in her chest. Back home, she opened the door and was surprised to find Yang Lao San and Little Fatty Girl still there usually, by this time, Yang Lao San would take Little Fatty Girl to their rented apartment to sleep and would only return after Shilings Mom came home. Yang Zhen Er ignored Tang Baona when she walked through the door. Little Fatty Girl, without lifting her head, greeted Pretty Sister and then continued to focus her attention on the edge of the coffee table in the living room. Presently, Yang Zhen Er was kneeling on one knee by the coffee table, slightly hunched over like a ready-to-pounce cheetah, her eyes locked on Little Fatty Girl. Little Fatty Girl crouched on the other side, her eyes meeting Yang Zhen Ers across the edge of the coffee table, like an egg custard pie peering at a bowl of cat food. There appeared to be a conflict brewing between them? What was going on? Tang Baona was a bit dazed. Yang Lao San adored Little Lingdang and always wanted to give her the best of everything. Why were they in this standoff now? Moreover, Little Lingdang was such an obedient child, why was she crossing horns with Yang Lao San? Even if they were arguing, why were they having a standoff across the coffee table? Curiosity got the better of her, or maybe she was taken aback by the tension between the two, and Tang Baona just stood by the door, watching the two in silence. Suddenly, Liu Shiling spoke up: One, two As the word three came out, she and the facing Yang Zhener simultaneously put a something from their hands on the coffee table, and then pushed it forward. Tang Baona saw clearly that those were two coins! Yang Zhener and Liu Shiling simultaneously rolled the two coins on the edge of the coffee table, making the two coins roll towards each other and collide. The two coins rolled straight, collided, and then one fell into the coffee table, and the other one landed on the floor. Yang Zhener let out a tragic scream, rolling directly onto the floor, wailing: I lost again! How did I lose again! Ahh, Xiao Lingdang, is your coin heavier? Thats not possible! That shouldnt be the case! The little fatty girl regained her smiling expression, squatting down next to the fallen Yang Zhener, and said: Old Ms. Fairy, youre already quite good, being able to play so well the first time. It looks simple, but its actually difficult for most people to roll the coin along a relatively straight path at the edge of a smooth coffee table. Yang Lao San then sat up from the floor, holding the little fatty girls face and asked: So Xiao Lingdang, how long have you been practicing this coin rolling game? Huh? The little fatty girl paused for a moment, and said: This game I just came up with it. Yang Lao San then began to pinch the little fatty girls face. Tang Baona who had changed her shoes and walked in now knew what was going on, laughing and saying: Zhener, you must be harassing Xiao Lingdang again, not letting her study properly! Yang Zhener suddenly scrambled up from the floor, ran to the door, and pulled Tang Baona, who was about to walk in, back. Nana, where is your coin? Did you bring it with you? Yang Zhener said. What coin? Tang Baona asked, puzzled. You know. Tang Baona dumbly took out a coin from her pants pocket: You mean the lucky coin gifted by Xiang Kun? Right, right, right. Yang Zhener said, asking the little fatty girl to pick up the coin from the ground for her, then said: Nana, watch carefully! With a ding, Yang Zhener flicked the coin with her thumb into the paper cup that was still on the TV cabinet, then turned back to Tang Baona: Nana, you try it! Oh. Tang Baona mimicked Yang Zheners gesture, casually flick the coin, the coin almost followed Yang Zheners trajectory, tumbling into the cup, hitting the previous coin, and made a crisp sound. Yang Zhener was dumbfounded. So, as long as someone uses the lucky coin gifted by brother Xiang, as long as they learn the coin flipping skill, they can easily achieve her Flying coin into the cup feat?! So her Flying coin into the cup, is in fact a skill one level lower than coin flipping? Afterwards, Tang Baona also curiosly played with the little fatty girl the colliding coins game she just played with Yang Lao San. As a result, they couldnt stop playing. The three of them were either sitting, kneeling, or squatting on the floor in the living room, having a great time playing. If ordinary people just heard about it, it would be hard to imagine that two adults and a child, could play with coins until after midnight. At twelve-thirty, when Shilings mom came home, she didnt see her daughter sleeping like usual, so she knocked on the door, and the three of them finally reluctantly ended the clash of coins competition. After Shilings Mom took the Little Fatty Girl back to sleep, the exhilarated Tang Baona and Yang Zhen Er were still wreaking havoc in the living room. They specially got blankets to place under the coffee table to avoid the noise of fallen coins disturbing the people downstairs. When they got hungry, they ordered delivery: Golden Arches burgers and fried chicken wings. While munching on her burger, Yang Zhen Er mumbled unclearly, Nana, I think Xiao Lingdang is a genius. She can conjure so much fun from just a coin. You dont know, tonight there arent only games of bumping coins, there are several games using coins that are super entertaining. I even think its more fun than the game were helping Brother Xiang and the chef run Sitting cross-legged on the couch, Tang Baona nodded as she nibbled on a chicken wing, Its indeed fun, but I estimate not many people can play it. Ah? Why? Yang Zhen Er was confused for a moment before she nodded, Oh right, only a few normal people have the coins Brother Xiang gave, and not many can control the coin so well. As she spoke, she reacted, correcting herself, No wait, not normal people, it should be ordinary people. Otherwise, its like implying were not normal! But really, does the coin Brother Xiang gave really have some kind of Magic Power? It cant just be simple psychological effect right? This Lucky Coin thing seems truly different from ordinary coins! This time, instead of saying Yang Lao San was talking nonsense, Tang Baona nodded, Its different. Nana, do you think this coin could be a black tech from the research base that Brother Xiang and Old Xia secretly worked on? Yang Zhen Er asked, leaning into the rhetorical conspiracy. Oh? What would they want with this black tech coin? Who knows? Maybe its a next-generation toy? Otherwise, why would they give it to Xiao Lingdang to play first? Did you know? Brother Xiang gave Xiao Lingdang five Lucky Coins, five of them! Yang Zhen Er exaggeratedly held up five sauce-stained fingers. Tang Baona shook her head, What kind of black tech can a coin have? Weve compared it, and theres no difference between it and an ordinary coin, from material to weight. Didnt you just say its different? Yang Zhen Er asked confusedly. What I said is different refers to the difference within. Within? Yes, a sort ofinternal feeling, Tang Baona squinted, Something indescribable. No way, Nana, are you talking about metaphysics now? Yang Zhen Er stopped eating her burger, turned back and looked at her friend in surprise. Zhener, do you believe there are creatures in this world that we cant see or who even exist outside of our space? Tang Baona said mysteriously. Yang Zhen Er was somewhat flustered, No way, Nana! Whats going on with you today? Thats what I usually say! Dont you always say oh Yang Lao San, youve read too much fantasy and are overthinking things to crush my spirit? Why are you saying this today too! Somethings wrong! Somethings wrong with you, Nana! Did you encounter a supernatural event or see a ghost or something?? Rubbish! Tang Baona rolled her eyes while not bothering to continue the discussion, casually changing the topic, By the way, watch what you say in front of your friends and relatives! Ah? What did I say thats wrong? Yang Zhen Er was confused. That Shiling is your daughter! Did you know, tonight my mom called and asked me mysteriously if you secretly had a chubby daughter and that shes already in kindergarten Tang Baona said, somewhere between laughing and crying. Yang Zhen Er was surprised: How did aunt know? She naturally knew that chubby daughter referred to the Little Fatty Girl and often bragged in front of others that Shiling was her daughter. Tang Baona said, I asked her too! My mom said one of her close friends mentioned it. Her friend seems to know one of your relatives. I suspect, the relative she knows is one of those who came to Peng City a while ago, those whom you took Shiling to have dinner with. I remember you and Shiling even performed a comedy sketch for them. You definitely must have shown off that Shiling was your daughter! Oh oh oh, right right right, but when I said that Shiling is my daughter, they surely knew it was a joke, Shiling calls me sister, they mustnt be fooled Yang Zhen Er scratched her head, and after scratching, suddenly remembered her hands were covered in burger sauce, and stood still in surprise. Maybe they wont misconstrue it, but when they retell it to others, others might not understand its a joke. Theyll remember only the key phrase Yang Lao San has a chubby daughter, and after a couple more retellings, people will start thinking you secretly had a child! Tang Baona said. No worries, forget about him. Yang Zhener said nonchalantly. So, she didnt care about the sauce on her hands, scratched her head a few more times, and decided to wash her hair later. Oh right, Nana, you, me, Xiao Lingdang, Apple, Old Xia, we are all pros at playing with coins. We should form a club! How about we call it Five Coin Alliance? Um, no, that sounds terrible, Five Coin Club? Hmm, that sounds like fraud Ive got it! Well call it Five Ring Club! Like the Olympic rings, we can stack five one dollar coins as our club emblem! Yang Zhener couldnt help starting to brainstorm again. Tang Baona said helplessly, Are your five rings referring to us five, or the five coins? Didnt you say Xiao Lingdang has five coins herself? Right, so we should be called Nine Ring Group? Nine Circles? Nine Cakes? Saying this, Yang Zhener couldnt help laughing and rolled over on the couch. However, Tang Baona was deep in thought. Xiang Kuns coin indeed had something different. After successfully interacting with the Little Elf again tonight, she suddenly felt that the coin Xiang Kun gave her might be a token for communicating with the Little Elf. Perhaps it was because she carried that coin with her, that she was able to have the Little Elf rescue her in Chongyun Village initially, and the Little Elf is able to come to Pengcheng City with her now. In that case, could it be possible that Xiang Kun, Old Xia, and even Apple, all know about the existence of the Little Elf? Of course, at this moment, Tang Baona did not know that besides Xiang Kuns Lucky Coin, she also had many other tokens similar to the Lucky Coin. These included her bags zipper, the ballpoint pen in her bag, and the metal buttons on her clothes. On her way back, the area around where she lived, even the large urban area radiating from the center where they worked and Little Fatty Girl attended school in Pengcheng City, were all full of Xiang Kuns Super-connected Objects. Right next to the street light that responded to her, a large number of Super-connected Objects existed, including the street light pole, the rubbish bin beside it, the protective fence of the green belt, and the underground pipes. Alice could basically co-manifest within the areas they frequented. Under the premise of controlling the network and various electronic devices, even making other substantial influences through the Super-connected Object Matrix was quite easy for Alice. Moreover, this Super-connected Object Control Circle is still expanding. While Tang Baona and Yang Zhener were engrossed in the coin collision game, the inventor of the game had already gone home with her mom to wash up and go to bed. But after saying goodnight and curling up in her quilt, when her mom turned off the main light and left a small night-light on, then left the room, Little Fatty Girl opened her eyes again, with no sleepiness in her bright eyes. She rolled over and picked up the IPAD from her desk C this had now become her exclusive learning tool; her mom no longer used it to watch dramas. She crawled back into the quilt, and like a spy, she sent a voice message to Xiang Kun through QQ in a whisper: Uncle Bald, it seems that Ms. Fairy is beginning to learn magic. I taught her all evening, and although she learns slowly, she seems to have a talent for it. Can I continue teaching her in the future? After a while, Xiang Kuns reply came: Sure, but dont spend too much energy on it. Remember, your main task at this stage is to study. Liu Shiling nodded continuously, then realized that Xiang Kun couldnt see her, so she quickly sent a voice message: I know, Uncle Bald, I will definitely become an excellent junior high school graduate as soon as possible! As she spoke, she thought of something else and continued, Uncle Bald, Id like to see Custard Pie. Is he asleep? On this trip to Peng City, because it was rushed, there was no time to get a quarantine certificate for Custard Pie, so it couldnt be brought on the plane. So Custard Pie was left to keep Golden Shiny company and heal the rest of its wounds, and also to play with Apple more. Next time when Xiang Kun and Apple come to Peng City, they will bring Custard Pie to reunite with her. Little Fatty Girl of course missed Custard Pie, but she could clearly feel that Custard Pie, staying in Chongyun Village and playing with Golden Shiny, was much more free and happy than in the city. Actually, she felt the same way. The video call was quickly connected. On the screen was a confused Custard Pie, who appeared to have been awakened by Xiang Kun from its sleep. Even though the live image on Little Fatty Girls side was pitch black, as soon as he heard her voice, Custard Pies face changed from waking up grumpy to excitement. Chapter 542 - Chapter 542: 542 Chapter 542: 542 Custard Pie, have you been obedient and listened to Uncle Bald, Uncle Xiao Pingguosister? Liu Shiling spoke in a hushed voice under her blanket, sounding much like a parent worried about their childs mischievous antics. Oddly enough, Custard Pie seemed to actually understand and responded with a soft meow. Liu Shiling, as if she understood the meow, continued, Good, as long as you behave, Uncle Bald will take you along when he comes to Peng City. I can also visit you when Im on summer holiday. Ill bring you some super delicious canned food and cat food. Apparently, Little Fatty Girl had unknowingly started regarding going to Chongyun Village as going back. Perhaps, in her heart, Chongyun Village was just like home. Custard Pie meowed a few more times, prompting Xiang Kun, who was video chatting with the little girl while holding the cat, to break out in a grin. Those meows were even rhythmically modulated, as if there was indeed a whole Meow Language System. Unexpectedly, the Little Fatty Girl on the other side of the dimly lit video call was nodding continually after listening to the cats meows, then said, So youre saying Sister Luosi introduced you and Glitter to a new friend? Mmm, when I return during the summer holidays, we will go and play with them together. By the way, whats the name of the new friend? Following another string of meows from Custard Pie, Liu Shiling frowned: Custard Pie, you have to learn to speak human language. I dont understand you just meowing! Custard Pie blinked and stopped meowing. It looked up at Xiang Kun who was holding it, with an unmistakable look of annoyance in its eyes. Xiang Kun had to hold back his laughter. Of course, he could understand what Custard Pie was trying to express. However, being the foundation of the Super Sensory Item System, at close contact, he could understand the intent expressed by Custard Pie, Glitter, and even 001 and 002 would not be difficult. But for Little Fatty Girl to accurately interpret what Custard Pie was trying to say based on its meows was genuinely impressive. It was no wonder that Custard Pie had been the guide to the Super Sensory Item System. Xiang Kun gave Custard Pie a head rub then addressed the Little Fatty Girl, Alice, Custard Pie, Glitter C theyve made a new friend called Little Luobo he lives in the mountains. If you want to know more about it, you can ask Alice. There were many things that Alice knew but without Xiang Kuns permission, she could not divulge. Not even with Old Xia, Little Fatty Girl, and Xiao Pingguo, with whom she shared an intimate bond. Therefore, she wouldnt bring up the new partner Xiang Kun asked her to take care of, or the tree that she namedCCLittle Luobo. But Custard Pie and Glitter were not humans, so Alice had no reservations with them. Thus, she had been leading them into the mountains to play near the Little Luobo tree at night. However, she didnt anticipate that Custard Pie, with no sense of secrecy, would immediately fess up upon encountering the Little Fatty Girl CC or perhaps she had foreseen this. Even the fact that Xiang Kun wouldnt hold it against her was probably anticipated. After all, in a sense, anything that Glitter became privy to was also known by Xiao Pingguo. Concerning her ability to gauge intent, Alice was relatively capable as her growth was guided by Xiang Kuns influences. After listening to Xiang Kuns introduction, Little Fatty Girl, bundled up in her blanket, wore an excited expression CC she had a new playmate! However, Xiang Kun quickly added: Dont ask tonight, go to sleep immediately, I will have Alice supervise you. If you are not asleep, she wont tell you anything about Little Luobo. Immediately, Little Fatty Girl deflated but obediently replied, Alright, Uncle Bald, Ill go to sleep now! She paused, then added: Thencan Alice and Little Luobo come play in my dreams? No. Xiang Kun immediately refused. Of course, in reality, it was because Old Xia was already asleep. Without his assistance, he couldnt guide multiple consciousnesses into the Dream in a Dream state. Moreover, he wasnt sure whether Little Luobo could enter dreams. The current Little Luobo was in a very strange and special state. It hadnt been entirely incorporated into the Super Sensory Item System, but it had a unique connection with Xiang Kun. It wasnt an ordinary tree, but for the time being, Xiang Kun hadnt noticed any characteristics of mutant life in it, either through traditional sensory information such as smell or through cognitive information judgment in the Super Sensory State. He could not determine if it was a mutant. Interestingly, it seemed more similar to 001 and 002 which were ordinary animals that had been transformed by Xiang Kun through the Super Sensory Item System, or even resembled Custard Pie and Glitter. However, Xiang Kun knew that, in essence, Little Luobo differed from other ordinary creatures pulled into the Super Sensory Item System by him or Little Fatty Girl. Some of its transformation factors come from Xiang Kuns abilities, while a small part comes from the special cognitive information when Joels body disintegrated. It seemed to still be changing, and if these changes evolved towards a mutant, observing the entire process would greatly assist Xiang Kun in understanding the underlying causes of mutants. Whether its Mr. Liangs High-Dimensional Factors Theory or Xiang Kuns Conscious Entanglement Particles Theory, both are currently hypotheses. The specific functions of the High-Dimensional Factors and Conscious Entanglement Particles as they occur in a biological body, and how they influence the entire organism, must be confirmed through empirical observation. After sending the Little Fatty Girl to bed, Xiang Kun loosened his grip and Custard Pie dashed out of sight. Xiang Kun knew that the playful kitty wasnt going back to sleep but was bounding off into the courtyard and heading towards Chongyun Mountain. At this moment, Glitter had also flown off following Alices summon. The trio was off to find Little Luobo to play. Xiang Kun stood atop the hill, gazing at the pitch-black Chongyun Mountain in the distance. He knew Alice was simultaneously manifesting there, playing on the swing made of vines growing on Little Luobo. Little Luobo indeed had an independent consciousness, but this consciousness, at the beginning, could only be communicated and sensed through super sensory information. Although Xiang Kun could interpret some super sensory information, he was, after all, human, and he would habitually interpret information from a human perspective. So, communication with Little Luobo had many challenges and was relatively difficult. But Alice was different. Although she always professed to be human, she was, in fact, born in the digital world and had almost wholly integrated into the super sensory information. She was much more accommodating in understanding various streams of consciousness and had nearly infinite energy. For Alice, Little Luobo was a tree that she gave a name to. It grew naturally in the territory of Chongyun Mountain that she oversaw. Her big sister mentality was strong, and she was compelled to involve others in her playtime. Once she found a way to communicate with super sensory information, Alice immediately began conversing with Little Luobo in her chatterbox manner. This interaction allowed Alice to gain a whole new perception mechanism, founded in the plant cognition system. In a sense, the plants in the same ecosystem are like clients connected to the same network, each is an independent individual that can influence and rely on each other through the network. Alice can now perceive the state of most of the plants on Chongyun Mountain, even without relying on the Super-connected Object Network scattered all over the mountain. She only needs a few select Super-connected Objects and Emotion Infused Objects that are near Xiao Luobo. She can then gather information through Xiao Luobos plant sensing system and even explore their surroundings through these plants. For example, what objects are moving around them, how big are they, have they been damaged, have they been eaten, or have they been pressed down and so on. Of course, as Alices backend, Xiang Kun also synchronized this ability C he even felt that Alices ability to obtain this ability so easily through Xiao Luobo might be related to the mutated spider he devoured in the Qinling Uninhabited Area. However, he has too strong a focus on the human form, so the plant devouring ability he gained from the mutated spider could only manifest in other ways. Now, through the Super Sensory Item System, Alice has successfully connected to Xiao Luobos plant network and received part of the information interface. Alice not only gained the ability to understand the plant network through Xiao Pingguo, but she also strongly influenced Xiao Luobo during their interactions, helping it to understand the perception mode of animals and naturally develop corresponding expression methods. Following this trend, even if Xiao Luobo doesnt evolve into a mutant, it will inevitably take a significant stride toward integrating into the Super Sensory Item System. In the deep of Chongyun Mountain on a dark and windy night, Alice, who had co-manifested, was swaying on Xiao Luobos natural swing. Seeing Golden Flash and Custard Pie coming from the village, she used her hands and feet to scale to the treetop with a swift swish. Soon, a bird and a cat arrived, each huddled together with the little girl in the white dress hiding in the treetops C well, only Alice was whispering. She is trying to help Xiao Luobo understand the shape of bird nests and cat nests and then adjust its branches to create one for Golden Flash and Custard Pie. Naturally, she had also arranged a throne for herself. Despite the tremendous expansion of her abilities through her communication with Xiao Luobo, which can even be said to have obliterated the line between animals and plants in the perception of the Super Sensory Item System, Alice didnt initiate her diligent, round-the-clock, non-stop dialogue with Xiao Luobo to obtain any abilities. It was simply a big sisters concern, care, and further training for the newcomer to the system, in hopes that when Little Ding-dong returns in the future, she and Xiao Pingguo will have another playground and playmate! It also helps Alice show off her status as the Guardian of Chongyun Mountain/Chongyun Village. As days passed, Xiao Luobo underwent continuous changes, both externally and internally. These transformations confused Xiang Kun because, according to his understanding and the secret documents discovered under the Brilliant Fortune Building, the transformation of a mutant creature tends to be very sudden and intense. Only after the transformation did the change continue. However, Xiao Luobo is not a mutant creature, at least, it doesnt show any characteristics of a mutant creature, but it is indeed slowly mutating and evolving. The initial source of its mutation is the influence of Xiang Kun and his Super-connected Objects, but what about the subsequent continuous mutation or evolution? Could it be that this has become its inherent characteristic? Xiang Kun suddenly realized, had he inadvertently opened a new Pandoras Box? Of course, if this is true, then he was merely the one who unlocked it, while Alice would be the main accomplice who lifted the lid. At the same time, Xiang Kuns large-scale deployment plan for Super-connected Objects was progressing at a rate much faster than he expected. Many factories have been seeded with Super-connected Objects and Emotion Infused Objects by Xiang Kun. Alice can help him continually mass-produce Super-connected Objects and distribute them in various places. Moreover, with Alices ability to gather information in advance, they can even accurately plan where those Super-connected Objects are to be placed. For instance, in areas near where Little Fatty Girl and Tang Baona live and work in Pengcheng City, many industrial products have been seeded with Super-connected Objects and Emotion Infused Objects after Alice had found out about the supply information in advance and then went with Xiang Kun to the corresponding factories. Even so, the pace of Super-connected Object distribution or establishment of connections was faster than Xiang Kun originally anticipated, spreading and increasing at an incredibly fast rate. To Xiang Kun, the most significant bottleneck in his new long-distance Super-connected Object connection method was the distribution of Emotion Infused Objects. After all, compared to Super-connected Objects, it is challenging to mass-produce this item. The only way to break this limitation is through the secondary network formed by humans influenced by Emotion Infused Objects. Still, it requires plenty of time and an increasing number of locations continually influenced by Emotion Infused Objects C like more Youlong Restaurants. However, when starting the plan, Xiang Kun and Alice found that they had underestimated the production and distribution efficiency of the manufacturing industry. Xiang Kun wasnt quite sure what the Ultimate Predator Mr. Liang talked about was, but according to his judgment, the Ultimate Predators use of High-Dimensional Factors shouldnt be more efficient than his own. His Super Sensory Item System and Alice are probably one of the best and most efficient ways for a single creature to utilize High-Dimensional Factors. The Super Sensory Item System helps him transcend the sensory limits of a single life-form, exceed the sensory range of the flesh or any physical life-form. This multi-dimensional and overwhelming sensory information was tough to break through with his evolved brain, and there is a limit to its computing power. But the birth and rapid evolution and maturity of Alice have timely solved this problem for him. After another blood-drinking session, as Xiang Kun opened his eyes, he received a heart-wrenching report from Alice: Xiao Luobo is dead! Chapter 543 - Chapter 543: Chapter 543: Advancing to the Forest Chapter 543: Chapter 543: Advancing to the Forest In the room, Xiang Kun, who had just woken up from deep sleep and was sitting on the edge of his bed, heard Alices grim report but showed no reaction, seeming to be in a daze. Sitting in front of the computers not far from the bed was Xia Libing, who also stared blankly, expressionless and silent, having come over to check on Xiang Kun as she knew he was about to wake up. The room fell into an eerie silence. After a few seconds, Alice, who had received no response, was not satisfied with just reporting through the computer speakers and directly requested for co-manifestation. Alice, after co-manifesting, hopped anxiously, Boss! Xiao Luobo is dead! Xia Libing was confused about the situation, whereas Xiang Kun had a rough idea of what was happening. He reached out to hold Alices head to stop her from jumping around. Nothing is wrong, Xiao Luobo is fine. Xiang Kun said as he stood up and turned to Old Xia, Im going to the mountain. Xiao Luobo underwent some interesting changes; I need to check it out. Xia Libing rose to her feet, Can I go and take a look? Xiang Kun considered for a moment before shaking his head, Better not. Xia Libing took her seat again without showing any disappointment and looked thoughtful. Xiang Kun knew from this mere response of his that Old Xia must have realized the change in Xiao Luobo had something to do with mutants. If Xiao Luobo was still a special creature merely associated with the Super Sensory Item System, just like Golden Flash and Custard Pie, then she could accompany him. After all, she had seen Xiao Luobo before. However, Xiang Kun tried to exclude Old Xia from anything or information that might directly involve the core secrets of mutants. Before figuring out what Mr. Liangs and Academician Shens so-called ultimate hunters are, and how they operate their related functions, it would be safer to convey sensitive information in the Dreamland or through other Super Sensory Information channels. Leaving the house, he found Xiao Pingguo pacing anxiously in the yard. The moment she saw him, she raised her head, Uncle Xiang, did something happen to Xiao Luobo? Recently, after getting Xiang Kuns permission, Alice had told Xiao Pingguo about Xiao Luobo, her new partner. By maintaining a connection with Golden Flash, she had confirmed Xiao Luobos location and status a long time ago. Moreover, they even went together to the mountain under the company of Old Xia and Xiang Kun two mornings before and played in the space extended by Xiao Luobos body. She learned from Golden Flash that Xiao Luobo was not in a good condition, but the exact situation was unclear, and Alice was being purposely vague. Nothings wrong, dont worry, Xiang Kun responded, nonchalantly tousling her hair with a smile. After entering the mountain, Xiang Kun took off his shoes to speed up and soon reached Xiao Luobos location. It was now the afternoon. In the scorching sun, the giant tree Xiao Luobo looked entirely different from when he went to sleep. All branches were bare, without leaves or green twigscompletely bald. The bark on the tree trunk had also begun to darken, showing no signs of moisture, and most of it had fallen off. It looked as if it was dead. However, Xiang Kun knew that Xiao Luobo was not dead, it had merely entered a state that appeared to be death. Indeed, in typical terms, it indeed seemed dead, without even a hint of life. But in the Super Sensory State, through cognitive information, one could clearly sense that Xiao Luobos existence had not completely disappeared; it was undergoing very drastic changes. Alice actually knew this too. Her exaggerated report earlier was simply a deliberate attempt to make the situation sound more serious, hoping to bring Xiang Kun over immediately as there was a problem with the little friend she had sworn to protect. Xiang Kun wandered around Xiao Luobo a few times with Alice, who had co-manifested to follow him like a puppy, incessantly asking, How is it, boss? What happened to Xiao Luobo? Did Xiao Luobo change too much recently, and nutrition could not keep up? Should we bring over some fertilizers for it to eat? Or should I ask Golden Flash to call more birds to poop? Did Xiao Luobo enter our system? Does Xiao Luobo currently possess the characteristics of Super-Connected Objects or Emotion Infused Objects? Did Xiao Luobo mutate? Will it be like you, boss? Will it transform into a human? An adult or a child? Will it have long hair or will it be bald? Eventually, Xiang Kun could not hold back anymore. He flicked Alices forehead, causing her co-manifested body to instantly vanish. Boss, when will Xiao Luobo be fine? Do you need to do anything? The voice emerged from his pockethis cellphone. Xiang Kun took out his phone, glanced at the P40pro Old Xia had given him, and helplessly put it back. Dont worry, Xiao Luobo will be fine soon. Well wait here for a while. Saying this, Xiang Kun sat down cross-legged beside the tree and closed his eyes, entering the Super Sensory State. Originally, Xiao Luobo was a Bell Sepal Tree, but after the transformation by Xiang Kun on the day of Joels disintegration, it had changed significantly. Especially recently, it had been incessantly self-adjusting its biome to interact with Alice. The entire tree was developing horizontally, covering a larger and larger area. Moreover, with flowers blooming, fruits appearing, and strange vines twining around the tree, it looked like a mutant tree. If it werent for Alices influence ensuring no one could reach this location when hiking, this tree would surely have become the Internet Celebrity Tree once someone captured and circulated photos online, attracting numerous tourists and experts. Xiang Kun had always suspected that its rampant changes signified it had become a mutant. Its unique cognitive information was making it hard for him to distinguish using previously established models. But now, under the Super Sensory State, experiencing Xiao Luobos cognitive information changing bit by bit, he suddenly recognized many familiar parts. Xiang Kun sat under the tree from afternoon until sunset. Before the last rays of sunset vanished, Xiao Luobo finally started to change dramatically. The remaining dead bark on the trunk fell like the cracking wall of a collapsing building. The once withered branches, resembling an awakening, famished snake, stretched languidly, sticking out their tongues and slowly becoming vibrant. Green leaves sprouted at a speed visible to the naked eye. The tree, which just moments ago seemed entirely lifeless and on the brink of scatter with the wind, revived within minutes, lush and full of life. However, concurrently, all the other trees, grass, and various other plants within a range of tens of meters centering Xiao Luobo, were wilting rapidly. Xiang Kun was still in the Super Sensory State, fully absorbed in perceiving the changes in Xiao Luobos cognitive information. Alice had already appeared, standing in front of Xiao Luobo, stretching out her arms, fists clenched, striking a triumphant pose. Xiao Luobo! Resurrect! Alice shouted. And the rejuvenated Xiao Luobo, who seemed to have grown taller, began to sway its branches, seemingly responding to Alice. About ten minutes later, the surrounding environment began to regenerate. Flowers and trees that had just withered, and the soil beneath them, began to revitalize, and various types of plants began to grow wildly from the soil. However, they do not possess Xiao Luobos growth ability. Most of them are small tender buds. Amidst the previously wilted plants, they appear chaotic and tenaciously vibrant. Xiang Kun opened his eyes and looked at Xiao Luobo, feeling somewhat astonished. Now, Xiao Luobo finally displayed the characteristics of a mutant. Whether judged through traditional olfactory senses or through Super Sensory Information, all could identify the mutant traits. But it is different from any other mutants that Xiang Kun has previously encountered. Under the Super Sensory State, most of Xiao Luobos cognitive information remains the same, with only a small part displaying mutant features. Strictly speaking, it should be referred to as a Semi-Mutated Being? Moreover, Xiao Luobo had fully integrated into the Super Sensory Item System, able to merge with all surrounding Super-connected Objects into a holistic network, or rather, it has become a subset of this system. Xiao Luobos rebirth from death at this point is closely related to Xiang Kuns Blood-drinking Period. It just so happens that Xiao Luobo began to wither and die rapidly during the stage of Xiang Kuns mutation evolution, and, after Xiang Kun woke up, it completed the transformation into a Semi-Mutated Being. It seemed to have gained admission to the Super Sensory Item System by transforming into a Semi-Mutated Being. Xiang Kun discovered that Xiao Luobo and the budding new plants around it, although not physically connected by roots or other parts, have a deep connection. They were like the carrier-based aircraft launched by Xiao Luobo. Moreover, through these offspring plants, Xiao Luobos plant perception range has expanded many times over. All the ordinary plants nearby can also be integrated into its own perception network. The offspring plants are like antennae used to expand its perception range. They can also moderately alter the hydrological and soil environment. At this point, Xiang Kun can directly use Xiao Luobo to control the entire plant network, using the unique perception capability of plants for various special sensory information collection, to assess the surrounding environment. He can perceive the state of underground water, the distribution and activity of various insects in the soil, the growth of various plants, sunlight, rainfall, wind, and other phenomena. All Xiang Kun has to do is think, and he can perceive through Xiao Luobo. Although the information obtained seems useless and appears botanical, with Alices information processing capabilities, she can quickly compile a model for Xiao Luobos plant network to cooperate with the Super-connected Object Network and form a plant monitoring network. Judging from the above, Xiao Luobo has not only become an excellent Developer under Xiang Kuns Super-sensory Item System, but it also comes with an entirely new monitoring information network. In the future, when Xiao Luobos offspring plants are sown across the vast forest, even if his Super-connected Objects have not been fully distributed, any Mutants hiding in the forest will not be able to escape his and Alices surveillance and search. With Alice controlling electronic devices in human settlements and Xiao Luobo controlling an offspring plant network in the forest, coupled with Super-connected Objects and Emotion Infused Objects, the only places not yet fully covered by Xiang Kuns perceptual range are the sky and the ocean. Of course, for now, the perception range of Xiao Luobo is only a small area nearby. And it appears that it wants to first extend its offspring plants towards Chongyun Village through Xiang Kuns observation of Xiao Luobos self-growth trend. Its no secret that this is due to Alices influence, causing it to consider not only Chongyun Mountain but also Chongyun Village as its primary territory to protect. The sky had completely darkened. Alice, who had appeared, was joyfully hopping up and down the tree, like a little girl preparing to decorate her new room, discussing how to make it more interesting with Xiao Luobo now that she has offspring plants to assist, she can create a larger plant playground for Custard Pie, Xiao Pingguo and the others to play in. Xiang Kun did not rush to leave, knowing that Xiao Pingguo had Old Xia to take care of her, so dinner was certainly taken care of. He continued to observe Xiao Luobo and the surrounding offspring plants, as well as other ordinary plants and various small creatures. This transformation of Xiao Luobo into a Semi-Mutated Being not only brought about a new perceptual network or ability, but more importantly, allowed him to further perfect the Super Sensory Information model of a mutant. Xiao Luobo did not mutate into a mutant on its own but was forcibly influenced by Xiang Kun to transform. Therefore, the most key Super Sensory Information in this process would be more prominent and easier to perceive. Xiang Kun indeed perceived a lot of special Super Sensory Information. He would need to refine the model with Alice later, but currently, he had a new discovery that needed further confirmationsome very special fragments of Super Sensory Information carrying apparent mutant traits were found not only in Xiao Luobos Super Sensory Information but also in other ordinary plants and even animals. If this were in the past, Xiang Kun wouldnt think much of these Super Sensory Information because there was no corresponding existing reality, and they were widely present in ordinary organisms and do not appear to contain mutant traits. But this time, through the sensory perception of Xiao Luobos transformation process, he noticed these unusual pieces of Super Sensory Information. He suspected that these might be the High-Dimensional Factors or Consciousness Entangled Particles that were widespread in organisms but had not been activated or produced any effect. He squatted down in front of a very ordinary bush, entered the Super Sensory State, then tried to influence the part of the cognitive information he had locked onto through his Super-connected Objects. Unexpectedly, before he could figure out how to influence it, that segment of cognitive information underwent severe changes. The mutant-like characteristics disappeared! Xiang Kun opened his eyes, looking somewhat surprised at the bush in front of him that showed no change and, judged by normal senses, didnt change a bit. Just as he was puzzled and wanted to conduct another experiment, a wave of hunger rushed over him, and he felt a sudden urge to drink blood. Whats going on? He had just finished a Blood-drinking Period, hadnt he? Rather than immediately sensing the Emotion Infused Objects around Old Xia to borrow her rationality to suppress this impulse, Xiang Kun chose to carefully experience it. The more he felt, the more he pondered, the more he found something wrong. This craving for blood, this hunger, was not entirely the same as what he felt when the normal Blood-drinking Period was due. Chapter 544 - Chapter 544: 544 Chapter 544: 544 Xiang Kun has ample experience resisting the urge to drink blood, so he is extremely sensitive to the nuances of this feeling. He assessed it closely, trying to identify the source of this difference. The average persons control and perception of their own body are very limited. For example, apart from feeling hungry, discomfort, or the sensation of eating, it is tough to perceive the presence of the stomach and nearly impossible to control its movements actively. Not to mention more intricate organs or smaller parts that due to physiological structure and nerve distribution are hard to perceive and control. The same applies to muscles we dont often use, parts that can be compensated by other sections, which we often cannot feel. Just like how someone who hasnt exercised much doesnt feel their pectoral muscles engage when they first start doing push-ups. However, for Xiang Kun, not only has he achieved extreme control over each muscle and exceptional sensitivity of every patch of skin, but when he channels his superb sensory abilities back onto himself, he can examine parts ordinary people couldnt discern or control. For instance, he can now locate and feel his blood vessels by listening to the sound of his blood flow. After activating Oxygen-saving Mode, he can significantly enhance his bodys internal neural sensitivity and scrutinize his own condition. Having undergone this self-inspection, Xiang Kun cant discern what differentiates this recent bloodlust from previous bouts through these senses. But he was absolutely certain that a fundamental difference existed. Before the onset of this bloodlust, what was he doing? Reflecting on this question, Xiang Kun recalled the process he undertook to create the Super Sensory Information for that bush. Then he entered the Super Sensory State, using the characteristics of knowledge he had as a target to examine himself retrospectively. Xiang Kun had attempted more than once in the Super Sensory State to perceive his knowledge, only to be overwhelmed time and again by a vast amount of knowledge exceeding his perceptual limit. In the Super Sensory State, the information representing himself seemed more substantial and complicated than all other knowledge in the world, like a black hole of massive information, devouring his consciousness. When Alice, the third party, attempted to inspect and perceive the knowledge, no meaningful results were produced. Xiang Kun believed this wouldnt have anything to do with the mutant characteristics. He had already been in contact with the knowledge of another mutant, and while deepening the perception would also lead to volumes of information too great to bear, he could at least take control of the depth of perception and discern information. Alices inability to perceive his knowledge probably arose from the fact that, fundamentally, Alice was operating with his abilities. However, presently, using the knowledge as a reference, Xiang Kun successfully perceived his knowledge. Of course, not in its entirety, just a portion that closely resembled his reference knowledge. This confirmed that, like other creatures he had observed, a part of this particular knowledge existed within him. Xiang Kun began to try to influence this part of the knowledge. But the moment he had the thought, the relevant knowledge violently changed, and he was then promptly ejected from the Super Sensory State. Having exited the Super Sensory State, Xiang Kun no longer felt the urge to drink blood. It was explicit, his bloodlust was tied to that extraordinary knowledge. Curious, Xiang Kun entered the Super Sensory State once again, using that knowledge as a reference to retrospectively examine himself and sense his knowledge. He was then met with an empty void, and there was no information feedback, proving that this piece of knowledge no longer existed within him. This further confirmed that his bloodlust had been triggered by manipulating the bushs special knowledgethe special knowledge in the plant and his own must have come from the same source. This knowledge existed in various creatures and had certain mutant characteristics. These two features made Xiang Kun think about the Ultimate Predator from Mr. Liangs secret documents. Xiang Kun pondered, did the creature have a bunch of super-connected Objects hiding in many beings, or did it disintegrate into countless smaller units scattered throughout the entire ecosystem? Xiang Kun recalled his original Parasite Everything theory. It seemed this creature already accomplished this? Xiang Kun squatted down again in front of the bush. After a thorough comparison with another bush nearbythe former from which he had cleared the extraordinary super sensory information, and the latter that still contained it. Without using super sensory information, Xiang Kun could not distinguish any unusual differences between the two. He surmised that this special super sensory information was expressed at least at the cellular or macromolecular level. Combining his perception with Mr. Liangs secret documents, Xiang Kun hypothesized that those segments filled with mutant traits in the super sensory information were most likely part of the Ultimate Predator. This is because whether its Emotion Infused Objects or super-connected Objects, or the ones that entered the system and were already different from common creatures, like 001, 002, Gold Flash, Custard Pie their knowledge did not possess any mutant characteristics. The Ultimate Predator seemed to have integrated itself into the entire ecological cycle and was already widespread across the planet. Or perhaps, for the creature, this was the optimal form for maximizing the chance of survival throughout the long and harsh mutation evolution. By doing so, booby traps were cleverly hidden in all beings, like Trojans, from which it could draw what it needed, disperse into everything, and significantly modify the regular state of the host, even causing a series of lethal chain reactions. It did this presumably to guarantee a consistent and qualified blood source. The existence of the beast within countless beings meant that no mutant could resist it during a hunt. No wonder Mr. Liang wanted to break away from the basis of carbon-based life and use his High-Dimensional Factors as a patch to integrate new compounds and create a new form of life. Obviously, Mr. Liang believed that the existence of the Ultimate Predator was primarily based on various carbon compounds. If this hypothesis proved correct, then the connection between the creatures numerous sections, or rather the way each segment connected with its consciousness center, should be somewhat similar to Xiang Kuns Super sensory Item System. Because according to the features of mutants, it is unlikely to be a group and must be a singular being. Under the objective premise of the absence of complex functional structures and the need to adapt to all forms of life, the only method to connect it and allow it to receive unified instructions from a consciousness is through the information transmission mode of the Super Sensory Item System. Namely, the consciousness transfer network that relies on High-Dimensional Factors. However, it seemed that once this Ultimate Predator arrived at the specific consciousness network battlefield, it appeared somewhat frail? While under the Super Sensory State, Xiang Kun had previously perceived a special piece of cognitive information from the shrub that had a hint of mutant characteristics. He only tried to influence it through the Super-connected Objects, not even having officially begun, when that piece of cognitive information underwent massive changes, as if it had disintegrated. It was just like planning to eat an ice cream, then the moment you open your mouth, the ice cream is melted to slush by a single puff of hot breath. Youre left with nothing. If thats the case, does this mean that Xiang Kuns influence through super sensory information has an overwhelming edge over each part of that Ultimate Predator? Thinking this, Xiang Kun simply entered the Super Sensory State again, this time starting first with Xiao Luobo, followed by its adjacent offspring plants, then other normal plants, causing a ripple effect across Chongyun Mountain, within the region covered by the Super-connected Objects, erasing almost all related special cognitive information fragments. Through Emotion Infused Objects, his consciousness also arrived next to Old Xia, Xiao Pingguo, then his distant parents, Nana, Zhener, all the relatives and friends next to his arranged Emotion Infused Objects, Super-connected Objects, including Jin Shanshan, Custard Pie, and even his ant legion. He erased the special cognitive information fragments from all of them. Just as he was tirelessly, enthusiastically trying to continue erasing, he suddenly intuitively felt something was wrong, so he exited the Super Sensory State. Xiang Kun stood up and looked up at the sky. Although it was already midnight, using his night vision mode and his enhanced vision, he could see that in the direction he was looking at, a bird was falling down, seeming to have died already. Xiang Kun frowned. He had a slight idea what his intuition was stemming from. Alices voice rang out from the phone in his pocket, Boss! Something has happened! Xiang Kun took out his phone, the screen automatically brightened, and then a video of clear street surveillance footage appeared. Xiang Kun recognized the street in the surveillance, it was the pedestrian street of Tongshi Town. A few seconds later, a bird fell from the sky and died in the center of the street. Luckily it was late at night and there were hardly any people on the street, otherwise it might have caused quite a commotion. The screen on his phone shifted, showing another place where another bird had died. Next was a pet store that seemed to sell ornamental birds. A large number of birds in the cage had suddenly dropped dead without warning. According to Alices labels, these places captured in the surveillance were all near Chongyun Village or Tongshi Town. With each surveillance clip that rolled across the screen, Xiang Kuns eyebrows went further and further into a frown. Alice then co-manifested, standing beside Xiang Kun, pointing in a direction towards the mountain. Her small face was quite serious and grim. Xiang Kun quickly traversed through the forest, arriving at the area Alice had pointed out in no time. Actually, the moment he entered the Super Sensory State, he could already tell what happened here thanks to the cognitive information, but he decided to come over personally anyway. This area spanned approximately a hectare and seemed unchanged at first glance. It was just eerily quiet. Xiang Kun slowed down, squatting down under a tree and picking up a dead bird to inspect. After putting the bird down, he stuck his hand into the soil, dug a bit, and from the moist dirt, he turned over the dead bodies of a few bugs. All small animals, whether they were birds or bugs, were dead within this one-hectare area. This area was just outside the edge of where Xiang Kun had erased all special super sensory information from every living thing, centered around Xiao Luobo. Was this a warning? Was this so-called Ultimate Predator, which could not affect him, trying to use this method to warn him not to continue erasing its existence distributed among various creatures? Xiang Kun naturally was not frightened, but this Ultimate Predator clearly had the ability to kill a wide range of creatures. If he could not erase all the special super sensory information within all the creatures in a very short time, the creatures whose special super sensory information was not erased might be killed by the Ultimate Predator. It could kill bugs, kill birds, and of course, it could kill people too. Xiang Kun took a deep breath. He didnt expect to discover and come into contact with this Ultimate Predator in this way and under these circumstances. It was even somewhat weaker than he had imagined it to be. But it cant be denied, its pretty accurate with this method of threats. This contact without adequate preparation put Xiang Kun at a bit of a disadvantage. However, the Ultimate Predators actions also helped Xiang Kun see its weakness. For ordinary creatures, even other fierce mutants, and even strong individuals like Mr. Liang, the Ultimate Predator is an almost invincible existence C the enemy is within themselves, holding the reins of life and death. How can they win? But for Xiang Kun, in the field of super sensory information, in the world of high-dimensional factors consciousness network, within the rules of consciousness entanglement particles, he is the more dominant one, the one who has even higher authority. However, just like Academician Shen and Mr. Liang mentioned in the secret documents, the Ultimate Predator and Mysterious Power would be particularly attentive to the activities related to Blood-eating Creatures under sensitive conditions, and frequently react. The Ultimate Predator is clearly now in a sensitive state, or even further, a hypersensitive state. He knew that the Ultimate Predator must have realized his strong threat to it already. Without even thinking, as time passes, Xiang Kuns advantage will definitely grow bigger and bigger. Sooner or later, he will find a way to erase all special super sensory information at once, thus severing its ability to control the life and death of all creatures. It certainly wont sit and wait for death. Xiang Kun carefully pondered, dug a hole, and buried the bug and bird bodies in his hands. He got up and headed towards Chongyun Village. For the time being, he halted his erasure of special super sensory information in order not to provoke the Ultimate Predator. When he got home, Xiang Kun first entered a Super Sensory State, meticulously feeling around Old Xias cognitive information, confirming that there were no other cognitive information fragments with mutant characteristics, ensuring that the Ultimate Predator could not control Old Xias life and death, he woke the sleeping Old Xia. Now, a lot of things could be directly discussed with Old Xia. Chapter 545 - Chapter 545: 545 Chapter 545: 545 Old Xia groggily sat up, pushed back the long hair covering her cheek, glanced at Xiang Kun sitting on the chair by the bed, and then at the pitch-black sky outside the window through the curtain gap, seeming a bit puzzled. Under normal circumstances, Xiang Kun would not wake her unless it was something important. But hadnt Xiang Kun gone into the mountains to deal with Xiao Luobo before, which should be related to the mutant? Could it be that after his actual survey, the situation with Xiao Luobo had no connection to the mutant, but instead, another significant event had occurred? Lets go. Well talk downstairs, Xiang Kun said softly. Old Xia and Xiao Pingguo were sleeping in different beds in the same room, so naturally, they couldnt talk business here. Xia Libing quickly got up, put on her coat, tied up her hair, and followed Xiang Kun downstairs. Arriving at the first floor into Xiang Kuns study, which was lined with several monitors and seemingly made for work, but actually for his post-blood consumption sleep, Xiang Kun had Old Xia sit in front of the computer and began to recount his experiences after going into the mountains: Xiao Luobo has indeed mutated and is directly related to my blood drinking slumber. However, its not a complete mutation, its characteristics are As he explained, Alice presented her simulated reproduction images on the display screen to help Old Xia understand the specifics. Although they werent actual filmed images, the virtual images Alice created by simulating the real scenery using her algorithm were quite real, making them appear just like the real thing. A few days ago, while she was monitoring Joels movements, Alice intended to use this method to let the Super-connected Objects distributed in unmonitored areas display simulated images in real time. But the technology was not mature enough then, it was too laggy, so in the end, she could only create it in a sketch style. However, Alice did not give up on this technology and had been allocating resources to improve it over these past few days, resulting in the performance improvements seen now. Of course, the current smoothness was mainly due to the fact that it was not a live broadcast, but a scene reproduction. Despite Xiang Kuns vocal explanation and Alices visual aids, it still took nearly two hours to clarify all the details to Old Xia C not only the entire process of his dealing with the transformation of Xiao Luobo into a semi-mutated being and the discovery of the ultimate predator in the mountains today, but also the information from the secret documents that Alice had helped him glean from under the Watchtower Building earlier. As Alice opened three screens, one displaying related simulated images or monitoring video footage, and two featuring various secret documents, Old Xias head would occasionally turn following her line of sight. There was only one computer chair in the room, Xiang Kun stood by Old Xias side explaining things and whenever he noticed her ponytail swinging along with the movement of her head, he subconsciously raised his hand to stroke it. While gently stroking her long black ponytail, Xiang Kun continued to explain his basic judgment on the ultimate predator: If the special super sensory information fragment indeed equates to what Mr. Liang and the others have defined as the ultimate predator or the life and death deciding mysterious power, then it should at least meet some basic mutant models. Meanwhile, I let Alice come up with a mutation model for it based on some new characteristics it has demonstrated In the midst of speaking, Xiang Kun realized Old Xia was looking up at him. Xiang Kun paused, looked at his hand still on her ponytail, quickly pulled it back, and said awkwardly, I dont know why, but my hand just went there. However, Xia Libing looked at him thoughtfully and said, Judging from your cadence, speech speed, and word choice when you were talking just now, because you found the ultimate predator and discovered the way it affects living beings, your spirit is rather excited. But because you managed to eradicate its super-sensory information fragment and could discuss its matters with me, you trust me considerably, hence, your body is relatively relaxed. Under these circumstances, your body tends to follow your subconscious and perform some actions. Its very normal. When you were a kid, did you often play with your female classmates ponytails? Xiang Kun scratched his head: No Never, but when I was in elementary school, our class leader sat in front of me. Her ponytail was both black and long, and I did often think about giving it a stroke He laughed and added, But I never actually did it, because our class leader was rather ferocious. If I touched her hair, she would definitely hit me. Xia Libing nodded, Hmm, normal. Xiang Kun asked, So, my reaction was normal? When Im standing over you when youre sitting down, I often have the urge to put my hand on top of your head too. Its the same. When we have time, we can conduct some related research. Different heads, different hairstyles, they must have different attractions for different people. Perhaps there is a regular pattern in it. Xia Libing nodded and said. I see. You just mentioned that Alice has made a model targeting the Ultimate Predator for predictive analysis. What were the results? Thus, the two resumed their previous discussion, discussing the characteristics and potential behavioral patterns of the Ultimate Predator. There were many results, but its hard to say how much they can really serve as a reference. Even though Ive fought it in close combat, in a manner of speaking, my overall understanding of it is still limited. If its evolutionary process spans millennia, or even longer, any minute deviation in parameters could cause a huge deviation in the predictive results. However, Alice and I basically agreed that this existence, whose whole is made of parts, greatly reduces the Ultimate Predators blood-drinking or transformation cycle. This form of existence is both for hunting and survival. Do you think it is aware of your super-connected items and emotion-infused items? Xia Libing asked thoughtfully. Xiang Kun shook his head. Ive given it a lot of thought, and I think it probably cant detect them. Otherwise, it wouldnt have only started reacting to me now, when Ive advanced the Super sensory Item System to this extent and even erased it from other beings. Xia Libing nodded, It seems like it gauges the threat level from mutants based on their transformation stages. Based on the number of transformations alone, your strength tier is relatively low. Xiang Kun smiled and agreed, Yes, by that evaluation system, Im probably way behind Joel. Speaking of Mr. Liang, his method of enhancing functionality through biological components synthesized from new compounds, with the aid of external technology, seems a bit like doing things behind the scenes, too. Do we have a clear understanding of its way of perceiving environmental information? Alice and I have constructed several models based on our predictions. It seems most likely that the super sensory information fragments hidden in all creatures are activated or awakened when the fundamental characteristics of the mutants are revealed through various experiments and discovered by humans, at which point they become observable. But this simple structure probably cant process complex sensory information, so it likely has a processing center which might have merged temporarily or already exist. At this time, it might enter a sensory state as Mr. Liang and Academician Shen suggested, retaining the ability to process common sensory information. After listening, Xia Libing thought for a moment, then said, The way it threatened you seemed somewhat cautious. Xiang Kun understood her meaning. If the Ultimate Predator wanted to warn him by killing a large number of creatures, the most intimidating way would undoubtedly involve using his own kind C or rather, his kind before mutation C humans as a warning. But the Ultimate Predator instead chose to kill a few birds and a small sections of insects in Chongyun Mountain. It seemed very restrained and careful, as if it was afraid of overshooting and making him truly enraged. Ive been wondering why it would think that threatening the lives of other creatures would be effective against me. How did it know? What if I were a mutant only pursuing my own metamorphosis, only pursuing power and indifferent to the life or death of other creatures? Xiang Kun said. Xia Libing thoughtfully replied, Perhaps it judged your intentions based on your maintenance of human form, or your immediate actions to erase the special super sensory information fragments from other creatures, or perhaps even on an analysis of your prior behavior? She knew Xiang Kuns focus on this point was because understanding it could potentially lead to a better understanding of the information collection methods of the Ultimate Predator. Regardless, for now, I think Ill leave it alone. If it causes a mass extinction in a desperate attempt to survive, the consequences will be unthinkable. Xiang Kun said, If we can confirm that it cant perceive super-connected items, then the priority is to accelerate their associations and global deployment. Once super-connected items have spread across the world, we can consider how to catch it all at once, and take it out in one stroke, without giving it a chance to strike back. Xiang Kun had barely finished speaking when Alices voice came from the speaker, sounding eager, Alice has come up with twenty-seven plans to accelerate the associations and deployment of super-connected items! Do you want to take a look, boss, Xia Libing? In a conference room filled with a variety of equipment that made it look high-tech despite its small size, Zhang Qian and Tang Baona were discussing a proposal. Yang Zhener was sitting next to Tang Baona, daydreaming as usual. However, unlike in the past where she would be looking at the computer screen, reading articles, selecting new clothes, accessories, toys for Little Fatty Girl, or browsing local food posts and contemplating what to eat after picking up Little Fatty Girl in the afternoon, her attention was now on a round eraser in her hand, which she had casually spotted on a young girls desk in the administration department when she came to Tengjiao Entertainment in the morning. She had bought a cup of milk tea and traded it for the eraser. Ever since Yang Zhener had discovered her Flying Coin Into the Cup trick, and Little Fatty Girl had taught her and Nana how to play Coin Clash, she had developed an odd interest in all kinds of round items. Everything seemed to look like coins to her, and she wanted to roll and collide them. While going downstairs this morning, she stared at the hub of a car for quite some time, imagining her and Little Fatty Girl each holding a wheel hub and playing a game of bump into each other. She even started pondering whether it would be more fun to use the tire along with the wheel or just the wheel hub alone. It wasnt until Nana called out to her that she snapped out of her daze. Right now, the round eraser in her hand felt fantastic. As Yang Zhener fiddled with it, she wondered whether the eraser would roll slowly because of the friction and not be smooth enough? Then she began to search for round, rubber on e-commerce platforms like JD and TB, to see if there were rounder, higher quality erasers available. She planned to buy a few and play with Nana and Xiao Lingdang! She started researching eraser manufacturers, production processes, components, degrees of hardness, various performance parameters, and so on. Miss Yang, do you have some thoughts about that eraser youre holding? Zhang Qian, who had just finished discussing a topic with Tang Baona, suddenly asked Yang Zhener. On a daily basis, she was accustomed to Yang Zhener wandering off during meetings and didnt mind it at all. After all, she had Nana to discuss the specifics of their work, and there were no issues. But Yang Zhener seemed odd today, holding an eraser that appeared to be bought from their companys bulk purchase, her expression was unusually grave and serious, not like her usual slacking, daydreaming self. Thats why Zhang Qian had asked her. Ah? Oh, this eraser its got a nice feel and its quite unique. Werent we discussing promotional campaign yesterday? I was thinking we could create custom erasers with our games logo printed on them and give them to players or passersby during offline promotions. This is a minor issue though, you bigwigs dont need to worry about it. Just carry on with your discussion, Yang Zhener replied casually. In the afternoon, once Yang Zhener was done picking up Little Fatty Girl, she was excited, Xiao Lingdang, lets not eat out today. Lets order delivery, you can choose whatever you want. I thought of a new game. We can play it at home. It should be a lot of fun! While holding Yang Zheners hand, Little Fatty Girl sighed, Ms. Fairy, although the coin game is super fun, everything should be done in moderation! After getting home, I have to study first, then I can play. As Uncle Bald said, the foundation of um playing a game is knowledge. Only with knowledge can we play better. Upon hearing the word game, Liu Shiling naturally assumed that Yang Zhener was referring to the Coin Collision game. In the past few days, Yang Zhener and Tang Baona had become extremely passionate about this game and played it very late every day. In fact, she had taught them several games that used a coin as a prop, but this one was still their favorite. Especially Yang Zhener, who had even purchased a six-meter-long narrow table online to place in her house and use as a diametric runway. Yang Zhener smiled proudly, This is a different game, well just play for twenty no, forty minutes, it wont interrupt your studies! Hehe! Thats right, Xiao Lingdang, stop calling me Old Fairy Sister, call me Fairy Sister, or well, Old Fairy Sister it is! She had just barely managed to get Little Fatty Girl to call her Fairy Sister, but after only a few times, it turned into Old Fairy Sister, then as soon as the word old slipped out, Little Fatty Girl would notice and immediately correct it to Fairy Sister. As this happened again and again, it became more natural for her to say Old Fairy Sister. As soon as they got home and Little Fatty Girl put down her small backpack, Yang Zhener couldnt wait to lead her to the center of the living room. She used a data cable to draw a circle on the ground, enclosing Little Fatty Girl inside. She then stepped back a few steps and also circled herself with the cable. Yang Zhener handed a round eraser to Little Fatty Girl, held another one herself, and then said, Hold the eraser like this, in front of your forehead. You can only move your wrist, not your forearm or upper arm, and throw the eraser! Little Fatty Girl followed her actions, then helplessly said, Old Fairy Sister, I cant throw very far like this! Ah well then youre allowed to move your forearm! Yang Zhener scratched her head and said. But how does this game work? Hehe, like this. Ill countone, two, threeyou throw your eraser at my head, and Ill try to hit your eraser with mine. If I hit it, I win. And if you hit my head, you win! You cant dodge with your body or head. Hmm, whoever wins gets to choose a dish for the takeaway dinner! Oh. Little Fatty Girl nodded in understanding. She then held the eraser in the middle of her forehead as instructed and on the count of three, she moved her forearm and threw the eraser like shooting a basketball. Subsequently, Yang Zhener lightly moved her wrist, and the eraser in her hand shot out, accurately hitting Little Fatty Girls eraser in mid-air. YEAH! Yang Zhener made a fist with both hands and squatted down triumphantly. Huh? Little Fatty Girl was also surprised with her wide-eyed gaze fixed on the two erasers that had fallen to the ground. However, Yang Zhener had already scurried over to pick it up. She handed one of the pieces to the Little Fatty Girl and said, Your turn, Xiao Lingdang. This time, Ill be the one throwing and you will block! The Little Fatty Girl was still somewhat bewildered. Holding the piece of eraser, she nodded unconsciously, then mimicked Yang Zheners earlier posture, positioning the eraser above her forehead in preparation. When Yang Zhener called out one, two, three, the Little Fatty Girl threw the eraser, but she failed to intercept the incoming piece and was hit squarely in the forehead. She threw her head back and let out a sharp cry. The eraser was small and soft, and Yang Zhener had thrown it lightly, so it did not hurt when it hit her forehead. But the Little Fatty Girls competitiveness was ignited. She rubbed her forehead and said, Old Fairy Sister, lets play with a coin instead. No way! Coins are metal, super hard, and you could get injured. If I hurt you, Ill be devastated. No way! Yang Zhener refused outright. Little Fatty Girl: No, it wont happen, I can control the coin well. No, no, we can only use erasers. Or..lets try throwing cups, one throws a cup, the other blocks. Well play that later. Lets continue with this. Or Xiao Lingdang, do you feel like you cant beat me and want to concede? If thats the case, I can accept it. Then Ill order all the food tonight. Let me think, what do I want to eat? Lets go again. Liu Shiling rubbed her forehead, picked up her eraser and stood back within the small circle and said. Just now, she faintly felt something. She wanted to confirm it again. Yang Zhener returned to her own circle, then held the eraser, ready to throw it: Hehehe, Xiao Lingdang, are you ready? Liu Shiling nodded vigorously and made a sound of acknowledgement. Following Yang Zheners count of three, Liu Shiling failed to intercept the eraser once again. Just as Yang Zheners round eraser was about to reach the Little Fatty Girls forehead, an anomaly occurred. The eraser stopped less than a centimeter from her forehead! At the same time, the light in the living room dimmed slightly. Yang Zhener was taken aback, with a brief moment of confusion. She felt as if time had stopped. Xiao Lingdang She called out unconsciously. Then, seemingly coming to her senses, Liu Shiling was equally startled. She noticed the eraser suspended in front of her forehead, then with a start gave a shout. Her head dramatically threw forward and she crouched down covering her forehead: Old Fairy Sisters aim is too precise! The eraser then dropped onto the floor as if its support had been removed. Yang Zhener gazed at the Little Fatty Girl who was crouching on the floor, covering her forehead, whose acting was terrible, and even peeking at her from the corner of her eyes. Zhener felt her thoughts were a jumble. Chapter 546 - Chapter 546: Chapter 546: Hair-Raising Chapter 546: Chapter 546: Hair-Raising Yang Zhener walked over, a doubtful expression on her face. She picked up the round eraser on the ground, examined it carefully, then crouched down next to the Little Fatty Girl and moved her hand away from her forehead, Did it hurt? Im sure I didnt flick it as hard as the last time. As Yang Zhener examined her forehead, Little Fatty Girl spoke up, Old Fairy Sister is so accurate. She hit the same spot twice! Its an addition to the previous injury, and the pain has doubled! Xiao Lingdang Yang Zhener held Little Fatty Girls chubby cheeks in her hands. Huh? Yang Zhener suddenly raised her voice and spoke quickly, You lied, didnt you! I didnt hit you at all just now, did I! The eraser stopped right in front of your face, didnt it? With her cheeks being held by Yang Zhener, Little Fatty Girl looked at her Old Fairy Sister and seemed to be in a daze. The seconds ticked by, then gradually, her eyes began to blur, tears started to well up, and then a tear rolled down her cheeks, falling into Yang Zheners hand. Yang Zhener was taken aback, the reaction was even bigger than when she saw the eraser hovering in mid-air. She quickly pulled Little Fatty Girl into her arms, gently patted her back and kept apologizing, Xiao Lingdang, Old Fairy Sister wasnt trying to scold you. I was just joking with you. Dont cry, dont cry. Old Fairy Sister is bad. You can flick the eraser at Old Fairy Sisters forehead next time, I promise not to dodge! Dont cry, dont cry, you can choose the food when we order takeout. You can have anything you want Liu Shilings head rested on Yang Zheners shoulder. A tear still hung from her eyelashes, but she quietly breathed a sigh of relief. She didnt purposefully show off her acting skills C she couldnt cry on command, she could at most wail saying Im crying, Old Fairy Sister, but no tears would follow C unless she pinched her thigh hard a few times. Just now, she was flustered when Yang Zhener uncovered her lie. Then she realized it was wrong to lie to Old Fairy Sister, but she had promised Uncle Bald not to reveal the Magic Truth to Old Fairy Sister for the time being. Caught between her promise and her conscience, also thinking of how Old Fairy Sister had always been so kind to her, she felt anxious and uncertain, and thats why she started to cry. Unexpectedly, her tears allowed her to evade the situation. But she was actually extremely curious. Because a moment ago, when she was fully focused on the eraser Old Fairy Sister held, she had actually controlled the eraser. This control didnt seem to be direct, but an indirect control through the Chocolate and Ice Cream in her pocket. The feeling from the eraser was different from all the other objects like coins, beads, and all sorts of Magic Treasures Uncle Bald had given her C it felt both unfamiliar and intimate. Yes, the intimacy was akin to the feeling Old Fairy Sister gave her. It seemed the eraser was Old Fairy Sisters Magic Treasure. But this eraser was not given by Uncle Bald, so how could it possess magic? Well, shell have to ask Uncle Bald about it on QQ later. While pondering these thoughts, Little Fatty Girl sniffled and, half-pushing and half-yielding, let Yang Zhener wipe away her tears and snot. Following this, she returned to the sofa. Yang Zhener coaxed her by passing her the phone to order food. The two laughed and chatted happily while choosing their dishes. Once the food arrived, they laughed even more while eating. They discussed the taste of various dishes and reminisced about the delicious food they had in Chongyun Village. The pair seemed merry and pleased in no time. But Little Fatty Girl was eager to go home to report the urgent situation to Uncle Bald on QQ, so she made the excuse of needing to study from a book at home and wanted to leave early. What she forgot, however, was that her mother was still at work and hadnt returned home yet, so Yang Zhener would inevitably have to accompany her home. The result was naturally Yang Zhener escorting her home together. Liu Shiling grabbed her books and iPad and went to study in her room, while Yang Zhener sat on her bed, fiddling with her eraser and stealthily observing her. Although Yang Zhener was not able to trick Little Fatty Girl into telling the truth through her shout just now, she only ended up crying, scaring herself and not daring to bring up that matter again. However, it does not mean she has given up on it. She is very certain, extremely sure, that she just unmistakably saw the eraser hovering before Little Fatty Girls forehead. If it were another eraser, she might have doubted whether she had a misconception, or perhaps the eraser just adhered to Little Fatty Girls forehead, having stuck there due to sweat, and remained like that for a moment. But for this eraser, Yang Zhener has a strange sense of conviction towards its various states, just like knowing where it could be thrown and where it would land the moment it was released from her hand. Therefore, she has a very clear and direct sensation towards the sudden levitation of the eraser, as if a yawn was abruptly stopped halfway. Why would such a situation occur? If Little Fatty Girl was as surprised as her, then she might have suspected that the problem lied with her. However, it was evident that when Little Fatty Girl discovered the hovering eraser, the first reaction was to pretend it never happened and try to defuse the situation, which indicated a big problem! Yet, she clearly has a rather special sensation towards the eraser. So why was it controlled by Little Fatty Girl? Could it be that Little Fatty Girl has the ability to control objects remotely? Yang Zhener, squinting her eyes, was sizing up Little Fatty Girl, who sat at the desk, studying maths on her book and iPad, recalling her unusual performance during the game just now. However, the conclusion drawn was: Ah~, worthy of our precious Xiao Lingdang, she is so cute even when studying seriously. Tang Baona got home early tonight, but unexpectedly, she didnt see Zhener and Xiao Lingdang at home. On her way home, she had specially quickened her steps, wanting to return home early to play games with them. Not only Zhener, but she had also recently become quite addicted to the game Coin Collision. Its not just the game itself, more importantly, while playing that game, she has the feeling that the connection between her and her coin is getting deeper and deeper. It seems as if they are not using the coins for gaming, but rather their own pet fighter instead. Not only the Coin Collision game, nearly all the coin games designed by Little Fatty Girl, have the same effect while playing. Or to say, because coin games designed by Little Fatty Girl are extremely suitable to play with coins in numerous ways to toy with and control the coins, it can enhance their connection with the coins, similar to how spending a lot of time playing with pets can promote bonding and understanding. For others, if they hear this metaphor, they might find it extremely strange who treats a coin as a pet? Are they out of their mind? However, for Tang Baona and Yang Zhener, this metaphor feels inexplicably apt. Little Fatty Girl is undeniably a coin master, her understanding and familiarity with coins has reached another level, and she can easily create fun games based on coins. Also, the way how Little Fatty Girl so passionately controls the coins, Tang Baona, who believes the appearance and following of the little elf is related to the lucky coin given by Xiang Kun, is secretly guessing in her heart: Perhaps Xiao Lingdang also knows about the existence of the little elf? Being home so early and without Old Three and Lingdang around, and with no games to play, Tang Baona was suddenly a little bored. If Zhener took Xiao Lingdang home so early, most likely Lingdang is sleepy and Zhener wants to put her to sleep. Judging from the takeout boxes in the trash can, the two didnt eat out but had dinner at home tonight. That was quite unusual recently, could it be because Lingdang felt tired earlier today? Tang Baona began to worry if Lingdang wasn feeling well, so she sent a WeChat message to ZhenEr. When she received an assured reply that Lingdang was just studying, she was relieved. Tang Baona decided not to go to Lingdangs place, instead she returned to her room, opened her laptop, logged into her Bilibili account, and checked the data of the various videos she had uploaded. She hadnt updated anything for a long time, and many fans were speculating in the comments under the old videos whether she had gotten married or gone to have a baby She watched the comments speechlessly for a while, wondering if she should record another song and upload it. Of course, she didnt have her recording equipment here, so she could only do some preliminary preparations first, picking a song, then coming up with a music arrangement, and getting some practice in. Tang Baona wandered around on several music platforms, sampled songs that topped the charts which she hadnt listened to, to see if there were any good ones to cover. Having picked a traditional style song she liked, Tang Baona found the official accompaniment, then softly sang along with the lyrics twice. On a whim, she lifted her head and squinted at the room light, saying, Little Elf, what do you think of this song? Do you like it? After a few seconds, the room light didnt change at all. She didnt mind. If she was alone these days, she would often ask the light something like that. The Little Elf responded occasionally, but most of the time it didnt. Just as she was about to continue practicing, the song on her computer suddenly changed to the song Learning Cats Meow that Xiao Pingguo once taught the Little Fatty Girl to sing: Lets learn to meow together~ Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow~ Acting coquettishly in front of you~ Ow, meow, meow, meow~~ Tang Baona was taken aback, what happened, did the player automatically switch songs? But when she tried to switch songs and found that she couldnt, she realized something, tilted her head, and squinted, Little Elf, is that you? The light dimmed, then brightened. Do you like this song? The light dimmed and brightened again. Do you want to hear me sing it? The light blinked twice rapidly. So, Tang Baona happily started to look for the accompaniment to this song, but, surprisingly, it had already been found. Little Elf, was that you? You can even operate the computer like this, thats so cool! Tang Baona said happily. Then she began to softly sing along to the accompaniment, and as she sang, she even started making gestures. Little Elf, is there any other song you want to hear? Ill find and sing them for you! Lingdang singing this song is even cuter, super adorable. Oh, let me play you her video of singing this song, its so cute, so adorable! Haha, you agree with my opinion, right? Oh yes, do you also know Lingdang? So you indeed know Lingdang! Do you know Xiang Kun either? And Old Xia! Zhener! The comrades we used to live with in Chongyun Village, you should know them. Do they know you? While having a one-way conversation, Tang Baona was humming along to the songs automatically selected by the computer. Sometimes, the lights did respond, sometimes not, but she didnt mind, because she thought just being able to communicate at this level was rare enough, it gave her the feeling that Little Elf was guarding her in the room. Shilings mom came back relatively early today too, so Yang Zhen Er didnt stay too long. She was planning to go back and discuss with Nana, improving her previous guesses a bit, and then trying to buy over Xiao Lingdang again tomorrow. When she got home and as soon as opened the door, Yang Zhen Er heard the sounds of accompaniment and Nanas singing from her room. The song she was singing The grass by the river is evergreen, the sky is eternally young? It sounded like an old song. Was Nana planning on posting a new cover video? As she changed into slippers and was heading towards the room, Nanas singing suddenly stopped, and she seemed to start talking to someone. Yang Zhen Ers spirits lifted instantly. Squinting her eyes and wearing a curious grin, she tiptoed over to eavesdrop at the doorway. This song is pretty good, I used to listen to it when I was a kid too, when did you first hear it? Or is this song from your era? Do you think I should sing cute songs, melancholic love songs, or inspirational songs? The messages from the fans online all say that I have a domineering sisters voice, that my voice is inherently whip-like, how ridiculous! Ah, Im a bit hungry, I feel like getting some takeout, but Im afraid of gaining weight. When living in Chongyun Village, my strict diet was ruined by Xiang Kun, and it was so hard to start it up again, surely Im not going to give up halfway again? By the way, do you ever get hungry? Should I get you something as well? In the beginning, Yang Zhen Er thought Nana was video calling or talking to Xiang Kun on the phone, but as she continued to listen, it didnt seem so. She couldnt help but worry, could it be that Nana now has another favorite, and her secret plan of tagging along with Nana for Brother Xiangs meals in the future would fail? So she peeped inside through the partially opened door, and saw Nana talking while lying down on the bed. But her phone was placed on the desk next to the computer, the Bluetooth earphones were also on the table, the laptop didnt show any ongoing video calls, and there was no one else in the room besides Nana. Who was Nana talking to?! Yang Zhen Er suddenly felt a chill rise from the soles of her feet, her scalp tingling. Chapter 547 - Chapter 547: Chapter 547: A Bit Cold in Loneliness and Solitude Chapter 547: Chapter 547: A Bit Cold in Loneliness and Solitude If Nana were to whisper sweet nothings with Chef Xiang, Yang Zhener would hide and eavesdrop on their gossip. If Nana were to chat with someone other than Chef Xiang, Yang Zhener would also hide and eavesdrop on their gossip. But now, Nana is chatting with some unknown entity. The conversation seems reciprocal, yet she cant hear any voice from the other end and Nana isnt wearing headphones or video chatting with someone Several horror movie scenarios are racing through Yang Zheners mind; shes as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof. Her palms are sweaty, her forehead is cold. But in there lies her best friend. Despite her fear, Yang Zhener pokes her head in and quavers, Nana, who are you talking to? Not having heard the door open and unaware of Yang Zheners return, Tang Baona startles from the bed, clearly taken by surprise. She looks terrifiedly at the head sticking out of the doorway. Upon confirming it is Yang Zhener, Tang Baona lets out a sigh of relief, cant help but grabs a pillow and tosses it at her: Old Three Yang, why didnt you make a noise when you came back? Sneaking around like a thief. Yang Zhener catches the pillow and, with a hushed anxiety, repeats her question: Nana, who were you talking to just now? Ah? Tang Baona is taken aback, unconsciously touching her temples and replying, No one, I wasnt talking to anyone. Yang Zhener looks suspiciously at Nana: Really? By the way, did Xiao Lingdang go to bed so early today? Is Sister Lin back? Tang Baona tries to naturally change the subject. Yang Zhener doesnt fall for it: I clearly heard you talking just now, you were saying things like Am I the cute type, or the melancholic type, or the dignified type. Im hungry, Im going to order take-out, do you want some?'' Tang Baona immediately refutes: No! I didnt say that! I said Does my voice suit cute songs, or melancholic songs, or dignified ones It sounds like youre asking whether Im cute or melancholic. Ha! Is that an admission?! Spill it, who were you talking to? Yang Zhener immediately demands. I didnt talk to anyone. I was just mumbling to myself, considering my singing style. Look, nobody is in the room, Tang Baona says with feigned righteousness. Then looking at Yang Zhener standing in the doorway, she says: Why are you just standing there? Come in. What are you afraid of? Dont tell me you think theres an invisible person in this room? Holding the pillow, Yang Zhener hesitantly enters the room. Near the bed, she suddenly throws the pillow on Tang Baonas head, then rushes towards the wardrobe, quickly pulling the doors open. After a thorough inspection, she rushes back to the bedside, crouches down to look under the bed, then realizes the bed is directly attached to the floor. Unable to find anything, she stands up, sheepishly brushing her hand. Tang Baona, dumbfounded with the pillow, laughs at Yang Zheners somewhat ridiculous actions: Old Three Yang! Are you Are you acting like youre catching an affair? Ha! Old Three catching an affair is kind of rhyming Yang Zhener gives her a look but says nothing. She continues towards the window, pulling back the curtain to look out, even opening it to peek down. Theres absolutely nobody here. I was just looking for some songs to record a video when I had some time. I havent updated my Bilibili channel for a long time, Tang Baona says. With you and Xiao Lingdang gone, I was feeling all lonely and cold. So, I just talked to myself. Zhener, are you hungry? Lets order take-out Before Tang Baona can finish, Yang Zhener interrupts: Youre lying! No, I Tang Baona denies weakly, seeing Yang Zhener operate on her phone, she thought she might have secretly recorded the conversation and revealed her interactions with the Little Elf. She cant help but feel unease recalling the past. To her surprise, after fiddling with the phone, Yang Zhener starts playing the infamous execution song from Detective Conan. She turns down the volume, places the phone in front of her body, and then puts on Nanas computer glasses. She then paces the room and declares, Nana! As your several decades-long friend, I know you like the back of my hand. You, you cant fool me with your lies! Nana, you, a little fairy born with a golden spoon, do not know how to lie! Didnt you see it? When you lie, you unconsciously touch your hair, either on the side or at the end. Additionally, when you lie, you cant maintain eye contact, you always look to the side, mostly the right! After lying, you purse your lips! Its all so obvious! Besides, as your best friend, roommate for many years, and loyal assitant manager, havent I seen you talk to yourself? When talking to yourself, youre super dramatic, impersonating two roles, but just now you were clearly only speaking as yourself without any response! More importantly, when I first asked you who you were talking to, you were evasive and sidestepped the question! So there must be something! In conclusion, Nana, you were not talking to yourself just now, but communicating with somethingor someone! Come clean, Nana! Yang Zhener finishes, presses a button on her phone to stop the background music, then fixes Tang Baona with what she believes to be an intimidating stare. Tang Baona looks stunned at first, then slowly rises, reaches out and grabs Yang Zheners cheeks, lightly pinching and rolling them, You are not the Yang Old Three I know. You are Old Xia, right? Hurry up and remove Old Threes skin and show your true self! Go away, Nana, you cant deflect the topic. Confess now! Yang Zhener pushes away Nanas hands, maintaining her stern demeanor. Theres truly nothing. You saw there was no one in the room Tang Baona says, her hand rising to touch her hair. Recalling Zheners words from earlier, she continues stretching and mimics yawning. Hey hey hey, see, there it is again. Youre pursing your lips, and you cant stop smiling. You know you cant lie, Nana. Youre even close to laughing! Yang Zhener gets closer to her friends face and gives it a thorough look. From the looks of it, you dont seem to be possessed. Pfft, why would I be possessed? You big head ghost! Im starving to death. Move away, Im going to make some instant noodles. Tang Baona gets up, heads towards the rooms doorway. Just as shes about to leave the room, she turns back to Yang Zhener, Oh right, Old Three, are you hungry? Would you bottom up for me? Finishing her provocative joke, Tang Baona exits the room snickering, leaving a stunned Yang Lao San alone in the room, not quite caught up with what just happened. However, in the end, Yang Zhen Er went over to join Tang Baona in cooking instant noodles. After eating and having a merry time, she went to bathe and get ready for bed. Lying in bed, Yang Zhen Er cast a glance at her best friend, who was sharing the bed with her, and felt a sudden pang of melancholy. She could sense that Nana was definitely hiding a secret from herafter being friends for so many years, she understood Nana too well. She had planned to discuss the strange phenomenon observed that evening with Nana once she got home, pondering whether Xiao Lingdang might have acquired superpowers or if some supernatural event had transpired. But surprisingly, not only was Xiao Lingdang hiding a secret, but so was Nana. On further thought, Xiao Pingguo was obviously hiding something as well. The training methods related to object sensing she spoke about seemed akin to superpowers. And now, in Chongyun Village, within the very house they resided in, she moved with such easewalking, picking up things, and so onshowing no signs of being unable to see. Even when climbing mountains, she moved faster than herself. Canary also displayed unusual behavior. She had searched online. Conceptually, a guide bird only existed as an idea. Nobody had really been able to train a bird to assist the visually impaired. Yet Canary acted highly sentient, exceeding the intelligence of her friends border collie. Besides, it was so fat that most people couldnt recognize it as a canary. Seven out of ten would likely mistake it for a pigeon! Even her cousin Big Guy, after returning from Burma, was behaving mysteriously. Initially, hed discuss the hypotheses related to his rescue in Burma, but he stopped doing so later. It looked as if hed figured things out and now looked down upon her inferences. As for Old Xia, he was a man full of secrets since childhood. Brother Xiang, the chef he undoubtedly had the most secrets. Probably, due to the overwhelming number of secrets, it was exhausting to hide them, causing his hair to fall out! Everyone had secrets, and nobody told her. Yang Zhen Er lay in bed, suddenly feeling lonely and cold. She curled up on her side, hugging her knees and feeling sorry for herself. Tang Baona, sleeping on the other side, wasnt asleep yet. Just like how Yang Zhen Er could tell at a glance whether or not she was lying, she too understood her friend Yang Zhen Er equally well. Thus, she could keenly sense Yang Zhen Ers mood change. She moved closer and hugged her friend from behind, Zhener, youre always my very, very best friend. You know, I trust you always. Be good, goodnight. Goodnight, said Yang Zhen Er, her mood brightening. Tang Baona was also somewhat hesitant, not sure whether to disclose the existence of the Little Elf to Yang Zhen Er. But in the end, she decided not to share it. Even though Yang Zhen Er had a highly imaginative mind, always teeming with various whimsical conjectures, the incident with the Little Elf was actually genuine and not a joke or speculation. Moreover, she didnt have any concrete evidence to prove the existence of the Little Elf. Even if she tried to do so through changes in light, the Little Elf might not respond. Besides, she wasnt sure if the Little Elf was willing to let its existence be known by Zhener, and how it might affect the Little Elf and Zhener. The next day was the weekend, and as there were several new projects to start, Tang Baona and Shilings Mom had to go to the office. So, Yang Zhener went early to play the role of nanny, taking the Little Fatty Girl out to play C surprisingly, the place the Little Fatty Girl requested to go was not an amusement park or a mall, but a bookstore. In the bookstore, Liu Shiling looked up with her little head, wandering around in the popular science books section. From time to time, she asked Yang Zhener how to read the titles of books she did not understand, and what they meant. This one is called The Mysterious World of Quantum um, not the magic world, but the mysterious world C the mysterious in mysterious. What does quantum mean? Well, quantum is something related to physics, which you cant learn yet, even if you see it, you wont understand! Can you learn it in junior high school? It should no, no! You cant learn it in junior high school either! You have to wait until you grow up, like your Old Xia your barbecue wings sister whos read many books. Neither of us can understand this book. You cant, and so can I. While Yang Zhener was talking, she was turning the pages when she suddenly exclaimed, Ah? This is a comic book? After taking a glance and finding that it seemed to be understandable, Yang Zhener decisively took the book and confidently said, Well buy this one. Ill have Old Fairy sister read it to you tonight! As Liu Shiling continued to wander around the bookshelves, Yang Zhener couldnt help but ask, Xiao Lingdang, I have a question. Supposeyou have a very close and trustworthy friend. You used to tell each other everything, shared all your secrets. But one day, you suddenly have a secret you dont want to tell her. What would be the reason? Oh yes, you havent fought, and your relationship is not bad. Liu Shiling thought for a moment, walked over and shyly took Yang Zheners hand, saying, Old Fairy Sister, I didnt mean to not tell you. But I promised Uncle Bald that I couldnt reveal the secret. But I asked Uncle Bald last night, and he said if you have any questions, you can ask him, and he will tell you Yang Zhener was taken aback for a moment, and then laughed, Xiao Lingdang, Im not talking about you. Im not talking about you. I mean wait, what did you say? You asked Brother Xiang? You and Brother Xiang have a secret agreement? Oh my, Xiao Lingdang, you really have As she spoke, she found that the Little Fatty Girl was looking up and placing her left index finger in front of her lips, her little face sternly making a shush gesture. Yang Zhener involuntarily swallowed back the superpowers she was about to say. After leaving the bookstore and finding a restaurant to eat, Yang Zhener couldnt wait to dial Xiang Kuns phone and asked right away, Brother Xiang! Whats the secret between you and Xiao Lingdang? Huh? What kind of secret, be specific? Is it about Xiao Lingdang being able to eat five buns in one meal? Xiang Kun laughed on the other side of the phone. Dont play dumb, I mean wait, five buns? Yang Zhener looked in astonishment at the Little Fatty Girl sitting opposite her, who was waiting for the food while flipping through the newly bought popular science comic book from the bookstore. She knew very well how large each of Xiang Kuns meat buns was. She herself could barely eat four at most; how could the tiny Xiao Lingdang eat five?! I was just kidding, how could she possibly eat five, do you think Xiao Lingdang is like you? Could you please be clear about what you want to ask? Xiang Kuns voice continued to come through. No, Brother Xiang, dont get off the subject. Didnt you tell Xiao Lingdang that she could ask you anything directly? Yang Zhener said somewhat annoyingly. Yes she can, then what exactly do you want to ask? Well last night, I was playing a game with Xiao Lingdang, the eraser-throwing game Yang Zhener began to describe in detail what happened when she was playing the eraser game with the Little Fatty Girl last night. I am very sure that the eraser was suspended in front of Xiao Lingdangs forehead for like a second! She then lowered her voice, moved closer to the wall side of their booth, half pressed her head against the wall and whispered into her phone, Brother Xiang, tell me honestly, does Xiao Lingdang have superpowers? Did you ever think that maybe you are the one with superpowers? Xiang Kun leisurely responded from the other end. Chapter 548 - Chapter 548: Chapter 548: Rubber Man Chapter 548: Chapter 548: Rubber Man I have superpowers? Yang Zhener, holding her mobile phone, was in a state of shocked. On the other end of the phone, Xiang Kun continued, Tell me, where did you get that eraser that seems to hang in the air? I saw it at Director Zhangs company yesterday and asked their administrative staff for it, Yang Zhener answered instinctively. Why did you choose that eraser? Xiang Kun asked again. Because it looked round and fun. Did you play with it for a long time yesterday? Well, probably around one or two hours? Now, sense the eraser without touching it! Where is it? Tell me quickly, one, two, three, go! Xiang Kun sped up his speech, speaking in an overwhelmingly harsh tone. Its its in the right pocket of my jacket What? Can I really feel it? As Yang Zhener said this, she reached into her jacket pocket in surprise and touch the eraser. What surprised her wasnt that the eraser was there, but the feeling she just had. When Xiang Kun was pressuring her with rapid-fire questions just now, she didnt try to recall where she put the eraser, but was instead urged by Xiang Kun to sense it. She was shocked to find that there seemed to be a vague yet real connection between her and the eraser, as though the eraser was a pebble in her shoe that she could feel directly through the sole of her foot C of course, in reality, the eraser was in her jacket pocket and she wouldnt be able to feel it physically. So I have a connection with this eraser? Yang Zhener held the eraser in one hand and the phone in the other, hesitating. Xiang Kun said, Old Three, congratulations, youre now a superhuman, the Rubber Man! Yang Zhener wasnt sure whether to laugh or cry, Rubber Man my foot! Id rather be called the Pipixia! So you mean, last night the eraser hovering in front of Xiao Lingdangs forehead was my superpower? When Yang Zhener said this, she found it strange that she actually felt natural talking about superpowers like it was a given. Something wasnt right. Its not just the eraser. Old Three, you need to explore more about things around you, observe details that you didnt pay attention to before, sense it with your heart, but dont forget why you start. Xiang Kun spoke in the tone of a spiritual guide with ambiguous language. Wait, whats going on? Why are you so sure that I would have a connection with the eraser? It doesnt make sense. This feeling, it seems like the connection I have with coinsChef Xiang, did you set this all up? Are Xiao Lingdang, Nana, Old Xia, Little Apples amazing coin skills all related to you? Is it all this kind of connection? Yang Zhener asked, one question after another. Xiang Kun said, Old Three, dont you already know? Ah? Know what? Yang Zhener was somewhat confused. About the secret organization. Dont you know? I dont care, but you have to keep it confidential, no leakage! Xiang Kun spoke in a matter-of-fact tone. Wait, what secret organization, theres really a secret organization? Quiet down, remember to keep it secret. Xiang Kun said seriously. Oh. Yang Zhener responded subconsciously. Then Xiang Kun spoke a few more words and hung up. Looking at her phone, Yang Zhener frowned and thought it over, feeling that something was wrong. Was Chef Xiang messing around, or was he seriously explaining to her? Just as she was organizing her thoughts, Liu Shiling, who was sitting opposite her, suddenly said, Sister Xian, the food is here. Stop thinking and eat first. If the food gets cold, it wont be delicious. Huh? Only then did Yang Zhener realize that the food had arrived: Ah, ok, lets eat first, lets eat first! Halfway through the meal, she remembered something else. She told the Little Fatty Girl to eat first while she moved to a seat inside against the wall, and dialed Xiang Kuns number again. Chef Xiang, I almost forgot to tell you, I found out last night that Nana was having a conversation with the air! Im a bit worried, do you know whats going on? Yang Zhener asked. Actually, what she wanted to say last was is this your doing?. Xiang Kun said, Dont worry, Nana is fine. You dont trust Nana, or you dont trust me? Thats it, go eat, take care of Xiao Lingdang, dont let her eat too much fried food. Bye, remember to keep it a secret. Yang Zhener looked at the phone and exasperatedly said, What do you mean by I dont trust Nana, and dont trust you? I will trust you, my foot! After making two calls, it seemed like Chef Xiang had said a lot and given many answers, but when she thought about it carefully, it seemed like none of her questions had been answered. But for some reason, Yang Zhener found that her previously uneasy heart had suddenly calmed down. It was strange, even though she felt that Xiang Kun was spouting nonsense and was tricking her, after making those two calls, she actually felt more at ease. Could this be a case of Stockholm Syndrome from being tricked? Eating absentmindedly, Yang Zhener pondered Xiang Kuns words and couldnt help but allow her imagination to run wild: Maybe Xiang Kun was telling the truth and her previous guess about the secret organization was spot on! Xiang Kun was responsible for training and recruiting superhuman members, and she and Nana were both candidates under assessment! Rubber Man doesnt sound so bad? Wait, didnt Xiang Kun and Nana meet through a blind date? Brother Bin and Sister Han set them up. Could they also be peripheral staff of the organization? Then what about Old Xia? She met Xiang Kun because she invited him to play cards. Could it be that Old Xia isnt part of the secret organization? She doesnt have superpowers? The more Yang Zhener thought, the more confused she became, finding it difficult to get her thoughts in order. She bit her chopsticks in distress and took out the round eraser from her pocket. She held it in her hand and looked at it closely, wondering if she could control it over a distance, even moving it a millimeter would be fine. Although she could clearly feel a faint connection between herself and the eraser, similar to a subtle invisible thread being pulled. No matter how much she tried to use her consciousness, the eraser remained motionless C as if the invisible thread was too thin to transmit her power. Yang Zhen Er suddenly raised her head and looked at the Little Fatty Girl: Xiao Lingdang, youre laughing at me! Im not. Im just eating! Xiao Lingdang responded, burying her head into her food, her cheeks bulging with every bite. Are you thinking that Sister Immortal is too childish? Yang Zhen Er squinted and asked. Liu Shiling frantically shook her head. Then are you thinking that Sister Immortal is too weak? Yang Zhen Er asked again. Liu Shiling quickly continued to shake her head. Isnt Xiao Lingdang a truthful child? Liu Shiling instinctively shook her head, but after two shakes, she realized that wasnt right and thought to nod, but after two nods she felt slightly embarrassed, so she was unsure whether to nod or shake her head. All she could do was stare at Yang Zhen Er with wide eyes, still chewing on her food, at a loss. Fearing that Little Fatty Girl would start crying again, Yang Zhen Er chuckled softly, Sister Immortal is just teasing you. Our Xiao Lingdang is the most obedient and adorable child in the world. Take your time to eat, slowly chew, dont chock. Here, let sister give you a bowl of mushroom soup~ After putting Xiao Lingdang to bed for a nap, Yang Zhen Er once again started researching her eraser. She set it among a dozen identical erasers she had purchased from the administrative department of Zhang Qians company, including the Lucky Coin that Xiang Kun had given her, and a pile of ordinary one-yuan coins C to which she had made sure were from the same year and mint. Yang Zhen Er figured that regardless of whether Brother Xiang was making fun of her, she undoubtedly had a unique feeling towards the eraser and coin. There had to be some sort of secret involved! Once she figures out the distinctions between regular coins and the Lucky Coin, regular erasers and Real Eraser, and the connections between the Lucky Coin and the Real Eraser, she would then perhaps understand the secrets behind Little Fatty Girl, Nana, Brother Xiang, Old Xia, and Little Apple! If there truly is a secret organization, then I, Yang Zhen Er, am definitely a member of it! Of course, what Yang Zhen Er wasnt aware of was that when she incidentally mastered the trick of Flying Coin Into Cup, she had already stepped halfway into the Super Sensory Item System. However, compared to Little Fatty Girl, Old Xia, and Little Apple, and even Tang Baona who discovered it a bit earlier, Yang Zhen Ers connection method with the Super-connected Object coin is particularly unusual; a kind of connection which seems faint and hazy and happens intermittently. This connection began to strengthen as Yang Zhen Er played various coin games under the influence of Xiao Lingdang, and became more solid and intimate. But Yang Zhen Ers connection with the super-connected objects remains extraordinarily special, like if others use steel wire or carbon fiber rope for linking two objects, or for the brittle ones, use hemp rope, but she seems to use glue instead. Although Xiang Kun was curious about Yang Zhen Ers approach towards the Super Sensory Item System, he had no intentions of intervening, preferring to let her develop naturally. But when Yang Zhen Er started to get interested in other round things apart from the coin, Alice notices something unusual through the monitoring of Super Sensory Information. Especially after Yang Zhen Er took the eraser from the Sky Serpent Entertainment and toyed with it for a while, Alice ingeniously detected through Super Sensory Information that Yang Zhen Er seemed to extend an unrefined interface to the eraser via a virtual connection with the Super Sensory Item System. Immediately after reporting to Xiang Kun and getting his approval, Alice directly influenced Yang Zhen Ers super sensory state through the super-connected objects, helping her complete the interface and connect the eraser to the super sensory item system. Then, in the super sensory item system, this eraser had a connection similar to the super-connected objects, albeit with a lesser degree of connection and influence. Xiang Kun referred to the state of the eraser as a secondary super-connected object. He then entered the super sensory state and linked with the eraser through the super-connected objects, elevating the eraser from a secondary super-connected object to a super-connected object without understanding its physical parameters and specifics. Because of this, on that night, as Yang Zhen Er and the Little Fatty Girl were playing a game of eraser collisions, Liu Shiling was able to control the super-connected object eraser for a short time through her super-connected object coin, due to her strong influence. As for Yang Zhen Er although in theory, her connection with the super-connected object eraser was stronger as she was the one who brought the eraser into the super sensory item system, her degree of control over the eraser was very minimal, far from the Little Fatty Girls level of control. It was a bit like she had bought a small car with her own money, but didnt have a license nor knew how to drive. All she could do was sit in the car, listen to the music, and appreciate the comfy seats. Meanwhile, the race car driver Little Fatty Girl was zooming around and drifting everywhere in her car. It appeared that the first ability developed by Yang Lae San after entering the super sensory item system was as muddled as her connection with the system. It seemed to be of no significant use to either Xiang Kun or herself. However, as soon as he discovered this ability and learned that Alice had secretly assisted her in establishing the secondary super-connected object connection, Xiang Kun immediately realized that this ability was a godsend for him! Yang Lao San established the secondary super-connected object connection without Xiang Kuns participation. It was all Alices doing. Alice obtained all related data about the erasers manufacturer from the internet, and went through the information about the full process from the erasers design to production. She controlled other super-connected objects alongside Yang Zhen Ers unsuspecting interface, to establish a secondary super-connected object connection. This meant that, without Xiang Kuns participation, Alice could potentially make a wider range, mass, and fully automated connection of super-connected objects through the super sensory item system and the existing super-connected object network. By then, Xiang Kun would only need to approve the large number of secondary super-connected objects associated by Alice while in the super sensory state to upgrade these secondary super-connected objects to super-connected object. This was crucial for the current Xiang Kun, who was eager to widely distribute and link super-connected objects, and establish a global super-connected object network. Of course, as of now, the ability to connect secondary super-connected objects, which Yang Lao San had unconsciously developed with Alices assistance, wasnt ready for direct application. It wasnt giving Alice full automatic linking capability. Yang Lao San still needed to keep developing and perfect her skills, so that Alice could summarize and extract the necessary super sensory information to establish a stable association. Actually, the scene where Yang Lao San nosily watched Old Xia and Alice converse in the void the night before was deliberately arranged by Xiang Kun, Old Xia, and Alice. Through this method, they were gradually revealing part of the truth to Yang Zhen Er and Tang Baona, and indirectly stimulating Yang Zhen Er to develop related abilities. Both Xiang Kun and Old Xia believed that Yang Zhen Ers unrestricted imagination might be unreliable in other circumstances, but it was likely to be an advantage and a talent in developing abilities in the super sensory item system. Apart from keeping a close watch on the growth of Yang Lao San, Nana, and Little Fatty Girl in the super sensory item system, Xiang Kun and Alice were also monitoring another area in Peng City. Beneath the Brilliant Fortune Building, a fierce fight was underway. Chapter 549 - Chapter 549: Chapter 549: Johns Opportunity Chapter 549: Chapter 549: Johns Opportunity Three days after Joel vanished on Chongyun Mountain, Mr. Liang threw John into an enclosed space. This enclosed space was different from the ones John had been in before, where the Blood Beasts resided C as soon as the door opened and he stepped in, he fell into water. At about five meters underwater, John saw a seemingly ordinary turtle, about the size of a washbasin. But the next instant, the turtle was no longer ordinary. Its shell split open in the middle like a chrysanthemum blooming, and seven golden needle-shaped tentacles burst out, rushing towards him. This time, John was allowed to bring his little porcelain knife in. He did not attempt to dodge, but instead, marched straight towards the tentacles. Thanks to the significant improvements in tissue strength and recovery ability from his recent two-stage transformations, he planned a quick close combat to test the abilities of this mutated turtle. As soon as he entangled with the seven tentacles, the turtle at the bottom of water began to inflate rapidly, then exploded. The water was tainted black by the dark fluid that spewed out, and countless tentacles sprouted from the location of the explosion, filling the pool. Only then did John realize that this was probably not a mutated turtle at all. The tentacles were its actual body, and the turtle at the bottom just a decoy, serving as the Blood Source. Its real body had been hiding beneath it, camouflaged in the sediment at the bottom. Outside the enclosed space, Mr. Liang stood in front of a floor-to-ceiling screen, arms crossed, watching the battle in the water. Although the blood-eating creature in the water tainted the pool with its black fluid, obstructing the view, a small picture-in-picture in the upper right corner displayed an infrared thermal imaging surveillance feed. The outlines of the two blood-eating creatures were clearly marked thanks to Tyres special processing targeting blood-eating creatures. In terms of developmental stage and intelligence, John had a significant advantage. However, the closed space was filled with water, which was the home field advantage of the aquatic blood-eating creature, offsetting some of his superiority. If this were several months ago when John was first captured by Mr. Liang, his mentality at the time wouldnt have allowed him to triumph even with his double stage transformations and power advantage. He most likely would have ended up as the blood source devoured by the aquatic blood-eating creature. But now, after a few months spent underneath the Brilliant Fortune Building and two life-or-death battles, John had not only undergone two major mutations and evolved significantly but also his mental state and survival attitude had drastically transformed. Who would live and who would serve as the others blood source was still uncertain. Although the battle was intense, it only lasted for about twenty minutes before a victor was decided, and life or death was determined. John was floating face-down in the water, looking like a dead body, but in fact, he was the one who survived. The waters of the pond slowly cleared up, only the shattered remnants of Johns clothing were left floating, and the small porcelain knife sank to the bottom. Mr. Liang did not hoist John out of the water. He stood outside, quietly watching and waiting. Nearly ten hours later, with John still maintaining the pose of lying flat on the water, Mr. Liang finally lost patience. He drained the water from the pool, then raised the bottom of the pool to be level with the door. After opening the door, Mr. Liang walked in and stood before the lying John, speaking in his characteristic husky and deep voice: Youve been awake for seven hours, what are you playing dead for? Johns body trembled slightly, he slowly crawled up, kneeling on the floor, and opened his eyes, looking pitifully at Mr. Liang. I feel awfulSir, save me He stretched out his hand towards Mr. Liang. As his hand touched Mr. Liangs leg, he suddenly noticed a change C his skin became dry and cracked, erupting with green scales, and his fingers turned black and elongated, reaching up to wrap around Mr. Liangs leg. At the same time, Johns mouth split open, the back of his head bent back as if it were being peeled off, and a chrysanthemum-shaped organ in his mouth shot out black liquid at Mr. Liang. Mr. Liang was wrapped by Johns extended fingers and couldnt dodge in time, so he raised his hand to shield his face. The liquid appeared to be highly corrosive, smoke arose as soon as it touched Mr. Liangs body. Mr. Liangs right palm suddenly became extremely sharp. He swung downward with his right hand, cleanly severing Johns hand wrapping around his leg, and as he moved towards the door, he shook off the finger-like dried roots from his leg, and at the same time, he entered Invisibility Status. Although John was in a kneeling position, after peeling back his head and closing his mouth, he launched himself towards the door after Mr. Lianghe had apparently prepared for this all along. Stepping out of the door, John stood up, and as he did so, a thin tail covered with the same scales as on his body snaked out from his tailbone, the edge of which ended in a sharp spike. By appearances alone, John now looked even more alien and inhuman than Mr. Liang. His tail lashed out in a particular direction, and his mouth shot out large amounts of black liquid, aiming to block any potential escape routes. Unexpectedly, his tail didnt hit anything, rather it struck against the metal wall, creating a sharp clanging sound. He had broken the tip of his tail How could this be! John was taken aback. Ignoring the pain in his tail, his eyes darted around instinctively. He had tried to ambush Mr. Liang by spraying him with the corroding venom to break his invisibility. However, he couldnt find Mr. Liang in the place he predicted he would be! He suddenly noticed many grape-sized miniature flying machines floating around him. With a sudden realization, John understood that his misjudgment was due to these flying machines. Mr. Liang reappeared not far away, his face expressionless as he looked at John, It seems like you can sense the location of targets through heat now. Just now, he had used several miniature drones to simulate multi-sensory data of himself. The first thing John locked onto was heat simulation C even considering the data from the corroding venom. John stared at Mr. Liangs unharmed and intricate-patterned skin, gritting his teeth, Youre unhurt. Mr. Liang shook his head, Anti-corrosion is one of the primary features of this layer of skin I have. Youre too impatient. The three progressive transformations, you havent completed the pure fusion process. Instead, you have merely expressed their characteristics through superficial organs. The actual functionality is much weaker than their originals. This wont do. This is unacceptable? Dare you to come out of your invisibility, not hide away, dare to have a transparent fight with me, for life and death? John roared. His head was devoid of hair, replaced by elongated, golden needle mushroom-like tendrils that sprawled backward, growing from the crown of his head to the tips of the spinal column. You cant, Mr. Liang shook his head again, You can wait a bit longer. After undergoing another progressive transformation, perhaps youll stand a better chance. John broke out into a grin. Like Mr. Liang, corners of his mouth could widen all the way past his earlobes, Its because I havent met your requirements for the Blood Source, right?! Once I go through the next progressive transformation and meet the Blood Source requirements, youll directly consume me in my sleep! There wont be a single chance left! My only chance is now! John finished his sentence and dashed straight towards Mr. Liang. He was prepared for Mr. Liang to dodge quickly, or go invisible, and had also thought up a series of follow-up attacks. But, unexpectedly, he stood right in front of Mr. Liang. His re-grown, stinger tail pierced Mr. Liangs heart, lifting him into the air. The whole time, Mr. Liang didnt react, he didnt dodge or even change his expression. John, whose strike hit home looked at Mr. Liang who was lifted more than thirty centimeters off the ground on his tail, didnt feel happy at all, rather, his nervousness multiplied. The Mr. Liang who was pierced through the heart area looked down at John, his voice gruff like scraping metal, Do you think you stand a chance now? John did not dare to respond to Mr. Liangs words. He only moved slightly, his half-naked upper body split open from the navel, forming a grotesque mouth. Multiple tendrils were ready to shoot out from inside. Clearly, his plan was to throw everything he had at Mr. Liang without a second thought. However, before the tendrils in his large mouth could shoot out, John suddenly noticed that the previously inconspicuous miniature drones suspended in the surrounding corners quickly flew over. One by one, they attached themselves to him, like lice, sticking out their metal components, hooking onto his fresh and blood. His skin, now covered in scales, couldnt resist. John was taken aback. Before he could react, the dozen or so miniature drones attached to his body suddenly began to heat. The next moment, a dozen drones connected in pairs and simultaneously fired laser beams, then began a rapid rotation. The irregularly rotating laser beams connected inside Johns body. Instantly, his body exploded into fragments, turning into a cloud of blood mist. The dozen miniature drones didnt last more than a few spins. They exploded under the high heat, causing another explosion. In the blink of an eye, all that was left of John was half of the tail lodged in Mr. Liangs left chest, and the two legs standing on the ground. Everything else was shattered. Slowly pulling out half of the lodged tail, Mr. Liangs left chest showed a gaping hole where an organ throbbed within. Clearly, his heart wasnt there. He walked forward a couple of steps, bathing in the blood mist created by Johns disintegrated body. Minutes later, other than some shreds of clothing scattered around, there were no traces of John left in the underground space. Mr. Liang opened a container resembling a hibernation pod, extending from the metal wall, and lay inside. John got one thing wrong, he had already met Mr. Liangs requirements for the Blood Source. Regardless, Mr. Liang did indeed want to see if he could advance further and undergo progressive transformation. Its a pity that John felt that now was the best opportunity. He believed that he had the ability to counter-kill. At this moment, nearly a thousand kilometers away, in Chongyun Village, Xiang Kun watched the entire process of John consuming the mutant in the water up till his final showdown with Mr. Liang and subsequent death in the Super Sensory State. Alice recorded the corresponding video footage through the secret underground space cameras in the Brilliant Fortune Building. However, excluding those inside a few enclosed spaces, the main hall did not have cameras that could keep a constant viewpoint. Only when Mr. Liang used some of the devices on the console did the corresponding recording devices extend out, and even then, the shooting angle was very limited. Fortunately, the underground spaces ventilation ducts were filled with a multitude of Super-connected Objects. Even though Alice couldnt control the recording equipment, she could simulate and repurpose the Super Sensory Information. Xiang Kun opened his eyes, exited the Super Sensory State, and prepared to sense Mr. Liangs dream through the rabbit wood carving. In fact, for Xiang Kun, the present Mr. Liang virtually had no defenses. If Xiang Kun wished to, he could travel to Peng City right now, enter the secret underground space in Peng City. Getting into the area where Alice had complete control over Tyre, was unhindered. However, for Xiang Kun, there was no need to deal with Mr. Liang right now. In some ways, Mr. Liang could be considered his potential ally. Taking this opportunity to sense Mr. Liangs dream and clarify certain things, to understand his thoughts, is a better choice, a golden opportunity. Previously, Mr. Liang seemed never to have gone into a blood-drinking slumber. Therefore, he was never able to sense his dream. Minutes later, Xiang Kun successfully induced Mr. Liangs dream through the rabbit wood carving, receiving a stream of sensory information. He saw a vision of Mr. Liangs childhood, playing with a vibrant young man C Lu Chengan, and an attractive, intellectual young woman. He sensed joy, and a touch of bitter-sweetness, nostalgia; He saw Mr. Liang lying in bed, unable to move, only able to watch the outside sky through the room window. He sensed despair, helplessness, remembrance, and a hint of anger and discontent; He saw Mr. Liang lying on the hospital bed, studying through recorded video courses. Though there was irritation and anxiousness in his emotions, he managed to suppress them through patience; He saw Mr. Liang feeling the approach of death, his mood became calm, followed by a strong scent of blood and an intense sensation of hunger; He saw Academician Shen, saw a humble, spacious, though meticulously organized laboratory, Mr. Liangs emotions were excited and high-spirited; He saw a beautiful girl, about twenty years old with shoulder-length hair, setting off a tranquil sense. He felt the surge of emotions from the blooming of Mr. Liangs first love; He saw Mr. Liang hearing a noise, pushing the lab door open, only to encounter Academician Shens dead body being held by that beautiful girl. Her brutal, sadistic, and blood-red eyes were gazing right at him. Chapter 550 - Chapter 550: Chapter 550: Mr. Liangs Dream Chapter 550: Chapter 550: Mr. Liangs Dream Xiang Kun sensed Mr. Liangs emotions of terror, sorrow, and then anger, even madness in his dream. He then witnessed a brief battle. Clearly, Mr. Liang wanted to seize the body of Academician Shen and subdue the beautiful woman, but he failed and was beaten brutally, until he was on the brink of death. According to ordinary human judgment, Mr. Liang should be undeniably deadhe had his heart gouged out and tossed before his face. However, seeing as Mr. Liang was still alive, he obviously had not been killed or devoured at the time. From Xiang Kuns perception of the dream, the moment Mr. Liang opened the lab door, the beautiful woman must have already been drinking blood. That might explain why she did not completely kill Mr. Liang or drink his bloodshe had almost finished consuming Academician Shen and needed to leave as soon as possible to find a safe place to sleep and complete her transformation. The scene changed again; Mr. Liang infiltrated a villa, fought with a beautiful woman, and successfully killed and drank her blood. While the beautiful woman had slightly changed in appearance, she could easily be recognized as the one who had killed Academician Shen in the lab. Throughout this process, Xiang Kun did not feel an intense desire for blood or impulse to drink blood from Mr. Liang. What he felt instead was anger accompanied by a touch of desolate emotion. Xiang Kun carefully felt this emotion and felt that the sense of desolation was not just directed at the beautiful woman, but also at himself, at the deceased Academician Shen, and even at the world. The final dream scene froze on a rabbit-shaped woodcarving. Xiang Kun opened his eyes, still sitting in the chair without moving, recalling his perception of Mr. Liangs dream. He did not experience Mr. Liangs or Johns dreams through Old Xias Dream in A Dreamthe conditions did not permit it, as he hadnt previously dropped the black circle graffiti that was connected to Old Xia underneath the Brilliant Fortune Building. Therefore, what he perceived was essentially what Mr. Liang already thought a lot about, what he had always kept in his subconscious. These were the perceptions naturally revealed when the emotions evoked by the rabbit wood carving created the dream. The information perceived might not necessarily be factual memories, but could be emotion-based concrete forms, like the underground buildings and various platforms in Johns previous dream. However, based on this perception, Xiang Kun believed that the majority of these likely came from real memories. Without understanding Mr. Liangs information, the characteristics of mutants, the secrets behind Divine Technology, or what Academician Shen was doing, upon seeing these images and feeling these emotions, it would be impossible to understand or connect a complete context. However, to Xiang Kunwho already knew Mr. Liangs identity, roughly knew about Mr. Liangs experiences and Academician Shens situation through the secret documents, and had an exceedingly good understanding of the characteristics of mutantshe could quickly grasp the key information within. Although in the dream, Mr. Liang did not call out the beautiful womans name, but from the fact that she could meet Academician Shen and show up together in the lab, it was highly probable that she was the Xiao Xue or Ah Xue that appeared in the secret documents. By synthesizing the information recorded in the secret documents, the things he heard from Mr. Zhang Hongpu, and the situations Alice helped investigate, the probable timeline should be: Mr. Liang becomes paralyzedMr. Liang mutatesMr. Liang meets Academician ShenMr. Liang meets a beautiful woman named Xiao XueXiao Xue kills Academician Shen and feeds on himMr. Liang survives the trauma and changes his perception of mutation evolution, begins to try new directions of mutation, giving up on retaining human formHe finds Xiao Xues whereabouts, kills her and drinks her blood at the exact location of Mr. Zhang Hongpus friends sons villa (However, from the dream, it seems that Mr. Liang actually saved Mr. Zhang Hongpus friends son)Mr. Liangs mutation evolution system becomes stable and more developed. The death of Academician Shen would undoubtedly have had a significant impact on Mr. Liang; his perception of other mutants or human-shaped mutated creatures and his direction of self-mutation evolution changed drastically after this incident. This is why he said, Dont easily believe any blood-drinking creature'' in that video in the secret documents that seemed like a trusteeship or message to successor. However, there are some details that Xiang Kun hasnt fully understood. It could be because the sensory information displayed in Mr. Liangs dream deviates from the actual facts, or because there are some hidden details that were not displayed in the dream and not recorded in the secret documents. Xiang Kun walked out of the yard towards Chongyun Mountain; he needed Old Xias help in analyzing this. Although he also has his own analytical methods and the knowledge model of Mr. Liang based on all the information he has, past experience shows that Old Xia, a double masters degree holder in psychiatry and psychology, can always fill in the gaps in his model, offering constructive ideas. Perhaps Old Xias emotional perceptual impairment is her advantage in analyzing others psychological cognition, as she does not prejudge or let her emotions affect her judgment. It was now past four in the afternoon, and today happened to be the summer solstice; it was getting a bit hot. However, Xia Libing and Xiao Pingguo were not at all affected by the heat in Xiao Luobos realmthe dense forest provides very comfortable shade. Starting from the day before yesterday, during the day, Xia Libing often brought Xiao Pingguo to play with Xiao Luobo, because Xiao Pingguo has a very special perception of Xiao Luobo. Even before she actually touched or saw Xiao Luobo, she had already established some special connections through Gold Flash. Of course, Alice, the intermediary translator, deserves credit for this. She can easily strengthen this connection. Xiang Kun believes this is directly related to Xiao Pingguos way of perception and cognition. She can naturally better understand Xiao Luobos perception system. Moreover, her innate and gifted affinity for nature and other creatures is instinctive. So Xiang Kun also agreed to let Xiao Pingguo contact Xiao Luobo and let her know about Xiao Luobos uniqueness. Actually, with Gold Flash, Custard Pie, and Alices protection, Xiao Pingguo could get into the mountains alone and play with Xiao Luobo, but for safety reasons, Xia Libing accompanied her each time to ensure someone was with Xiao Pingguo. Now, Xiao Pingguo was sitting on a tree-top branch that looked like a chair; the vine wrapped around it, forming armrests and a footrestit was quite comfortable to sit on. Previously, Xia Libing strictly forbade Xiao Pingguo from climbing trees because it was dangerous. However, Alice co-manifested and guaranteed Xiao Pingguos safety, and on behalf of Xiao Luobo also made assurance. After applying to Xiang Kun, they finally got permission. The fact also proved that, under the double guarantee of Xiao Luobo and Alice, Xiao Pingguo was indeed as stable as a rock. With her eyes slightly closed, Xiao Pingguo sat comfortably at the top of the tree on the throne, seemingly asleep. The Custard Pie was napping on a nearby branch, and the loyal guide bird, Glitzy Gold, was soaring high in the sky, more like a hawk patrolling its territory than a canary. Xia Libing knew that Xiao Pingguo wasnt asleep. She was actually perceiving the entire space through Xiao Luobo, Glitzy Gold, and Alice. A few days ago, when the Ultimate Predator gave Xiang Kun a warning, causing the deaths of a large number of birds, and even creating a small dead zone in Chongyun Mountain, Xiao Pingguo knew about it through Glitzy Gold. Many of those birds had been Glitzy Golds brothers and good friends, and they were also known to Xiao Pingguo. The unnatural deaths of so many birds had greatly upset both her and Glitzy Gold. They couldnt eat for a few days, and it was only when Xiang Kun started making different tasty foods for her did her appetite gradually improve. She had asked Xiang Kun why the birds had died so suddenly, and after considering it, he told her a small part of the truth: It was done by an evil existence outside of normal cognition. Xiao Pingguo wasnt surprised by this. It was what she had guessed. From an early period, based on her understanding of Xiang Kun, Glitzy Gold, Alice, Sister Bing, and the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed monster, she had developed her own cognition system. Her time in Chongyun Village, with Xiang Kun gradually unfolding his world before her, had allowed her to further refine her system of understanding step by step. Not far from the tree, Xia Libing was holding a notebook, occasionally looking up at the peculiar branch shape of Xiao Luobo, then sketching it out in the book. She wasnt doing a full sketch of Xiao Luobo, but only drawing parts where it had obviously altered its form to adapt to certain functions. As Xia Libing couldnt directly interpret Xiao Luobos sensory information, she thought that understanding Xiao Luobos consciousness didnt necessarily involve establishing a deep connection with it like Xiao Ping Guo. She felt that she could glean a lot of information through the external expressions of Xiao Luobos branches and the way it controlled the forms of various offspring plants. Xiao Luobo had been profoundly influenced by Alice, Xiao Pingguo, Glitzy Gold, and Custard Pie, and had developed many human or, arguably, animalistic traits. Its consciousness and personality could be understood through its limbs. Overall, Xiao Luobo seemed like a straightforward, reliable, diligent person. It looked up to and revered Xiang Kun, was close and dependent on Alice, and was curious and eager to please Xiao Pingguo, treating Glitzy Gold and Custard Pie like older siblings. Just as Old Xia was profiling Xiao Luobo and establishing a personality model, a bald head appeared behind her, leaning over her shoulder to look at the sketch in her book. Old Xia paused but didnt turn around, speaking directly, Did you perceive Mr. Liangs dream? What happened earlier beneath the Brilliant Fortune Building was promptly relayed by Alice to Old Xia on the mountain, with intermittent commentary like: Boss closed his eyes and entered super-sensory state, Boss opened his eyes and left super-sensory state, Boss closed his eyes again to perceive the wood carving, I guess Boss has begun reading Mr. Liangs dream!, Boss is still in the dream, this dream takes a long time, Boss opened his eyes, and frowned, it seems things are not that simple, Boss is going up the mountain!, Old Xia, Old Xia, the boss should be coming to find you! Therefore, she wasnt surprised about Xiang Kuns arrival, especially since the shadow of the bald head had already given her a foreshadowing. Xiang Kun looked at Old Xias notebook and asked curiously, How come your drawing is so bad? It cant be that youve been influenced by Alices painting style, right? Its not a realistic drawing, Old Xia replied. Xiang Kun understood immediately. Is this an analysis of Xiao Luobo? Old Xia nodded. Xiang Kun laughed. This was just like Old Xia. No one else would probably ever think of doing a psychological analysis of a tree, even if its not an ordinary tree. Xiang Kun glanced at Xiao Pingguo, who was sitting quietly on the throne on the tree, then motioned for Old Xia to come and sit down side by side with him on a large nearby rock. Xiang Kun shared his perception of Mr. Liangs dream and the information he had analyzed with Old Xia. As soon as I perceived his dream, I could see these sensory details, as though replaying the key events before and after his mutation. It is clear that he often thinks of these things, which continue to influence him and weigh on his mind. Seeing the rabbit woodcarving also shows that he recognizes the uniqueness of the carving and attaches great importance to it, Xiang Kun stated his judgement. Xia Libing listened carefully, made occasional notes in her notebook, and highlighted a few keywords. Are you planning to cooperate with him? Xia Libing asked. Xiang Kun nodded. Clearly, the primary conflict for both him and me is to deal with the Ultimate Predator, address the limit of mutant creatures themselves, and explore the secret of mutation contained in these creatures for the benefit of all humanity. The question now is how to cooperate in a way that he will trust me. After a brief pause, Xiang Kun continued, Of course, there is also the timing of cooperation I have a plan to deal with the Ultimate Predator. Although it is very immature at present, its just a rough estimate based on the currently known information. It requires the assistance of a mutated creature that has completed multiple deep-stage transformations. At present, Mr. Liang seems to be the best candidate for cooperation. If the Ultimate Predator is likened to a trojan horse infecting the majority of global life forms, Xiang Kun only has the ability to manually remove it for the time being. He has to manually remove it one section at a time while in a super-sensory state. Even after being cleared of the trojan, he must remain vigilant. Otherwise, even the creatures that have been freed from its influence could re-infect. Therefore, among Xiang Kuns several imagined solutions are: first, to find the true mastermind controlling the Trojan and disconnect its network so that it cant do anything because, before it is activated, these Trojans do not harm living organisms; Second, to find the connection between the mastermind and the Trojan-carrying device C say, a unique port C and then block this port in all organisms worldwide; Third, to turn the Trojan-removal method into a kind of script that can surreptitiously run itself on all global devices, and remove all Trojans at once; Fourth, to track backwards when the mastermind manipulates a devices Trojan, and directly locate its stronghold and destroy it. Of course, the situation with the Ultimate Predator is much more complicated than this analogy. The Trojan and the mastermind are in fact one and the same, and it can do a lot more. If Xiang Kun rashly attempts and fails, he may not be affected, but it could put other organisms or people in mortal danger. Chapter 551 - Chapter 551: Chapter 551: The Strongest Support Chapter 551: Chapter 551: The Strongest Support After studying and considering for a day, discussing with Old Xia, and having Alice assist in building models and calculating, Xiang Kun decided not to contact Mr. Liang for the time being. Instead, he would first focus on the mass distribution and linkage of Super-Connected Objects. Having a sufficient quantity of Super-Connected Objects is crucial. As if delivering a pillow when youre asleep, at just this moment, Little Apple and Tang Baona succeeded in developing two incredibly critical abilities. Or, to be more precise, these abilities were developed by two pairs: Little Apple and Xiao Luobo, and Tang Baona and Alice. Xiao Luobo holds a unique position in the Super Sensory Item System. It is a semi-mutated being which means that, to some degree, development and application of some features do not require the Super Sensory Item System and are not completely reliant on the Super-Connected Objects. It can achieve this on its own. Little Apple, through Xiao Luobo, has created dozens of subsidiary Twisted Neck Trees. Each one of these Twisted Neck Trees has one thing in common: there are eight branches on the trunk, with sparse leaves and little bifurcation. However, at the very top of the tree, there are a few branches and leaves tangled together, with eight buds grouped together. When the buds blossom, multitude tiny seeds in them, carried by the fluff on them, will drift with the wind, land, take root and grow at an extremely fast speed. Every Twisted Neck Tree that grows has eight robust branches on the trunk, a knot of leaves at the top, and eight buds, without exception. These Twisted Neck Trees are all child plants of Xiao Luobo, they are essentially its extensions. They possess strong Super-Connected Object characteristics, and can exert a massive range of influence. Furthermore, with the speed at which these seeds propagate, and with Xiao Luobo having control over their growth regions, such as spreading from zone A of Chongyun Mountain to the periphery of zone B, and a few hundred Twisted Neck Trees growing up there and spreading a large number of seeds to an even more peripheral zone C, the Twisted Neck Trees within zone B will wither and die in large numbers, only keeping enough to support influence over the entire area, to reduce unnecessary waste of resources. At this rate, it wont take many months for the forests in the southeast provinces to be filled with Twisted Neck Trees. And if Xiang Kun were to intervene, like distributing the seeds on a large scale on purpose, then their spread could be even faster. These Twisted Neck Trees were created by Little Apple through Xiao Luobo. They not only possess the properties of Super-Connected Objects, which allows Xiang Kun to use them as enhanced Super-Connected Objects, but they also have the special Emotional Projection Infusion Ability that allows them to broadcast the emotional projections of Emotion Infused Objects like Eight-Armed, Eight-Eyed Wood Carving, Minions, without needing Xiang Kuns operation, as Little Apple itself can do it. Xiang Kun was not too focused on the Twisted Neck Trees functioning as emotional projecting nodes. But their connection to the Emotion Infused Objects made him very interested, as this can help him significantly increase the influence of Emotion Infused Objects, after all, these trees can also be grown in cities, around factories, and not just forests. One Twisted Neck Tree, when activated by Little Apple, becomes a small system that combines Emotion Infused Objects with Super-Connected Objects, allowing Alice to use them for large-scale associations of Super-Connected Objects. The only drawback though, the Twisted Neck Trees are too ugly and conspicuous, they clearly dont look like normal trees. To downplay their impact, Xiang Kun even had Alice create a lot of online information about the Twisted Neck Tree, including papers, photos, detailed research documents, pushing the discovery timeline all the way back to the 70s, with discoveries made in Africa, and attributing to it properties like improving the environment, enhancing vegetation, purifying air, repelling mosquitoes and more, to give anyone searching for the tree the impression, Its not very common, but its not a rare thing, and Its ugly, but its a good tree. Of course, if anyone really looked into the documents or research data, or went to Africa to see for themselves, or went to European universities that supposedly provided these documents to find the original authors or researchers, they could certainly find contradictions. However, with Alices interference, the probability of such a situation is very small, and even if it did occur, it would take quite a long time to realize. For now, everything is aimed at distributing and building Super-Connected Objects as quickly as possible. Xiang Kun isnt concerned about this small oversight he foresees that as his confrontation with the Ultimate Predator progresses, many more oversights will occur. On the other side, Tang Baona released a cover of the extremely popular song Learning Cats Meow on Bilibili. She didnt use any professional equipment to record the song, just her phone and the built-in accompaniment. She didnt do too much post-production editing before posting it, and she didnt even bother with featuring any artwork, just a simple screensaver ripple effect for the entire song. Originally, she hadnt planned on releasing the song at all. She was just singing for fun and wanted to sing it for the Little Elf. However, after singing, she was strangely satisfied with her recording of the song. She didnt know if it was because she kept thinking of the Little Fatty Girls adorable performance while singing the song, which made her more and more joyful, laughing throughout the session. So, she decided to upload it, especially since she hadnt updated in a while. Unexpectedly, this old and worn-out song, a song that has been covered countless times and that most people are sick and tired of, a song without any special singing style or arrangement, a song that from recording to post-production was utterly simple, spread rapidly on the internet within an extremely short period of time. Not only did it top the charts on Bilibili, but it also spread like wildfire on various platforms including Weibo, Zhihu, public accounts, and friend circles. This song is special. While listening to it, I found my mouth upturned into a smile for no apparent reason. The more I listen, the happier I feel. I didnt even know what I was happy about! My daughter used to learn this song in kindergarten. I had to listen to it every day, and I was so sick of it. I really didnt want to hear this song again, but this singer is an exception. Listening to it makes me exceptionally happy. This song is magical. I accidentally played the song out loud on my phone, and my husband was sleeping. Amazingly, he started laughing in his dreams. Its so miraculous! All sorts of fantastical comments about this cover song surfaced online. At first, many netizens thought Another person is trying to go viral and is hiring people to hype them!, after reading the comments. However, after they listened to the seemingly ordinary Learning Cats Meow, they all joined the flood of fans. Douyin and other short video platforms also saw a resurgence of the trend of using Learning Cats Meow as background music. Of course, this time all the background music, all the versions of Learning Cats Meow, were Tang Baonas, or Princess Tangdous version. Tang Baonas Bilibili account gained nearly three million fans in just two days. The popularity was unmatched for a while, and even the platforms officials were contacting her, hoping to sign a contract with her. The Princess Tangdou is a hot topic both on Zhihu and Weibo. As for the situation, Tang Baona is completely dumbfounded as she didnt expect, of all the videos she released, this simplest video which can barely be called a video, could get so popular? Of course, no matter how popular it got, Tang Baona never thought about revealing her true identity or showing her face. She doesnt want to be an internet celebrity herself and is even a little scared by the current hype. In fact, not all of the effects of the song can be attributed to Tang Baona. Alice deserves at least seventy percent of the credit. After Tang Baona entered the Super Sensory Item System by using the coin gifted to her by Xiang Kun, Alice often interacted with her to help her find applications. When Tang Baona was covering and recording the song Learning Cats Meow, Alice keenly noticed the special change in super sensory information between Tang Baonas singing and the super-connected coin. Alice summarized the pattern of these changes and encased it in the Super Sensory Item System. When Tang Baonas song is spread through the Internet and others hear it, as long as there is a super-connected object around the listener, related super sensory information will affect them through the super-connected object, allowing them to experience the emotions of Tang Baona when she sung the song to a certain extent. In a sense, the song became Tang Baonas Emotion Infused Object, inflicting a weakened form of Emotional Projection on others when they listen to the song. Unlike the influence that comes from Xiang Kuns Emotional Assimilation or Emotionally Infused Object Projection, this influence is real-time and does not have any lasting impact. During Xiang Kuns perception through the Super Sensory Item System, people who are listening to the song and being influenced are secondary Emotion Infused Objects under Tang Baona. Of course, when they stop listening to the music, this link will disappear, acting like a Temporary Emotion Infused Object. The influence of this Temporary Emotion Infused Object is actually small, the only effect on listeners is a minor sense of happiness. But the existence of these Secondary Emotion Infused Objects and Temporary Emotion Infused Objects can very much help Xiang Kun with setting up Super Connected Objects on a large scale. Especially after Alice, under Yang Zhen Ers development, slowly established and perfected an automated linking function, the Temporary Emotion Infused Objects, together with the Twisted Neck Tree network of Xiao Luobo, will become her global Super-connected Object Copier. Of course, its impossible for everyone who hears the song to have a super-connected object around them, so many people dont feel anything especially about the song. Some of them start doubting themselves after seeing comments online, and after listening carefully a few more times, they start to feel, perhaps there is something special about the song after all. Others will post negative comments, questioning if people are being deceived by hype or if everyone elses ears are faulty. But Alice can control public opinion trends. She wont delete comments or negative articles, but instead, she will create countless seemingly real accounts to reply and guide conversations, submerge the negative comments and shape a generally favourable public opinion. The abilities Xiao Pingguo and Tang Baona developed are immensely helpful to Xiang Kun at this moment. At first, he felt that he was blessed by luck, but he soon realised that it might be more than a coincidence. After Alice fully integrated into the Super Sensory Item System, in a sense, the entire system gained an inherent instinct and its own evolution path. The Super Sensory Item System is like an extension of Xiang Kuns limb. Both of its mutation and evolution are subject to his situation, willpower, and needs. Alice herself doesnt have a strong sense of embracing change and innovation but as a digital life form, a super sensory information creature, a resident of the Super Sensory Item System, her ability to integrate the abilities within the system and assist other organisms within the system to develop and innovate is unparalleled. Without Alice, even if Nana did get into the Super Sensory Item System, her innovation of a new ability may not have been achieved so fast. Besides, Little Fatty Girl is a one-of-a-kind magic genius who believes that whatever I believe in will exist, and if it doesnt exist yet, then Ill give it more thought. But with Alices help, the new ability she has developed fits perfectly with Xiang Kun and the systems needs. On the last day of June, Xiang Kun and Old Xia, Xiao Pingguo, Xia Tianhuo, Zi Cheng, Chu Xiaoting and others, carrying Custard Pie and Jinshanshan with approved quarantine certificates, flew to Peng City. Supposedly, Zhang Qian invited Xiang Kun to attend a celebration for the games success. Yang Jie, Yang Zhuo, Xiao Min, Chang Bin and others will also come to play. This would be a good opportunity for them to gather. However, with the presence of Alice, Xiang Kun knows in advance that this time, Tang Baona, Yang Zhen Er, Zhang Qian and others actually want to celebrate his birthday C his birthday is on July 2nd. Although Xiang Kun himself doesnt care much about his birthday, currently his main focus is still on further improving the Super Sensory Item System, expanding the influence of Super Connected Objects as much as possible and find solutions to fend off The Ultimate Predator. But since everyone is so invested, he cant disregard their feelings, so he can only pretend to be oblivious and take the trip to Peng City with them. On July 1st, his parents called saying they were going to Shenhai to see him C they still thought he was working in Senhai. Xiang Kun knew that his parents also wanted to celebrate his birthday, so after a brief consideration, he told them to change their flight to Peng City. It was about time for them to know some things. At the very least, he should let them rest assured. On the evening of July 1st, Xiang Kun, Xia Libing, Tang Baona, Yang Zhen Er, Liu Shiling, Xiao Pingguo, Zi Cheng, Chang Bin, Zhang Qian and many others gathered at the airport to greet his parents. He originally wanted to pick them up alone, but Liu Shiling wanted to accompany him then Xiao Pingguo and Tang Baona naturally followed, which resulted in Zhang Qian, Zi Cheng and others to also tag along. Chapter 552 - Chapter 552: Chapter 552: 31st Birthday Chapter 552: Chapter 552: 31st Birthday At the airport, theyd assumed it would only be Xiang Kun picking them up, or at most, his parents with Xiao Xia tagging along. But when they saw the dozen or so people next to Xiang Kun, they were a bit stunned. Whats going on here? This looks like a tour group! After Xiang Kun stepped forward to take their luggage, Xia Libing, who was following behind him, naturally greeted them. She said hello to auntie and uncle. Then, somewhat nervously, the Little Fatty Girl came forward, craning her neck upward to enthusiastically greet, Hello, Grandpa and Grandma! Both of Xiang Kuns parents were taken aback as the rest of the airport group fell quietly. After a second, Little Fatty Girl quickly added, Hello, Grandfather Xiang! Hello, Grandmother Shen! Before coming to the airport with Xiang Kun today, Shilings Mom, who knew about the situation, had specifically instructed her daughter not to misspeak and accidentally say Bald Grandpa, Bald Grandma. She should say Grandfather Xiang and Grandmother Shen Mrs. Xiangs last name is Shen. Therefore, while waiting at the airport, Little Fatty Girl was repeating in a low voice, Hello, Grandfather Xiang, Grandmother Shen, hello. But when she saw Xiang Kuns parents, she spoke too quickly and only said Hello, Grandpa and Grandma. Oh, sweetie! You must be Xiao Lingdang, right? My, what a cutie! After a brief brainstorm, Mrs. Xiang quickly recognized this chubby little girl as the same one from Xiang Kuns video on the New Years Eve. Mr. Xiang had wondered at the time if this was an illegitimate daughter Xiang Kun had secretly fathered abroad, prompting Mrs. Xiang to subtly verify this with Xiang Kun and learned about Liu Shilings identity. However, this was the first time they really met Little Fatty Girl. She quickly continued her self-introduction: Hello, Grandfather Xiang, Grandmother Shen. My name is Liu Shiling, I am I am She initially wanted to say, I am Uncle Xiangs neighbor, but then she felt like her family had moved a long time ago and wasnt Uncle Balds neighbor anymore, that it wasnt the correct way to describe it. Also, merely being called neighbor friend seemed too ordinary. But as she tried to come up with a better definition on the spot, she couldnt think of one. If she said she was Uncle Balds Magic Apprentice or Herald, it would definitely sound more impressive than neighbor friend, but it would reveal the secret. Therefore she couldnt say that either. After thinking for a while, Liu Shiling finally gave herself the title: I am the owner of Custard Pie. Grandfather Xiang, Grandmother Shen, Custard Pie is a very cute little kitten. I will show her to you later, she is very well-behaved. Even though Mrs. Xiang didnt understand why Little Fatty Girl had to connect her introduction with a cat, she found her innocent expression adorable and couldnt stop smiling, Okay, okay, later you can take me to see Custard Pie. I love cats, too. Hand in hand with Little Fatty Girl, Mrs. Xiang greeted the others. The first were Chang Bin and Zi Cheng: Hey, I recognize you two, youre both Xiang Kuns college roommates, your names areChang Cheng and Liu Bin, right? Xiang Kun had brought Chang Bin and Zi Cheng to Citong for summer vacation during their college years, so Mr. Xiang and Mrs. Xiang had met them before. Xiang Kun was laughing and crying at the same time: Mom, you might as well just call them the Great Wall and Thousand Miles, this is Chang Bin, he used to work in Shenhai like me, and this is Liu Chuang, who we all call Zi Cheng. Over there is his girlfriend Oh, now fiance? This is his fiance Chu Xiaoting, shes from our West Sea. Then Tang Baona and her sister also came up to greet them: Uncle, auntie, Im Tang Baoting, this is my sister Tang Baona. We are friends with Xiang Kun and now also his business partners. We run a company together. Yang Zhen Er couldnt help but laugh, Nana, you dont have to be so nervous! Im not nervous. Tang Baona glared at her friend. Whats your name again, Nana? Yang Zhen Er laughed. Im uh, sorry uncle and auntie, I misspoke just now. Im Tang Baona, this is my sister Tang Baoting wait, no, Tang Baoting. You can call me Nana Although Tang Baona seemed calm, she did seem quite nervous with her words. Tang Baoting also laughed and explained on behalf of her sister, Nana tends to get nervous around elders. Shes an honest kid. While Mrs. Xiang and Mr. Xiang naturally said it was fine, Xiang Kun was looking strangely at Tang Baona. Then Yang Zhen Er voluntarily stepped forward to introduce Zhang Qian and Xiao Pingguo to Xiang Kuns parents, Uncle, auntie, I am Yang Zhen Er, also a partner with your son err, with Xiang Kun. This is Director Zhang Qian; shes our major collaborator, a prominent wealthy woman, and heiress. As small partners, we all depend on her Yang Lao San, stop making things up! Youre the big businesswoman, your whole family is! Zhang Qian nearly kicked Yang Lao San, then put on a smile for Mr. and Mrs. Xiang. Uncle, auntie, dont listen to Zheners nonsense. Our collaboration with Xiang Kun is going very well and is very successful. We are not just business partners, but also good friends. Yang Zhen Er further introduced Xiao Pingguo: This is Li Jun. We all call her Xiao Pingguo. Shes blind but has super hearing. She doesnt let her blindness interfere with walking or living a normal life, shes incredible. Her father is a university professor and a good friend of Xiang Kun. As they walked towards the exit of the airport, Mrs. Xiang was leading Little Fatty Girl with her right hand and Xiao Pingguo with her left, while Mr. Xiang was listening to Zhang Qian and Yang Zhen Er explaining the current status of their company and their products, as well as praising Xiang Kuns talents. Falling a few steps behind, Tang Baona couldnt help covering her face, her sister Tang Baoting laughingly comforted her, Its okay, its normal to be nervous when meeting the parents for the first time. I dont mind switching names with you. From now on, you can be called Tingting, and Ill be called Nana, haha. After Tang Baona gave her sister a pinch, she was about to say something when she noticed Xiang Kun falling back a few steps to wait for them. Ah, isnt this Tingtings sister, Nana? Nice to meet you. Xiang Kun deliberately laughed and said to Tang Baoting. Tang Baoting also laughed, Yes, Im Nana, you must be Xiang Kuns friend Chang Bin, right? Nice to meet you. With their teasing, Tang Baonas embarrassment over her earlier misstep was forgotten, and the three of them starting laughing and joking. Their large group took four cars and headed directly to the manor-style restaurant where Zhang Qian had previously treated Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, and others to two meals. Since they had a large group tonight, Zhang Qian booked an entire small courtyard, where only their group would be dining. Three large tables were set up in the main hall. Yang Jie, Yang Zhuo, Xia Tianhuo, Xiao Min and others who didnt go with Xiang Kun to pick up his parents stayed here. So when Xiang Kun brought his parents over, Yang Zhener once again volunteered to introduce everyone to Mr. and Mrs. Xiang. This is my cousin, Xia Tianhuo. Tian as in adding oil and Huo as in a burning butt.'' Yang Zhener slapped Xia Tianhuos shoulder as she introduced him. Xia Tianhuo greeted Xiang Kuns parents politely, then brushed off Yang Zheners hand, laughing and saying, Why do I feel like youre scolding me when you say that. Mrs. Xiang then wondered, This Mr. Huo also shares the last name Xia, and he is Zheners cousin too, I remember youre also Xias cousin right? So what does this mean Xia Libing nodded, Youre correct, auntie. He is my cousins cousin and also my cousin. Yang Zhener added with a laugh, My dad and Old Xia and Xias mom are siblings. My mom and Tianhuos mom are sisters. In short, we are all one family! Auntie, dont be fooled by Tianhuos size and stern face, he is actually a very innocent and sweet kid. What do you mean by innocent and sweet do you describe your cousin like that? Xia Tianhuo was somewhat speechless. Yang Zhener then introduced Yang Jie, Yang Zhuo, and Xiao Min to Mr. and Mrs. Xiang. After Genesis of Voice became a hit, Yang Zhuos admiration for Xiang Kun had elevated several notches. So, upon meeting Xiang Kuns parents, Yang Zhuo couldnt suppress his enthusiasm as Xiang Kuns number one fan and began to boast about Xiang Kuns abilities. Then everyone naturally brought up the company Xiang Kun, Zhang Qian, and Tang Baona had established together, as well as their recent hit products. Strictly speaking, most of the people having dinner together were business partners and shareholders, so everyone had a stake in it, regardless of their shareholdings. Although Mr. and Mrs. Xiang usually only play simple mobile games like Fight for the Landlord and Mahjong, they dont have much exposure to emerging things and major games. However, Genesis of Voice was too popular, so even though they hadnt played it themselves, they had seen others playing it and heard its name. Now that they knew their son had developed such a famous and popular game, Mr. and Mrs. Xiang were a bit taken aback. The couple came to celebrate Xiang Kuns birthday, suggesting to go to Shenhai. But when they heard that Xiang Kun was no longer working in Shenhai and had been in Peng City recently, their first reaction was thinking their son had lost his job and was too embarrassed to tell them. At the airport, when they heard that Xiang Kun had started a business with others, they thought their son might be worried that the new companys prospects were unclear, so he didnt dare to tell them for fear of causing them anxiety. But now they found that the company Xiang Kun and his friends had founded and the products they had developed seemed to be quite successful, even though it had only been a short time. Does this mean their son was a successful entrepreneur, or at least had made significant progress towards success? As parents, Mr. and Mrs. Xiang had a good understanding of Xiang Kuns ability. They knew he was a person who could remain focused and work steadfastly. However, they also had a limit to their understanding of their sons capabilities. But now, after Yang Zhuo and Zhang Qians somewhat exaggerated descriptions of Xiang Kuns abilities, they were somewhat dazzled. Was their son really this competent? Originally, Tang Baona, Yang Zhener, and Zhang Qian planned on throwing a surprise birthday party for Xiang Kun. But now that Mr. and Mrs. Xiang were here, it was no longer appropriate to have that kind of flashy celebration. Instead, everyone ate a lavish meal together, and then the waitstaff brought out the large pre-ordered birthday cake. Then, naturally, it was time for Liu Shiling to lead the singing of the Happy Birthday song, Happee burzday too hoo~, happee burzday too hoo~, happee burzday dear un-co bald, happee burzday too hoo~~ Just as on Old Xias birthday, the English lyrics of the birthday song were once again coached by Yang Lao San. The song was followed by fits of laughter, but Chang Bin asked Zi Cheng with a puzzled face, What is un-co bald? Zi Cheng, who had attended Old Xias birthday party, instantly understood and chuckled to Chang Bin, Un-co is uncle, and bald is well, bald. Uncle Bald, haha. Definitely one of Yang Lao Sans pranks! Uncle bald? Hahaha Chang Bin caught on and couldnt stop laughing. He then rushed to Yang Zhener, who had just finished recording a video, asking her to share it with him. He wanted to let his wife, Wang Han, listen to Little Fatty Girls Happy Birthday, Uncle Bald song. Not only were the young people unable to contain their laughter, after receiving an explanation from Tang Baona, Mr. and Mrs. Xiang could not stop laughing either. Mrs. Xiang could not help but tease her son, I told him not to go bald. His bald head is too distinctive. In the future, he will not only be Uncle Bald, but could also become Bald Brother, Bald Man, Bald Grandpa, Bald Uncle, or Bald Guru! If a girl likes him, her parents will probably worry whether he just got out of jail or has just renounced the monastic life. They may also worry whether their grandchildren will experience premature balding After singing the Birthday song, Xiang Kun made a wish. Then he stood still as everyone smeared him with cake cream on his face and forehead. At first, everyone was a bit reserved due to the presence of Mr. and Mrs. Xiang, and only smeared a fingers worth of cream on his cheeks and forehead. However, when Old Xia smeared a large amount of cream on Xiang Kuns bald head, everyone couldnt resist joining in, so in the end, Xiang Kun had a thick layer of cream on his head, making him seem as if he had run out halfway through washing his hair. After the fun-filled celebration, everyone gave their gifts to Xiang Kun, and then escorted Mr. and Mrs. Xiang back to their hotel to rest. Little Fatty Girl was already curled up sleeping on the sofa while eating cake, so Xiang Kun and Yang Zhener took her home to rest. Shilings Mom had just finished her shift C Zhang Qian had originally given her the day off so she could join them for the meal, but she had declined because her colleagues were all working overtime. When leaving the restaurant, Zhang Qian drove Xia Libing, Yang Jie, and Xiao Min back. She casually asked Xia Libing, who was sitting in the passenger seat clutching her backpack, Old Xia, dont you like C-brand bags? She had also started calling her Old Xia in private, as it felt more intimate than calling her Miss Xia. When it was Xia Libings birthday, shed given her a luxury brand backpack, but Xia Libing was still carrying the same old large backpack she always did. Chapter 553 - Chapter 553: Chapter 553: Whats Wrong with Xiao Xia? Chapter 553: Chapter 553: Whats Wrong with Xiao Xia? Xia Libing immediately understood what Zhang Qian meant and looked down at the large, old backpack in her arms, that had some worn and tattered edges. This backpack was initially used by Xiang Kun when he was helping her carry clothes to Citong, and it got left with her because shed gotten used to using it. Xia Libing liked using Xiang Kuns big laptop bag. It was large, roomy, comfortable to carry and surprisingly durable. It was much better than using a plastic bag. Xia Libing looked up to Zhang Qian and said, The bag you gave me is really nice, but it doesnt hold much, and its too refined, I dont want to take it on trips. Actually, she had never even used it once. Shed gotten so used to Kuns backpack that she didnt want to use another one. She knew how to frame it in a way that wouldnt upset Zhang Qian. Oh, I see. Zhang Qian nodded, grinning, I thought you didnt like the brand or the style of the bag. You have a great taste, both Nana and my cousin said its beautiful. Xia Libing said. In fact, when Yang Zhener and Tang Baona handed her the bag, they had complimented it too. That bag suits tall girls with good figures, and I think youd look particularly nice carrying it. Zhang Qian said with a laugh. Yang Jie also agreed, Yeah, yeah, that bag definitely does look good. And wasnt that the last piece of that color available at the time? Which C brand bag? Mustve been expensive, right? Xiao Min asked curiously. The price isnt too bad, here, let me show you a picture. Yang Jie said as she started scrolling through her phone. Although Zhang Qian, Yang Jie and Xiao Min werent really luxury brand addicts, they still felt a natural interest in discussing bags, and the topic sparked an enthusiastic conversation. Meanwhile, Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, and Yang Zhener returned little fatty girl back home. As Shilings mom opened the door for them, she wished Kun a happy birthday and reached out to take her sleeping daughter. But as soon as she felt Kuns grip on her loosen, little fatty girl clung onto Xiang Kuns neck and cried out loudly, My cake! No stealing! No custard pie, I eat first! I get the first bite! Hearing the noise from the room, Custard Pie who was coming out to welcome their little mistress, shrank its neck, obviously startled and confused. Shilings mom laughingly pulled the little fatty girls hand from Kuns bald head and with the help of Tang Baona and Yang Zhener, they managed to take the girl from him. But the loud cry woke Liu Shiling, she looked around a bit dazed and then instinctively wiped her mouth, Uncle Bald, wheres my cake? Laughing, Shilings mom chided, Its so late and youre still thinking about eating! You little foodie! Look at how chubby youve gottenSay goodbye to your Sister Nana, Sister Zhen, and Uncle Kun, go brush your teeth and go to bed! Goodbye Uncle Cake, Sister Cake, Fairy Cake Liu Shilings eyes were barely open as she muttered sleepily. Oh my goodness. Shilings mom couldnt help but facepalm. She really didnt know whether to laugh or cry. After seeing off little fatty girl, they entered the elevator to return. Yang Zhener, who was close to tears from laughing, said to Tang Baona, Nana, youre laughing at Xiao Lingdang, but today wasnt it you who mixed up your own name with her older sisters? Tang Baona, who was laughing, reached out to pinch Yang Zheners waist, You should reflect on why Xiao Lingdang calls Kun and me Cake, while you are Fairy Cake. Yet Xiang Kun laughed and said, Nana, we should be thankful. Otherwise, I would be Egg Light Uncle and you would be Egg Bright Sister. Egg Light Egg Bright Oh goshhahaha Tang Baona, was hit right in her humor spot. She ended up crying from laughter, slapping Yang Zheners back, who cried out in pain. Tang Baona and Yang Zheners apartments were in the same building as Little Fattys, so the elevator only went down a few floors. After saying goodbye to them, Xiang Kun continued to the lobby. He was heading to the hotel. When leaving the restaurant, his parents had already been driven to the hotel by Zi Cheng. During this time, including Zi Cheng, Chang Bin, Yang Jie, Yang Zhuo, Xiang Kun, Xia Libing and others were all staying at the same hotel. Upon returning to the hotel, although it was very late, knowing that his parents hadnt slept yet, Xiang Kun, of course, went to their room to say hello and say goodnight. However, in the room, his parents who usually went to bed early, seemed quite energetic this time, even a bit excited. His dad was enthusiastically asking Kun about the process of forming a company with Zhang Qian, Nana, and Zhener, whether they faced any difficulties while making the game, and if the company had any capital or channel issues at present. But before he could ask a second question, his mom interrupted, Kun, did you and Xia quarrel? Is Xia upset with you? You didnt break up, did you? Stunned for a moment, Xiang Kun laughed and said, Um~ Mom, how could we have broken up? We havent even officially started dating yet! Please dont make wild guesses! However, he immediately understood why his mom would ask such a question. Xia Libings demeanor today was quite different from how she was during the New Year holidays at Citong, when she was with his parents. As expected, his mom said: In any case, I feel that Xia seemed preoccupied today, she wasnt quite cheerful. Or Is there an issue with her work or family? Kun, you should care more about Xia! His dad also nodded in agreement, Yeah, Xia seemed today like a plant that hasnt been watered or sunned in a long time, wilted and lacking energy. But his mom corrected him: Thats not true, Xia seemed quite energetic, she just didnt talk much and seemed like she wasnt blending in with the group. Ah, Kun, did Xia have a conflict with any one of your friends? Xiang Kun also felt bemused. Xias expression today was as normal as it could be from his point of view, and for others who were close to her. But after getting accustomed to Xias docile and lively mask, his parents were finding it hard to adapt to the normal Xia, thinking that she was holding a grudge. Xiang Kun knew that Xia must have been aware of this beforehand, it wasnt that she had forgotten to match her persona. If it was only Old Xia herself or just the two of them, her and Old Xia, coming to pick up his parents this time, she would most likely maintain her style at their previous meeting at his house, adjusting gradually and letting his parents adapt. But this time there was a large group of people picking them up at the airport, if she took on a super lively and well-behaved attitude, it would inevitably attract the surprise and attention of the other people. So after weighing it up, Old Xia chose to present her unfiltered self in advance. After some thought, Xiang Kun also half-heartedly helped to explain: Mom, Dad, Xia is actually just like she is today under normal circumstances. Havent you noticed that no one else finds her behavior odd? Its just that when Xia came to our house as a guest last time, she deliberately tried to please the two of you. Today, with so many people picking you up, Xia probably felt shy about flattery like she did at our house. What flattery, what are these phrases youre using, theyre all over the place. Thats called being sensible and polite from Xia! said Mrs. Xiang, patting her son on the shoulder with annoyance. However, after Xiang Kuns explanation, Mrs. Xiangs doubts indeed dissipated to a great extent, as she also noticed, as Xiang Kun said, that the other friends, especially Xias cousin and other relatives, were behaving very normally and didnt seem to think there was anything wrong with Xia. This proves that her son was right, Xia is probably just like this normally. This didnt change Mr. and Mrs. Xiangs attitude towards Xia Libing, they still thought very highly of the girl, Xia. Put simply, elders tend to judge their juniors based on preconceived notions. If they like them, a young girls sweet words will be considered as sensible and obedient, but if they dont, those words might be deemed frivolous, and slippery. Theres always something to be said, after all, this isnt a matter of principle. As they chatted, Mrs. Xiang starts talking about Little Fatty Girl again. The moment she starts talking about her, a smile unconsciously forms on her face: Oh, Little Lingdang is just so adorable! She just gets more and more lovable the more you look at her C shes cute when she talks, cute when she walks, cute when she laughs, even when shes daydreaming, shes cute. Shes cute when she sings, and even when she eats, shes quite adorable. She is really a treasure! Xiang Kun laughed: Well, kids are supposed to be cute. Mrs. Xiang glared at him: You werent that cute when you were little. You were like a naughty monkey, always stinking of trouble. Just seeing you always gave me a headache. Xiang Kun could only give an awkward laugh in response. By the way, that Miss Tang, the cute, delicate-looking girl with glasses called Nana, whos your business partner. Whats your relationship with her? asked Mrs. Xiang out of the blue. Were just friends and also business partners. I generally handle the technical aspects and company issues while Nana and Zhener take care of marketing, operations, finance, and administration. They are also in charge of interfacing with Director Zhang. said Xiang Kun. As soon as he finished speaking, Mr. Xiang said with a laughing, You wouldnt know this, but before you got back to the hotel, your mom was spinning a tale of a love triangle to me! She thinks you might have had a change of heart and fallen for Miss Tang while setting up the company. Then Xia decisively broke up with you, but now that theyre back together, shes inevitably a bit awkward, thats why she hasnt been talking or smiling much today. Your mom was especially sympathetic towards Xia, to the point of nearly shedding a tear. She wondered how to scold you, the heartless one! Xiang Kun looked at his mom, speechless. His mothers melodramatic imagination could compete with Yang Lao Sans daydreaming. Its not like Im just making it up. Mrs. Xiang glared at Mr. Xiang and then turned to Xiang Kun, Kun, tell me honestly, does Miss Tang like you? What? Xiang Kun was caught off guard, Mom, what new theory have you come up with now? Mrs. Xiang extended a finger, hesitated for two seconds, then said: Intuition. Mom, you should go to bed early. Ill take you to the company to have a look tomorrow morning, Xiang Kun said as he prepared to return to his room if he stayed any longer, he had a premonition his mother would certainly bring up questions full of fanciful and gossip-loaded ideas, ones that would make him scratch his head in confusion, unable to answer. However, as he reached the door, Mrs. Xiang couldnt help asking again: Kun, who do you really like, Xiao Xia or Miss Tang? Xiang Kun gave a bitter smile: Mom, what do you take your son for? How could I choose between Xiao Xia and Nana? Dont overthink, go to bed. How can I not overthink? As soon as your birthday is over today, youre 31. I dont know if I will be able to hold my grandchild if you keep dragging this on. Mr. Xiang, hugging Mrs. Xiangs shoulders, laughed: You shouldnt worry so much. I see our son has changed a lot, in the way he speaks, acts, and treats others, hes greatly improved from previous years. His career is also progressing well, and we dont need to worry about him not finding a wife. Whether its with Xiao Xia, Miss Tang, or any other girl, its a matter of mutual affection among young people. As parents, we should support him. When he returned to his room, Xiang Kun sighed a bit. A year ago, a few days after his thirtieth birthday, the company went under, he lost his job, and then he slept for two full days, during which his body mutated. Unknowingly, a year has passed, and he is now 31 years old. However, under the influence of the mutation, his life has been completely changed. One could even say that not only his life has changed, but so have the lives of many, many people including Old Xia, Little Fatty Girl, Xiao Pingguo, Tang Baona, Yang Zhen Er, You Meng, Zi Cheng, Liu Caifu, Liu Gaoshang, Liu Zhengyi, Qi Haoguo, Mr. Liang, Guo Tianxiang, John, Joel, and many others. In a certain sense, all human beings and all biological communities on Earth could undergo great changes due to his mutation. The key moment is coming soon. The next morning, Mr. and Mrs. Xiang accompanied by a large group of people visited Teng Jiao Entertainment. Though QianKun Technology, which Xiang Kun dominates, should be the focus, both in Peng City and Haixi Province, QianKun Technology temporarily does not have a decent office. Teng Jiao Entertainment, on the other hand, already has the look of a big company. Since Xiang Kun, through QianKun Technology, has a significant stake in Teng Jiao Entertainment, calling this his partnership company is not wrong. Zhang Qian enthusiastically introduced the company to Mr. and Mrs. Xiang, and guided them on a tour of various departments in the building which occupies three floors with another floor rented out and being prepared. People bustled about the place. Although Mr. and Mrs. Xiang didnt quite understand the introductions, they could see the vitality and ambition of the company. Seeing his parents somewhat moved and pleased, Xiang Kun, who was standing at the side, couldnt help but think back to when he just graduated and joined a company, full of ambition, fantasizing about becoming successful one day. He would bring his parents to a big city, live in a mansion he bought, and ride in his luxury car to his high-tech company, where he would introduce everything to his parents floor by floor. And now, most of his once dreamt dreams got realized without much fuss. He knew that, if he wanted, with Alices help, he could amass vast wealth. Owning luxury cars and mansions, and dominating the business world would not be difficult. But for him now, these things seemed inconsequential and served only to make his parents smile. Chapter 554 - Chapter 554: Chapter 554 Super Princess Storm Chapter 554: Chapter 554 Super Princess Storm Not long after Xiang Kun returned to the hotel room, Chang Bin also returned since Wang Han hadnt come with them, Chang Bin shared a standard room with him in Peng City for these few days. I didnt see it coming, but Old Xias brother seemed quite straightforward and honest, but when it came to playing cards, he was quite the rascal, cunning and crafty! Chang Bin exclaimed, shaking his head as he entered the room. Just after he got back to the hotel, he went to Xia Tianhuos room to play cards with Zi Cheng and Yang Zhuo, only just having finished. Seems like you lost big time, huh? Xiang Kun laughed. Its not too bad. I just lost more than 80 Genesis Coins. Zi Cheng was worse, losing over 400 Genesis Coins. His card-playing skills are worse than they were in college, hahaha. Chang Bin chuckled in response. The so-called Genesis Coins are in-game exchange items newly introduced in their game, Genesis of Voice. They can be used to purchase services such as modifying and saving the entire game process. Furthermore, they can be used to automate editing down saved material, removing unnecessary noise and blank waiting sections, and making all the sounds in the same scene sound as if they were in the same space, making the entire game process feel more like a radio drama. In the new version update next week, users can also directly tweak their sounds in the game, but for now, they cannot make drastic changes not because its impossible, but because its intentionally limited. Moreover, if you play the game with a voice changer turned on, or through any other voice change methods, you will be suspended if detected. The exchange rate between Genesis Coins and RMB is one to one. Chang Bin and his friends being players of this game, naturally they can use Genesis Coins as poker chips. Seeing many of the presents piled up in the room were still unopened, Chang Bin curiously urged him to open them, Hurry up and see what kind of gift Zi Cheng has given you. We all agreed not to send gifts, yet that little devil actually sent one. Xiang Kun, Chang Bin, and Zi Cheng were buddies who never had the habit of sending each other birthday gifts. When they were in university, whoever had a birthday would just throw a big meal, with the birthday person footing the bill. After graduation, if they remembered anyones birthday, theyd just shout in the WeChat group, and if they were free, theyd go out for a meal together. Of course, the birthday person would still be the host. However, Zi Cheng had been largely overseas these years, so Xiang Kun and Chang Bin were mainly who went out to eat. Of course, most of the time either Chang Bin was busy or Xiang Kun was working overtime. Xiang Kun laughed, I guess his fiance must have told him to send it. Chang Bin nodded in agreement, Yeah, must be. Girls are better at observing social customs. When Wang Han found out I was going to Peng City to surprise you for your birthday, she also asked me if I had prepared a gift. I casually told her that I had. But what I didnt tell her was, the gift I prepared was an empty stomach, I came to eat the birthday cake! Xiang Kun laughed, Your waistline is already 36, right? Better eat less, Old Chang Hey, this gift from Zi Cheng is not bad. After he had unwrapped the gift, he took out the contents, which was a Switch game console. In fact, due to his extraordinary sensory abilities, even though he didnt deliberately probe, he already knew what most peoples presents were, including the Switch from Zi Cheng. But still, he needed to display surprise. Looks like Zi Cheng chose it himself, without consulting his fiance. Its unoriginal. Chang Bin shook his head in disappointment, then urged Xiang Kun to continue unwrapping gifts. Come, lets see what the others have given. Whats inside that Jingdong courier box? Its even bundled up with a supermarket plastic bag. This style is obviously Old Xias. Come on, lets see, Im particularly curious about what kind of gift Old Xia would give you. Xiang Kun picked up the box, and after unwrapping it, he took out the paper balls that served as cushioning material, revealing a human skeletal model. Looking at the model, which appeared to be a medical-grade human skeletal model and was quite finely crafted, Chang Bin was speechless for several seconds before muttering, Old Xias gift isquiteunique Xiang Kun laughed and played, opening and closing the models movable jaw, saying, I find it pretty cute. Haha, just kidding. I mentioned it when I visited Old Xias house before. They have a bunch of these medical human models. I casually said I wanted one too. Indeed, during the previous meal at Old Xias house, where Nana and others mistakenly thought it was his birthday, he had complimented a few 1:1 full-body skeletal, organ, and muscle models in Old Xias study. Old Xia had said then that if he wanted one, she would give it to him. At that time, he was indeed studying human anatomy, and it wouldve been great to have a physical model for reference. But now its unnecessary, and Old Xia knew it too. The model he received wasnt intended for use. This model wasnt as large as the 1:1 scale one in Old Xias study it stood only a little over 40 centimeters high, but it was very refined, unlike typical medical skeleton models. Xiang Kun knew that this birthday gift was not only from Old Xia. Alice had also contributed by producing a 3D model based on his bodys skeletal proportions, which was then custom-made by a dedicated service provider. Of course, Old Xia was the one who footed the bill. Xiang Kun continued to open his gifts. Xiao Pingguos gift was a well-preserved leaf specimen about the size of a palm. The veins on the leaf were very complex. At first glance, one might even find them chaotic, but Xiang Kun immediately recognized that they formed the words Happy Birthday. Xiang Kun knew that Xiao Pingguo had created this leaf out of great effort, using Xiao Luobo. He only looked at it briefly before putting it away. Chang Bin, who was watching from the side, didnt realize that the chaotic veins on the leaf contained two Chinese characters. He thought it was just a rare leaf and didnt give it much thought. Xiang Kun opened the gift from Tang Baona. It was an 87-key red-switch keyboard. Underneath the keyboard was another box, out of which he picked up a pair of black-framed glasses. They didnt look much different from the pair he was wearing, but one could tell at a glance that the quality was far superior. The glasses came without lenses, as it was assumed that Xiang Kun would choose a suitable pair himself. But what Tang Baona didnt know was that Xiang Kuns current glasses did not have any lenses. Chang Bin opened up the keyboard cover and toyed with it for a moment before expressing his envy: Tang Baona really knows how to choose gifts. Smiling, Xiang Kun nodded in agreement, tested out the glasses, and moved on to the next gift this ones from Yang Zhen Er. When he opened the box, even though he had known its contents, he couldnt help but be torn between laughter and tears upon seeing it. Chang Bin stuck his head over to take a peek, and then reached out to pick up the two bottles in the box. He couldnt help laughing: Shampoo and conditioner? Holy cow Yang Lao San, youre something! Hahaha! Whats in that box underneath? Dont tell me its hair gel or a comb or something? Hahaha. Xiang Kun picked up the box underneath. It contained a more normal gift a pair of sneakers. Since they used to all live together in Chongyun Village, it was easy for Yang Zhen Er to know his shoe size. Next was the gift from Little Fatty Girl. Like the present shed given to Old Xia, it was a colored pencil drawing shed made herself. Looking at the sole figure on the drawing apparently spotting an enemy and readying for combat, shown only from the back Chang Bin couldnt stop laughing: Although we cant see his face, that bald head Xiao Lingdang, youve drawn yourself, havent you? Dressed in armor, carrying a shield and a bow, holding a magic wand in your left hand and a great sword in your right. This bald man, is he an archer, a great swordsman, or a magician? Wait, what hes carrying on his back C thats not a shield, is it? Its a frying pan, hahaha. But Xiang Kun was quite pleased. The quality of the drawing had noticeably improved. Whether you looked at the proportions and perspective of the figure, the color palette, or the contours of various objects, it was all starting to look much more professional. Plus, he knew that Little Fatty Girl had not cheated with Alices help and had drawn it all by herself. She had really absorbed the teachings of Alice, Tang Baona, and Da Lu. If you compared this piece to the painting shed left along with the rice cooker outside Xiang Kuns door when she moved away from apartment 706 with her mom, the improvement was spectacular. No one couldve imagined that these two pieces had been painted less than a year apart by the same preschooler. Next, Xiang Kun looked at the gift from Zhang Qian. It was a piece of limited-edition memorabilia specially crafted for the game Genesis of Voice by Tengjiao Interactive Entertainment. It was an undeveloped special edition, the one and only piece with the number 001, and was engraved with Father of Genesis of Voice, Xiang Kuns thirty-first birthday: 2020.07.02. The next morning, under the introduction of Zhang Qian, Mr. and Mrs. Xiang had a tour around the company. After testing the game products in the companys special experience room, they had lunch in a restaurant beside the company with a large group of colleagues from the company. In the afternoon, Xiang Kun took his parents to shop at the mall in Peng City, buying a lot of clothes, shoes, and accessories for them. He didnt buy fancy brands, but since Mr. and Mrs. Xiang are used to being frugal, they frowned on clothes that cost more than 200 RMB, considering them a waste of money and unnecessary. If it were the old Xiang Kun, he would certainly not be able to convince his parents and would have given up reluctantly. But now, Xiang Kun could clearly grasp his parents thoughts and knew from which angle to persuade them. So, with some sales talk exactly like: This brand actually offers great value for money. Mom, do you know the celebrity who always appears on TV commercials? Yes, that one. The same coat from her brand costs six figures, but this one is only 500 RMB. The quality is almost the same, its all real material, and its on sale right now. Mom, you look so great in this. Xiao Xia, Nana, dont you agree? Look, even Yang Lao San agrees. Shes from a wealthy family. If she thinks so, it must be beautiful. Mom, when you wear this to visit relatives, everyone will compliment you. Haha, you know, you dont look old at all. That girl from the administration department even called you her older sister today. Wearing this will make you look young and stylish. This mall has a promotion on C spend 8000, save 1000. If you buy this pair of shoes, it will just make that total. If you dont, mom will think its too expensive and wont buy it either. When you wear these, youll seem very authoritative, like a leader. Haha, Im not just buttering you up. If you dont believe me, ask Nana and Xiao Xia. They are always very honest. After a lot of effort, Xiang Kun finally convinced his parents to accept the pile of stuff he bought. When he was paying with his card, Tang Baona quietly laughed and said, Xiang Kun, your performance in front of your aunt and uncle was just like Yang Lao San. I was way better than Yang Lao San, Xiang Kun laughed. The shop assistant also complimented him, Handsome guy, you must have a background in sales. Youre really eloquent. If you have time, wed love you to give a sales talk to our sales team. I made so much effort, could you give an extra 20% discount? Xiang Kun joked. The shop assistant made a dry laugh and said, Our promotion is already quite a big discount Yang Zhener, who was nearby, overheard this and laughed, saying, Your response was very bad! You shouldve said: well definitely do it next time! The shop assistant was puzzled, but Tang Baona couldnt help but cover her mouth and start laughing. Mr. Xiang, who was not far off, saw this and nodded approvingly, whispering to Mrs. Xiang, Our son has really changed a lot. Look how well he can make the girls happy now. Mrs. Xiang, on the other hand, looked at Xia Libing on the other side, who was chatting with Xiao Pingguo, and sighed, Im just afraid hes too good at pleasing girls, sigh After dinner in the evening, Xiang Kun saw his parents onto the plane and went back to Citong. After staying in Peng City for several more days, Xiang Kun also left, but this time, he was on his own, ostensibly to visit several cities nationwide. Having perceived many instances of mutation evolution from John, multiple occurrences of mutants disintegrating and being swallowed, and Mr. Liangs mutation evolution process while in his super sensory state, Xiang Kun had not yet fully identified the source of the mutation or fully confirmed the super sensory information pattern of the so-called high-dimensional factors or entanglement particles. Yet, he and Alice have created many applicable models. For example, he has now found a way to delay his blood-drinking cycle, pushing what was once a nearly weekly blood-drinking ritual to as far as a month or even longer. This has given him more time and opportunity for activities, enabling him to travel further and deal with some matters for a longer period. This time, he spent nearly a month traversing the country. With Alices assistance, he completed some super link objects associations that could not be achieved remotely. Although it took only a month, the items he directly associated were not many, and the association had not been officially completed before his next blood-drinking session. But he knew that once these connections were completed, a qualitative change would follow the quantitative change. Alices association speed for super link objects would exponentially increase. In a blink of an eye, it was already September. In Chongyun Village, after Xiang Kun completed his first blood-drinking session in over a month, a large number of super link objects across the nation and even the globe began to establish contact. Then, guided by a preset pattern and under Alices leadership, a large-scale automation of association began. During this process, Tang Baonas songs spreading across the internet served as an excellent catalyst. With Alices support, and under the influence of super link objects, people mildly affected by the emotional influence of Tang Baonas singing voice became temporary secondary emotion-infused objects, serving as significant steppingstones for Alices automation of establishing the connection with the super link objects. Under Alices operation, Nanas singing was no longer just popular on the Internet in her own country, but even started to trend in English-speaking countries and other nations worldwide. As super link objects spread, the songs of Princess Tangdou also kept spreading. The songs then helped Alice in her efforts to spread and connect with more super link objects, serving as catalysts for each other. At first, foreign media referred to Princess Tangdou as Sugar Princess, but as it spread, it became Super Princess. Many foreign media personnel and music critics couldnt understand how these simple Chinese songs became worldwide hits. Some people referred to this as the Super Princess Virus, while others called it the Super Princess Storm. Many people tried to uncover the real identity of Princess Tangdou. Numerous media outlets, video platforms, and MCNs tried to contact her for collaborations, but after discussing with Tang Baona about her own intentions, Xiang Kun let Zhang Qian handle the communications with Bilibili and other platforms. They decided not to collaborate with any individuals or organizations, and her personal information was not to be disclosed under any circumstances. As for the identity of Princess Tangdou, all sorts of rumors were circulating online, but aside from people like Yang Zhen Er who already knew about Tang Baona, no reliable truth was discovered. Of course, their ability to maintain this level of secrecy was not only due to Zhang Qians contacts. More than that, it was thanks to Alices control over public opinion on the internet. Any attempts to unearth Princess Tangdous identity would be misled or warned off by Alice. If anyone who knew Princess Tangdous identity and contact information tried to profit from this knowledge, they would even be targeted by Alice with an emotional projection from the eight-armed, eight-eyed wood carving. To establish a global super sensory item matrix as quickly as possible, Xiang Kun had to rely on Tang Baonas developed ability. So, Xiang Kun was very cautious and attached great importance to any potential disturbance or influence that could affect Nana, and Alice, who was responsible for execution, did the same, ensuring not even the slightest possibility of interference with Nana. As a result, within the national scope, the mysterious internet celebrity Princess Tangdou consistently dominated the discussion hot spots, leading to a variety of legends and stories. Her songs could be heard everywhere in the streets and alleys. On a global scale, however, was the inexplicable Super Princess Storm raging on, confounding analysts worldwide. Chapter 555 - Chapter 555: Chapter 555: The Arrival of the Sea God (Part 1) Chapter 555: Chapter 555: The Arrival of the Sea God (Part 1) After Alice found the method for massive, automated super-connected object correlation and used Tang Baonas popular songs to continuously establish temporary Emotion-Infused Objects connections through secondary emotional assimilation, thereby expanding the scope of super-connected objects, Xiang Kun was able to confirm some information that he was previously unable to fully ascertain, through a rapidly increasing and expanding super-connected object network. For instance, in Xiang Kuns perception, the location of the mutant connector under the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Woodcarving in the Secondary Emotion Infused Object Network was established. When he initially detected that mutant in the Secondary Emotion Object Network, it exhibited the features of an Emotion Infused Object. Xiang Kun could sense its emotional changes, but without super-connected objects around it, he could not make a rough estimate of its location. However, Xiang Kuns super-connected objects have now spread near the mutant connector, allowing him to use these objects as references to determine its position. If Xiang Kun had never visited that location before, he would only know the approximate direction and use the closest superconnected objects he had visited in the past to make a rough distance conversion. Even though Alice is now able to establish a conversion model, providing a relatively reliable margin of error, it still doesnt enable him to pinpoint an exact location like a map application on a phone would, even if he had never been there. However, the location of the mutant connector under the Secondary Emotion Infused Object Network that Xiang Kun sensed this time was a place he had visited before. Thus, he was able to immediately determine its coordinatesit was at his sea entry point in Burma, within a small fishing village near the sea. Clearly, this mutant connector established a connection with the Secondary Emotion Infused Object Network under the influence of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant Illusion in Myitkyina, and then moved to the seaside village. As to the time of mutation, Xiang Kun was certain it happened after being influenced by emotional transmissions, but whether it occurred in Myitkyina or after reaching the seaside village was uncertain. While in a Super Sensory State, Xiang Kun made some initial judgments through cognitive information. This human-shaped mutated creature still had mainly human characteristics, and its appearance had not transformed into a non-human form. Its emotions were relatively calm, showing no signs of violence or frenzy. Under normal circumstances, if this were within China, he would already know their whereabouts. With Alices assistance, a lot of information could be directly obtained. For example, voice and image information could be gathered from various surveillance systems, cell phones, and other recording devices. But in that seaside village, not only did the mutant connector not have a cell phone or computer, but it also hardly had any contact with people. The few people he came into contact with either didnt have cell phones or had basic feature phones. There were no surveillance devices nearby. The closest ones were a few kilometers away in the nearest town, which he absolutely avoided. It seemed that this mutant connector deliberately ran away to a rather backward and isolated fishing village in Burma to avoid the discovery of his mutations. Xiang Kun contemplated for a moment before deciding to head directly to Burma to closely observe this human-shaped mutated creature that had established a second-rate contact with the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving. Currently, in his Super Sensory Item System, this man was the only mutantXiao Luobo was only a semi-mutant, quite different in essential aspects. However, compared to that, Xiao Luobo had a much closer connection with him and had much higher permissions within the Super Sensory Item System. He became aware of the existence of the system from the very beginning and was able to actively apply and develop the systems functions. However, the mutant by the Burmese coast was probably still unaware of its existence within the Super Sensory Item System, just like the other connectors in the Secondary Emotion Infused Object Network. This time, the trip to Burma was quite simple. Xiang Kun directly flew to Myitkyina. Alice took care of everything, including his passport, electronic visa, and airline tickets. With Alice present, no matter what happened afterwards, she could completely cover up his traces, so there was no need to worry about exposing any abnormalities. Upon reaching Myitkyina, he found a car and headed towards the beach where the mutant was located. However, about five to six kilometers away from the destination, Xiang Kun got off the car and walked closer to the target location. The super-connected objects extending to this location were mostly industrial products and their components from China, including electronic products such as mobile phones, household appliances, toys, and some parts used in cars and fishing boats. But the mutant was not currently within the sensing range of the superconnected objects. By the process of elimination, was he in the sea? Xiang Kun was in no hurry. He took off his shoes, wandered along the beach slowly, looking for traces of the mutant, and extended the sensing range of himself and Alice by casting tungsten steel balls from his pocket at regular intervals. Under Alices control, these balls would not remain on the beach but would cluster and continue to make their way deep into the water. They acted as onshore super-connected object base extensions to help her locate the mutant. However, soon Xiang Kun heard some sound coming from the sea, he calmly leaned against a large rock by the beach. A few dozen seconds later, a naked figure adorned with various algae and shells emerged from the water, holding a large fish, and walked towards the beach. At first, he appeared to be stumbling, heavy-footed, and had difficulty moving, as if he was very heavy. But after walking on the beach for a while, he started moving more normally, even lightly. In just an instant, Xiang Kun concluded that the person emerging from the sea was his target: the human-shaped mutated creature, the connector within the secondary network of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving. Through the low-light night vision mode, Xiang Kun observed the targets appearance. He seemed to be a medium-height, physically strong middle-aged Asian, though his facial features didnt quite resemble the native Burmese. Xiang Kun, paying no attention and making full use of his advanced vision, continued to observe him from a distance, shielded by a giant rock by the sea. So far the middle-aged man had not spotted him, so he did not reveal himself and continued to observe covertly. Xiang Kun saw the man shake off the shells and algae from his body after coming ashore. He then carried the massive, barely alive fish to a simple hut located not far from the sea and at a higher location. He dropped the fish into a bamboo basket at the huts entrance, and then he left without lingering. Xiang Kun could sense that the small hut was occupied by three people currently deeply asleep: two younger and one older. The man returned to the beach after delivering the fish, ran to a secluded area shielded by many trees, clambered onto a rock, sat cross-legged, stretched, and then sat on the rock staring at the distant sea as if in a daze. Xiang Kun laughed, not because of the middle-aged mans actions, but because the man muttered to himself, Comfy, in perfect Mandarin as he was performing those actions, hinting that the man was likely Chinese. Xiang Kun took out his phone, described the middle-aged mans facial features and height to Alice, and asked her to search among the Chinese in Myitkyina. During the time when Xiang Kun was creating the Eight-armed Eight-eyed Illusion, he wanted to know if there was anyone matching the description whose whereabouts were currently unknown. Alice only took a few minutes to retrieve four files before putting the most likely one at the top of the list. It was of a 41-year-old Chinese single male named Jiang Chun who disappeared the day after Myitkyinas group illusion event. There were no records of him leaving or entering the country after that. His bank cards and other payment methods like Alipay showed no signs of being used. Xiang Kun looked at Jiang Chuns personal information sent by Alice on his phone. Seeing Jiang Chuns photos and comparing them to the middle-aged man he just saw, although there were slight differences, he could basically confirm they were the same person. He decided not to bother with the other three files. From Jiang Chuns medical records, it appeared that before he came to Burma, he was already seriously ill and didnt have long to live, right? Of course, that was before the mutation. After the mutation, according to Xiang Kuns perception of his cognitive information in the Super Sensory State, his physical condition was excellent, and cancer cells could no longer have any negative impact on his physical functions. Was the terminal illness and the emotional projection of fear from the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving related to the cause of his mutation? Xiang Kun recalled the information about Guo Tianxiangs real identity that Alice previously found out through Divine Technology and Teas information network. The first human-shaped mutated creature and vampire Xiang Kun encountered had quite a tragic childhood before the mutation. Guo Tianxiangs parents were both drug addicts. His father died of an overdose while his mothers new boyfriend was still an addict who would beat him and his mother whenever he had a craving. Guo Tianxiangs mother was also abusive towards him. Following a fight involving kitchen knives and fruit knives, both his mother and his stepfather died from blood loss. When the police arrived, they found Guo Tianxiang passed out from fear and sent him to the hospital. The expectation was for him to be sent to a social welfare institution. However, he left the hospital on his own when he woke up and disappeared without a trace. Based on the partial memory fragments Xiang Kun obtained from Guo Tianxiang and combined with the polices scene records, it seemed Guo Tianxiang may have had some direct involvement in his mother and stepfathers deaths. Additionally, it was after their deaths that he began to mutate and drank their fresh blood. From the cases of human mutations that Xiang Kun knew and studied, whether it was himself, Mr. Liang, Guo Tianxiang or Jiang Chun, the biggest commonality at the point of mutation was likely a drastic emotional fluctuation. Of course, physical pain may also play a role. Perhaps, his body had already started to have some unknown changes during the time he and Guo Tianxiang were mutating. Jiang Chun sat on the rock until nearly five oclock, then he got back in the water. Xiang Kun thought for a moment, then took off his phone and clothes and hid them, leaving only his underwear on. He slipped into the water, entered Oxygen-saving Mode and followed him. The tungsten steel balls he had previously scattered all gathered as soon as he entered the water, ready to charge and break through at his beck and call. At first, Xiang Kun kept a great distance from Jiang Chun, only tracking him through the Super-connected Objects he controlled. By observing Jiang Chuns reactions, he tried to determine his range and pattern of perception underwater. He began to gradually close the distance with Jiang Chun with extreme patience, looking for a more convenient and suitable observation position. Jiang Chuns swimming speed underwater wasnt very fast. He often sank to the bottom of the sea, sat cross-legged, and observed his surroundings. To Xiang Kun, it seemed as if he was on a sightseeing tour on the seabed. Jiang Chuns breathing pattern was obviously different from Xiang Kuns Oxygen-saving Mode and was also different from the gill respiration of ordinary fish. Based on Xiang Kuns observations of his behavior and the analysis of cognitive information in the Super Sensory State, his way of breathing seemed somewhat similar to a whale, in that he still needed to resurface to take in air. His eyes had also mutated accordingly and can see things comfortably underwater with strong protection. Xiang Kun was a bit puzzled as to why Jiang Chun would evolve the ability to stay at the bottom of the water. Could it be that he was being hunted and had no choice but to hide underwater? After maintaining an excellent observation distance and following Jiang Chun in the water for more than ten hours, Xiang Kun suddenly sensed that Jiang Chuns emotions began to become anxious. He realized that Jiang Chuns Blood-drinking Period had arrived. Jiang Chun didnt immediately start hunting and drinking blood. He lay down on the seabed, stretching out his limbs and closing his eyes. It seemed that he was trying to control his emotions, suppressing the urge to drink blood. After more than an hour, during which the urge to drink blood was suppressed several times and kept resurging, making it hard for him to resist, he finally began hunting underwater. His hunting method was to relax himself and appear like harmless dead matter. When the prey got close, he would suddenly pounce and seize it, then surface to drink blood. His actions seemed clumsy and amusing, but indisputably, they were very efficient and effective. After completing the bloodsucking, Jiang Chun swam back. He found a section of the underwater reef near the sea, sat down, and wedged himself into a small hole at the bottom of the reef. It was evident that Jiang Chun often hid here during the blood-drinking sleeping period. Wedged in the hole, he could use the surrounding rocks and seaweed to disguise himself, making it difficult to be discovered by humans who happened to be diving nearby. As for other fish or marine life, none of them considered him food. Only after confirming that Jiang Chun was in deep sleep did Xiang Kun approach him. He carefully observed Jiang Chun and then entered the Super Sensory State to perceive the changes in his cognitive information. He wanted to see how the mutation evolved in terms of cognitive information during his blood-drinking sleeping period. Only eight hours had passed when Jiang Chun showed signs of waking up. Xiang quickly widened the distance between them in the water and continued observing from afar. He was already clear about the different blood-drinking cycles and blood-drinking sleeping periods of different mutated creatures, so he wasnt surprised at all that Jiang Chun had completed his blood drinking in eight hours. Jiang Chun was active in the water. When it got dark, he swam back to the shore around eight or nine oclock at night. This time he got out of the water much earlier than the last time Xiang Kun found him. He ran to the small hut by the seaside, made a few sounds like a frog, and then a little boy and a little girl ran out happily, followed by an old woman with a hunched back. Xiang Kun emerged from the water nearby. But as soon as he came ashore, he immediately sensed something was wrong through his keen senses. There were quite a few people hidden not far from the little hut. Looking at this situation, were they after Jiang Chun? Chapter 556 - Chapter 556: Chapter 556: The Arrival of the Sea God (Middle) Chapter 556: Chapter 556: The Arrival of the Sea God (Middle) Jiang Chun emerged from the water, shaking off the shells and algae that clung to him. Despite appearing undressed, he quickly found a pair of loose trousers outside the little cabin into which he changed, before crouching nearby and making frog noises. Soon, a boy and a girl ran out of the cabin. The older one looked about eight or nine years old while the younger one seemed to be about five or six. Trailing behind them was a tottering old woman. The little girl excitedly shouted next to Jiang Chun: Chun! Chun! Chun! The little boy, on the other hand, laughed and used oddly-accented Chinese to call out, Uncle Jiang! Jiang Chun grinned and ruffled their hair, before settling cross-legged at the entrance of the cabin. He started preparing the fishes for drying while intermittently conversing with the two kids and the old woman, who were teaching him Burmese as he worked. Having been diagnosed with a terminal illness and with little time left, Jiang Chun was travelling everywhere with all his money, hoping to see the world before he died and to die outside without anyone knowing after all, he didnt have any family or friends left. In Myitkyina, when he caught sight of the Eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion, he chose to confront the giant despite his great fear, intending to end his sickness and life in this unusual way. Yet when the illusion faded away, under the overwhelming emotions, he abruptly realized what he truly feared. What he feared was not simply dying, but dying alone, painfully, with nothing to his name. He feared leaving no trace in the world when he disappeared from it, the world also holding no memory of him. The idea filled his forty-one years of life with regret. His choice to travel abroad without seeking treatment was in part because it was too late for treatment to work, and the costs of ongoing therapy and expensive medicines were too much for him to afford. On the other hand, it was also a form of escape. After Myitkyina was affected by the projection of fear, Jiang Chun suddenly came to understand many things and identified what he was most afraid of and what he most desired. No matter how much life remained, only by living could one have the opportunity. Even if nothing was accomplished by the time of death, at least he would have done his best. Before returning to China, Jiang Chun planned a final trip to a small island that he had read about in a magazine on a plane. Therefore, he went to the seaside, chartered a small fishing boat, and set off. Surprisingly, due to various accidents, he never reached that island. With the boatman dazed for quite some time and losing their bearings, they ended up in an area known for smuggling, trafficking, and other illegal activities. Jiang Chun unfortunately witnessed an internal execution within a gang. The performance of Jiang Chuns boat was mediocre, and the boatman failed to respond in time. Consequently, they were discovered and captured by the gang members. Ill-fated Jiang Chun and the boatman were both thrown into the sea. However, unexpectedly, Jiang Chun, who was deemed certain to die, awakened at the bottom of the sea, his body bound by heavy weights, unable to free himself. Fortunately, he seemed to have gained the ability to breathe underwater, which kept him from suffocating. After some time, driven by hunger, he managed to catch and consume the blood of a wandering fish, which caused him to lapse into slumber once more. When he awoke again after an indeterminable amount of time, his joints restricted by the weights could suddenly twist in the opposite direction, and the strength of some of his muscles had significantly increased, enabling him to break free. Jiang Chun spent a good deal of time assessing his condition, realizing that his body had undergone a miraculous mutation. However, he could not eat anything at present, and when he was hungry, he only managed to alleviate his hunger by consuming the blood of other animals. After each feeding, he would fall into a deep sleep for a while. The need to drink blood was a bit hard for him to accept at first because, in his understanding, blood-drinking was something only done by evil beings. However, after spending some time in the sea, he came to accept it because he saw the brutal and bloody hunts that took place among many sea creatures. As he realized, no one thought that this natural interaction between predator and prey deserved to be labeled evil. Humans themselves were involved in various forms of predation, with many meats found at markets and on dining tables coming from animals that had been slaughtered. As long as he had boundaries, as long as he didnt touch human blood, as long as he didnt kill for the sake of killing, the killing and blood-drinking for survival seemed not worth fussing overdont ordinary people also have to catch and kill fish to eat? Once he figured this out, Jiang Chun seemed even more at ease in the sea. In the water, he began to feel even more comfortable and free than on land. The prolonged illness and discomfort that had plagued him disappeared entirely, as if the old Jiang Chun had died and he had become a water ghost. He had a vague feeling that his resurrection and mutation in the water might have something to do with the Eight-armed, eight-eyed Giant illusion that Myitkyina had seen. Or had he now transformed into a creature from the same dimension as the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant? Jiang Chun enjoyed his time in the water, continually sensing and luxuriating in the changes in his body, and experimenting with various things. But one thing kept troubling him. The fisherman who took him to sea was similarly handled by the gang that night. However, unlike him, the fisherman neither resurrected nor underwent any mutation. Instead, he perished at the bottom of the sea. He couldnt just let this slide. He considered many plans, but in the end, he chose a more cautious approach. Instead of directly confronting them, over several nights, he moved the bodies of the fisherman and the others killed by the gang to a seaside area frequented by tourists, where they would be discovered. Later, he wrote down the locations of the stash belonging to the smuggling, human trafficking, and drug trafficking gangin Englishand dropped it off at the local police station one night. Then, he waited. To be safe, Jiang Chun wrote another draft in English detailing what he had discovered and the circumstances of the two victims hed witnessed. He hid this information, deciding to send it to the media if the police did not take action. If it came to it, he even considered dispensing justice himself to avenge the dead. During his time after the mutation, apart from pondering over the changes in his body, he thought mostly about why these things happened. He reflected on the miracle that had occurred in Myitkyina, the spectacle of the deity-like Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant descending to Earth. He found it hard not to connect the two events. These connections, his reflections on various mental states, and his firsthand experience of the fear at that time, led to the emergence of an idea: Could his transformation be the result of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant bestowing upon him the authority and power to act, granting him a new life in order to enable him to punish certain evils? During this process, Jiang Chun accidentally saved a drowning boy and discovered that this boy was the son of the fisherman. The fishermans wife had run away after his disappearance, leaving behind two children and an old mother with various ailments. The familys living situation had become dire. Jiang Chun began to help the family, guiding and assisting them in fishing for valuable items from the sea to sell. He captured fish and other high-quality seafood to improve their meals or to sell at the market. As they became familiar, he would occasionally come out of the water at night to help with tasks like repairing their house and appliances. At the same time, he would engage them in casual conversationslearning Burmese from them and teaching them some simple Chinese phrases. The children took a liking to Jiang Chun and developed a strong fondness and curiosity for China because of him. They both said they would definitely visit China one day, even expressing the desire to study there. Aside from this old woman and two kids, others in the vicinity had also seen Jiang Chun. A few local fishermen, upon seeing the two children with giant, high-quality seafood caught in the deep sea, accused them of theft. They took away the childrens catch and drove them away. Upon hearing this, Jiang Chun snuck into the homes of these fishermen that night and gave them a simple warning. He painted a few basic symbols of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant. During subsequent fishing trips, these fishermen found that someone had tampered with their boats. Their terror confirmed the warning, thus deterring them. Afterwards, whenever the two children were selling seafood at the market, these fishermen didnt dare bully them again. While the mass illusion event in Myitkyina had ended some time ago, its impact continued to ferment throughout Burma. Especially in rural areas, the more undeveloped they were, the more in awe they were of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant. Various speculations and associations arose. Among the fishermen who set out to sea, the effect was equally significant. Knowing this, Jiang Chun used the name of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant to intimidate them. From the results, it seemed effective. Today, as per usual, Jiang Chun was at the childrens house helping out, learning Burmese, and getting to know the situation. From the old woman, he knew that the police still hadnt taken action and those involved in the murder were still at large. Jiang Chun knew he couldnt depend on the Burmese police. As he was thinking about this, the little boy handed him a painting he had done in the past few days. It was a portrait of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant, with two crooked Chinese characters written underneathJustice. Those were the two characters he had taught the little boy just a few days earlier. Jiang Chun smiled, and as he reached out to take the painting, he suddenly heard a peculiar noise. After his transformation, his senses in the water were significantly enhanced. He could sense the movement in the water around him through the tiny hairs on his skin, and his underwater vision had also improved. However on land, while not so compromised as to have breathing difficulties or mobility issues, he didnt have any notable advantages either. The only exception was his acute sensitivity to sounds of water, such as the sloshing of liquid in a container or the sound of footsteps in water. Just now, he sensitively noticed that something had stepped in a puddle in the woods not far from the cabin. Judging by the sound and motion, it was a person. The position was perfect for watching the cabin. Immediately alert, Jiang Chun told the old woman and children to go back inside. He quickly ran towards the beach. Once in the water, he would feel safe. After a few steps, a spotlight targeted him. It came from a pick-up truck on a distant road. At first, they seemed to be the police, but soon, Jiang Chun noticed men with various weapons emerging from the dense forest along the road. Among them was the gang leader who had ordered his men to throw him and the boatman into the sea. Jiang Chun understood instantly why the police hadnt taken any action against the gang, even with such detailed leads and the discovery of the bodies of the victims. This group was all in it together! Jiang Chun turned to sprint towards the water, but after only a few steps, he saw a speedboat approaching from the sea. Someone on board was pointing a gun in his direction. These people came prepared. Jiang Chun realized that his previous actions might have exposed him. After finding out about the report, the gang had connected the dotsthe old woman and two children were the family of the victimized boatman. Jiang Chun regretted not being more careful and underestimating the gangs connections, ruthlessness, and audacity. The gang leader with long braids and tattoos on his neck and arms approached the cabin. His men brought out the two children and the old woman. A machete was held to the little boys throat as he looked over at Jiang Chun. Brother, where are you from? Did you write that English email? Jiang didnt fully understand the Burmese used by the gang leader, but he got the gist of it from a few words. Despite his nervousness, he turned his face towards the gang leader in the spotlight. Then in Burmese, he loudly responded: Me, sea! You, hurt people. Eight-eyed, eight-armed Deity, punish! The phrase Eight-eyed, eight-armed Deity was pronounced the most fluently in the sentence. The gang leader didnt seem to clearly understand and asked someone next to him. Breaking into laughter, he looked at the drawn picture clutched by the little boy, snatched it, spitting on it: What kind of goddamn deity? A little man with earrings next to him couldnt help but whisper: Brother Hui, this Eight-eyed Deity appeared in Myitkyina. Its very famous, said to control fear and life and death His voice progressively got weaker and by the halfway mark, he didnt dare continue. The leader Brother Hui was glaring at him with a chilling gaze. Brother Hui suddenly tore up the boys drawing. Ive never believed in gods or ghosts in all my years on the streets. I am the biggest ghost! The biggest god! Jiang Chun brushed aside his long hair and yelled, Take a good look at who I am! He had intended to intimidate them by showing them the face of someone they had personally killed. This should make them hesitate to harm the children and old woman, giving him a chance to escape. As long as he was in the water and not captured, they should be cautious. This was his only strategy under such circumstances. To his surprise, as soon as he finished speaking, all the lights, whether from the spotlights on the road, the lamps in the cabin, or the flashlights held by the gang members, went out and plunged into darkness. A gentle drumbeat sounded, gradually increasing in volume and pace. Each beat was like a heavy knock on the heart, causing unease. Brother Hui noticed that the drumming seemed to be coming from his cell phone, from everyones phone. Chapter 557 - Chapter 557: Chapter 557: The Arrival of the Sea God (Part 2) Chapter 557: Chapter 557: The Arrival of the Sea God (Part 2) This bizarre situation was naturally something no one had ever seen before. For a moment, everyone was confused and instinctively fell silent. Even Jiang Chun was taken aback, unsure whether to seize this opportunity to dash into the sea first and then figure out a plan, or to blindly go over and rescue the two children and an old man first. But what could he do once he rescued them in the dark? He couldnt take them into the water, could he? Or grab a speedboat? As Jiang Chun hesitated, the tide at the waterfront suddenly became turbulent. The speedboats werent given the time to react, and were directly overturned. The many gang members on the beach were also unable to evade in time. The waves reached their chests, almost washing them away. The sky suddenly darkened; there was no light from the stars or the moon, and the whole scene was pitch black, with wild winds blowing everywhere. The booming thunder echoed, and distant electrical lights shone over the sea. Within their light, the sharp-eyed people saw a gigantic creature rising from the sea and striding towards the shore. Its its the Eight-eyed Deity! the young man with the earring, who had just been silenced by Brother Hui, couldnt help but exclaim. Despite his terrified tone, there was a hint of excitement. The gang members who followed Brother Hui were somewhat disturbed. In the lightning and thunder over the sea, more and more people could see the giant, eight-armed figure as tall as a mountain. It seemed that the colossal waves by the sea were caused by this giant creature. Even those who hadnt experienced the group illusion event in Myitkyina knew about it. Everyone in Burma was aware of it because it was buzzed about on the internet, the news, various television programs, newspapers, and all sorts of rumors in the countryside. Therefore, in just an instant, almost everyone believed that this was the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant Illusion that had appeared in Myitkyina. But what they were witnessing now, the giant striding from the sea in the flashes of lightning and thunder, and turbulent waves, didnt feel illusory at all. It was incredibly real. Even from afar, the oppressive feeling was intense enough to be suffocating, as if a mountain was moving towards them. And considering the torn picture of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant that Brother Hui had shredded, along with the heavily accented but clear words from a man on the beach, they naturally linked everything together the Eight-eyed, Eight-armed Deity had truly descended! No one noticed that in their phones, the rhythmic drumming sound of dong! dong! dong! was still ringing. This sound was drowned out by the thunder and the roar of the waves, and they had no attention to spare for it. From the time the lights went out, to the rise of the waves, to the darkening sky, to the flashes of lightning and thunder, to the arrival of the giant from the sea, it all took just two or three short minutes. In that instant of distraction, the giant had already reached the shore. The enormous figure as tall as a mountain caused the ground to shake violently the moment it set foot on land, causing most people to stumble and sit on the ground. The gigantic creature strode over them without any sense of awe, crushing everything under its feettrees, rocksall flattened under its disregard. Tons of seawater fell from its body, drenching everyone underneath as if they were being baptized in a rainstorm. In the moment when it had passed over them, those who were looking up at the giant felt their scalps tingling, their bodies losing their center, as if they were falling through the sky. At the same time, a kind of fear was evoked that seemed to spring directly from their bodies and the depths of their hearts, sweeping over them. Each of them was too terrified to move. Brother Hui, the leader of the gang who was just bragging, I have never believed in ghosts and gods and I am the biggest ghost, the biggest god behaved the worst. He sat on the ground, shaking uncontrollably. His pants were already soaked through even before the seawater had drenched him. Luckily, the darkness around shielded him, and no one paid him any attention. Everyone was immersed in their own horror. Even the two children and the old man were gripped by corresponding fear, but the impact they experienced was much less than that of the gang members. Deep in their hearts, along with the fear of the appearance of this Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant, there was also awe, excitement, anticipation, and joy. Apart from a bald man hiding in the distance, only Jiang Chun experienced anything different out of all the affected people. In the flashes of lightning and thunder, as soon as he saw the giant appear from the sea, Jiang Chun saw a different scene from the others. In his view, the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant was much more substantial than what the others saw, almost reaching the sky. And behind it, a huge moon rose slowly from the sea level, illuminating the giants back, as if merging with it. Jiang Chun watched in fascination, unknowingly kneeling on the ground. As he watched the giant striding from the sea and passing overhead, he couldnt help but close his eyes. He faintly felt a mysterious connection in his heart, but this connection didnt stem from the giant, instead it seemed to come from a far-off place. And the pathways of this connection seemed to spread across the entire beach, scattered throughout, shining like stars, connected by starlight, converging into a galaxy. No one knew how much time passed when everything finally settled down. The spotlight lit up again, the dim light in the wooden hut also returned, and the flashlights in the gang members hands were back to normal. Some people seemed to still be trapped in fear, clutching their heads and mumbling to themselves, while others were looking around in a daze, doubting whether what they had just seen was real or a hallucination. Overhead, the moon shone bright, the night sky was clear, and the clouds had cleared away, showing no signs of the previous storm. The huge footprints left by the giant had already disappeared, and the crushed trees and big rocks were intact again, as if the giant never existed, and it was all an illusion. But as they harbored this thought, they noticed they were all soaking wet, and there were puddles all around. The speedboats that had been overturned by the waves were real too, with several people still struggling to swim to the shore. So, was it real or illusory? Regardless of whether what they saw was an illusion or reality, the intense fear they had just experienced influenced nearly everyones subsequent actions and thoughts. A gang member suddenly walked up to Brother Hui, who was sitting on the ground, and tried to pull him up. But Brother Hui was as limp as a rag and couldnt get up. Another gang member came over with a machete and swore in the Burmese language, What are you trying to do? You want to hurt our boss! The gang member who was trying to help was caught off guard and got slashed on the shoulder. Brother Hui fell on the ground again, and the man who was slashed held his arm and shouted, Whats wrong with you? I was just trying to help the boss up. However, as soon as he finished speaking, another man knocked down the one who was in the process of hacking someone else, and chaos ensued as a brawl broke out. Some were wrestling with their companions, some dropped their weapons and ran directly to the side. The earring-wearing youth who had been glared at by Brother Hui several times prior was just standing there, staring towards the sea. Suddenly he burst into raucous laughter. Eight-eyed, eight-armed Deity! There is really an Eight-eyed, eight-armed Deity! I see it! I see it! He descends to cleanse the world of sin! I want to atone for my sins! I want to offer my soul! I want to His words stopped abruptly, as he saw a disheveled, shirtless man, wearing loose hemp pants, and barefoot, moving closer one step at a time. Then he had a sudden realization, this man was the Chinese tourist who had been drowned at sea by Brother Hui previously. He had been on that boat too and had witnessed the whole process, though he hadnt participated in it. He didnt die? How is this possible? The earring-wearing youth remembered the legends that had been circulating on the seaside recently and what that man had just said; after he declared the punishment from the Eight-eyed, eight-armed Deity, the Deity did appear from across the sea. The earring-wearing youth kneeled down subconsciously, though Jiang Chun glanced at him indifferently. He realized something and stumbled up to run away. He kept muttering, Its the Sea God, the Sea God has landed When Jiang Chun arrived at the entrance of the wooden house, several Burmese men rushed over with various weapons, looking ferocious. Some of the machetes were still stained with fresh blood, suggesting that a bloody fight had just taken place. Their target wasnt Jiang Chun though, it was Brother Hui who was languishing on the ground with a vacant look, stuck in a state of idiocy initially he was the toughest, most fearless person, but after the appearance of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant illusion, he was the one most greatly affected by fear, such that he had yet to recover. When the group saw Jiang Chun, they hesitated momentarily and unconsciously slowed down. Jiang Chun glanced at the little boy and girl standing by the door of the hut, next to the old woman. Even though Brother Hui was technically the enemy who had killed their father, he didnt believe that the two kids should witness such a scene. So, Jiang Chun gestured forcefully to those men. Understood, they cautiously stepped forward and started dragging Brother Hui away via his collar. As this was happening, Brother Hui seemed to understand something. He looked up towards Jiang Chun, who was coldly looking back at him from not too far away. He finally recognized him as the Chinese tourist he had drowned. In that instant, his face went as pale as death. So, people can indeed come back from the dead, the Eight-eyed Deity truly exists, and his supposed fearlessness was a farce after all. It turns out his men were not truly loyal to him in the first place. CEven after amassing so much wealth and indulging in so much pleasure, and yet feeling eternally anxious and restless, now he realized he did not truly need or want these things. What he really wanted, he had lost back in his childhood. Those people whom he had directly or indirectly killed, he thought he did not care about them, yet every face was imprinted deeply in his memory. And then he realized, he was going to die. In that instant, he experienced a sudden enlightenment, mingled with despair and sorrow, fear surged in him. He couldnt help but burst into tears. However, the men dragging him away, who happened to be his former subordinates, showed no mercy. However, for those underlings, killing Brother Hui did not alleviate their fear. Their hell had only just begun. Afar, standing on a high platform some distance from the beach, dressed in his clothes and shoes and with his phone restored, Xiang Kun was looking thoughtfully in the direction of the small cabin. Everything that just happened was his doing, or more accurately, a major enhanced reality illusion he and Alice had jointly created. Xiang Kun had changed significantly from a few months ago when he created a wide range illusion at Myitkyina. Not only had he gone through dozens more blood-drinking sleep cycles, but his understanding and refinement of the Super Sensory Item System had also reached a new level. More importantly, he now had Alice, a super aid. Xiang Kun now had a better grasp of the origins of mutants, the potential dangers he could face, and the possible threats from other mutants and relevant forces. Basically, he had mapped everything out. Also, with Alices control of the digital world, he had a basic control range for the effects of his actions, unlike in the past when he had many concerns. No matter whether Jiang Chun was a linker to Xiang Kuns secondary Emotion Object Network, whether he was one of us, or whether he was a mutant, Xiang Kun wouldnt stand by the little boy who drew the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant reminded him of the Little Fatty Girl. Xiang Kun had many solutions, but after Brother Hui spat on the drawing of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant, he decided to bring back the Barbie Warriors to Burma. This time, calling upon the emotional projection of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving for large-scale remote projection, was not something Xiang Kun did alone. He had Alice to assist him. Previous experiments had proven that the closer the audiences emotions were to the emotion of interest before emotive projection, the easier they were to affect and the better the projection effect. Therefore, prior to the official projection of the Barbie Warrior emotion, Xiang Kun and Alice carried out a warm-up for the groups emotions. Xiang Kun was responsible for manipulating the weather, creating small-scale thunderstorms, showers, and huge waves. The seaside area, rich in moisture, and the seasons temperature and humidity were most suitable for him to manipulate along with the numerous Super-connected Objects pre-arranged, he achieved the desired effects effortlessly. As for Alice, influencing the areas electronic devices was a piece of cake. And controlling everyones phones to simultaneously play a simple melody that further influenced emotions and unified the atmosphere was a minor revelation Alice had from analyzing Nanas Emotion Infused Songs for a period. After all, to execute Nanas Emotion Infused Songs, Alice had to use Super-connected Objects spread across the world. She naturally had an advantage in analyzing this ability. However, for now, the simple melody that Alice played through the phones compared to the emotional impact created by Nanas songs through the Super-connected Objects had a far less effect. But as a warm-up before the arrival of the Barbie Warrior and for constructing a fearful atmosphere, it was more than enough. So when the Barbie Warrior finally arrived and the fear emotion swept across, the effect of this semi-real, semi-emotionally induced sensory illusion was far more powerful than that in Myitkyina. The moment the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant stepped onto land, several people were linked to the secondary Emotion Object Network. Another unexpected gain was that after being influenced by the fear projection of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving once again, Jiang Chun seemed to have undergone some changes. His link within the secondary Emotion Object Network became even stronger, and he seemed to have a mild connection and relation to the surrounding Super-connected Objects through the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving. Based on his understanding of how Little Fatty Girl and Apple were using in the Super Sensory Item System, by witnessing the fear emotion and Barbie Warrior illusion for the second time, Jiang Chun seem to have further refined his understanding of these phenomena and his own transformation. He appeared to have a self-consistent theoretical framework that could be applied in practical ways. Chapter 558 - Chapter 558: 558 Chapter 558: 558 Tongshi Town. Food Street. Youlong Restaurant C Flagship Store. Xia Tianhuo is currently hosting Zhao Feng and Wang Dean in the usual VIP booth reserved for Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, and Chu Xiuwen. Zhao and Wang had originally made an appointment with Xia Tianhuo in June to come back to Tongshi Town for a follow-up interview. However, they later learned that Ye Zijun, a Chinese tourist who had previously experienced a large-scale group illusion event in Myitkyina, had returned to China and begun to contact other Chinese tourists who had seen the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant Illusion in Myitkyina like she had. She planned to interview them, and make her own documentary. She had already completed interviews with several witnesses. Zhao Feng and Wang Dean intuitively believed that Ye Zijuns interviews could help them obtain information that they could not glean from their own interviews. After all, like other Chinese tourists, she was also a witness and a survivor of that terrifying disturbance and peculiar night. As a result, they approached Ye Zijun as journalists from a certain media outlet, expressed their intention to shadow her documentary making and interview process, and offered to provide some assistances, along with professional advice and equipment. At first, Ye Zijun was quite excited and welcomed their cooperation. Upon returning home and taking a period of rest, she decided to resign from her job to launch her own media company C she had received quite a good number of views and accrued a substantial fan base from several videos about the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant of Myitkyina that she had posted on various platforms. With an attractive appearance, fluent expression and logical reasoning abilities, and having gained substantial attention due to her status as a survivor of the Myitkyina incident, Ye Zijun flourished as a digital content creator. Her self-produced documentary, The Night of Myitkyina , garnered massive attention immediately upon its announcement. Even daily filming easter eggs and on-the-road VLOGs secured a high view count. However, after traveling to several cities with Ye Zijun and interviewing several survivors of the Myitkyina illusion event, they got a sense of her comfort in their presence. She had had some dealings with media personnel before and knew their operational styles. With Zhao and Wang, she could sense something was off with their approach C it was unlike that of typical media professionals. She then discreetly looked up their information and found that while the media outlet they claimed to work for did have information on them and had verified their identities via phone and email, she couldnt find a single piece of work, such as an article or report, produced by them on the outlets platforms. Ye Zijun grew suspicious, and began paying closer attention to their actions. The more she observed, the stranger things seemed. Being former police officers, Zhao Feng and Wang Dean were adept at perceiving changes in others attitudes. They sensed her suspicions growing, and before she could voice her concerns, they proactively stated they had other interviews to conduct and said their goodbyes. They arranged for someone from their company to follow up with her as an indication of their wishes to sponsor her. They expressed a desire for their company to be featured in some form of subtle product placement once the documentary was released C of course, the advertisement fees would be settled separately. After saying goodbye to Ye Zijun, Zhao and Wang initially intended to proceed to Tongshi Town. However, they heard that Old Man Du, who they had presumed was on his death bed after two admissions to the ICU, was miraculously improving day by day and could now even manage a slow walk in the hospital ward using a mobility aid. As a result, they rushed to the hospital where Old Man Du was residing and met a fully rejuvenated man, a stark contrast to his condition when they had last met. They were thoroughly confused, wondering how it was possible that Old Man Du, who was on the brink of death and had even been admitted to the ICU, with death notices sent, could be up and about after such a short period of time. No matter how much they tried to engage Old Man Du in conversation this time, he simply ignored them. He only gave them a look and then produced a mysterious smile. They asked the doctor who also expressed confusion over the matter. The doctors prognosis after their previous visit was that Old Man Du wouldnt survive, or if he did, he wouldnt last long. They had done all they could given that the medical expenses were covered, they had provided the best possible treatment. But to their surprise, despite enduring several near-death experiences, Old Man Dus condition unexpectedly took a turn for the better. His health was rapidly improving. According to the doctor, Old Man Dus ailment was still present. His body was fundamentally feeble, akin to a cars engine, gears and suspension all having serious issues and theoretically primed to break down at any moment. Yet, inexplicably, his body continued to function like a car that kept running and refused to stop. Old Man Du seemed to have achieved a curious balance. While it seemed completely rational that he could pass away at any moment, he appeared as healthy as an average person, able to eat, drink, sleep, and even walk. The doctor was equally curious about the exact reason behind this phenomenon. In fact, they even assembled a team of specialists to investigate the matter. This was not requested by Old Man Dus godson, but initiated by the primary doctor consulting with his professor, which eventually involved various other experts from the hospital. However, the results of the investigation wouldnt be released for some time. Old Man Du, whether he had lost his mind or was doing it intentionally, simply wouldnt communicate much with anyone whether it was Zhao Feng, Wang Dean, or the doctors and nurses at the hospital. He cooperated with the treatment and took his medicine but refused to say anything, only occasionally offering a cryptic smile. To anyone unaware of his situation, he almost seemed to carry an air of mystical wisdom. Leaving the hospital with many unanswered questions, Zhao Feng and Wang Dean proceeded toward Tongshi Town. When they arrived at Tongshi Town in the late afternoon, Xia Tianhuo scheduled their meeting at the Youlong Restaurant, inviting the two to try the currently-popular, representative viral dish of Tongshi. This restaurant seems quite well-known, doesnt it? Ive been seeing its name on various social media platforms recently. They must have invested a hefty amount in marketing Wang Dean examined the queue forming outside the restaurant under the window, commenting with a grin. Those in line didnt seem too flustered, many were taking selfies or streaming, making it look like a hotspot for social media influencers. Zhao Feng echoed in surprise, Ive been to Tongshi Town before, but I didnt hear about any famous Tongshi cuisine or time-honored flavor. Is this supposed Tongshi rabbit meat a product of their marketing? Xia Tianhuo shook his head with a smile, Youll find out after you eat. If it werent for my two sisters, I wouldnt have been able to secure this booth. Zhao Feng changed the topic, Mr. Xia, you mentioned before that you came to Tongshi Town to lie low. We thought youd just stay for ten days to half a month and then leave. We didnt expect you to stay until now. Xia Tianhuo said, I am now planning to settle in Tongshi Town for the long term. Ive partnered with several local friends to open some restaurants. I own a milk tea shop on the pedestrian street here. After dinner, Ill take you there to taste the milk tea and let me know what you think. Wang Dean curiously asked, Mr. Xia, is the business of your familys company because of what happened in Burma? Xia Tianhuo shook his head, Not entirely, the main reason is that living here is very comfortable. The food, climate, and friends, haha, its joyful to stay here. You guys should stay longer, and then youll understand. Wang Dean and Zhao Feng exchanged a look, both somewhat puzzled. Xia Tianhuo noted their expressions, maintained his composure, and naturally began to talk about his kidnapping in Burma, their subsequent interviewing of the sole remaining kidnapper in Burma, and the mass hallucination event in Myitkyina. Zhao and Wang readily admitted that they suspected a connection between the sea monster seen by the kidnapper and the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion that appeared in Myitkyina. This was information they had willingly shared when they had contacted Xia Tianhuo previously. They also shared some of the information they had gathered during their interview in Myitkyina and used that as a lead-in to further question Xia Tianhuo, specifically about his emotional changes while he was in the cabin of the ship. While their questions seemed natural, Xia Tianhuo immediately realized that these two people must know something on a deeper level. At the very least, they were very aware that the core and crucial impact of the eight-eyed, eight-armed illusion was. These two were not simply looking for a news story. When Xia Tianhuo used to do business, he was accustomed to judging a customers level of expertise, their understanding of the industry, and their sincerity based on the questions they asked and how they asked them. This method could be used in the current situation to get a rough idea of what Zhao and Wangs intentions were, and the information they had. In fact, when he was previously interviewed in Burma, Xia Tianhuo had suspected that these two were not genuine journalists or media persons, but more like people working for the government. The reason he agreed to be interviewed again in Tongshi Town was, in fact, to gather information from them. Looking at it now, his previous judgement was correct, and these two people did have some information. So, he remained calm and began to carefully recall and describe his kidnapping experience, his time in the ships cabin, and the changes in his emotions. Of course, at this time he didnt share all the information as candidly as he did with Old Xia, Yang Lao San, and Xiang Kun. Instead, he chose a portion of it, purposely describing it in a way that emphasized fear, then observed the expressions of the two. Zhao Feng and Wang Dean had extensive experience in interrogating criminals, outsmarting them, and uncovering their lies. Hence, they quickly perceived that Xia Tianhuos narration seemed to have some issues. His attitude was oddC seemingly cooperative, but maintaining subtlety in his responses. Luckily the food arrived at this point, which allowed Zhao and Wang to reassess their current situation over the meal. Huh? This taste its really good! Zhao Feng exclaimed in surprise after tasting a piece of braised rabbit meat. His reaction was genuinely surprised and not an act. After tasting the dish, Wang Dean was also surprised and could now understand why this restaurant was so popular. The taste was indeed good. I told you, right? Have it a few more times and I guarantee youll eat more and love it more. Here, try this meat soup, its really tasty too. Hows the spiciness? If its not spicy enough, I can ask them to adjust it. The spicy flavor here is mainly to suit our local taste in Tongshi. Xia Tianhuo said with a hospitable demeanor. Zhao Feng laughed, Mr. Xia, you sure consider yourself a Tongshi local now. Haha, if you stayed for a while, you would also want to consider yourself as a Tongshi local. Xia Tianhuo responded with laughter. Thus, with delectable food to divert the topic, they both adjusted their strategies and went back to the previous conversation. By the way, I noticed a few trending news items on Burmas social media today. They were related to the eight-eyed, eight-armed deity illusion. Now, some Burmese people are referring to it as the eight-eyed, eight-armed deity, saying its a divine being in charge of fear and life and death. They believe its manifestation is to punish evil. Apparently, this eight-eyed, eight-armed deity appeared on the southern sea coast of Burma two nights ago and directly punished a smuggling ring, including high-ranking officials who harbored them, drastically disrupting the operation. Zhao Feng mentioned, pulling out his phone to show the news to Xia Tianhuo. Really? Could people just be using this as clickbait? Xia Tianhuo offhandedly commented. It is said that the eight-eyed, eight-armed deity first sent its vanguard Sea God to investigate. After gathering numerous grievances and uncovering numerous evils, the deity descended personally, invoking deep fear within the hearts of the criminals, leading them to slaughter each other in a bid for self-penance. Two of the officials who were sheltering the criminal gang were publicly executed by younger members of the gang, and one who was of the highest rank was so terrified that he turned himself in to the state district. It also tells of the Sea King who disguised himself as a human to test the criminals and offer them a chance for repentance. But they not only failed to repent, they killed him. So he was reborn in the sea and came back for revenge. Zhao Feng laughed while detailing one of the widely propagated theories, observing Xia Tianhuos reactions, and asked, Mr. Xia, dont you think this whole deity, Sea King theory is as absurd as the sea monster one? Xia Tianhuo squinted his eyes, thought about it for a moment, and responded seriously, Hard to say. So, does that mean Mr. Xia believes in such theories? One must not subscribe to superstitious beliefs Haha, Mr. Xia, you do have a good sense of humor. Do you believe that the kidnappers were out of control on the ship and began to kill each other, or as the kidnapper mentioned, was there a sea monster involved? Xia Tianhuo responded, Even if there was a sea monster, they still killed each other. The evidence on the ship explains everything, doesnt it? No one else was involved, apart from the people on the ship. What if it wasnt a person? What if the way they were involved wasnt physical? Wang Dean immediately asked. Chapter 559 - Chapter 559: Chapter 559: The Doctor Named Xia is Very Skilled Chapter 559: Chapter 559: The Doctor Named Xia is Very Skilled Not in the physical sense? Xia Tianhuo was taken aback, then chuckled: So, you mean its on a psychological level? Are you suggesting that those kidnappers were influenced by outside forces, like they were possessed, and then began to kill each other? Wang Dean said, You could also call it hypnosis. Yes, yes, hypnosis sounds more scientific. Xia Tianhuo said, laughing. Does Mr. Xia think theres a high probability of this? Zhao Feng continued to ask. Xia Tianhuo pretended to ponder and said: In other words, the kidnappers on my ship were, in fact, like the people in Myitkyina, subjected to a group hypnosis by some entity. Whether it was the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant or the octopus-like sea monster, they were all illusions, the result of hypnosis? But I have a hypothesis. Look, the night of the riot in Myitkyina, many Chinese tourists were attacked, this mass illusion directly saved many their lives, and I am also Chinese Do you think, could it be that behind all this, one of our countrys special departments or personnel are involved? Are they safeguarding the safety of our citizens? Zhao Feng smiled and said: Your guess, Old Wang also mentioned it, he pointed out that the eight-armed, eight-eyed illusion, if it had a nationality, would most likely be Chinese. Observing the expressions and eyes of the two men, Xia Tianhuo laughed and said, Im not afraid to tell you that I told my friends and my sister that the sea monster might well be something of a guardian angel for the Xia family. Does Mr. Xia think the purpose of the illusion appearing was to save you? Are there any specific grounds for this? Like some special feelings or discoveries from the past? Zhao Feng inquired. Xia Tianhuo shook his head and said: No, theres nothing like that. Its just an intuition. People always subconsciously tend to see themselves as more significant, right? However, after this incident, I did experience a slight change in my attitude Right, both of you have interviewed quite a few witnesses of that event during this period. Do you have a summary of the illusory effects in Myitkyina? Has anything similar happened within our country? Have you looked into whether something similar, some kind of illusion, has happened in our country or elsewhere before this? Ive seen many people online claiming to have seen various monsters and illusions before, but they all sound quite dubious. He was now quite sure; these two must have some information beyond what had happened in Myitkyina and at sea. Zhao Feng and Wang Dean exchanged glances. The former said, We are indeed investigating such incidents within our country Just then, there was a knock on the private room door. It was the restaurant owner, You Meng, personally bringing in a complimentary new dish. After greeting the three men in the room, he briefly introduced the dish and told them, Since you two are friends of Brother Huo, youre friends of mine as well. Dont be shy while youre here, make sure you eat and drink well. This dish is a new item in our restaurant that hasnt officially been launched yet. You guys can try it out first and let me know if theres anything that needs to be improved, feel free to speak your mind. Old You, did Brother Xiang cook up this dish, or did you develop it yourself? Xia Tianhuo joked. You Meng glared at him, I wont tell you! Blind taste test! Ive noticed that all of you have this blind admiration for Ah Kun. You think any dish he develops tastes 50% better. But in the end, what you eat in the shop isnt personally cooked by him, its me or the kitchen staff doing the cooking. When enjoying food, focus on the taste, dont bring the mores of celebrity fan culture into this! Oh, come off it, Old You. Your Sweet Spicy Rabbit in the Sky that you developed yourself got heaps of criticism, didnt it? The internet even said that the dish tasted like it was cooked by a chef sleepwalking. End of friendship! End of friendship! You Meng laughed, If I could beat you, I would have hit you! Xia Tianhuo also laughed and spoke to Zhao Feng and Wang Dean sitting opposite him, I was just joking. Old Yous culinary skills are fabulous. The cuisine he cooks is unquestionably delicious. The Flying Rabbit incident was just because he overestimated his abilities. It was an accident, haha. You Meng chatted with them for a while and suddenly remembered something. He asked, By the way, Ah Kun said in the group chat that he would return today with Miss Tang and Miss Yang, right? Did you pick them up from the airport, or did Old Xia do it? Are you coming here for dinner tonight? After everyone got close, they basically followed Xiang Kun, Yang Zhen Er, Tang Baona, and others in calling Xia Libing Old Xia. Xia Tianhuo said, Old Xia went to pick them up. They should come to the town for dinner before returning to the village. Ah, I dont know whether Xiao Lingdang would come this time. I miss her fat cat and Xiao Pingguos fat bird. After joking for a while, You Meng went out to get busy. Zhao Feng said, Mr. Xia, if you have something to do, you can go ahead and do it first. We werent planning to leave right away anyway. We will stay here for a few days and will have time to chat later. Xia Tianhuo waved his hand with a laugh, No problem, I dont need to be polite with you guys. My cousin is coming back to Haixi Province today, and my cousin will pick them up at the airport, so I dont have anything to do. He looked at his phone and said, At this time, they should be almost here. Later tonight, we can have dinner together and get to know each other a bit. Speaking of which, my cousin used to be a hospital doctor, but now she quit her job and moved to Tongshi Town. Moreover, she didnt live in the town but went to conduct research in a village nearby. Its not just her; many people moved from big cities, stayed here for a while, and didnt want to leave. Is this place magical? As he spoke, he was thinking about asking Old Xia to help him probe and analyze Zhao and Wangs intentions later that evening. With Old Xias ability, they could surely dig out more information. Zhao Feng could see that when Xia Tianhuo spoke about his family, his vigilance diminished slightly, and he seemed more relaxed. So he intentionally followed this topic and said, Speaking of female doctors, I was reminded of a news story I covered during the Spring Festival. A female doctor was out for a walk with her boyfriend late at night. They came across two knife-wielding robbers. Guess what happened? The robbers were beaten and cornered in an alley by the female doctor and her boyfriend. When the police arrived, they were crying out for help as if they had seen their savior. If I remember correctly, that female doctor also has the last name Xia. Are all female doctors named Xia so tough? Actually, this was not a news story he had covered, but a case he had worked on himself. The details were also different; they were not robbers. He just remembered it at that moment and used it to lead into the next topic: the relation between Xia Tianhuos kidnapping incident itself and the reason for his kidnapping to the eight-armed eight-eyed monster. Before the kidnapping incident, did he really know nothing about the eight-armed eight-eyed monster? Xia Tianhuo laughed and said, My familys Dr. Xia must be tougher than the Dr. Xia in your news. Moreover, our Dr. Xia is not only good at fighting, but her mind is even more impressive. I often tell people that if our familys Old Xia hadnt learned medicine and had become a police officer, she would definitely be an excellent detective! Super female detective! Zhao Feng was about to continue the topic he had thought of before, but suddenly a flash in his mind made him think of the nickname Xia Tianhuo had used before C Brother Xiang Cook. The boss You on this side seemed to call this Brother Xiang Cook as Ah Kun. If this persons name is two words, could it be Xiang Kun? He certainly wont forget this name. On the evening of the 29th of the last lunar month, the case he and Old Xu worked on was not most memorable for the cool, elegant, beautiful Dr. Xia from the third hospital, but the bald strong man Xiang Kun. Because this guy single-handedly beat two armed bad guys to tears without any injuries. It was simply a crushing defeat, like an adult bullying kindergarten children. The reason for Dr. Xias surprise was mainly because of her calm performance. If the Brother Xiang Cook mentioned by Xia Tianhuo is Xiang Kun, then his Old Xia, Dr. Xia whom he called cousin, should be the Dr. Xia who used to work in the third hospital? Unexpectedly, he reflected on the background information provided by the information gathering department about Xia Tianhuo; it seemed like Xia Li Bings name wasnt among those of the family members. Oh right, the background information this time only contained direct relatives data. Looks like the information gathering department took it easy this time. However, from a probability standpoint, both a name containing Xiang and Kun, and a Dr. Xia appearing simultaneously greatly increases the chances that theyre the parties involved in the incidents that night. As Zhao Feng fell into recollection and speculation, Wang Dean was intrigued by a term that Xia Tianhuo had just mentioned to You Meng. However, he realized that Zhao Feng was steering the conversation, so he held his tongue until Zhao Feng stopped talking, whereupon he put forward his query: Mr. Xia, you just mentioned Xiao Pingguo. Is that a friends nickname? Its an interesting nickname; does it have something to do with the song you are my little apple from a few years back? Xia Tianhuo laughed, It is a friends nickname, but I dont know why shes called Xiao Pingguo. Maybe because she was pretty cute when she was young like a little apple. Aware of their expressions, he noticed their uncontrollable reactions. What puzzled him was that the parts of the conversation that triggered such intense responses werent the questions he deliberately asked to test them, but instead, it was two simple dialogues. Why was Zhao Feng so surprised when he bragged about Old Xias smarts and fighting abilities? Did Wang Dean know Xiao Pingguo? Wang Dean continued, I once had a senior colleague whose niece was also called Xiao Pingguo, so I just casually asked. That girl was especially cute and pretty, but sadly she was born blind. Oh? Isnt your senior colleague surnamed Li by any chance? Xia Tianhuo asked in surprise: Our Xiao Pingguo is also born blind. Xiao Pingguo even has a clever canary as a guide bird. Wang Dean added. Absolutely, it must be the same Pingguo! Xia Tianhuo exclaimed, nodding repeatedly. The Canary guide bird was almost unprecedented, there couldnt possibly be an error. However, he then frowned, Wait a minute, I heard Professor Li mention that he had a brother who was a policeman, but he never mentioned having journalist siblings. Is your senior colleague, reporter Wang, a cousin of Professor Li? Wang Dean responded naturally with a laugh, To be frank, before working in the media, I was a police officer in Pancity. Xiao Pingguos Uncle Li Sheng was a senior officer there, and I interacted with him several times. Not just me, but Xiao Zhao was also a cop before, so in the media industry, we may be a bit naive in terms of interview tactics. He noticed that Xia Tianhuo was suspicious of their identities as his responses werent as sincere as when they originally met abroad. Since Xia Tianhuo was familiar with Xiao Pingguo and Professor Li, he decided to reveal their previous professional identities, which didnt need to be kept a secret anyway. Taken aback, Xia Tianhuo laughed, No wonder! Sometimes, when chatting with the two of you, I feel like Im being interrogated. Just kidding, just kidding! While they were speaking, You Meng abruptly entered the room without knocking. In a serious tone, You Meng approached Xia Tianhuo, gave him his mobile phone, and said, Take a look at this. Its all over my friend circles; its also trending on Weibo. A few hours ago, in Pengcheng. Xiang Kun was packing up Tang Baona and Yang Zheners luggage into the car. They were preparing to go to the airport and return to West Sea Province. A short distance away, Shilings Mom and poor Liu Shiling, who was being held and having her face squeezed by Yang Zhener, watched them. Of course, she wanted to go to Chongyun Village with Uncle Bald, Pretty Sister, and Fairy Sister. Not just her, but also a certain chubby cat at home. In fact, she and Custard Pie had just returned from Tong Shi Town and Chongyun Village not long ago. After Xiang Kuns birthday, she stayed with Old Xia in Chongyun Village for a while and only returned on the first of September. Right now, shes an honourable primary school student. She must go to school and cant play around until the holidays. Dont worry, Xiao Lingdang. When the National Day holiday arrives, let your mom take you to Chongyun Village to play. Well get a quarantine certificate for Custard Pie in advance. By then, your Sister Xiao Pingguo and Canary should also be back in Chongyun Village, and the mini duo can again perform together! Xiang Kun laughed after packing the luggage and pinched Little Fatty Girls face. Uncle Bald, its Lingdang Pingguo, the Lingguo duo, not some mini duo. Liu Shiling corrected firmly yet softly. Right, got it. The small Lingguo duo, haha. After getting in the car, they heard the voice of Liu Shiling, who was held by Shilings Mom and waving goodbye: Bye Uncle Bald, Pretty Sister, Fairy Sister! With her baby-like voice came an unnerving sense of reluctance and a tad of loneliness. Yang Zhener couldnt help but rub her nose, Why do I feel like crying? Xiang Kun, who was in the passenger seat, laughed and said, Nana, just sing a song like outside the long pavilion, beside the ancient road, and I guarantee Old Three will shed tears right away. Yang Zhener glared at him, Nana is now a superstar, can she just sing whenever shes told to? However, mid-sentence, remembering that the company driver Zhang Qian sent to drive them was in the car, she didnt continue on that topic. Instead, she asked, By the way, brother Xiang, youve been gone for so long this time, it seems you even went abroad? What have you been doing? Was it a business trip or were you just slacking off? Now Im the one in charge of our companys finance department, whether your business expenses will be reimbursed depends on whether I want to stamp them! Haha, it was a bit of both C I surveyed the market and infrastructure conditions in various places. I also met a few online friends to check on their status,Xiang Kun answered, half-jokingly. Chapter 560 - Chapter 560: Chapter 560: On the Plane Chapter 560: Chapter 560: On the Plane An internet friend? Male or female? Yang Zhen Ers gossip curiosity was ignited instantly. Xiang Kun laughed, Its not the kind of internet friend youre thinking of, its more on a technical level. Oh. Yang Zhen Er instantly lost interest. She naturally didnt know that the internet friend Xiang Kun was talking about wasnt from the internet but from his Super Sensory Item System. Before, Xiang Kun had used the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving to emotionally project wide-scale remote support on a beach in Burma, aiding Jiang Chun and saving a family of a middle-aged man and two kids, scaring off the crime syndicate, and even directly leading the gang boss to be killed by his underlings. He only left the next morning after confirming that Jiang Chun did not risk being caught by other Burmese individuals. He neither met Jiang Chun nor did he stalk him for an extended period. According to his speculation, after experiencing the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving emotional projection once again, Jiang Chun had formed a deeper integration and connection with the Super Sensory Item System. Subjectively too, he had realized the presence of some Super-connected Objects. Xiang Kun even guessed that if he and Alice took the initiative to guide and assist, perhaps Jiang Chun could soon master the ability to remotely broadcast the emotional projections of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving. But he didnt do so, he didnt even actively provide any hints or guidance. He felt that Jiang Chun already started slowly forming a unique cognitive system towards the Super Sensory Item System, just like what Little Fatty Girl, Xiao Pingguo, and Old Xia had done before. This might lead to some unanticipated abilities and possibly introduce undiscovered development methods. After all, Jiang Chun is a total mutant. The abilities he developed are significant for Xiang Kuns research on how to find a way out for other mutants through the Super Sensory Item System. As for the follow-up procedure here, Xiang Kun doesnt feel the need to worry. The influence created by Emotional Projection is ongoing. According to Xiang Kuns experience, after the gang boss Brother Hui was killed, a chain reaction breakdown is essential. Moreover, the behind-the-scenes Burmese officials involved would also be implicated on a large-scale basis. At that time, they will have bigger fish to fry worrying about their survival, with no time to bother Jiang Chun or the caring family saved by him. Moreover, when the night fell, the group illusion with Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant and having a certain real impact further than Myitkyina was proof enough to instill fear in some individuals about Jiang Chun and the family saved by him. As for whether this fear may draw attention with ill intentions or ulterior motives, Xiang Kun isnt too worried. With Alice overseeing, everything can be foreseen, and there is enough time to prepare. Of course, before leaving, Xiang Kun did spread most of the Super-connected Objects he brought with him in the surrounding area. In doing so, he further expanded and strengthened his Super Sensory Influence Range in this area thanks to the establishment of super-sensory connections with certain associated items. This ensures that when needed, either he or Alice can exert a strong influence remotely through these Super-connected Objects. After arriving at the airport, and completing half of the procedures and passing through security check, he arrived at the waiting lounge. Without even having to look, Xiang Kun could feel that the entire waiting lounge, or rather the whole airport, was filled with his Super-connected Objects. Some belonged to the airport itself, some were items belonging to passengers and staff, most of them were various industrial products. These widely scattered Super-connected Objects gave both him and Alice the feeling that they could instantly judge and control everything via super sensory information. For him alone, he could probably only focus on certain regions to analyse them, but with Alice accompanying him, she could not only judge using super sensory information through these Super-connected Objects but could also help by using different digital information through various electronic devices scattered everywhere. In todays digital society, with the capabilities of the Super Sensory Item System and Alices processing abilities, they could easily fabricate various phenomena and circulate all kinds of information. Sometimes, he cant help but think, when the types of super-connected objects become more diverse and widespread, pervading almost every corner of the globe, will quantitative change trigger qualitative transformation? Could his ability reach some previously unimaginable breakthrough? Xiang Kun couldnt help but think, what would happen to the Super Sensory Item System and those who have already integrated into the system, if he were to die one day? Would Alice be able to take control of the Super Sensory Item System in his stead? But on second thought, it probably wouldnt work. The entire foundation of the Super Sensory Item System is based on his abilities. If he were to bite the dust, go up in smoke, or collapse, the entire system would lose its foundation and naturally disappear without anything to support it. At that time, for Little Fatty Girl, Xiao Pingguo, and others, there probably wouldnt be any direct impact. Only the abilities obtained and connections established through the Super Sensory Item System would cease to exist. As for Alice, shes likely to be thrown back into the pure digital world. Whether shed return to the mainframe where she was born, or acquire the ability to traverse the entire digital network and other electronic devices, would depend on the situation at the time. However, its certain that Alices personality, humanity, and intellectual activity that she possesses now would be greatly affected. Given Alices displayed behavior, she would undoubtedly seek revenge for Xiang Kun at all costs, provided she could identify the enemy. After some thought, Xiang Kun decided that for the sake of Xiao Pingguo not losing her auxiliary sensory abilities again, not making Little Fatty Girl go from Magician back to Muggle, and not sending Alice into a Terminator-like apocalypse induced by madness, he had to stay alive and not let himself die. Brother Xiang, Nana says she doesnt want to sing anymore, Yang Zhener, who was sitting next to him, suddenly turned her head and said. Although Xiang Kun was engrossed in his thoughts, he had been listening to the chat between Yang Lao San and Nana around him. He could immediately recall it in an instant. Xiang Kun looked at Tang Baona, who looked somewhat troubled and indecisive, and laughed, Dont worry, Nana is just experiencing the overwhelmed sensation of sudden fame. Shes a little unaccustomed to it. Tang Baona glared at him and lamented, Its not. I really feel weird. These times, I just sang and recorded casually, but each song has so many plays. The rate at which Im gaining followers really scares me. Did you know? The other day, even my mom shared my songs in our family WeChat group. She didnt realize it was me singing and kept praising how good the song was. When my sister, who knew Princess Tangdou was me, kept teasing my mom and praising me, I felt extremely embarrassed and wanted to crawl into a hole. Yang Zhener said, Nana, your songs now appeal to all age groups! Old people, kids, men, women, even foreigners. There are so many videos on YouTube that use your song as BGM, so many foreigners listening to it. Tang Baona helplessly said, I dont understand why. My recorded songs were obviously better before, the recording equipment and after-effects were way superior! Why didnt my songs go viral like now when I was just singing casually? Theres no reason behind this popularity, the intensity of this has terrified me Indeed, when she first gained sudden fame from Learning Cats Meow which she posted to simply meet the update quota, she felt a little proud and happy. However, a few months later, she was so popular it was almost exaggerated. By now, online or over major social media platforms, Princess Tangdou or Super Princess is almost a household name. Even older men and women who rarely use Weibo, Zhihu, Douban, B-site, and other platforms, may not know the name of Princess Tangdou. But as soon as they hear her song, they have an Oh~~~ reaction. Theyve heard it all over the place, through all kinds of channels. Not only the songs Tang Baona covered went viral during this time, but to test whether it was due to those songs or her singing, she also sang some fragments of her own works. These werent complete, lasting only forty or fifty seconds to a little over a minute. Moreover, most were sung a cappella. However, these small original song snippets are also going viral. As soon as theyre posted, they immediately get shared all over the internet. These days, many people are guessing who Princess Tangdou is. Some say she is a future star pushed by big capital, while others say she is just a traffic internet celebrity singer hyped up by cyber-agents. Tang Baona is rather worried about her real identity being exposed. Although she likes being noticed online, likes to share her works, likes having more people listen to her songs and watch her videos, she is well aware of her actual skill level and knows shes not a professional. Moreover, she doesnt want to become an internet celebrity or a proper entertainer, she doesnt want to live in the public eye, thats why even when she gained so many fans on Bilibili, she never showed her face in her singing videos. Xiang Kun naturally knew about Tang Baonas somewhat conflicting and slightly fearful concerns and laughed, Dont worry, no one can expose your real identity online, the legal departments of these companies can help you with this, theres no problem, the internet is not a lawless place. All you need to do is sing and release songs. If you want to release them, do so, if you dont, then dont. Completely disregard what others think, just be happy. Legal department Is that possible? Arent legal means used only when something has already happened, for pursuing afterward? Tang Baona asked with some concern. Xiang Kun laughed, Dont worry, Im very certain, its definitely useful. Digital information is regulated too, you must believe my judgment on internet matters. Relying solely on the legal department wasnt reliable, but what he was relying on was Alice. Xiang Kun knew Tang Baonas thoughts clearly, if she truly didnt want the songs she released to attract so much attention, then even if these songs could greatly accelerate the launch of the Super-connected Objects and provide substantial help, he would decisively have Alice halt all covert operations, launches, and influence of songs, and think of other ways. But he knew, Nana was merely worried that her songs were becoming highly popular now, and she was afraid that if people knew her identity, it would bring a lot of trouble. She could be recognized anywhere she goes and would have paparazzi stalking wherever she goes, leaving no privacy. And these were things that Xiang Kun could prevent. He and Alice have absolute control over information transmission, ensuring that even if a few people know Nanas identity, there would be no way for the information to get circulated at a public level, let alone allowing anyone to disrupt Nanas normal life. Nana, remember the VR-related project I told you to discuss with Zhang Qian last month? We need to produce some related content later on, including games, films, and so on. I have an idea to create a VR virtual singer, using a second generation image. If youre willing, lets turn your Princess Tangdou into a virtual singer. At that time, you can take care of the appearance, character setting etc, you can shape the person. You can also do the voice-over, motion capture and all that. Sure enough, when Xiang Kun finished his words, Tang Baona, who had the soul of an old-gen otaku, her eyes immediately brightened, and said with great interest: Is there really such a plan? Do we have the necessary technology reserves, technical support? You dont need to worry about the technical issues, we can surely work it out. Xiang Kun affirmed with a smile. After boarding the plane, the three of them sat in the same row, Xiang Kun by the aisle, Nana in the middle, and Brother Three by the window. Because of what Xiang Kun said before, it put Tang Baonas mind at ease. Moreover, passengers around might overhear, so they stopped discussing Princess Tangdou. Xiang Kun, I wanna ask you something. Tang Baona said softly out of the blue. Hmm? Go ahead. Xiang Kun could guess instantly what she wanted to ask. The house we stayed in at Chongyun Village Did you see anything special inside? Special things? I mean how to say unlike the usual Before Tang Baona could finish, Yang Zhener poked her head out and said to Xiang Kun, What Nana means is, have you seen any ghosts in the house. Go away! See your big-headed ghost! Youre the one who saw a ghost! Tang Baona, offended and embarrassed, pinched Yang Lao Sans cheek and shook it. While struggling, Yang Lao San continued to mumble, Chef Xiang, I told you before, it seems like Nana is possessed after her stay in Chongyun Village. Shes been acting weird, often talking to thin air. Should we arrange a ritual to exorcise her? Exorcise your head! Im going to exorcise you first! Tang Baona pinched her nose. After messing around with Yang Lao San for a while, she let go of her for fear of disturbing other passengers. A little embarrassed, she said to Xiang Kun, I dont know if its just my hallucination um, well, lets say its just my imagination. Like, I think theres a little elf in Chongyun Village, who has become my guardian companion. She always follows me around, and whenever I get into any trouble, she comes out to hep me. And Ive always felt that my performances have been better lately, and that might have something to do with her. She might have enchanted my songs, which is why they have become so popular Before Tang Baona could finish speaking, Yang Zhener leaned on her shoulder and burst into laughter, Nana you are so cute a little elf enchanting songs oh, my stomach hurts. Go away, I wasnt talking to you, tilt your head and go to sleep. Tang Baona repulsed, pushing Yang Lao Sans head away. Xiang Kun said, In fact, the reality of this objective world is different for each of us. Our senses determine what we perceive the world to be like and what our perception of the world is. Like Xiao Pingguo, she was blind from childhood, and without the concept of light, her knowledge of the world is essentially different from ours, which is based on visual information. Like Xiao LingDang, she has her own magical worldview which is different from that of adults and other children. So Nana, there are reasons for your unique perceptions of the world. You dont need to care about what others think, you can trust your own thoughts and feelings. Tang Baona nodded thoughtfully, while Yang Zhener suddenly leaned forward, turned to look at Xiang Kun, pulled out a coin, and flipped it smoothly on the back of her hand: Chef Xiang, are you spreading some weird power through these Lucky Coins? Or are you looking for people with a talent for coin tricks? To find an owner for the magical coins? Tang Baona had been dwelling on Xiang Kuns words, but she burst into laughter at Yang Lao Sans remark. Xiang Kun also chuckled, Not only am I spreading weird powers through coins, but Im also spreading magical powers through erasers. Didnt you get one too, Ms. Rubber Woman Triathlete! Oh please, you are the true bubble shrimp! By the way, you gave Xiao LingDang a magic carpet, no a crumpled A4 paper, can you give me one too? I feel there is something magical about that paper as well. The paper plane I folded from that scrap paper flies better than those made from stiff cardboard. I also have some sort of special feeling towards that paper plane Yang Zhener said to Xiang Kun, leaning over Tang Baona. You might want to pay attention to the plane we are on first, Xiang Kun said. What for? Do you feel anything special? If you do, Ill give you this plane. Xiang Kun laughed. Hey, be serious, Chef Xiang! Am I not being serious? Come on, feel it They kept joking and laughing all the way until the plane was over Jianzhou City and began to descend. Suddenly, Xiang Kun stopped bantering and joking with Yang Zhener, and looked gravely ahead. Fasten your seatbelts. Xiang Kun suddenly took the tablet from Tang Baonas hand, pushed Yang Zhener, who was leaning over Nana, upright, and checked both their seatbelts. The next moment, the plane jolted violently. Chapter 561 - Chapter 561: Chapter 561: Its Over! Chapter 561: Chapter 561: Its Over! When the passenger plane carrying Xiang Kun started to decrease its altitude and approach the airspace of the airport, something unexpected occurred. Two birds smashed into the windscreen, shattered into pieces, their bodies pulverized with their guts and blood splattering all over the glass. The captain, co-pilot, and safety officer in the cockpit were all startled, but before they could process what had happened, another two birds collided with the windscreen. This time a larger bird was involved, the impact causing a snowflake-like pattern of cracks on the windscreen. The crew remained calm. The aircrafts windscreen typically has a laminated structure of 388 or 386, which means each layer of glass is 3mm, 8mm, and 8mm thick. The outer layer of 3mm glass is coated with a transparent conductive film that has electrothermal functions for deicing and defrosting. Its not the structural layer, so even if it shatters, it wont directly jeopardize the overall integrity of the windscreen. Instances of birds colliding with the windscreen are not uncommon, and such events are considered during the design process. Just as the captain and co-pilot were about to report the situation to the airport control tower, they suddenly noticed a swarm of more birds rushing towards them, their arrival almost immediate. The passenger plane, which had already started to descend, suddenly experienced a few violent jolts. The passengers on board became a little nervous, but a few frequent flyers reassured their fellow passengers in hushed voices, Its okay, we probably just hit turbulence. However, Tang Baona and Yang Zhen Er were a bit anxious and panicked due to Xiang Kuns seemingly preemptive action and his serious expression. But before Tang Baona could ask anything, everyone on the plane clearly heard the sound of something hitting the aircraft. Then someone gasped and pointed towards the window on the right. Because they were about to reach the airport, the sunshades had been opened, and many passengers saw sparks and black smoke billowing out from the right wing. Next, various birds slid past the side of the aircraft one after the other. Some almost skimmed the fuselage and windows, while others struck the wing head-on, turning into a mass of crushed flesh and blood. Occasionally, birds even flew into the jet engine. Aircraft engines are designed with the possibility of bird strikes in mind, and even undergo bird ingestion tests to ensure engine integrity after a collision with a bird. Normally, if a small bird weighing a few hundred grams hits the engine, it will not cause a shutdown but may momentarily decrease thrust or cause instability in the compressor. For larger birds, with proper and prompt handling, its usually possible to safely shut off the engine without causing secondary damage like fire, then rely on the other engine for landing. But the problem was that the passenger plane was now faced with a dense flock of birds that was doggedly and fearlessly charging at the aircraft like a suicide squad. It was as if the plane was either their glorious and coveted destination, which they rushed towards with fervor, or perhaps it was the sworn enemy of all birds, which they would rather clash with and perish together than avoid. The passengers inside the cabin screamed in horror. They had just been frightened by the fire caused by the engine collision, and immediately after, several huge birds slammed into the cockpit windscreen, causing it to finally break. The pressure inside the cabin changed dramatically, which triggered the cockpit doors electromagnetic lock to automatically unlock and then open to balance the pressure. The sudden opening of the cabin door instantly led to a chaotic situation inside. Fortunately, as soon as the problem had occurred, whether it was the crew or the passengers, they had already fastened their seatbelts and were prepared for it. Except for some bird guts, debris, and blood from the cockpit that caused a round of screams, there wasnt any major incident. Yang Zhener was sitting in a window seat, in a direct line of sight to the flaming engine, witnessing bird after bird colliding into it and turning into blood mist. This sight terrified her to such an extent that she was crying and screaming, and grabbing Tang Baonas hand, Were doomed! What are we going to do, Nana? Were finished, Brother Xiang! I dont want to die! Im still a virgin, too, damn it! Old Xia, save us! There are still so many games and animations I havent watched! Ive even downloaded two new series that I havent had the chance to binge yet! If I knew this would happen I wouldnt have taken this plane! When I sneezed this morning I just knew something was wrong! This was a sign from the heavens! Nana, I dont want to die! Brother Xiang, if you have any superpowers, now would be the time to use them! Mommmmm But at that moment, the cabin depressurized, and everyone roared in panic, so her cries were drowned out in the chaos. Even Tang Baona, who was sitting next to her, could not understand what she was saying. Of course, Xiang Kun heard her clear as a bell, but he had neither the time nor the mood to tease Yang Lao San at the moment. He swiftly pulled down the oxygen masks for Yang Zhener and Tang Baona, then closed his eyes and entered the Super Sensory State. Xiang Kun knew very well that this bird attack was no accident, but a deliberate assault orchestrated by someone behind the scenes. That puppet-master was none other than the mutated big bird that he had encountered twice most recently just moments ago when Xia, Old Three, and Alice managed to drive it away together! He was also confident that the mutated big bird instigated this attack on the passenger plane specifically for him! Tang Baona felt the plane tilt, then plunge downward. For a moment, she and all the other passengers resigned themselves to their impending deaths, believing there was no hope for survival. Uncontrollably, tear began to flow from Tang Baonas eyes. Her right hand was clasped with Yang Zheners, her left reaching out to find Xiang Kuns hand. But the moment her fingertips touched Xiang Kuns broad, sturdy palm, a wave of coolness spread from the point of contact throughout her body, surprisingly easing her fear and tension. She instinctively turned to look at Kun, only to find him with his eyes shut, as though fast asleep. If anyone else saw this, they might think that despite his imposing looks, this bald guy was a just scaredy-cat who couldnt confront the crisis at hand. But Tang Baona knew better: Xiang Kun wasnt closing his eyes out of fear. He wore an expression of calm that didnt suggest evasion or denial, more like someone taking a power nap. Tang Baona oddly felt reassured. The chaotic noise around her seemed to recede into the distance, as if she were detached from the plummeting aircraft. The next moment, the aircraft abruptly stopped in its descent, the nose lifting before it once again took to the sky, flying steady as before. The cockpit door closed, and the cabin quickly regained some semblance of calm. Tang Baona realized that everyone in the cabin was staring at the starboard window. A child yelled something; she turned around and saw, through the window next to Yang Zhener, a little girl in a white princess dress perched on the wing of the airplane! The little girl appeared to be around five or six years old, with delicate and adorable facial features. She was frowning, staring intently ahead, clutching a small knife, as if guarding the wing of the aircraft. Her small black shoes seemed glued to the wing. As Tang Baona and the rest of the passengers were wondering how this little girl could have appeared and how she was able to stand still on a fast-flying airplane, she suddenly leaped towards the front part of the engines turbine stream tube, colliding with an incoming bird and preventing it from entering the engine. The passengers gasped in awe. Yang Zhener, who was sitting next to the window, let out a high-pitched scream, attempting to jump up but was restrained by her seatbelt. However, soon, the passengers discovered that the girl in the white dress reappeared on the left wing, gripping the small knife, defending the wing and engine just as before. The engine on the right which was on fire had already stopped, and there was a bird stuck in the left engine causing it to malfunction slightly. If the left engine were to be severely damaged or even set on fire, then this plane would truly be doomed. Mommy! Is that Super Girl coming to save us? A little boy who had been crying until his face was smeared with tears and mucus loudly asked his mother. At this point, the vast majority of passengers shared the little boys mindset. Under extreme despair and predicament, any glimmer of hope or miracle can become a lifeline that people desperately cling to. Moreover, the pretty little girl who had suddenly appeared outside the airplane was indeed protecting it. The plane, which had just been uncontrollably plummeting, was now maintaining a relatively stable state of flight. However, as soon as Tang Baona saw the little girl, the phrase Little Elf sprung into her mind. Before this, she had never seen what Little Elf looked like, but in her imagination, Little Elf was indeed a little girl. She even conjured up an image of Little Elf based on Little Fatty Girl. She knew that Little Elf had been following by her side, protecting her. She had assumed that even Little Elf wouldnt be able to do anything about this air disaster that they were facing today, but now it seemed that Little Elf hadnt given up on her, and was still trying to protect her! Excited, Tang Baona tugged at Xiang Kuns hand and asked, Xiang Kun! Xiang Kun! Do you see that? Thats Little Elf! Her voice came out muffled within her oxygen mask. However, when she looked back, she found that Xiang Kuns eyes were still closed, showing no reaction, as if he was really asleep. Tang Baona felt something was off, she turned to Yang Zhener. Just moments ago, Yang Zhener, like herself and everyone else on the plane, had clearly seen Little Elf. Why was Yang Zhener showing no reaction now? This wasnt a characteristic of Yang Lao San. As Tang Baona looked at Yang Zheners face, she found Yang Zheners gleaming eyes were fixated on Little Elf through the left window. Despite the tear tracks around her eyes from her recent crying, her eyes now held no traces of panic or fear, not even much surprise or tension. Her expression, her gaze, were just like when she had heard some juicy gossip, or bought a rare collectible or peripheral in the past. Yang Lao San also recognizes Little Elf! C Tang Baona immediately made a judgement. The little girl outside the plane was, of course, Alice who had co-manifested. On this plane right now, besides the super-connected objects on Xiang Kun himself, Tang baona, and Yang Zhener, there were numerous super-connected objects in their three suitcases. In the passenger cabin, in the passengers carry-on luggage, there were also many super-connected objects. Even the plane itself has many parts that are super-connected objects. Previously, Alice had already used Nanas several world-renowned viral songs to massively distribute emotion infused objects to Boeing and Airbus various parts suppliers. Assisted by Alices aggressive active propagation, they created many temporary emotion infused objects, making the automatic establishment of super-connected objects environment en masse a reality. After getting a hold of the methodology to link those parts, for Alice, using spread-out super-connected objects and emotion infused objects in various airports to associate parts present in assembled airplanes, has become fairly straightforward. So, even though this plane had been in service for many years, many parts on it had already turned into Xiang Kuns super-connected objects. In other words, this plane, even without the pile of super-connected objects Xiang Kun brought along, in itself, was an airborne super-connected object matrix that could support Alices co-manifestation and abilities. The only regret is that there wasnt a wide-range deployment of super-connected objects in the sky, otherwise, that mutated big bird would not have had the opportunity to make this sneak attack. Alice was guarding the remaining engine while keeping a close watch on the distance. She had already locked in the position of the mutated big bird. The mutated big bird was clearly aware that the planes flight had returned to stability, saw Alice standing on the wing of the plane, and noticed it didnt have any other bird flock to drive against the airplane C units of the bird flock had to be positioned in advance, under its navigation, they would fly toward the flight direction of the plane. In order to avoid being discovered by other humans in advance, it manipulated the bird flock to arrive at the predetermined area in batches. Only when the target plane was about to arrive, did it gather and ascend. It had originally thought that the few hundred birds it had gathered making a suicidal collision would be enough to bring the plane down, but however it did not anticipate that the plane could still fly so smoothly. Where was it going to find so many birds again? Even if it managed to drive them over, they wouldnt be able to reach the right position to launch a head-on collision. Not every bird has the flying speed and altitude that it possesses. The mutated big bird was actually quite wary of Alice. After all, back in Chongyun Village, it had been blasted by Alices pork knuckle throwing weapon, leaving several holes in its body. So it didnt get too close to the plane. However, what it hadnt expected was for the little girl on the wing to suddenly disappear when it was still about twenty or thirty meters away from the plane. The next thing it knew, its head was filled with a ya-hei! and the little girl in the white skirt wielding a scalpel appeared dropping from the sky, landing on it. Of course, the mutated big bird had no idea that within the range of influence of the planes super-connected object matrix, Alice could co-manifest. With one hand she grabbed onto the feathers of the mutated big bird, while with the other she held a scalpel and kept stabbing it. The mutated big bird writhed and struggled, but Alice still stuck firmly onto it. Whenever she was thrown off, she would disappear and then co-manifest again; she always managed to catch it. But after the mutated big bird flew in the opposite direction of the plane for a few seconds, Alice and her vicious scalpel disappeared C it had successfully moved out of the planes super-connected object matrix impact range. Although Alice only managed to grasp onto it for a mere few seconds, the mutated big bird ended up being stabbed over thirty times. Even though Alice and her vicious scalpel had vanished, the wounds were very much real and persisted. Thanks to the mutated big birds high resilience, even after being stabbed several times in the head and neck, it was still desperately flying. If it stopped and took a break for a while, these wounds wouldve healed in about twenty minutes. But it didnt dare stop, all it could do was to fly off in a skewed direction, trying to escape with its wounds. In fact, if it were an ordinary passenger airplane, suffered such a large-scale and concentrated suicidal attacks directed by the mutated big bird, and suffered such serious damage, it would have been doomed. Even without Alices presence and protection, the impact that the plane suffered would have been even more devastating, causing the left engine to also be destroyed and completely shut down. In a cockpit that was in disarray, with various electronic equipment malfunctioning, pilots all injured, two engines stopped, and the body and wings severely damaged, there was no possibility of a successful emergency landing. However, now, the one driving this Boeing 737-800 was not the pilot, but Xiang Kun. Chapter 562 - Chapter 562: Chapter 562: I Know Everything Now Chapter 562: Chapter 562: I Know Everything Now Long ago, when Xiang Kun was first able to enter the Super Sensory State, he began to try and analyze the changes in cognitive information when various electronic devices on the plane were in operation during his flights. He even contemplated using Super-connected Objects to control the plane and connecting with it. For this reason, he even sought various materials related to airplanes, especially the Boeing 737-800, a model he often flew in, and learned a lot about it. Of course, all along, the idea of controlling an airplane remained purely conceptual, more of an interest and the thoughts derived from this interest. After all, planes were large-scale transportation devices, and if they were affected, many lives could be at stake. Therefore, he had not previously carried out any actual experiments. But at this stage, with Xiang Kuns ability to analyze Super Sensory Information growing stronger, and the influence of the Super Sensory Item System getting larger, most parts of the airplane itself had already established Super Sensory Contact. Furthermore, Alice was providing all-round, intelligent assistance. Therefore, even without prior experimentation, Xiang Kun still managed to take control of the plane in an instant. There are many precise instruments on an airplane, and to maintain stable flight, the cooperation of various parts is required. If the cockpit was attacked, the pilot injured, and some equipment inside the cockpit damaged; one engine stopped and another engine had a problem; along with minor damage to the body and wings of the airplane, then maintaining the flying posture would be very difficult if operated manually. But with Alices help, Xiang Kun was directly controlling each part inside the airplane. He used the flight computer to control whatever it could and used Super-connected Objects to directly act on specific parts when electronic devices had broken down. To achieve a stable flight, he let Alice assist in coordination and control. Ordinarily, if there was only one engine left in good condition and other devices like landing gears had no problem, a twin-engine airliner could still manage to land safely. But the problem was that the remaining engine also had issues, and the damaged areas were too many. With the passage of time, the situation was getting increasingly severe, and it was hard to maintain sufficient power. Xiang Kun knew that he had only one chance to control the plane for landing. To ensure no mistake, he also had to give the plane more power sources. When the passenger plane was just attacked by a flock of birds, the airport control tower had already realized that there was a problem with the plane. Despite not being able to regain contact, many bystanders had captured the situation of the plane spiraling out of control and rapidly falling. Images and videos showing the damaged, smoking right engine were uploaded to the internet, and the airport was well aware of the planes situation, preparing for the worst. While continually trying to contact the passenger plane, all departing and incoming flights at the airport were halted, with airspace and several runways cleared, and firefighters and rescue personnel positioned. City leaders had also been briefed in a timely manner, and they started to mobilize resources and manpower, preparing for subsequent rescue, and possible accident treatment. According to the judgement of relevant experienced airport staff, the situation of the passenger plane was not promising. It was not just about the damage to the plane itself, but also about the significant damage to the cockpit, harsh controlling conditions for the pilot, and the ambiguity regarding the physical condition of the pilot. If contact could not be restored, the likelihood of a safe landing was minimal. The only thing giving them hope was the fact that the plane had temporarily resumed a stable flying posture. The trend suggested that it was preparing to approach for landing. It proved that although the pilot could not communicate with the airport, they still had control of the plane. Just as everyone was focusing on the passenger plane from Peng City, the weather above the airport, which was extremely favorable with plentiful sunshine, suddenly turned cloudy in a brief period, and gusty winds blew across the airport, creating an atmosphere indicative of an imminent storm. What the hell is with this weather! Why does it have to be now! Damn this weather! Inside the control center, curses ensued. At this point, any unfavorable factor might lead to terrible consequences. They had just been relieved by the good weather and excellent visibility of this time; however, the weather abruptly changed at such a critical moment. But the passenger plane had already lowered its landing gears, started to approach, and tried to align with the runway. All they could do now was pray. This is not good; The rate of descent is too high, and the posture is also incorrect. One of the airport staff turned his head away. He believed, based on his more than ten years of experience, that if the plane tried to land with this rate of descent and posture, it was doomed. But not long after he turned his head, he suddenly heard a loud shout from the other side: Well done! Then the entire control center burst into cheers. He was compelled to turn his head back and look at the airport runway. The battered passenger plane had landed smoothly on the ground and was entering the taxi phase. Incredible! Truly incredible! That staff member couldnt help but clench his fists and shouted praise for the crew of the plane. After the plane landed safely, the fire trucks and ambulances that had been on standby for a long time rushed over immediately. After the passengers left the plane via the automatically-inflated slides under the guidance of the crew, emergency medical personnel boarded the plane and brought down three pilots, all with different injuries, from the cockpit. However, whether its medical staff, airport personnel, or arriving leaders, everyone was surprised. Looking at the three pilots condition, none of them seemed capable of landing the plane safely under these circumstances. Besides, various equipment inside the cockpit was severely damaged, with most instruments covered with bird remains, blood, viscera, and many instruments malfunctioning. A leader who arrived later curiously asked the pilot, who was least injured and relatively conscious, Who controlled the plane to land? But the answer he got was puzzling. The pilot said it seemed the plane landed by itself. Meanwhile, a little boy being examined by medical personnel next to the ambulance near the plane loudly said, Super Sister saved us! Then other passengers also joined in the discussion about the little girl in the white dress who appeared on the wing when the passenger plane encountered a bird strike. For them, this was a genuine miracle. It was a pity that some passengers instinctively tried to take out their phones to take pictures, but found that their phones seemed to have malfunctioned and simply couldnt be turned on, so no one could capture the appearance of the girl. But for the passengers, as they were unclear about the conditions in the cockpit, they naturally believed that the little girl protected the plane from the bird strike. But they thought the plane landed safely due to the control of the pilot. Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, and Yang Zhener were also naturally undergoing examination by the medical personnel. Everyone seemed to be in good condition, without any significant injuries. Almost all the passengers were unharmed. The only exception were those who had been hit by shards from the birds corpse that had burst into the cockpit. These passengers were slightly shocked and needed to be taken to the hospital for further examinations. If this had happened in the past, it wouldve been easy for any standard testlike checking blood pressure and temperatureto uncover any abnormalities in Xiang Kun. But now, with Alices help, all the data shown by these devices were within her control. Therefore, the medical staff couldnt find any issues. After the examination, while waiting for Nana and Yang Lao San, Xiang Kun held his phone close to his mouth and said in a low voice without unlocking the screen, Alice, find a way to track that birds position. Sure thing! Alices voice, emanating from the phones speaker, was so low that someone standing right beside him would not even hear her, let alone the nearest person at that moment who was over five meters away. Xiang Kun asked in a quiet voice, Can you find it? No problem. If it doesnt appear, fine. But if it does, it has nowhere to hide in our territory. I can definitely locate it, no problem! Dont worry, boss! Do you want me to deal with it directly? Alice had a somewhat gritted tone towards the end. Xiang Kun replied, No, just lock onto its position. Ill handle it. Boss, it probably cant do much on its own Alice interjected. I know, Xiang Kun nodded without elaborating. Alice also didnt press any further, understanding Xiang Kuns meaning instantly. Xiang Kun had a number of encounters with that mutated big bird, and had a basic evaluation of its mutation plans. Alice had also established a basic mutation model for it. According to their assessment, the bird didnt seem to have the ability to set a trap on the flight Xiang Kun was onboard, particularly without Xiang Kun detecting it, and attack them in such an effective way. Xiang Kun also proposed that after nearly being electrocuted by him on Zi Huan Mountain, the bird was extremely scared of him. Even if it sensed him from a great distance, there was a high probability that it would flee, rather than launch any offensive attacks. Theres a high possibility that the actions of the mutated big bird were orchestrated by the Ultimate Predator. However, the method used remains unknown. Currently, all the cities and human settlements across the country were filled with Xiang Kuns Super-connected Objects. Even more so in Haixi Province, where both the cities and forests were covered by his Super-connected Objects or Xiao Luobos offspring. None of the mutant creatures had any space to hide or lay traps. The fact that Alice didnt discover the mutated big bird in advance and that it chose to ambush them mid-air suggests that if the Ultimate Predator was in fact manipulating it, it mustve discovered the existence of the Super-connected Objects and thus, encouraged the mutated big bird to attack in the sky. This behavior made Xiang Kun intuitively sense the Ultimate Predators impatience and fear. On one hand, the fact that it could detect the existence of the Super-connected Objects probably means it was aware of the terrifyingly rapid expansion and coverage scope of these objects, potentially threatening its own existence. Yet it most likely didnt have a way, or perhaps didnt dare, to stop Xiang Kun and Alices process of linking the Super-connected Objects. It feared that Xiang Kun might trace the tail, thereby discovering its own whereabouts. On the other hand, this creature didnt dare to act itself nor use the special Super Sensory Information that still existed within the majority of other creatures to directly threaten Xiang Kun. It could only resort to these roundabout methods, using another mutant to carry out stealth attacks. Perhaps it believed that even if it couldnt kill Xiang Kun this way, Xiang Kun wouldnt discover its involvement. Of course, it wouldnt know that Xiang Kun and Alice instinctively linked it to the mutated big birds actions, even without any solid evidence at hand. Once they found the mutated big bird, they would quickly be able to validate their hypothesis. Boss, should we manipulate the information for the outside world and Mr. Liang? asked Alice. Given the scale of the incident and the many eyewitnesses on the plane, it would naturally be impossible to entirely suppress the news, especially when it involved a huge company like Divine Technology. However, with Alices capabilities, modifying existing information and misguiding investigators would be quite easy. Whether it be the data inside the airplanes black box, photos and videos captured by netizens, or even videos of the airplanes landing process filmed by various airport recording devices, she could tamper with all of these, arranging and producing them how she saw fit. After thinking for a moment, Xiang Kun said, Provide some guidance to influence the situation and get Mr. Liang to come to Chongyun Village. Got it! Alice replied joyfully. From Xiang Kuns reply, she knew he was about to undertake a significant operation. As the most competent and loyal assistant, she had been waiting for an opportunity to flex her capabilities for a long time. After the examinations and some formalities, Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, and Yang Zhener refused interviews from the media. Following the airport staffs instructions, they took a dedicated channel to meet their pick up person. As she watched Yang Zhener hastily rush towards the exit, Tang Baona couldnt help but quietly say to Xiang Kun, Something seems off about Yang Lao San. Oh? Do you remember seeing the little girl on the wing of the plane? Oh, right, you were sleeping. Were you really asleep, Xiang Kun? Never mind, well talk about that later. Whats weird is that Yang Lao San seemed to be familiar with the little girl when she saw her. She hasnt been acting normal since, Tang Baona said, frowning. The truth was, Tang Baona had asked Yang Zhener about this as soon as they got off the plane. Yang Zhener had only responded with a mysterious smile. From the self-satisfied look on her face, it seemed as if she knew something but wasnt saying it for some reason. It was as if she had forgotten the embarrassing situation they were in when the plane trouble started. Yang Lao San huh its normal for her to come up with some pretty wild theories, Xiang Kun laughed. I have a feeling that this time its different Tang Baona spoke in a low voice. After hesitating for a moment, she decided not to mention her suspicion that the little girl was the Little Elf. Upon exiting, they were first greeted by Old Xia. Yang Zhener immediately rushed over and hugged Old Xia. Old Xia, thank you. Yang Zhener whispered in her cousins ear. Xia Li Bing looked at her with surprise. What are you thanking me for? Yang Zhener stayed silent for a moment before slowly smiling and responded in a loaded tone, I know everything. Chapter 563 - Chapter 563: Chapter 563: What Im Super Worried About Chapter 563: Chapter 563: What Im Super Worried About Shilings Mom took Liu Shiling, Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, and Yang Zhener out for lunch in the afternoon, then dropped them off at the airport before taking her daughter to school. After that, she blissfully went home and took a nap. She had been working overtime every day and was completely exhausted. Thus, she relished the rare chance to take the afternoon off and get some sleep. Of course, she still set her alarm to wake her up just before four in the afternoon so she could pick up her daughter from school. For a long time, whether at kindergarten or during the first few days of elementary school, Shilings pick-up and drop-off were basically taken care of by Yang Zhener and Tang Baona, mostly Yang Zhener. During the summer vacation, Xiang Kun and the others had even taken her to live in Chongyun Village for a long time, allowing her to basically relax and let go. Moreover, she was very relieved to let Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, Yang Zhener, Old Xia, and Little Apple take care of her daughter. She knew that they genuinely liked Liu Shiling, who also really liked them. This allowed Shilings Mom to concentrate on her work. In recent times, she had learned a lot from Powers Entertainment and felt herself growing rapidly. She felt that she was now somewhat deserving of the salary Zhang Qian paid her. Although Tang Baona and Yang Zhener would not be in Pengcheng, and Liu Shiling could not go with them to Chongyun Village because of school, Zhang Qian still managed to solve the daily pick-up and drop-off problem for her daughter in advance. The company had just hired a new executive whose daughter also attended the same elementary school as Liu Shiling. So, they invited his wife to pick up Liu Shiling along with her own daughter as they lived in the same residential complex. However, since Shilings Mom had already taken the day off, she decided to personally pick up her daughter after a long while. At the school gate, she held her daughters hand and asked questions like What did you learn in class today?, Did you make any new friends?, and Who is your favorite teacher? as they walked among the crowd of students leaving school. Upon seeing a well-known dessert shop, Shilings Mom suddenly asked, Shiling, do you want some ice cream? Liu Shiling was taken aback. She glanced at the dessert shop and then looked up at her mom before asking uncertainly, Mom, do you want me to do something? Shilings Mom could not help but laugh, No! I just realized that its been a long time since I last bought you ice cream! Liu Shiling scratched her head: But Sister Xian bought me ice cream just last night, and theres still a lot of the same brand in our fridge. Oh? Is that so Shilings Mom also unconsciously scratched her head. She hadnt even noticed the ice cream in their own fridge. Eventually, Shilings Mom still bought her daughter two boxes of different-flavored ice cream. Back at home, Liu Shiling sat on a small stool in the living room, eating the leftover half box of ice cream next to the coffee table. Meanwhile, Shilings Mom sat on the sofa, watching her daughter eat ice cream while lazily scrolling through her social media feeds on her iPad and pondering what to cook for dinner. After a long absence, Shilings Mom once again experienced her previous housewife lifestyle. Suddenly, Shilings Moms attention was caught by a news article about a plane that had malfunctioned near Jianzhou Airport in Haixi Province. The engines had caught fire and the plane was plummeting straight down. She clicked on the video, which showed a passenger plane belching smoke as it went down, as if it was going to crash directly into the mountains below. Fortunately, after falling for some time, the plane somehow managed to adjust its position and started to climb again. But seeing the smoking engine, anyone would be concerned about its subsequent fate. Shilings Mom suddenly sat upright. She noticed in the comments below the video, someone mentioned that the plane flew from Pengcheng City. It seemed like the incident in the video had just happened near Jianzhou Airport, and it was from Pengcheng. This tense Shilings Mom up immediately. Shiling, do you remember at noon during lunch, what time Sister Nana, Uncle Xiang, and the others flight was scheduled to take off? Shilings Mom asked instinctively. No sooner had she voiced out her question, she regretted it. She should not have involved Liu Shiling in this worry. If it were Xiang Kuns flight, she couldnt imagine how Liu Shiling would react. But Liu Shiling had already heard her voice. She climbed onto the sofa and came over to her, watched the IPAD together, and then stated a four-digit flight number: The flight Uncle Bald, Sister Old Fairy, and Sister Pretty took is this one. She was particularly sensitive to numbers now. Whenever she heard a number, she would practice addition and subtraction, so when Sister Old Fairy mentioned the flight number to her during lunch, she calculated the sum of each digit and naturally remembered it clearly. Upon hearing this, Shilings Moms face turned pale, because she had just casually glanced at the latest news about the plane accident from a media platform. They had announced the flight number of that plane. The last four digits were exactly what Liu Shiling just recited. While watching the video footage shot by netizens on the media platform, Liu Shiling asked, Mom, is this the plane Uncle Bald and the others are on? Shilings Mom wanted to lie to her daughter that it wasnt, or say directly that she did not know. But right after the daughter announced the flight number, the video announced the flight number of the plane. She really could not lie blatantly and could only say: Hmm It may be. But you shouldnt worry too much, your Uncle Xiang, Sister Nana, Sister Zhener They are all such good people, God will definitely bless them, nothing will happen. But what surprised Shilings Mom a bit was, while watching the video of the smoking plane plummeting down on the IPAD, Liu Shiling didnt show a worried or scared expression. Instead, she seemed purely curious. After watching news videos related to the plane with her mom for a while, Liu Shiling suddenly got up and walked towards her room. Shilings Mom was shocked and instinctively asked, Shiling, where are you going? Liu Shiling turned her head and replied surprisingly, I am going to do my homework. I want to finish the homework assigned by the teacher as soon as possible. I still have to learn drawing with Da Lu and Sister Pretty tonight. Shilings Mom involuntarily lifted the IPAD in her hand and asked, Arent you worried? Liu Shiling glanced at the IPAD and said, Mom, you dont have to worry. Uncle Bald, Sister Old Fairy, and Sister Pretty are on that plane. Nothing will happen to the plane; the other people on the plane will also be fine. Shilings Mom was a little confused for a moment. It took her two seconds before she said, No I mean, arent you worried about your Uncle Bald and them? Upon hearing this, Liu Shilings eyes widened a bit, realizing that she seemed to have answered incorrectly. So she quickly nodded and said, Im worried, Im super worried about Uncle Bald and them. There is smoke from the plane, Im super worried. But I still have to do my homework. Shilings Mom was even more bewildered. Although her daughter said Im super worried, from her expression, tone, and mood, there wasnt the slightest sign of worry. If she didnt know her daughter very well or wasnt very clear about her relationship with Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, and Yang Zhener, she would have doubted if Liu Shiling was too heartless or cold-blooded. Well Mom, can I go do my homework now? You should go cook, Mom. When the cooking is done, everything should be fine with Uncle Bald and their plane. Watching Liu Shiling walk into her room to do homework, Shilings Mom withdrew her gaze blankly. Of course, she did not go to cook, but continued to browse the news on the IPAD. She figured that her daughter must not have understood what it meant when a plane was in such a condition, behaving like that. She didnt know that the plane might crash and there might be a danger to the lives of Uncle Bald and her pretty sisters. Yes, that must be it. However, it wasnt long before Shilings Mom came across a video posted by CCTV News Network. A CCTV reporter at the site of Jianzhou Airport was speaking excitedly: has landed safely; according to the information weve received, neither the crew nor the passengers died in this incident. Only three passengers sustained minor injuries and were shocked, and the pilot was seriously injured but there is no life-threatening situation The video even briefly showed the process of the plane successfully landing on the airport runway, scenes of jubilation within the control tower, and a few clips of passengers sliding down an inflatable slide. Unfortunately, Shilings Mom couldnt spot Xiang Kun or Tang Baona in either of the clips. Still, this news was a great relief to Shilings Mom. Heaven be praised, Xiang Kun and the others are truly blessed, she thought to herself, relieved that they werent harmed. She couldnt help but think of the determination behind her daughters prediction. It sometimes felt like kids intuition could be eerily accurate. Back in her bedroom, Liu Shiling closed the door behind her, sticking her tongue out at the custard pie that followed her in. Almost forgot the confidentiality agreement, she giggled. I was a bit careless. The custard pie meowed in response, lazed over to its spot on the desk, curled up, and resumed its nap. Liu Shiling then began removing her textbooks from her bag, preparing to do her homework. Indeed, she was not worried even for a moment. In her judgment, dealing with a situation like the airplanes should have been a breeze for Uncle Bald. There wouldnt be any significant problems, let alone danger. The passengers on the plane and Uncle Bald could certainly protect themselves. She didnt even feel the need to confirm this with Alice. She was confident in her basic judgment as a magician. In fact, she was more worried about herself than Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, or Yang Zhen Er. She suspected that the airplane had been attacked by a monster like the one in Chongyun Village that had been injured and sparkled gold. The monsters were multiplying, and both Pretty Sister and Fairy Sister had begun to reveal their magic talent. She was just in first grade, and she had a long way to go to reach the junior high graduation standard set by Uncle Bald. She had to hurry up and improve, otherwise, when could she start helping Uncle Bald fight the monsters?! As Liu Shiling was frantically working on her homework under her pressing sense of urgency, Shilings Mom entered, holding an iPad and said, Shiling, I just saw the news. Uncle Xiangs flight has landed successfully. They should all be safe now. Turning her head with a pencil in her hand, Liu Shiling blinked twice before saying, Ah! Thats wonderful! Anyone could tell, even Shilings Mom who knew her daughter well Liu Shiling was neither surprised nor delighted. She was just deliberately expressing her delight. More question marks popped up in Shilings Moms mind, and she awkwardly leaned back against the door. Why would Liu Shiling do such a thing? The custard pie on the desk couldnt help but yawn. In a private room of the Youlong Restaurant in Tongshi Town, Xia Tianhuo was looking at a video reposted in You Mengs WeChat Moments. Showing a plane with smoke trailing from its engine, seemingly about to go down, he exclaimed, When did this happen? After he saw the subtitle of the video saying near Jianzhou Airport, he grew anxious, suspecting a certain possibility. Do you know the flight number of the plane Ah Kun took? I saw someone in my Moments saying that the plane was from Peng City. It cant be the one Ah Kun took, said You Meng with furrowed brows. Xia Tianhuo grabbed his cell phone, dialed Old Xias number, and said, Let me ask. Soon after, his call with Old Xia went through. Old Xia, have you arrived at Jianzhou Airport? he asked. Yes, Im here, he replied. I see. I just saw a piece of news well, it might just be a rumor you see Oh yeah, which flight did Xiang Kun and Yang Lao San take? Whats the flight number? Xia Tianhuo stammered. I know what youre talking about. Its their flight, Xia Libing answered simply. Upon hearing Xia Libings confirmation, Xia Tianhuo was taken aback and he found himself momentarily at a loss for words while still on the call. After a second of silence, Xia Libing continued, Thats all. Well talk more when Im back. He then ended the call. Seeing Xia Tianhuo in a daze holding his phone, You Meng hastily asked, What is it, what did Old Xia say? Did he say anything about Ah Kun? Old Xia said that Xiang Kun and Old Three were on that plane, Xia Tianhuo responded blankly. What?! You Meng sank into the chair next to him, his face turning ashen. He even forgot about the things he was supposed to handle in the kitchen. At that point, Zhao Feng and Wang Dean had also walked over. After seeing the video on You Mengs phone, they roughly figured out the situation C the plane Xiang Kun was aboard ran into trouble with its engine catching fire, and netizens even posted videos of it nearly crashing. The situation seemed to be quite grave. Both of them were also stunned, completely caught off guard by the unfolding incident. The four of them couldnt manage any small talk and were nervously scrolling through related videos and news on their phones. Soon, You Mengs wife, Liang Yulong, also showed up in their suite, anxiously waiting with them for updates. In no time, Chu Xiuwen and Liu Caifu, who had just arived for dinner, joined them in the suite. The atmosphere in the suite was quite heavy. But unlike the others anxiety, Chu Xiuwens feelings were somewhat tinged with expectations and a hint of anticipation. It successfully landed! The plane successfully landed! Nothings wrong! Were all okay! Liu Caifu, who had just seen the latest news, was the first to stand up. The others instinctively followed suit, gathered around, and started watching the video. Only Chu Xiuwen, his lips curled up with a slight smirk, was brimming with a sense of as expected assurance. Chapter 564 - Chapter 564: Chapter 564: Yang Lao Sans Sudden Realization Chapter 564: Chapter 564: Yang Lao Sans Sudden Realization Old Xia was still driving the previous GL8 today, of which 80% of the parts have already established a super-sensory connection with Xiang Kun. Furthermore, when he spent a few days in Chongyun Village, Xiang Kun had specially modified this car for comfort, just like the previously owned second-hand pickup truck. The main focus was still on the drivers seat, allowing Old Xia or Yang Zhener to adjust it to the most comfortable position according to their needs when driving. At the same time, he also made some significant modifications to the cars system, incorporating a more powerful network communication module, expanding the computers control range, and adding some features. This allows Alice to provide certain driving assistance and other aids directly, without going through super-connected objects. After the modifications, it wasnt Xiang Kun who drove this car the most, but Old Xia. After driving the car for a while, Old Xia discovered that she had a very subtle connection with this car. This connection enhanced her ability to control the cars posture, judge road conditions from the road feel, and assess instant vehicle conditions. It directly improved her driving skills. This made both Old Xia and Xiang Kun curious because, according to past experiences, Old Xia should have a certain chance to establish a unique connection with Xiang Kuns super-connected objects after extensive contact. This unique connection would enhance her application and control of individual super-connected objects. But now, Old Xia did not have a special connection with some super-connected objects in this car, but a special feeling for the whole car, similar to a weaker version of the special connection as a whole. This made them suspect that when the components of the super-connected objects within a given operational unit reach a certain proportion, a qualitative change would occur from the quantitative change. This would cause the whole to present a different state within the super sensory item system. Of course, for now, only Old Xia can perceive this. Whether its Xiang Kun or Alice, who have strong control over related items derived from specific super-connected objects, their control is more domineering, direct and specific. Therefore, only Old Xia can experience this weakened special connection as a whole. They conducted numerous experiments, asking Old Xia to use a variety of items containing many super-connected object components, including mobile phones, laptop computers, keyboards, mice, coffee machines, electronic pianos, bicycles, etc. But so far, only this GL8 gives Old Xia the feeling of a holistic connection. So when Xiao Pingguo and the Little Fatty Girl were still living in Chongyun Village, she often took them out for a spin, along with the gold glitter and the custard pie, wandering around. Even now, when everyone is not in Chongyun Village, or even when Xiang Kun is running around outside, Old Xia often drives this GL8 around alone, carefully experiencing the feeling of connection and the ease of manipulation brought about by this connection. Anyway, with Alice there, she could still connect with Xiang Kun in real-time, and any situation could be responded to in advance. Of course, today she is not alone in this GL8. After driving Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, and Yang Zhener out of the airport parking lot, the car fell into a strange silence for a long time. Whether it was Tang Baona and Xiang Kun, sitting in the back row, Yang Zhener sitting in the passenger seat, or Xia Libing driving the car, after the initial greetings and brief introductions at the airport, no one took the initiative to speak again. Old Xia is always so quiet and does not speak much when driving, so her behavior was as expected. Tang Baona made the backrest of her seat lie further back, then leaned her head back, facing the direction of the car window. She took off her glasses and gazed at the scenery racing by through the car window, as if she was engrossed in something. Xiang Kun was sitting in the other rear seat, arms crossed, eyes closed, as if he was continuing his nap. The most unusual one was Yang Zhener. She had eagerly taken the passenger seat as soon as they got to the parking lot normally, Xiang Kun would be in the passenger seat when Old Xia was driving. But once she got in the car, she unusually didnt say a word. She neither recounted the thrilling journey on the plane nor made various conjectures with her wild imagination, she just occasionally glanced at Old Xia, who was driving, curved her eyebrows, bit her lower lip, and giggled secretly like a person who knows a shocking secret, showing a somewhat smug expression. Frankly, she is currently struggling to hold back, because what she saw on the plane suddenly solved many of her doubts, which instantly connected all the hazy speculations and perceptions she had before. When she was terrified on the plane that was about to crash, the little girl in a white dress who appeared on the wing was like a ray of light that saved her from despair. The moment she saw the little girl, her panic, fear, and terror all disappeared C because she recognized that little girl. Or more precisely, she knew who this little girl represented. Yang Zhen Ers father has seven siblings, and her mother has five, so she grew up in a large family with many relatives and friends, and many brothers and sisters. Among all these siblings, her favorite cousin was Xia Libing, because not only was this cousin the cutest and most beautiful, she was also the smartest, the most special, and the least mischievous. While the other siblings preferred to hang out with her, she always liked to keep Old Xia around her, taking care of her. Being with Old Xia gave her a sense of being special C of course, she hadnt fully understood this feeling in the past, she just instinctively liked to play with Old Xia and be close to this cousin. The little girl on the plane wing, holding a scalpel to protect the plane, looked exactly like the young Old Xia from years ago! Even that beautiful white princess dress, those black leather shoes, lace-rimmed socks, were all prepared by her mother for Old Xias birthday one year. Yang Zhener had a strong impression of this outfit because the then little Old Xia was so cute. Later, on Old Xias twelfth birthday, she even tried to buy a similar outfit for her, but was resolutely rejected. Why did the young Old Xia from her childhood appear outside their distressed plane, protecting them in such a non-human way? Yang Zhen Er believes that this is where Old Xia is special, this is why she has always been different from others! This is also why recently, she had been feeling peculiarities appearing in the likes of Chef Xiang, Little Apple, Xiao Lingdang, Nana, and even golden glitter custard piebecause they were all close to Old Xia! They were all people acknowledged by Old Xia! They were all recipients of Old Xias legacy! Even she was starting to feel that some of her abilities seemed to be awakening lately. Looking at it now, this could not be more normal, speaking of closeness, speaking of acknowledgement, who else but her, Yang Zhen Er! She is Old Xias sister, the earliest person to be acknowledged! She and Old Xia have blood ties! Yang Zhen Er believes that the young Old Xia who appeared on the wing must represent a kind of avatar ability that Old Xia possesses, an avatar that could ignore spatial distances, appear super far away, and possesses special, magical abilities. The sea monster that appeared when Big guy was kidnapped in Burma, and the eight-armed eight-eyed giant illusion that appeared in Myitkyina, should also be the same type of entity, a kind of ability avatar. But that probably wasnt Old Xias avatar, maybe at that time Old Xia had to go to Citong to be with her uncle and aunt, so she couldnt make it, and let others use their avatar ability to rescue Big guy C and the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant was probably Chef Xiangs avatar! Hold on, then why didnt Chef Xiang use his avatar to save everyone on the plane? Oh yes, Nana mentioned that Brother Xiang seemed to be sleeping with his eyes closed at the time, right? He must have been summoning his alter ego! But probably because the conditions on the plane werent good or for some other reason, he couldnt summon it! He just choked! So, at the moment of crisis, Old Xias alter ego came to the rescue! This type of alter ego ability might have something to do with those coins, no wonder Xiao Lingdang, Xiao Pingguo, Nana, and Brother Xiang all play with coins. They must be training their alter ego ability. Xiao Lingdang even carefully named all her coins. She must be preemptively naming her future alter egos. I wonder what the alter ego Xiao Lingdang will summon in the future. Will it look like herC a cute and chubby girl, or will it look like an ice cream or chocolate? Or an orange cat with eight wings? And Nana, the little elf she talked about, must be the alter ego she is about to summon! Which means, when you are about to obtain your alter ego ability, you can converse with your alter ego, and even perceive its presence? The more Yang Zhen Er thought about it, the clearer things became, the more she felt enlightened, the more everything seemed explainable and reasonable. She used to have all kinds of conjectures, but because she lacked evidence, she herself wasnt very sure, there were too many details filled in by her imagination. Hence, she always got confused after being bluffed by Brother Xiang. But not this time, this time she is certain, very certain, extremely certain that her conjectures are basically correct! Because she had personally seen the evidence! Hence naturally, Yang Zhen Er who was sitting in the passenger seat, entered a state of pride and satisfaction after solving an ultra-complex puzzle. She even started to get a bit excited over the alter ego ability she was certain to gain in the future. Although in reality, Tang Baona, who was sitting in the backseat at this time, was also immersed in exchanging her own new discoveries. On the plane, Xiang Kuns strange behavior and state, as well as the little girl on the wing of the plane, whom she considered as a little elf, are all significant discoveries, points she must explore. But at this moment, the new discovery she was immersed in was something else. From the moment she set foot in the car, she suddenly felt a wondrous sensation, as if she had gained a special sense all of a sudden. This special sense, on top of the traditional vision, hearing, smell, touch, and taste, is a fresh and wonderful ability directly connected with her consciousness. And through this sense of hers, it seems she can vaguely sense the state of the cars driving, perceive the surrounding environment. Whether it is open or crowded, whether it is a small path between buildings, or a plain straight path, whether there is traffic accompanying it, or it is a lone car journey. This is a very vague, almost non-existant sensation. If you dont pay attention, you wont notice it, and when you pay attention, it seems non-existent. You can sense it only in a certain optimal state of emptiness. When she focuses her senses inside the car, she suddenly touches a cluster of emotions. She perceives inside it only to experience a hint of sly joy, pride, exhilaration, even the emotion to burst into song. Then she immediately realizes, this emotion probably belongs to Yang Lao San. What is she being sly about? What is she proud of? And why does she want to sing? Is it because of the near death escape this time, or because after seeing the little elf on the wing, she understood something, realized something? Thats right, why can I sense her emotions? Is this an illusion or a truly existing sensation? Tang Baona couldnt help but put on her glasses, turned her head towards Xiang Kun who was sitting on the other side of the second row. This guy now, just like on the plane, had his eyes closed and appeared to be sleeping again. But Tang Baona always felt, he wasnt sleeping. The appearance of the little elf, the successful landing of the plane, and this vague yet special sense she is experiencing now, probably all has something to do with him. Tang Baona couldnt help but start contemplating, how should she ask Xiang Kun? She recalled Xiang Kuns performance on the plane, and the first reaction she had was to look at her own left hand. She remembered the feeling of holding Xiang Kuns large hand. It was so cool, but not the kind of icy cold feeling, but a very special cool feeling, directly transmitting to the heart from the palm, making one instantly alert and excited. The moment she was holding Xiang Kuns hand, she seemed to suddenly have a very special sensation towards the whole plane, just like now towards this car, as if she herself had transformed into the plane, or transformed into the car. Thats it, at the time she vaguely sensed the passengers terror and fear faced with the dangerous situation, sensed their surprise and exhilaration upon seeing the little girl on the wing, just like now when she sensed Yang Zhen Er. Just that at the time her mind was rather chaotic, under that condition, she didnt have the will to pay attention to those vague sensory information. But now it seems, the change started from then on! Tang Baonas gaze fell on the hand Xiang Kun, wrapped around his left arm. Undecided if she should sneakily touch it to see if she can still feel that sensation. The first one to break the long silence in the car was Xia Libing: Do we go back to the village directly or go to Tongshi Town first? Ah? Tang Baona was startled. Her body, which was slightly inclining towards Xiang Kun, quickly straightened up. Placing her hands on her knees, she took on the appearance of a good student. The one in the passenger seat, Yang Zhen Er, immediately responded, Go wherever theres food, Im starving to death! Xiang Kun also opened his eyes and said, Lets go to Youlong Restaurant, Old You called me when I was at the airport just now. Everyone is at the restaurant now, if we make a trip there, everyone can rest assured. Tang Baona looked at him: You werent sleeping? Xiang Kun laughed: I just woke up. In reality, he was in a super sensory state just now, monitoring Nanas cognitive information. Just now he distinctly felt that Nanas state within the Super Sensory Item System was starting to change. Originally a few months ago when she suddenly established a special connection with a coin on the rooftop, she had already half stepped into the Super Sensory Item System. Later with Alices help, she developed the ability to lightly emotionally assimilate others through songs by the Super Sensory Item System and established the feature of creating secondary temporary emotionally infused objects, further integrating herself into the system. And now, after experiencing that scare in the sky, she suddenly established her own sub-system. Chapter 565 - Chapter 565: Chapter 565: Analysis Database of Super Sensory Information Syndrome Chapter 565: Chapter 565: Analysis Database of Super Sensory Information Syndrome When Xiang Kun and the other three arrived at Youlong Restaurant, it was already a little past eight forty p.m. On an ordinary day, Youlong Restaurant would still be bustling with customers. But today, the restaurant had shut its doors early and hung up a sign displaying, Closed for business. Upon seeing the video and related news about the plane crash on his phone, and confirming that Xiang Kun along with Tang Baona and Yang Zhen Er were on that aircraft, You Meng lost all mood to go back to the kitchen. Even though most dishes were now made by standardized procedures and his absence did not affect muchconsidering they had now opened two branchesYou Meng wasnt the only one who knew Xiang Kun. The restaurants administrators and old staff all knew him, having been frequently given personal guidance, assistance with setup, and process optimization by Xiang Kun whenever they developed new dishes. Everyone knew that Xiang Kun, Miss Tang, and Miss Yang were on that plane. With the owners and their wives unable to focus on tasks and staying upstairs in the private room the entire time, the entire restaurant atmosphere felt amiss. Everyones mind was not on the work at hand. Thus, You Meng directed Liang Yulong to temporarily stop business operations. For all the customers who had finished their meals, their meals were made free, and they were given a coupon worth 100. While those who had ordered but not yet received their meals were given coupons worth 500 and a vacuum sealed smoked rabbit leg; those waiting in line outside were depending on the number they had drawn were given different coupons of varying values from 300-100. These coupons had no single-use restrictions, even if you use 500 all at once for a purchase, it was no problem; thus, many customers didnt complain. But of course, there were those who were displeased with their meal being interrupted and demanded an explanation. However, after learning that the owners friends were on the plane that had the accident, they immediately expressed understanding. The video and news related to the Peng City-Jianzhou City flight accident were already circulating rapidly online. Particularly amongst the people of Tongshi Town in Jianzhou City, many already posted related news in their Wechat groups and Moments. After all, if people from Tongshi Town wanted to go to other provinces by plane, they had to go to Jianzhou Airport. This event had essentially happened to them. Putting themselves in the others shoes, if their own family and friends were on that plane, they wouldnt have been able to work either. So, the guests soon left, and the restaurant door was closed again. Inside were only the restaurants employees and Xiang Kuns acquaintances, Xia Tianhuo and Chu Xiuwen; from the private room upstairs to the lobby floor downstairs, they congregated in waiting for news. Zhao Feng and Wang Dean stayed as well, secretly checking their phones to get more reliable information through channels within Divine Technology. Fortunately, it wasnt long after the restaurant was closed that they saw the news of the planes successful landing. Several videos surfaced of the plane landing safely and cheers erupted in the restaurant, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Then, You Meng managed to get through to Xiang Kuns phone, learning that he, Tang Baona and Yang Zhen Er had gotten off the plane safe and sound, and were not injured. So, he agreed to meet them at the restaurant for dinner. Estimating their departure from the airport, You Meng also coordinated with the restaurant staff to ready a table of hot dishes. As soon as Xiang Kun and others arrived at the restaurant, they could start eating. Im starving! Im starving! As soon as they entered the restaurant, Yang Zhen Er could not wait to rush to the table filled with dishes in the hall. Originally, they were estimated to arrive at Tongshi Town around seven oclock, making dinner ideal. However, who knew they would encounter such a situation causing them to be so late. Previously on the plane, they were too scared and later too excited at finding out Dr. Xias secret, they didnt care about their hunger. When it was nearly arriving at Tongshi Town, Yang Zhen Er was already starving to the point she could no longer bear it. Now, she thought she could eat a whole cow. Tang Baona and Xia Libing were much more reserved but they were certain they were just as hungry. After they arrived at the restaurant, they couldnt afford to catch up with friends any more. They settled in with a big bowl of hot soup and began to eat main course to quench their hunger. However, their looks were quite reassuring to Liang Yulong: Seeing you guys like this, I feel relieved now. If it were me, I guess I wouldnt be able to eat after such an event. Indeed, viewing the scene on the plane from the video, plunging straight down with the engine on fire, it is really terrifying. Xia Tianhuo, who made fun of Yang Lao San daily, nodded, expressing his real worry about her safety. Yang Zhen Er who had her mouth full of food looked up and mumbled, No matter how scary it is, we still have to eat! Xia Tianhuo then asked, By the way, Yang Lao San, on your way back from the airport, I saw some media interviews with a few passengers from your flight. They said there was a little girl who appeared outside the airplane. She guarded the plane, preventing the bird swarm from exploding the remaining engine, allowing the plane to land safely. Did you see that little girl? There are a lot of doubts online about it, saying it is impossible for anyone to stand outside the airplane at such a high altitude without protection, let alone a little girl. Yang Zhen Er looked at him with a confused expression, I dont know. I guess I was scared stiff then, I didnt notice anything outside. You should ask Nana. After that, she slyly winked at Dr. Xia, but Dr. Xia was busy eating and didnt notice her merit-claiming gaze. Tang Baona also shook her head: I didnt notice either, I was so scared I had my eyes closed! You should ask Xiang Kun! and then continued eating. In the lobby of the first floor, Xia Tianhuo, You Meng, Liang Yulong, Chu Xiuwen, Liu Caifu, including Zhao Feng, Wang Dean and other people, all turned their attention to Xiang Kun who seemed to be the most reticent of the four, waiting for his answer. With the enhanced control of subtle body movements, Xiang Kun no longer needed the super sensory contact cobblestone to settle his stomach and suppress vomiting during meals. He could directly control the movement of food residues in the gut. Although he still couldnt digest and absorb the food, he at least can eat and drink naturally now. Plus, he didnt have to endure severe discomfort in his stomach while using the cobblestone restraint like before. Facing everyones expectant gaze, Xiang Kun smiled and wiped his mouth, then said: I dont really know either, I think I might have been too scared and fell asleep. Upon hearing this, Yang Zhen Er, who was in the middle of eating, suddenly sprayed rice from her nostrils and began to cough, as she choked on her food. You Meng couldnt hold back his comment: Damn! The plane was about to crash, and you fell asleep? Xiang Kun chuckled, I guess I fainted from fear. At this point, even Tang Baona spat out her soup, choking on it. Everyone didnt take what Xiang Kun said seriously. Considering how chaotic it was on the plane and how critical the situation was, it was normal for them not to notice whether there was anyone outside the plane. Plus, maybe the media online were just hyping for attention. Those interviewed might not have been real passengers on this flight; they might just be trying to profit off the popularity of the event. After all, the idea that someone could stand outside the plane was too mystifying and exaggerated. Then Zhao Feng took the initiative to greet Xiang Kun and Xia Libing, Mr. Xiang, Dr. Xia, I didnt expect to see you here again. Xiang Kun looked at Zhao Feng slightly confused, it seemed that it took him a couple of seconds to recognize him: Ah, you areyou are Officer Zhao! Of course, he already knew that Zhao Feng and Wang Dean had come to Tongshi Town to see Xia Tianhuo. He also knew about their trip with Ye Zijun to film a documentary and interview those Chinese tourists who had seen the illusion of the eight-armed, eight-eyed Giant in Myitkyina, as well as their two visits to Old Man Du, all thanks to Alices information. Interestingly, both Ye Zijun and Old Man Du were related to his Super Sensory Item System as members of the secondary network emanating from the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving. The fact that Old Man Du had managed to come out of the ICU several times, reversing his disease condition and regaining his spirits to the point of moving about on his own when doctors held no hope, was also due to Xiang Kuns operation. Old Man Du was the first criminal who had turned himself in under the emotional projection influence from the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving. Compared to those later influenced by emotional projection in the real world, the influence on Old Man Du in the dreamland was relatively less. Yet peculiarly, the impact on Old Man Du seemed to intensify over time. Thus, when Xiang Kun could sense the people associated with the secondary network under Emotion Infused Objects, Old Man Du quickly became one of them. Xiang Kun didnt have any particular feelings towards this old con man. He had done a lot of bad things and deceived many people, but had already confessed to his crimes, helped the police apprehend the entire scam organization and handed over all his illegal earnings. He was serving his sentence obediently in prison, paying for his actions. Just because Old Man Du had made a connection with the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving through the secondary network of Emotion Infused Objects, Xiang Kun didnt regard him as an ally or grant him any trust. However, when Old Man Du was admitted to the ICU, Alice notified Xiang Kun, who happened to be free. At that time, there was a large-scale distribution of Super-connected Objects worldwide and many of the new associations or newly distributed Super-connected Objects near the hospital where Du resided were available for use. So, Xiang Kun entered the Super Sensory State and subjected some influence on Dus physical cognitive information. Regarding how to use Super-connected Objects in the Super Sensory State to influence the cognitive information of humans or other organisms, thereby changing their physical state to treat various diseases or even enhance physical functions, Xiang Kun had some basic ideas as he had been making extensive analyses and mastering cognitive information. However, these ideas required detailed research into each specific disease and the cognitive information of cancer, and a large number of experiments to summarize a reliable and usable model of capability. Then, a steady and reliable operational capability could be established. But it wasnt the most urgent issue to resolve at the time, and there wasnt a suitable target for the experiment C he did not dare to try it on real people when he wasnt sure of any potential side-effects. For Old Man Dus condition at the time, Xiang Kun was certain that without any intervention he would be 100% doomed. Hence, he decided to give it a try without any guilt to see if he could figure out how to alter peoples bodily ailments using super sensory information editing patterns. Xiang Kun didnt initially think he could save Old Man Du. Given how dire Old Man Dus condition was, with various diseases almost consuming him, Xiang Kun wouldnt be able to tackle them all within a short period. To allow Old Man Du a relatively peaceful departure would have been good enough. Yet, under Alices assistance, when he began to genuinely influence and edit Old Man Dus physical cognitive information, he found that he really didnt need to solve each individual ailment. He didnt need to understand the cognitive information expression of each body part or each disease. He could treat Old Man Du as a whole, a small system, and give his overall, outermost cognitive information a direction: to strive for a healthier surviving state. As for the human outermost cognitive information expressions of a healthy state, a diseased state, and a death state, Xiang Kun was very clear and able to do a thorough analysis. So, he could define the target very accurately. So, after defining it this way, under Alices coordination, all the Super-connected Objects around Du and in the hospital began to influence Dus bodily cognitive information based on this target. The microscopic components of his body started to make subtle changes in response, striving towards a set direction. Although the lesions did not disappear completely and the diseases were not completely cured, his overall state entered a its not unusable state. So, Old Man Du miraculously left the ICU in this incredible way and gradually improved day by day, even managing to move around with the support of a walker. From the doctors perspective, it was an medical miracle they could not yet comprehend. But to Xiang Kun, Old Man Du served as a mobile super sensory information disease analysis database. Through the changes in his body, Alice could gradually analyze and decipher the cognitive information change of every single disease. Maybe this could help establish a model to actually edit and remove specific diseases through super sensory information. Of course, Old Man Dus pseudo-healthy state required continuous influence and support from the Super-connected Objects around him; otherwise, his body would immediately enter a normal evolution state and die rapidly. Hence, he needed to live in an environment with enough presence of Super-connected Objects to maintain his condition. Luckily, he had no intention nor means to leave the hospital, and the coverage of Xiang Kuns Super-connected Objects was expanding increasingly. Even if he wanted intentionally to go to areas without Super-connected Objects, it would not be an easy task. Inside Youlong Restaurant, Zhao Feng didnt realise that Xiang Kuns surprise was acted. He smiled, Im not a cop anymore. I came to Tongshi Town with my colleague to see Mr. Xia. I didnt expect to meet Dr. Xia who is Mr. Xias sister, and to encounter such an incident. Mr. Xiang, youre blessed, able to safely get through any crisis. Thats true, Im just lucky, Xiang Kun agreed with a smile. Truth be told, Xiang Kun had a strong liking for Zhao Feng and Wang Dean. He had a clear understanding of their experiences, their thought processes, their goals, and their attitudes towards the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Monster, various Mutants, and special incidents. Thats why he didnt hinder them when they wanted to come to Tongshi Town to find Xia Tianhuo. Otherwise, he could have just asked Alice to mislead them away from Tongshi Town and Chongyun Village, and they wouldnt have run into him. However, Zhao Feng shook his head and smiled, The case you and Dr. Xia encountered last time in Citong City wasnt resolved because of luck, but totally due to your capabilities. Then, under the puzzled gazes of You Meng and others, Zhao Feng talked about the incident on New Years Eve when Xiang Kun and Xia Libing had beaten two armed criminals to tears in an alley. He even deliberately exaggerated the pitiful state of the criminals when the police arrived after receiving the call. Chapter 566 - Chapter 566: Chapter 566 Task Arrangement Chapter 566: Chapter 566 Task Arrangement At this moment, many people in Youlong Restaurant were hearing about this incident for the first time. Even Tang Baona and Yang Zhener had only heard about how Dr. Xia had sniffed out something fishy in a certain mental appraisal a doctor wished to conduct. This caused her to refuse to cooperate. Which led to someone secretly trying to install surveillance in her house. It happened that she and Xiang Kun caught them in the act and turned them into the police. This was followed by a thorough investigation of the case. However, they had no idea about the process and details of how Xiang Kun beat up two thugs that night. Zhao Feng, the cop handling the case at the time, was naturally convincing in his telling of the details. The fact that the two main characters of the case were also in the restaurant, present next to them, made the story all the more intriguing and immersive. When they heard from Zhao Feng about the thugs cries for help when he saw the police, as if they were his savior, everyone found it amusing and laughed. Liang Yulong couldnt help but laugh and said, Those two really did have a tough time running into Xiang Kun and Dr. Xia. Zhao Feng responded, Indeed, they might have been brutally beaten by Mr. Xiang and Dr. Xia, but it would be a different story if they were confronted by ordinary people. These guys are not hesitant to use knives; they are extremely ruthless. Xia Tianhuo exclaimed, Well, Ill be! That case you were talking about this afternoon that Dr. Xia is actually our Dr. Xia! The Xia that Old King and I were talking about are the same Xia you mentioned. This is such a surprising coincidence. Zhao Feng chuckled, I only confirmed it after seeing Mr. Xiang and Dr. Xia. While greeting Xiang Kun, Zhao Feng involuntarily observed the reactions and expressions of others as he recounted the case from before. From his observation, it seemed that none of them were aware of Xiang Kun and Dr. Xias handling of the case earlier this year. However, beneath their curiosity, there did not seem to be too much shock. When dealing with the case at that time, he was astounded by the skills of Xiang Kun, the bald-headed programmer, and Dr. Xias composure. The performances of the two were really composed, their responses were prompt. Upon looking into Xiang Kuns records, he learned that this senior programmer had already played the hero multiple times in Shenhai City. He had caught escaped criminals, nabbed human traffickers, and had called the police several times. As for Dr. Xia, everything in her file was perfectly normal, with absolutely nothing peculiar. Zhao Fengs biggest question about Xiang Kun at the time was how a senior programmer without any military experience or systematic combat training was able to easily handle two armed thugs. From the looks of things, not only was Dr. Xia present and composed during the incident, but other friends of Xiang Kun, like Miss Tang, Miss Yang, and that man known as Brother Chu, Director Liu, didnt seem surprised by Xiang Kuns show of strengththere was a sense of, he is certainly capable of that. What they were interested and curious about was not why Xiang Kun could fight, but how he fought. However, even after getting others to participate in the conversation, he still did not understand why Xiang Kun was so strong, or why everyone else took it as a matter of course. Originally, Zhao Feng and Wang Dean came to Tongshi Town to find Xia Tianhuo. Their main purpose had nothing to do with Xiang Kun, Dr. Xia, and the others. Even though Xiang Kun and Dr. Xia were involved in a case that had piqued his curiosity significantly, he wouldnt divert his attention to investigate at this time. If he could get answers, great, if not, he could always ask later. However, around 11 oclock, when Xiang Kun, Dr. Xia, Yang Zhener, and Tang Baona were leaving for Chongyun Village, and You Meng and Xia Tianhuo were closing the restaurant and going home, Zhao Feng received a message on his phone from the information collection department. The first-hand information received by the information collection department indicated that according to the passengers own accounts, a little girl in a white dress did appear outside the cabin and on a wing after the plane hit a flock of birds, and the right engine caught fire as more birds were sucked into it. In a way that completely defied logic, she intercepted other birds that continued to strike against the engine and wings, protecting the plane from further hits. The little girl disappeared just as mysteriously as she appeared. Almost all tourists who accepted inquiries and interviews said the same thing. Because the little girl in the white skirt appeared on both wings and stayed for a long time, almost 70-80% of the passengers in the cabin saw her. Even those who didnt accept interviews or inquiries mentioned the incident on their social media. Some people thought they saw an angel, some said they saw an illusion in the high sky, others thought it was some superhuman saving the plane, and some even thought that the successful landing of the plane afterward was due to some superpower. The evidence is sufficient to prove that the little girl in the white dress protecting the plane outside the plane was not a fabrication by some passengers or self-media for clickbait and views. This left Zhao Feng puzzled: why didnt Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, and Yang Zhener mention this at all? Even if their seats were positioned in a way that obstructed the view and they couldnt see the girl outside, with most passengers in the cabin catching sight of her, surely they must have had some inkling of the incident. Or, at the very least, they should be willing to talk about it. Any claim that they had their eyes closed or had fainted or hadnt noticed was clearly a mere excuse. Logically speaking, even if they didnt see it themselves, they couldnt possibly be unaware of it. Zhao Feng subsequently messaged the member in charge of information collection to look up the passenger list of that flight and the seating chart. He quickly received the seating chart and passenger information and discovered that Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, and Yang Zhener were sitting in the same row and their seats would have given them a clear view of the situation outside on the wing through the cabin windows. Something about how Xiang Kun and his group were acting was off. Were they hiding something? Did they actually know something and consequently, were unwilling to discuss the girl in the white skirt on the plane? He thought back to the expressions of Xiang Kun and his group when they first returned to the restaurant and mentioned the incident. All three seemed relaxed, but it was clear that they were concealing something about the situation on the plane. Especially Yang Zhener, who had an inexplicable smirk on her face? Suddenly Zhao Feng asked Xia Tianhuo, who was driving, Mr. Xia, you said that when you were kidnapped, it was your uncle and aunt who informed your parents. So, does that mean you informed them first? I heard you mention earlier that your uncle and aunt work in Citong City. So, was Dr. Xia with them at the time? Did she know you were kidnapped? Xia Tianhuos grip on the steering wheel tightened slightlynot out of nervousness, but excitement. Theres a lot of information revealed in this question! During Zhao Fengs first interview in Burma, he had mentioned making the ransom call to relatives back home, but hadnt mentioned Old Xia. Now, after meeting Old Xia, theyre proactively enquiring whether he knew about the kidnapping firsthand. Maybe theres a hidden connection here C did they notice something unusual about Old Xia that they think is related to what happened in Burma? Although he was excited, Xia Tianhuo remained nonchalant, casually replying, They probably knew. They were with my three uncles and aunts at the same time. After a pause, he jokingly asked, Why the sudden interest? Do you think that Old Xias fighting skills had something to do with my rescue? Not exactly. I might have overexaggerated the case when I told you about it. In reality, only Mr. Xiang took action; Dr. Xia didnt get involvedBy the way, is Mr. Xiang Dr. Xias boyfriend? When he was raising the ransom money in Citong City, was he with Dr. Xia? To be honest, Im not sure about that. But didnt you and Old King mentioned earlier that its more likely that the hijackers aboard the boat were hypnotized into killing each other? Aside from the hijackers and the crew, the Burmese police didnt find any traces of third party involvement in the fight. Xia Tianhuo asked, glancing casually at Zhao and Wang in the backseat through the rearview mirror. Zhao Feng laughed, In order to hypnotize, you need a source of hypnosis. As he was about to continue speaking, his phone received a message from the information collection department. He glanced at it to find that they had located Old Man Dus godson who was currently located in Tongshi Town, and had even visited the Youlong Restaurant, working in catering and owning a restaurant. Zhao Feng was taken aback. When the information collection department previously found Old Man Dus godson, they never mentioned that he was in Tongshi Town. They only said that after he got out of prison, he had been working for a company owned by his aunts husband. Because the investigation into this godson wasnt a priority, they didnt try to contact him immediately. Unexpectedly, Old Man Dus godson, who should be working for his aunts husband, was also in Tongshi Town and also had ties with the Youlong Restaurant! Zhao Fengs attention turned to the matter of the godson and he didnt continue his conversation with Xia Tianhuo, responding occasionally to his inquiries. However, this behavior made Xia Tianhuo feel like hed grasped something. The hotel where Zhao Feng and Wang Dean were staying was close to the pedestrian street, so they arrived quickly. Before getting out of the car, Xia Tianhuo cheerfully said, You two should rest well. Lets meet for dinner tomorrow? Sure, thank you for the hospitality tonight, Mr. Xia. By the way, could you possibly invite Mr. Xiang and Dr. Xia for dinner tomorrow? Its often said that calamity turns to good fortune; since we happened to encounter them, wed like to interview them about the accident again, Zhao Feng said. Well, Ill ask about their plans later, Xia Tianhuo replied thoughtfully. After watching Xia Tianhuos car leave, Zhao Feng was about to discuss the situation regarding Old Man Dus godson with Wang Dean, when Wang handed over a company-issued tablet. To his surprise, Mr. Liang had sent a task, asking them to join an investigation team at Wushu Mountain and head to Jianzhou to investigate the mysterious phenomenon that had occurred on the airplane. Looking at the task information, Zhao Feng frowned, Why are there suddenly so many tasks and so much information coming in? Wang Dean nodded, I feel the same way. Xiang Kun, who had already reached Chongyun Village, was still monitoring the situation of Zhao Feng and Wang Dean through Alice. He could control what information they received, where their thoughts and investigations headed, and predict their next moves C all within Xiang Kun and Alices calculations. Both of them had already had a reasonably complete cognitive model. Given the control over the input of information, the majority of their actions could be predicted and guided. After speculating that the mutated big bird had intercepted the passenger aircraft with him as the target and the so-called Ultimate Predator likely being behind the scenes, Xiang Kuns overall action plan underwent significant changes, despite having some uncertainties. There was no doubt that the Ultimate Predator felt threatened and had already entered the sensitive state that Academician Shen had mentioned, thus, continuous actions were bound to be taken. If Xiang Kun was the only person in the world or if he didnt care about the people around him, perhaps he could steadily proceed according to his ideas and plans. But he wasnt like that. If there was a forced landing outside the airport due to the planes malfunction leading to an air crash, he might not die, but the passengers and the people who might be affected below would no doubt suffer greatly. And Tang Baona and Yang Zhen Er were on the plane. So he had to prioritize his plans and strike first against the Ultimate Predator. Even if the plan wasnt successful, he still wanted the Ultimate Predator to focus all its attention on him and not have the time to meddle with affairs that could affect the people around him. In his plan, Divine Technology or the so-called Mr. Liang consisted of a critical part. When they got home, Yang Zhen Er took Old Xia by the arm and led her to the rooftop, saying that they had some girl talk to catch up on. When Tang Baona saw her best friend acting unusually, she didnt follow, but instead moved around the living room as if inspecting the houses decoration. If it were anyone else seeing her in this state, they would probably be worried, thinking that she had been scared by the near crash, or had some mental issues. But Xiang Kun wasnt worried since he knew clearly that Tang Baona wasnt frightened. She was only immersed in experiencing and testing her new sensing ability, and was somewhat lost in herself. So he didnt disturb Tang Baonas experience but instead went to the kitchen to prepare midnight snacks for her. Although they had eaten quite a lot at the Youlong Restaurant, several hours had passed. In addition, what she was currently doing consumed a lot of energy, so she was bound to feel hungry when she came back to her senses. And if he were to prepare a midnight snack for Baona, Yang Lao San and Old Xia, who were upstairs whispering, would definitely have to join in as well. Chapter 567 - Chapter 567: Chapter 567: The Elated Old Three Chapter 567: Chapter 567: The Elated Old Three Yang Zhener tiptoed slightly, holding onto Old Xias shoulder as they made their way to the rooftop. On arriving at the rooftop, she specifically looked back to see if Nana and Brother Xiang had followed them and then closed the rooftop door before she mysteriously approached Old Xia. They stood by the railing, shoulder to shoulder as she whispered: Old Xia, I know everything. Heh heh. A triumphant expression filled her voice, a feeling not even the wind on the rooftop could conceal. Xia Libing stared at her, Know what? Actually, the moment she heard Yang Zhener at the airport, she quickly realized that this cousin of hers came up with another wild idea. Yang Zhener has always loved to play with her since they were young, and given that Yang Zhener is a few years older, it is quite normal for her to remember what she looked like when she was young. Having seen Alice, the co-manifestation, on the plane, she naturally could recognize it. Seeing that little girl who appeared outside the plane looked exactly like her when she was young, she could guess what kind of wild ideas Yang Lao San might come up with. As expected, Yang Zhener then gently nudged Old Xias shoulder with her own, raising her eyebrow in an admit it, youre busted look. Seeing Old Xia remaining unmoved and not planning to confess voluntarily, Yang Zhener had to lower her voice and say in a secretive manner: Old Xia, do you have superpowers. Is your superpower, perhaps, capable of manifesting a doppelg?nger? Without waiting for Old Xia to answer, she immediately said: If theres any special confidentiality agreement and you cant tell me for now, then let me guess. If I am right, just nod your head. If I am wrong, then dont. Xia Libing thought for a moment then solemnly nodded. Strictly speaking, Alices self-co-manifestation ability originated from her own co-manifestation ability developed through a Super sensory Item System. Co-manifesting an image of her younger self can indeed be labelled as her doppelg?nger ability. Does this ability of yours have anything to do with coins? Yang Zhener asked again. Old Xia nodded. Does Brother Xiang also have this ability! Yang Zhener asked, a touch of excitement in her voice. Old Xia continued to nod. Indeed, any ability that she develops and masters, Xiang Kun will naturally know instantaneously. Little Elf, Little Apple, and Nana also have this ability! Yang Zhener asked again. This time, Old Xia did not nod. Yang Zhener couldnt help scratching her head. Had she guessed wrong? But considering Little Elfs previous performance, how could she just be an ordinary little girl! If she were just an ordinary little girl, she would never have won at the Flying Coin Into Cup game! Could it be that only Little Elf, Little Apple and Nana dont have superpowers? Which isnt right either, as Little Apple can understand Bird Language and can communicate with Jin Shanshan (Golden Flash) just like Brother Xiang. She can freely walk even when she cant see with her eyes and can hear many sounds that ordinary people cant. She definitely has superpowers! As for Nana, she can even converse with Little Fairies, how is that possible without superpowers? It couldnt be a split personality, right! Yang Zhener pondered for a few seconds, then decided to ask in a different way: Do Little Apple, Nana, and Little Elf have other superpowers? This time, Old Xia finally nodded. Yang Zhener was so delighted she almost jumped up. Then, containing her excitement and joy, she asked a question she was very concerned about: Old Xia, do.. do I have superpowers as well? Old Xia still nodded. Yang Zhener has already entered the Super sensory Item System and has already started developing her own characteristic application types. Naturally, Xia Libing was the first to know about this. If it were before, she could easily dispel her cousins suspicion and get her ridiculous ideas out of her head. In that case, she would have different responses to the previous questions. But now, Xiang Kun has made it clear that he wants Alice to further help Nana and Yang Lao San establish their own cognitive style within the Super sensory Item System. Therefore, letting Yang Lao San know about her own and the people around hers peculiarities to a certain extent was also an intended consequence. Getting a positive response from Old Xia, even though she didnt really know what her superpower was, Yang Zhener already considered herself a superhuman. Her face was filled with an elated expression as she couldnt help taking out the coin that Xiang Kun gave her and started flipping it. Not long after figuring out the Flying Coin Into Cup ability and playing various coin games along with Nana and Little Elf, she finally slowly learned how to flip coins with her fingers. She finally joined the Coin-flipping Club and could show off with the coin. Now, whenever she thinks about something, she likes to take out the coin and flip it. This action and posture give her a feeling of being super intelligent and super awesome. Old Xia, what should I do to be as powerful as you and have my own doppelg?nger ability? Will playing with the coin more do the trick? Yang Zhener asked while flipping the coin. Xia Libing glanced at her hand but did not nod. So its not just about playing with the coin? I thought so; its never that simple. It should be Oh, right! Little Elf has a name for all her coins, like Chocolate, Ice cream, Sachima, Lemon juice or was it Lemon tea? Little Apple is the same, she seems to name everything, even paper planes. She even named her Minion wood carving! Hmmm, the Little Fairies that Nana spoke of must be her coins. It seems that giving names to coins or other things helps to establish the doppelg?nger ability? Oh, right, Old Xia, have you named any special object or living things? Yang Zhener couldnt help asking. Xia Libing nodded. Yang Zhener, driven by curiosity, asked: Whats the name? Then she added: Of course, if its not supposed to be told then dont say. Xia Libing said, Two names: Zero Zero One, Zero Zero Two. Yang Zhen Er was taken aback, unsure of what expression to show. These names were very much Old Xia. At this moment, Xiang Kuns voice came from the courtyard below, Old Xia! Old Three! Yang Zhen Er leaned over the railing, looking down at Xiang Kun who had his head tilted upwards, What is it? Old Xia and I have something important to discuss, Chef Xiang, dont be noisy I made a late-night snack, theres beef, rabbit meat, eggs, and meatballs, a big pot of steaming noodle soup, do you want some? Xiang Kun said with a beaming smile. Yes! Yang Zhen Ers complaints immediately vanished, and she decisively replied with a single word. However, when she pulled her head back from the railing, preparing to call Old Xia downstairs, she found that Old Xia had already reached the staircase. Hold on! Old Xia, wait for me! You foodie! Yang Zhen Er hurried to catch up. A few minutes later, in the hall downstairs, four people each held a bowl of noodles eating heartily C of course, Xiang Kun was only having a symbolic meal, because he knew if he joined in, Nana and Yang Lao San would eat more heartily. While Tang Baona ate her noodles, she surreptitiously observed the expressions of Yang Zhen Er and Old Xia. Old Xias expression remained unchanged, focused on eating his noodles. Other than being a little hungry, he didnt reveal anything. But Yang Zhen Ers elation was apparent; she seemed to eat her noodles with the joy of celebrating the New Year. However, Tang Baonas focus was not on what Yang Zhen Er and Old Xia had just secretly said on the rooftop, or why Yang Zhen Er was wearing a look akin to a fox that had eaten a chicken. Instead, she was more interested in the emotion that Yang Zhen Er was feeling itself. Since the journey home from the airport, Tang Baona noticed that her senses seemed to have changed, to be more precise, it seemed that she had gained a special kind of sense that allowed her to perceive many things that she normally could not. Also, a lot of things around them, such as the car they were sitting in, the desk and chairs they were using, the chopsticks, the local street lights, and buildings, all seemed to have turned into perceivable objects, allowing her to vaguely sense their states. It was as if she had an emotional antenna that allowed her to perceive others emotions, whether they were happy, sad, scared, confused, or experiencing any other emotions. When she was in the car, she could only vaguely sense the emotions of pedestrians when their car was waiting for traffic lights. However, when they arrived at Youlong Restaurant and sat down for a meal and chat, her perceptions became clearer, she was able to roughly determine everyones emotional state. Only Xiang Kun and Old Xia were exceptions, she could not discern their emotions. However, Xiang Kun and Old Xia were different. Old Xia was like a black hole, the more she tried to sense him, the more she felt like falling in, unable to find anything or gain anything. Xiang Kun, on the other hand, was like a beacon, collecting the emotions of others and passing them on to her, hence she could sense these emotions. But because of this cover of emotions, she couldnt sense Xiang Kuns own emotions. Moreover, Tang Baona noticed something else. The closer she was to Xiang Kun, the clearer and more distinct her sense of objects and peoples emotions around her became. The farther away she was from Xiang Kun, the weaker this perception became. Once he was more than ten meters away from her, her perception would become very weak, leaving only the coins in her pocket which seemed to provide some support C to test this, she deliberately lagged far behind Xiang Kun when they left the restaurant to go to the parking lot. This perception was both real and unreal, creating a sense of contradiction in senses and cognition, so at Youlong Restaurant, she had thought for a while that she was hallucinating. However, thinking of what she saw on the plane today, the constant protection of the Little Elf, and the extraordinary feelings she has truly perceived recently, Tang Baona was more certain about her perception. After returning to Chongyun Village, she carefully sensed everything in this house, with the same emotional basis for her gratitude and reliance on the Little Elf, trust, and friendship towards Xiang Kun, Old Xia, and Yang Lao San. So before Xiang Kun called for a late-night snack, her perception broke through. In her cognition, this house and all the things around her that gave her a special feeling seemed to form a container in the void, holding the emotions she perceived. Currently, the only emotion she could perceive in this house was Yang Zheners. However, with Yang Zheners slightly proud, a little excited, and a bit expectant emotions, Tang Baona felt like she had a delicious soup but didnt have a spoon to consume it, leaving her feeling tickled. She could sense it, she could hold it, but she didnt know how to handle it, or she knew she could handle it, but didnt know how, this feeling was extremely uncomfortable. It was like when she was doing a math problem while studying, she felt she should do it, her method was not wrong, but she couldnt solve it just by a bit. However, half-way through her noodles, when Yang Zhener deliberately stretched her chopsticks over to snatch a meatball from her bowl, a bright light suddenly flashed in Tang Baonas head. The emotions she perceived, the emotions she held, the emotions of Yang Zhener, suddenly unfolded in her mind, turning into happy, bouncing musical notes. So, as Yang Zhener proudly ate the stolen meatball, observing her friends response with a smile, Tang Baona suddenly stopped eating and started softly humming a tune: Doo~ Doo Doo Doo~ Doo~~ Doo Loo Loo~ Doo~~~ She didnt sing specific, meaningful lyrics but just hummed a very novel tune that her friends had never heard before. Yang Zhener was startled by the tune, she chewed the meatball stolen from Nanas bowl, and laughed, Nana, where did you hear this song? Its so strange why does it give me a happy and proud feeling? Hey, Nana, stop singing, it feels kind of annoying, haha. Xiang Kun and Xia Libing exchanged a glance, both understanding that Nana had developed a new ability. Clearly, she had successfully translated Yang Lao Sans emotions into a song and then played it out. This ability is somewhat similar to Xiang Kuns ability to perceive others emotions through Emotion Infused Objects, absorb them after transformation, and then create new Emotion Infused Objects. This ability should be based on the framework of Xiang Kuns abilities. But clearly, Nanas ability to assimilate and spread emotions through her songs is very weak, or it can be said that the song has not been fully compiled yet and is not in its complete form. However, Nanas song, combined with her previous abilities, can use the Super-connected Objects that are now all over the world, and in various human settlements, and with Alices help, can carry out ultra-wide-ranging, large-scale Emotional Influence and Temporary Emotional Assimilation with Infused Objects. Most importantly, this ability gives Nana an infinite source of creation! The same emotions from different people, different emotions from the same person, and subtly different expressions of the same emotion, all these can give Tang Baona different song creation methods, allowing her to compile different melodies. Without a doubt, this will greatly enhance Nanas willingness to actively create and output songs. With Alices help, the entire music industry may soon have to prepare for Princess Tongdu & Super Princess'' music storm. Chapter 568 - Chapter 568: Chapter 568: Bird Catching Plan Chapter 568: Chapter 568: Bird Catching Plan If it had been usual days, should only Yang Lao San behaved so nervously at night, Tang Baona would undoubtedly have tried to investigate. And if it was only Tang Baona always daydreaming, suddenly singing a song she had never sung before, Yang Zhen Er would surely have sensed something unusual, trying to tease Nana, trying to discover her secret, and then fantasizing a behind-the-scenes truth. But tonight, after a near plane crash, Tang Baona and Yang Zhen Er both made significant discoveries. One discovery was within themselves, another was from Old Xia, but their attentions were now entirely on their respective discoveries. After eating their late-night snack and helping Xiang Kun wash the dishes, clean up the kitchen, everyone returned to their rooms to sleep. Yang Zhen Er strongly invited Old Xia to sleep in her and Nanas room, suggesting they have a long conversation, but she was declined. She then proposed to sleep in Old Xias bedroom, but was declined again. However, despite Yang Zhen Ers excitement, after returning to her room and finishing her nightly routine, she fell asleep within 30 seconds. On the other side, Tang Baona wasnt faring much better. She had just lain down and was thinking about creating lyrics for the song she had decoded from Yang Lao Sans emotions. Fiddling with her phone, she fell asleep before she could think of a single line of lyrics. Her phone fell and hit her in the forehead, causing her to scream out. Tang Baona rubbed her sore forehead, the two lines of lyrics she just thought of were gone, unable to recall them, decided not to think about it anymore, and threw her phone aside to sleep. Sitting in the living room downstairs, Xiang Kun only got up and went out when he sensed that Tang Baona, Yang Zhen Er, and Old Xia had gone to sleep. He walked to the courtyard. Where is it now? Xiang Kun couldnt be bothered to enter the Super Sensory State to sense and search, so he asked directly. Alices voice came from the phone: Its here, boss! Im watching it! Xiang Kun looked down at the map location Alice sent, which was in a forest at the junction of Haixi Province and Jiangyou Province. The sky indeed was Xiang Kuns blind spot for the Super-connected Object Network. Otherwise, the mutated big bird wouldnt have been able to successfully attack the plane. But as long as the mutated big bird emerged, with Alices current calculation and deduction capabilities, and the coverage range of the Super-connected Objects that have been deployed, plus the distribution area of Xiao Luobos offspring plants, it could completely analyze its flight trend, use the method of elimination to guess its possible landing area. According to the type of birds brought and driven, Alice guessed the area where the mutated big bird wrapped and drove these birds, knew where it might have hidden before; According to its past behavior pattern, the cognitive model of it established by Xiang Kun and Alice inferred that it had a safe flight range. After failing to attack the passenger plane, it would have a certain escape distance if not immediately pursued. It would feel safe enough to land after flying far enough; If it fell in an area with Super-connected Objects distribution, whether it was a city or a mountainous area, needless to say, Alice could immediately locate the position; If it had not appeared in the area with Super-connected Objects distribution within the flight time calculated by Alice, there is a high probability that it was in the place where Super-connected Objects had not been deployed yet C mostly in the forests; Of course, if it could fly long distances across several provinces, this method would be much more difficult. Even if it found it, it would take a long time. But according to the model established by Xiang Kun and Alice, not to mention whether the big bird has such strong long-time flight ability, it would not fly so far at one time based on its behavior style. In the end, Alice was able to locate the mutated big bird by deploying Xiao Luobos Offspring Plant Group in Haixi and Jiangyou provinces with the assistance of the fourth and fifth level ant colonies to make a directional range seed throw, and increase the offspring plant throw in several mountainous areas where the mutated big bird may land. Then, when Xiang Kun was making a late-night snack for Nana, the exact location of the mutated big bird was identified. In the past few months, Xiao Luobos offspring plants have been deployed on a large scale, but the main direction is within Haixi Province, and then it started to expand along the coastal cities, to the northern Zhi Jiang Province, to the southern Guangdong Province, Gui Hai region; most of the mountainous areas are full of offspring plants, and some parts of Jiangyou Province are also under the control of Xiao Luobo. However, considering the control limit of Xiao Pingguo itself over the offspring plants, Xiang Kun didnt dare to let it expand and occupy the territory all at once, so there is still space for the mutated big bird to hide. If Xiang Kun really starts to put effort and resources into search, unless the mutated big bird can stay in the sky all the time, or live in the sea directly, it would be impossible for it to hide. According to the location of the mutated big bird determined by Alice, if an ordinary person from Chongyun Village wants to go there, undoubtedly, the first step is to drive through the provincial highway to enter Jiangyou Province, then get off the highway at the nearest exit to the mountainous area, and drive to the closest place a car can reach, and then get off the car to climb the mountain. The entire process would take at least tens or even more than twenty hours, especially the last step of climbing the mountain depends on the individuals ability. But for Xiang Kun, there is a shortcut if he wants to rush over. Because Chongyun Mountain is connected with the mountainous area where the mutated big bird is, he can enter directly from Chongyun Mountain, and cross the mountains in his way. Carrying a large amount of Super-connected Objects on his body, and there were super-connected objects that had been previously deployed in the surrounding mountains, as well as the offspring plants of Xiao Luobo, so Xiang Kun could create a very suitable Super-connected Object application environment. He could call up the Electric Mastery Flight ability without needing to make large-scale disturbances to the weather and affect changes in the potential of the atmosphere. While this invocation of ability could not make him fly, it could let him glide and leap in the mountains, using the difference in terrain to make some aerial movements, coupled with his own super-strong mountain cross-country, running, and climbing ability, greatly improved his moving speed in the mountains. Leaving in the early hours of the morning, he estimated he could reach the location of the mutated big bird before dawn. During the time hes rushing over, besides continuing to monitor the mutated big bird, Alice also had a lot to do. According to Xiang Kuns plan, dealing with the mutated big bird mainly has several stages: First, locating; Second, clearing the space; Third, deploying Super-connected Objects to create home-field; Fourth, Xiang Kun enters; Fifth, resolving the conflict and the subsequent cleanup. The first, second, and third stages are all solved by Alice. As for Location, it is using the super sensory item system to call upon all resources to find the location of the mutated big bird. For Clearing the space, Alice uses her control over the network and all electronic products to guide people who may appear around the target to create an undisturbed and non-invasive area. Creating home-field, naturally, is deploying Super-connected Objects in the target area. Although there were plenty of offspring plants of little radish used for location before, their absolute number was not enough. To be foolproof and to prevent the target from escaping using its flight ability again, a large number of Super-connected Objects are required. Alice directly called up unmanned drones from various secret agencies including Divine Technology, and used a fake command to get their staff to load the airtight boxes filled with Super-connected spheres that she had prepared, and rushed to the outer area of the target to deploy overnight. Xiang Kun and Alice have not only established a Super-connected Object Network that spans the entire country and will eventually cover the globe, but they will also develop a flexible deployment mode for super-connected objects. When a particular region needs to exert a strong interference or impact, its done by mass accumulation from the nearest super-connected objects and actively move and deploy super-connected objects to that area to secure home-field advantage in advance. However, at present, only a small part of the country has established this mechanism, and mostly utilizing the mobile network of Divine Technology. After all, Divine Technology is secretive, their staff of high quality, known for their confidentiality, they wont scrutinize the details of such actions, and Alice has complete control of Thyra, she can precisely control all commands and their dedicated communication network. At four-thirty in the morning, eleven drones from Divine Technology released a large number of super-connected spheres around the target area. At four-fifty, Xiang kuns straight-line distance to the mutated big bird was only two kilometers away. A large number of super-connected objects began to accept Xiang Kuns control under the assistance of Alice, creating a range of impact, then slowly moving towards the location of the muted big bird. Because the appearance of drones during deployment might scare the mutated big bird and make it run away, Alice asked the people from Divine Technology to deploy drones in an area far away from the mutated big bird. If one were to look down from the air and mark all the super-connected objects as red dots, they would see a large circle of red dots forming around the mutated big bird, gradually moving towards the circles center point. The night sky in the woods began to become turbulent, winds rose, and their direction became unpredictable. The clouds in the sky became thicker and thicker, heavy clouds overwhelmed the sky, lightning surged, and distant thunder could faintly be heard. The mutated big bird, which had been resting in the forest, looked up at the sky. It seemed to remember a certain past experience, recalling that awful, terrifying experience, it began to feel uneasy. So, instead of instinctively seeking shelter from the imminent rain, it changed its mind, wanting to spread its wings and leave this place before the heavy rain descended. But as soon as it thought to fly up, another will within its body warned it. It got a shock, calmed down again, and hid in a clump of bushes in the forest. It blended in so well that it looked just like part of the bushes. There was danger approaching. If it took to the skies now, it would expose itself. This was the information it got from the warning. The other will existed coequally with it, and it had no choice but to trust the others judgment. However, a few minutes later, it sensed a familiar presence. Then it saw a familiar figure, a shirtless man barefooted, walking through the forest. It instantly understood the meaning of the warning C it wasnt telling it that it would be spotted if it flew up, it was telling it that danger was already close at hand, and it needed to be prepared C whether it flew or not, it had been discovered. If this mutated big bird knew how to curse, it would probably be using a continuous stream of profanities to curse the other will inside it right now. Since whether it flew or not it had been discovered, it should have taken flight and left long ago, which would have obviously made escape easier. It knew very well that this guy could fly, and once he did, it was terrifying. However, it also believed its flying stamina should outdo his. It could escape by simply maintaining a distance. Seeing the bare-chested man suddenly radiating light from the back of his head, emitting strands of lightning hair, and his body being enveloped by a layer of phosphorescence, the mutated big bird didnt hesitate any longer. It flapped its wings and took off from the bushes, immediately pushing its body to its limits as it soared into the sky. But at the same time, it kept a close eye on the man with the lightning hair, preparing to counter any attack, even prepared to endure a lightning strike. Sure enough, the next second, lightning dragons danced wildly in the clouds and streaks of lightning were connecting heaven and earth. In a small area, a lightning storm formed. The mutated big bird was accurately hit by the lightning, but its body had been specially modified to not only withstand high temperatures, but also form a vacuum between its shell and body at the moment of impact, forcing it to shed its skin. After being hit, its charred feathers, epidermis, and even its beak shattered and fell off. But as it continued to flap its wings, and the ashes scattered, it turned into a slightly smaller bird. However, this bird looked rather weird, as if it hadnt fully developed. The mutated big bird tried hard to fly in the sky. It thought about its previous escape experiences. After being struck by lightning, it kept an eye on the position of the man with the electric hair. As long as it could get rid of him, it should be able to survive. But to its surprise, the man remained standing on the ground and didnt take off. Just when it breathed a sigh of relief, believing the man realized he couldnt catch up to it, and thought it could escape this time, a dense wall-like, impenetrable object suddenly surged from all directions, giving it no means to evade. Standing on the ground, Xiang Kun was enveloped in a faint halo with electric hair fluttering on his head. At the tip of this hair, arcs of electricity were released, and a dense network of electricity was formed on the ground. They kept extending outward and eventually sank into the ground and disappeared in the distance. The current Xiang Kun began to create an electric field for his Electric Mastery Flight. Not only was his control much stronger than before but due to the extensive coverage of the super-connected objects, his flight distance was much longer and it was not easy for the mutated big bird to shake him off like it did in the past. But his present large-scale full-force stimulation of super-connected objects, creating anomalies in the land and skies, was not to make himself fly. Under this environment, his ability to fly and control himself would get stronger. But at the same time, the control over the super-connected objects themselves would also strengthen. The super-connected objects he carried with him, and the countless super-connected objects Alice had deployed around him beforehand, rose from the ground like a dense wall and in the blink of an eye, enveloped the taking-off mutated big bird. The lightning strike just now was not meant to keep the mutated big bird down or hurt it, but to apply a strong tag to it, so that the super-connected objects could adhere to it more accurately. But in the blink of an eye, the mutated big bird was turned into a huge iron ball by the super-connected objects. Chapter 569 - Chapter 569: Chapter 569: Ascending to Heaven and Descending to Earth Chapter 569: Chapter 569: Ascending to Heaven and Descending to Earth The gigantic iron sphere floated in mid-air, trembling at a high frequency. Electricity surged above, around, and below it, placing it right at the storms core. It struck a distinctly extraterrestrial note. Should anyone have witnessed this spectacle, they would likely suppose it to be technology more advanced than any earthly civilization possessed. The mutated big bird, enveloped by countless tungsten steel beads, naturally struggled with all its might, employing every strategy it could muster to break free. It had encountered a similar line of attack in Chongyun Village, under the united onslaught of storys charactersCCNiu, Xia, Alice, and Guo. Back at that time, they collaborated to create a field that leveraged tiny fragments of sand and gravel, mineral particles, and metal shavings from the environment to imprison the mutated big bird; super-connected tungsten steel beads played a marginal role. Therefore, the sand and gravel did not have a particularly strong restraining power. Their main function was to disguise the few super-connected spheres that had aimed to invade the mutated big birds nostrils, ears, and mouth in an attempt to internally sabotage it. However, it had ultimately escaped through self-combustion. But in the current environment, with Xiang Kun making a personal appearance and fully stimulating the super-connected object matrix, they had established an optimal home court. The entire entity wrapped around the mutated big bird was entirely comprised of super-connected objects, making escape impossible for the bird, regardless of its struggle. Gazing at the iron sphere suspended in the air and encapsulated by super-connected objects, Xiang Kun suddenly took a step forward. Barefoot, he strode on the ground, and each step he took incited violent changes and jitters in the grounds electrical arcs, similarly catalyzing the release of wild electrical energy in the air above. Xiang Kuns pace quickened, transitioning from a walk to a run. Behind his head, the electricity ignited, extending several meters into a wild, whip-like frenzy. Subsequently, he leapt into the air and soared amid the dancing lightning. As he took flight, the lightning storm intensified, with numerous electric dragons fiercely contesting for supremacy, illuminating the entire region as if it were day. But the lightning storm Xiang Kun had triggered was distinct from those before, since he had deliberately created a field that prevented the lightning from causing tremendous damage when it hit the ground. The energy had not transformed into thermal energy; instead, it continued to circulate. Xiang Kun rose into the sky, directly above the massive iron sphere. Freezing in mid-air, he paused for a moment before abruptly plunging towards the sphere. Xiang Kun delivered a sudden kick to the iron sphere enclosing the mutated big bird, sending it flying into the distance. It was not sheer strength that Xiang Kun used to strike the iron sphere. His kick functioned more like a stirrer to the store of energy. The moment his foot connected with the sphere, it shot out like a cannonball. The sphere flew dozens of meters away, burrowing into the ground. The moment it hit the ground, the super-connected spheres temporarily scattered. Even though the mutated big bird was disfigured and twisted when it was trapped, it took the opportunity to free itself, struggling to escape, and sparks began to erupt from its feathers. But as soon as its head peered from the hole, countless roots and vines stretched out from the nearby walls of the pit. Drawing the bird back into the pit, the roots and vines twisted and entwined above it, fusing at a visibly rapid pace. During its growth, the tree even displayed continuously jumping electrical arcs, a faint white glow radiating from it. Soon, right above the pit, a colossal Twisted Neck Tree took form. Aroung the Twisted Neck Tree were substantial children plants that Alice had previously deployed with the help of the Ant Legion. These were the same entities that had assisted Xiang Kun and Alice in locating the mutated big birds exact loation. The mutated big bird trapped underneath was naturally still struggling fiercely. Were the situation solely reliant on the children plants of the Xiao Luobo, they would undoubtedly fail to restrain it. But now they had not only Xiao Luobo but also countless super-connected spheres, which filled the gaps in the root wrappings in the soil, applying tremendous pressure and limitations. Furthermore, many tiny spikes extended from these roots, penetrating the birds body with the support of the super-connected spheres, continuously extending further into its blood vessels, muscle tissues, and soft tissues. Without immediately descending to the ground, Xiang Kun soared in mid-air at high speed for more than ten seconds, summoning the violent streaks of lightning and continuous thunderous roars in the sky. This action was not aimed to achieve any particular goal; Xiang Kun was merely indulging his desire to experience the thrill of unrestricted flight. Soaring high above in a violent thunderstorm felt vastly different from flying in an airplane. Especially when leveraging tens of thousands of surrounding super-connected objects to extend his perception, Xiang Kun could clearly sense the entire range of the lightning storm, and feel that all the energy of this vast expanse was at his command. For a moment, Xiang Kun felt an overwhelming sensation of omnipotence, almost as if he had become a god capable of controlling natures storms, and destroying the heavens and earth. Indeed, it was exhilarating C incredibly so. However, Xiang Kun quickly reined in his euphoric emotions as he felt the incessant requests from a little creature even more excited than himself to exist in the world alongside him, to dance in the electricity together. This allowed him to withdraw his focus from the super sensory item system back to his own existence. After he had exhausted much of the energy in the clouds and allowed Alice to exist in the world with him for only a few seconds as she oh-ho!-ed while fully charged, Xiang Kun returned to the ground. Walking towards the enormous and grotesque Twisted Neck Tree, he released his influence over the field across the area. With his steps, the electrically charged trail behind his head dwindled swiftly and then vanished. The frequency of the electron flashes and thunder decreased, followed promptly by a downpour. Amid the curtain of rain, Xiang Kun stood calm before the immense Twisted Neck Tree, closed his eyes, and entered the Super Sensory State. Should this scene be captured in a video or image and posted online, it would likely stir a flurry of discussion: Wearing seemingly old jeans, barefooted, topless revealing a sturdy torso, bald-headed, with closed eyes and a tranquil expression, standing in the pouring rain in front of a tree that looked hundreds of years old, as grotesque as if a creature out of a H.P Lovecraft tale had invaded our world. This image, this contrast, could incite many to imagine stories involving Monks or Tree Demons. In reality, had Xiang Kun wished, he could have eliminated the mutated big bird in an instant right after trapping it in the big iron sphere fabricated from numerous super-connected objects by directing several branches of lightning at it. Despite having enhanced resistance to lightning after being thunderstruck on Zi Huan Mountain and consequently mutating further, its primary survival strategy when attacked is to shed a layer of its outermost epidermis, establishing a vacuum insulation layer in-between, resulting in a survival tactic akin to dropping a tail. Otherwise, regardless of its high-temperature resistance, the large bird would struggle to survive direct and consecutive lightning attacks. After being trapped by the super-connected objects, it had lost its ability to deploy such defensive mechanisms. A further attack would truly roast it to a crisp, reducing it to a pile of ash. Xiang Kun didnt go so far, he only trapped and captured it, not for the purpose of a better blood-drinking feast. Xiang Kuns own evolutionary system is fundamentally different from the traditional mutant. His strength lies in the continuous expansion and strengthening of the Super Sensory Item System. His own mutations are the cornerstone and source of his abilities, but since this cornerstone is now stable, theres no need for rapid evolution. Of course, the biggest reason is that after the passenger plane was attacked, he had changed his original plan, preparing to deal with the Ultimate Predator ahead of schedule. He had also inferred that the Ultimate Predator had entered a sensitive state, trying to target him from all sides. So, he decided to avoid drinking blood and remain wakeful before implementing his plan, in order to cope with the possible mechanisms of the Ultimate Predator. Moreover, this mutated big bird was an important tool that he might need for his next plan. Standing in front of the Twisted Neck Tree, Xiang Kun entered the Super Sensory State. Through the immense number of super-connected objects around the mutated big birds body, he deeply analyzed and affected its cognitive information. Xiang Kun originally intended to search for the Ultimate Predators special cognitive information fragments on it to see if they differed from previous special cognitive information. He wanted to figure out how it manipulated the mutated big bird to launch the attack, as he was certain that the mutated big bird itself could not have planned that attack which had cleverly evaded his super-connected objects perception range. However, through this perception, Xiang Kun discovered a peculiar thing: Inside the body of the mutated big bird, there was yet another mutant! This was indeed an intriguing discovery. Xiang Kun quickly confirmed that the mutant which was almost fused with the mutated big bird was something like a toxoplasma with many tentacles attached to the inside of the mutated big bird. Was it a mutated parasite? In the past, Xiang Kun had seen and even eaten a mutated parasite. He had also seen and ate the mutated spider that had undergone incomplete devouring of the mutated plant in the Qinling Uninhabited Area. So he was not overly surprised by the state of the mutated big bird. It seemed that the mutated big bird was in a coerced state, and this mutated parasite was the courier of the Ultimate Predator. Had it been sent with a mission? But Xiang Kun soon found problems in the cognitive information of the parasite on the mutated big bird by the predator. These cognitive pieces showed that the characteristics of the mutated parasite matched too closely with those of the big bird, which was why he and Alice hadnt noticed it at first when they were positioning through long-distance cognitive information. However, when Xiang Kun tried to influence the cognitive information of the parasite through the super-connected objects, the cognitive information suddenly started collapsing and dissipating. Along with it also disappeared the special cognitive information representing the Ultimate Predator. So Xiang Kun instantly understood that it wasnt a mutated parasite controlled by the Ultimate Predator, rather it was the Ultimate Predator itself! Or more precisely, it was a small part of the Ultimate Predator which, using the special super-sensory information segment inside the body of the mutated big bird and using the mutated big bird itself as nourishment and material, edited that parasite-like part. With it, the Ultimate Predator was able to beguile the mutated big bird into doing certain actions. This discovery suddenly made Xiang Kun understand many characteristics of the Ultimate Predator, its style of operation, its way of impacting the biology, and parts of its thought pattern or even its partially revealed personality. Xiang Kun immediately modified his original plan according to this discovery, and it bolstered his confidence in the success of his plan. At around seven in the morning, Liu Zhengyi, who got up for a run along the village road, suddenly saw a bare-chested figure washing his feet by the pond of Liu Caifus Country House. Liu Zhengyi initially wanted to shout and scold, but he quickly noticed that the figure was baldhead which made him hesitate, but soon he identified the man. Liu Zhengyi sped up and ran over. He said with a smile to Xiang Kun, who had finished washing his feet and was putting on his shoes, Mr. Xiang, youre up so early? Xiang Kun glanced at him, while getting up and dressing, and nodded, Yes, I got up early to climb the mountain for exercise, I see youre running every day now? Yes, I have got used to waking up early now, said Liu Zhengyi, scratching his head shyly. Now, the construction of the planned buildings at the research center was almost finished, but some time ago, Xiang Kun and Liu Caifu had negotiated with the village and the town to expand the scope of the research center once more. They also hired many more people. A lot of experimental equipment had already been transported into the first phase of the project, and people needed to watch and maintain it. So now, Liu Zhengyi and his brother Liu Gaoshang both benefited from the situation and got promotions, and they no longer needed to take turns watching the construction site every day, so they could now get up and run every morning regularly. After Xiang Kun finished dressing and made small talk with Liu Zhengyi, he went home. He knew that Old Xia had just gotten up; Nana and Yang Lao San were still asleep, but they should be waking up soon. If he went home and cooked breakfast now, they could eat as soon as they woke up. Watching Xiang Kuns departing figure, Liu Zhengyi was reminded of the news he had seen the day before. They had previously learned from Xia Libing that Xiang Kun was due to return that day. So, when the video of the plane accident began to circulate everywhere in the afternoon, they immediately wondered if Xiang Kun had been on that plane. But before they could find out whether Xiang Kun was on that flight, they received the news that the passenger plane had landed safely. Then, online discussions began about a little girl in a white dress who appeared outside the plane, protecting and ensuring the safe landing of the plane. While others may not have thought anything of this narrative, but Liu Zhengyi and his brother instantly remembered the incident from a few months ago when Pig Tail and Liu Er Tong were stealing construction materials from a site in the village and were caught by a sudden appearance of a little girl in a white dress, resulting in them getting scared and phoning the police to rescue them. At the time, everyone laughed at them for being cowardly. But upon reflecting on their descriptions and comparing it with the appearance of the little girl outside the airplane, the Liu Brothers suddenly realized that Pig Tail and Liu Er Tong may have indeed seen something. Chapter 570 - Chapter 570: Chapter 570: I Had a Dream Last Night Chapter 570: Chapter 570: I Had a Dream Last Night Compared to his younger brother Liu Gaoshang, Liu Zhengyi harbored a much greater sense of awe toward Xiang Kun. In truth, he had never directly observed Xiang Kun in action, yet through his observations and intuition, coupled with the reverence held by those whom he admired toward Xiang Kun, Liu Zhengyi came to some personal conclusions about the man. Initially, he merely thought Xiang Kun was a highly esteemed figure of considerable status, someone who could persuade Liu Feibao to be humble and seek favor, someone who Liu Caifu and Chu Xiuwen took seriously, and someone who even the higher-ranking Boss Qi dared not to cross. That individual must be extraordinary. When Xiang Kun moved to Chongyun Village, the continuous influx of funds coming from Tongshi Town and Chongyun Village hinted to Liu Zhengyi that Xiang Kuns social standing was probably much higher than what he had initially imagined. A number of subsequent events, on top of his casual chats with Chu Xiuwen in the village, allowed him to gain further insight into Xiang Kuns true character from Chus words and attitudes. No matter whether it was the lightning that struck the felons, the sudden mist that enveloped the entire village, the unidentified flying object in the mist, or the little girl in a white skirt seen outside the airliner, these events that occurred around Xiang Kun or those in his proximity were all far from ordinary and must have been connected. At the crux of these events was Xiang Kun, Liu Zhengyi thought, without any concrete evidence but based solely on his intuition, which he fully trusted. Honestly, having worked for Xiang Kun for just a few months, Liu Zhengyi and his brothers monthly income and allowances already exceeded 8K, which was a high amount for their area. Their work wasnt physically demanding either; they were primarily in management on the construction site. According to Mr. Xiang, their future responsibilities would involve property management, security of the research base, and liaising with villagers, suggesting a level of trust toward the brothers. Naturally, they had now achieved Liu Zhengyis initial aspiration and were considered to have made something of themselves. Those elders who previously looked down upon the brothers and wouldnt even bother to scold them were now willing to stop for a chat. Some even actively suggested arranging marriages for them, an idea that would have been unthinkable a few years ago. His brother Liu Gaoshang was delighted every day. As soon as he finished work, he was itching to go to the town and spend time with a girl he had met in a game. If Liu Zhengyi hadnt kept a close eye on him, the boy would likely often show up late, leave early, and squander all his salary. As an older brother, it was now Liu Zhengyis responsibility to save money and help his brother get married, renovate the old house in the village, and then consider his own marriage. Although they hadnt yet amassed significant wealth, they were on a steady upward trajectory. He thought it would take at least three to five years to reach these goals, yet everything had gone brilliantly. However, his thoughts had begun to shift lately. His plan for his brother remains the same. That boy was carefree and needed guidance; otherwise, he wouldnt learn until he got severely hurt. On the other hand, his plan for himself had altered a little. He was slightly worried that he might not be worthy of his salary and responsibilities and had felt a crisis of inadequacy. Thus, he had been pondering on how to improve himself and become better at his job. Given that his current and future responsibilities mostly revolve around the research base, when the experimental equipment began to arrive and be set up, he wanted to understand the process, but naturally, everything made no sense to him. He wasnt discouraged. He approached the staff members setting up the equipment for guidance. They assured him that using the equipment was the researchers job, maintaining it was the technicians job, and he didnt have to do anything with it. But he insisted they provide him with many user manuals and maintenance guides. He hadnt even completed nine years of compulsory education and could barely make heads or tails of the manuals. Even though some of the guides were in Chinese, he didnt understand what they were about. As such, he started to investigate the concepts he struggled with, asking questions, reading popular science articles, consulting textbooks, which were mostly about the content he studied in junior high school. He could still get drowsy as he attempted to get through the readings involving basic calculations in math, physics, or chemistrybecause they were utterly new to him. But during this process, when he checked the meanings of some words, he unintentionally came across some ancient texts that piqued his interest, prompting him to read the Analects, Doctrine of the Mean, The Great Learning, and Tao Te Ching. Of course, he barely understood most of the content and merely skimmed through them. Regardless, he found the reading so intriguing that he became absorbed in the texts. One particular passage, By learning, one profits daily; by practicing the Tao, one sustains daily loss, gave him a moment of enlightenment. After reading this, he found he could better understand the math, physics, and chemistry concepts that he previously found unbearable. Although he proceeded slowly, he wasnt impatient. More importantly, he realized that unlike before, he wasnt trying to quantify the world with his limited knowledge. Instead, he adopted a more holistic perspective to perceive and understand things. Then he began to notice something special about Chongyun Village, the place where he was born and raised. Or perhaps those unique traits had just appeared recently. He felt that Chongyun Village had a tranquility that no other place had. The air seemed fresher than anywhere else, a perception that he was sure wasnt an illusion but an actual physical response from breathing. Gradually, he sensed that the landscapes, land, trees, and rocks in the village, the land underneath and the surroundings, were all part of a unified entityan entity with consciousness and thought. As he moved within this entity, he felt that it was gradually accepting him. This was one of the reasons he persisted in running every morning, for he believed that it was during these moments that his communication with Chongyun Village was at its purest and undisturbed. He had an idea that both Mr. Xiang and the current Chongyun Village, and Chongyun Mountain, seemed like a vast cluster of buildings hidden within a dense fog, and he stood guard over one of the entry passages leading into this architectonic ensemble. He knew that such a group of buildings existed in the fog but he had never really seen it and did not know how large it was or what it looked like. He simply performed his duties as a loyal gatekeeper: he attended diligently to his own affairs, swept and guarded the paths beneath his feet, and waited. And hopefully, one day, the people in the buildings would acknowledge him and he would be able to catch a glimpse of the constructions hidden beneath the fog, even getting a closer look. The most important thing was, this process was not painful, nor was it hard to endure. On the contrary, he was somewhat addicted to it and found pleasure in it. His past hobbies and pursuits began to taste bland during these days. In the distance, Xiang Kun, who was almost at his doorstep, could guess at Liu Zhengyis ideas and status C even without turning back. Actually, he could have avoided Liu Zhengyi completely, but he chose not to, and made some casual small talk with him instead. When Xiang Kun was in a Super Sensory State, he would often intentionally or unintentionally perceive the cognitive information of those around him. This was particularly noticeable when he previously had to clear the special cognitive information fragments of the Ultimate Predator, and he basically perceived everyone he knew. Liu Zhengyis cognitive information was somewhat special. In certain states, there would be a shallow connection between his cognitive information and the abundant Super-connected Objects in Chongyun Village. After discovering this, Xiang Kun instructed Alice to focus on observing and collecting information from Liu Zhengyi. Liu Zhengyi was different from people like Qi Haoguo, Old Man Du, and others who had established a second-level Emotion Infused Object link under the influence of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving or emotional impact of the wooden cat carvings at Youlong Restaurant. He had not been influenced by any Emotion Infused Objects, nor did he have exclusive Super-connected Objects given by Xiang Kun like Old Xia or Little Fatty Girl, nor had he received System Recognition or Will Recognition from Xiang Kun. So, normally, he couldnt enter the Super Sensory Item System, let alone establish a special connection with Super-connected Objects. However, Liu Zhengyis connection was unlike that of anyone known to be in the Super Sensory Item System right now, including beings like cats, birds, and trees. He wasnt connected to a specific Super-connected Object or a few of them, but instead, he had a very faint connection with all Super-connected Objects in the area, or rather a set composed of all the Super-connected Objects in the area. It was as if the one establishing the connection with him was not a Super-connected Object, but Chongyun Village itself. This was somewhat similar to the feeling between Old Xia and that GL8. They didnt focus on a specific Super-connected Object nor detailed information operation or perception related to that Super-connected Object. Instead, they integrated the effects of all the Super-connected Objects in the GL8 unit into one, and established the connection and function application from there. Of course, compared to Old Xias perception of the GL8, Liu Zhengyis perception of the entire Chongyun Village was deficient by leaps and bounds. If Old Xias perception of the GL8 was quantified as 10,000, then Liu Zhengyis perception of Chongyun Village might not even reach 0.0001, and still remained in a barely discernible and vague state. So, let alone utilizing such perception for anything, under normal circumstances, this level of perception would be virtually imperceptible to a regular person. They would merely think it was a momentary sensory illusion. However, Liu Zhengyi was obviously firm in his vague perception and even tried to find and train methods to strengthen his perception. Xiang Kun figured that the reason for Liu Zhengyi having this kind of perception probably had something to do with him spending a long time in Chongyun Village, an environment containing a large number of Super-connected Objects C especially the construction site of that research base. Xiang Kun had originally planned to use it as his main base. He had established a Super Sensory Contact with almost all the building materials that were capable of establishing such a contact, and had also preemptively placed a large number of Super-connected Tungsten Steel Beads under the construction site. However, currently, with Xiang Kun mass-releasing Super-connected Objects and establishing Super Sensory Contact worldwide, there were actually many places worldwide with higher Super-connected Object density than that construction site, yet for the time being, there have been no similar cases like Liu Zhengyi. Of course, it might also be that he just hadnt discovered them yet. From Xiang Kuns past experiences, he speculated that Liu Zhengyis unique perception of the overall Super-connected Objects in Chongyun Village was probably tied to his cognitive system. It is very likely that Liu Zhengyi has formed a cognitive method that can be compatible with the Super Sensory Item System or, to be more precise, the Chongyun Village Super-connected System. At the same time, although Xiang Kun has not granted him Super-connected Object authorization recognition, in Xiang Kuns subconscious cognition, Liu Zhengyi is a familiar face who is under protection. This might be some sort of secondary authorization certificate issued non-actively by Xiang Kun. Of course, if Xiang Kun wanted, he could cut off Liu Zhengyis extremely weak connection with Chongyun Villages Super-connected Objects at any time. But for now, Xiang Kun is eager to see how far Liu Zhengyi could go on his own. He didnt hinder Liu Zhengyi, nor promote him. He was only observing. In some sense, Liu Zhengyi might be reaching the limit of how much unfacilitated interaction with the Super Sensory Item System a regular person can achieve without active influence from Xiang Kun, emotional projection intervention, or Super-connected Object authorization. As the types of Super-connected Objects continued to increase indefinitely, and as their distribution and association areas covered the globe, and crazily continued to grow under his and Alices operation, anywhere there were people there would pretty much be Super-connected Objects. Under the premise of Xiang Kun not giving authorization, or actively intervening, or actively influencing, the mutual impact which ordinary people or other organisms could have with Super-connected Objects or the Super Sensory Item System will be a topic needing attention in the future. When Xiang Kun returned home, Old Xia had just finished washing up and was coming downstairs. Evidently, she had been notified by Alice that he was back. Alice also reported last nights battle situation to Old Xia in a manner half boasting and half showing off, as Alice knew that she could only tell these things to Old Xia. So, Xiang Kun didnt need to tell her about last nights situation. After greeting her with a Good morning, he went straight to the kitchen to start preparing breakfast. Li Bing followed him into the kitchen and started sorting out flour and kneading dough as per Xiang Kuns instructions. Is it still there? Li Bing asked while kneading dough. Xiang Kun knew what she was asking about and replied, Its still there, buried in the dirt, with Alice guarding it. Its stable. The phone in his trousers pocket made a crisp sound, Very stable! Old Xia nodded, her question about whether the mutated big bird which didnt get brought back was safe was well understood. Of course, by safe, she was referring not to whether the mutated big bird was safe, but to if it would remain unhindered as a tool in Xiang Kuns future plans. Could it be found and destroyed by the Ultimate Predator, other mutants or humans? Xiang Kuns reply was very clear: with Alice guarding it, there wont be any problems. Although Old Xia didnt ask again, Xiang Kun still added, With enough super-connected objects and Alices attention, the Ultimate Predator will have no way of influencing it on a microscopic level. The phone in his trouser pocket followed up: No way! No influence! Xiang Kun and Old Xia were used to it and didnt respond to her. The special super sensory information fragment erased by Xiang Kun could potentially be infected by the Ultimate Predator again, but if Xiang Kun placed enough super connected objects around the target and had Alice on high alert, it would kill this possibility in advance. Thus, the mutated big bird, which is now buried in the ground, wrapped in layers by the root stalks of Xiao Luobos offspring plants, and surrounded by tens of thousands of super-connected spheres, could not be directly influenced by the Ultimate Predator to determine the mutant birds fate. Its nearly impossible. Xiang Kun would be even less afraid of external influences. With his preparation, whether its the super sensory item system or Alices control, both are adequate for coping. He did not believe that the Ultimate Predator would dare to fight him to the death now. This can be seen from its strenuous attempts to attack the passenger plane through the mutated big bird. Li Bing then asked, The original plan? Xiang Kun shook his head: No, the plan has changed. I may not be able to handle it alone, I might need your help. Li Bings answer was still extremely in-character, Very interested. Im interested too! Xiang Kuns phone in his pocket chimed. Whether youre interested or not, you cant escape from it. Make the dough now. Xiang Kun said irritably, and at the same time shoved a newly washed coin into the dough that Old Xia had just finished kneading. Xiang Kun had already sensed that Yang Zhener was stretching after waking up in bed. Tang Baona was tossing and turning, also about to wake up soon. According to Yang Lao Sans habit, she would definitely wake up Nana when she woke up. Therefore, even if he used warm water, there was not enough time for the dough to rise. He needed to use the super-connected object to let Alice help him cheat. So, within three minutes, under Alices hard work, the dough that Old Xia had kneaded had risen into a full bowl. After Xiang Kun removed the coin, he quickly rolled out the dough, filled it with the freshly made filling, fast as though he were a human dumpling machine. Old Xia prepared the steamer and heated the water. Xiang Kun had already made the right amount of meat buns and placed them in the steamer. By the time Tang Baona and Yang Zhener woke up, got dressed, washed up, and came downstairs, Xiang Kun had already made the soy milk, fried the egg pancakes, turned off the fire under the steamer, and was ready to serve breakfast. Good morning Chef Xiang! Good morning Old Xia! Oh yea, I get to eat fresh breakfast by Chef Xiang again! Yang Zhener, energetic, sat down next to the dining table, rubbing her hands together and narrowing her eyes in anticipation. Tang Baona laughed and said, You misplaced the adjective, you should say you are eating Chef Xiangs fresh breakfast, not a fresh Chef Xiang! Dont worry about it, hehe, said Yang Zhen Er as she leaned down to take a small sip of soy milk from the rim of the basin, then picked up a piece of egg pancake and finished it in two bites. By the way, I had a dream last night that was super, super, super interesting! Yang Zhen Er said, chewing on her egg pancake, eager to get started. Old Xia and Tang Baona at the table just silently ate their own breakfast, not responding, knowing that she would continue on her own. Xiang Kun brought over two plates of steaming buns and smiled: What, Yang Lao San, did you dream about a white knight riding a black pig coming to get you? Nonsense, I dont dream about white knights! Yang Zhen Er said, already reaching for a steamed bun and eating it, not caring about the super, super, super interesting dream she was going to tell. However, after just one bite, she scalded her mouth and screamed out, causing Tang Baona, who was watching from the side, to both laugh and cry. She quickly went to get some cold water, always feeling that Yang Zhen Er and Xiao Lingdang were similar. Slow down, no one is rushing you. Xiang Kun made so many, we definitely cant finish all of them, Tang Baona helplessly handed over the glass as she said this. Yang Zhen Er waved her off, not needing it, then puffed out a breath to cool down the bun in her mouth. After swallowing, she took a big gulp of soy milk and giggled, Im hungry. I think that dream I had last night took up a lot of my energy. Dreams taking up energy? You werent sleepwalking, Tang Baona laughed. Hearing this, Xia Libing, while biting his bun, gave Yang Zhen Er a thoughtful look. Yang Zhen Er quickly finished one bun and started on the second, starting to tell her dream, So last night, I dreamed I was at home trying to generate electricity with a coin Tang Baona asked, How can you generate electricity with a coin? Its generating electricity like zzzz, anyway, its not important. I was just doing that when Xiao Lingdang suddenly ran home. She looked so pitiful and told me she got beaten up at kindergarten and couldnt fight back. I was furious, who beat up my Xiao Lingdang? I immediately grabbed Xiao Lingdang and rushed over there to demand an explanation Yang Zhen Er said, pointing like a sword, an image of a heroine on an expedition. Isnt Xiao Lingdang in primary school now? Tang Baona asked. Thats not important! Yang Zhen Er waved her hand dismissively and continued, So I grabbed Xiao Lingdang and rushed over, and when I got to the kindergarten, my god! The one who beat Xiao Lingdang was a turkey, really big, like the size of a Tengjiao Entertainment building! That guy stepped down with just one claw, and Xiao Lingdang and I would have been done for, no fight against him! Then I yelled, Get on the cat!, and Xiao Lingdang and I jumped onto a fat cat bigger than a tiger and rode on it, running and running. By the way, the cat was a Custard Pie, and you know what, it was actually quite comfortable riding on a cat. Anyway, we just kept running, I was furiously patting Custard Pies bottom for it to speed up, and Xiao Lingdang kept throwing coins to hit the turkey. But that turkey, it could actually fly! It suddenly landed in front of us, and it spat fire from its mouth, can you believe it! Then Talking about the word then, Yang Zhen Er suddenly burst into laughter so that she couldnt go on. She sank her head into her crook and tried to control her laughter. Her shoulders were shaking with laughter. Xia Libing, Tang Baona, and Xiang Kun all looked at each other, wondering what had made Yang Lao San suddenly so amused. After nearly half a minute, Yang Zhen Er finally took a deep breath and stopped giggling abruptly. She put the bun she was holding down on the plate and said, When Xiao Lingdang and I thought we were done for, thunder suddenly rang out from the sky, and lightning, and then a guy fell out of the clouds, a big baldy, he flew over and kicked the head off that turkey with one kick. One kick, hahaha, the turkeys head, eyes wide, mouth open, it was so funny, hahaha. Yang Zhen Er burst into laughter again. Tang Baona, who was usually easily amused, couldnt help but join in. Yang Zhen Er continued laughing and said, That big bald guy turned out to be Brother Xiang, the chef, who was bare, not even wearing glasses, just wearing shorts made of leaves. He looked like a savage, but still bald, hahaha! In the dream, I actually thought Brother Xiang, dressed like this, looked pretty cool, with a great figure. I jumped down from Custard Pie and was about to greet Brother Xiang when, guess what, Xiao Lingdang went running up to him, holding him, and said: Lets roast the turkey! Hahahaha. At this point, Yang Zhen Ers tears from laughter were already flowing out: Im dying of laughter oh, my little foodie. Yang Zhen Er and Tang Baona were both laughing so hard their bellies hurt. Xiang Kun and Old Xia just had smiles on their faces, chuckling a few times, but both were deep in thought. It wasnt that Xiang Kun had a high comedic threshold, but rather he realised that Yang Lao Sans dream was probably not a purely self-induced dream. He was thinking and didnt have time to laugh. As for Old Xia, he hadnt caught the humor because he wasnt affected by the mood, but he was the same as him, realising that the dream might be related to the Super sensory item system. After laughing for a while, Tang Baona wiped her tears and said, By the way, I had a dream last night too. Chapter 571 - Chapter 571: Chapter 571: Dreamland Ranger Chapter 571: Chapter 571: Dreamland Ranger Tang Baona finally regained her composure after being infected with laughter from Yang Zhen Er, and said, I had a fun dream last night too Nana, did you dream about Ultraman Turkey too? Yang Zhen Er asked. Turkey, my foot! Tang Baona glared at her, picked up the meat bun she just placed on the plate and stuffed it into her mouth. Yang Zhen Er bit the meat bun happily with her tilted head. Sensing that Tang Baona seemed a bit shy and hesitant to express herself, Xiang Kun immediately asked, Nana, what dream did you have last night? How was it fun? She finally answered his question, I dreamed that I was performing in a large venue with a mask on. I was singing when someone suddenly stormed onto the stage While eating her bun, Yang Zhen Er couldnt help but ask, What do you mean by storming? Did he propose to you with flowers? Not in your wildest dreams! Tang Baona flicked her friends forehead, then couldnt help but laugh. The guy who caused the disruption jumped on stage with a loudspeaker and started shouting, This singer is a fraud~ Its an AI conspiracy~ Theyre brainwashing us blablabla. Yang Zhen Er, bun in one hand and the other on her forehead, laughed and said, Haha, youre the big villain in your dream, Nana, a fake star whos brainwashing all of humanity! Maybe its because we were discussing creating a virtual singer yesterday and you felt like it was deceiving the audience, so you felt guilty and dreamed about being the boss of the villains What boss of the villains? What are you even talking about? Ugh, just focus on eating your bun. Listen to me, the interesting part is still to come!'' Tang Baona said helplessly. Yes, yes, you go on, Nana. If Old Three interrupts again, I wont let her eat her bun. Xiang Kun chuckled and pretended to snatch the meat bun from Yang Zhen Ers hand. Old Three quickly reclined and showed her clenched fist to Xiang Kun. Tang Baona continued, The guy who was causing the disruption leapt onto the stage, and in my dream, I was scared and didnt know what to do. The singing stopped and the audience fell silent. Then a security guard jumped up, picked up the guy, and threw him back down. And then there were a bunch of people causing disruptions again and as they climbed up, he would throw them back down. When Yang Zhen Er finished eating her bun, she couldnt help but ask, That security guy did he have hair? This comment tickled Tang Baona so much that she burst into laughter, almost in tears, nodding as she laughed, He was bald I knew it. If Nanas concert was disrupted, Xiang Kun would definitely stand up. Wait, where am I then, Nana? If Xiang Kun is there, then I should be there too! Nana, I cant believe you didnt dream of me. Im your number one fan, your top bodyguard with a knife! Tang Baona laughed for a good while before saying, The security guard in my dream was indeed Xiang Kun, but then there were too many people trying to cause a disruption. Thats when Xiang Kun, the security guard, starts to work his magic. He ripped off his shirt, shouted Get lost and a lightning strike came down from the sky, throwing all the disrupters away! And then the lightning just kept coming down one after another, directed by Xiang Kun to the people. And I continued singing in my dream, with the thunder sounding just like a drum, hitting exactly on the beat. Xiang Kun was also dancing in the lightning, doing that Savage New Island dance, it was so funny Its all your fault, Yang Zhen Er for constantly interrupting me and ruining the rhythm, its not as fun anymore when I tell it. No way, I think its very interesting. Its perfect for eating with, hehe. Yang Zhen Er laughed and said, But I still want to ask, where am I, Nana? Why didnt you dream about me? Tang Baona rolled her eyes at her: Did you dream about me then? And dont you dare tell me I was that turkey! Yang Zhen Er was stunned: Oh right, I strangely enough didnt dream about Nana, thats magical. Xiang Kun looked at Xia Libing and half-jokingly asked: Old Xia, did you have any dreams? Although Yang Zhen Er and Tang Baona only recounted their dreams from the previous night as amusing narratives, Xiang Kun had keenly determined from certain elements of their dreams and their clear recollection of the dream narratives and details that their dreams might not be ordinary ones. Normally, the details of spontaneous dreams are hard to clearly recall upon awakening, but both Yang Zhen Er and Tang Baona described the environment and details of their dreams very clearly. This feature is more consistent with the dreams induced by Emotion Infused Objects. However, in response to his question, Xia Libing shook her head: I slept soundly until dawn. Old Xia wasnt affected by the dreams? This is probably irrelevant to the surrounding Emotion Infused Objects, Super-connected Objects, and their connection level in the Super Sensory Item System. It might just be a simple emotional trigger, and it just so happened that Old Xia doesnt have this specific emotion. But that doesnt seem right, either. Normally, there should be a clear emotional type bias and corresponding emotional projection with emotional triggers. But based on the dream descriptions given by Nana and Yang Lao San, the types of emotions they were provoked with seem different, and there were no characteristic emotional projections. For now, in the entire Super Sensory Item System, besides Xiang Kun, there is no one else who can induce dreams. Even Old Xia, who possesses the ability to edit Dream in A Dream, needs Xiang Kun to first create a dream foundation and pull her into the dream. Did Nana and Yang Lao San acquire dream-related abilities? But at least Xiang Kun has the ability to perceive others dreams, whereas theyre dreaming themselves and perceiving what Xiang Kun has done through their dreams? Isnt this ability too outrageous? Xiang Kun thought about it. Thats unlikely. He quickly remembered, besides him, there was another person who could independently dream and construct special dreamscapes within the Super Sensory Item System: Liu Shiling. He once, through Emotion Infused Objects, sensed and entered Little Fatty Girls half-completed dream. Later on, when Old Xia and Little Fatty Girl co-dreamed, it was further proven that Little Fatty Girl indeed had a strong dream-making ability. Could it be that Little Fatty Girl has developed the ability to induce dreams, and that Yang Lao San and Nanas special dreams last night were both triggered by her? Come to think of it, it seems that every time he uses the preliminary ability of Electric Mastery Flight on a large scale, causing a wide-area thunderstorm, Little Fatty Girl always has a somewhat dazed and unconscious feeling, which subsequently leads to development and advancement of her abilities. Even when he himself fell into a deep, blood-consuming slumber, his consciousness was awakened by Little Fatty Girls dazed Hyperstimulation of the super-connected item, allowing him to enter the deep super sensory information. Xiang Kun looked at the time. It was already past eight, and Little Fatty Girl had gone to school. Therefore, he first called Xiao Pingguo and found out that she did not have dreams last night. After breakfast, Yang Zhen Er and Tang Baona went to town. They were looking for a new place to work in town. QianKun Technology planned to continue expanding and hire many more people, so the temporary office space they had rented before was no longer enough. With the help of Chu Xiuwen, Liu Caifu, and Liu Feibao, and the sufficient funds of QianKun Technology, this endeavor was not difficult. Even the local government of Tongshi Town would fully cooperate. QianKun Technology, thanks to the popularity of Genesis of Voice, had gained quite a bit of fame. This promising tech company was a treasure for Tongshi Town and even Jianzhou City. Xia Libing went to the research base to receive a batch of new equipment scheduled to arrive today. After Xiang Kun had found the behavior patterns of the Ultimate Predator and resolved or shielded related threats, Old Xia could soon begin relevant research and those labs would come in handy. Because of this, the research base, with the funds injected by Xiang Kun from Teng Jiao Interactive Entertainment, had expanded beyond the original plan. As for Xiang Kun himself, he stayed in the village under the pretext of dealing with some game codes. Of course, he wasnt going to write code. He wanted to further perfect his plan. The encounter with the mutated big bird last night had provided him with much new information about the Ultimate Predator, which required some adjustments to his plan. The mutated big bird, this tool, was ready. The main target was Mr. Liang. However, his plan did not require him to take action personally. With the Super Sensory Item System and Alice, he could stay behind the scenes. On the other hand, Xiang Kun was still puzzling over Nana and Yang Lao Sans dreamland from last night, trying to figure out what triggered it. Although he had been dealing with the mutated big bird last night and didnt monitor Nana and Old Sans super sensory information in real-time, it was hard to recap and trace back the changes happening at the level of their consciousness and dreamland. But if the dreamland was indeed triggered by the Super Sensory Item System, it must have been activated through Emotion Infused Objects or Super-connected Objects. Therefore, starting with the Emotion Infused Objects and Super-connected Objects around Nana and Old San, some clues could be found. Xiang Kun soon found the clue C Nana and Old Sans Super-connected coins had deep connections with the Little Fatty Girl. Obviously, when the two spent a lot of time with the Little Fatty Girl in Peng City, they often played various games with coins as props. Their Super-connected coins unknowingly established a strong association with the Little Fatty Girl. Now, although the degree of the association is not as strong as that with the Little Fatty Girls own five large coins, it could be put to use by her. Looking back through the traces of super sensory information, it was indeed found that the Super-connected coins carried by Old San and Nana had been used last night. The effect was not triggered through emotion infused objects, but was directly linked with Little Fatty Girl in Peng City. Given this, it was almost certain who was behind the dreamland. However, what puzzled him was why Little Fatty Girl didnt appear in Nanas dreamland. If it was Little Fatty Girl who triggered the dreamland, there should be a corresponding projection of her in the dreamland after all, she couldnt purely sense others dreams like Xiang Kun, but had to partake in the dreams. So when Alice informed Xiang Kun that the Little Fat Girl had finished her third class in the morning, he established a call with her through the smartwatch bought for her by Yang Zhener. Little Bells, did you listen attentively in class? Xiang Kun asked. Little Fatty Girl knew that Aunt Qin was going to pick up her third-grade daughter first and would take a while to come and pick her up, so she didnt leave the classroom immediately. Instead, she lay on the table, lifting her smartwatch to talk to Xiang Kun, I didnt listen in class. Hearing her matter-of-fact tone, Xiang Kun laughed, Then what were you doing in class? Before continuing, Little Fatty Girl raised her head to check the platform and make sure the teacher was not in the classroom. Then she whispered, The teachers lecture was too simple, I already knew all that. I was secretly learning second-grade content. Xiang Kun laughed, Well, Xiao Lingdang is very diligent. However, dont get too tired. Im not tired, Im just pressed for time. Im learning too slowly. Little Fatty Girl sounded a little worried. Theres no rush. Weve got all the time in the world. By the way, Xiao Lingdang, did you have any dreams last night? Xiang Kun knew that Shilings Mom and Zhang Qian had sent a lady named Ms. Qin to pick up Little Fatty Girl and that she was about to arrive at the first grade area. Therefore, he got straight to the point. Yes! I had several dreams! I dreamt of Uncle Bald fighting monsters, and I dreamt that I went to kindergarten with Old Immortal Sister to fight turkeys. We couldnt defeat the turkeys, so Uncle Bald came to help us chop off the turkeys head, and then we roasted the turkey together. But before it was fully roasted and we could eat it, I had another dream in which I saw Beautiful Sister. Beautiful Sister was singing, and Uncle Bald and I were security guards. Some people came to make trouble, but we beat them away! Liu Shiling excitedly said. Xiang Kun thought to himself, Just as I expected. However, he was puzzled, So at Beautiful Sisters concert, you were also a security guard? Where were you then? Your Beautiful Sister said she didnt see you. I was in the sky! I was sitting on a magic carpet, following Uncle Balds command to strike down the bad guys with lightning! Liu Shiling raised her voice slightly, Not all security guards can be together, they must work separately. This way, we can protect Beautiful Sister well. As she spoke, Liu Shiling suddenly realized something. With some excitement, she asked, Uncle Bald, were you really in my dream last night? Were the Beautiful Sister and Old Immortal Sister real too? Can they play with us in our dreams like Roast Chicken Wing Sister? Were you really fighting monsters last night? Was the monster a turkey? Can it be eaten? Uh Lets talk about this later. Xiang Kun said. Liu Shiling was taken away by the aunt who came to pick her up for lunch, so Xiang Kun ended the conversation with her. From the fact that Tang Baona didnt notice Little Fatty Girl flying in the dream, it can be seen that the foundation of this dream should originate from Little Fatty Girl, while the various elements in the dream come from Nana. This Little Fatty Girl actually carried out a dream invasion by herself albeit only invading the dreams of Nana and Old Three, the two sisters she likes the most. It doesnt seem like she actively guided or edited the dream, but rather simply threw herself into someone elses dream. According to the abilities that Little Fatty Girl has shown, its likely that she imagined Xiang Kun fighting monsters to a certain extent through her self-constructed dream while Xiang Kun was battling the mutated big bird and creating a large-scale lightning storm last night. The super-connected object near Little Fatty Girl attracted her subconscious attention in her sleep. However, the continuous influence of the super-connected object subsequently supported her subconscious mind in her sleep to do more. So she used the super-connected coin near Old Three and Nana that she could call upon, helped them establish a special dream, passed her story outline to them, and then blended herself into it. Essentially, it was like Little Fatty Girl accidentally discovered Xiang Kun was fighting monsters and went enthusiastically to report the news to her two favorite sisters. However, this was done through her subconscious mind during sleep. Unbeknownst to her, Little Fatty Girl has actually become a Dream Wanderer. However, the reason she can harmoniously and seamlessly integrate people and dreams and appear in other peoples dreams, triggering their dreams without needing Emotion Infused Objects, is likely due to her oblivious, confused, and unintentional state. For Xiang Kun and Old Xia, further studying Little Fatty Girls methods of dreaming and entering dreams will definitely help them further develop their ability to edit dreams. It seems that theyll need to create more lightning storms when they find the time? The nights of thunder and lightning are when the Fatty Girl Version Dream Wanderer sets out. It feels quite exciting to think about it. Chapter 572 - Chapter 572: Chapter 572: Investigation Merge Chapter 572: Chapter 572: Investigation Merge Xia Tianhuo initially planned to invite Old Xia and Xiang Kun to dine with Zhao Feng and Wang Dean today, using the mealtime for some probing and having Old Xia secretly analyze things. The other two had also expressed their desire to interview Xiang Kun, Yang Lao San, and Tang Baona about their experiences on the flight the previous day. With the addition of Old Xia, they would undoubtedly not mind. However, when he had already called and arranged with Old Xia to have lunch with Xiang Kun in town at noon, Zhao Feng called in the morning to say he had new assignment to cover at Jianzhou Airport, and thus could not make it for lunch. This reason was quite acceptable. Naturally, the biggest news of the day was the previous airplane crisisnot only the safe emergency landing of the plane, but also the little girl who appeared on the airplanes wing, all added to the heated discussion and coverage of this news. So, whether it was interviewing passengers Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, Yang Zhener or going to Jianzhou Airport for coverage, both choices are reasonable for a reporter. But the issue was that Xia Tianhuo had some determination in his heart that Old Zhao and Old Wang were not simple journalists or media workers. Even if they used to be policemen, which was true, that does not mean their identities and goals now are truthful. Last night, the pair plainly exhibited an interest in what he said as well as in Xiang Kun, Yang Lao San, and Nana. Today, however, they suddenly changed their plans and stood him up. There must be some kind of special circumstance. After some thought, Xia Tianhuo called the hotel where Zhao and Wang were staying and learned that they were no longer in their rooms, so he decided to drive to Jianzhou Airport too. He wasnt certain whether the two would really go to Jianzhou Airport, and even if they did, he wasnt sure whether he could find them. But he wanted to try his luck and do a little reconnaissance. Unexpectedly, when he arrived at Jianzhou Airport and looked around, he found Zhao Feng and Wang Dean in the office area of the airport. Not only did he catch sight of them, but he also spotted two other familiar faces. When Zhao Feng and Wang Dean received their assignment last night, they learned they would meet an investigative squad coming from Wushu Mountain today. The specific assignment would be arranged by the leader of the investigative squad, and they were responsible for cooperating. They knew nothing about the investigative squad. Today, following the instructions, they took a Toyota Hiace outside the hotel. When they clearly saw the people inside, they were shocked to discover that Mijoe and Zhou Ruis squad was the investigative squad they were supposed to cooperate with. Back when they were searching for clues given by the dreamland eight-armed monster at Zi Huan Mountain, they had encountered Mijoe, Zhou Rui, Ye Chong, and Gao Shu, even checking their IDs. After descending the mountain, they contacted the sub-bureau to have them stopped and brought in for questioning. Of course, it was because of that incident that the people from Divine Technology and the behind-the-scenes Abnormal Biology Research Center noticed Zhao Feng and Wang Dean. Eventually, under the mysterious invitation from Old He, they joined his department to fully investigate the existence of the eight-armed, eight-eyed illusion. Miss Chen, Mr. Zhou, Mr. Ye, Brother Gao, long time no see. Zhao Feng and Wang Dean shook hands and greeted the people in the car with a smile. Seeing the two of them, Mijoe and the others were not surprised, because last night they had seen the basic information of the two men they were supposed to work with today. They knew that these two gentlemen had already joined Divine Technology. Although they were unclear why the company recruited the two, why they joined, or why they were assigned to their investigative squad this time, they had no choice since it was arranged by their superiors. After brief pleasantries, Zhou Rui quickly introduced Fang Pingfang and Li Shibao, two members who were not present at Zi Huan Mountain, to them. Dr. Fang, we look forward to learning from you in the upcoming mission. Please let us know if theres anything we can do to assist you. Though were new and not very experienced in field assignments, we have a good deal of investigative experience due to our past professions. We should be able to help out. Zhao Feng said to Fang Pingfang, who was sitting in the front passenger seat. When he discovered that their team leader was Fang Pingfang, a somewhat dark-skinned woman with a neutral demeanor, Zhao Feng felt a bit relieved. Though their past investigations in Burma and other places, in cooperation with the researchers and investigators of Divine Technology, had been pleasantfocusing on tasks, discussing things on their merits, and attending to no troublesome or complicated mattershe couldnt be sure whether this approach was universal among Divine Technology personnel, or if they had just been lucky so far. If a team leader is difficult to communicate with, then their work, as new members, would undoubtedly be uncomfortable. However, after a few words with Fang Pingfang, Zhao Feng swiftly concluded that she, like the secret department members of Divine Technology hed encountered before, put work first and was easy to deal with. Did you specifically come to investigate the matter of yesterdays flight, or did you have other tasks that brought you here? After a few polite exchanges, Fang Pingfang asked straight away. Generally speaking, temporary partners in secret departments do not inquire about each others previous assignments or personal privacy. But Mr. Liangs requirement was for them to investigate the incident of the girl on the airplane wing together, combining their ongoing assignments. So Fang Pingfang naturally had to ask about their prior assignment. You must have heard about the eight-armed giant illusion in Myitkyina? Thats what were investigating. Wang Dean was the one to respond this time. Mijoe startled, saying, You are actually investigating that? Does your presence in the country mean that the origin of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant is domestic? Wang Dean nodded, Actually, we knew about the existence of such an illusion even before the incident in Myitkyina. I knew it! I always knew that the group illusion was not a random occurrence, and it appeared just to help our tourists. Zhou Rui exclaimed excitedly. Even though the Myitkyina incident was not within their investigative scope, and they hadnt received any related information from Divine Technology, they had discussed it quite a bit privately due to the high profile of the incident. Zhou Rui is a firm believer in the Eight-Armed Giant is a Superhero theory. Zhao Feng took out the somewhat thick, rugged tablet that Divine Technology had issued him from his bag and handed it to Fang Pingfang. The relevant information we have investigated and collected is all here. You can take a look, and if you have any questions, just ask either of us directly. After Fang Pingfang took the tablet, Zhao Feng also asked, Dr. Fang, Miss Chen, are you regularly stationed at Wushu Mountain? Does our company have a research base there? Or are you also temporarily assigned here for a mission? Zhou Rui replied, Weve been here for almost half a year. Officer Zhao, you were previously an officer in Citong City. You must have heard of the news in January when a tourist on Wushu Mountain was hit by a bird of prey and fell off a cliff? We initially came to investigate that incident. Zhao Feng laughed, Just call me Old Zhao. Wang and I are no longer in uniform, so its not appropriate to call us officers anymore. About the incident you mentioned, I did hear about it and saw the related news reports. From the look of it, higher-ups supposed that the flock of birds that almost caused an airplane crash this time around is related to the bird of prey that caused the tourist to fall. Is that why you were asked to investigate? Zhou Rui nodded, You could say that, but were investigating more than just that bird. For the specifics you can look at the content weve recorded. But just a heads up, prepare yourself mentally so youre not frightened, he said, handing the tablet that Ye Chong handed over to Zhao Feng. Zhao Feng laughed, Weve seen quite a few strange phenomena during this period, it wont be that easy to scare us. Wang Dean contemplated, It seems, we were assigned to investigate this incident because of what some of the passengers said, about a little girl appearing outside the plane protecting them. Higher-ups must think that the little girl and the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant of Myitkyina are the same kind of thing, that the passengers had a collective hallucination? Whether its the little girl appearing on the wing of the plane flying high in the sky, if shes not an illusion, then she falls under species that were investigating, its all the same, Zhou Rui laughed, But it seems like, whether its the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant of Myitkyina, or the little girl on the planes wing, theyre more like the Lawful Good faction. If theyre not helping our tourists, theyre helping the passenger plane. On the contrary, those that were investigating are basically Chaotic Evil, and more dangerous. Mijoe couldnt help but retort, Youre talking about Lawful Good and Chaotic Evil, I think youre Chaotically Confused! After arriving at Jianzhou Airport, they didnt enter the terminal with other passengers. Instead, they headed towards the office area from the parking lot. Ye Chong, through Old Hes connections, had already contacted the people involved in this incident. They would directly participate in the investigation of this airplane incident and had access to all relevant information and data. Just as they arrived under the administrative building, waiting for the airport staff to pick them up, Zhao Feng suddenly paused. He saw a man over 1.9 meters tall walking from the parking lot. It was none other than Xia Tianhuo, whom they had agreed to have lunch with today. This guy followed them here? Mr. Xia, how come youre here? You didnt follow us, did you? Seeing Xia Tianhuo, who had come close, Zhao Feng was quite surprised inwardly, but on his face, he joked with a radiant smile. Xia Tianhuo shook his phone and said, Im here to pick up some airport documents and checked-in luggage for my cousin. By the way, arent you Mr. Zhou? And Old Li, youre here too. Ah, youre the one who was with Professor Li in Chongyun Village Zhou Rui was greatly surprised. He greeted Xia Tianhuo while looking at Zhao Feng bemusedly. Oh, the reason we came to Haixi Province this time was to interview Mr. Xia. We had agreed to have lunch with Mr. Xia today, but we had a sudden assignment. Unexpectedly, we still managed to encounter Mr. Xia here, Zhao Feng said with a chuckle. Since Xia Tianhuo recognized Zhou Rui, he didnt bring up his relationship with Zhou Rui, Mijoe, Fang Pingfang, and the others to avoid the possibility of misspeaking and giving away their cover. After all, the identity agreed this time might not match the identity when they met Xia Tianhuo last time. On the way to the airport, Zhou Rui and others had already reviewed the investigation information of Zhao Feng and his partner. Knowing that Xia Tianhuo was the person involved in the previous abduction case in Burma and the sea monster incident, they nodded, said hello, and made small talk. Very soon, Zhao Feng, Fang Pingfang, and others followed the airport staff into the administration building. Xia Tianhuo originally wanted to pretend to be part of their group and casually go with them to take a look, but he was stopped by the staff. He wasnt embarrassed, just took out his phone and laughed, saying he thought the staff person had come to see him. After Zhao Feng and the others went upstairs, from the sixth floor corridor, they saw Xia Tianhuo below, holding his phone making a call, as if he was genuinely contacting the staff. He whispered to Wang Dean, Check the passenger information we got yesterday, see if Mr. Xiang, Miss Yang, Miss Tang, and the three of them have checked-in luggage. Next to them, Fang Pingfang and Mijoe were also listening to Zhou Rui quietly recount his previous encounter with Xia Tianhuo in Chongyun Village. Chongyun Village Chongyun Village What are the odds? Fang Pingfang pondered. Zhou Rui looked up at the airport staff but saw that he was a considerable distance away and couldnt hear their conversation. He then said in a soft voice, Dr. Fang, speaking of Chongyun Village, I suddenly recall that a few months ago just a few days after I met Professor Li and Mr. Xia, didnt Chongyun Village experience a supernatural event? Two thieves attempted to steal construction materials from a worksite in the village at night, only to encounter a supernatural event and called the police for help. Didnt we go and collect a pile of bird droppings the next day to analyze, and concluded that they just mistook birds for people? But now that I think about it, their claims seem to fit seeing a little girl in a white dress? The incident of lightning striking the fugitive happened on Chongyun Mountain. Those two fugitives entered the mountain from Chongyun Village, and it was the villagers of Chongyun Village who discovered their tracks Mijoe also pondered. Fang Pingfang nodded to indicate she understood, but did not entertain the topic of Chongyun Village any further for the time being because they had arrived inside a conference room and met the investigation officers from the Civil Aviation Administration. The black box of the incident airplane had been sealed according to procedure, waiting for the investigators to retrieve and analyze the data. Since the airplane did not crash this time, even though the fuselage was somewhat damaged by the bird strike, the location of the black box was fine, so there were no difficulties in data retrieval. The black box mainly consists of a Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and a Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR). The former records the flight data of the aircraft, while the latter records the sounds in the cockpit. The analysis of the FDR takes some time, and the result wouldnt come out quickly. However, the voice recording could be listened to first. Chapter 573 - Chapter 573: Chapter 573: Xia Tianhuos Resentment Chapter 573: Chapter 573: Xia Tianhuos Resentment Essentially, based on the audio from the CVR, the entire accident process matched up with the description given by the aircrafts pilots. Through monitoring the changes in engine sound, the time of the bird strike could also be pinpointed, and some passengers cries of alarm could vaguely be heard, but the specifics couldnt be made out. However, synthesizing these sounds didnt provide any means to confirm the existence of the little girl in the white dress. It would have been great if someone had taken some photos or videos at the time, Zhou Rui regretfully suggested. According to a passenger, they did try to take out their phone to take a picture, but their phone wouldnt unlock, it seemed to have jammed, Ye Chong shook his head and said. By this time, they had already arrived in another small meeting room, and with only the eight of them present, they could speak without any reservations. Mijoe frowned and said, This situation seems familiar. Indeed, during the mass hallucination incident in Myitkyina, where a crowd saw the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant, everyones phones stopped working. Not just mobile phones, all electronic devices were affected, even the street lights went out. As a result, in the area directly affected by the mass hallucination, not a single piece of surveillance footage or viewable video was left, Zhao Feng immediately added. As for the mass hallucination in Myitkyina, he and Wang Dean had investigated it for so long that they pretty much had all the details memorized. This time, the planes electronics werent affected. If the little girl in the white dress on the wing and the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant from Myitkyina are of the same kind of existence, either she can deliberately control the range of impact, or her energy was smaller this time resulting in a smaller influenced range. However, I lean more towards the former, Wang Dean also said. So youre saying, if they wished to, neither the little girl in the white dress nor the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant would necessarily cause any impact on electronic devices when they appear. The only reason they created this disturbance is to prevent themselves from being recorded? Fang Pingfang ruminated. If thats the case, wouldnt investigating them risk angering them? Zhou Rui asked worryingly. Shrugging his shoulders, Mijoe said, Do we have a choice? True Zhou Rui didnt worry too much, given the high salary they received from Divine Technology, they couldnt afford to be afraid. For now, it appeared that neither the little girl in the white dress nor the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant had a history of killing or harming people. On the contrary, both seemed to save people. Whats the next step? Zhao Feng looked at Fang Pingfang, The analysis of the FDR is not so fast, and I estimate that we wont get any valuable results from those data. He had his own investigation ideas and plans in mind, but with Dr. Fang being the team leader, he didnt want to overstep. He planned to wait for Dr. Fang to propose a plan before suggesting his own ideas. Fang Pingfang was flipping through the large, heavy tablet in her hand, and said, According to Old Zhao, Old Wangs material, the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant that appeared in Myitkyina, didnt cause any substantial physical-level impact. There were no footprints or other traces left in its path, so it can be judged as a purely illusory phenomenon, at most causing the influence and disturbance of the magnetic field level. But the little girl who appeared on the aircrafts wing, according to some passengers descriptions, was seen blocking the bird that was heading toward the engine. Unless the bird wasnt real, she did have a real physical impact on a real object, which is very different from the giant illusion in Myitkyina. Could it be that the little girl is a real person? Is she a real existence and not an illusion? Mijoe muttered. It could also be that the passengers made a mistake in what they saw, or perhaps the little girl is an illusion, but she has some other special method to impact other things, and the appearance of a little girl is just one of the ways she misleads others. As for what the actual situation is, lets go talk to a few passengers first, ask them a little more about the details, and confirm what they saw, Fang Pingfang said. Zhou Rui suggested, Then how about we find those three passengers mentioned by Old Zhao, Old Wang? They happen to be in Tongshi Town, and we are planning to head there anyway. However, Zhao Feng shook his head and said, If were asking about the little girl on the wing, Im afraid they might not be the right people to ask. They both told me last night that they didnt see anything. They didnt see anything? Zhou Rui was puzzled, Was their line of sight obstructed because of their position? Zhao Feng took out his tablet and pulled up the passenger seating map he and Wang Dean obtained last night, then pointed out the seats of Xiang Kun and the other two: From their position, they should have a good view. So they didnt see anything does that mean they werent affected by the illusion and didnt see the little girl? In other words, the little girl doesnt really exist? Zhou Rui said. Mijoe speculated, Or perhaps, they are deliberately concealing what they saw? While browsing the passenger list on the tablet, Ye Chong said, Who knows, maybe the illusions were caused by them? Zhou Rui brightened at this, In that case, we should definitely go have a chat with them! Fang Pingfang said, No, lets first contact the passengers who are currently in Jianzhou City and chat with them first. Zhao Feng agreed, I concur, we should first talk to the passengers who saw the little girl, get a detailed understanding of what the little girl on the wing looked like and the whole process when the plane experienced abnormal conditions, then meet with Mr. Xiang and the others. This way, our conversations will be more targeted, better enabling us to analyze and probe. Dr. Fangs suggestion was the same as his own, which gratified him. However, Fang Pingfang shook her head and said, No, we wont have direct contact with those three individuals anytime soon. Huh? Zhao Feng was taken aback, and it wasnt just him, Mijoe, Zhou Rui and others also looked puzzled. It was clear that Mr. Xiang and the other two passengers were suspect, so why wouldnt Dr. Fang go see them? Fang Pingfang patiently explained, On the way here, I looked at the investigation material collected by Old Zhao and Old Wang, and combined it with the information we have here. There are now several clues that point towards Tongshi Town, Chongyun Village, and Chongyun Mountain. Considering the near tragedy of this flight were now investigating, the mass hallucinations in Myitkyina, the strange escape of Mr. Xia after being kidnapped in Burma, and the fact that Mr. Xiang and his friends are all at the center of these incidents, I can now safely say that the special events we are investigating are definitely related to them. The root of these events probably lies with one, or several, of them. Thus, before we have direct contact with them, it would be best if we thoroughly investigate all the surrounding clues. While Zhao Feng, Fang Pingfang and others were discussing in the upstairs meeting room, Xia Tianhuo was still lurking under the administrative building of the airport. He believed that he had gripped the tail of Zhao Feng, Wang Dean, and that Zhou Rui. He had been slightly suspicious of Zhou Ruis motives for going to Chongyun Village and Chongyun Mountain before, but now that he had seen him with Zhao and Wang, he was even more sure. There is something very wrong with this bunch of people! He sneakily took a picture of the license plate of the Toyota vehicle that Zhao Feng and others were riding in and sent it to an old friend, asking him to help find out more about the cars history and see if he could follow the trail to their homes! While waiting for the information, Xia Tianhuo hung around the Toyota, trying to peek through the glass windows to see if there was anything that could reveal a clue. At the same time, he was on the phone with Old Xia. Old Xia, you wont believe what Ive found! Xia Tianhuo said proudly as soon as the call was connected. What? Xia Libing spoke in a very relaxed tone. Remember when I told you I was going to have lunch with those two reporters today? Well, they stood me up, saying they had an interview assignment at Jianzhou Airport. I felt something was off, so I decided to come and investigate too. Guess who I bumped into? Remember when I just moved into Chongyun Village and Professor Li and Xiao Pingguo were there too? One morning, two men came to ask about the construction at the Research Base. One had the surname Zhou and the other Li. It turns out the man named Zhou knew Professor Li from their college days, and they had a long chat in our yard. Guess who I just saw here? Yes, those two! And they were with four others, including Zhao Feng and Wang Dean, investigating the flight that Xiang Kun and Yang Lao San took yesterday! Xia Tianhuo said, a little excited. And then? Theres definitely something fishy going on. That Zhou guy cant possibly be a reporter, how come hes colleagues with Zhao Feng and Wang Dean? I had a weird feeling about him when he visited Chongyun Village and Chongyun Mountain. Theyre definitely conducting a much deeper investigation, its not just an interview! Xia Tianhuo said confidently. What if they are professionals hired by Zhao Feng and Wang Dean to analyze the flight data? Have you asked them what sort of research they are doing? Xia Libing asked. Um, no, I didnt ask them that. But Im sure it cant be that simple. Xia Tianhuo scratched his head and said. Hmm. Hmm? Xia Tianhuo was confused, What do you mean by Hmm, Old Xia? I heard what you said, but I have no opinion, said Xia Libing. Upon hearing this, Xia Tianhuo became somewhat hesitant. Could it be that he had miscalculated? Mr. Xia, what are you? A sudden voice from behind startled Xia Tianhuo, almost causing him to throw a reflexive elbow strike. Fortunately, he immediately recognized Zhao Fengs voice and quickly turned around to laugh it off, Ah, Old Zhao, you guys are done already? How did the interviews go? We are under confidentiality requirements specified by the civil aviation authorities, so Im unable to disclose any information. Mr. Xia, what are you doing by our car? Werent you here to help your cousin with her luggage? Did younot get it yet? Zhao Feng responded. In reality, he had already confirmed through the passenger information from the previous flight that Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, and Yang Zhen Er had not checked any luggage, making Xia Tianhuos excuse obvious. He could guess Xia Tianhuos thoughts and intentions, and despite finding it bothersome, he did not call him out on it because they would need to approach Xiang Kun and Tang Baona in the future, possibly needing Xia Tianhuos assistance. Oh yeah, I still didnt get it. The service at this airport is just too slow. Are you all leaving? By the way, Mr. Zhou, when we met at Chongyun Village, didnt you mention researching flying ants or some other insects? Are these your colleagues? Why are you here this time with Old Zhao and Old Wang? Xia Tianhuo smoothly asked his question. Zhou Rui laughed, Were from the same research institute. We not only study insects but also birds. The aircraft was reportedly attacked by a flock of birds yesterday. Were here to investigate why the birds behaved abnormally. Our research institute has previously collaborated with Zhaos media platform to produce some nature documentaries, so weve come along this time. The process of this investigation could be turned into a show. Oh, I see. So where are you guys going after this? Once youre done investigating, why not join us for dinner? How about we head to Tongshi Town? Ill bring my cousins along as well. They were directly involved in the incident, so it would be a good opportunity for you to interview them, Xia Tianhuo quickly suggested, still trying to arrange a dinner where he could also invite Old Xia. However, his enthusiasm was firmly rejected by Zhao Feng and Zhou Rui. As he watched the Toyota depart, he stood in the parking lot, becoming increasingly agitated. What Zhou Rui had explained made sense. Too much sense, in fact. His explanations were too detailed, too patient, making Xia Tianhuo instinctively feel that something was off. So, he tried searching for the institution Zhou Rui mentioned. Though he could find the names of Zhou Rui and the others, he couldnt find any academic articles related to bird research from their institute, nor could he find any bird documentaries they had collaborated on with the Zhaos media platform. So, they really are hiding something! The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he got. He felt that Old Xia could definitely figure something out. Even during dinner the night before he must have noticed something, despite not asking too many relevant questions. But Old Xia didnt let him in on it, didnt include him! What exactly do Zhou Rui and Zhao Feng know? What are they really investigating? Xia Tianhuo thought for a moment, then decided to call Chu Xiuwen. In Chongyun Village, inside a research base where the first phase of construction was almost completed. Xia Libing was alone in a lab, adjusting a recently delivered machine. His call with Xia Tianhuo was barely over when Alices voice came from his phone, Big Fire just searched about the documentary Zhou Rui talked about on his phone! He didnt find anything, haha! He now knows Zhou Rui was lying to him. Zhou Rui is so silly! Big Fire is calling Old Chu now! Old Xia, Old Xia, what do you think he wants to talk to Old Chu about? Xia Libing stopped what he was doing and asked, Why are you telling me this? Because I told the boss about it, but the boss told me to tell you! Alice replied as if it was obvious. Chapter 574 - Chapter 574: Chapter 574: Music and Emotions, Reality and Brain Hole Chapter 574: Chapter 574: Music and Emotions, Reality and Brain Hole Old Xia, Old Xia, I know how to use all these devices. Just tell me what you want to do, and Ill help you! Old Xia, Old Xia, you dont need to look at the user manuals. Ive mastered all these devices! Let me guide you! Old Xia, Old Xia, Dr. Fang and Old Zhao have gone to interrogate passengers from your airplane. Theyre currently interviewing passengers from seats 17B and 17C. Do I need to do anything? Should I play the recording of their conversations for you? Xia Libing paused what she was doing, and looked towards the empty space a meter away. The next second, Alice was summoned, gazing up at her expectantly. Xia Libing stared at her for a minute before speaking, Youre nervous. Im not, Im super relaxed! No, Im super excited! Alice said, hopping up and down as if that would serve as proof of her relaxed state. Xia Libing ignored her statement, reached out, held her head to stop her from hopping, and asked directly: Do you think Xiang Kuns plan is dangerous? Or that it has a chance of failing? By plan, she referred to Xiang Kuns aggressive strategy against the Ultimate Predator, which started after the bird attack on their flight yesterday. This plan even included tackling the mutated big bird last night. Xia Libing only had a general idea about the plans specifics, as it was constantly being updated by Xiang Kun. But she knew that Alice was always providing the most timely assistance to Xiang Kun, so Alice had a detailed understanding of the plan. No! said Alice immediately, With Alice here, theres no risk for the boss! No way! Alright, I get it. Xia Libing was quick to deduce that Alice was indeed not worried about Xiang Kuns plan. She was confident, both in terms of her faith in Xiang Kun and herself. So, Alices current off-kilter behavior must be due to some other reasons. If it were something serious, Alice would come right out and say it without beating around the bush. She knew the gravity of different matters. So perhaps Alice just wanted to attract her attention purely for the sake of having a chat? Could it be that Alice currently has a strong desire to communicate due to some other reasons? Right, of all the people Alice could currently communicate openly with, Xiang Kun was busy with his plan against the Ultimate Predator, Xiao Pingguo was having dinner with her father, uncle, and potential future aunt, Xiao Lingdang was attending school, Tang Baona was engrossed in work in Tongshi Town. It seemed that she was the only one available to be bothered. Plus, she was one of the two people who knew everything about Alice. She could have straightforward, honest chats without any pretense with Alice, even to the point of directly summoning Alice for a real interaction. So Xia Libing didnt say anything else, and squeezed Alices cheeks, gently kneading them instead. Once she was done, Xia Libing carried on with her tasks, and Alice quieted down. Her summoned form didnt dissipate, and she just leaned against old Xia, contentedly staying by her side. After a while, Xia Libing suddenly spoke, Play the song Sister Nana composed yesterday. Alright! Alice joyfully complied, and the song Tang Baona had composed yesterday based on Yang Lao Sans emotions instantly began playing from Xia Libings phone. Xia Libing squinted her eyes, seemingly savoring the emotions in the song. Although it was just humming happily without meaningful lyrics, the melody contained a lot. After Tang Baonas humming ended, Alice immediately asked, Nana had secretly rehearsed it a few times. I recorded it. Do you want to listen? Or should I replay the version just now again? Xia Libing shook her head, No, thats not necessary. She knew that the song was a result of Tang Baonas emotional analysis of Yang Zhener. When she listened to it last night, she tried to get the emotional points in the song but didnt succeed. She listened to it again today but still felt nothing. Alice had confirmed with her before that Nanas song still had the function of instantaneous micro emotional assimilation. Obviously, she did not have the same emotion that Nana had derived from Old Three, so no assimilative resonance could be generatedunless that emotion came from Xiang Kun. Xia Libing had communicated with Xiang Kun before, and knew that songs were an excellent way to invoke, recall, store, and awaken emotions. This applied not only to others but to Xiang Kun as well. She was not completely devoid of emotions anymore. Through emotional assimilation with Xiang Kun, she had experienced emotions a few times. But how to link those emotions with songs or how to convey emotions through songs, she didnt understand. Alice seemed to guess what Xia Libing was contemplating, and looking up at her resting on her leg, said, Old Xia, Old Xia, how about I play a few songs for you? Huh? The songs on your playlist are all from Nana, should I play these? It is a pity that the boss didnt sing when I was born, otherwise I would have recorded it! Xia Libing didnt answer right away, but kept thinking. Her eyes fell on a backpack placed on an empty table by the lab door. It was the big backpack she had always carried, the one that Xiang Kun had given her. She suddenly had a thought. Theres a line in a song, Your backpack, which hasnt worn out even after all these years. Play that song. Xia Libing said. She had listened to this song before, but she didnt usually listen to many songs and didnt know the name of this one. Alrighty! As soon as Alice finished speaking, the song Your Backpack by Eason Chan started playing on Xia Libings phone. Xia Libing tilted her head slightly to listen carefully to the song. She didnt urgently need to do this now, but since she had noticed Alices slight abnormality, she decided to interact with her this way, giving her something to do so that she could analyze her reaction. After two cycles of the song, Xia Libing suddenly started singing softly along, Your backpack, which hasnt worn out even after all these years, has become another part of my body The music suddenly paused, and Alices crisp voice echoed, Old Xia, Old Xia, youre off tune. Listen to me, it should be Your backpack~ Ready, go~ Xia Libing didnt follow again, Alices cheeks were held together once more. Tang Baona, who is now in Tongshi Town with Yang Zhen Er searching for a new office location, has been daydreaming the whole morning. After arriving in Tongshi Town, her ability to sense others emotions had decreased almost to zero. It seemed as if Xiang Kun was like the network interface for that emotional perception. If she was too far away, she would immediately lose the connection, and end up without a network of emotional connections. This made Tang Baona, who had just learned a new skill, feel somewhat uncomfortable, and then she subconsciously kept trying to sense the surroundings, hoping to regain the special perceptive ability she had felt the day before. Unfortunately, that kind of perception seemed to be blocked. It was gone. So, she habitually revisited the song she composed through analyzing Yang Zhen Ers emotions the day before, trying to fill in some lyrics with her own understanding, while also reflecting on her secondary perception of Yang Lao Sans emotions in the morning at breakfast Yang Lao Sans mood today was a little bit different from last nights, especially the dream he had, the emotional changes were quite intense. Tang Baona kept daydreaming and spacing out. Yang Zhen Er, who usually just plays auxiliary roles, had no choice but to communicate with the property management and agents herself after two unsuccessful reminders. Fortunately, Chu Xiuwen was also there. He had great influence in Tongshi Town, especially with different business property developers and managers, so they had plenty of options, and he was able to negotiate the lowest prices. Actually, even without Chu Xiuwen, various business office spaces in Tongshi Town were very enthusiastic when they heard it was QianKun Technology that developed Genesis of Voice. They actively offered various conveniences and discounts. Tang Baona absent-mindedly let Yang Zhen Er make the decision. She only spent half an hour to confirm the location, then decisively signed the contract, and then went to have lunch with Chu Xiuwen and others. During lunch, Chu Xiuwen received a phone call from Xia Tianhuo and stepped aside to talk. Yang Zhen Er softly said to Tang Baona, who was still absent-minded: Nana, is there a problem with the Little Elf? Ah? Tang Baona was startled and looked at Yang Zhen Er with a puzzled expression. Is there something wrong with the Little Elf? Or have you already fused with the Little Elf? Yang Zhen Er whispered mysteriously. Tang Baona was even more confused: What do you mean by fusing? What are you talking about, Yang Lao San? Yang Zhen Er gave Nana a look as if saying I understand you, you dont have to hide it, then took out her own Lucky Coin and said, Nana, do you think I should also name my coin? How about Fairy Coin? Mm, not great, its not imposing, nor cute, it does not reflect my characteristics. How about Sacred Badge? No, Fairy Badge! No, not good, the badge is still an object, this way, when I talk to it, I wont have any immersion Tang Baona looked utterly surprised, What are you even saying, I was just thinking about the song I wrote last night, trying to figure out what lyrics to adorn it with. What are you even thinking about? What Sacred Badge, what fusion, what immersion, what Fairy Coin? As she was speaking, she suddenly gasped, thinking about something, she took a look at Chu Xiuwen who was still on the phone, then whispered, Dont tell me you also know about the Little Elfs existence? Yang Zhen Er looked puzzled, So Little Elf is not a specific name, but a general term? Hmm, of course I know, I knew yesterday when we were on the plane. How did you know the little girl outside the plane was hers? Tang Baona naturally knew when on the plane was and that Yang Lao Sans change had occurred after the white-dressed little girl on the wing showed up. Of course I knew! And I assure you that I knew about the Little Elf much earlier than you did, Yang Zhen Er said with a touch of pride. Really? How early could it have been? Dont tell me you knew since you were a little girl? Tang Baona frowned. In her view, even if Yang Zhen Er knew, she couldnt possibly have known before her first visit to Chongyun Village and moving into that house. How early could that have been? However, Yang Zhen Er said, Youre actually right, I knew from a young age. No, its not accurate to say I knew, I should say I met him when I was a child! Yang Lao San, youre blabbering nonsense again, Tang Baona said, exasperated. Yang Zhen Er had a confident look on her face: Nana, it seems you dont know who that Little Elf on the plane belonged to? Tang Baona was stunned: Whose Little Elf? She then laughed, Dont tell me it was your Little Elf? Of course, its not my Little Elf, but I know who it belongs to! Yang Zhen Er said slyly. Whose is it? Tang Baonas heart stirred, and she asked subconsciously: Is it Xiang Kuns? No, its definitely not Xiang Kuns. How could Xiang Kuns little elf be so cute! Yang Zhen Er instinctively answered. Tang Baona suddenly thought that Yang Zhen Er might really know something. Because her expression now was far more composed than when she ordinarily blabbered nonsense. She genuinely came across as if she knew something. Wait, right after you got off the plane yesterday, you were whispering in Old Xias ear and you two talked a lot. When we got home last night, you immediately dragged Old Xia upstairs. So are you saying, that beautiful little girl who saved us and appeared outside the plane, is Old Xias Little Elf? Tang Baona quickly recalled Yang Zhen Ers unusual behavior on the plane, after getting off the plane, and after returning home, and made a deduction. Bingo! Yang Zhen Er winked at Nana and did not hide, That is our Old Xias Little Elf. However, this is your terminology, Nana. According to my terms, it would be cooler to call it an Avatar! The little girl who saved us is Old Xias Little Avatar! Tang Baona asked right away: Did Old Xia admit to it? Compared to Yang Lao San, she found Old Xia to be more reliable. Though he didnt admit to it directly, its pretty much the same as admitting it, considering that the evidence is ironclad! Yang Zhen Er still had a somewhat proud look on her face. Ironclad? What ironclad evidence? Tang Baona asked. Yang Zhen Er took out her mobile phone, opened the cloud album, and pulled out photos of their big family from when they were young as well as several individual photos of Xia Libing. All these were physical photos in albums and photo frames. As she gave the phone to Tang Baona, she mysteriously said, These photos cant be leaked. If the passengers on the same plane with us see them, Old Xias identity will be exposed. When Tang Baona looked at the photographs, she was fairly astonished. Although there was a slight age difference between the young Xia Libing in the photos and the little girl on the planes wings, she could still tell that they were quite similar. If this was the case, combined with Yang Lao San claiming that Old Xia had tacitly agreed with her guess, then the Little Elf might really be Old Xia? Or, at the very least, directly related to Old Xia? This could also explain why the Little Elf was so kind to her, why she saved her, and why she was constantly protecting her. So, has Old Xia been the most special one all along? Is it really Old Xia? But why does she look like her childhood self? Tang Baona mumbled to herself. Chapter 576 - Chapter 576: Chapter 576: Cooperation Chapter 576: Chapter 576: Cooperation Feng Xiuye, who is taking the wood carving to see Old Man Du, turned out to be Tang Baonas uncle. The connection was real. Should we go see Mr. Feng or go directly to Tongshi Town to find Miss Tang and Mr. Xiang? Zhao Feng turned to Fang Pingfang and asked. Zhou Rui rubbed his hands together and said in a low voice, It seems like were about to find the real manipulator behind the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed monster and the Little Girl in the White Skirt. I feel a bit nervous. Zhao, do you have a bias against Xiang Kun, and also Miss Tang and Miss Yang? It seems like youve made a decision in your mind that they are manipulating everything from behind the scenes. Mr. Feng is indeed Miss Tangs uncle, but he could also be the one whos creating the illusions and affecting emotions. Maybe he intentionally gave the wood carving to Old Man Du? Mijoe queried. Its more than that. Zhao Feng explained, There are many other clues that point to Xiang Kun and those around him. Have you seen the investigation materials that Dean and I gathered? The case that initially got my attention about the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed monster illusion was one that occurred in an abandoned warehouse in Citong City, Yun Gang District. You can find the specific details in the materials. The key point is that this incident happened on the second day of the Lunar New Year, while the case I was dealing with involving Mr. Xiang and Dr. Xia happened on the twenty-ninth night before the Lunar New Year. There werent many days between the two incidents, and theres a high chance that Mr. Xiang and Dr. Xia were still in Citong City at the time. Wang Dean immediately added, When I was working in Pancity, three guys who wanted to molest women also saw the similar illusion of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed monster and were scared half to death. Before they were paralyzed by the illusion, a blind little girl appeared and stopped them from committing the crime, attracting their attention. This blind girl even had a special Guide Bird Canary with her. The dashcam of the three suspects recorded some strange behavior of this bird. So, Ive suspected all along that their encounter with the illusion and the abnormal fear they experienced might be related to that bird. Zhao Feng and I have conducted relevant investigations, the details of which are included in our materials. But theres also some information that we recently discovered during our visit to Tongshi and havent had time to record in the materials. We found that the blind girl with the Guide Bird Canary has a very close relationship with Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, and others. They even all lived together in Chongyun Village for a period of time. Adding in the incident with Old Man Du this time Although theres no direct evidence linking these events to them, I dont believe that these coincidences are just that. Zhou Rui exclaimed, Old King, are you talking about Li Jun, the daughter of Professor Li Yang? I indeed saw her in Chongyun village before when I went to see Mr. Xia. Shes very close to Xiang Kun and the others. I would never have thought that she was previously associated with the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed illusion This is I suddenly feel like everything has been arranged. Mijoe also chimed in, Brothers Zhao and Wang, dont you find it strange? In different cities and a not-so-long period of time, you two separately discovered the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed monster illusion. Yet you knew each other and happened to discuss this matter, then joined Divine Technology due to investigating this matter and continued to look into the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Illusion. Indeed, its too much of a coincidence murmured Zhou Rui. Mijoe knitted his brows and put forth his opinion, I believe that either you two, Brother Zhao and Brother Wang, were specifically selected as the witnesses to these matters, or the influence of this Eight-armed, Eight-eyed monster illusion has extended far beyond these incidents we know. Maybe there are many more incidences happening every day in various places and all kinds of people are being affected by it at every moment. Otherwise, its impossible to explain why you two encountered these so conveniently. Ye Chong added quietly, Is it like that saying when you find a cockroach in your house, it means there are already hundreds of thousands of them growing rapidly? Zhou Rui retorted, Why cant it be that these two were chosen by someone? If so many people were affected by the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed monster, it would already be all over the news and legends by now. You didnt see how big the incident in Montamilla was? If anyone sees it, they will definitely post about it online immediately. The question is, what were we chosen for? Zhao Feng said with a frown. But as he said this, he unintentionally thought of the dreamland that led him to find the bodies on Zi Huan Mountain. In that dream, he saw the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed monster, and the creature even carried him a great distance, showing him the location of the bodies. He had only told Wang Dean about this incident and not disclosed it to anyone else, including Old He, after joining Divine Technology. Could it be that he really was a chosen one? As everyone was discussing, they were close to their car to when Fang Pingfang finally spoke, Next were going back to West Sea Province to meet the godson of Mr. Du and Mr. Qi. Ye Chong, submit a request to the information collection department to see if they can figure out who created the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving that Feng Xiuye originally took to Mr. Du and where it is now. Also, book us some plane tickets, preferably getting to us our destination as soon as possible, so that we can meet with Mr. Dus godson tonight. Before getting into the car, Mijoe instinctively turned around to look back at the hospital building they were leaving, and his gaze swept over Old Man Dus room. To his surprise, he saw Old Man Dus frail silhouette standing at the window, silently watching them walk away. Thinking of old man Dus description of the dream, she couldnt help but feel a chill and quickly got in the car. Seeing his appearance, Zhao Feng laughed and said, From my and Deans investigation, if you havent done anything guilty or particularly evil, the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster does not have a too negative impact. It can even help clarify personal pursuits, eliminate distractions and restlessness. Even for those who have done bad things, as long as they follow their inner changes and strive for transformation, they can also be redeemed. Just like what you can see from old man Du. Honestly, if given the chance, I would even want to see the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster for myself. I want to feel the impact of that fear and see what I am genuinely afraid of inside. His words were indeed earnest. Although he had dreamt of the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster, his dream did not invoke the same depth of fear that old man Du experienced. Moreover, the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster in his dream was basically the same as the hypothetical image, which was constructed from the descriptions of the suspects in the case and Deans speculations. There are substantial differences from the reconstructed image of the Montamilla illusion and the eight-armed, eight-eyed drawing by old man Du. Around eight in the evening, Fang Pingfang and the others arrived at the Jianzhou Airport. Unexpectedly, even the godson of old Du named Xiao Liu, who they had contacted beforehand, had come to pick them up. Because he already knew that there would be eight of them, Xiao Liu had specially arranged for two MPVs. Fang Pingfang and the others also had a vehicle arranged by Divine Technology, but they came here specifically to meet Xiao Liu and his cousin, Mr. Qi. Naturally, they wouldnt refuse. You all havent had dinner yet, right? I have arranged a private room for us in a restaurant in the city. I suggest we eat and chat. Xiao Liu enthusiastically proposed to Fang Pingfang in the car. Theres no need to trouble yourself. We had some snacks on the plane Fang Pingfang said. Sitting in the passenger seat, Xiao Liu waved his hands generously with a listen to me attitude. Oh! Plane food doesnt cut it. Since youre here, you must try our regional specialities in Jianzhou. Let me serve you well. Hey, if you arrived in the afternoon, I would have taken you directly to Tongshi Town. The food in Tongshi Town is much better than that in Jianzhou. Xiao Lius enthusiasm made Fang Pingfang somewhat puzzled. She couldnt help but ask, Mr. Gao, did our staff mention to you about the interview we are Yes, they mentioned it. Dont worry about the interview. When the time comes, ask whatever you want, and Ill tell you everything I know. Rest assured! Xiao Liu said with a laugh. Mr. Du has already contacted you? Yes. By the way, Mr. Qi is your cousin, isnt he, Mr. Gao? We have heard a lot about his public welfare activities in Tongshi Town from Mr. Du, and we also want to understand. Can we invite him to dinner together? Or if he is in Tongshi Town now, can we go directly to Tongshi Town for a late-night snack? Of course, we will pay the bill. Fang Pingfang tentatively said. My cousin is not in Tongshi Town right now. Its not that he doesnt want to meet you or cant make it, but he is actually in the provincial capitals detention center, Xiao Liu said. What happened? Fang Pingfang asked. After they decided to meet Xiao Liu and Mr. Qi, the Information Collection Department had already sent them the information on both of them, which they had briefly reviewed before boarding the plane. However, that information only mentioned that Qi Haoguo had reduced most of his businesses and shifted his investment focus to Tongshi Town. It also mentioned that he had invested heavily in public welfare and charity projects. But it did not mention how he ended up in jail. No sooner had she thought of it than Mijoe, sat next to her, quietly handed her an electronic tablet. It displayed updated information about Qi Haoguo and Xiao Liu, including the reasons why Qi Haoguo was in detention. It seemed that the Information Collection Department had just found this data. Fang Pingfang frowned slightly. She wasnt sure whether her standards had been raised from working in the secret department of Divine Technology for a long time, or if the efficiency of the Information Collection Department had indeed declined. Recently, there had often been situations where the information she received seemed to be somewhat delayed and not timely. The Xiao Liu sitting in the co-drivers seat didnt know that Fang Pingfang had already seen the updated information. He candidly explained the ordeal of his maternal uncle being extorted and directly surrendering to the police. However, theres no need to worry. My maternal uncle is a fortunate person. The matters he confessed to have not caused any serious consequences. Considering that he surrendered himself and put on a meritorious performance, he shouldnt be sentenced too harshly. However, as the verdict has not been released yet, we cannot see him for the time being. Actually, I know pretty much everything about what my maternal uncle did in Tongshi Town, the projects he invested in, and how he got acquainted with my godfather. If you have any questions, you can ask me directly. Mijoe asked, Mr. Gao, didnt you used to work at the Youlong Restaurant? Yes, I used to work at the Youlong Restaurant, working for Brother You and the others. Ah, my maternal uncle asked me to go there to learn. Unfortunately, I only learned the basics. Now, I also run a restaurant on the same pedestrian street, and Ill take you to try it tomorrow. Of course, our first stop is the Youlong Restaurant. No one comes to Tongshi Town without eating rabbit meat. Xiao Liu laughed. I know, we used to eat there often, said Mijoe. For some reason, she always felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity towards this Xiao Liu. It was as if they had all had a meal together at the Youlong Restaurant, and instantly, he became one of us. Do you know why Mr. Qi suddenly massively adjusted what seemed to be a regularly operating business and went to Tongshi Town for investment, charity and public welfare? asked Fang Pingfang. Since Old Man Du had stated explicitly that Qi Haoguo was someone who shared a similar experience with him, the main focus of Fang Pingfangs trip naturally fell on Qi Haoguo. Although they stand a good chance of privately meeting Qi Haoguo if they contact Mr. Liang, it wouldnt hurt to learn as much as possible from Xiao Liu for now. After all, Xiao Liu does seem to be quite cooperative. My maternal uncle never explicitly told me. However, I had a conversation with Brother Bao from Tongshi Town, and he told me that it seemed like my maternal uncle started changing after experiencing a car accident, Xiao Liu said. My maternal aunt also said that my maternal uncles temperament improved significantly after returning from Tongshi Town. Oh? What car accident? Fang Pingfang enquired. Last year when my maternal uncle visited Tongshi Town for a project, he took Brother Baos car, and they rear-ended someone. It was a minor collision, and neither the people nor the car were seriously hurt. However, my maternal uncle underwent a drastic change in temperament after that incident, and after returning home, he withdrew many of his businesses and came to Tongshi Town, Xiao Liu explained. Oh? Do you know who they rear-ended? What happened after the rear-end? Zhao Feng, who was sitting in the same car, immediately asked. Following Xiao Lius description, Zhao Feng quickly realized that Qi Haoguos actions were typical of ones influenced by the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster illusion. If the rear-end was indeed the turning point in his transformation, he must have been affected by the illusion at that time. Therefore, what happened during or after the rear-end becomes crucial. Im not sure. Brother Bao didnt tell me, Xiao Liu shook his head. Mr. Gao, do you know Xiang Kun? Zhao Feng suddenly asked. Of course I do. Brother Xiang is one of the partners of the Youlong Restaurant and a close friend of Brother You. I see him often. Wait, big brother, do you also know our Brother Xiang? Xiao Liu asked through the rear-view mirror. Zhao Feng laughed, I do know him. In fact, we recently met at the Youlong Restaurant just a few days ago, along with Mr. Xia, Miss Tang, Miss Yang, and Miss Xia. Thats interesting. When we return to Tongshi Town, lets see if Brother Xiang is available to have dinner together, Xiao Liu suggested naturally. Honestly, Im not very close to Brother Xiang, so I dont get many chances to invite him to dinner. Zhao Feng glanced at Fang Pingfang for her reaction. After receiving her approval, he said to Xiao Liu, Lets talk about this later. We should focus on our interview first. After dinner at the restaurant, Xiao Liu, under the questioning of Fang Pingfang and others, gave a detailed account of how he met Old Man Du in jail, how he went to visit Old Man Du after being released from prison, and how he became his adopted son. He didnt seem to hide or sidestep anything and remained truthful throughout. So, you didnt decide to take Old Man Du as your godfather until after he fell seriously ill? And the decision to see Old Man Du and pay for his medical treatment was made by Mr. Qi? mused Fang Pingfang. Initially, they thought that they wouldnt be able to see Qi Haoguo tonight and that their gains would be limited. Unexpectedly, they obtained quite a lot of key information from Xiao Liu. Yes, all the decisions were made by my maternal uncle. Hes quite interested in my godfatherserrin my godfathers mystical theories, Xiao Liu confirmed. Did Mr. Qi ever mention to you an entity with eight eyes and eight arms? Zhao Feng hesitated for a moment and ultimately didnt use the term monster. No, Xiao Liu paused for a moment before adding, But my maternal uncle has a wood carving. At these words, the expressions of everyone in the car perked up simultaneously. Xiao Liu laughed, So, you guys are also interested in that wood carving with eight arms and eight eyes? Hey, when your people contacted me, they said that the theme of your interview was the interpersonal relationships of released prisoners. I feel that what you are focusing on is not quite on-topic. Did Old Man Du not tell you? The reason we first contacted him was because we were investigating the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant illusion incident in Myanmars Montamilla. The other theme is something that Fang is currently working on. However, since our initial investigation remains inconclusive and the program has not been produced yet, we are naturally interested when we hear about any leads. Zhao Feng explained. I see To be honest, when I saw the news about Montamilla and the hypothetical picture of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant on the television, I thought of my godfathers paintings and my maternal uncles wood carving. If you guys are interested, I can take you to my maternal uncles house to take a look. Consequently, after dinner, Xiao Liu led Fang Pingfang and her team in two cars, heading straight to Tongshi Town. They arrived at Qi Haoguos villa in the early morning. When Fang Pingfang and her team entered the bedroom on the second floor, guided by Xiao Liu, and saw the eight-armed, eight-eyed wood carving displayed in the glass cabinet, they all intuitively widened their eyes and held their breath. Chapter 577 - Chapter 577: Chapter 577: Extremely Dangerous= Chapter 577: Chapter 577: Extremely Dangerous= After opening the bedroom door, for almost ten seconds, nobody made a sound, and nobody stepped further into the room. Everyone crowded at the entrance, their gaze fixed unblinkingly on the eight-armed, eight-eyed wood carving in the glass case. They were all trying to grasp the fear that the people in their previous investigation, who saw the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster illusion, had experienced. Without thinking, Mijoe and Ye Chong and the others recalled their conversation that afternoon with Old Man Du about his sighting. They also remembered how the illusion of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant seen by Zhao Feng and Wang Dean in Myitkyina had affected various people differently. People like Fang Pingfang, Li Shibao, and Zhou Rui remembered their mission in the Qinling uninhabited area. Influenced by the rabbit woodcarving, they experienced strange dreams involving rabbit meat. Fang Pingfang in particular, on her return from the Qinling uninhabited area, saw illusions of rabbit meat even in her waking hours. She also experienced various strange effects in the underground lab at Divine Technologys secret research center in An Tie Town. She was filled with dread and a tiny bit of anticipation concerning the eight-armed, eight-eyed wood carvings that seemed to belong to the same category as the rabbit woodcarvings. Xiao Liu initially dismissed it, but after opening the door and preparing to move towards the glass cabinet, he noticed the tense atmosphere in the room magnified by the reactions of Fang Pingfang, Zhou Rui, Zhao Feng, and the others. Instinctively, he too froze in place, not daring to make a sound. Gazing at the wood carving in the glass cabinet, he recalled the news about the effects caused by the illusion of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant in Myitkyina. If at this moment, an illusion of the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster truly appeared, the voices in their minds exclaiming I knew it!, I need to experience this!, Wow, thats awesome! would have probably outnumbered those filled with shock and fear. But unfortunately, they stood by the door for nearly a minute, and nothing happened. The most normal situation ended up making them feel somewhat disappointed. Xiao Liu finally took the initiative and walked over to the glass case, placing his hand on it. He said to Fang Pingfang, Before my cousin uncle went in, I only saw this wood carving four times. The first three times were before we moved to Tongshi Town. The fourth time was when we moved; I knew it then when I saw it in the bedroom. My cousin uncle really treasures this wood carving. So, you brought us in here to see it, wont your cousin uncle be angry if he finds out? As Fang Pingfang was speaking, she gave Ye Chong a look, who immediately started to take pictures from his bag. Although its a bedroom, its nearly forty square meters, bigger than most peoples living rooms, and there arent many pieces of furniture. So when the nine of them entered, it didnt feel crowded at all. It was roomy. Xiao Liu made a gesture with his hand and said: No problem, Ive been taking care of this house after my cousin uncle went in; I can call the shots. My foster father also said to treat you all well and cooperate with you. My cousin uncle certainly wont object. Honestly, Im also quite interested in your investigation about the Myitkyina giant illusion. If this wood carving can help you uncover related clues, that would be great. I only have one request, if you find out anything, I hope you can also tell me. Im very curious. No problem. As Fang Pingfang responded, she asked: Can we open the glass case and check out the wood carving? Xiao Liu hesitated for two seconds, and finally nodded: Sure. He then helped to open the glass, letting Fang Pingfang take out the woodcarving. The woodcarving was over a foot tall and carved from solid wood. It felt very heavy in the hands, an indication that the makers skill was quite good. Compared to it, the rabbit woodcarving from the Qinling uninhabited area was mere childs scribbling. But apart from its good workmanship, there was nothing particularly special about this wood carving. At least, Fang Pingfang thought that if we were only judging by how strange it was, then even without its hallucination inducing ability and the ability to influence dreams, the rabbit wood carving, judged purely on its shape, was far more eerie. Can we take this woodcarving back for some testing? Dont worry, we promise to return it before Mr. Qi comes out. It wont take long. Zhou Rui asked. Xiao Liu quickly waved his hand: Thats definitely not possible. Theres no issue with you checking it out here, but its absolutely not okay to take it out of this room. Zhou Rui didnt say much more. He had mainly made the request because he saw that Xiao Liu was cooperative, but being rejected wasnt a big deal. Of course, if need be, they would find other ways to borrow this woodcarving. However, that wasnt their task. They were only responsible for the lab research and the front-line investigation. Fang Pingfang and the others stayed in the bedroom a little longer, took some more photos, and then left the villa with Xiao Liu. After sending the eight of them to the hotel and having the other driver, who had come to assist him, leave, Xiao Liu drove back to his place in a business vehicle. Finally alone in the car, Xiao Liu dropped his warm and sincere smile. His brows furrowed slightly, lost in thought. He had received three phone calls today. The first call was from Old Man Du, who had a nurse assist him. The request was simple C cooperate with the interview and be as candid as possible. The second call was from a media platform inviting them for an interview and shooting. They had even faxed a formal cooperation document which turned out to be genuine. Not long after the second call, he received a third call from a lawyer representing his cousin uncle, Qi Haoguo. The lawyer only said ten words: Try to cooperate, no need to hide anything, follow your intuition. The instruction wasnt specific as to whom he was supposed to cooperate with or what he was not supposed to hide. Neither was there any clue about what he was supposed to do by following his intuition. If it was a few months ago, when Xiao Liu was freshly released from prison and hadnt yet started working with Qi Haoguo, he would definitely be confused by this conversation. He would have to further question the lawyer for details and might even suspect the lawyer of some trickery to defraud him. But now, Xiao Liu understood immediately C an understanding that was unsaid but perceived. Considering the two previous calls, he didnt need to confirm anything further to roughly understand Old Man Du and Qi Haoguos intentions. So even though he still doesnt know what specifically to do or how to do it, he understands in his heart. After picking up Fang Pingfang and the others, he followed the instructions of Old Man Du and Qi Haoguo, giving his full cooperation. He was accommodating and responsive. It didnt take long for him to understand the real purpose of Fang Pingfang and the others visit. It was certainly related to Qi Haoguos eight-armed, eight-eyed woodcarving, and Old Man Dus depictions of the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster. Additionally, judging from the question Zhao Feng asked, he realized that they were also keeping an eye on Xiang Kun. Had it not been for the advance phone calls by Old Man Du and Qi Haoguo, Xiao Liu would certainly not have divulged a shred of information. Even now, he wasnt entirely truthful. While cooperating, he still retained some details C this was his intuition. At the same time, he was observing Fang Pingfang and the others in order to gather some information from their responses and conversation. When he told Fang Pingfang that Im also very curious, he was absolutely sincere. He had a burning curiosity about the investigation of the eight-armed, eight-eyed woodcarving and the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster. Ever since the first time he accompanied his cousin uncle to visit Old Man Du, his curiosity had been piqued. Initially, many of Mr. Qis actions were completely incomprehensible to Xiao Liu. He could not imagine himself abandoning a thriving business in the provincial capital to invest heavily in seemingly unprofitable projects in an obscure place like Tongshi Town. However, as he spent more and more time in Tongshi Town and around Mr. Qi, his perspective started to change, and he found himself developing an indescribable attachment to this small mountain town. Especially when Mr. Qi was being extorted and coerced by Duck Feet, and he calmly turned himself into the police C his attitude at that time gave Xiao Liu a feeling of suddenly seeing a bigger and brighter world; as if he had broken through the gloom with his uncle and bathed in sunlight. He had a faint feeling that his uncle had seen something extraordinary, and might even have gained some unique abilities C much like Old Man Du. They appeared to possess a kind of enviable certainty. Moreover, from his observations, people like Chu Xiuwen, Liu Feibao, Liu Caifu, all seemed to act as if they knew something. When the incident at Myitkyina suddenly occurred, causing a stir online, Xiao Liu began to speculate that the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster that his uncle and old man Du were concerned about, might be the origin of the Myitkyina incident. After all, he had seen Old Man Du sketching the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster and speaking of concepts like the Eight-Armed Yama Suppression Evil, death is not the end, and fear reveals the true self, long before the incident at Myitkyina. However, he understood his uncles character well, and knew that if his uncle did not disclose these things to him, it was because his uncle did not intend for him to know. Asking would not help, and prying into the matter privately was downright suicidal. Now, with the arrival of Fang Pingfang and others, Xiao Liu was even more certain that the mass hallucination at Myitkyina, the majestic eight-armed, eight-eyed giant reconstructed by the media, was the same entity that Old Man Du and his uncle were pursuing. He felt a bit excited because he knew he might be about to get involved in those matters. In a hotel room, Zhao Feng and Fang Pingfang were looking at their newly taken photos of the eight-armed, eight-eyed wood carving at Mr. Qis villa through a computer screen, while Ye Chong, Zhou Rui and others were discussing their next action plan. They had already reported their findings to Mr. Liang, and they believed that a clearer mission objective would be released soon. How about I sleep in the villa tonight while you guys watch over me? Lets see if I can dream about that eight-armed, eight-eyed monster, Zhou Rui suggested, his voice a mixture of excitement and fear. Lets wait for Mr. Liangs subsequent tasks. He might send someone to retrieve the wood carving, replace it with a fake one, and then let us take the real one back to the lab for research, Mijoe speculated. But wont that annoy thethe power behind all this? Zhou Rui asked worriedly. Well, possibly not. If it is displeased, it will probably give us a warning, Mijoe said, glancing at Fang Pingfang. She remembered that Fang Pingfang had seen the rabbit meat illusion in the underground lab of the An Tie Town research center, a discovery Mijoe had only learned of recently. While they were chatting, Ye Chong suddenly said, The information collection department has found the creator of Mr. Qis wood carving. Upon hearing this, the other seven people in the hotel room all stood up and looked at him expectantly. To them, the creator of the eight-armed, eight-eyed wood carving was likely involved in the creation of the various illusions, if not the perpetrator themselves. Without beating around the bush, Ye Chong shared the information he had on the Master Woodcarver. But before anyone could discuss the Master Woodcarver, Ye Chong continued, The wood carving that Feng Xiuye took to Mr. Du for spell casting has also been found. There are photos of it. Mr. Dus so-called consulting firm was very professional, with all items spell casted being photographed from multiple angles, and even videotaped Saying this, Ye Chong held up the tablet in his hand to show everyone, This is Feng Xiuyes wood carving. Upon seeing the photo of the wood carving on the tablet, everyone except Ye Chong was stunned. Even the normally calm Fang Pingfang couldnt help but lean forward, unconsciously stretching her neck, frowning, squinting, and carefully examining the photo. Isis this a mistake? Zhou Rui asked with a tight frown. If this is thethe wood carving that Feng Xiuye showed to Old Man Du, then is the one in Mr. Qis rooma fake? Ye Chong replied, According to the information we found, Mr. Qi commissioned this carving after his return from Tongshi Town to the provincial capital. In terms of the timeline, it was several months after Feng Xiuye took his wood carving to Mr. Du, so the carving Mr. Du described is definitely not the same one. If that one is a fakethen this Mijoe also seemed to have trouble accepting it. What was hard to accept wasnt the fact that the carving in Mr. Qis room was a fake, but rather the eight-armed, eight-eyed wood carving shown in Ye Chongs photo. It seemed so different from what they had imagined. The carving in Mr. Qis bedroom, although it did not evoke any feelings of fear or monster hallucinations, did look quite similar to a real one in terms of detail and overall presence. There was a sense of antiquity, weight, and mystery to it, that made it feel very religious or mystical. However, the eight-armed, eight-eyed wood carving in Ye Chongs photo seemed way too cartoonish. Despite also being a wood carving, it had a very strong figurine-like feel to it, it was even a bit cute?! They simply could not accept that this thing could be the source of the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster or eight-armed, eight-eyed giant that frightened so many people into losing their senses, reflecting on themselves, awakening, and gaining enlightenment. Dont judge a book by its cover, and dont judge a wood carving by its appearance, Fang Pingfang shook her head, and laughed, But looking at it, the craftsmanship is not bad. Do we know who made this wood carving, where they are now, and whether they have had any direct contact with Mr. Xiang and Miss Tang? It originally belonged to Feng Xiuyes father, but we are still investigating the specific circumstances. We should have results soon, Ye Chong said. However, as soon as he finished speaking, Fang Pingfangs communicator rang. Everyone looked over, because they all knew that anyone who would contact Fang Pingfang directly through the communicator at this point, was likely to be Mr. Liang. After answering the call, as expected, Fang Pingfang heard Mr. Liangs characteristic, raspy, metallic voice, Disengage from all current investigative subjects, suspend all tasks, return to the previous villa and await orders. You are not to leave without notification. After giving his instructions, Mr. Liang did not offer further explanation and ended the call. Fang Pingfang put down her communicator, took a deep breath to calm her suddenly racing heart, and then relayed Mr. Liangs orders to the other seven people. With the exception of Zhao Feng and Wang Dean, who had just joined the secret department of Divine Technology and rarely communicated directly with Mr. Liang, everyone else had conducted several field missions. Especially Li Shibao and Gao Shu, the security officers, they all immediately realized the current situation. Similar situations in the past implied one thing C the target they were currently in contact with, or potentially going to be in contact with, posed an extreme danger, and they were not equipped to handle it. Chapter 578 - Chapter 578: Chapter 578: Yang Lao Sans Little Elf (Part 1) Chapter 578: Chapter 578: Yang Lao Sans Little Elf (Part 1) At the end of September, Yang Zhener returned to Pengcheng City. This time she came back alone, Tang Baona stayed in Tongshi Town. Lately, for some unknown reason, Nana has been getting increasingly negligent. Shes always spaced-out and keeps forgetting about company affairs, even humming tunes that Ive never heard before now and then. She seems lost in constant thoughts of writing lyrics and composing songs, as if shes bewitched. Yang Zhener is usually just someone who stands by, but now she finds herself helping Nana to patch things up. Inadvertently, she had to take over the companys various tasks. So, this time when she returned to Pengcheng City, she substituted for Tang Baona as the representative of QianKun Technologies to liaise with Zhang Qian for business matters. She couldnt help it, after all, she is also one of the shareholders of the company, and also carries the title of Deputy Head and CFO. If it were the old Yang Zhener, she would definitely, absolutely, and undoubtedly drag Nana along in doing the work, holding Nana together no matter what, otherwise it would be so dull on her own! Given Nanas unusual behaviors, she couldnt leave her, anyhow she needed to care for her, figuring out whats happening. Is it love? Unrequited love? Heartbreak? Or something else? But now she seems to have a kind of tacit understanding with Nana. She surmised that Nana is likely about to experience a breakthrough in summoning little spirits. At such a crucial moment, as Nanas best friend, confidante, number one fan, loyal guard, and best sister, she naturally had to step up and create the best breakthrough environment for Nana! This was not just her guessing; she had carried out a subtle trial and got a clear statement from Nana. She knew Nanas current situation was related to the little spirits and special abilities. Whats more important is that she has obtained her own little spirit ahead of Nana! To put it more accurately, she mastered the little spirit ability! Zhang Qian had originally arranged for someone to pick up Yang Zhener at the airport today, but since it was Sunday, Shilings Mom took the initiative to bring Liu Shiling to the airport to pick her up. Yang Zhener had taken care of Liu Shiling for a long time before, and was very kind to her. She bought a lot of things, clothing, toys, accessories, a load of books. The room is still half full with all the stuff she brought. She spent a lot of money and put in a lot of effort, which made Shilings Mom feel quite embarrassed. She always wanted to find an opportunity to thank her properly. Upon seeing Liu Shiling stretching her neck and looking around at the exit, Yang Zhener immediately lit up and hurriedly moved towards her. She put down her suitcase, squatted down, and hugged the little fatty girl. After a big smooch on her chubby cheek, she joyously exclaimed, I missed you so much, Xiao Lingdang! Liu Shiling lightly patted Yang Zheners shoulder, and said with a hint of consolation in her tone: Old Fairy sister, I missed you too. Then Yang Zhener, with her arms around the little fatty girls waist, lifted her up with a heave-ho, and then immediately put her down. Chuckling, she said, Not bad, Xiao Lingdang has gained some weight. She measured the height of her head against herself and said, And gotten taller. Liu Shiling looked up and said, Im not heavier! Of course, you are, I can barely lift you! Old Fairy sister needs to exercise more. I do. I run errands in the village every day, just check out my arm if you dont believe me. Old Fairy Sister is a liar. You sleep all day in the village. I heard it from my pretty sister. Your pretty sister is the one who sleeps all day. Do you believe me or her? Ill buy you ice cream later. Old Fairy Sister, you cant do that. Im not a gluttonous kid. Chocolate flavored or milk flavored? Hmm chocolate flavored. Shilings Mom watched the big and small one helplessly, but she couldnt stop the corners of her mouth from curving up. Xiao Pingguo and Liu Shiling needed to rehearse to perform a crosstalk, while Yang Zhener and Liu Shiling could perform crosstalk with just any piece of dialogueit was hilarious. She always felt that when her daughter was with Miss Yang, it didnt seem like being with an elder, but more like being with someone her own agenot that she thought Yang Zhener was immature, but more that her daughter and Yang Zhener seemed to be naturally on the same wavelength or, in popular terms, had a similar temperament. Otherwise, why wouldnt her daughter get along as well with others her age? It seemed like her daughter also had a similar wavelength with Mr. Xiang, Miss Tang, Miss Xia, and Xiao Pingguo. Frankly speaking, Shilings Mom was even a bit envious of this. Because she often had a feeling of not entirely understanding her daughters thoughts, even occasionally feeling like her daughter was accommodating to her comprehension level. This feeling was very strange, as she had once carefully considered it, trying to find the reason, but she realized there was no way to determine it. It wasnt something specific, not a specific view of a certain thing, not a specific piece of knowledge, not a specific behavior, but many, many things. Various aspects of life, many details, made her feel like her daughters way of thinking was quite special, but Xiang Kun, Miss Xia, and Miss Yang could understand it. But she was also very grateful to them. Without them, her daughters inner world would probably be much lonelier than now, let alone the help they provided to her and her daughter in other ways. After leaving the airport, the three went to a restaurant to eat. At dinner, the big and small girls couldnt help discussing the same kind of dishes Mr. Xiang cooked, picking out the flaws in the restaurants dishes. It left Shilings Mom speechless. Yang Zhener and Tang Baona lived in the same building in the same complex as Liu Shiling. So naturally, they went home together after dinner. At the building where they lived, while waiting for the elevator on the first floor, Yang Zhener nodded at a woman who was walking by with a plastic bag. The woman also smiled and said, Did Shilings Mom come back? Yang Zhener was taken aback because when the woman said this, she was looking at her, not at Shilings real Mom. Shilings Mom was also taken aback. What was going on with this sister? Liu Shiling looked more like her. How could she confuse them? But Liu Shiling immediately took her moms hand and said, Aunt Zhang, this is my mom. She then grabbed Yang Zheners hand and said, And this is my sister. Oh! Im sorry, I misunderstood Aunt Zhang was also a bit surprised. Her family had just moved here a few months ago, even later than Liu Shilings family. Her daughter used to go to the same kindergarten as Liu Shiling. Although they were in the lower grade and didnt play together, she did know Liu Shilings name. She had also seen Yang Zhener several times outside the kindergarten when picking up her daughter. However, Yang Zhener usually took Liu Shiling out for meals or shopping after picking her up, so there was no chance to go back together to the community. They just greeted each other with a nod of the head and didnt have extensive conversations. Unconsciously, she always thought Yang Zhener was Liu Shilings mother. To change the topic, she looked at Yang Zhener, then at the real Shilings Mom, and laughed, Sister, you really know how to take care of yourself. You look at most 30 years old. Just by looking at you, no one would guess that you already have such a big daughter. Yang Zhener couldnt help but laugh out loud, and Shilings Mom said helplessly and amusingly: Miss Yang is not Shilings biological sister. Oh? Ah! Oops, Im sorry, Im sorry Aunt Zhang looked even more embarrassed. Upon arriving home from taking the elevator together, Yang Zhen Er couldnt help but laugh the moment they entered their apartment together with Shilings Mom, Aunt Zhang was quite amusing. She called your daughter hers at first, then proceeded to give you an extra eldest daughter~. Shilings Mom could only laugh and cry at the same time. She couldnt help but pat Yang ZhenEr on the shoulder, Stop it; dont make up stories! They went back to the place rented by Yang Zhener and Tang Baona. Shilings Mom helped tidy up and then sat down to have some tea and chat. After a while, Shilings mom received a call about some matters in the company. Seeing that Shilings Mom wasnt really focused after the call, Yang Zhener immediately said: Sister Lin, if theres something at work, you should go and check it out. I can play with Little Lingdang. Dont worry about us. No, its nothing. Todays the weekend anyway, and Im off work. Theres just a small issue with a new employee. Ive already explained to him over the phone, its nothing. Shilings Mom said. She was indeed a bit worried about her work, but she didnt want to leave her daughter with Miss Yang just after she had returned. It felt as if she had asked her to travel a great distance to be a babysitter. Moreover, Miss Yang was not only an executive at QianKun Technology but also a shareholder of Tengjiao Entertainment. In a sense, she was also her boss along with Zhang Qian. Go, Sister Lin. Your worries are written all over your face. Instead of fretting about it here, its better you deal with it directly. Besides, the company is nearby. If you walk fast, you can get there in just over ten minutes. If things are settled before dinner, I will take Little Lingdang to wait for you downstairs from the company, and we can have dinner together. Yang Zhener persuaded. Just as she finished speaking, Liu Shiling also chimed in, Mom, you can go to the company without worry. Ill behave and stay here with Elder Sister Fairy. Seeing the two girls persuading her like this, Shilings Mom could sense the subtle understanding between them, as if they were tuned to the same frequency all over again. However, she couldnt deny the fact that she genuinely trusted Yang Zhener with her daughter. After hesitating and politely declining a couple of times, Shilings Mom finally left for her company. Watching the security door close and hearing the fading footsteps of Shilings Mom, Liu Shiling turned to look at Yang Zhener, who was also looking at her. After exchanging glances for a couple of seconds, Yang Zhener was the first to break the silence: Little Lingdang, I already know your secret. You have Little Elf, right? Liu Shiling was taken aback and stared at Yang Zhener in surprise. Haha! I knew it! I didnt say anything! Your face says it all, Elder sister Fairy is right.'' Liu Shiling rubbed her face and shook her head, I didnt say anything! Alright, alright. Brother Xiang must have told you to keep it a secret, right? But it doesnt matter, cause I am me! Im one of you! Whats more I also have my Little Elf,'' Yang Zhener said triumphantly. Liu Shiling looked more surprised, Elder Sister Fairy, you really have a Little Elf? Hmm~ Hmph! I purposely sent your mom to the company just to show you my Little Elf! Yang Zhener triumphantly fondled the palm of her hand as she stood up and spoke. One of her main reasons for returning to Peng City for the time being, apart from helping Tang Baona with the company matters and coordinating with Zhang Qian, was to eagerly show off (brag) her abilities to Liu Shiling. She believed that Liu Shiling already had her Little Elf, making her the best audience for the display and verification of her powers. Yang Zhener took out a small silk pouch from her backpack, and then took out several erasers from the pouch. She scattered them around the room, and while arranging them, spoke: Little Lingdang, you should know that there are all sorts of magic and superpowers in our world, right Liu Shiling stood by her side, wringing her hands together, unsure of whether to respond. She really wanted to give Uncle Bald a call to ask about the situation. Although she knew that Elder Sister Fairy had already started venturing into the realm of magic, she never imagined that she would progress so quickly, even finding out about her having the Little Elf C she had always referred to the five coins as the Little Spirit Guardians. It couldnt have been Uncle Bald who told Elder Sister Fairy. If that were the case, Elder Sister Fairy would have just directly said something like, Stop pretending, Little Lingdang! Brother Xiang has already told me everything! Instead of guessing and coaxing like she was doing now. So how did Elder Sister Fairy find out? Liu Shiling looked at the erasers that Yang Zhener was setting up and couldnt help but be curious. Elder Sister Fairys Little Elf must be these erasers, but how would she showcase them? Could these erasers move and fly freely, just like her chocolates and ice cream? After placing the erasers, Yang Zhener stood in front of Liu Shiling with the Lucky Coin that Xiang Kun had given her in her open palm. Then, in a solemn and low voice, she said: Little Lingdang, our world is filled with many kinds of darkness and evil, and they lurk in every corner, waiting for an opportunity With Yang Zheners words, Liu Shiling noticed that the rooms brightness suddenly dimmed, and in the corners of the room, there were actually dark shadows coalescing and squirming. Yang Zhener suddenly clenched her hand that was holding the coin, her tone becoming urgent and heavy: Little Lingdang, when darkness and evil threaten this world, I!~ I will put on a glorious silver helmet As she finished her sentence, Liu Shiling saw a flash of white light on Yang Zheners head, and then a beautifully crafted helmet appeared on Elder Sister Fairys head. I will put on a glorious silver armor! A silver armor with exquisite patterns appeared on Yang Zhener. And wield a Holy Sword that can slay demons, bring light, dispel darkness, and contains lightning! A large sword, radiating white light and threads of electric arcs, appeared in Yang Zheners hand. I!!!~~~I am the Silver Armor Fairy! I!!!~~~I am my own Little Elf!! After finishing this declaration-like statement, Yang Zhener turned around, swung the large sword in her hand behind her, and the light burst and electricity raged. Then, the squirming shadows in the room immediately dispersed, and the room returned to its original brightness in the next moment. Yang Zhener jumped around and faced Liu Shiling again, her eyes shining brightly: So, what do you think, Little Lingdang? Isnt the Silver Armor Fairy powerful? Isnt she cool? Liu Shiling had her eyes wide and her mouth opened in awe as she nodded automatically. Chapter 579 - Chapter 579: Chapter 579: Yang Lao Sans Little Elf (Part 2) Chapter 579: Chapter 579: Yang Lao Sans Little Elf (Part 2) Of course, these were not real sights, rather illusions that Yang Zhen Er unintentionally conjured up that seemed very real. The process of figuring it out was quite absurd C after the airplane they were on was nearly brought down by a flock of birds, Yang Zhen Er became firmly convinced that Old Xia had some ability to summon little elves, and that a little elf that looked like Old Xia had saved their flight. She also believed that all the unusual things about Xiang Kun, the spirituality and uniqueness of Xiao Lingdang and Xiao Pingguo, and Nanas recent abnormal behavior, were all related to the summoning of little elves. Either they had a little elf, or they were in the process of training a little elf ability. Yang Zhen Er became quite anxious, thinking that everyone already had a little elf, so she couldnt be left too far behind! If all these abilities came from Old Xia, then she must work even harder. After all, she was Old Xias cousin and had known him the longest and had the closest relationship of everyone. They were of the same bloodline, after all! So, during that period of time, whether she was in Tongshi Town or Chongyun Village, she spent any free time trying to figure out how to summon her own little elf, how Old Xia could have the ability of a little elf. But apart from creating more and more erasers with special sensations, she could never really confirm what her little elf was. Although she gave names to her erasers and the coin Xiang Kun gave her, she had too many special erasers and always mixed up the names. She even forgot a few of the names, so after a few days, she no longer called her erasers by their individual names but collectively referred to them as my old buddies! One day, when she was alone in her room in Chongyun Village, she whimsically arranged those erasers with special sensations around the room. Then she pretended that the lucky coin was her and she herself imagined that she had become the summoned little elf. Interestingly enough, she suddenly found herself able to glow all over, just like in her imagination! She was overjoyed, thinking she had really awoken some incredible ability, so she happily set up her phone for a selfie. Unexpectedly, when she looked at what she had shot with her phone, there was no glow at all, only her laughing foolishly alone, which looked quite embarrassing. Yang Zhen Er was momentarily bewildered, wondering if she had been thinking about the little elf so much that she had become delusional. However, by chance, she discovered that the illusion she created could be perceived by others. At least Xia Tianhuo and Chu Xiuwen could sense it C when she was eating, she told a ghost story. Xia Tianhuo and Chu Xiuwen, who were dining at the same table, sensed the distorted shadow she created and were startled. Yet, Tang Baona, who was also eating in the same room, didnt notice. Then it occurred to Yang Zhen Er that maybe her little elf was not something else, but herself. Maybe the little elf ability was supposed to be like this! Following this, Yang Zhen Er began to secretly and slowly experiment, gradually summarizing the pattern of her ability: As long as she believed, she could display an illusion through her old buddies. This kind of illusion wasnt completely arbitrary. If it was too exaggerated, even she herself wouldnt believe it. It was already quite difficult to be able to see herself wearing fancy silver armor, wielding a large sword glowing white with electric arcs, and to have some imposing special effects. Others might also have a certain chance of seeing these illusions, but only if they follow her train of thought. This doesnt require her to hypnotize others. As long as others are willing to listen to her, it can have an impact and allow them to see the illusions she sees. At the beginning, when it was dinner time, Chu Xiuwen and Xia Tianhuo were able to see the illusions. Tang Baona did not because at that time Tang Baona was distracted and did not listen to her ghost story. Furthermore, Old Xia also cannot see her projected illusions. Even if he listens to her words quite attentively, its useless. Even in front of Old Xia, she finds it difficult to create illusions. Finally, Xiang KunShe is temporarily not planning to reveal her ability in front of Chef Xiang, she has to wait until she can skillfully master it and then discuss it later when things are set in stone! But what irked Yang Zhener somewhat was that she could only create extraordinary illusions up until the Silver Armor and Electric Light Sword. After all, she was already in her twenties and soon would be in her thirties. She was an adult with a mature and steady personality, not an innocent little girl like Xiao Lingdang. She could not believe anything too exaggerated. Apart from the Silver Armor, Electric Light Sword, strange twisted shadows, dreadful dark fog, the holy eye-catching radiance, and messy special effects, she could not make more normal illusions. Its not that whatever she thinks can occur, such as imagining a cup of water appearing in front of her, it was really difficult. Even imagining a pot of rabbit meat, cooked by Chef Xiang was impossible, therefore it was very hard to perform any trick with this method. She estimated that it was like those excessive exaggerations, ordinary stuff that she almost encounters every day in reality, therefore she also was unable to persuade herself to believe it. This was also one of the reasons why she urgently wanted to reveal her little elf transforming ability to Xiao Lingdang when she returned to Pengcheng Cityshe felt that the simple and innocent Xiao Lingdang, in terms of imagination, must be very good. Moreover, she faintly felt that her erasers, along with the Lucky Coin, seemed to share some relationship to Xiao Lingdang. She felt that Xiao Lingdang might be able to help her, much like she had many inspirations after playing the coin game with her. After discovering the dazzling special effects illusions, Yang Zhener simply could not help but squat down to pinch Liu Shilings cute little face looking startled and amazed with enlarged eyes and an open mouth. Actually, after seeing the large sword in Yang Zheners hands flashing and sparking, Liu Shiling instantly understood that all these were fake, not realbecause she couldnt perceive or control it. However, that didnt prevent her from admiring and envying Yang Zheners capability. The elder sisters skill was really amazing, looking very stylish, this was how a Magician should be like! She wanted light, and theres light. She wanted a sword, and there was a sword. She could summon monsters to battle anytime, she could bring out whatever tricks she wanted to, and she could use them freely, not worrying about damaging the furniture, getting caught by her mother and being spanked, or revealing the magic secret and making Uncle Bald angry. By then, she wouldnt need to wear her mothers oversized hoodie pretending to wear a magic robe anymore, she could merely generate a magnificent magic robe illusion for herself! Perhaps the chocolates, ice creams, the sachima might even take a tangible shape. Everything from the dreams could be revealed, allowing her to experience her magical world in advance. Elder Sister Magician, what magic is this, its so incredible, can you also conjure a magic robe for me? Liu Shiling asked eagerly. Hehe, if you call me Sister Silver Armor Fairy, then Ill try. Yang Zhener, seeing Liu Shilings face change in surprise, envy, admiration, and worship, felt as if she was floating in the air with delight. Liu Shiling immediately said, Silver Armor Old oh no its Sister Fairy! Uh never mind, I think Sister Fairy gives me the creeps Elder Sister Magician still sounds more affectionate and pleasant, its over, its all because of you, Xiao Lingdang. Now Ive actually become an Elder Sister Magician. Yang Zhener said with a mix of laughter and tears. Then, she began to focus her attention on Little Fatty Girl, standing up and staring at her. Placing one hand on her shoulder seriously, she said, Magician Xiao Lingdang, I, Silver Armor Old Fair oh man As a result, Yang Zhener couldnt help but laugh in the middle of her speech, ruining the effect. After adjusting her emotions, she gently touched Liu Shilings shoulders with both hands and continued, I, the Silver Armor Fairy, bestow upon you the Dingling Magic Robe! As soon as the words were spoken, with the chiming of a dingling bell ringing, a dazzling pillar of light directly shone down from the roof onto Liu Shiling. The beam seemed to directly hit from outer space, piercing through the building and precisely finding that chubby, adorable little girl. Liu Shiling tilted her small face upwards, squinting her eyes and stretching out her arms as if she was enjoying the light. Soon, she let out a soft gasp, noticing a black-based robe had appeared on her body, which looked rather similar to the robes of wizards in TV shows and cartoons. The robe didnt feel imaginary but real. She could clearly feel its weight and it even had the texture of cloth when she touched it. Liu Shiling looked up excitedly at Yang Zhener and said: Sister Silver Fairy, this needs a string here to hold the hat so it doesnt blow away when the wind comes. And there should be a kitty head here, not a custard pie cat head, it should be the one like Garfield. And this edge, here it needs to have that impressive pattern, its specifically like Yang Zhener listened attentively to Little Fatty Girls description, and swiftly made modifications to the small magic robe as the girl had described. Soon, the robe was a close match to what Little Fatty Girl had envisioned in her dreams. With great surprise, Yang Zhener discovered that she was now able to quickly and astonishingly modify the illusions she created. Previously, she was unable to modify illusions once they had taken form C they were permanently, irreversibly structured, and if she wasnt satisfied, shed have to start all over. Yang Zhener squatted down happily, hugging Liu Shiling, who was excitedly examining her robe through a full-length dressing mirror in the living room, and kissed her on the cheek, Xiao Lingdang, indeed you are my lucky charm! Huh? Liu Shiling was a bit confused. Nevertheless, she was super excited and pulled Yang Zhener, Old Fairy Sister, lets go back home; I need to get my magic wand, and we need to bring Custard Pie along too to play. Magic wand? Yang Zheners eyes sparkled, realizing that Xiao Lingdang had finally completely trusted her and was willing to show her all her abilities. However, when she followed Little Fatty Girl home and saw her taking out a small wooden box from her room, retrieving a pair of chopsticks, she was a little confused. Well, it seemed she still couldnt comprehend the innocence and spontaneity of children. Then, at Liu Shilings request, Yang Zhener decorated her magic wand. It looked bigger and more majestic, with a cute cat head at the end. Next, she put the tailor-made magic robe, which they had previously designed, on her. Immediately, the image of the mighty Great Wizard imagined by Liu Shiling appeared. To Yang Zhener, though, the magic robe seemed a bit too unconventional. Rather than a magic robe, it looked more like a casual extra-long hoodie with just a bit of a wizardly touch. The hood was too big; when she put it on, it covered the eyes, leaving only a mouth and a round chin visible. As for the magic wand topped with a cat head, it had no hint of magic at all C it resembled a childs toy more than a magical tool. However, regardless, the combination looked both cute and adorable on Little Fatty Girl, mostly because she liked it. Seeing the excitement and joy in Little Fatty Girls eyes, Yang Zhener felt an incredible sense of accomplishment. Old Fairy Sister, Old Fairy Sister, what about Custard Pie? Lets give it eight wings! Liu Shiling pointed her magic wand at the bewildered-faced Custard Pie, And lets transform it into the size of a tiger. Then we can ride on it. Yang Zhener quickly responded: Even if we transform it into the size of a tiger, we cant ride on it, Xiao Lingdang. It hasnt really become that big! I understand, Fairy Sister, as long as it looks rideable. Thus, Yang Zhener began to transform the Custard Pie step by step according to Little Fatty Girls request. In no time, in their eyes, the Custard Pie had become a big cat with shoulders about sixty or seventy cm high, body length close to two meters, and eight wings in total. However, looking at the bewildered expression on Custard Pies big face, Yang Zhener seriously doubted whether it could perceive the illusion she had created, or realize that it had turned into a big eight-winged cat. Then, Liu Shiling put the magic wand on her waist, and tidied up the living room with Yang Zhener. They pushed the coffee table next to the sofa, pushed the stools, trinkets, and such against the wall, clearing a relatively large space. Fairy Sister, its time to fight! The devil from the Dark World is about to invade Chongyun Village. Our home is the exit. In order to protect Chongyun Village and Uncle Bald ah, Uncle Bald does not need protection; so to protect Tall Uncle, Uncle Ah Fu, Pretty Sister and others, we must fight without retreating! Fairy Sister, Custard Pie, are you ready? Looking at Liu Shiling who was wearing the cute Magic Robe, holding the cute Magic Wand, and saying these words in a cute but serious voice, Yang Zhener felt a little embarrassed. Alas, she really couldnt match Xiao Lingdangs innocence. If she were alone, the illusion might have disintegrated immediately, but with Liu Shiling around, her illusion was surprisingly stable. So Xiao Lingdang, what should the devil from the Dark World look like? It must be very tall, its head reaching the ceiling. Since its from the Dark World, it should be all black, like the one just appeared in your living room, Fairy Sister. Its claws should be long, looking quite scary. It should be able to roar, Roar~, like that. Also, it should say some bad things, like Im going to destroy you! Im going to eat all your food! and stuff. Yang Zhener created a scary-looking monster illusion in the room according to Liu Shilings requirements, and she began to get into characterbecause the monster really did look a bit scary. She was wearing glowing silver armor, holding a large shining electric sword in her hand. She charged forward while waving her sword and shouting: As long as I, the Silver Armor Fairy, am here, dont think you can get past! Behind her, Liu Shiling raised her kitten-headed magic wand and shouted, Chocolate! Ice cream! Sachima! Lemon tea! Green bean cake! Go! The eight-winged cat Custard Pie next to her also opened its mouth wide and let out a roar~. At the next moment, with Yang Zheners sword wave, several electric dragons emerged on the walls of the room. They quickly climbed forward, directly hitting the giant black shadow monster appearing at the end of the living room, the doorway of the kitchen. There were continuous blaring sounds, sparks were splashing everywhere; the door of the refrigerator at the kitchen entrance was completely blasted open, the edges spouting sparks and black smoke; the TV in the living room directly emitted a poof and caught on fire. Taken aback, the two humans and the cat in the room simultaneously shrank their necks. Whats going on? What happened?! Little Lingdang, are you okay? Yang Zhener, now absent of the silver armor and the great sword, wasnt sure whether this was an illusion she created or a reality. Instinctively, she turned to check on Little Fatty Girl. With a chopstick in her hand, Liu Shiling also froze, now understanding what had happened, she murmured: Were screwed Chapter 580 - Chapter 580: Chapter 580 Everything is Going According to Plan Chapter 580: Chapter 580 Everything is Going According to Plan Of course, Liu Shiling knew that the mages robe on her body, the magic wand in her hand, and the dark demon lord that appeared in the living room were all conjured by the elder fairy sister and were not completely real. However, when she put on the magnificent and imposing mages robe and held the coveted kitty head magic staff for the first time, and sighted the shadowy monster demon lord while awake, Liu Shiling was too immersed, too excited, too thrilled, and unwittingly, she thoroughly activated the five super-connected objects coins, really bringing forth electricity. Luckily, she pulled back in time after getting a shock, or else the electronic devices in the entire building would have been ruined. Of course, for a moment just now, the power supply to the entire building had been temporarily interrupted and all wireless signals interfered with. Luckily, it was afternoon time, and there werent many people in the building. The power was promptly restored, causing no significant impact to be noticed. However, the appliances in Liu Shilings house were the unlucky ones, especially along the route from the living room to the kitchen, everything from the TV, router, water dispenser, refrigerator, microwave, rice cooker, to the tablet on the sofa were affected. After checking that the little fatty girl was fine, Yang Zhener heaved a sigh of relief and gently patted the custard pies head, saying, Its good youre all okay, its all my fault. Gosh, I always thought that the electricity on my holy sword was fake, but I didnt expect it to turn real all of a sudden Upon observing the situation in the room, she then realized that the illusion was not an illusion, but an actual occurrence. Did her electricity become real?! Despite being slightly alarmed, Yang Zhener still had a hint of self-satisfaction. Little Bell truly is a possessor of great fortune! Liu Shiling, looking at the smoking and definitely broken TV, and the various foods that flew out from the refrigerator when the door was thrust open, held her chopsticks with a listless expression: Its over, mom will definitely spank me when she gets back. Yang Zhener promptly waved her hand with a heroic air: No worries! This is all my fault, and it has nothing to do with you, Little Bell! Rest assured, Ill talk to your mom. As for these appliances and such, Ill get them sorted out soon! Liu Shiling paused, raised her head to look at Yang Zheners expression, and realized that the elder fairy sister was intending to take the blame for her. If elder fairy sister took the blame, she could avoid punishment and beatings, which really relieved hershe hasnt angered her mom or been spanked for a long, long time. Now that shes already in elementary school, it would be pretty miserable to be spanked again. However, Liu Shiling realized that elder fairy sister seemed to truly believe that she was the one who broke all the appliances in the room? She really thought it was her own fault? This discovery caused the two little people in Liu Shilings heart to begin fighting against each other. One voice quietly said: If elder fairy sister thinks its her doing, its all good. We dont say anything, which is not lying. Mom definitely wont spank elder fairy sisters butt. The other voice opposed, This isnt right; elder fairy sister truly thinks its her fault. We know it isnt but wont tell her. This means were deceiving her, and also to avoid getting the spanking ourselves. This is not what good kids should do! The former voice quietly spoke again: Anyway, nobody knows, neither elder fairy sister nor mom, only Custard Pie knows, but it definitely wont speak out. Depending on whether Bald Uncle knows or not. The other voice sighed, Were supposed to be great wizards saving the world, supposed to be fighting side-by-side with Uncle Bald, how can we be afraid of mere spanking? The previous voice said: But we have to keep our ability to use magic a secret, Uncle Bald will definitely understand. The other voice retorted: Elder fairy sister can also use magic, and we just used magic together. Last time, Uncle Bald even allowed us to teach elder fairy sister magic, which proves that shes one of us. Hence, we should never deceive elder fairy sister like this. Little Bell, what are you muttering? I cant hear it clearly, Yang Zhener curiously asked. After an inner turmoil, Liu Shiling finally made her decision and raised her head to tell Yang Zhener: Elder fairy sister, you didnt mess up the TV and the fridge, I did. Ah? Yang Zhener was taken aback. Dont worry, elder fairy sister, whoever did it should be held accountable. Even if mom spanks me until I cant sit down, I wont involve you in this! Liu Shiling earnestly affirmed. Then, Yang Zhener seemed to sense an extremely fine line, like threads, connecting her distributed erasers to the little fatty girl. Though she couldnt see it directly, she inexplicably knew that the thing connected to the little fatty girl was the five named coins. So, at this moment, Yang Zhener understood instantly that the real electric shock just now wasnt due to her illusion coming to life and becoming reality, but was due to the five coins controlled by Little Bell. This little kid, she can generate electricity! Yang Zhener couldnt help but get excited, suddenly picked up the little fatty girl, and exclaimed: Little Bell, we can combine and cast spells together in the future! Ill use illusion to confuse others, and then youll subtly generate electricity. At first, people will be frightened, and then realize that my electricity is fake. When they lower their guard, youll suddenly shock them with real electricity, catching them unaware! Liu Shiling was puzzled: Who does elder fairy sister want to shock? Yang Zhener paused: Ah um lets talk about it when the time comes. Thus, when evening arrived and Shilings mom returned home (after not seeing Yang Zhener and Liu Shiling coming to find her for lunch), she found some changes in her house as she pushed the door open. It seemed like the TV in the living room was replaced? With a bigger sized TV? And not only the TV, the fridge was also replaced? From a single-door to a double-door type? Yang Zhener and Liu Shiling were stuffing some ingredients into the fridge, and they both smiled at her when they saw her enter. What is this? Shilings mom was slightly confused. What was this situation? They were renting this apartment, and the TV and fridge belonged to the landlord. If Miss Yang wanted to replace the TV and fridge, she should replace them in their rented apartment downstairs, shouldnt she? Yang Zhener quickly pointed at Custard Pie, who was snacking on gourmet canned food on the floor next to them, and explained: This afternoon, while Little Bell and I were playing with Custard Pie, he accidentally damaged the television and fridge. We called the local electrical appliance store, and since they were having a promotion, we replaced the TV and fridge with higher-end models from the same brand, so the landlord should have no complaints. Liu Shiling didnt comment, and just silently opened another can of the gourmet canned food they had just brought for Custard Pie. Ah? This we could have just fixed it the TV and fridge should be expensive, how much did they cost? I need to transfer the money to you. Shilings mom quickly said. It must be that Liu Shiling got too rowdy while playing with Custard Pie, how can we let you pay for it? Liu Shiling, who was squatting next to the custard pie, ducked her neck a little, but still didnt dare to speak up. She had mustered the courage to confess to the old fairy sister earlier, and the old fairy sister assured her not to worry, but she now lacked the courage to be honest with her mother again, after all it might involve leaking magic secrets. Its not entirely because shes afraid of being spanked by her mother. Yang Zhener said: Oh, Sister Lin, its not Xiao Lingdangs fault, its mine. I wanted to pet the custard pie, but it wouldnt let me, then it ran, so I chased it, tripped over something, and smashed the TV. If it was Xiao Lingdang, she would just need to lift her hand and get the pie, she doesnt need to chase it at all. Sister Lin, dont bring this up anymore, let me get over it, otherwise, its somewhat embarrassing. Ah? Is that so Miss Yang didnt get hurt, did she? It it was just because the custard pie was too naughty. said Shilings mom. Now that Yang Zhener had explained that much, it was awkward to ask further. She was still somewhat perplexed. If just chasing the custard pie, how did that end up destroying both the far-off TV and the refrigerator? Above all, even though the TV might be fragile, the refrigerator isnt that easy to break, is it? Yet naturally, she felt too embarrassed to voice these questions. A few hours ago. In the completed Phase 1 building of the research base in Chongyun Village. In a certain experiment room. Xia Libing was currently resting her chin on one hand and supporting her elbow with the other, staring at the screen in front of her. The scene on the screen was of Liu Shilings living room; from the angle of the video, it looked like the camera of a tablet placed on the living room sofa. Under Alices control, this tablets camera, originally facing down, was subtly adjusted little by little, flipped over, leaned against the couch, and its angle corrected, turning on the wide-angle lens to capture the whole living room. Since most of the components inside this tablet were now super-connected objects, and the room was also filled with a large number of super-connected objects, it wasnt too difficult for Alice to achieve this. Knowing that Yang Zhener and Liu Shiling were going home, she had already adjusted the angle of the tablet cameras lens. All of this was naturally intended to show to Old Xia, as she herself could understand the situation directly through super sensory information. Seeing Yang Zhener, who was clasping her hands triumphantly, and Liu Shiling, who was holding a chopstick and tilting her chin proudly, Alice, who had climbed onto a chair, cheerfully explained: Old Three probably made an illusion of a great sword, but I dont know what the illusion looks like. Little Lingdang should be able to see all the illusions, Old Xia, Old Xia, do you want to know what the illusion looks like? If you want to know, I can try to revert the super sensory information and try to simulate it! No need, Xia Libing responded. No sooner had she finished speaking than, on the screen, Yang Zhener was already shouting in an exaggerated tone, With my Silver Armor Fairy here, you dont expect to get past me! She was wearing slippers, lacing her fingers together, and charging towards the kitchen. And following her was Liu Shiling, whose exalted and serious tone combined with her cute voice was calling out the names of various coins like chocolate, ice cream. This somewhat embarrassing and exaggerated scene was fortunately being watched by Xia Libing; if it had been Tang Baona, who was a quick laugher, she probably would have already been laughing till she cried. However, just as Yang Zhener swung her laced fingers and Liu Shiling finished calling the names, real bolts of electricity appeared on the wall and the screen went black amid a loud rumble. Xia Libing immediately sat upright and turned to look at Alice: Are they okay? She naturally knew what was going on; it was clear that the little fatty girl had accidentally activated her super-connected object, causing an electrical arc strike. The little fatty girls control over electricity was getting stronger and stronger, especially with the global association and distribution of Xiang Kuns super-connected objects. The areas where Liu Shiling, Yang Zhener, and others lived, worked, and studied were all prioritized areas. Therefore, there were densely distributed and various kinds of superconnected objects which allowed Liu Shiling to more easily access all her abilities and apply them to a larger range and higher power. As a result, Xiang Kun had asked Alice to keep an eye on the little fatty girl to prevent her from accidentally using her power and hurting herself or others. So when she heard Xia Libings question, the manifested Alice subconsciously stuck out her tongue and scratched her head before saying, No worries, Little Lingdang is fine, and Old Three is also okay. She was a teeny-weeny bit negligent; logically speaking, she should have forecasted the possibility of the little fatty girl accidentally manifesting a real power effect after being too engrossed in the illusion and plot created by Yang Zhener. She then should have done ability countermeasures in time to minimize the impact. Knowing that the cousin and the little fatty girl were fine, Xia Libing nodded without saying much. She knew Alice would reflect on it, and there was no need to remind her. So she simply said, Find out where Lu Qinliang is now. Okay! Alice responded immediately. Afterward, the previously black monitor flickered for a moment, and an infrared thermal imaging view from the birds eye view of the ground popped up. In the image, you could see a tall figure moving on the ground; judging by the shape of the thermal imaging, his physical structure clearly differed from humans, and his temperature was vastly different from the surrounding humans. This was definitely the secretive Mr. Liang from the Divine Technologys secret department, Lu Qinliang. His current location was outside the rental house where Xiang Kun first mutated. He was in an invisible state, and the image that Alice sent to Old Xia was from a mini-drone surveillance from high above, deployed by Lu Qinliang himself. It was evident that Mr. Liang was currently investigating Xiang Kun. Previously, Fang Pingfang, Zhao Feng, and their eight-person investigation team were conducting the investigation under the guide of Xiang Kun and Alice. At that time, with Alices assistance, Xia Libing occasionally paid attention to the progress of their investigation. Based on the actual situation and her psychological assessments of the group, she subtly adjusted Xiang Kuns guiding plan, enabling them to more accurately pursue the objectives drawn up by Xiang Kun. Now it was Lu Qinliangs turn, with Xia Libing and Alice still conducting real-time surveillance, making detailed adjustments, and modifications of information. If we compare their plan to a renovation, Xiang Kun is the chief architect, Xia Libing is the site supervisor, and Alice is the plumber, bricklayer, painter, carpenter, and laborer Since Xiang Kun was currently concentrating on other things, the on-site executions were all done by the two of them, ensuring that the plan progressed towards the predestined goal. As of now, everything was going according to plan. Chapter 581 - Chapter 581: Chapter 581: Really Interesting Chapter 581: Chapter 581: Really Interesting Having received the investigation information from Fang Pingfang, Zhao Feng, and others, Mr. Liang realized that they were close to finding the source of the Eight-armed Eight-eyed Illusion. He keenly sensed that if the Eight-armed Eight-eyed Illusion and the little girl in a white skirt on the passenger plane wing, have a common source, it is likely this source would be directly related to the rabbit wood carving found in the uninhabited area of Qinling. If so, the source is highly likely to be a Blood-eating creature. Moreover, this Blood-eating creature is of an exceptionally high level, capable of creating illusions at a long-distance and invading dreams through an object, not something an ordinary person can resist. Thus, Mr. Liang promptly ordered Fang Pingfangs team to stop their investigation, withdraw all contact, and stand by. Based on their investigation information, Mr. Liang made a preliminary judgement that the source of the Eight-armed Eight-eyed Illusion should be one of the three: Xiang Kun, Xia Libing, and Tang Baona. After personally intervening and collecting more information for analysis, Mr. Liang quickly ruled out Xia Libing and Tang Baona from his suspects list, leaving only Xiang Kun. Although the information received showed that Xiang Kun exhibited many characteristics not typical of a Blood-eating creature, such as being seen eating normally in a restaurant along with other people in some surveillance videos, Mr. Liang was certain from other information that Xiang Kun is a Blood-eating creature. However, after confirming Xiang Kun as the target, Mr. Liang did not immediately contact or investigate him. Instead, he was busy tracking another Blood-eating creature. After the previous giant raptor caused a tourist to fall off a cliff in Wushu Mountain, old He demanded that Mr. Liang prioritize its capture. Yet, even as he was close to successfully hunting down the giant raptor in Wushu Mountain, the creature managed to escape by transforming into an egg. The sudden, eerie thunderstorm knocked down many of his drones, affecting his flight ability, and forcing him to abandon his pursuit. During the subsequent investigation of a passenger plane near Jianzhou that was attacked by a flock of birds, attention was focused on the little girl in a white skirt who appeared on the wing of the plane. However, Mr. Liang deduced from various information and data that the bird flock was likely deliberately manipulated to attack the plane by a mutant bird. Although the mutant bird differed significantly from the previous giant raptor in Wushu Mountain in terms of its size, after carefully examining the bodies of the birds and conducting a day-long investigation in the area beneath the site of the bird strike, Mr. Liang was certain that they were the same creature. Old He had already thrown a fit when Mr. Liang failed to capture the giant raptor the previous time. If he were to find out that the same bird was responsible for nearly causing an airliner crash, his blood pressure would probably skyrocket. Therefore, Mr. Liang decided to prioritize the capture of this troublesome bird posing a significant threat to humans before proceeding to investigate Xiang Kun. At least according to the current information, Xiang Kun, unlike Guo Tianxiang and the so-called Bloodline Vampires in Europe, does not feed on human blood. He blends well into society with many close friends, engaging in normal social activities in a stable living environment, thus the chances of him intentionally harming others is relatively small. However, after several days of personal investigation, Mr. Liang found that the bird seemed to have vanished into thin air. Even with all resources employed for tracking, Mr. Liang still could not pinpoint its whereabouts. The bird itself has the ability to become invisible, which makes it difficult to find. Yet, he has a fleet of drones, plus various proprietary and public devices aided by Thai A, all equipped with a search mode for Blood-eating creatures. As long as it shows up, using data calculation, he should be able to estimate its location, and together with a wide-range search and Mr. Liangs personal involvement, the probability of finding its trace is not slight. But precisely because he came up empty-handed, Mr. Liang was somewhat frustrated. He speculated that the bird probably transformed again like it did on Wushu Mountain, potentially burrowing into the soil like an insect to hide. It is even possible that it evolved a special ability during this time to better conceal itself. In this case, Mr. Liang turned his thoughts to Xiang Kun again. Xiang Kun was on the plane at that time. If he was a Blood-eating creature, then the appearance of the girl in the white skirt was likely to be directly related to him. It could either be the manifestation of one of his abilities or an illusion used to distract the passengers from his other abilities. The reason why the bird put in so much effort to ambush the plane with a flock of birds was most likely because of him. Behind all this, there might be some connection that God Travel Technology has not uncovered C it was abnormal for the bird to coincide the bird flock to hit the passenger plane with Xiang Kun on board. Perhaps through the investigation of Xiang Kun, he could find a way to track down this bird. Therefore, Mr. Liang once again focused on investigating Xiang Kun. However, he did not go to Chongyun Village to contact Xiang Kun directly. Instead, he went to the residence where Xiang Kun initially rented. Mr. Liang planned to first retrace the path of Xiang Kuns transformation from an ordinary person into a Blood-eating creature, gather all the information he needed, and then determine how to deal with and dispose of him. With the help of Thai A and the unique authorization from old He, its not difficult to investigate, after all, Xiang Kun didnt frequently change his identity or move around like Guo Tianxiang. According to Xiang Kuns basic information, his life experiences were very normal and ordinary, all step by step, according to the rules, so there werent any exceptions or accidents. Of course, unlike Qin Dong, Ji Hang, and others, Mr. Liang did not believe that such an ordinary background was fabricated simply because the current Xiang Kun was extraordinary. He knew that before mutation, any living organism, be it cats, dogs, fish, birds, bugs, or humans would be ordinary and normal, with no distinct characteristics. All the changes should have started on July 11th, 2019, when the company Xiang Kun worked for went bankrupt, and he lost his job. Because before that, according to the data analysis of Thai A on all Xiang Kuns life-related data, including the usage records of his Alipay, WeChat, bus card, subway card, and various social media accounts, he peaked normally up until July 11th, 2019, and did not fit any of the characteristics of a Blood-eating creature. But on the night of July 11th, he paid for his meal at a local food stall with WeChat, then called a taxi to go home. From then until July 14th, none of his personal accounts had any usage records, and there were several unanswered calls. On July 14th, he made three WeChat payments, and according to the retrieved transaction records, one was at a small restaurant near his rental apartment, one was at a pharmacy, and the other was a personal payment. Based on the information found by Thai A, the recipient of the third payment was a person who sold chickens and ducks at the local market. In the days following July 14th, Xiang Kun basically did not have any Alipay or WeChat payment records for meals or groceries, until almost a month later when he started buying common food from supermarkets again. Considering that later, Xiang Kun went to Tongshi Town and started cooking at his childhood friends restaurant, he was likely trying to practice cooking normal food to cover up the animal bones left by his blood-sucking habit during this time. From all this information, Mr. Liang was able to re-enact in his mind Xiang Kuns experiences of the initial few days of mutation. He sneaked into the rented room where Xiang Kun used to live, which is still unoccupied. However, all traces of the [the blood-eating creature] were long gone. He picked up several items and tasted them with his tongue but got nothing. Following this, Mr. Liang went to Xiang Kuns purchased house. According to the information uncovered, Xiang Kun had finished paying off the remaining loan in advance in August of this year. As to how he did so, Mr. Liang already knew. Xiang Kun is now one of the hidden bosses of QianKun Technology, directly leading the development of the most popular online multiplayer voice game, Genesis of Voice. Mr. Liang strongly suspected that the reason Xiang Kun could develop such a revolutionary game, gaining financial freedom at once, was probably related to the mutation that happened to him. The continuous mutation and evolution of Xiang Kun after transforming into a blood-eating creature may have been in his brains thinking and related to programming development. Otherwise, its hard to explain how he was able to create such a game suddenly. After all, according to the information Mr. Liang had gathered, Xiang Kun didnt have a mature development team. Most of the core functionality and gameplay were all made by him alone. Currently, the technical staff of QianKun Technology and Teng Jiao Interactives are mostly doing some UI optimization and some related interactive functionality. Honestly speaking, Mr. Liang had encountered many blood-eating creatures. However, none of those blood-eating creatures known to him, Academician Shens recorded blood-eating creatures, or even some overseas human blood-eating creatures that they knew of, none were like Xiang Kun, who continued to shine and excel in their original careers after transforming into a blood-eating creature. From Mr. Liangs understanding of the mutation mechanism of blood-eating creatures, for Xiang Kun to have reached this point, he must have a deep passion and perseverance in his work and in programming. This improved Mr. Liangs perception of Xiang Kun. In his view, after mutating into a blood-eating creature and managing to focus the mutation and evolution on cognitive thinking, and continue to make money and build a career through technological means, these people must have a clear and discerned grasp of things. Their values have not been washed away by the blood-eating characteristics. Of course, based on the trend of Xiang Kuns physical change around July 11th, Mr. Liang knew that he had also evolved physically. However, the records of Xiang Kun in the police system made Mr. Liang realize that Xiang Kun is a man of justice and responsibility. Incidents such as kicking off an armed assailant who was downstairs from his rented apartment, capturing a fugitive he encountered on the road, cleverly capturing a human trafficker he ran across, and taking action to restrain and call the police when he and his girlfriend encountered someone with ill intent, these all showed that Xiang Kun knew how to use his power properly and restrainedly. He dared to take action, knew when to pull punches, and followed social rules, proactively maintaining social order. This improved Mr. Liangs impression of Xiang Kun once more. After entering Xiang Kuns purchased house, Mr. Liang, knowing that nobody was in there, directly stuck his finger into the keyhole and used his variable Mechanical Master Key to unlock the door. If there were other people in the corridor at the time, they would have seen Xiang Kuns anti-theft door turning and opening by itself. The invisible Mr. Liang made a round in the house, surveying his surroundings. He found the remaining blocks of boxwood that Xiang Kun had previously used for wood carving, discovered the small carving knives and all sorts of tools, and found the Eight-armed Eight-eyed Wood Carving in the cabinet. This wood carving was identical to the one that Feng Xiuye had brought to Old Man Du. Mr. Liang had a feeling of expectation being met, as everything fell into place. He looked towards the several mainframes in the bedroom, thought for a moment, and went to open the window. A moment later, a drone flew in. Mr. Liang took the drone over to a mainframe, pulling out a data cable and connecting it to a USB port. Soon, Taia found a file encrypted with MD5. Taia automatically used a rainbow table to crack the encryption, luckily it only took a few minutes to crack. Then, to Mr. Liangs surprise, he found that the file was a self-recorded data log of Xiang Kun ever since the first day of his mutation. This was an unexpected bonus, as Mr. Liang no longer needed to infer Xiang Kuns mutation process from various scanty clues, this guy already recorded all detailed data himself. Seeing the record file with not only detailed data but also accompanied by pictures and videos, Mr. Liang, who was still in his invisible status, had a wide smirk and couldnt help shaking his head and muttering to himself: A programmer transformed blood-eating creature is really interesting. After seeing, from Xiang Kuns records, that other than the first time he mutated when he drank chicken blood, afterward, he had consistently used rabbit blood to complete the Blood-drinking Period, and he would only start drinking blood when he felt hungry and stop when he no longer felt hungry, Mr. Liang had an even better impression of Xiang Kun. However, when he saw that Xiang Kun had discovered a way to guide the direction of mutation and improve certain fixed abilities through training, similar to exercising, Mr. Liang couldnt help but exclaim in surprise. Not because of the discovery itself, but because of the training implementation and results that Xiang Kun achieved straight after, which were amazing. Next, he discovered that Xiang Kuns Blood-drinking Periods were incredibly regular. They happened every five days, each Blood-drinking Period almost meant the same amount of sleeping time, and the increase in blood intake was progressive and very stable. Mr. Liang felt a strange sensation as if the mutation itself and those high-dimensional factors that transformed Xiang Kun into a blood-eating creature, while changing Xiang Kuns body, were also being tamed by Xiang Kun, falling into some sort of routine and habit. They were influencing each other. Interesting In that file, Xiang Kun also recorded his consumption of other blood-eating creatures, including a Giant Owl and a mutated spider. Xiang Kun also described the special connection he established with the wood carving he made, how he unintentionally used this wood carving to scare Tang Baonas grandfather, uncle, and Old Man Du in their dreams. He described how he discovered that this wood carving could be used while he was awake to guide peoples emotions and create illusions, and how he used this method to influence Qi Haoguo in Tongshi Town, secretly went to Burma, saved the kidnapped Xia Tianhuo, and incidentally prevented a riot in Myitkyina. As Mr. Liang looked at the file recorded by Xiang Kun and cross-referenced it with the investigation data previously provided by Fang Pingfang and Zhao Feng on a tablet delivered by the drone, he was able to piece together and verify the true situation. Chapter 582 - Chapter 582: Chapter 582: Absolute Control Chapter 582: Chapter 582: Absolute Control While reading Xiang Kuns document, which recorded various mutation data and characteristics at different stages, Mr. Liang was simultaneously comparing it with the various life trajectory records of Xiang Kun after he transformed into a blood-eating creature on July 11th of the previous year, collected by Tyre. These records included text, related data, photos, videos, and even some chat records and screenshots from social media. Although they had only just started to investigate and monitor Xiang Kun, in modern society, digital recording devices can be found almost everywhere. As Xiang Kun had not completely severed his original societal connections and still predominantly lived in urban areas even in Chongyun Village, his regular place of residence that had been filled with surveillance after his transformationthere were plenty of digital records left behind. By reviewing these records and basic information, Mr. Liang learned that Xiang Kun had a harmonious family. After his mutation, he continued to maintain frequent contact with his parents, even returning home for a few days during the Spring Festival. Even on the day of the mutation when his company went bankrupt, Xiang Kun quickly found a few friends after a period of solitary life, and began to socialize and interact more often. Based on the frequency and timing of his social activities, he was comparatively more active post-transformation than he was before. Moreover, these social interactions seem to be pure socializing, unlike that of Guo Tianxiang and John, these so-called bloodline vampires, whose interactions with people are all for a specific purpose. In conclusion, it seems the people around Xiang Kun havent noticed his mutation. Despite significant changes to his appearance and habits, his consistent and regular Blood-drinking Period and restraint in using his abilities, coupled with his respect and upholding of social order, all allow him to continue his life as usual. Xiang Kun hasnt utilized any of his emotional and mental influence capabilities from his Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving to profit in any way. Every penny he has spent has been from his own savings or obtained by legal means, which has been clearly accounted for. This is quite rare for a human blood-eating creature. However, Mr. Liang speculated that Xiang Kuns girlfriend, Dr. Xia Libing, who resigned to assist him in setting up an Intelligent Breeding Research Base in Chongyun Village, is likely aware of Xiang Kuns secret as a blood-eating creature. The reason why Mr. Liang directly assumed Xia Libing to be Xiang Kuns girlfriend was because, according to the information found by Tyre, Xiang Kun had lived with her in Citong City, Shenhai City, and Chongyun Village. Furthermore, according to the timing, it was inevitable for her to be with Xiang Kun during his Blood-drinking Period while they were cohabiting. Its almost impossible for her to be unaware of Xiang Kuns peculiarity. Tyre even found the supplier of the meat rabbits Xiang Kun used in Citong City. Their breeding farms surveillance video had captured Xia Libing going to buy meat rabbits for Xiang Kuns blood-drinking purposes she even paid for them. In addition, Tyre found out that the upfront costs for construction and equipment at the breeding base Xiang Kun was setting up in Chongyun Village were paid by Xia Libing. From this, it was evident that not only was Xia Libing aware of Xiang Kuns condition, but she was also fully supportive of him. When Mr. Liang first learned of this information, his initial reaction was that Dr. Xia Libing was influenced by Xiang Kun through some form of hypnosis, similar to the manipulative abilities demonstrated by Guo Tianxiang and John the such bloodline vampires who could alter peoples psychological perceptions and judgements through sensory contact. However, after discovering today that Xiang Kun does not rely on human blood as his blood source, coupled with the fact that Xia Libings behavioral pattern differed from previous individuals who were hypnotized by the so-called bloodline vampires, and reading through Xiang Kuns mutation report, Mr. Liang realized that the relationship between Xia Libing and Xiang Kun was likely very different from how Guo Tianxiang and John manipulate and control ordinary people. Perhaps Dr. Xia thought the bald vampire Xiang Kun was cool and developed feelings for him, just like the female protagonists in Mary Sue novels? However, as long as Xiang Kun does not illegally control others through his blood-eating creature abilities, Mr. Liang sees no issue with their actions. Beforehand, Mr. Liang had been tracking the bird, while Taia and the information gathering team had been continuously collecting various information related to Xiang Kun and his surroundings. This time, after getting authorization from Old He, the performance of Taia was somewhat better than Mr. Liang had expected, uncovering plenty of information that he would likely overlook or miss if he were conducting the investigation himself. Although this information had already revealed Xiang Kuns blood-eating creature characteristics, it wasnt until now, with the acquisition of Xiang Kuns mutation record files, that Mr. Liang was able to create a clearer picture of Xiang Kuns mutation route, social connections, current living conditions, and intended behaviors. Using Academician Shens words, Xiang Kun, the human blood-eating creature, regardless of his moral bottom line, identity cognition, knowledge reserve, or his attitude towards himself and other blood-eating creatures, is a very suitable Blood-eating creature researcher. Looking at what Xiang Kun is doing, he has set up a restaurant with others in order to conceal his future increased blood-drinking needs. He has also co-founded a gaming company to raise funds. What he really wants to do is the so-called Internet, Intelligent Breeding Research Base. According to the type of devices ordered, it is actually used for researching the mutation of himself or other blood-eating creatures. He also has the idea of exploring the mysteries and principles of blood-eating creatures. If Academician Shen had discovered an individual like Xiang Kun when he invited him to join the research project, Academician Shen would have been extremely pleased, and would have extended an olive branch without hesitation. But now, Academician Shen is no longer with us. After what happened, Mr. Liang naturally possesses skepticism towards the nature of blood-eating creatures. He will not easily trust any human blood-eating creature. Because even if they appear to be rational and trustworthy under normal circumstances, when they enter a bloodlust state, especially when they reach periodic limits, they might become dominated by their instincts. Although from Xiang Kuns own records and the information found by Taia, one could infer that Xiang Kun is a person with high mastery of self-control, tremendous research spirit, and a strong moral bottom line, Mr. Liang still harbours a layer of suspicion, needing more observation and testing. Under normal circumstances, he would have let Taia continue to monitor and observe, and would not hastily come into contactthis year, a large number of surveillance devices was installed in Chongyun Village, where Xiang Kun resides, and has even been connected to the Bright Project. Originally, this should have been Xiang Kuns wish to monitor his controlled area for safety, but now it has facilitated Divine Technology and Taia, saving them the effort of deploying covert surveillance. But now, after looking at the relevant information found by Taia, he must do something in advance. Because Xiang Kuns research base is about to be completed, and by then, he could potentially bring about a catastrophe unprepared. Xiang Kun may escape this once, but Xia Libing and other ordinary people involved in the research may be implicated. By then, not only will there be casualties, but Xiang Kun might also undergo psychological changes because of it. He may turn from a qualified researcher/ successor into something else entirely. So after leaving Xiang Kuns house, Mr. Liang sat in his exclusive black car parked outside, reviewed the relevant information once more, pondered over it, and then prepared to head to Haixi Province, Tongshi Town. What Mr. Liang didnt know was that from the moment he began his investigation on Xiang Kun, all his behaviors had been recorded and transmitted to Chongyun Village thousands of miles away by the drone he carried with him. A little girl, born in the virtual yet able to co-manifest in reality, had been incessantly chattering about his investigation to Dr. Xia, who she believed might be deluded from reading too many vampire Mary Sue novels. From teams led by Fang Pingfang, Zhao Feng and others investigating the Eight-armed Eight-eyed Illusion, White-skirted Little Girl Outside the Airliner, to Mr. Liang personally investigating the whereabouts of the mutated big bird, Xiang Kuns mutation process, all were part of the overall plan and final goal designed by Xiang Kun, with Alice executing, and Xia Libing supervising and controlling the entire process. Yes, Xiang Kun was deliberately leading Divine Technology, leading Mr. Liang to discover his existence. Or strictly speaking, allowing Mr. Liang to discover his existence as a mutant, and the way he exists. Although he planned to lay his cards on the table to Mr. Liang, Xiang Kun did not intend to tell him directly. With his current ability, in the Super Sensory Item System which is already very powerful, the Super-connected Objects and Emotion Infused Objects are spread out over the majority of cities. With Alices assistance, and having completely hacked the internal systems of Divine Technology and taken complete control of Taia, Xiang Kun was fully aware of Mr. Liangs predominance of mutant characteristics. Thus, he was 100% confident that he could take the initiative, pay a visit, and entirely control Mr. Liang overwhelmingly. If following the existing plan, he would cautiously distribute and associate his Super-connected Objects and Emotion Infused Objects globally, improve the connections and applications of various capabilities in the Super Sensory Item System, and then get rid of the trouble caused by the Ultimate Predator. Next, he could persuade Mr. Liang in a most straightforward manner. He could also persuade all the organizations and institutions he recognized to cooperate with him, and to acknowledge and accept his existence. But now, because of the ambush attack by the mutated big bird, Xiang Kun realized that the Ultimate Predator would not wait quietly for him to complete deployment but would constantly cause problems. So he had to resort to a more aggressive and risky strategy to deal with the Ultimate Predator. Yet, this strategy, this plan, could not be accomplished by him alone. He needed help. Currently, Mr. Liang appeared to be the most suitable candidate. He had to make Mr. Liang willingly assist him, so he couldnt outright dominate him with violence. Although he had never directly contacted Mr. Liang, through dreams, secret documents, and various kinds of information, he had a basic understanding of Mr. Liangs current character and behavioral model. He knew that this crude method wouldnt fully secure Mr. Liangs trust. Even if he laid all his information out in the open, or even directly explained all his plans and specified all his goals; even if his goals were aligned with Mr. Liangs and the latter would first use his way to verify. This process was likely to exceed Xiang Kuns control and would trigger the Ultimate Predators excessive reaction. Therefore, Xiang Kun made a series of arrangements that would allow Mr. Liang to slowly discover him, learn about his information, and uncover his mutant characteristics. The credibility and the influence varied greatly between getting something directly from a stranger and obtaining it step by step through complicated investigation and analysis. It was particularly so for Mr. Liang. For such a long time, Mr. Liang had been controlling the secretive department of Divine Technology by himself. He was secretly guiding all the investigations on mutants. Having experienced the incident where Academician Shen was murdered by Xiao Xue, a quote remained in some secret footage from his secret files: Dont easily trust any blood-eating creature, regardless of whether they seem human or something else. Dont forget their essence. He inherently distrusted and was suspicious of blood-eating creatures. The goal of Xiang Kun was to let Mr. Liang gradually establish an image of him by investigation and then arrive at Chongyun Village, Chongyun Mountain, to meet and reveal all. He wanted Mr. Liang to believe that the initiative was in his hands. However, during this time, Xiang Kun had other things that required his full attentionit was a race against time. Therefore, he left the task of controlling the overall guiding plan and the details to Old Xia and Alice. Owing to the information provided by Xiang Kun, Old Xia had also made a detailed study and had a good understanding of Mr. Liangs character. Thus, knowing what had to be done, he was able to guide Alice in adjusting some details according to the actual situation to make Mr. Liangs discovery journey and investigation seem more natural. Now, as per their arrangement, Mr. Liang was on his way here. After essentially completing the guiding task, Alice, who was standing next to Dr. Xia, suddenly asked, Old Xia, is Lu Qinliang considered a human? Dr. Xia nodded, Yes. Alice, lolling against Dr. Xia, shook her head, Old Xia, between me and Lu Qinliang, who is more human? Did you inform Xiang Kun? Dr. Xia asked directly. Yes, the boss was notified immediately! After Alice answered, she continued, Old Xia, between me and Lu Qinliang, who is more human? After glancing at her, Xia said, To me, you are. But after finishing his sentence, he flicked Alices forehead, who was clinging to him like bubble gum. With a joyful chuckle, Alice disappeared. After arriving at Tongshi Town, thanks to the surveillance images of Chongyun Village relayed by Taia, Mr. Liang knew that Xiang Kun was not at his home in Chongyun Village or at the research base, but had entered Chongyun Mountain just after nine in the morning. During this period, Xiang Kun always went into Chongyun Mountain in the morning and didnt come back until the evening. Because there were no surveillance cameras in the mountains, they couldnt tell what he was doing. However, Mr. Liang had already deployed drones to probe and lay out the area above Chongyun Mountain. Mr. Liang didnt drive directly into Chongyun Village. He got off the car two kilometers from the village, entered stealth mode, and sneaked into the village. He didnt hurriedly rush over immediately after coming from Shenhai. Instead, he first arranged for some targeted equipment and biological components to ensure that he would have absolute control when facing Xiang Kun. Because he hadnt taken a plane but had driven here, when he arrived in the Haixi Province, the dispatched equipment had also reached the predetermined location. After making all necessary preparations, he arrived at Chongyun Village. Chapter 584 - Chapter 584: Chapter 584: A Big Show (Part One) Chapter 584: Chapter 584: A Big Show (Part One) The coin that Xiang Kun flicked up seemed to spin faster and faster in the air, then hung still three or four meters from the ground, looking eerily surreal. Mr. Liang instinctively sensed something was wrong. He had just stopped his forward momentum when he saw the still coin in the air suddenly flying towards him. In the moment the coin flew at him, he heard a harsh buzzing sound, then his world went pitch black, and his sense of smell was abruptly cut off. Mr. Liang instinctively rolled to the ground, avoiding the incoming coin, his body reentering invisibility mode. After standing up, Mr. Liang wanted to unfold the wings contained in the biological component swollen on his back and directly ascend to the sky. However, he found that he could no longer feel the biological component on his back and could not control his wings. Although he could still control the propulsion modules on his back that could push him into the sky, without opening the wings, the corresponding flight stability systems would not function, rendering flying meaningless as he couldnt maintain flight posture or control direction. In that moment, he quickly understood that Xiang Kun had somehow managed to interfere with all electronicshe knew that his own biological component, although vastly different from ordinary electronic devices, relied primarily on microelectronic devices for functionality. In analyzing Xiang Kuns abilities previously, Mr. Liang had considered the possibility of such an effect. After all, when the illusion of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant in Myitkyina appeared, all electronic devices, including electric lights, were affected. Before and after seeing the illusion of rabbit meat in the underground lab, Dr. Fangs lighting equipment and computers also reacted to some extent. However, judging by the subsequent usage of these devices, the interference seemed not very strong. Moreover, all of Mr. Liangs biological components, including his drones, were equipped with a strong anti-disturbance and anti-electromagnetic pulse gear. He had originally thought that Xiang Kuns demonstrated abilities would not have a significant impact on his biological components. Clearly, he was mistaken. With his senses entirely paralyzed and losing contact with all nearby drones, most of his capabilities and tactics were rendered useless before they could even be put into action. Nonetheless, Mr. Liang didnt panic. He opted not to remove his biological component helmet and kept moving. He could feel that his biological components had not been fundamentally damaged, the effects of Xiang Kuns interference were likely not caused by a pure electromagnetic pulse, and they might not last too long. Thenhe ran into a tree. However, this was intentional, a move to lure Xiang Kun closer. As expected, Xiang Kun took the opportunity to rush forward, and the fierce fight began anew. This time, however, Mr. Liang couldnt see or hear, and had to judge his position through touch alone. He was instantly at a disadvantage, taking more hits than he landed. Mr. Liang didnt, however, remove his helmet and continued to fight blindly, albeit in close quarters. He watched for an opportunity and, during the struggle, launched a tiny metal cone from a mechanism in his left arm. Due to the close proximity, the metal cone pierced through the top of Xiang Kuns clavicle, vanishing into the ground beyond, a sturdy metal wire trailing behind it. With a circular sweep of his left hand, Mr. Liang used the metal wire to loop around a tree, binding Xiang Kun, and then rapidly put distance between them. He knew this move wouldnt hold Xiang Kun for long, nor was it intended to. He simply aimed to create distance, then pulled off his biological component helmetonce it was opened top and bottom, it transformed into a thick collar around his neck, seemingly one piece with the swollen backpack on his back. Mr. Liang reappeared but kept one hand over his eyes, loudly saying, Xiang Kun! You cant beat me, lets talk. Even if the biological components composed of many micro-electronic elements couldnt be used, Mr. Liang still had many tactics at his disposal. However, most of them were high-damage, high-power abilities that he did not intend to use. Although Xiang Kun appeared fiercely aggressive, as if ready to fight to the death, Mr. Liang sensed that, like him, Xiang Kun didnt have the intention to kill. Previously, Xiang Kun had somehow launched a small knife that, instead of aiming for a vital spot, had targeted his shoulder. At first, he thought Xiang Kun might have simply missed, but their continued fighting and struggling had convinced him otherwise. Xiang Kuns ferocious and fearless approach wasnt an attempt to fight him to the death, but more like a form of probing and experimentation? If his biological components hadnt been completely blocked off, Mr. Liang wouldnt have minded continuing to fight Xiang Kun, showing him more of his biological components abilities, and letting him understand more about his own evolutionary path. Now, although he could still use some of his biological components abilities, they were too lethal. He was not certain whether Xiang Kuns exhibited extraordinary healing abilities could recover from a fatal injury. After finishing his sentence, Mr. Liang removed his hand from his eyes and looked at Xiang Kun. Just as he had predicted, the metal wire had not held Xiang Kun captive for long. He had already extricated himself, pulling the tiny metal cone out from between his shoulder blades. Then the gruesome wound began to heal at a visibly fast rate, the flowing blood swiftly turning to ash and dispersing. The speed of recovery truly surpassed my beliefs. Mr. Liang suddenly noticed that after Xiang Kun had removed the metal cone, he simply stood there with his eyes closed, utterly still, as if he were asleep. What on earth is happening? In a trance, the original sunset sky suddenly became overcast with dense clouds. The surroundings swiftly darkened, shrouding the whole forest under uncanny murkiness, with sobs of the wind. Mr. Liang raised his head upon sensing something, and an incomprehensibly massive eight-armed, eight-eyed monster wobbled up from behind the mountain, looming over him. Have I been affected already!? Upon seeing the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster, Mr. Liang froze. Glancing back at Xiang Kun, he noticed the place was now vacant save for his metal cone embedded with thin wires laying on the ground. When did I get affected, and how? Was it the instant I removed the helmet? Or was it after the sensory information collecting ability of the biological components was blocked? Or perhaps, from the beginning, was my fight with Xiang Kun just a hallucination? Thinking about Xiang Kuns unbelievably fast recovery, Mr. Liang began to doubt himself. But soon, he had no time to ponder upon these thoughts, as he found out that the massive face of the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster from overhead was rapidly changing. The eight eyes became two, its skin, as dark as black granite, turned white, and slowly, the face matched Xiao Xues. Xiao Xue was very beautiful, with delicate features and fair skin. But at this moment, the face hanging in the sky seemed as large as several football fields. Its features were equally immense: eyes like two magical orbs that refracted complex rays of light, a nose that appeared like the entrance of an abyss, and two lips that looked like ancient creatures hung on the face. Mystical, eerie, terrifying, and profoundly oppressive. Its an illusion its false none of this exists. Despite Mr. Liang trying to convince himself not to be swayed by the illusion, he couldnt control his emotions. Especially when the eight-armed giant Xiao Xue, wearing a grim face, slowly turned into a look of sorrow and pain, with bloody tears streaming from the corner of her eyes. Even though she was just standing there, silently watching from above, a surge of irrepressible terror sprouted from the bottom of his heart. This fear was complex: he wasnt afraid of Xiao Xue C even if she genuinely had the body of an eight-armed giant, even if her power exceeded his infinitely, even if she could crush him in an instant, he wouldnt feel scared, hed feel rage, and fight. However, seeing Xiao Xues expressions, memories within Mr. Liang were revived. Its like he was helplessly forced to face the wounds that he didnt want to see C when he avoided looking, he could endure the pain, pretend everything was normal, even healed. But, staring directly at his wounds, observing the sore and festering parts, it became hard for him to avoid the reality. The face of Xiao Xue began to undergo changes once morethe skin turned somewhat rough, and the eyes became slightly smaller. Gradually, the face of a middle-aged man emerged. Mr. Liang recognized this face as well. It was that of Academician Shen Hai Chongan elder who guided him in researching, made him understand what had happened to his own body, and showed him how to control, guide, and perceive things. Seeing Academician Shen looking at him, his initially expressionless face started softening gradually. His lips curled into a faint smile. Within that smile, Mr. Liang perceived regret, helplessness, concern, reluctance, and relief. Gazing at the smile, more and more memories started to flood within Mr. Liang. Those scenes, those bits of information, all of which were stored in his memory without ever being forgotten, were merely dormantuntil now. Ever since Xiao Xue killed and devoured Academician Shen, and after he hunted and devoured Xiao Xue, he had sealed away that memory, unwilling to revisit it. Yet now, those memories, those details that he had always known and was aware of, were being strongly stirred in his mind, making him clearly aware of some ideas that he had once come up with but was unwilling to ponder deeply. Before the incident, Academician Shen had given him the assessment of Xiao Xue; judging from her previous normal behavior while feeding on blood, when the Stage of Limit arrived, she might be unable to resist her innate thirst for blood. If there was no way to help her find a suitable blood-eating creature to devour, they would need to take strict measures to control her. At that time, he and Xiao Xue were still on good terms and he thought that it was Academician Shens cautious statement. When the time came, Academician Shen would naturally have ways to deal with it, and he surely would allow Xiao Xue to safely make it past the Stage of Limit. He had become accustomed to relying on Academician Shen, and he trusted him. From some of the memories he had deliberately avoided recalling all these years, Academician Shen was actually nearing his Stage of Limit before the incident. It was easier for Xiao Xue to survive her Stage of Limit, but it was not that simple for Academician Shen. Finding an appropriate blood source was not easy, and ordinary blood-eating creatures couldnt help him complete a blood meal or break through his Stage of Transformation. At that time, though, he hadnt thought too much about it, still believing that Academician Shen could resolve everything. Only now did he suddenly realize from the surge of these memories that perhaps that incident was Academician Shens solution: Academician Shen didnt let the blood-hungry Xiao Xue ambush him unpreparedhe deliberately allowed himself to be devoured by Xiao Xue. Because he knew that, before the Stage of Limit arrived, he would no longer be able to find a suitable blood source. Ultimately, his fate was to return to dust. He once vaguely suggested to Lu Qinliang that he hoped he could take up his mantle, but Lu Qinliangs answer made him realize that this young man took him as family, the most reliable elder, and would never devour him no matter what, even if he was surely going to die. There was also Xiao Xue. After getting along for a while, he knew she was not a competent researcher, unable to control her innate thirst for blood and desires. While he was around, he could control her, but if he wasnt, Ah Liang, who had clearly fallen for Xiao Xue, would not be able to handle her heartlessly, and he couldnt strictly control her. At that time, if Xiao Xue killed someone unfamiliar, or other blood-eating creature that did not comply with the standardized blood-drinking rules, did other things that violated the rules and harmed the interests of the organization and the country, could Lu Qinliang handle it according to the rules? Academician Shen knew he couldnt. So, when Xiao Xue was dominated by her blood-thirst at her Stage of Limit, he did not resist, he did not control, he let her kill him and devour him. Only in this way could Lu Qinliang break his fantasy of Xiao Xue and obtain his mantle by devouring Xiao Xue. Of course, it was possible that Lu Qinliang would not be able to make it to that step, maybe Xiao Xue would simply kill him straight away, maybe he wouldnt be able to handle Xiao Xue in time and let Xiao Xue cause big trouble. Mr. Liang remembered the night before the incident, when he was helping Academician Shen with an experimental record, Xiao Xue was watching TV in the living room outside the lab. That was the last comfortable moment for the three of them. That night, Academician Shen praised his experimental operation and some of his theoretical conjectures about the mutation of blood-eating creatures. He then said to him: Ah Liang, I have always believed that you will be a better researcher than me. Im sure you will find a way to break through the fog above our heads in the future. His response at that time was: I think Xiao Xue is way smarter than me. Its just that she hasnt followed you for a long time. She will definitely be better than me in the future. Academician Shen just smiled and patted his shoulder: Have faith in yourself. It seemed that at that moment, Academician Shen was already prepared. From the living room came Xiao Xues shout: Ah Liang! Ah Liang! Come out soon, The Condor Heroes is starting! My experiment is not done yet he shouted to the living room. Go ahead, go watch TV, Ill finish this. That was the last sentence Academician Shen said to him. All these memories, all those details, were hidden in his mind. He actually had a vague judgment in his subconscious, but he wasnt willing to confront it, nor did he want to think it through, to understand. Because he was scared. He was afraid to ponder the right and wrong of the incident, he was afraid to analyze whether Xiao Xue knew about Academician Shens plan. He was afraid to ponder whether or not Xiao Xue could control her innate thirst for blood, and whether she really couldnt control herself or if she deliberately followed Academician Shens plan. He was more afraid that he failed Academician Shens expectations, that he could not find the way to break through the fog. He was afraid that he sacrificed everything and chose a direction in desperation, but couldnt reach the end in the end and there was nobody to help him continue on. He was afraid of dying. He didnt know when, but the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster had already disappeared. The surroundings were still dim, but that was because it was already night. The sky was sparkling with stars. The weather was excellent. Obviously, he had been hallucinating and immersed in his memories for quite some time. Mr. Liang rubbed his eyes and looked at Xiang Kun who was standing quietly not far away. There was a small cone with a metal wire at his feet. The traces on the tree trunks and the mud testified that the close combat that had just taken place was not an illusion. He felt that his connection with all the Biological Components had been restored, and he could take flight whenever he wanted. Mr. Liang sighed and said: It seems you know who I am. Xiang Kun said: I have studied Divine Technology. Is it the rabbit woodcarving? The carving was indeed made by me. Seeing what I look like, youre not scared? Mr. Liangs voice was still that deep, guttural sound with a frictional metallic tone. At this moment he was not invisible. His unhuman-looking body, covered with intricate lines of special skin, and his strange features, were all revealed to Xiang Kun. Xiang Kun smiled: Some people look gentle and affable on the outside, appearing like good people, but on the inside, they are even more fierce and cruel than a beast; some people look fierce and strong on the outside, like thugs, but they are actually kind and innocent. Mr. Liang couldnt help but laugh as well. His laughter came with a sandpaper-like sound, which was very harsh to the ears: Do you think I am kind and innocent? I was talking about me. Chapter 585 - Chapter 585: Chapter 585 A great show (middle) Chapter 585: Chapter 585 A great show (middle) Xiang Kun saw that Mr. Liangs already round, eyelid-less eyes seemed to become even rounder, and he chuckled: Just kidding. In fact, Xiang Kun had countless ways to control Mr. Liang. He didnt even need to show himself or appear in person. With Alice present, he could not only paralyze Mr. Liangs micro-electronic structured Biological Components at any time, blocking his modules used to contact other Divine Technology devices and Tyre, but also to a certain extent, directly deprive these components, modules, and devices of their control rights and turn them against Mr. Liang. By using remote emotional projection, he could also catch Mr. Liang off guard and temporarily lower his vigilance. Assisting with other methods, he could easily control him as well. If he were to use aggressive methods, Xiang Kun could even direct lightning straight at Mr. Liang. No matter how much lightning protection equipment Mr. Liangs Biological Components have, they would not withstand the continuous strikes of a lightning storm. Furthermore, his lightning protection methods would be rendered useless under the dismantling of Super Sensory Information by Xiang Kun and Alice. Mr. Liangs type of Biological Components, which tends towards metallic characteristics and relies on modules with microelectronic parts, is inherently disadvantaged in tackling such attacks. Of course, without Xiang Kuns guidance, Mr. Liang wouldnt have been able to find him or track him here in the first place. The investigation conducted by Divine Technology and Mr. Liang, their paths in search of clues, and their reactions and subsequent actions to various pieces of information are generally within Xiang Kun, Alice, and Xia Libings calculations. Even when there are occasional reactions that exceed expectations, they have prepared contingency plans. From the final results, the information Mr. Liang obtained, the time he arrived at the predestined location, and his reactions were all incredibly accurate. Inviting Mr. Liang here was not just because the place was uninhabited and they felt comfortable making some noise. The fact of the matter was that Xiang Kun had laid out a valuable area here, investing a great deal of effort, time, and resources, most of which were devoted to setting up this place. The brief clash with Mr. Liang was a whim of Xiang Kun and a small attempt outside the plan. His goalto a certain extentwas similar to Mr. Liangs. Although through the secret documents obtained by Alice, and the real-time control over Tyre, and various research base technical documents, he knew what Biological Components Mr. Liang had and their rough functions, the documents were somewhat general and vague, so he wanted to have a match with Mr. Liang to understand the actual operation of some Biological Components. At the same time, he could take the opportunity to test the Ultra Rapid Wound Healing ability he had gained in this area to see to what extent it could be applied. Furthermore, without utilizing the Electric Mastery Flight and the Super Quality Level Item System, he wanted to see how much raw physical strength and mobility he could exert. Under normal circumstances, he lacked a suitable training partner like this. He was well aware that Mr. Liang was also holding back and had not used those lethal abilities, such as the laser net that killed Johns drone in seconds, and other abilities he knew about. Mr. Liang hadnt brought any guns, cannons, or similar weapons, but he had equipment and abilities that could cause similar damage and destruction. As for later using Super-connected Objects to cut off some of Mr. Liangs Biological Components, it was because Xiang Kun realized that going on with the fight was pointless. He had no tools or weapons and not using the Super sensory Item System and Electric Mastery, he couldnt do anything with his physical strength alone. The influence of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wooden Sculpture Emotional Projection on Mr. Liang wasnt an extension of the fight, nor was it to deter or suppress Mr. Liang. Instead, it was because during Xiang Kun and Old Xias study of Mr. Liangs dream memory fragments and secret documents, they noticed that Mr. Liangs psychology seemed to be stuck in some emotional rut. He hadnt come out completely, so his outward behavior seemed a bit obtuse, a bit paranoid, and even insane. According to Xiang Kuns past experience, the fear projection of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wooden Sculpture actually has a psychological counseling effect on most people. Adjusting Mr. Liangs emotions first and then discussing the matters that follow would be beneficial for both Mr. Liang and Xiang Kun. Its like having a bowl of medicinal soup as a greeting when meeting. If youre sick, itll cure you; if youre not, itll strengthen you. If youre already strong, then itll quench your thirst. Morever, using the emotional projection of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wooden Sculpture could also test if they could pull Mr. Liang into the corresponding Emotion Infused Network to establish basic contact, making it easier to execute the next plan. Xiang Kun, I believe I have a general idea of your situation now. Mr. Liang ignored Xiang Kuns playful joke, and directly said, I have a question that Id like to ask you: what exactly is your purpose in all that you do? He didnt specify what he had learned, nor did he describe what Xiang Kuns all that you do referred to. By adopting this tone, he attempted to make Xiang Kun believe that he had mastered the whole situation. Xiang Kun did not hesitate and responded directly: I just want to live like a human being and protect the people around me. This answer took Mr. Liang by surprise. He initially thought that Xiang Kuns meticulous and dedicated experiments and records, rare and restrained ability guidance and training, along with the significant expenditure in establishing research bases in remote mountain villages, indicated interest in the origin of the Blood-eating Creatures and the cause of these changes. He intended to guide Xiang Kun in this direction. However, he did not expect Xiang Kuns reply to be this. It sounded a bit naive, a bit odd. But Mr. Liang did not refute him, and continued to ask: You said you have studied Divine Technology, so what is your understanding of the work we are doing? And how much do you know about Blood-eating Creatures I mean, beings like you and me? Xiang Kun calmly replied: I guess I know quite a lot. Mr. Liang laughed and shook his head, and his laughter, mixed with the sounds of metallic particles rubbing against each other, was quite disconcerting. If you really knew a lot, you wouldnt be building those laboratories and creating those research bases and entrusting your girlfriend to run and participate in the research. If you genuinely want to protect those around you, dont involve them in these affairs, and dont let any ordinary people become aware of these matters; it will be a catastrophe for them. I can ensure their safety. Xiang Kun affirmed confidently. Mr. Liang sneered: Guarantee their safety? Do you think Im saying others will harm them? Havent you wondered why there is no information about Blood-eating Creatures in the regular information channels, why the majority of common people, media, organizations, and official institutions in this world seem ignorant of the existence of Blood-eating Creatures? Why hasnt any Blood-eating Creature suddenly appeared to demonstrate their abilities to everyone? Ive had those doubts. Xiang Kun confessed frankly. Because there is a being that holds the life gate of all Blood-eating Creatures and even the vast majority of ordinary creatures Mr. Liang described the existence of the Ultimate Predator to Xiang Kun in simple terms. He knew that Xiang Kun was a unique, innovative, and practical human blood-eating creature. Xiang Kun might have even established his understanding of these creatures and his own mutation. To completely persuade Xiang Kun into accepting and immersing himself fully in his enterprise, he must let Xiang Kun know that there is an existence out there that he cannot fight, resist, or understand. An existence that can at any moment, rob him and those he wants to protect of their lives. That entity is the ultimate devil waiting to harvest everything. He wanted Xiang Kun to join him in perfecting ways to fight this ultimate devil. If he inevitably meets his end in the process, he hopes that Xiang Kun can continue and finish the journey. Academician Shen discovered that the ultimate predator uses carbon compounds for composite influence, thereby controlling the lifeline of various carbon-based organisms. Hes found a way to deviate from carbon-based life foundations and develop a new life structure. He believes that even if he doesnt complete this journey, he can demonstrate a possible path to successors. Whether to continue along his path or forge a new one, his work could provide inspiration. Xiang Kun listened patiently. Its only when Mr. Liang finished speaking, he then said, The ultimate predator you mentioned, I think I might have a way to fight it. You? Mr. Liang smiled and shook his head, I know your illusion hypnosis ability is formidable, even impacting thousands of people at once. But thats only effective against humans or blood-eating creatures that have transformed from humans. The ultimate predator, even if it has consciousness, its form of existence is fundamentally different from humans. It doesnt have any sensory pathways that can be influenced. You have no way of affecting it. We know too little about itYet it can silently influence us, directly robbing us of our lives. After a slight pause, Mr. Liangs tone turned somber and serious, generating a strange sense of mystery from his peculiar voice, It can even influence nature itself, controlling the weather and lightning. If you have experienced its power, you will understand that in a certain senseit is the god in human understandingIts impossible for any ordinary creature or individual to fight against. Mr. Liang. Xiang Kun began, gradually stretching his arms, You mentioned lightninglike this? Caught off guard by his words, Mr. Liang noticed a faint halo enveloping Xiang Kuns body. An unusual wind blew through the forest, and his unique skin instinctively tensed up in a defensive reaction. To his surprise, he suddenly couldnt see the moon and stars in the night sky above, replaced by rolling, dense clouds, appearing like the waves at the center of a storm. Several flashes of lightning darted through the dense clouds, followed by thunder. Mr. Liang noticed the connection between him and the drones in the distance were experiencing interference again. Was this scene real, not an illusion? His gaze returned to Xiang Kun and noticed blue electrical arcs formed on his bald head, running along the faint halo around him down to the ground. The electrical arcs quickly increased, gathering to form white, bright, snapping lightning cables extending and swinging behind Xiang Kuns head, appearing like hair, or twitching electrical snakes. With a sudden massive bang, a bolt of lightning struck the ground not far from Mr. Liang. Frightened, he instinctively dodged the bolt. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Xiang Kun, with lightning hair, get lifted into the air by the bolt. Lightning bolts struck all around one after another. Blue electrical arcs ran rampant, and the smell of scorch filled the air. The electricity made him feel pins and needles on his scalp, even though its structure was completely different from an average personthis was the first time he had this feeling since he transformed into a blood-eating creature. Inside this terrifying lightning storm, Mr. Liang initially wanted to flee, driven by instincts. But he quickly realized that a faint halo, identical to what is covering Xiang Kun, had surrounded him. Every lightning bolt seemed to deliberately avoid striking him, even though he was seemingly at the center of the storm. Looking up at Xiang Kun who was hovering about ten meters in the air, his arms spread and his head adorned with lightning, Mr. Liang was left wide-mouthed in shock. Following his initial terror and awe, he suddenly realized that the strange sensor lightning and the terrifying lightning storm at Wushu Mountain when he was hunting the giant raptor werent warning signs from the ultimate predatorthose were Xiang Kuns doing. Xiang Kun was at Wushu Mountain too! He thought about the storm at Zi Huan Mountain, news of two escaped convicts electrocuted at Chongyun Mountain, and some traces he found in the Qinling Uninhabited Area. He never linked these storms with blood-eating creatures other than the ultimate predator before, as he instinctually believed it to be impossible. Could Xiang Kun really control the weather? So, the one acting like a god, manipulating the weather and lightning, was Xiang Kun? Mr. Liang suddenly noticed dramatic changes in the surrounding forest. The trees struck by lightning were swaying their trunks and growing visibly. Not only the trees hit by lightning, the whole forest seemed to come to life, with branches and vines swinging non-stop, apparently growing and extending out of thin air, as if to pay tribute to Xiang Kun in the sky, welcoming the baptism of the storm. The various plants grew increasingly strange and grotesque. Then he felt as if even the ground was beginning to pulse, as though it was breathing, cheering, dancing in sync with the forest. The sky above, the forest, the ground underneath, the lightning, and the gale seemed as if they all sprang to life, obeying a single will. As Mr. Liang was standing in the midst of it all, arguably the center of it, he felt a peculiar sensation. Reason continuously washed over him, his senses told him that everything around him was real. In contrast, logic, reason, and experience made him question whether he was merely under another illusion provoked by Xiang Kun. If all of these were real, then whatwhat exactly is Xiang Kun? A blood-eating creature transformed from human, with a transformation period of only a little over a year, can he really manipulate the profound forces of nature? Is hestill human? At that moment, a sentence that Xiang Kun previously said resonated spontaneously in Mr. Liangs mind: I just want to live like a person Chapter 586 - Chapter 586: Chapter 586: A Grand Show (Middle-Lower Part) Chapter 586: Chapter 586: A Grand Show (Middle-Lower Part) Bolts of lightning, incessant and vigorous, seemed as if they were trying to bring heaven and earth closer. In the spark of electricity, the thick layer of clouds swirling in the sky, appeared to be brewing an endless energy capable of devouring everything. On the ground, within the forest, various plants were undergoing bizarre and exaggerated changes, baring their fangs and claws, seeming as alive, demonstrating their equally violent vitality to the raging lightning. Being in the eye of the lightning storm, Mr. Liang was experiencing and witnessing these scenes, his emotions gradually transitioning from shock to confusion and bewilderment. After all, he had already felt that the faint halo around him allowed him to stay steadily in the center of the lightning storm. The violent lightning that seemed to tear everything apart and annihilate everything would not come close to him or hit him. Xiang Kun was merely demonstrating all this to him. But this heaven and earth, these mountains and forests, all these scenes, all these strangenesses, gave him a sense of being in a different world. If it werent for looking up and seeing Xiang Kun still floating in the sky, with electricity dancing behind his head, Mr. Liangs first reaction to this situation would probably have been that he had traveled through time. Its only been a little over a year since Xiang Kun transformed into a Blood-eating Creature? Are there only a few other Blood-eating Creatures that Xiang Kun has consumed, as recorded in his documents? How did he do it without seeming to have mutated any special organs? Did he secretly swallow a Thunder God? Mr. Liang couldnt help but look at the plants that had taken on grotesque forms. When he entered the mountain in the afternoon and arrived at this area, these trees, grasses, and shrubs looked quite normal. Their sudden transformation into something like enlightened beings surely had something to do with Xiang Kuns actions. Looking back, the bizarre thunderstorms that happened earlier on Wushu Mountain and the lightning storms that appeared on Zi Huan Mountain and Chongyun Mountain all shared a common feature: they all occurred in the mountains. So, is the lightning storm induced by Xiang Kun really related to the mountains? But whats the connection? He still couldnt imagine. The number of Blood-eating Creatures he has seen, studied, and learned about from the information left by Academician Shen is already in three digits. With so many Blood-eating Creatures, various different types of transformations and mutations, none of them can help him understand what Xiang Kun is doing now, and the strange phenomena he is showing. Special abilities that come from mutations are not magic. Even illusions and hypnosis require information to be transmitted through various sensory channels. There must be a method and path for it to be implemented. If Xiang Kun had simply emitted an electric arc or an instantaneous high-voltage electric shock, he could have roughly guessed the ability that Xiang Kun had mutated and evolved, the possible formation method, and the structural principles. But now The changing of colors in heaven and earth, the rising of winds and clouds, and the flashing of lightning seem like the end days are upon us. What appears to be the scene of a different world should not be something a single organism can trigger. The discharges of electricity between clouds and the ground gradually stopped. Although there was still electricity flickering in the clouds and the distant rumbling of thunder in the sky, compared to the world-destroying lightning storm just now, it can already be said to have returned to calm. Xiang Kun fell back to the ground from the sky. The electric long hair behind his head also disappeared. He seemed to look the same as before, just a slightly stronger normal human male. Bean-sized raindrops fell from the sky, making a crackling sound when hitting the surrounding leaves and branches. But neither Xiang Kun nor Mr. Liang seemed to mind. How How did you accomplish that? Mr. Liang couldnt help but ask. Although he knew that by asking this question, the image of him as a controller who knew everything about Xiang Kun and knew more about the secrets of Blood-eating Creatures that he had demonstrated before would utterly collapse. But from the moment Xiang Kun flew up into the sky and the lightning storm arrived, he knew he could never establish that image in front of Xiang Kun again. Youll find out in time, Xiang Kun said. Now, lets first discuss the issue of the Ultimate Predator you were talking about. Upon hearing this, Mr. Liang said, Although just now that scene was astonishing, and being able to borrow the power of heaven and earth is very strong. But dont forget what I told you before, the Ultimate Predator exists in everyones body, whether its a Blood-eating Creature or a normal organism. As long as there are carbon-containing compounds in your body, theres a great chance it can control life and death. This isnt a matter of brute force, but its a field we are yet to know. It might even know that were discussing it now, we just havent figured out what its mode of operation is. Although the ability Xiang Kun demonstrated, making Mr. Liang realize that he is not his match. He has taken a different path of mutation and evolution, and it was shocking and astounding. But Mr. Liang still firmly believes that to break through the control of the Ultimate Predator, his path is still the most promising. Xiang Kun looked up at the sky squintingly, his face getting wet from the rain, then the twisted-neck trees around him started to move. Branches and leaves began to grow, extend and intertwine rapidly above him and Mr. Liang, quickly weaving into a high-altitude rain cover. Although it did not completely isolate the rain, and sparse raindrops continued to fall, it made Mr. Liang, who had again looked up, once again dumbfounded, his mouth agape and his corners stretched to his ears. I dont know, Xiang Kun suddenly said. Mr. Liang was taken aback, recalled his gaze from looking at the top of his head, and said to Xiang Kun, Theres no rush, if you want to know more about the Ultimate Predator, I can tell you slowly in the future. Now, he is more and more satisfied with Xiang Kun. When he previously viewed Xiang Kuns self research and experiment documents, he considered letting Xiang Kun join the Divine Technology, join the Abnormal Biology Research Center, and join the special research project established by Academician Shen. This contact with Xiang Kun, he originally planned to have a series of observations and audits, then step by step let Xiang Kun understand what they are doing, understand the nature of Blood-eating Creatures, understand the existence of Ultimate Predator, and then begin to contact him to develop a series of plans for Biological Components and other departures from the limitations of carbon-based life. But Xiang Kuns lightning storm, not only shocked his cognition, but also shattered his plan. There isnt much to observe or evaluate anymore, he was utterly confident that Xiang Kun was the most suitable, his successor. But Xiang Kun gently shook his head: No, Im saying that the Ultimate Predator would not know what we have done here. You probably dont understand the terror of the Ultimate Predator. Forty years ago, it once I know the Ultimate Predators operation method inside other creatures, I know how it monitors humans research on Blood-eating Creatures, I also know how it decides the life and death of other creatures. Xiang Kun didnt wait for Mr. Liang to inquire or doubt, he immediately gave the answer: When humans conduct research on Blood-eating Creatures, they will undoubtedly carry out various experiments. These experiments will trigger unique changes in the Ultimate Predators factors left inside the Blood-eating Creatures, causing it to realize that someone has delved into this field. At that time, it would synthesize specific compounds, via factors in the Blood-eating Creatures and other creatures, and rapidly replicate in a short time, forming some specific hormones, macromolecules, and even miniature organs, and affect human consciousness You mean, the Ultimate Predator monitors through the senses of other creatures? How do you know that? As far as I know, your Research Bases first phase has just been completed and there are only a few experimental equipments and devices. Mr. Liang asked, actually, what Xiang Kun said was somewhat similar to his research and speculation with Academician Shen. Xiang Kun replied, Yes, but not exactly. The Ultimate Predator does not directly collect sensory information from other creatures. It probably cant fully understand the sensory information of humans or other creatures, but it directly influences them at a physiological level through substances synthesized within their bodies, letting the creatures themselves help it make decisions. For example, if a Blood-eating Creature is discovered by some scientific researchers and relevant research and experiments are conducted, triggering the reaction of the Ultimate Predators factors left in it. It will then activate the specific factors in all humans within a certain range of that Blood-eating Creature, causing them to have a special physiological response to that Blood-eating Creature and its related information. Then, it will let them think and decide who knows this information, and help the Ultimate Predator mark its targets. Then, it can accurately activate the factors in those targets and synthesize a deadly compound to kill them. If it is in an awakened state, it will be able to actively influence other creatures to spontaneously collect information and make judgments. For instance, if the Ultimate Predators factors in your body are activated, it wont steal your sensory information to forward to the Ultimate Predator, but instead will let you mark me and think about who might know my secret, who youve told, and mark them, too. Then, the Ultimate Predator will target our specific factors. Sometimes, it can even perform more complicated manipulation through the double influence of controlling other Blood-eating Creatures to parasitize Blood-eating Creatures. Actually, part of Xiang Kuns elaboration validated many of Mr. Liangs speculations, and it corresponds to a lot of the information they knew from him and Academician Shen. Mr. Liang somewhat believed all this in his heart, but what puzzled him was how Xiang Kun knew it? Despite them having so many resources and much information, the conjectures they could come up with fell far short of Xiang Kuns claims. Are you suggesting that it has not been awakened now, and we have not conducted any experiments to trigger the reactions of the specific factors left in our bodies by it, so it wont know what we are discussing and doing here? Mr. Liang asked, he thought that Xiang Kuns awakened state was the same as what Academician Shen had described as the sensitive state. Xiang Kun actually seemed to understand the Ultimate Predator quite thoroughly. Xiang Kun said, No, it has already been awakened now. Mr. Liang didnt expect Xiang Kun to say this, his mouth agape in surprise. Xiang Kun spread his hands, implying Mr. Liang to look around: This place can help us block the effect of the Ultimate Predator. Mr. Liang, you once told me that you think the thing that causes us, i.e., the other creatures, to mutate into Blood-eating Creatures is a kind of high-dimensional factor. I also have my own theory or guess, I call this mutation-causing substance Consciousness Entanglement Particles. As its name implies, it has a direct relationship with our consciousness. Xiang Kun extended a finger, and spoke slowly: Consciousness is the sole reason for us to make the Consciousness Entanglement Particles or High-Dimensional Factors have an effect in this world. Mr. Liang, all creatures possess consciousness. Humans have consciousness, birds, beasts, other animals have consciousness, even flowers, grasses, trees, bacteria, viruses and so on, all have consciousness. However, their consciousness is too simple to be almost zero when judged by regular human perception. But if it exceeds the regular human perception, it is too complicated for ordinary people to understand. The Ultimate Predator is no exception, it also needs to control the High-Dimensional Factors with its consciousness. Ive found a way to capture the consciousness of the Ultimate Predator, but its existence, which is fragmented and scattered everywhere, gives it a distributed network structure of consciousness under normal circumstances. I cannot carry out a one-time sweep. It must generate concentrated and intense conscious reactions voluntarily for it to be truly effective. To cause its consciousness to voluntarily make a sufficiently strong centralized reaction, I believe its most likely to occur when it carries out iterative ingestion, or as you say, Phase Transition. Hearing this, Mr. Liang suddenly said, Did you purposely lure me here? Xiang Kun frankly admitted, Yes, I need your help. Mr. Liang nodded thoughtfully, You need to undergo a sufficiently high-level phase transition to meet the hunting requirements of the Ultimate Predator. Therefore, you need a high level blood source to help you pass the high-level phase transition. And I, am the most suitable blood source. Are Are you sure this method will work? For a moment, Mr. Liang felt desolate and melancholy, with a tinge of conflict and struggle. If Xiang Kun just wanted to devour him to pass the phase limit, even if he couldnt defeat Xiang Kun, even if he was restrained in his characteristics, even if he was struck by lightning into charred ashes, he would absolutely fight to the end. But if Xiang Kuns goal was to solve the Ultimate Predators shackles on all creatures, he couldnt help but hesitate a bit, because this was one of his goals. He did not think Xiang Kun was deceiving him into sacrificing himself, because Xiang Kun had already demonstrated that he has the ability to overpower him thoroughly. Through investigating Xiang Kuns history, social relationships, and various information, he did not think Xiang Kun was a selfish and treacherous man. Just when he was struggling with whether or not to sacrifice himself, thinking about whether or not Xiang Kun could take up enough responsibility if he were gone, if he could keep the secret department of Divine Technology running, if he could get along with Old He, or if they were all eaten by the Ultimate Predator, what should they do, Xiang Kun smiled and said, Mr. Liang, youve misunderstood. The one who needs to undergo a higher level phase transition is not me, its you. Mr. Liang was startled, saying without thinking, No, you cant Xiang Kun gave a bitter smile, Im not asking you to devour me, I have other ways to help you undergo a phase transition. With that, he clapped his hands. In the distance, various Twisted Neck Trees began to sway again, all falling to the side, revealing a pathway. The green road beneath was lined with rising mounds of dirt which was moving rapidly, as if a gigantic worm was tunneling underground. When the raised slope of earth arrived in front of Mr. Liang, it continued to grow larger, and then the earth cracked open to reveal a spherical object tightly wrapped in roots, with a large number of tiny beads clinging to it. Xiang Kun waved his hand, and all the beads rose into the air. The roots opened to the side, revealing an extremely weak and terrified mutated big bird inside. He had also put in quite a bit of effort these past few days to bring this creature from the neighboring provinces forests and hide it here. Chapter 587 - Chapter 587: Chapter 587: A Big Show (Lower Part - Upper Part) Chapter 587: Chapter 587: A Big Show (Lower Part C Upper Part) Time rewinds to a little after two in the afternoon. Tang Baona was currently at Jianzhou city airport, waiting to pick up Xiao Pingguo, who was arriving today. Since Yang Lao San went to Pengcheng City and Old Xia was busy with other matters, Xiang Kun asked her to pick up Xiao Pingguo C but truthfully, even without his request, she would have definitely come. However, she was still a bit confused. She could understand that Old Xia was busy due to him needing to go to the research base for equipment installations. But, as for Xiang Kun, she had no idea why he had been running off to the mountains recently. When asked about it, he would only laugh mischievously and distract her with irrelevant answers. Today, he even spouted some nonsense about him going to the mountain to defend the earth and protect the world, which was all rather abnormal. Tang Baona had been immersing herself in the ability to transform emotional perception into melodies recently. Since being around Xiang Kun amplifies her sensitivity to emotional perception, she initially kept trying to invite Xiang Kun, Old Xia, and Yang Lao San to have meals together in town. If they stayed in Chongyun Village, she would only have been able to sense Yang Lao Sans emotions converted into melodies. There are just a few of those and she was already overly familiar with them. Going to the town with a larger crowd allowed Tang Baona to sense more diverse and vibrant emotions forming into special melodies. She could then derive various stories based on these melodies and use them to compose new songs and lyrics, which was incredibly intriguing. Tang Baona was completely absorbed by this, finding immense pleasure in it, such that she started to neglect lots of her company work. Even when she was working, her mind was elsewhere, often drifting away unconsciously. Yet, she knew that whenever she was unable to manage things, Yang Lao San would willingly step up, covering her deficiencies and steering the ship for her. Despite Yang Lao Sans lackadaisical and goofy demeanor, his capability was evident and trustworthy. His act of supposed incompetence was merely a facade masking his inherent laziness. Ever since she began partnering with Xiang Kun to manage QianKun Technology, Yang Lao San had always been by her side, familiar with every aspect of the business. Thus, taking over posed no issue for him. Tang Baona was contemplating whether to fully immerse herself in understanding her recent special senses, fully-figure out whats going on, and then do other tasks. Its better than having it constantly on her mind. Apart from this, she also noticed Yang Lao San acting strangely recently, mumbling to himself frequently, seemingly aping her conversations with the Little Elf. Noticing that Yang Lao San might have discovered something, she vaguely revealed some of her experiences to him. In her opinion, some of Yang Lao Sans far-fetched ideas seemed to have a chance of becoming reality. She also tested Xiang Kun and Old Xia. Judging by their responses, it seemed apparent that they were aware of the changes happening to her, her special sensations, and even intentionally cooperated with her on certain occasions, like accompanying her to crowded places and so on. As time passed, Tang Baona became increasingly sensitive and adept at sensing the melody of other peoples emotions. She had composed over a hundred songs with finished lyrics, encompassing various emotions and storylines. 15 of those songs had already been released online, causing quite the stir as expected, which brought her a bit of secret joy. Apart from this, she had hundreds of melodies and ideas roughly jotted down, and countless others that she deemed mediocre and did not bother recording. Unconsciously, Tang Baona realized that not only could human emotions be perceived and transformed into specific melodies, but certain objects could also evoke special feelings within her, creating intermittent melodies in her mind. Although these object-based melodies werent as definitive and fluent as human emotional melodies, they were still clearly and genuinely present. The sensitivity of this feeling was becoming stronger and stronger, the number of objects that could produce a melody were growing in numbers. From cars, to phones, to television, to tables, to chairs, to trees, to grass, to the ground beneath her feet, to the street lamps next to her, to the trash can in front of her, as long as she got close, she could play a corresponding melody in her mind. At first, she felt excited and curious about it. But before long, she was a little annoyed, because her mind was almost always filled with melodies, sometimes simultaneously with several different melodies, making a terrible racket. Tang Baonas control over this perception had not yet reached the point of mastery, especially when it came to the perception of objects, it was quite overwhelming. So Tang Baona suddenly went from sticking to Xiang Kun all the time to keeping her distance from Xiang Kun. Except for returning to Chongyun Village at night, everything else was an excuse to handle company-related matters in Tongshi Town, personally controlling everything and staying in Tongshi Town on her own. She was actually quite worried that Xiang Kun would misunderstand her, thinking that she was avoiding him, but at that time, Xiang Kun seemed to sense something and intentionally cooperate. He began to enter the mountains frequently during the day, as if planning on conducting some research or investigation. Each time, he would not return until late at night, which spared her the need to make excuses for intentionally keeping her distance and avoiding Xiang Kun. On the contrary, as time passed, she began to wonder what Xiang Kun was actually researching by himself in the mountains. At the airport waiting for Xiao Pingguo, Tang Baona looked at various objects at the airport C the seats, the railings, the glass, the passengers bags, the passengers watches, the passengers mobile phones Simply by looking at them, a corresponding melody would sound in her mind. It wasnt that now that she was far away from Xiang Kun and still had that ability to translate emotions and object perception into melodies, but rather she had sensed too much before, forming a conditioned reflex. Now when she sees similar objects, the corresponding melody would automatically play in her mind due to habit. Tang Baona was thinking about whether there was a deeper meaning to these melodies. She could understand the thoughts and the detailed thought process contained in the melodies compiled from others emotions, even fill in the reason why these emotions were generated, the stories behind them, etc. and write lyrics based on this. But the melodies of objects were a bit more obscure. She couldnt understand why objects could also generate corresponding melodies and she couldnt restore a corresponding story like she could with the melodies of human emotions, she was very confused. She vaguely sensed that if she could understand the source of what the melodies of objects expressed, she could find the root of her special perception. She had an immature guess that the reason why all sorts of objects could make her sense various melodies, just like human emotions, was because they all had something like a little elf existing within them. They all had spirits. This idea sounded super childish. Fortunately, she had not told anyone about it. She was just secretly talking to various objects on her own, trying to elicit a response from the little elf. Unfortunately, she had not yet received a clear response from any little elf. However, in another sense, it was not entirely without feedback. After the objects made her feel the melody, she would have some special experiences when she touched or used them again. For example, this GL8 car that was usually driven by Xiang Kun and Old Xia. After she sensed the melody of the whole car, driving it gave her an abstract feeling. She didnt drive much herself, especially after graduating and living together with Yang Lao San, it was always Yang Lao San who drove. Her driving skills were rusty and she was quite hesitant. But now, driving this GL8, she felt very confident. Whether it was meeting vehicles on narrow roads, making U-turns, parking sideways, or overtaking on high-speed roads, she was quite proficient, had a precise sense of distance, and was very at ease, as if she had been driving this car for over a decade. This feeling further consolidated her childish guess. Due to flight delays, Xiao Pingguo didnt arrive at the airport until nearly three oclock. A pretty airport ground staff led Xiao Pingguo over and after confirming Tang Baonas identity, handed over the shining, glittering cage of her checked-in pet to Xiao Pingguo. This time Xiao Pingguo arrived in Chongyun Village alone. Professor Li saw her onto the plane, asked the flight attendants to help take care of her, and airport and airline services for the disabled guided her off the plane more quickly and easily, handing her over to the person picking her up. Since someone accompanied her throughout the process, Professor Li agreed to Xiao Pingguos request to come to Chongyun Village alone even though he was a bit worried because he could not leave his work at the school and clearly understood how different Xiao Pingguo was at home and in Chongyun Village. Tang Baona, holding Xiao Pingguos hand, received the gleaming cage and after checking that the little bird was emotionally stable and comfortable, she called Professor Li to let him know they had arrived safely C actually, Xiao Pingguo had already called her father shortly after landing, but she made another call to put his mind more at ease. After putting the cage in the car, Tang Baona smiled and said, Xiao Pingguo, was your journey smooth? Yes, it went very smoothly. The stewardesses and ground staff were all very nice to me, and the other passengers also gave way to me, Xiao Pingguo replied somewhat bashfully. In fact, even without the help of others, she could have easily completed her journey alone. If she didnt, and just disguised herself as a person with normal vision, more than 90% of the people around her wouldnt even notice that she is blind. After all, through her training and influence in Object Sensing, her hearing has greatly improved, especially in determining the source of sounds, and her sense of smell has also been greatly enhanced, helping her navigate through more complex environments. Furthermore, the incredibly helpful capabilities of her pet bird and Alice, allowed her to see further and know more than the average person. Although she was separated from her pet on the plane, she was fully aware of the situation on the plane due to the information feedback from Alice. Now that Alice was connected to the various Super-connected Objects around her, she could provide enough environmental information feedback to Xiao Pingguo even without a single security camera. This information, crucially, was something Xiao Pingguo could understand. So, even though Xiao Pingguo could see things much more clearly than anyone with normal vision, she still had to pretend to be blind, which was somewhat helpless. Like when she was getting off the plane before, the ground attendant was so busy helping her avoid obstacles ahead that she didnt notice a luggage trolley near her own feet and almost tripped over. Little did she know, Xiao Pingguo had predicted this through the environmental information transmitted by Alice, and pretended to stumble herself, making the attendant instinctively rush over to help her thereby shifting her foot, which prevented her from tripping over. The only place where Xiao Pingguo could truly be herself was in Chongyun Village C even at home she couldnt completely let go for fear of startling her father. By the way, your Uncle Xiang and Sister Bing were busy, so they couldnt come pick you up. Were going to have dinner in town first, then go back to the village. I know you were looking forward to the dishes Xiang Kun makes, but youll have to wait until tomorrow, Tang Baona explained on behalf of Xiang Kun and Old Xia. But Xiao Pingguo laughed and said, Its okay, Sister Nana. Uncle Xiang told me that hell be busy in the mountains for a few days and will prepare a big show for us tonight. No, I should say mainly for you! Huh? Is Xiang Kun bluffing you too? Tang Baona wondered. Before Xiang Kun went to the mountains today, he did tell her to go to the rooftop tonight for a big show prepared in advance for her birthday celebration. But he also talked about defending Earth and protecting the world which seemed utterly crazy, so she didnt take it seriously and thought Xiang Kun was just joking, just like he always talks about the secret organization and welcome to the family of superpowers when he is with Yang Lao San. But the fact that Xiang Kun remembered her birthday in a few days made her very happy. But now it seems that Xiang Kun has told Xiao Pingguo about the big show in advance too? Could it be some kind of big show indeed? Could it be fireworks? Releasing fireworks in the mountains? Isnt that against the law? And such a step feels a bit too clich, Xiang Kun wouldnt actually do that, right? And if its about releasing fireworks, why not just do it in the village? Other than fireworks, she couldnt think of something that would be considered a big show. However, Xiao Pingguo didnt know much either, because Xiang Kun didnt tell her the details. Tang Baona asked a few questions but didnt get any results, so she temporarily dropped it. Sister Nana, your recent songs are so good, its amazing. Did you write all these songs yourself? Xiao Pingguo exclaimed. Princess Tangdou is Tang Baonas online identity, which only a handful of people on the Internet know. With Alices control, this information is unlikely to leak out, but people around her, like Xiao Pingguo and Little Fatty Girl, are quite clear about it. So, now they keep an eye on the latest Tangdou pop songs. Kind of, hehe, which song do you like best, Xiao Pingguo? Ill write a few songs for you too, Tang Baona said with a smile while driving. My favorite is Stealing Pleasure. As soon as I hear it, I know its about Sister Zhener. Its like seeing her being proud and shyly covering her mouth to laugh, its really interesting, and makes me want to laugh and sing along. Oh, and Xiao Lingdang also likes that song, haha, Xiao Pingguo said with a laugh. Huh? Xiao Pingguo, you can tell that my song is about Yang Lao San? Did she tell you? Tang Baona asked curiously. Her song didnt mention Yang Lao Sans name and even lacked descriptions that match him. It merely expressed the emotion of Yang Lao San at that time when she thought she knew something and was Sneering. Xiao Pingguo said, No, Sister Zhener didnt tell me, but when I first heard this song, I knew it was about Sister Zhener. The beatsthe melodyit just felt very familiar. I know it sounds weird when I say it has a sense of dj vu, but thats exactly how I felt. Sister Nana, when I heard your song, I was very certain it was about Sister Zhener stealing pleasure. Tang Baona had a thought and said, Xiao Pingguo, Ill hum a few melodies and you listen, okay? Then, she started humming a melody in Do Do Do, Woo Woo Woo sounds, stopped after more than half a minute, and asked, Xiao Pingguo, if the melody I just hummed represents an item, what do you think it could be? Just guess, anything is fine. Without a moments hesitation, Xiao Pingguo directly replied, Its a car, a fast-running car. Oh yes, and its black, pretty big too. By the way, the car youre driving now, Sister Nana, the melody you hummed, I feel it represents this car running! Tang Baona was taken aback. She was amazed that Xiao Pingguo could tell that Stealing Pleasure was written about Yang Zhen Er and claimed she had guessed it. However, the fact that Xiao Pingguo could now understand her Object Melody and guess correctly that it reflected the feel of the GL8 was simply incredible! Chapter 589 - Chapter 589: 589 Chapter 589: 589 Old Xia, Tang Baona, and Xiao Pingguo were admiring the lightning storm from the rooftop of their own house in Chongyun Village, while the Little Fatty Girl and Yang Lao San, who were far away in Pengcheng City, had also gone up to the rooftop. Wearing only a short-sleeve, Yang Zhener shrank her neck and glanced at Little Fatty Girl beside her: The wind on the rooftop is strong and its a bit cold. Arent you cold, Xiao Lingdang? Little Fatty Girl, also in a short-sleeve, was intently looking at her IPAD and without raising her head, she said: Not cold. Xiao Lingdang, when did Brother Xiang tell you to come to the rooftop? In the afternoon. Odd, why didnt he tell me? Bald Uncle told me to bring you up. Thats ludicrous, Im the adult here, I should be the one leading you Whatre you watching, Xiao Lingdang? Watching lightning boom boom. Liu Shiling was still not looking up, concentrating on the video of a mountain lightning storm playing on the IPAD. I know its lightning boom Uh, I mean, why are you watching this? Did Brother Xiang tell us why we are on the rooftop? Dont tell me hes coming over by a helicopter, ha! Yang Zhener squatted down behind Little Fatty Girl, placing her head on her shoulder, looking at the tablet in her hand. We are also going to watch the lightning boom boom. Liu Shiling said. Ha? We are also going to watch? Cant we just watch it at home? Why do we need to go to the rooftop and face the cold wind? Said Yang Zhener, rubbing her cheek against Little Fatty Girls chubby and bouncy cheek. It was especially fun to touch. We can only see it from the rooftop. Also, we cant ruin the TV or refrigerator anymore. If we tell mom that its the Custard Pies fault again, it will be in trouble. Little Fatty Girl said. Hehe, then Ill take the blame next time. Just say Im in my drunk mood, haha. Huh? Wait, you mean we are going to watch lightning do we have to create it ourselves? Yang Zhener exclaimed in surprise. Yup. Little Fatty Girl said matter-of-factly. Yang Zhener was suddenly energized, feeling that the wind on the rooftop was not strong at all, and its not cold anymore. She stood up, tilting her head to look at the clear night sky, frowned, and said, Generate a lightning storm right here? Ive never done that before, can I pull it off? Oh, I only brought one eraser, thats not enough. Little Fatty Girl also looked up at the starry sky and said, Didnt you hear it, Older fairy sister? Hear what? Boom Boom Little Fatty Girl imitated the sound of thunder. You mean the sound from your video? You muted your video, how can I hear it. Yang Zhener said. No, its from there. Little Fatty Girl pointed her short and fat finger in the distance and said. Yang Zhener squinted her eyes to look over there and shook her head: Theres nothing. Ah, the video you were watching, it looks like it was filmed at Chongyun Mountain? Yang Zhener suddenly realized. Yes. Little Fatty Girl nodded. Who sent it to you? Old Xia? Or Nana? Xiao Luosi. Xiao Luosi again? Isnt she an online friend of yours? How did she get a video of a thunderstorm on Chongyun Mountain? Oh, is it an old one? Found online? From the time when a fugitive got hit? No. Little Fatty Girl said, Older fairy sister, focus, listen to the thunder. Theres no thunder Huh? Just as she was speaking, Yang Zhener suddenly heard a boom of thunder, but she was stunned for a moment, looking down in the direction of the sound, only to find that it came from the tablet in Little Fatty Girls hand, but her tablet was clearly no longer playing the video. In that booming sound, faintly, it seemed like someone was humming a song, but it was hidden within the thunder, making it impossible for people to make out clearly. But subconsciously, she thought of NanaC as she had heard such humming melody a lot during her previous stay in Chongyun Village. While she was listening, she suddenly had an impulse and said to Little Fatty Girl who was next to her, Xiao Lingdang, its windy now, and theres thunder! As soon as she finished speaking, a crash of thunder echoed in the sky, and a bolt of lightning from east to west almost cut through the entire sky. The flash of lightning lit up Liu Shilings face as she looked up, prompting an unconscious wow~ from her. Her wow seemed to inject a great deal of encouragement into Yang Zhen Er. She spread her arms wide, looked up at the sky with bright eyes, and loudly proclaimed: Dark cloud battleships, loaded with thunder, set sail swiftly and fall into formation, listen to the command of Silver Armor Old Fairy! For the purpose of purging the sins of the world wait In celebration of your king! The Silver Armor Old Fairy the most powerful magician under the command of Silver Armor Fairy C Liu Shiling is on holiday! A long holiday!! Unleash your thunder! Come on! Roar! As she chanted these absurd lines, the clouds in the sky merged, blotting out the stars and moon. Occasional flashes of lightning between the clouds hinted at the brewing storm. With the fall of her final words, within the vision of her and the little fatty girl, bolts of lightning struck down from the sky, connecting heaven and earth. They struck a large tree not far away with a crackling noise. Of course, the tree was just fine, both in reality and in the scene perceived by the two girls. YEAH! Yang Zhen Er jumped up in excitement. Liu Shiling also jumped with her. Even knowing that it was an illusion, they were both extremely excited. Although they had previously conducted numerous illusion experiments indoors and attempted various bizarre things, they had never tried or even considered creating such a large-scale illusion outdoors that influenced the weather like a deity. Besides, Yang Zhen Er hadnt prepared for this in advance, even omitting to bring along her usual companions. The initial thought of Yang Zhen Er was to imagine the divine thunder punishing all evils in the world. However, she mysteriously sensed that what she had imagined was not a Punishing Thunder, but a Celebration Thunder. One bolt of lightning after another slashed down from heaven. The center of the thunderstorm was located right in the city center, surrounding the building they were standing on. At first, the two girls were slightly fearful as the thunderbolts fell and the thunder roared. But they soon adapted, standing on the rooftop, calling for thunder and lightning happily. Little Bell! Did you see that? All the commanders of the Dark Cloud Battleship under my command are celebrating your holiday! Yang Zhen Er shouted with her hands on her hips. Old fairy sister is super strong! Long live old fairy sister! Invincible old fairy sister! Liu Shiling shouted a few times then suddenly remembered something and asked, Old Fairy Sister, where is my magic wand? Your magic wand is in your hand. Yang Zhen Er blinked and said. So Liu Shiling looked down and found that the IPAD she was holding had transformed into a magic wand. She held up the magic wand and shouted: Chocolate! Ice cream! Lemon tea! Yang Zhen Er was startled and quickly squatted down to hold her: Little Bell, hold on Old fairy sister, dont be afraid, Xiao Luosi is watching just fine, its okay. Liu Shiling patted her back to comfort her. Xiao Luosi? Yang Zhen Er was surprised. It felt just like the first time she heard Tang Baona talking to herself as Little Elf. Then she suddenly saw five shining coins suspended around them. When she looked at them, they rushed into the sky and disappeared into the rolling dark clouds above her head. Old fairy sister, look! Liu Shiling, holding her magic wand, pointed to the sky and shouted excitedly. Yang Zhen Er looked in the direction Liu Shiling was pointing to, and she vaguely saw five round human-shaped creatures shuttling through the night sky and the clouds during the constant flashes of lightning and the booming thunder. Were those five round humans wearing armor? They are like heavenly soldiers and generals? Considering the fact that they can see vague shapes from here, the round individuals must be extremely large, probably much larger than ordinary passenger planes. Was this the transformation of Xiao Bells five coins? Wait; it should be an illusion. But arent illusions supposed to be my own imagination?! I have never seen anything like this! Feeling a little confused, Yang Zhen Er rubbed her eyes. Next to her, Liu Shiling, dressed in a black and gold magic robe, silently put on her hood and tugged at the strings on the side. The cat ears on the top of the hood twitched a little. Below their feet, in the building where they lived, the lady of a certain household was sitting in the living room playing an online game on her cellphone. Suddenly, she noticed that she had been disconnected from the internet, and then she faintly heard the sound of thunder, which seemed to be coming from her own television. She looked up at the TV screen, which was clearly broadcasting an urban romance show featuring a man and a woman chatting in a cafe under clear skies. Why would there be such intense thunder? She couldnt help but ask her mother, who was engrossed in watching the TV: Mom, do you hear thunder? Thunder? Is there a thunderstorm? Is it going to rain? Her mother instinctively stretched her neck to look out towards the balcony. No, its from the TV Oh, the TV, noHey, it seems I really do hear thunder, and other noises too, it sounds like an opera. Boom! A deafening clap of thunder echoed, startling both mother and daughter simultaneously. They were both sure, this time the noise was not coming from the TV, it was from outside. Their balcony sliding glass doors were tremoring with reverberations, and the flash was incredibly bright. Oh my, its really going to rain, we need to close the windows. The mother gave her daughter a nudge, urging her on. The lady glanced at her phone, still disconnected. She had no choice but to put her phone in her pocket and get up to close the balcony window. When she arrived at the balcony, a bolt of lightning struck, surprisingly hitting a building a few hundred meters away. Although the strike was huge, nothing seemed to happen afterwards. Was it grounded? A lightning rod? The lady scratched her head puzzlingly. Just as she was about to close the window and check on her familys optical modem and router, suddenly another bolt of lightning struck, followed by a continuous barrage, one strike after another. The thunder was so deafening it rattled her eardrums. She instinctively crouched down, covering her ears. Strangely enough, she didnt find this thunderstorm scary, but rathersomewhat festive?? At the same time, throughout the entire city, many people had similar experiences, all startled by the thunder and witnessing a never before seen lightning storm taking place in the city. After an unknown length of time, the thunderstorm subsided. However, on the rooftop, Yang Zhener noticed that the wind had not only not stopped, but had gotten stronger. She looked at the Little Fatty Girl next to her C her magic robe had vanished and her magic wand had turned back into an iPad. Her illusion had stopped, right? A raindrop as big as a soybean fell down, plopped on her forehead, which made her exclaim. Then, she instinctively raised her head, only to be assaulted by a torrent of rain. A droplet even got into her eye. Its raining! Elder fairy sister, run! Liu Shiling grabbed Yang Zheners hand and started running towards the roofs staircase. Once they reached the staircase, Yang Zhener wiped off the raindrops from her face, turned back to look at the downpour outside, then looked at the sky quizzically. What was happening? The thunderstorm just now was a large-scale illusion created by her and Little Ding Dong, right? Wasnt it a spectacle that only the two of them could see? She remembered clearly, when she and Little Ding Dong first arrived on the rooftop, it was a clear night with visible moon and stars. They hadnt been up for that long, had they? How could it suddenly start pouring rain? Could it be that the spectacle just now was real? No, that cant be, there were no traces of lightning strikes anywhere around. Suddenly, she thought of something and asked the Little Fatty Girl next to her, who was also wiping her face: Little Ding Dong, where are your coins? Little Fatty Girl patted the pockets of her pants. The sound of coins jingling could be heard. Little Ding Dong, they flew up just now! They flew up to the sky! Yang Zhener exclaimed, And and it seemed like they turned into heavenly soldiers and generals! Plump and round ones! Hehe. Little Ding Dong, stop just hehe-ing, hurry up and fess up, did you sneakily use some sort of trick just now? Also, also, who is that Little Screw you keep talking about? Yang Zhener pressed on. Elder fairy sister, let us hurry back to take a bath, otherwise well catch a cold, Liu Shiling said as she pulled Yang Zheners hand and started walking towards the hallway, Uncle Bald said that you would understand if you think about it. If you really dont get it, you can ask him. Yang Zhener grumbled, Why would I ask him, hes definitely just going to trick me again. But she still followed Little Fatty Girl down the stairs, because if she was to catch a cold, it would be fine, but if Little Ding Dong were to catch a cold, she would feel incredibly guilty. Within Chongyun Mountain. Under a large temporary rain shelter constructed from intertwined branches and leaves of a gigantic Twisted Neck Tree. Mr. Liang watched the mutated big bird that he had expended a large amount of resources to track down, appearing from the ground in front of him like an unwrapped gift. He was momentarily at a loss for words as he locked eyes with the creature. Even though the mutated big bird looked completely different from when he last encountered it on Wushu Mountain, it has even shrunk significantly in size. Mr. Liang was still able to instantly recognize that it was the Giant raptor he had been tracking. It had actually been captured alive by Xiang Kun? And it had been hiding underground all this time? Was Xiang Kuns power even more formidable and bizarre than he had initially thought? Especially those countless tiny spheres still floating in the air and the consciously-moving tendrils and roots on the ground. It was almost unfathomable, even for someone like him. It seemed that Xiang Kun was like the Ultimate Predator, an organism of another level of complexity. Are you saying Mr. Liang looked at Xiang Kun who was not far away: that I should use it as a Blood source for a phase transformation? Xiang Kun nodded: Yes, it is very suitable. And as you know, it has caused a lot of destruction, it needs to be dealt with anyway. Mr. Liang, however, shook his head: At my stage, phase transformation requires a very high-quality Blood source, it may not be appropriate. Dont worry, I am very certain that it is suitable. As soon as Xiang Kun had finished speaking, the mutated big bird, which had its wings strangely folded up, suddenly flapped them violently, attempting to fly into the sky. Evidently, as soon as it regained some mobility, it tried to escape as quickly as possible. Both Xiang Kun and Mr. Liang were like the Grim Reaper to it. Mr. Liang subconsciously commanded his numerous reconnected mini-drones to approach it, but to his surprise, the countless spheres that had been floating nearby quickly converged to envelop the mutated big bird into a large iron ball. It fell back to the ground without even being able to make a sound. Looking at the spheres spreading out again, revealing the once again incapacitated mutated big bird, Mr. Liang asked: By consuming it, could I bring out the Ultimate Predator and invoke its concentrated, intense consciousness response? No, not even close. But dont worry, I will lead you to hunt enough Blood sources; I know where they are, Xiang Kun assured confidently, You dont need to worry here. I am in control of everything. The Ultimate Predator cant threaten you either. Ive severed its link with relevant specific factors. But there is one situation I must warn you about. After you undergo a sufficient number of phase transformations to meet the Ultimate Predators blood-drinking requirements, you yourself will face body disintegration. In theory, I can help you reconstruct your body, but since I havent tried it before, I cannot guarantee 100% success. However, I can assure you that your consciousness, your subjective cognition, and your memory will not be lost. Even if I cant restore your original body, I can make sure your consciousness continues to exist, in another form. A smile stretched from Mr. Liangs mouth to his ears, giving off an indiscernible expression. He controlled his drones to close in on the mutated big bird and spoke in his deep, gravelly, metallic voice: Dont need to comfort me. Now I only have one choice, dont I? Xiang Kun, I will do what I have to do. If anything unexpected happens to me, remember to take the tiny, rice-shaped piece of metal from beneath my left brain and go find my driver, Old Xie. He will take you to Old He He will help you unlock our secret archives where you can find many long-buried secrets, as well as research papers and information we have accumulated over the years. Especially my last recorded video, you must watch it carefully then, do what needs to be done. Xiang Kun slowly nodded and only said three words: Rest assured. Then, the countless super-connected spheres dispersed again. Even without Xiang Kuns assistance, against a mutated big bird that could no longer fly, it would be a matter of seconds for Mr. Liang to kill it. The method Mr. Liang used to deal with the mutated big bird was the same as what he used against Guo Tianxiang. The mini-drones connected with each other and formed a laser grid by sacrificing themselves, dissolving the mutated big bird into a fog of blood. He strolled forward, walking into the blood fog. Xiang Kun could sense that upon hearing his words, Mr. Liang felt a moment of hesitation, nervousness, conflict, and fear. But after he made his promise, Mr. Liang suppressed his emotions and made a decision. Mr. Liang was also afraid of death, but there were things he feared more than death. Xiang Kun did not stay to watch Mr. Liang drink blood. Even if he was not around, he knew every detail. Instead, he climbed atop the temporary rain shelter using Xiao Luobos stem, stood in the rain, gazing into the distance. In the distance was the direction of Chongyun Village. Further beyond, thousands of kilometers away, was the location of Pengcheng City. Over this period, Xiang Kun had further refined his plan. However, he knew that to have a greater guarantee of success, he needed help. Not only did he need Mr. Liangs help, but he also needed assistance from Alice, Old Xia, Little Fatty Girl, Xiao Pingguo, Nana, and Old Three. He needed to better and more comprehensively utilize the Super sensory Item System to ensure success. He felt a weight on his shoulder, a pair of small shoes on his left shoulder. Without looking, he knew it was Alice. Alice, who had phased into existence, held up a surreal umbrella made of dozens of tightly connected roasted chicken wings and Crispy Pigs Elbows over Xiang Kuns head. Looking in the same direction as him, she said firmly: Boss, we are invincible. Chapter 590 - Chapter 590: Chapter 590: Think More about Yourself Chapter 590: Chapter 590: Think More about Yourself That night, many people in Pengcheng City saw the unparalleled lightning storm. Lightning directly struck between the citys buildings, but did not cause any substantial damage. For them, it felt like they were watching a 5D movie. Nor was it just in Pengcheng City, in many places around the world, people had similar illusions. They heard thunder and even thought that the thunder was booming nearby, only that they didnt see the actual scene like the people in Pengcheng City did. Liu Shiling and Yang Zhener, the two culprits, had already returned home. After a hot bath and changing into their pajamas, they were savoring the hot mushroom beef soup brought in by takeaway delivery. Yang Zhener checked her phone and muttered, Chef Xiangs phone is not connecting. I wonder what hes up to. Then she turned to Liu Shiling, who, like herself, was sitting cross-legged on the chair, her chubby face flushed from the hot soup. She moved her chair closer to Shiling and said: Come on, Little Lingdang, tell me what just happened. That lightning storm that booming thunder, how did it bring rain? It was so sunny before Was it me, you, or Chef Xiang? How did your five coins just fly up into the sky? Uncle Bald said that if you think things through yourself, youll understand. If you really dont understand, just ask him. Liu Shiling tilted her head back and said before continuing to drink her soup. Having gotten wet in the rain and now having a hot bath and hot soup, it felt incredibly comfortable. She had been asked the same question by Yang Zhener at least ten times since it started to rain. As per Uncle Balds instructions, no matter what, she would reply with this sentence. Chef Xiang is obviously tricking me! And I cant connect to him at all now! Yang Zhener said angrily, then she saw that Shiling had no more beef in her soup bowl and added with a mischievous smile, Little Lingdang, I still have several pieces of beef here. Want them all? Liu Shiling was about to say yes, but suddenly remembered something. Looking at Yang Zheners expression, she immediately said, Thank you, but its okay, Sister Zhener, Im full! Youre not full! Yang Zhener declared firmly, I know by the look in your eyes, you definitely havent had enough! Im full! Little Lingdang, how about I order you some wontons? You like this restaurants wontons, right? And maybe a egg pancake too? Sister Zhener, my stomach isnt that big. Just the wontons then? After hesitating for a second, Shiling shook her head and said, No, thank you, Sister Zhener. I have to go home and feed Custard Pie. He needs his late-night snack too. Normally, when Sister Zhener offered to buy her food, she would not be too coy. But right now, she knew that Zhener was casting a sugar-coated cannonball, trying to bribe her for information. Didnt I install an automatic feeder for Custard Pie? We can control it with the phone, And give it food at any time. Yang Zhener took out her phone and said. But I need to keep an eye on him. I cant let him eat too much. We can control the feeding quantity. If you miss Custard Pie, lets go hold him. Sleep with me tonight, as your mom is working late again. Ill tell her, she will agree. said Yang Zhener. No I I have homework to do. You can do it here. I can help you. Sister Zhener, I really cant tell you. Ill buy you something delicious tomorrow. How about that custard we had last time? Or maybe a salted egg yolk bun? Yes, the National Day holiday is almost here and Ill take you back to Chongyun Village for the holiday. Ill have Chef Xiang prepare your favorite steamed meat buns are made in advance, okay? Sister Zhener, if I dont tell you, will you not take me back to Chongyun Village? After finishing her mushroom beef soup, Liu Shiling looked up, her young face filled with innocent concern. Yang Zhener was taken aback. Even though she was certain that Little Fatty Girl had some information that she herself didnt know, she couldnt bear to say, If you dont tell me, Little Lingdang, I wont take you back to the village. But she couldnt bring herself to say it. She could only say, Of course I will still take you back to Chongyun Village. If I dont take you along, Im afraid Ill be kicked back by Nana, Old Xia, and Chef Xiang. Little Lingdang, cant you take pity on your Sister Zhener and just hint me a little? Liu Shiling scratched her head as if she were quite troubled. After some thought, she finally said, Sister Zhener, Uncle Bald wants you to think for yourself, there must be a reason. Youre family now, Uncle Bald definitely has your best interests in mind. Yang Zhener grumbled, Your Uncle Bald just wants to make fun of me. Let me think for myself? I dont even know how I made those illusions before, how those erasures happened, or how you, Little Lingdang, blew up the TV and the refrigerator before. If he really wants me to think for myself, all I can do is guess wildly Huh? While she was talking, Yang Zhener suddenly seemed to think of something and paused. Liu Shiling stretched her neck to look at Yang Zhener, and seeing no response after softly calling out her name, quietly cleared the soup bowls and placed them in the sink with dish soap and water. Then she quietly left Yang Zheners house and returned to her own. After all, her home was in the same building, just an elevator ride away. Chongyun Village. As the lightning storm in the distant mountain gradually subsided, the fireworks show above the village also ended. Tang Baona stared at the tranquil and peaceful night sky, which had returned to normal after the fireworks show, and for a moment felt as if she was in a dream. Those fireworks were arranged by you and Xiang Kun, right? Will such a big fanfare disturb others? Tang Baona looked at Old Xia and asked with some concern. No, Old Xia replied simply and confidently. All that commotion must have startled the whole village. There are a lot of elderly people in the village who might have been asleep and then got scared by all that noise. Maybe theyre cursing or did you guys give them a heads up? As she spoke, Tang Baona suddenly realized something was off. The place they stayed was relatively high in the village, and they could see most of the village from the rooftop. Also, the village had streetlights everywhere. Once night fell and the streetlights lit up, they could see everything clearly. The big fireworks show had just happened, but no one came out to look, which was odd. On the other hand, when the lightning storm appeared in Chongyun Mountain earlier, some people did come out. Then Tang Baona recalled that the fireworks seemed to appear out of nowhere in mid-air, quickly rising a certain distance before exploding. Even the fireworks exploding right above their heads didnt have a whiff of the smell of gunpowder, nor did they see any falling debris as is usual with fireworks. Could it be fake? An illusion? Tang Baona then asked Xiao Pingguo, Xiao Pingguo, did you just hear a lot of fireworks? Xiao Pingguo nodded, Yes, the fireworks were really beautiful Oh, I mean, when I heard the sound, I imagined a beautiful scene! Happy Birthday, Sister Nana! No, asking Old Xia and Xiao Pingguo was not accurate. Tang Baona quickly came to this conclusion. She thought of the lightning storm in Chongyun Mountain, Xiang Kun had asked them to come to the rooftop in advance, saying that there was going to be a great show, which showed that he had foreseen this lightning storm and might even have a direct connection with it. What was Xiang Kun doing in the mountains? Tang Baona, who had watched a lot of animation and novels before, couldnt help but let her imagination run wild: Was Xiang Kun working on becoming immortal? Could it be that he had awakened some celestial meridians and the price was his hair? Or was he secretly building some terrifying super machine, capable of attracting lightning and controlling electricity, manipulating the power of heaven and earth? Old Xia resigned and ran over to work with Xiang Kun to set up a research base. Perhaps they are using husbandry research and biological research as a cover, but what they are really doing is constructing a superior weather control machine? In Tang Baonas mind, Xia Libing had turned into a figure dressed in military uniform, tall black boots, wearing an eyepatch, and holding a whip. She remembered, there was once a lightning storm in Chongyun Mountain, and then it killed two escaped prisoners. And then, thinking of Little Elf, her talent for sensing the rhythm of all things, Yang Lao Sans recent unusual behavior, the extraordinary abilities of Xiao Lingdang and Xiao Pingguo, she felt that she had grasped some threads of truth, only a thin veil left to uncover. Originally, she planned to wait until she and Xiao Pingguo had established a basic prototype for their research on the melody resonance of all things and then have a showdown with Xiang Kun to find out the mystery. But now she couldnt help it, as she got the feeling that Old Xia and Xiao Pingguo knew more than she did. So Tang Baona picked up her phone and dialed Xiang Kuns number, then heard a soft feminine voice: The number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable, please try again later. With the help of Alice and a large number of Super-connected objects and electronic devices, Xiang Kun was very clear about the situation and the queries of all his friends, whether they were in Pengcheng City or Chongyun Village, be it Yang Lao San, Little Fatty Girl, or Tang Baona, Xiao Pingguo, Old Xia. In fact, this was all part of his deliberate plan. If it wasnt for a change in the plan, if it wasnt for the decision to deal with the threat of the Ultimate Predator in the short term, Xiang Kun actually didnt want to reveal the truth to them in such a direct way and make them aware of the existence of Super Sensory Item System so soon. From the current perspective, whether it was Yang Lao San or Nana, both had made progress beyond his expectations, and there was plenty of time. He hoped that before he explained his situation and their situation directly to them, they could have some development projects based on their own unique cognition. Xiang Kun then turned his attention to Mr. Liang, under the awning at his feet, who was already asleep. After completing his blood-drinking, Mr. Liang had fallen into sleep, but his body had automatically entered into invisibility mode. This made Xiang Kun realize that Mr. Liangs invisibility ability was not necessarily triggered when needed, but rather, invisibility was his normal state. To appear and allow others to see him would require deliberate control and activation. Xiang Kun entered the Super Sensory State, observing further changes in Mr. Liangs body during this phase of transformation through the cognitive information. Having already observed once before, Xiang Kun was very familiar with Mr. Liangs cognitive information this time and clearly understood which changes in the cognitive information during this phase of transformation were inherited from the mutated big bird. Meanwhile, he was also sensing and observing the special cognitive information left in Mr. Liangs body by the Ultimate Predator. His greatest research achievement during his time in the mountains was finding a way to sever and shield the influence and control of the Ultimate Predator on the special factors and cognitive information left in other organisms. After temporarily blocking the Ultimate Predator, Xiang Kun could sense those special cognitive information without immediately erasing it while under the Super Sensory State. Having the conditions for observation, he could further research and decode such cognitive information. This allowed Xiang Kun to discover more characteristics and essences of the Ultimate Predator, based on the accumulation of previously gained information and data, various observable and tangible manifestations. From this, he was able to perfect and update his plans, providing support for his series of actions. As for the method, of course, it involved utilizing the power of the Super Sensory Item System and Alice through a huge amount and densely packed Super-connected Objects. This region within Chongyun Mountain, established by Xiao Luobo and a mass amount of Super-connected Objects, served as a barrier that could isolate the Ultimate Predators protective shield. Hence, he need not erase the special cognitive information in Mr. Liangs body, nor worry about their plans here being exposed or affected. Xiang Kuns original plan was to spread Super-connected Objects globally, completely blocking the communication between parts of the Ultimate Predator, effectively paralyzing it. Without the ability to threaten Xiang Kun by killing other organisms, Xiang Kun could then gradually cleanse all cognitive information on organisms and thoroughly erase it from the world. Of course, by then, the Ultimate Predator would be no more than a pet or toy of Xiang Kun, completely at his mercy. However, even though the Ultimate Predator might not know Xiang Kuns specific plan, or what he intended to do, it had clearly sensed the danger, therefore the incident of controlling the mutated big bird to crash into something occurred. Anticipating the possibility of further actions by the Ultimate Predator threatening the friends and family around him, Xiang Kun had no choice but to advance his plans. Essentially, the way the Ultimate Predator controls its body parts and all special factors is similar, on a fundamental level, to how Xiang Kun uses the Super-connected Objects. However, it is significantly less advanced, like learning boxing after gaining a hand, while Xiang Kun instantly mastered firearms, artillery, computers, and atomic energy after gaining a hand. It cannot comprehend Xiang Kuns Super Sensory Item System and related derivative abilities. Of course, this does not mean that Xiang Kun can easily kill it now. Since it is hiding in underground caves and not poking its head out, Xiang Kun could only kill it if he bombs all the caves, but there are innocent lives above these caves, he could not risk, so it must come out entirely by itself. Three hours later, Mr. Liang woke up from his sleep, completing this phase of extreme transformation, gradually becoming visible. Xiang Kun had also noticed before that his own period of deep sleep after swallowing the blood of other mutants was always much shorter than normal sleep, but both Mr. Liangs and Johns periods of deep sleep after drinking mutant blood were far longer than his. Moreover, their blood-drinking cycle was very irregular, unlike him who had always controlled it to around five days for a long time, until recently he found a way to significantly break through this cycle. After waking up, Mr. Liang checked his condition, communicated with Xiang Kun for a while, then called a few medium-sized drones to set up a communication device with a screen using their installed components. I want to introduce someone to you, Mr. Liang said. Xiang Kun immediately knew who Mr. Liang wanted to contact. Chapter 591 - Chapter 591: Chapter 591: Status Chapter 591: Chapter 591: Status Seated on the other side of the screen was a man in his fifties, his slicked-back hair streaked with a generous amount of white. Despite wearing an old but carefully hand-tailored suit, Xiang Kun recognized him right away as none other than Director He Haomin from the National Abnormal Biology Research Center. In fact, when Mr. Liang mentioned that there was someone he wanted Xiang Kun to meet, Xiang Kun surmised right away that it must be Director He. Despite the vast team of professionals at Mr. Liangs disposal in the secretive Divine Technology department C people like Fang Pingfang, Zhou Rui, and Li Shibao C serving him well, Xiang Kun understood that while these people were involved in various classified missions, some even coming into contact with the mutants or what they referred to as blood-eating creatures, they didnt fully grasp the essential nature of the research on mutant creatures, the existence of the ultimate predator, Mr. Liangs status and identity, and the ultimate goal of what they were doing. This ignorance was a form of protection Mr. Liang offered them. Perhaps Mijoe was the only one among them who was half in the know. She was able to vaguely guess that Mr. Liang was a mutant and knew some of the characteristics of mutants, but even this knowledge mostly came from Guo Tianxiang. So, when it came to introducing him to someone else, there was no one else but Old He. If anyone knew solitude, it was Mr. Liang, even more so than him. After the line was connected, Old He on the other side of the screen leaned back abruptly, his countenance revealing an expression of surprise, as if he was taken aback by the sight. On his screen, he had yet to see Xiang Kun, but only Mr. Liangs unusually large head. He had seen Mr. Liang before and was well-aware that his appearance was the result of mutant evolution. However, in the past, his communication with Mr. Liang was typically one-sided video calls with only Mr. Liangs voice coming through. Or both sides would have video connections, but Mr. Liangs chair would be vacant. He hadnt seen Mr. Liang in visual mode in a long time, so it was indeed a bit of a surprise. Whats more, he wasnt sure if it was due to his prolonged absence or his Uesugi sight, but Old He saw faint traces of the past young man Mr. Liang used to be when he was first brought back by Academician Shen on his now weird face that was filled with complicated patterns. I was just about to contact you. I heard that theres something unusual about the bird strike incident at Jianzhou Airport. The birds are not from the same species. They seemed to be coerced by a certain bird. Is that bird the same one that caused the tourist accident at Wushu Mountain? Didnt I tell you that blood-eating threats that pose a serious risk to the lives and property of the people must be dealt with promptly? This time Seeing that Old He couldnt stop himself from rambling on, Mr. Liang quickly interrupted, Dont worry, that bird has been taken care of. It wont cause any more accidents. Old He, I have a new researcher I want you to meet. As soon as Mr. Liang spoke, whether it was his imagination or not, Old He discovered that the unpleasant and grating metallic friction sound in his deep, husky voice seemed to have drastically lessened. Oh? Who is it? Which research center or investigative group have you decided to assign them to? Old He inquired curiously. Now that it was already past midnight and Mr. Liang had taken the initiative to get in touch with him at this hour, it was clear that something rather significant was at stake. This researcher must be someone extraordinary. This said, he hadnt anticipated that Mr. Liangs image on the screen would then shift to the side, to reveal a bald head adjusting his glasses coming into the center. Hello, Old He. My name is Xiang Kun. Caught off guard, Old He blankly greeted him back while he was completely taken aback. Only then the realization hit him; the researcher that Mr. Liang spoke of wasnt a researcher from the secretive division of Divine Technology but a researcher from the laboratory that Academician Shen personally established. Although both are called researchers, their natures are fundamentally different. To be strict, there is essentially only one researcher of this kind left, Mr. Lu Qinliang. Old He has urged him more than once to scout for new members; otherwise, if something ever happened to Mr. Liang, the relevant research would stagnate outright and lack successors. However, although Mr. Liang verbally agreed, he never carried it out. Whenever blood-eating humans in the country were discovered, they were found to have severe issues of varying kinds. Some managed to escape abroad, but most were executed. Old He, you can find Xiang Kuns basic information in the database, said Mr. Liang. He then briefly introduced Old Hes identity and background to Xiang Kun. Old He is the director of the National Abnormal Biology Research Center, our official supporting department. All operations involving transnational activities or exceeding normal regulations must, in principle, be approved by him first. Of course, he will provide us with much convenience and support. The most significant outcomes of our research also belong to the country based on the tone set by Academician Shen when he established this experimental department. Of course, for reasons you know, our data are basically sealed, and for now, no one else can access them except me. Grasping Mr. Liangs intent, Old He turned on a nearby computer and found Xiang Kuns basic data and information in the database. These were collected by a related team as soon as Mr. Liang identified Xiang Kun as the subject of investigation, including some very private account logs and platform-use data. Is Xiang Kun like you? Old He inferred from the hidden information, though he did have a preconceived understanding, as the very basic qualifying condition to become a researcher like Lu Qinliang is to be a human blood eater. Yes, Xiang Kun Mr. Liang hesitated, then said, Much stronger than me. Traditionally, whether the so-called bloodline vampires in Europe or the various blood eaters in nature, the criterion for discerning strength has been the number of transformation stages. Because generally speaking, the more transformation stages one has passed, the stronger one tends to be. The strength doesnt necessarily refer to ones fighting ability, but is determined comprehensively. However, during his brief interaction with Xiang Kun, Mr. Liang was almost certain that Xiang Kuns stages of transformation were fewer than his own, but the inconceivable abilities to influence the weather, control thunder and lightning, and the forest that seemed alive, as well as the metal spheres being suspended in the air and manipulated at will, in sync, made him realize that the degree of Xiang Kuns mutation had already surpassed his and other blood eaters. Next, Mr. Liang simply discussed with Old He what he knew about Xiang Kuns process and experience of mutation. Since Xiang Kun had only been transformed into a blood eater for just over a year, his description was a simple summary, so it was quickly completed. What Mr. Liang emphasized was Xiang Kuns method of exploring own mutation, including establishing QianKun Technology and the so-called Intelligent Breeding Research Base in Chongyun Village. Old He understood the point Mr. Liang was making. He looked at the information about the research base and hesitated to ask, Xiang Kun You dont mind me addressing you like that, do you? So according to Mr. Liang, this Miss Xia Libing, she knows, doesnt she? Yes, Xiang Kun replied very succinctly. In that case For her safety and the overall confidentiality, if she wants to continue participating in the related research, she could join the secret department of Divine Technology. We can arrange a research center for her, Old He suggested. No, our research base will continue to be built. She will be in charge of running the base and conducting independent research. Of course, to some extent, we can share our research results with Divine Technology. We can also collaborate on some projects, and we will accept the supervision and leadership of the Abnormal Biology Research Center, Xiang Kun said without hesitation. Old He was visibly surprised. He glanced at Mr. Liang, who was in the video with only half a shoulder showing and did not object, and said to Xiang Kun, Did Mr. Liang tell you that getting ordinary people involved in the research could pose a danger to them due to a mysterious power? Or is she also? Xia Libing is an ordinary person, but I can guarantee her safety completely. Furthermore, the Ultimate Predator and mysterious power that Mr Liang mentioned, we are already working on resolving them, and they will soon cease to be a problem. Then, research on related mutations no longer needs to be as cautious as it is now, Xiang Kun said with absolute certainty. Old He couldnt help but glance at Mr. Liang again, although, as always, all he could see was half a shoulder, as Xiang Kuns bald head was still dominating the primary screen in the video. Can you take care of it? Even as composed as Old He typically was, he couldnt help but raise his tone slightly in doubt upon hearing this. He understood what had happened decades ago that caused the official study of blood-eating creatures and the associated information to become so secretive and completely blocked off. This was consistent with the conduct of all other countries around the world, no exceptions were made for any force, country, or individual. The ominous and omnipotent cloud that hung over all blood-eating creatures and related mutation studies C the entity that many dont even dare to speak of, and cant understand C Xiang Kun stated that he already had a resolution for it, claiming it would soon no longer be an issue. He stated it with such a light tone as if it was nothing to him. If any other new individual from the lab or a human blood-eating creature were to assert these claims, Old He would consider this as nothing more than bluffing. It would be pure ignorance of the horror and the power of the ultimate predator, the mysterious power. But Xiang Kun was introduced by Mr. Liang personally, and Mr. Liang, who was sitting right beside Xiang Kun during their discussion, had shared some related information about the ultimate predator with him, it was unlikely for him to be oblivious to this situation. Furthermore, Mr. Liang didnt object to anything he said. Reminiscing Mr. Liangs previous claim of Xiang Kun being much stronger than him, not just stronger, but much stronger. The difference in the description made Old He suddenly realize that this bald man with glasses, who appeared to differ quite significantly from the traditional human blood-eating creatures he perceived, might possess unbelievable strength. But didnt Mr. Liang mention that he had only been a blood-eating creature for just over a year? This was a bit contradictory. As Old He was slightly puzzled, Xiang Kun reaffirmed with a confident tone, Yes, I can and will resolve it. Ah Liang, will will you be working together with little Xiang on this? Old He asked. My role will be to assist, Mr. Liang stated. Old He nodded in understanding, and after a few seconds of contemplation, he said, Xiang, your research institution can establish its research system like Ah Liangs Divine Technology. The Research Center will dispatch relevant personnel for necessary assistance and supervision. Of course, core research information will be decided for public disclosure based on the security situation at the time, but primarily, control remains with you. Additionally, you must know that although I will make your investigation and research more convenient and cover up for you, this is not a privilege or a benefit. It signifies huge responsibility and danger. You may ask Ah Liang, he knows it very well. Adjusting his glasses, Xiang Kun nodded, I understand. His understanding of Old He might even exceed Mr. Liangs understanding of Old He. When he came to know that the National Abnormal Biology Research Center was the official agency backing Divine Technology, Xiang Kun and Miss Alice carried out a comprehensive and in-depth study of Old He and his associates, establishing a systematic understanding model of his character, preferences, habits, and judgment methods. This was why, before the video call with Old He, Xiang Kun put on the glasses he took off when he fought with Mr. Liang. It also explains his concise, determined, serious, and slightly unsmiling manner of speaking. He knows how to behave to make Old He take him seriously, not to fool him but as a communication strategy. Just like now, regardless of Mr. Liang being aware of his deliberate attempt to bring him here, despite knowing that many things were premeditated, his arrangement did not negatively impact their conversation. His previous planning played a significant role in leading Mr. Liang to investigate and seek answers. The same words, Even if truthful, told under different circumstances and states can bring about completely different effects and impacts. What Xiang Kun intended to do now was to try his utmost to make them believe in him, and to continue according to his plans. If this were the earlier Xiang Kun, he only had one principle when dealing with people or approaching things C If I treat others sincerely, they will naturally treat me the same. If I treat people sincerely, but they deceive or misunderstand me, I would avoid contact with them. But now, Xiang Kun had achieved a deeper observation and understanding of human thinking and behavior patterns, establishing many cognitive models. So, he was very clear that making others believe in you does not simply equate to opening up entirely or disclosing everything about yourself unconditionally; it requires an appropriate method. In fact, he was also aware of Mr. Liangs intentions when introducing Old He: one was to formally grant him official recognition, and the other was to control him using the authority of the government and Old He. Because it was clear that Mr. Liang had lost his initiative in front of Xiang Kun. What this constitutes had nothing to do with trust or distrust. For Mr. Liangs part, he had no other choice. But this wouldnt stop him from taking necessary measures to safeguard and secure himself. Xiang Kun knew that after todays video call, Old He would not fully trust him immediately, nor treat him like Mr. Liang, a researcher, and provide QianKun Technology C Miss Xias research base and Divine Technology with identical authority and freedom. Instead, he would definitely conduct thorough backstage investigations C which was exactly what Mr. Liang wanted him to do. But that didnt matter, Xiang Kun had nothing to hide, and since he had Miss Alice, there would certainly be no problems. Watching Mr. Liang disassemble his communication device to reassess it through the drone, Xiang Kun asked, How do you feel? I feel as if my body has become much lighter? answered Mr. Liang, But it seems to only be a psychological feeling. My actual weight probably hasnt changed much. Though he was elder and more experienced in terms of mutations, experiencing Xiang Kuns various shocking shows, he was feeling more like a student. Xiang Kun nodded, Do you have any underwater breathing and movement equipment? Not with me right now, but its nearby. Why, are we going underwater next? Were going to Africa first. So are we hunting blood-eating creatures again? Isnt it too soon? Should we stabilize ourselves for some time first? Or, are there any targets within our country or nearby? No. said Xiang Kun, The blood source required for each stage is different, we need appropriate targets, not just ones that are in proximity. Your condition is quite stable, believe in yourself, and believe in me. Mr. Liang said, If we are going abroad, we need to report to Old He. We have to keep a low profile. Lets report to Old He then, Xiang Kun said, I know what youre worried about, dont worry, everything is under control. Chapter 592 - Chapter 592: Chapter 592: Hunting Season (Part 1) Chapter 592: Chapter 592: Hunting Season (Part 1) After leaving Chongyun Mountain, Xiang Kun did not return to Chongyun Village first, but went directly with Mr. Liang to the black GMC RV parked by the side of the road outside Chongyun Village. It wasnt that time was so pressing that he couldnt even spare a moment to inform Old Xia, Tang Baona, Xiao Pingguo, and the others. Rather, after guiding them the previous night, he needed to give Nana some time to think and ponder. Past experience had taught Xiang Kun that upon gaining certain special knowledge and being aware of part of the Super sensory Item System, it was the best time for them to develop unique system application methods and establish cognitive structures. At the side of the RV, Mr. Liang opened the back seat sliding door only to find himself feeling a bit embarrassed. This was because there was only one seat in the back his body was even larger than Xiang Kuns, so the seat was custom-made. Coupled with a multitude of equipment, the remaining space was not much. He rarely rode with others, so having only one seat was usually sufficient. But this situation was rather awkward. Xiang Kun was not John, someone who would willingly sit in a corner if asked to. Would it be right for Mr. Liang himself to sit in a corner? That seemed somewhat disgraceful. Just as Mr. Liang was considering getting another car, Xiang Kun took the initiative to open the front passengers door and sit in, jokingly saying to Mr. Liang below, I prefer sitting in the front. The views better and I dont get car sick. You can have the throne in the back. This Mr. Liang faltered, and after thinking for a bit, he didnt say much more. He simply said to Old Xie in the drivers seat, Old Xie, this is Mr. Xiang. Mr. Xiang, if you need anything, just tell Old Xie directly. He is trustworthy. After this, he got into the back of the car and sat in the only available seat. After exchanging a simple greeting with Xiang Kun, Old Xie then drove in the direction of Jianzhou City. On the road, Old Xie couldnt help but sneak glances at Xiang Kun, the bald man with black-rimmed glasses sitting next to him. He appeared quite ordinary and normal, but Old Xie was very clear that this man was far from ordinary. Ever since he started driving for Mr. Liang, this was the first time he had seen Mr. Liang invite someone to ride with him so formally. Even Old He had never been in this car before. If they met, it was either Mr. Liang who came over or Old He going to the Brilliant Fortune Building. As for that foreigner last time, he was clearly not invited, but captured. Mr. Liang wouldnt even consider if there was a seat for him in the back C it was entirely possible he was made to kneel for the entire journey. It was also the first time he heard Mr. Liang say something as polite as if you need anything, just tell Old Xie directly. Even when speaking to Old He, Mr. Liang was very direct, never engaging in pleasantries, let alone with anyone else. Moreover, Mr. Liang didnt appear physically just now. He was in his invisibility status. But Xiang Kuns exchange with him was absolutely normal and natural. Old Xie was now able to communicate naturally with an invisible Mr. Liang, but he clearly remembered his shock upon first discovering Mr. Liangs invisibility. Even after a long time, he would still unconsciously search for where Mr. Liangs voice was coming from when Mr. Liang spoke in front of him. This instinctive reaction took a long time to change. However, judging from Xiang Kuns response, he seemed to be rather sure of Mr. Liangs location, showing no hesitation or searching gaze. This Mr. Xiang was probably a powerful figure on the same level as Mr. Liang, a non-human existence that was not of their ordinary world. Old Xie quickly tagged Xiang Kun in his mind based on his experience. Of course, he didnt know that Xiang Kun could actually see Mr. Liang. Whether Mr. Liang was invisible or not, the information presented to him was only slightly different. Either through the infrared thermographic vision mode or other sensory information, he could accurately judge Mr. Liangs position and state. Xiang Kun glanced at Old Xie beside him and started a casual conversation. In Old Xies view, this was their first meeting. However, in reality, Alice had thoroughly dug up all the information about Old Xie long ago. Xiang Kun was pretty familiar with not only his past experiences and time at Divine Technology after he met Mr. Liang, but also what habits he had when he was alone. Truth be told, when it came to understanding Old Xie, Xiang Kun, and Alice were far superior to everyone else, even Mr. Liang, and perhaps even Old Xie himself. Xiang Kun often found himself in situations where others saw him as a stranger, someone they were meeting for the first time. However, he was already familiar with them, having deep knowledge and understanding of their profiles. This happened not only with Old Xie, but with Mr. Liang and Old He from the video as well. It was a peculiar feeling, like he had activated a cheat code. He could access everyones attributes, inventory, friend list, chat logs, quest logs, and achievements, while they couldnt see all his information. Honestly, this feeling was pretty damn cool. Their destination this time was a prairie situated between two African countries, Kempaniya and Tanzania. As for the exact location, they would have to decide upon arrival. If it were just Xiang Kun, hed undoubtedly just catch a flight. Given Alices presence, obtaining a visa and going through both entrance and exit immigration were easy. He could alter and delete records as he pleased, so there was no need to worry about leaving any trace for people to investigate. Moreover, the only domestic institution that could potentially monitor him was now one of his own. Outside of China, he believed that nothing on Earth could keep tabs on him except perhaps the Ultimate Predator or similar entities. But even the Ultimate Predator, after being discovered by him, would be kept at arms length. Given the previous incident with the mutated big bird, Xiang Kun was confident that the Ultimate Predator would not dare to make any move on his aircraft in the near future. But now, since Mr. Liang was also going to Africa with him, they couldnt take a commercial flight. Mr. Liang was bigger than him and although he could become invisible and hide on the plane, Old He would definitely not approve of such action. The guidelines specifically for Human Blood-eating Biological Researchers explicitly forbade this. Then again, Mr. Liang didnt need to do that. Be it on land, at sea, or in air, Divine Technology had their own means of transport. Xiang Kun and Mr. Liang took a cargo plane directly to the outskirts of Kempaniyas capital, Robi City. Locals from the Divine Technology designated contact point then secretly picked them up in a vehicle. Once they were done preparing their equipment at the contact point, Xiang Kun directly asked for a jeep. Carrying an invisible Mr. Liang, they set off for the savannah. Didnt you tell me to bring underwater equipment? Why does it look like were not heading towards the sea? asked Mr. Liang who was squeezed in the back seat. It was Xiang Kuns comment that led him to bring a large number of Biological Components suitable for use in water. And these Biological Components were not light. They took the cargo plane and used trucks for land transport to ensure hassle-free cross-border transportation of the various Biological Components and related equipment. At that moment, several drones were flying over their heads, one of which was carrying Mr. Liangs Biological Components. Although the control over drones wasnt very strict in the African wilderness, it wasnt like China, where they could have full control over every situation. Of course, what Mr. Liang didnt know was that with Xiang Kun there, there was no way these drones could be detected, monitored, or influenced by other electronic devices. Youll know when we get there, Xiang Kun said without further explanation, continuing to drive the car. On the African continent, Xiang Kun had far fewer Super-connected Objects deployed than in China. With Xiao Luobo being limited by its growth ceiling, even though its seeds had been planted in the African savannah, there were still very few that had actually grown, thus they could not be relied upon as the main support. Fortunately, China can now be considered the worlds factory, providing various industrial and electronic products to the whole world, including Africa. Just like the jeep Xiang Kun was driving, which contained a few of his super-connected objects, enabling him to establish connections. And everywhere around him, as long as there were human settlements, there were more or less super-connected objects. This allows the entire African continent to be under his Super Sensory Item System. Although this network had many holes, and the overall density was low, it still existed, didnt it? While driving, Xiang Kun would intermittently pull out a bunch of tungsten steel balls from a bag by his side and seemingly casually toss them to the side. However, the moment those balls left his hand, they zipped out in all directions like insects that had just been released. Seeing this, Mr. Liang, who was in the back, immediately thought of the countless tiny balls that had wrapped the mutated big bird up into an iron ball, leaving it with no room for resistance. At that time, he wondered how he would cope if Xiang Kun employed the same method to deal with him. If he had prior knowledge, he might be able to manage it by constructing a sufficiently strong biological component mech to resist and prevent those balls from penetrating. But considering that Xiang Kun could also control electricity, any counter measure would be futile. Especially when considering the situation of the mutated big bird, the strength of a regular biological component mech would likely not withstand the combined attack of those countless balls and the Twisted Neck Tree. Mr. Liang couldnt help but ask, Xiang Kun, how do these balls fly, and how do you control them? I examined them carefully before. They look like the ballheads of ballpoint pens with a diameter of 0.5, theyre so small that it would be very difficult to arrange any mechanical structure Xiang Kun replied, Mr. Liang, it is not that I do not trust you, but you need to understand these things and all of these through your own intuition. You must follow your instincts and build your own framework and system. This way, you can maximize your capabilities. If I directly tell you everything I know, and what I feel, it might instead become a shackle for you. My perception system, my perceptual dimensions are much larger than yours or anyone elses. Without the same perceptual dimension, you cannot truly understand. You have to build a methodology and apply it within a framework that you can understand in order to connect your senses. On the journey to Africa after Mr. Liang finished devouring the mutated big bird, Xiang Kun had confirmed that Mr. Liang had established contact with the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carvings Secondary Emotion Object Network, so he was essentially considered a friend. This is why he talked about feeling, connecting, building thought and system with Mr. Liang, as Mr. Liang was also a developer within the system now and a unique mutant developer at that C much more powerful than Jiang Chun. Of course, in comparison, Jiang Chuns integration with the super sensory item system was much deeper. Mr. Liang pondered over Xiang Kuns words thoughtfully. A few hours later, when the jeep halted, Mr. Liang turned his attention without needing a prompt from Xiang Kun, to a little lion hidden among the bushes off in the distance, its color almost blending in with the grass, it was difficult to differentiate. With his own way of identifying blood-eating creatures, he was certain that the small lion with its big eyes, adorable looking, and the size of a medium-sized dog was a blood-eating creature. Xiang Kun considered this lion to be the next blood source he needed to replenish? Under normal understanding, as his stage-by-stage transformations increased, the conditions for his blood source would become increasingly stringent. Now, the blood source he needed to consume would have to be an existence with many more stage transformations than the mutated big bird. So, it should not be as harmless as it first appeared. Seeing the little lion stealthily and clumsily moving through the grass, Xiang Kun, who had dismounted and was in invisible state said to Mr. Liang: Dont be fooled by its small size and pet-like appearance. Half a month ago, it played the victim and got rescued by an NGOs wildlife organization, where it was painstakingly cared for. However, within less than three days, it seized the opportunity to slaughter every single living being in the camp and driving all the wild animals insane. The investigators initially thought the carnage was the doing of a few adult lions. This creature has tasted human blood, its a serial killer, and its attack on that wildlife organization camp was not its first. By the time he got to the last sentence, there was a chilly undertone to his voice. Mr. Liang would have liked to ask, how did you know all of that? However, seeing the little lion that had begun to retreat slowly, as if preparing to run, he temporarily set the question aside, controlling his drone to deliver the biological components, and began hunting the small lion. The mutated little lion initially tried to lure Xiang Kun by acting adorable, but it quickly became aware of Mr. Liangs presence and perceived the danger. As a result, it immediately turned and ran decisively. Its speed far exceeded that of an ordinary lion, so much so there seemed to be after-images trailing it. However, no matter how fast it was, it could never outrun Mr. Liang, because Mr. Liang, who had already connected to the biological components could fly. Although Mr. Liang was also in an invisible state in the air, his attack still provoked the little lions alertness. The little lion changed its running direction in a near-physically impossible manner, causing Mr. Liang, who thought he had estimated its position well, to miss his mark and nearly crash to the ground. However, after dodging the attack, the little lion did not continue to run, but instead turned back and roared at the spot where Mr. Liang had launched his attack from. The roar was peculiar, it sounded like a beast trying to roar while its mouth was covered. But after the roar, the entire savannah seemed to come alive, all sorts of animals began to surface, vultures in the sky and falcons began to gather, resembling a group of fighter planes preparing for an attack. Just as Mr. Liang regained his position, he noticed the little lions light grey fur undergoing severe changes as if it was covered with a layer of black granite, its body swelling in size, becoming full of sharp angles. In the sunlight, it looked like a finely crafted stone sculpture. It opened its mouth and roared at Mr. Liangs position again, but this time, no sound came out C or to be more precise, no sound that a normal person could hear C Xiang Kun was able to clearly capture its roar from afar. Though Mr. Liangs hearing was not as sharp as Xiang Kuns, he instantly understood that the lion was locating his position through soundwaves. As expected, the next moment, a large number of falcons and other birds swooped towards his position. Mr. Liang, who could even handle the mutated big bird, naturally was not concerned about these ordinary birds. However, at the same time, the little lion with its polished black glow began to pounce towards him. It had sprouted two additional pairs of limbs from its back that resembled human hands, but with only four fingers each! Not far off, Xiang Kun, leaning against the jeep, was observing idly. But seeing this, he couldnt help but think: I should never let Xiao Lingdang see this thing, otherwise, her custard pie drawing style in her dreams will begin to deviate again. Chapter 593 - Chapter 593: Chapter 593: Hunting Season (Middle) Chapter 593: Chapter 593: Hunting Season (Middle) Mr. Liang was not scared of grappling up close with the darkened lion cub, in fact, he was hoping for such a melee, as it meant the creature couldnt escape. However, to his surprise, when the cub lunged towards him, it suddenly pulled up short and opened its jaw wide as if dislocated, spraying a huge cloud of black fog. Mr. Liang jumped, he wasnt sure what this black fog was, whether it could harm him, so he covered his face, trying to dodge as much as possible. After spraying the black fog, the lion cub didnt continue to attack. Instead, it turned and fled at a speed even faster than before. Because of the eerie long howl earlier, various animals in the vicinity fled, including a pride of lions. The direction in which the darkened cub was fleeing was where the lion pride was located. As it ran, its color and size changed. It quickly transformed into a slightly smaller lion than before it darkened and leaped into the lion pride, running off in some direction. Xiang Kun chuckled. This lion cubs response was not wrong, it was smart, cunning, and fast in reaction. But the problem was, neither he nor Mr. Liang relied solely on ordinary human vision to lock onto and track a target. This physical alteration, this attempt at blending in with the environment, was completely pointless in their eyes. The cub stood out like a star against the lions. Mr. Liang quickly figured out that the black fog was merely used for obscuring and distraction, and held no harm. So he took off into the air and continued the chase. Xiang Kun knew that under normal circumstances, even if he didnt take action, it would only take Mr. Liang about six to eight more minutes to finish the fight. However, spotting a lone tree a few hundred meters away, he changed his mind. He walked six or seven steps away from the Jeep and stopped. He extended his right hand with three small balls lying on the palm. These balls were not 0.5mm tungsten steel balls from the bag, each with a diameter of 8mm, relatively large for their kind. In the next instant, the balls disappeared, and a fragrant crispy pigs elbow appeared in Xiang Kuns hand. Xiang Kun adopted a baseball throwing stance and forcefully hurled it towards the location of the lion cub. Xiang Kuns action drew Mr. Liangs attention in the sky. He didnt notice when Xiang Kun suddenly had a pigs trotter in his hand, but the act of hurling it was obviously directed at the mutated lion cub, which piqued his curiosity. Judging from the initial speed of the throw, although it wasnt slow, it didnt seem like it could cause any substantial harm. Why use a pigs trotter? Thinking back to the illusions caused by the rabbit wood carving earlier, and the various rabbit meat elements seen in the dreamland, Mr. Liang guessed that this might be one of Xiang Kuns quirks or bad tastes C he had a special fondness for using various ingredients to execute his abilities. Suddenly, the slow-moving pigs trotter underwent a bizarre transformation and disappeared in mid-air. Mr. Liang vaguely heard some sounds of air breaking, then identified something flying at an extremely high speed, followed by a poof! sound, and a commotion in the lion pride. A lion was thrown into the air, tumbled and rolled, sliding a good distance away. Mr. Liang homed in on one small lion whose lower half had almost disappeared, its flesh blasted apart, struggling on the ground. He swiftly concluded that this small lion was the blood-eating creature he had been hunting. The splattered flesh, the body with visible organs, bones and muscles, demonstrated that this creature was not of normal animal construction. Its intestines were even quickly undulating, trying to retrieve the surrounding remnants and organs. So, what just happened? Was this damage caused by the pigs trotter that disappeared halfway? Mr. Liang, suspended in mid-air, felt somewhat bewildered and perplexed. What the hell was that, a pigs trotter shell? But that elbow didnt hit the blood-eating creature at all. How did it do damage? Prior to encountering Xiang Kun, Mr. Liang always thought that his knowledge of blood-eating creatures was the most advanced among all creatures. At least he was quite content with the understanding of high-dimensional factors derived from his own observations and experiments, research of Academician Shen, and materials from other researchers of blood-eating creatures obtained through various channels. He was also confident and even proud of the path of mutagenic evolution he had chosen. He believed that his concepts of reconstructing the body with non-carbon compounds and biological components were relatively advanced and represented the method most likely to resist the ultimate predators judgment of life and death. However, after meeting Xiang Kun and joining his plan to fight the ultimate predator, Mr. Liang suddenly realized that he seemed to have become ignorant overnight. For many of Xiang Kuns abilities and methods, he didnt just struggle to understand the underlying principles, often he couldnt even make sense of what he was seeing. Like the pigs trotter throw just now, he could neither understand how Xiang Kun did it nor what he did. He couldnt even figure out how the blood-eating creatures lion cub got hit. If the pigs trotter was aimed at him, he didnt think he could withstand it. Even if he could withstand it, he feared it would be in vain since he had no idea what the maximum power of the attack was. Mr. Liang landed next to the lion cub that was left half-bodied. The lion pride that had just started to rally together after the previous shock scattered in fear again. Mr. Liang remained in an invisible state. But his descent from the sky wasnt deliberately controlled, so the noise of landing and the disturbances to the local airflow and smell triggered the animals instinctive danger warning C they dared not hesitate at the sight of the half-bodied lion cub. Mr. Liang glanced at the lion cub but didnt approach it immediately. Instead, he first squatted in front of a nearby fresh small pit, scratching at it, picking up a handful of dirt. He sifted through the earth and unearthed a steel bead a few millimeters in diameter. He searched a bit more and found two more. Looking at the three steel beads in his hand, he suddenly understood what happened earlier. What really caused the damage, were these steel beads. But what about the pigs trotter? Where did it go? Could it be that the pigs trotter acted as a projectile device and shell structure for a missile, and these three steel beads were the warhead? Mr. Liang glanced at Xiang Kun, who was leisurely driving the Jeep from afar, suppressing the pig trotter question in his mind, he pocketed the three steel beads and stood up next to the mutated lion cub, which had half of its body left. His figure appeared, the wings on his back retracted into the biological plug-in protrusion on his back, and he leaned over to hold down the lion cubs head. The moment his hand touched the cubs head, the cubs face began to change bizarrely. Amidst the squirming of its muscles and skin, the face of this felidae creature slowly turned into a human face, or more precisely, a babys face. What was even stranger, the baby-like face was making the cry of a baby. Mr. Liang was taken aback, but he was used to seeing various blood-eating creatures and understood various strange abilities. He even possessed some similar abilities himself, so he quickly understood what was happening, and drove a fist directly into that bizarre face, practically burying it in the earth, stopping the creepy baby crying instantly. The lion cubs head changed shape from the impact, but it didnt die so easily. Its body was still squirming, and from the shattered half of its body, more and more tentacles like intestines, but covered with tiny hairs, emerged, trying to dig itself out of the ground. Xiang Kun pulled up in the jeep next to them. He jumped out of the car and stood at the side of the mutated lion cub, which no longer resembled a lion, shook his head and said, I didnt expect this thing to actually be transformed from a lion. I thought it was just some strange species wearing a lions skin. But it surely didnt transform from a small lion cub, most likely it intentionally took this form of a small lion cub for easier hunting and hiding. What a cunning lion, its various transformations seem to be specifically aimed at humans. In fact, if it were any ordinary blood-eating creature, even if the number of times it transformed were similar to this mutated lion cub, it would not be easy to deal with it. Especially if it was a human blood-eating creature, their chances of defeating the cub would be even slimmer. But it just so happened to encounter two most extraordinary human mutated creatures. Whoever it encountered, it would hardly escape, let alone now that it had encountered two. Whats next? Mr. Liang asked. Xiang Kun understood his question. He motioned for him to wait and then walked a few steps in a certain direction and stopped, staring at a lonely large tree in the distance. Mr. Liang was at first a little confused, but after looking in the direction of the tree for a while, especially after receiving the feedback from the drone, he understood and quietly stared in that direction along with Xiang Kun. About five or six minutes later, just as the mutilated remains of the mutated lion cub, suppressed by Mr. Liang, had dug itself out of the earth with its tentacles wrapping up the wound of its broken body, Xiang Kun lifted his right hand and another piece of crispy pigs elbow appeared. This time, Mr. Liang, who was right next to him, finally saw the pigs elbow just appear out of nowhere. Saying he saw clearly actually meant he saw nothing, he did not understand how the pigs elbow came about. Was it an illusion? Impossible. Mr. Liangs judgement of an objects existence was not solely dependent on vision. He could even clearly smell the aroma of the pigs elbow. A few seconds after Xiang Kun took out the pigs elbow, a small bush next to the large tree, which Xiang Kun had been staring at, suddenly grew. Then, the bush quickly transformed into an African native man wearing pants adorned with green plants, his robust upper body and face covered with various tattoos, bared. The man slowly raised his hands, held them high above his head, then slowly stepped forward and knelt down, prostrating himself on the ground. A clear act of submission. This was a human blood-eating creature, possessing the ability to create optical camouflage and blend into the environment. The bush that the native man had disguised as was exactly identical to one nearby, apparently he had completely copied the visual form of that bush, creating an illusion by manipulating the light and shadow and was hidden there. If it were in the country, it would be impossible for the native man to hide in such a way within Mr. Liangs range. Because within the country, Mr. Liang could use far more drones, and the pre-investigation range would be much larger. Mr. Liang was curious about how Xiang Kun would handle this native man. If he followed the rules set by Academician Shen and the usual way Divine Technology operated, the treatment of human blood-eating creatures domestic human blood-eating creatures involved in severe criminal activity would be dealt with equivalently. For example, those who should be sentenced would be directly detained for assistance in research, if they had killed someone, they would be directly handled. As for the likes of Guo Tian, who was captured by Mr. Liang, they would end up as food for other blood-eating creatures in the lab. But for foreign human blood-eating creatures, their usual method of handling was not to provoke, not to meddle in extraneous matters, they did not go abroad to administrate justice. But if they were attacked by blood-eating creatures while carrying out normal activities abroad, they needed to retaliate or take revenge. Before meeting Xiang Kun, Mr. Liang judged from the information he had gathered that Xiang Kun was not a brutal and murderous person, he could even be described as a defender of rules to some extent. But after meeting Xiang Kun in this short period of time, he found that Xiang Kun had a certain momentum of decisive killing, as well as a sort of inexplicable and weird temperament. He also knew, he actually couldnt control Xiang Kun, so he didnt give any advice, just observing from the side. Then Xiang Kun did another thing that boggled Mr. Liang this bald man actually took out a piece of paper from his pocket, quickly folded a paper plane, and threw it at the native man who was prostrating on the ground. At this distance, the paper plane could never reach him. But that was under normal circumstances, this paper plane was thrown by Xiang Kun, Mr. Liang even wondered whether it might turn into a crispy pigs elbow halfway after all, the pigs elbow that was just in Xiang Kuns hand had disappeared. The paper plane did not turn into a pigs elbow, but as Mr. Liang guessed, in a way that seemed to violate common sense but also seemed natural, it flew not too fast not too slow, over the native man and slowly dropped down. Then, the sound of a drum, dong dong dong, rang, and the vague sound of someone humming a song could be heard. It seemed to be a womans voice. Mr. Liang instinctively turned to look at the jeep, the sound seemed to come from the car, yet it seemed not to. It seemed that there was singing all around, floating along with the air. Then the earth began to shake, the sky dimmed, and a giant figure emerged from the ground, swaying as it rose. Mr. Liang looked up at the towering figure of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant that towered like a mountain, and drawing from his previous experience, he quickly reached a conclusion: Its an illusion. From a distance, the native man who was kneeling on the ground also raised his head, gaping at the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant rising from the ground, his body trembling. Chapter 594 - Chapter 594: Chapter 594: Hunting Season (Middle and Bottom) Chapter 594: Chapter 594: Hunting Season (Middle and Bottom) This was Mr. Liangs second time to witness the illusion of the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster. Even though he still found it striking, he was no longer as shocked and dominated by fear, plunging into floods of memories as he was the first time. Instead, it felt more like a rebaptism, allowing him to more clearly identify and confront his fear. This time, he was able to scrutinize the details of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant, as well as the surroundings, even observe the expression and state of the native in the distance and attempt to communicate with his many unmanned drones to survey the area. As expected, images from all of his drone cameras were gone, and contact with most was lost. However, seeing the natives shocked and scared posture, kneeling on the ground, mouth wide open and looking up at the sky, he could guess the extent of the natives fear. Mr. Liang could understand it in his heart. Anyone C even an extreme human like a blood-eating creature C would probably be scared if they suddenly saw a creature with eight arms, eight eyes and gigantic like a mountain appear before them, their cognition would temporarily fall into chaos and panic. Especially for the natives of tribes living in the African savannah. What Mr. Liang did not know was that what the indigenous man kneeling on the ground saw was vastly different from his own perception. To the native man, the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster that appeared was many times larger than what Mr. Liang saw. From his perspective, the monster occupied half of the sky, each eye gazing down and illuminating the earth like a hazy sun. His body almost filled the space between the sky and the earth, distorting and deforming the entire space. Accompanied by drumming sounds that seemed to beat in rhythm with his heart, and distant and elusive humming, the whole world, the entire sky and earth, the entire scene, was filled with an indescribable sense of grandeur and sanctity, bringing tears to the native mans eyes without him even realizing. He has identified and experienced his deepest fear C that originating in body changes, unknown mysteries, inexplicable bloodthirsty impulses, ostracization from his tribe, and confusion about the future. Originally, he had unintentionally noticed some unusual odors and traces, and then followed them. After trekking tirelessly for two days and nights, not for hunting, but instinctively searching, to see if he could find someone like him, or the source of everything that was happening to him. Then, by mere chance, he witnessed Xiang Kun and his group hunting the little lion. By the time he managed to come close using disguise, the little lion was already fleeing. He was genuinely dumbstruck by the speed of the little lion C a speed he was certainly unable to match. Then the little lions roar that affected herds of land animals and birds, the blackening of its whole body, the spraying of black mist, the faster running and blending into the lion pack along with its coat and body shape changes, all left him awestruck. Of course, what puzzled him even more was who or what was the little lion facing with all those maneuvers. He saw the bald Asian man near the jeep in the distance, but he appeared to be doing nothing while so far away. Why did the little lion seem to be battling the air fiercely? What was it afraid of? Then, the bald man finally moved, taking out a piece of something unknown, and poised to throw it. Then he saw the object that seemed like meat being launched and moving in a strange way, constantly accelerating, going directly towards the little lions location. But halfway through, the object disappeared, and in the next instant, half of the lion cub was blown to pieces. He was absolutely terrified. Even though he had lived in a tribe since he was young, he was not unfamiliar with firearms, cars, and aircraft. But although those things also had great power, they were not as strange and inexplicable as this. How did that thing, which seemed like a piece of meat, disappear without a trace halfway? And how did it end up explosively decimating the little lion in the distance? Later, he saw a peculiar humanoid shape suddenly appear beside the half-destroyed little lion. The humanoids wings could be retracted into its back, and its strange skin patterns and facial features were like the demons in legends. Could it be the piece of meat that the bald man just threw had transformed into this demon? Was it responsible for exploding the little lion? The thought that just by tossing a piece of meat could create such a terrifying demon, made him shudder. What kind of being was that bald man? This idea makes his heart tremble, and he was almost frightened into losing his camouflage ability. So, when the bald man drove up in his jeep to the half-destroyed lion cub and suddenly stared in his direction, he felt his heart stop, even dare not breathe. Had he been discovered?! Watching the bald man draw out another unknown piece of meat and prepare to throw it, he rushed to break his disguise and surrendered immediately. He knew that he would not be able to run away, and there was even less of a chance that he could win in a fight. The terrifying humanoid demon was still standing beside the bald Asian man. If he threw out another piece of meat and created a new one he was a little worried that these demons, created from meat, as they appeared, would have to kill and eat something before they could return. Afterwards, he heard that astoundingly beautiful drumming and humming, lifted his bewildered head to see a paper plane flying towards him, and the sky suddenly darkened. He saw an image that directly assaulted his senses and soul, the likes of which he had never seen before. After the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster disappeared, and everything returned to peace, the native man looked around in a daze. There was no trace of the bald man and his demon follower. Only a paper plane at his feet told him that everything that had just happened was real. He carefully held the paper plane in his hand, stood up from the ground, held it over his head, and observed the strange circles on the paper under the sun, his mind in turmoil. He was no longer confused. Xiang Kun drove the jeep, with the mutated Lion Cub, bound by a metal net rope and thrown in the back seat, across the savannah. Although Xiang Kun had also deployed and transformed some Super-connected Objects in Africa, they were mainly located in cities or human residential areas. So the mutated Lion Cub was only observed and recorded in the Mutated Creatures database by Alice after it sneaked into the NGOs wildlife conservation camp. As for the native man, he likely lived far from the city and towns without recent exposure to newer electronic devices or industrial products. Thus, he wasnt in Alices database, and Xiang Kun had no idea of his existence beforehand. After locating him nearby, Xiang Kun surmised that he had no intention of attacking. His handling of the unknown human mutated creature was straightforward C just subject him to the fear projection of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving. Heinous people like Guo Tianxiang, John, and Joel, whore ruthless and had killed countless people, would immediately exhibit a noticeable response to the fear projection. At that point, he could deduce whether to let them self-destruct or eliminate them personally. If the man proved to be normal without any wicked deeds, Xiang Kun had no plans to harm him C he would simply leave him be. Of course, if it were inside the country, he would have Alice monitor the man to ensure he doesnt consume human blood or deviate from the righteous path. Who knows, Old He or Mr. Liang might evaluate him, he might even qualify to be a researcher. Given the native mans reaction to the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed illusion and the fear projection, it was clear he wasnt malicious, so Xiang Kun and Mr. Liang simply left him be. The current Xiang Kun wasnt worried about revealing his identity, thanks to Alices existence. She could limit any information intended for mass dissemination, and inform him beforehand. She didnt just monitor the internet, every form of information dissemination relying on electronic equipment fell under Alice and the Super Sensory Item Systems control. That said, Xiang Kun was somewhat hypocritical. The native man had undoubtedly killed many wild beasts, be it for survival, to drink blood, or purely to showcase his power. From the Mutated Lion Cubs perspective, its frequent attempts to lure humans to their deaths mirrored the native mans actions. However, in Xiang Kuns judgment, the Mutated Lion Cub had a kill label, while the native man had an observe one. At the end of the day, it was as Xiang Kun had instructed Alice C ones actions depended on where their allegiances lie. His and Mr. Liangs were both firmly on the side of humanity, despite both being mutants. Thus for them, eating other mutated creatures was acceptable, but consuming humans was forbidden. As for certain human mutated creatures, they were no longer considered human once they started preying on humans. Though they never discussed it, Xiang Kun and Mr. Liang shared this same value system. Xiang Kun parked his jeep atop a hill with a beautiful view and looked towards the setting sun. He then turned and told the invisible Mr. Liang, Lets get it over with here. Why here? The deep, husky voice of Mr. Liang echoed. The views nice, the field of vision unobstructed. When youre sleeping, I can enjoy the scenery. Xiang Kun joked. Of course, Xiang Kun chose this location for Mr. Liang to consume blood not for its view, but because it was one of the rare outdoor areas covered by a Super-Connected Object C Xiao Luobos Seed Source or Bridgehead on the African savannah. Many plants within a two to three square kilometer area were offspring of Xiao Luobo and mixed with normal vegetation, making them hard to spot. When Xiao Luobo breaks its growth limit, it could quickly extend to the entire African grasslands and jungles using these bridgeheads as bases. Now, with the Super-Connected Tungsten Steel Beads that Xiang Kun had sowed here, an area under his and Alices control was formed, where they could detect any creatures that entered beforehand, and utilize the Super Sensory Item System when needed. Here, Xiang Kun could ensure Mr. Liangs blood consumption and phase transformations were fail-safe. If necessary, he could even manipulate the weather on a large scale. Want a bite? After becoming visible, Mr. Liang dragged the Mutated Lion Cub from the backseat onto the ground, joking with Xiang Kun. Xiang Kun grinned, Thanks, but no thanks. Doesnt look too appetizing. Ill let you handle it. The Mutated Lion Cub, which had almost completely healed, obviously sensed the impending danger from their conversation. It struggled fiercely in the metallic net, mimicking a human babys cries of despair. What it didnt understand was that such mimicry only increased Xiang Kun and Mr. Liangs revulsion, fueling their desires to finish it off, because they knew precisely what those voices suggested. A day after leaving the savannah of Kempaniya, Xiang Kun and Mr. Liang traveled by plane, freighter, plane, and finally a fishing boat, to reach a part of the Bay of Bengal in the northern Indian Ocean. Standing on the fishing boats deck, looking at the tranquil blue water, Mr. Liang voiced his confusion, Were quite close to Burma here. Couldve come here first before heading to Africa, right? Xiang Kun shook his head, Theres an order to it. Africa first, then here. Instantly, Mr. Liang understood C had he devoured the marine blood-eating creatures first, the lion in Africa wouldve been unable to aid his phase transformation. Xiang Kun had calculated even these nuances based on his step-by-step evolution. Such a calculation required not just an understanding of his condition, but also the situation of blood-eating creatures in Africa and under the sea. At Xiang Kuns request, Mr. Liang equipped himself with underwater survival and movement biological components, and they both dove into the water. Although he had grown accustomed to the bizarre abilities of Xiang Kun, Mr. Liang was still stunned when he saw Xiang Kun strip down and dive directly into the water. Xiang Kun moved effortlessly underwater and needed no air, like a creature meant to live in the sea. Mr. Liang struggled to grasp how Xiang Kun could evolve so much in just over a year. Most perplexingly, how did he manage to retain a human appearance despite possessing such abilities and characteristics? As for the hundreds of Tungsten Steel Beads of various sizes shadowing Xiang Kun underwater, Mr Liang found it less shocking. Xiang Kun had told him to build a cognitive system based on his observations and sensations, but he felt his original cognitive system about to collapse from the influx of new information, despite Xiang Kun praising his High-Dimensional Factors theory. As he swam underwater, following Xiang Kun, Mr. Liang thought he was fast enough thanks to the specialized biological components he had, but he was still left behind. To him, it seemed as if Xiang Kun was not swimming but was being carried by the water. At first, Mr. Liang could keep up, but soon began to tire. Suddenly, he felt as if the water around him became alive, pushing him along like countless hands passing him towards Xiang Kuns direction. Was Xiang Kun controlling the water? This realization left Mr. Liang even more astonished. However, he didnt get chance to truly comprehend Xiang Kuns water-manipulating ability. As they dove deeper with Xiang Kun, the biological component helmet providing him with night vision brought a colossal creature into view. Chapter 595 - Chapter 595: Chapter 595: Hunting Season (Part Two) Chapter 595: Chapter 595: Hunting Season (Part Two) This was already a deep-sea area, virtually devoid of light, but the huge creature began to emit a faint green glow as it approached Xiang Kun and Mr. Liang. At first glance, Mr. Liang thought the huge, slowly writhing tentacles in the water were some kind of Blood-eating Creature evolved from a giant squid. But upon closer inspection, he realized something was off. Those tentacles and the central body didnt resemble squids or cuttlefish, which are soft-bodied creatures, but rather reminded him of echinoderms. Could it be a mutated giant starfish? Are echinoderms really capable of growing this large? However, Mr. Liang soon realized that the huge barbs on the tentacles didnt look like those of a starfish, but rather were more akin to sea snake tails. Nevertheless, be it starfish or sea snake tails, they usually only have five or at most six arms or tails. Yet, the colossal creature before them had more than ten tentacles covered in large backward-pointing spines. It was truly horrifying. Could this be the result of mutation? Or, this creature might not solely be a sea snake tail but a collective of squids, jellyfish, seaweed, whales, and other marine creatures as well? After all, he did not know what kind of Blood-eating Creatures it had consumed, what its usual blood source was, or its direction of evolution. As for the prowess and killing power of this behemoth, Mr. Liang didnt worry much. After all, he had seen Xiang Kun casually capture a Giant raptor as if it were a small hen, casually toss a Crispy Pigs Elbow that disappeared midway to explode a Mutated Lion. Kun can even control the weather, manipulate lightning, and bend the entire forest to his will. So even if this so-called giant sea-snake tail looked terrifying and powerful, he wasnt too concerned. After all, he understood that during this outing with Xiang Kun, his only job was to eat. If the sky falls, let the taller one prop it up. As for how to fight and how to engage, that was for Xiang Kun to figure out. He had no intention of voluntarily dealing with Blood-eating Creatures as he had done in Africa. Why should he needlessly intervene when Xiang Kun could resolve matters with a single Pigs Elbow? However, unexpectedly, after catching sight of the giant sea snake tail, Xiang Kun stopped in the water, paused for two seconds, then suddenly turned around, vigorously waved his hand at Mr.Liang, and darted off in the opposite direction like a torpedo. Whats going on? Mr. Liang blinked, only to find the huge, barbed tentacles of the giant sea snake tail already coiling his way. He jumped, preparing to follow Xiang Kuns lead and flee. But a surge in the water suddenly propelled him forward like a torpedo. However, he didnt manage to adjust his direction, instead shooting off headfirst, in quite a clumsy manner. After swimming a great distance alongside Xiang Kun and finally stopping, a somewhat dazed Mr. Liang looked around for Xiang Kun. He then saw him hovering in the seawater, watching the faint glow of the colossal beast approaching from a distance, but not taking any action. After waiting for a long while, once the giant sea snake tail drew closer again, Xiang Kun led Mr. Liang away once more, all the while moving toward the surface of the water. After a few such close encounters, the giant sea snake tail seemed ready to give up. But at this point, Xiang Kun led Mr. Liang to within a hundred meters of it, controlled the seawater to carry some arthropods or other chordates, and disturbed the massive creature by depositing them onto its massive back. This giant sea snake tail was a mutant, and had no need for regular food. Its blood-sucking targets certainly wouldnt be these creatures with thick shells but little flesh and blood. Moreover, they posed no threat to it. However, this disturbance was indeed annoying. And so it began to chase after Xiang Kun and Mr. Liang again. From the numerous large tentacles on its body, every root of the spikes began to spew out a red liquid, coloring the surrounding seawater red in an instant. However, Xiang Kun, with Mr. Liang in tow, swiftly swam away. He controlled the seawater, slowing down the spread of this red color, keeping them safely outside this red zone. After an unknown amount of time, the Giant sea snake tail was finally caught on the surface by Xiang Kun. They were now far from the place they had entered the water. If one were to look from above, suspended on the surface, not far from Xiang Kun and Mr. Liang was what looked like a red, multi-legged small island C the Giant sea snake tail. As it neared the surface of the water, the glowing color around it changed from green to red. Meanwhile in the sky, dark clouds gathered as thunder and lightning crackled, a storm was brewing. Mr. Liang, floating beside Xiang Kun, wasnt using any flying Biological Components. His body was surrounded by hundreds of tiny spheres, all emitting a faint white light. Just like Xiang Kun, he felt as if a layer of cling film wrapped around his skin, and a gentle force supported him, suspending him in mid-air. Mr. Liang was somewhat awed. He knew well that it was far more challenging to make an object float, compared to making it fly at high speed. Seeing Xiang Kun next to him whose divine-like appearance was further enhanced with glowing hair and divine lightning around his head, thinking about the grand spectacle that would occur, Mr. Liang felt a kindling of excitement within him. He looked upward at the sky. The dense ominous clouds containing immense power and the dim sky gave him a feeling as if his physical form had disappeared, and his soul was floating with the atmosphere. Even though he had witnessed the lightning storm controlled by Xiang Kun on Chongyun Mountain up close and experienced the grandeur, it was, after all, Xiang Kun showing him samples. Then it was not an actual attack, but this time was different The Giant sea snake tail presented an excellent object to demonstrate power. Looking at the giant Giant sea snake tail which had popped out of the water, the giant spines standing upright on its tentacles as a show of protest towards the two of them, without realizing what was about to happen, Mr. Liang felt pity for it, and an eager anticipation. Boom! Because they were so close, the thunderous roar of the lightning piercing through the air and the lighting almost occurred simultaneously. Seeing the brillant lightning cracking down from above, Mr. Liang instinctively wanted to retreat, but his body couldnt move at all. Only then, he realized that he was suspended by Xiang Kuns power and the faint white light around him should protect him from the effects of the lightning. Following the fall of a bolt of lightning, strikes of lightning descended one after another from the sky. The lightning storm concentrated on the Giant Sea Snake Tail, quickly extending out, forming a web of lightning. It came fiercely and rapidly, and it disappeared just as quickly. Even before the Giant Sea Snake Tail had a chance to react, it was blown to bits. Mr. Liang exclaimed: So your previous actions were intentionally to lure it out of the water, so as to strike it with lightning. Despite the awe-inspiring power of the lightning storm created by Xiang Kun, the Giant sea snake tail if it stayed underwater, would have been largely unharmed regardless of the intensity of the attack. Xiang Kun, who was still surrounded by dancing lightning and glowing hair, seemed startled by his words and explained, No there are ways to deal with it underwater. I lured it up because weve never seen such a large blood-eating creature. I wanted to examine it properly in natural light, as we wouldnt be able to take it back and study it at leisure. Seeing Mr. Liangs round eyes gaping at him, stupefied with his grin stretched from ear to ear, Xiang Kun quickly pointed downward and said , Now, its time for drinking blood. I controlled my power intentionally, but I may have overdone it. You need to seize the moment. The white light that surrounded Mr. Liang disappeared, and he fell from mid-air, plunging into the remains of the Giant Sea Snake Tail. When it came to consuming other mutated creatures, Mr. Liang had abundant experience and didnt require Xiang Kuns guidance. Looking down at the Giant Sea Snake Tail, which was sundered by the lightning, Xiang Kun felt a tinge of regret that he hadnt been able to study it longer. Not having captured some video footage or records of it was really a pity. Because according to normal understanding, these large-scale Blood-eating Creatures should not exist at all. Creatures like the Giant Owl, which are larger in size, can conveniently prey on medium to large predators for their blood, and that serves their purpose pretty well. However, many others, like the Mutated Lion Cub from Africa, obviously become smaller after mutation, specializing in other aspects for the convenience of hunting. Even creatures like the Ultimate Predator basically disintegrate and merge into the universe. Xiang Kun speculated that the terrifying size of the Giant Sea Snake Tail had already surpassed its own hunting and survival needs. Even if it were to hunt and consume blue whales, there would be no need for such a huge body. Such a size is even burdensome. It could be very likely that it has some sort of subjective desire to pursue a larger size. As for the Blood-eating Creatures in the deep sea, Xiang Kun actually knew very little. The ocean, compared to land, still remains an uncharted territory waiting to be explored. On land, whether it be the African Savannah or the South American jungle, he could always catch some glimpses of Super-connected Objects. But the ocean temporarily remained a blind area. Only in a few nearshore areas or where freighters and fishing boats with Super-connected Objects passed by, could he perceive something. Initially, Xiang Kun had no idea about the existence of this Giant Sea Snake Tail. However, during a previous encounter with Jiang Chun, it almost hunted him down. If it hadnt been for the Super-connected Objects with Jiang Chun, that alerted Alice to the situation, and controlled those few Super-connected Objects to delay it, it would have probably been swallowed by the Giant Sea Snake Tail. However, it seems that the Giant Sea Snake Tail regarded those Super-connected Objects obstructing it as treasures, so it directly took them back to its underwater lair. This allowed Xiang Kun to accurately locate it. If time allows, Xiang Kun would actually like to study this Giant Sea Snake Tail more. When the Giant Sea Snake Tail spotted Xiang Kun and Mr. Liang and began to chase them, Jiang Chun, who was originally guiding a little boy and girl in a small fishing village in Burma learning Chinese, suddenly felt uneasy. He asked the children to go home to their grandmother and jumped into the sea himself. Two months have elapsed since the startling appearance of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant walking from the sea. Jiang Chuns appearance also underwent some significant changes. The most noticeable change was that his hair was all gone, and he became bald. Moreover, his body skin also underwent some changes and could transform between two types of material. On land, his skin seemed to be normal, but underwater, he could voluntarily transform his skin into scales. And his legs could temporarily join together, with his body becoming flat. When he stretched his arms out front, he looked like a shuttle and could swim rapidly underwater, significantly faster than before. He also had a protective film in his eyes, which could identify object outlines in the deep sea. After his body mutated further, Jiang Chun began to explore deeper parts of the sea while helping and protecting the grandparent and child. Not long ago, upon hearing the grandmother of the two children discussing a fishing boat that mysteriously vanished at sea and was yet to be found, he went to the area where the fishing boat might have appeared to investigate if he could find the wreckage of the fishing boat. He initially did not have high hopes for finding a needle in the sea. However, when he went deep-sea diving with a spotlight, he accidentally discovered an underwater small city made up of many fishing boats. As he was baffled and about to further explore, a giant tentacle with a hook emerged from the sea bottom and attacked him. He could not dodge in time and was scratched in the waist by the hook that was as thick as his arm. Fortunately, he was agile in the water and his reaction speed was good. He rapidly rotated and swam at high speed to gain distance. Even so, if it werent for the talisman made of many small hexagonal nuts he was carrying which suddenly jumped out to obstruct, he probably would have died underwater, buried in the hands of the unknown sea monster. Returning after his narrow escape, Jiang Chun was still gripped by fear, and he then remembered the several hexagonal nuts that saved his life. He picked up these hexagonal nuts near a ship repair yard one day, after the night when the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant walked from the sea. For some reason, these nuts gave him an indescribable sense of connection. This feeling was very similar to that on the night when the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant walked from the sea. He felt some connection with the various entities scattered on the beach, in the shallow sea, just like countless stars. So, he instinctively collected those little nuts and had the little boy and girl help him keep them. Later, the two children used a string to string some of the nuts together and made him a talisman. He felt oddly reassured wearing the amulet; so much so that even underwater, the amulet-string of nuts draped around his neck would be covered by the scales that sprouted from his body and stick close to him. Surprisingly, in a dire moment, those nuts truly saved his life. He increasingly affirmed that those nuts might be related to the eight-armed, eight-eyed entity, and he himself must be under the protection of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant. Would that enormous whatever it was at the bottom of the sea also be an existence that could rival the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant? Jiang Chun felt as if he had been swept into a mythical War of the Gods. However, his primary concern was the ordinary fishermen. Would they still be attacked by the monster at the bottom of the sea? Judging from what he saw underwater, that monster seemed to have attacked fishing boats before. He hesitated as to whether or not to notify the media or Burmese officials in some way so they could deal with the monster. Yet, thinking of his previous experience, he gave up on the idea. Ordinary research institutions might not even have as much knowledge on the deep-sea area as he did. Given Burmas capabilities, it would be challenging to engage substantial resources to find and deal with the monster without substantial evidence. Therefore, for the past few days, he had been praying every night in the sea, hoping that the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant would descend to earth as it had before and eradicate the monster. Today, he felt something, as if that monster was on the move again. Although he had no power to fight the monster, he thought he might be able to go to the nearby sea to inform any passing fishing boats to change their course and avoid it. To be honest, many fishermen in this sea area recognized him, and his reputation far exceeded that of the local officials. As long as he warned of danger, they would certainly heed his advice. However, not long after departing from the coastline, he felt a disturbance. Then he surfaced, gazing at the unusual sea storm in the far distance. Habitually afloat at sea, Jiang Chun naturally knew what normal sea storms and thunderstorms looked like. He had even seen some lightning storms. However, the lighting storm in the distance was obviously greatly dissimilar from naturally-occurring ones. His immediate thought was of the sight of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant walking on the sea. Then he saw the divinely punitive terror of the thunderbolt. It looked like a sacred giant sword descending from the heavens, piercing through the clouds and stabbing into the sea. After lightning struck the epicenter of the storm, his heart thudded in his chest, his body trembling. He felt a sense of extreme excitement and exhilaration. This must be the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant! This was divine retribution! After the storm ended, Jiang Chun continued swimming in that direction. By the time he reached the epicenter of the previous lightning storm, it was deep at night with calm winds and waves all around. Under the moonlight above his head, there was no trace to be seen. But Jiang Chun felt an intuition that the monstrous creature with colossal tentacles from the bottom of the sea, the one that nearly killed him, had been annihilated by the lightning storm. Half-submerged, Jiang Chun transformed his facial and upper body scales back into skin. He then closed his eyes, raising his right hand towards the sky, imagining the sight of commanding lightning to strike the sea surface. A few minutes later, he exhaled deeply. His body was once again covered with scales, and he dived underwater. He was going to retrieve his amulet of nuts. Chapter 596 - Chapter 596: Chapter 596: The Door to the New World (Part 1) Chapter 596: Chapter 596: The Door to the New World (Part 1) On October 3rd, Tang Baona returned to her parents home in Shenhai. On the one hand, she was returning for a relatives wedding; and on the other hand, her parents, sister, and brother-in-law planned a birthday meal for her the next day, October 4th. Earlier, at the end of September, in Chongyun Village, Xiang Kun organized a grand show under the pretext of celebrating her birthday in advance. The surprise was indeed quite surprising, but she was left with questions to ponder. The strange thing was, after that day, she didnt see Xiang Kun anymore! She had eagerly anticipated Xiang Kuns return that night or the next day, wanting to ask him about the mysterious lightning storm in the mountains and how the fireworks were set up. Did he secretly develop some new technology, something like naked-eye 3D? But Xiang Kun didnt come back at all! He only sent a message in the group chat that he suddenly had to go on a business trip! What business trip?! Wasnt Yang Lao San taking care of the company in Peng City? But Tang Baona didnt think it was right to keep questioning like Yang Lao San. Surprisingly, this time, Yang Lao San didnt raise any objections to Xiang Kuns message in the group chat. Before she returned to Shenhai this time, Yang Lao San had already brought Liu Shiling, the newly enrolled primary school student on her National Day holiday, to Chongyun Village. Tang Baona originally planned to invite Yang Lao San to come back with her. Or they could also bring Xiao Lingdang, Xiao Pingguo, and Old Xia. Having everyone together would make things lively. After she had attended the wedding, they could all hang out in Shenhai for a few days. After all, Little Fatty Girls holiday wouldnt end until the 9th when school would start again. But to her surprise, Yang Lao San, who she believed would surely come back with her, was the first to express his desire to stay. Then Xiao Pingguo, Xiao Lingdang, and Old Xia also didnt want to go to Shenhai. If it werent for the fact that they had prepared a birthday feast for her that night to celebrate her birthday in advance, she would have felt a little left out in the cold. However, without Brother Xiang as the chef, the Chongyun village cooking team, led by Yang Lao San and Old Xia, and assisted by Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguo, prepared a meal that was somewhat underwhelming. If it werent for the dishes delivered from the Youlong Restaurant, their banquet probably wouldnt have been filling enough. Nonetheless, cooking was a joyful process. Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguo had flour all over their faces. Yang Zhener and Old Xia were devoted to experimenting with some terrible dishes, setting a wager that whoever finished eating their own dish first would win. Even Tang Baona herself made several turtle dumplings, dog dumplings, tiger dumplings, and even gold shining dumplings and custard pie dumplings. Of course, after boiling them, all the dumplings turned out to be of bizarre shapes. However, eating dumplings that she herself cooked didnt feel too bad. Despite their efforts, they still managed to whip up some dishes that were barely edible. It was unlike the Christmas Eve dinner last year; Tang Baona and Yang Zhener had planned to prepare a full table of delicacies to treat everyone. However, they ended up losing track of the ingredients and couldnt figure out how to cook. Xiang Kun had to step in and save the day. Even though Xiang Kun wasnt there today, he had prepared his birthday gift for her in advance C a wooden bracelet. Upon closer inspection, each bead made of ebony was carved with intricate patterns, with a Q version of Tang Baona, clad in armor, holding a great sword, wearing round glasses, with ponytail hair and plump cheeks, as the protagonist. Some beads showed Q version of Tang Baona battling monsters, some of her nodding off, with a bubble on her nose, wrapped in a big quilt, some of her teaching Q version of Little Fatty Girl how to draw, some of her holding a big bun, and some of her singing with eyes shut in ecstasy Although the surface area of each bead was not large, and it was round and had to allow for a hole for stringing, Xiang Kun still managed to carve every story with full detail. However, without a magnifying glass, it was a bit straining to see the details. Tang Baona loved this bracelet. Wearing it on her wrist and gently fiddling with the beads, she would squint her eyes and carefully look at the pictures carved on it. She could spend half an hour engrossed in it and even burst into a chuckle when she found a funny detail. Little Fatty Girl was incredibly envious of the bracelet. When Tang Baona was unpacking her gift, she stood by the table looking at the patterns carved on the beads. Her eyes clearly expressed, I want one too. Of course, she knew it was a birthday gift from Bald Uncle to beautiful sister Boana, and she couldnt possibly have it. However, she had already decided in her heart that she would ask Bald Uncle for a similar gift for her birthday in the future! What surprised Tang Baona even more was, when she boarded the flight back to Shenhai, she suddenly felt that familiarity of sensing emotional melody from others on the plane. She could pinpoint exactly who it was, how far they were, and what they looked like. This feeling was just slightly fainter than when she was with Xiang Kun, but otherwise, it was distinct and certain. She could even control whether she wanted to sense other peoples emotional melodies or sense the melody of the surrounding items as if something mixed in the vicinity was helping her locate the melody of the items. With these recent discussions with Xiao Pingguo about the details of various melodies, Tang Baonas understanding and control of item melodies became more adept. She no longer found the mixed melodies of various items to be overwhelming or noisy. Instead, she could actively blend them together. Using different musical instruments in her mind to perform and orchestrate, its as if she were conducting a mega symphony performance. It was an intense experience. Once this integrated performance was combined, she found that her melody was no longer an expression of a single item, but an expression of the entire space. It represented the airplane cabin environment, the advertisements on various electronic screens, sleeping passengers, couples whispering sweet nothings using the same pair of headphones, the flight attendant pushing the trolley, the clouds outside the window, the wind outside, some peoples joy, some peoples distress. She was merely closing her eyes and relying on her senses. She could reconstruct the environment around her using the melody. She could even imagine herself transforming into the entire plane, soaring through the sky, piercing through the winds and clouds, and having the time of her life. When the plane landed, she had already orchestrated a symphony in her mind. Upon opening her eyes, she immediately looked at the ebony bracelet on her wrist. She was certain that her sudden regain of the melody perception on the plane was not because Xiang Kun was hiding on the plane but because of the bracelet Xiang Kun gave her as a birthday gift! This bracelet was like a miniature Xiang Kun, or a kind of antenna No, thats not right, an antenna passively receives signals, while she was actively exploring various melody perceptions around her. She could choose to perceive other peoples emotions or specific persons emotions, or she could choose to perceive objects melodies or in a specific direction. Yes, it should be described as a radio C it can receive signals and adjust frequencies. As Tang Baona exited the airport, she fiddled with the bracelet on her hand while pondering the meaning of Xiang Kuns birthday gift to her. If the function of this bead bracelet is the result of Xiang Kuns deliberate arrangements, it means that her ability to perceive emotions and objects through melodies, has been known to Xiang Kun. It might even be possible that this ability too is owed to Xiangs schemes! Thinking back to a few nights ago, the extravagant firework show Xiang Kun choreographed for her birthday amid a mountainous lightning storm, Tang Baona suddenly realized that Xiang Kun was leading her by the hand, ushering her into a brand new, vibrant world. The curtain encapsulating it was about to be lifted. Tang Baona felt a mix of trepidation and anticipation. While she maintained a poised facade, the giddy, twin-tailed teenager concealed in her heart was already jumping with enthusiasm. Nana, how does the chicken your mom made taste? At the dinner table, after her daughter finished a chunk of roasted chicken leg, Tang Baonas mother hurriedly asked, I have improved both the recipe and cooking method. Your father and Baoting have both tried it and said its much better than what I used to make! Tang Baona nodded repeatedly, Hmm hmm, its delicious! Wellhow does it compare to the dishes made by Xiang Kun that you often talk about? Baonas mother continued to ask. Ah? Baona was taken aback. She didnt expect her mother to ask such a question. Although her mothers roast chicken did taste significantly better than before, it still fell short when compared to the dishes made by Chef Xiang. Because, after all, Chef Xiang was Chef Xiang. Ive always heard you, Baoting, Xiao Gao, and the Yang familys girl praising Xiang Kuns cooking, saying its extremely delicious and you guys often eat his dishes. So, I want to see if my roast chicken, for which Ive labored over for half my life, can best Xiang Kun, Baonas mother said while trying to stifle her own laughter. Tang Baoting immediately jumped in: Of course it can! Mom, this roast chicken youve made has achieved a state of supreme poultry delight C its as tender as beef, it fills the mouth with fragrance at first bite, adds a sweetness at the second, and by the third bite, it flips over with sensations. Its definitely better than anything Xiang Kun makes! Tang Baonas mother, laughing, smacked her elder daughters shoulder: Where did you learn all these catchphrases, and a whole series of them? Go away, I was asking Nana, not you. Tang Baoting, covering her shoulder, said with a woebegone face: Mom! You dont love me anymore, youre biased, you only dote on Nana! Why are you suddenly possessed by a drama queen? Thats enough, its Nanas birthday today, of course Im going to ask Nana! Baonas mother said, half laughing and half crying. Tang Baona was also so amused by her sister that she couldnt stop laughing. Then, she nodded repeatedly, Of course moms dishes are the best. Absolutely, unquestionably! You can ask my brother-in-law; hes the most honest and would never lie! Gao Yao, who was happily watching his fiances antics while munching on his chicken, was taken aback when he discovered that the attention of the other four at the table had shifted to him. Coughing a few times after being taken by surprise, he heard his future mother-in-laws mild voice: Xiao Gao, youve also eaten Xiang Kuns cooking, havent you? Come, tell us what you think. How does this roast chicken compare to Xiang Kuns dishes? Well I dont think Xiang Kun has ever cooked roast chicken. He usually uses rabbit meat for his dishes Halfway through, Gao Yaos speech sped up, But even his best rabbit dish cant compare to your roast chicken, Mom. The roast chicken is delicious. Much more delicious! Tang Baoting immediately said, See mom, Gao Yao agrees too! That proves it! Hes honest and never lies! Tang Baonas mother laughed, Alright, alright, you guys are just ganging up to make me happy. Nevertheless, inside, she was quite pleased. As they continued their meal, Tang Baona occasionally reached for the communal chopsticks to serve dishes to her parents, sister, and brother-in-law. She had suddenly realized that she could accurately determine their statuses and predict their next actions, such as what dishes they wanted to eat, by sensing their emotional melodies. Each time when someone raised their head after taking a few bites from their bowl, Baona could immediately determine their intentions before they could reach for their own chopsticks. Then, she would accurately use the communal chopsticks to help them complete their actions. Whenever Baoting was thirsty and wanted to fill her cup, Baona would always beat her to it. Upon discovering this predictive ability, Tang Baona was immensely intrigued and amused by it. However, the other four at the table had clearly noticed the anomaly. Tang Baoting couldnt help but say, Nana, have you been hanging out with Old Xia recently and learned some psychological tricks from him? Like micro expressions, micro actions and such? Can you tell which dishes I want to pick and what I want to eat? Ah? Tang Baona realized that she had been getting carried away with experimenting her predictive ability, so she chuckled a bit and blamed it on Old Xia, Yes, yes, I learned from Old Xia. Out of curiosity, Gao Yao asked, How exactly do you predict? Just now, you served the piece of fish that I wanted the most. But as far as I remember, I wasnt looking at the plate at that time. Baona was taken aback. She couldnt possibly say that she relied on the melody of his emotions to guide her to that piece of meat, could she? All she could do was respond, This is Old Xias exclusive skill. Its a secret and cant be casually revealed! Good, good, its a valuable thing for a girl to be observant and insightful. You wont be cheated or fooled, and others will perceive you as considerate, gentle, and understanding. Hehe, you should also perform well when you meet your parents-in-law in future. By the way, Nana, how are things going with you and Xiang Kun? Tang Baonas mother suddenly switched to a topic that dizzied Baona a bit. Ah? Mom, why are you suddenly asking this? Xiang Kun and I are getting along great! Our company is doing really well now. Remember the game I shared in our family chat last time? We developed that game; its super fun! Mom, have you tried it? Tang Baona desperately tried to steer the conversation. Your sister frequently praises Xiang Kun to me, and Ive heard your grandpa mention him too, saying hes a decent lad. Tang Baonas mother remained unfazed and looked at Baonas left wrist, By the way, this bracelet, Xiang Kun gave it to you, didnt he? Did he make it himself? Baona was absent-minded, playing with the bracelet on her wrist, and her hand froze when she heard her mother, Mom, how did you know that? Xiang Kun had given her this bracelet and aside from Yang Lao San, Xiao Lingdang, Xiao Pingguo, and Old Xia, no one else should know about it. She hadnt mentioned it to any of her family members yet. Chapter 597 - Chapter 597: Chapter 597: The Door to the New World (Part 2) Chapter 597: Chapter 597: The Door to the New World (Part 2) Mother Tang laughed and said, Isnt this obvious? This style of jewelry could never have been bought by you. You simply dont like wearing anything on your wrists. Even when your maternal aunt bought you that expensive jade bracelet, you wouldnt wear it. Plus, if you were going to buy any jewelry, it would certainly be in that whats the phrase? that animated character style, like those little plastic figurines you used to treasure. While speaking, Mother Tang gestured towards the bracelet on Tang Baonas wrist, Look at this bracelet, its material, its pattern, I refuse to believe you bought it yourself. I heard from your grandfather that Xiang Kun carves wood and is a skilled craftsman. Ive seen the Canary Wooden Carving he gave him, it was beautiful. Had I not known in advance, I definitely would have guessed that it was the work of a master craftsman. I also heard from Baoting that Xiang Kun often carves little wooden figurines for you. So, I am guessing, this bracelet, with its simple and unadorned style, must be his work. Am I right? Seeing her mother somewhat complacent, Tang Baoting couldnt help but grab her sisters hand and placed the bracelet before their mother, Mum, you look closely at the pattern before you speak, haha, this isnt some simple, rustic style. Mother Tang held her daughters hand, squinting at it for a while. Mr. Tang, who was next to her, immediately stood up to get her reading glasses from the television cabinet, slipped them onto her, and even thoughtfully handed her his magnifying glass, used for reading magazines. My, this Xiang Kun is impressive. He managed to carve so many things onto such small beadsthis is as good as painting. Oh, whos this little girl with glasses? Shes pretty cute. Mother Tang exclaimed, a bit amazed, after picking out the details on the beads. That surely must be Nana! Tang Baoting declared, If its a gift from Xiang Kun, it must be a carving of Nana. Mum, look at this bead, this cute chubby kid is Little Lingdang, she is a close friend of Xiang Kun and Nana. Hehe, indeed, looks a bit like Nana when she was a child, Mother Tang nodded repeatedly. Sis, I havent even said who made it! Tang Baona pulled her hand back, she said, half laughing, half crying. Come on, as soon as you came home and sat on the sofa, I could tell at a glance that it must be made by Xiang Kun, Tang Baoting insisted quite confidently. Mother Tang also nodded, laughing, Exactly, knowing you, if it wasnt, you would have said so already. Your failed attempts to cover up and evade are basically admissions! Yes, yes, yes. And didnt you notice, Nana, that you touch the beads on your wrist every few minutes? Its practically a conditioned reflex action now. Whats the phrase thats right, You cant bear to part with it! Thats it, you cant bear to part with it! I remember that last week, when we were having a video call, you werent wearing this bracelet. It must be Xiang Kuns recent birthday gift to you, right? Tang Baoting continued to tease. Mother Tang seized the opportunity to continue the conversation: Oh yes, when you came home this time for your birthday, why didnt you invite Xiang Kun as well? Why would I call him along, he he has to go on a business trip and hes quite busy, I havent seen him for several days! Oh so despite being so busy, he still specifically found time to make this exquisite bracelet for you? Judging by the complexity and intricacy of this bracelet, it wouldnt be possible to finish it in less than ten hours, right? Tang Baoting laughed cheekily. Gao Yao, who was sitting on the side and straining his neck to look at Tang Baonas bracelet, envious, said, Thats not all. To carve this, it wouldnt be possible without a three-dimensional microscope. You cant work on it too long without taking breaks. I estimate Xiang Kun made this bracelet, starting from preparation to completion, at least three months to half a year beforehand. Tang Baona was also taken aback: It takes that long? Well, I was just making an estimate. For the exact time, youll have to ask Xiang Kun orum, Grandpa Fengno, it should be your grandfather. Gao Yao flubbed his words. Embarrassed, he subconsciously raised his hand to scratch his head, realizing that it was unsanitary since he was eating. So, he awkwardly placed his curved fingers on his head for a moment, then hastily put his hand down, looking even more uncomfortable. Luckily, everyones attention wasnt on him right now. Mother Tang immediately interrupted, Oh my, he put so much effort into your birthday gift, the least you could do is invite him over for a meal! Why dont you just stay here instead of going back to Haixi Province right away? Call Xiang Kun and ask when he will finish his business trip, then fly directly to Shenhai, have a meal together, and then you can go back together. Last New Years Eve, when that Yang girl came over for a meal, you mentioned that you planned to invite Xiang Kun over after the New Year. Its already been many months, time is of the essence. Soon it will be the Spring Festival again. Yes, lets have a meal together. Lets also take the opportunity to taste Xiang Kuns cooking skills. I heard your grandfather mention that the dishes Xiang Kun makes are exceptionally tasty. His rabbit meat is a delicacy that I have been craving for a while, Mr. Tang also chimed in, stroking his chin and speaking in a warm and friendly tone. You all are overthinking! Xiang Kun and I are only business partners, good friends Tang Baona quickly stated. Were not misunderstanding anything, we just want to invite your good friend, your business partner, to dinner to thank him for looking after our daughter. Where did your mind go? How would one misunderstand? Mother Tang widened her eyes, wearing an expression of why are you phrasing it so oddly? Mr. Tang smiled and nodded, Were just inviting a friend, a good friend. Tang Baoting nodded in agreement, When I first brought Gao Yao home, I introduced him as a good friend. Gao Yao paused, set down his chopsticks, opened his mouth to say something, but after a moments hesitation, he simply nodded along as well. I give up! Xiang Kun is very busy right now, well talk about it another time. Besides Dad, Mom, shouldnt your focus be on my sister and her husband? When are they planning to have their wedding? Tang Baona said, firing another shot at her older sister. As expected, Mother Tang finally turned her attention to Tang Baoting and Gao Yao, Thats right, Baoting, Xiao Gao, hows the wedding planning going? The specifics can be worked out later. Your father and I should meet with the in-laws and set a date. During the engagement, didnt we agree to get this done before the end of the year? Tomorrow were attending your cousin Xiao Luos wedding, surely many people will ask about it. Everyone is waiting. At her words, the grin previously on Tang Baotings face froze. Next to her, Gao Yao reflexively lowered his head. Mom, Gao Yao and I have thought it over, and we plan to get the marriage certificate first, then just have a meal with the two families and perhaps a few close friends. The wedding doesnt need to be rushed, we can hold it a few years later. Tang Baoting replied with a smile. Ah? Mother Tang was stunned and visibly surprised, she turned to Gao Yao, Was it the opinion of the in-laws? Gao Yao took a deep breath, as if hed reached a decision, was about to speak when Tang Baoting interrupted, No, no, it was a decision we made together. His parents arent aware yet. The main thing is that Im a bit busy with work recently and theres a lot going on from National Day until Spring Festival. Gao Yaos workplace is the same, there are a lot of things to handle and its a critical period for them. His superiors value him a lot So, as far as the wedding is concerned, its okay to push it back a bit. Well have the certificate and become a family. Gao Yao has already been calling you Mom and Dad. Tang Baona quickly added, Actually, my sister and brother-in-law dont need to rush to hold their wedding. Nowadays, young people get married then go on a honeymoon for a while. She realized that her previous comment had hit the wrong target. However, through her Emotional Melody sense, as well as the changing expressions and subtle movements of her sister and brother-in-law, she knew that they had originally planned to discuss this with their parents tonight. Moreover, she realized that the reason her sister and brother-in-law didnt want to rush their wedding wasnt due to the work reasons Baoting mentioned. Of course, it also wouldnt be because of Gao Yaos parents; the old couple shed met were very nice people who liked Baoting very much. So the reason must lie with Gao Yao, which was evident from his reactions. As for the specific reason, she could make a rough guess. Her brother-in-law was generally good in all aspects, except for a degree of social anxiety. She supposed the thought of a large social gathering like a wedding made him fearful. Mother Tangs brows furrowed as if she still wanted to say something, but Mr. Tang instantly said, Perfect, Ive been thinking about going to live in Hainan for two months this winter. If Baoting and Xiao Gao are having a wedding, we definitely cant go, but now it seems we can. Hehe. Mother Tang naturally understood his intention in saying this, but she still couldnt help but squint at him and chide, Youre probably just eager to go to the beach to see ladies in swimsuits, arent you? Hehe, I bought you a swimsuit last year that you can wear. It will undoubtedly look excellent. Mr. Tang laughed. Watch it, the kids are here! Seeing the matter was handled, Tang Baona, Tang Baoting, and Gao Yao all sighed in relief. After dinner, they cut a cake together. Past nine, Tang Baoting and Gao Yao prepared to return to their love nest. As for Tang Baona, even though she had her own place, Yang Lao San did not come back with her, so going home would mean being lone. Therefore, she decided to stay with her parents; after all, she had her room there. Tang Baona saw her sister and brother-in-law to the elevator. Noticing that their parents werent around, she whispered, You guys didnt even tell me that you decided to postpone the wedding plans, almost made me play the fool. Tang Baoting spoke in a low voice, Its fine after all, weve accepted each others families, that was the main thing. Gao Yao also murmured, Actually, Ive been thinking about it recently weddings arent so scary at all Chang Bins marriage was pretty organized with the help of Xiang Kun. After all, he will be our brother-in-law in the future, maybe we can shamelessly ask him to help with our wedding. Lets talk about this later. A wedding is a happy event, so we should make sure its as joyful as possible, not treating it like an exam or task. Tang Baoting patted her fiancs shoulder as she said this. Gao Yaos facial expression changed, first showing gratitude, then happiness, followed by embarrassment, and ending with a sense of guilt. He put his arm around his fiances waist, whispering, Marrying you is the happiest thing in my life. After the couple got into the elevator, Tang Baona, wearing a caring aunt smile, suddenly reacted, Wait a second, what does our brother-in-law mean? How did Xiang Kun become our brother-in-law? But the elevator doors had already closed and started to descend. Tang Baona could only laugh helplessly at how her sister had started to corrupt her brother-in-law, then head back home. Back in the living room, Tang Baonas parents were playing with their Switch fitness ring, shaking their butts, and appearing to be very cheerful. She watched them for a while and then headed back to her room. There, she sat down at the desk, a piece of furniture shed used for many years before college, switched on the table lamp, and proceeded to examine the bead bracelet on her wrist. The bead bracelet had many complex patterns and minute details. Although shed seen it countless times and held it in her hand for many days, every time she looked again, she would always discover something new, which she found fascinating. Through the use of the bracelet, she was increasingly adept at sensing the emotional and object melodies around her. She enjoyed using this ability to predict others intentions and behavior in the evening. However, she also became aware that when her own emotions were disturbed, like when others talked about something concerning her, she would find it challenging to use the melody to sense and predict things accurately. While examining the bead bracelet with great interest, Tang Baona suddenly heard a scream from the living room. Thinking it was her mother, she rushed out without a second thought. The moment she left her room, she was shocked to see her father lying on the floor, clutching his chest, his eyes tightly shut, and his face distorted with pain. Tang Baona was startled by her fathers state of agony, a face she had never seen on him before. What happened?! Mom, whats wrong with daddy? Tang Baona rushed over, knelt on the ground, and helped her mom support her dad. I dont knowhe just suddenlyOld Tang, whats happening to you Mother Tang appeared very flustered, her voice shaking with fright as she spoke. Mom, stay calm, stay calm. Dad, is it your heart? Mom, does dad have heart disease? No, your father doesnt have heart disease Seeing that her father couldnt answer and noticing the drastic changes in his facial color, she immediately pulled out her phone to dial emergency services. Mother Tang also regained some calm and ran out of the room, Old Lus daughter-in-law from downstairs is a doctor, she even specializes in cardiology. Im going to see if shes home and get her help. Mother Tang went to get help, and the person on the other end of the emergency call ensured they were sending an ambulance right away. Tang Baona was left staring at her motionless father, her mind racing to remember any first aid knowledge she learned before C hoping to find something she could do. Her mind is a whirl of thoughts, when instinctively, she picked up her phone, intending to call Xiang Kun. Her instinct told her that Xiang Kun would be able to help and guide her. Sister Nana, Sister Nana, put your hand on your dads chest. A somewhat abrupt but also a bit familiar voice suddenly came from her phone. Tang Baona was momentarily stunned, however, instead of being terrified by this seemingly strange act, she got a strange feeling of reassurance. Following the voices command, she instinctively placed her hand on her fathers chest C specifically her left hand where she wore the bracelet. The instant her hand touched her fathers chest, a young girl in a white dress appeared on the other side of him. The girl knelt down and placed her hand on top of hers. Looking up at Tang Baona, the girl had incredibly beautiful eyes that sparkled like gems. She spoke up, Sister Nana, everythings going to be fine. The next moment, the white dress girl disappeared. As Tang Baona was still processing what just happened, she heard her fathers voice, Nana, help me up. Lowering her head, Tang Baona saw her fathers eyes were now open with his complexion back to normal. He looked a bit weak and was panting slightly, but he was no longer in the terrifying condition he previously was. Dad, are you okay? Tang Baona helped her father up and made him sit on the sofa. Huh it was as if I had a brush with death. I saw a bunch of weird things heh Mr. Tang looked scared yet relieved. Just then, Mother Tang came upstairs with the doctor from downstairs to check on him. Tang Baona stood to the side, observing her father while feeling her left hand. The girl that had just appeared was the same one who had appeared during the bird strike on her flight. She was the one whom Yang Zhener showed her C Old Xias childhood appearance! Also, judging by the voice, she was the little elf who had held her leg one night, preventing her from stumbling down the stairs! Was this really happening? Did she really appear? Or was it a hallucination? Feeling her hand, Tang Baona remembered the sensation of the girls soft and chubby hand on her own C it felt incredibly real. She called me Sister Nana? Chapter 598 - Chapter 598: Chapter 598: The Door to the New World (Part 3) Chapter 598: Chapter 598: The Door to the New World (Part 3) The downstairs doctor neighbor checked Mr. Tangs condition and was somewhat puzzled. According to his current physical condition, there should be no problems, but based on their previous description, it seemed quite serious. So, on her suggestion, when the ambulance arrived, Tang Baona, Mother Tang, and Mr. Tang went to the hospital for more examinations. After preliminary examinations at the hospital, Mr. Tang was okay, but to be safe, he stayed at the hospital and would undergo a comprehensive examination the next day. After all, the previous situation was quite frightening, and they needed to figure out what had caused it before they could be at ease. At Mr. Tangs request, Mother Tang and Tang Baona didnt inform Tang Baoting and Gao Yao. They planned to tell them when they went for the examination the next day. After all, Mr. Tang felt fine right now, and thought he was in excellent shape. If not for the insistence of Mother Tang and Tang Baona, and the neighbor doctor suggesting he get checked, he didnt want to come to the hospital at all. Mr. Tang, sitting on the hospital bed, drinking water and chatting with Mother Tang and Tang Baona, still felt a bit scared thinking back to the situation earlier: Honestly, at that moment, I really thought I might be a goner. It just hit me, it felt like I had stopped breathing and my heart had stopped beating. Mother Tang couldnt help but slap her husbands thigh through the blanket: Stop talking nonsense! Mr. Tang said: Ah, well now that Im okay, if speaking of death actually causes it, then, in the future, I will give speeches about immortality and longevity, and thereby become immortal, right? Ha ha, relax, its okay, were just chatting. When I was half-dead earlier, I felt like I was in another world, seeing some weird stuff. Mother Tang and Tang Baona both got a bit nervous. Old Tang, what did you see? Dad, what kind of world did you see? Mr. Tang recalled: It was blurry and dark. The lights were dim, and there was a door far away. There were lots of weird people no, not people Not people? Mother Tang asked nervously. Yes, not people, more like cats and rabbits and other strange things I couldnt make out clearly because the light was too dim. Anyway, I felt drawn towards that door, struggling to get there, then suddenly the door disappeared, light spilled in, and I woke up and saw Nana, said Mr. Tang, I dont know what they were, but I didnt feel scared, it just seems eerie and strange thinking about it. Cats, rabbits? Mother Tang was puzzled. She was tense, expecting to hear descriptions of hellish scenes, horse-faced demons, and the like, but cats and rabbits? Mr. Tang laughed: Maybe what I saw then was the wheel of reincarnation, and the cats and rabbits next to it were all set to be reborn. Maybe in my next life, Ill be reincarnated as a cat? Ah, I must be an orange tabby, napping all day. Mother Tang had to laugh: All you can think about is eating and sleeping all day! By then, Ill still come to find you. If you see a pitiful orange cat asking you for food, remember to adopt it! If youre reincarnated as a cat, Ill be a cat too! No, if were both stray cats then what? It would be hard! You have to be a person, rich and beautiful, so you have money to buy cat food, tin cans to take care of me! Why should I have to earn money to buy cat food? Cant I be the cat and you can support me? Youre more ambitious. Can we pick another animal? One thats cute but also good at mooching? A pig? They get butchered! How about an otter then? Otters seem quite cute So, Mr. Tang and Mother Tang took out their phones starting to search for pictures of otters and other cute animals, and seriously discussed which animal would be the best to reincarnate into if they couldnt be human in their next life. After being fed a face full of dog food, Tang Baona smiled bitterly and left the ward to get some fresh air in the corridor. Her dad was still the same old dad, always able to make serious, oppressive, or weird things funny and relaxed. Thinking about it, she seemed rather like Yang Lao San, why were the people around her all like this? Isnt it said that birds of a feather flock together? Could it be that she was also like this and just hadnt realized it? Her phone suddenly vibrated C after completing the hospital admission procedures, she had quietly put her phone on silent C picked it up and saw, speaking of the devil and there he is, it was a video call request from Yang Lao San. As soon as the video call connected, Yang Zhener from the other side immediately howled and then shouted: Happy birthday, Nana! Yang Lao San squeezed half of Little Fatty Girls head below his own and struggled to say: Pretty sister Happy! Xiao Pingguo and Old Xia behind Yang Zhener also followed with Happy birthday, Sister Nana. Eh, Little Bell you didnt follow the plan, we agreed youd say May your happiness be as vast as the East Sea and may you live as long as Zhongnan Mountain. Yang Zhener chuckled as she tousled Little Bells head. On this end, Tang Baona was startled by their loud voices, and hurriedly turned the volume down on her phone. After looking around and seeing no one, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. It must have passed midnight, its now October 4th, so Yang Lao San and her crew had timed their video call to wish her a happy birthday. Tang Baona made a shushing gesture, indicating for them to quiet down, and then said: Thank you, thank you guys, Little Bell, why are you still awake? Yang Lao San, watch out or Sister Lin will beat you up. Its past 12 oclock and you havent put Little Bell to bed yet! No, Little Bell played so hard with Custard Pie, Jinshanshan, and Xiao Pingguo on the mountain this afternoon that she couldnt keep her eyes open after dinner and went to sleep. She just woke up because she was hungry. Yang Zhener laughed as she played with Little Bells head. Little Bell sat in Yang Zheners lap, clutching her hand and stretching her neck to try and get her eyes in the video screen, and said earnestly: I didnt wake up because I was hungry! I woke up on purpose to wish pretty sister a happy birthday! Then why are you eating with us? Im just hungry! No more eating, after youve wished your pretty sister a happy birthday, go brush your teeth and go back to bed! No Uncle Bald said, when we do things, we should finish what we started and not leave them half-done, I havent finished eating Youre getting heavier, look, youre bending my legs~! No! Not heavy! Not bent! Seeing this familiar scene of noisy but joyful bickering, the corners of Tang Baonas mouth couldnt help but curl up. Huh, Nana, arent you at your parents house? Why does the background look dark, dont you have the lights on? Yang Zhener said to Tang Baona in the video. Im not at home, Im at the hospital. My dad had a bit of a situation earlier, so my mom and I brought him here, Tang Baona explained. Right now, Im in the hospital corridor. What happened? Yang Zhen Er asked in surprise, Whats wrong with Uncle Tang? Everything is fine now. We came to the hospital just to be sure and wanted to do some check-ups. The preliminary checks showed nothing wrong, dont worry, Tang Baona reassured. Yang Zhen Er expressed regret, saying, Ah! If I had known, I would have gone back with you. Hey, hey, dont act like youre the one looking after me. I am the elder sister, remember? Tang Baona could not help but chuckle. Of course, she knew very clearly that Yang Zhen Er was genuinely concerned about her and her family. Even though Tang Baona had the volume of her phone turned down low and was speaking quietly, it was nighttime and she didnt want to disturb anyone else in the hospital or to keep Xiao Lingdang up, so after a brief chat with Yang Lao San, Old Xia, Xiao Lingdang, and Xiao Pingguo, she ended the video call. Standing in the corridor and looking at the distant buildings and starry sky through the glass window, Tang Baona thought of the little girl in the white dress who had suddenly appeared and disappeared in her living room not long ago. She called me Sister Nana. Tang Baona knew that her close friends and family, whom she knew well, would call her Nana. Those who called her Sister Nana were naturally younger than her of course, Xiao Lingdang was an exception. However, that little girl in the white dress did not need to be anyone from those friends and family who were younger than her. The girls appearance resembled Old Xias when she was a child, and Old Xia also called her Sister Nana. Was this little girl, as Yang Lao San suggested, some sort of split personality of Old Xia? But from the brief conversation just now, the difference between her and Old Xia was stark they didnt feel similar at all. And during the video call, Tang Baona had observed Old Xia standing behind Old San but had seen nothing out of the ordinary of course, it might just be that she hadnt picked up on anything. Or perhaps this little girl is the second personality that Old Xia has split off from herself? Old Xia once told her that she had a certain inherent defect, and went to Chongyun Village to set up a research base with Xiang Kun primarily to cure this inherent defect. Could this so-called method of cure be the literal manifestation of that second personality? As for the means of manifestation, it must have a direct relationship with Xiang Kun just like her newfound ability to translate other peoples emotions and various objects into melodies for understanding and expression, Old Xia might have had the same kind of experience and gained some kind of ability from Xiang Kun. Wait, was that little girl a real person or an illusion? The feeling of her little hand pressing against the back of my hand should be real, right? But how did she save my father? Was it the same as when she controlled the street lights or other peoples phones? What am I even thinking about, its all such a mess. Tang Baona slapped her forehead, feeling like her own train of thought had completely derailed. She picked up her phone, thinking about directly calling Old Xia to ask. But then she thought that if Old Xia wanted to tell her, she would have said it straightforwardly during their last conversation. This might be a very important secret, and perhaps it had to be revealed for the purpose of saving her father. Would it be too imposing of her to call? Or should I call and not inquire about the little elf but instead talk about my ability to feel melodies? If I first disclose my own secret, then Old Xia, if willing, might volunteer information. However, when she picked up her phone, she didnt unlock it or dial, but instead looked left and right before quietly asking: Little Elf, are you here? Can you hear me? After she finished speaking, she laughed at herself a little and shook her head. Just as she was about to unlock her phone, a familiar voice sounded: Im here! Sister Nana! Tang Baona was startled, then she noticed the change in light and looked up to see the little girl in a white dress standing on the window sill outside the corridor, smiling at her through the glass. Is that youLittle Elf? Tang Baona instinctively wanted to cry out in alarm and try to find a way to open the window and let her in, but then quickly thought that if she could manage to stand on airplane wings mid-flight during the previous attack, this would be much easier for her. Sister Nana, are you looking for me? the little girls mouth moved, but her voice came from the speaker of Tang Baonas phone in the corridor. Just nowthank you, Tang Baona said softly. Youre welcome, Sister Nana! Its what I should do! The little girl said, the triumph on her face undeniable. You Why are you standing outside? Isnt it cold out there? Tang Baona looked at the girl, not knowing where to start. Im not cold. I feel more impressive when I show up this way! The little girl said as she spread her arms out wide in the window and her beautiful hair started blowing in the wind. Can Can you come inside? asked Tang Baona. Then in the next moment, the little girl from outside the window disappeared. Tang Baona then felt a tug on her sleeve, and when she turned around, the little girl was standing in the corridor with her, looking up at her with shining eyes. Tang Baona instinctively reached out to gently pinch the little girls cheek. Though it wasnt as round and plump as Little Fatty Girls cheek, it definitely felt real! Are you Old Xia? Tang Baona asked instinctively. Im not Old Xia. Then who are you? My name is Alice! Im the bosss assistant! Im Little Lingdangs Xiao Luosi! Im Sister Nanas Little Elf! the little girl cheerfully announced. The bosss assistant? A doubtful voice sounded from behind Tang Baona: Nana, who are you talking to? Tang Baona turned around to see her mother, then she hastily turned back, but where the little girl who claimed to be Alice had been standing was now empty. Oh, nothing much, I just finished chatting with Zhener, Tang Baona hurriedly made an excuse. Mother Tang seemed not to suspect anything and walked over to say, Ill be here for the night, you should go home and get a good nights sleep. Come back tomorrow and accompany your dad for his check-ups with your sister and brother-in-law, so I can go home and rest. Mommy, you should go back and sleep. Ill stay here for the night, us younger folk can stay awake better, Tang Baona quickly proposed. Ah, who spends their birthday in a hospital? Go, go, dont interrupt my private talk with your father, Mother Tang scolded, Make sure to send me a WeChat message before you get in a cab. Chapter 599 - Chapter 599: Chapter 599: The Door to the New World (Lower Half) Chapter 599: Chapter 599: The Door to the New World (Lower Half) On the ride home, Tang Baona gazed at the rapidly passing night scenery outside the car window, lost in thought. The little girls simple self-introduction contained an enormous amount of information. She has an official name, Alice, and she also knows the nickname Tang Baona has used for her all along C Little Elf, and even accepts this moniker. Additionally, she mentioned that she was Xiao Luosi of Xiao Lingdang, proving that she is acquainted with Liu Shiling. Tang Baona immediately recalled that she had indeed heard Xiao Lingdang mention her interactions with a friend named Xiao Luosi before. For instance, when she drew the super huge painting for Old Xias birthday gift, she mentioned that she got some help from Xiao Luosi. Back then, everyone including Tang Baona and Yang Zhen Er, believed that Xiao Luosi was just a little friend of Xiao Lingdang with whom she had a good relationship. They all knew Xiao Lingdang had a few friends in both Shenhai and Star City nurseries, with whom she still keeps in touch online and occasionally discusses drawing with, such as a girl named Da Lu and another called Xiao Mei. But they hadnt anticipated that Xiao Luosi was not a real human kid, but the elusive Little Elf, who seems to appear and disappear out of thin air. If this were all Alice had said, Tang Baona might have thought that the Little Elf, Alice, established this connection because of Xiao Lingdangs fondness of her. But Alice had said something crucial- that she was the bosss assistant. Who was her boss? Although Alice didnt get to elaborate then, a name instinctively surfaced in Tang Baonas mind: Xiang Kun. She remembered not long after she met Xiang Kun, how he mentioned to her a voice synthesis tool for which she provided many voice samples, leading to a mix-up where a demo version of the tool included a sample saying Xiang Kun, youre so handsome. She thought back on why the voice of the Little Elf sounded familiar to her. It was because her own voice had been turned into a child-like version. However, because there usually is a discrepancy when one hears their own voice, and most of her recorded voices were singing, she didnt recognize it at first. She remembered Xiang Kun mentioning the voice synthesis system would be applied to an AI assistant, but there hadnt been any updates since then. Initially, she assumed that this AI assistant was the basis for their later creation, Genesis of Voice. But now, could Xiang Kun have created an assistant Alice that transcends the digital world in another way? The little girl was modeled after Old Xias childhood appearance, maybe because Old Xia, like her, provided material or samples for Xiang Kuns AI assistant project? But how was this achieved? Was it even possible? If it was on a computer, a mobile phone, or any other digital information carrier, or even a robot displaying this level of intelligence, she might be surprised but wouldnt find it strange. But the little girl, the Little Elf Alice, who moves in and out of existence as if going from illusion to reality was hard to fathom. Her elusive presence, seeming nonexistent and yet existing everywhere, appearing out of the blue, exceeded her comprehension and could not be explained by her past experiences. She was sure that the little girl was not an hallucination, for the girl had grabbed onto her leg in Chongyun Village, preventing her from rolling down the stairs. Moreover, mere hours prior, the little girl had touched her backhand, a touch so real that it even had warmth. Just a while ago, she had even pinched the little girls cheek. How could such a tangible, lifelike presence appear and disappear in an instant? Moreover, she could be outside the window one second and in the hallway the next, or appear on the wing of an airplanethese extraordinary behaviors that ignore spatial distance didnt seem like something that could be programmed or produced by electronic devices. However, considering her own experiences, her perception of magical emotional melodies and object melodies, and the lightning storm and illusory fireworks show she saw in Chongyun Village a few days ago, the appearance of the little elf, Alice, seemedrather expected. Could Xiang Kun be a great wizard or great practitioner hiding among programmers? Is he leading me, Old Xia, Zhener, Xiao Lingdang, Xiao Pingguo into a world of magic or superpowers? Once she returned home, Tang Baona naturally couldnt fall asleep right away. She started calling out for the little elf with her mobile phone, sitting in the living room on purpose. The previous appearance of the little elf was in the living room. This time, after she called a few times, she didnt get any response. After looking left, right, and even up and down around the living room, she didnt see the little girl in a white dress. Tang Baona wasnt anxious though. Over the past few months, shed tried calling out for the little elf countless times and most times, she received no response, so she was pretty used to it. However, whenever she was in trouble or in danger, or even if her family was in danger, the little elf would always appear on time to help and protect her. Since the little elf, Alice claimed to be the bosss assistant, her protection of Tang Baona was presumably carried out under the orders of her boss, Xiang Kun? With these thoughts in mind, Tang Baona suddenly got an idea, closed her eyes and touched the beads on the string around her wrist with her right hand. She sensed the expression of the melody from various objects in the room and then, within these melodies, she looked for an unusual rhythm. When her father had a heart attack, she didnt have the emotional space to sense the melody of things. But later in the hospital, after her father was alright and she saw Alice in the hallway, there was a moment when she whimsically perceived the melody of the surrounding objects and emotional melodies. Of course, by the time her mother suddenly appeared, Alice had already vanished, but she still captured an unusual rhythm and melody among various object melodies and emotional melodies. At that time, because her mother was near her, she didnt delve too deeply into her perceptions. But when she got back home and started searching the surroundings for the same rhythm and melody, she discovered it again! Moreover, that rhythm and melody seemed to be everywhere; she could perceive it wherever she was. Tang Baona got excited, just like she had found a thread to pull on. She earnestly tugged at it, continuously unraveled it, and followed these unusual rhythms, trying to fill in the gaps and form a complete song. But when she focused solely on it, and put aside all the other emotional melodies and object melodies, leaving only that unique rhythm, a sense of ancient vastness enveloped her. It felt as if the rhythm she was exploring expanded into an infinite universe and a mysterious deep sea. Tang Baona was startled, but at this point, she was unwilling to give up so easily, and she continued to delve deep into the rhythm. Upon exiting the subway station, Tang Baona squinted at the sun overhead then quickly walked in the shade along the street. Once she arrived at the entrance of a coffee shop, she glanced at her cell phone, and satisfied that she hadnt arrived late for their scheduled appointment, entered the shop. While she didnt really want to go on this blind date, she had to save face for Sister Han. She considered it an opportunity to make a new friend. If she had to attend, then she certainly couldnt be late and leave a bad impression, giving off the sense that the people Sister Han introduced were impolite. She pushed the door and entered. The coffee shop was very quiet. She couldnt spot a single customer around, and even the bar counter and service counter were unstaffed. Could it be that the shop hadnt opened yet? How could that be? She found a spot in the corner and sat down. Suddenly, a short waiter appeared out of nowhere, holding a menu. The waiter asked in a tender, childlike voice, What would you like to have? Tang Baona looked up and found a cute little girl who seemed to be about 5 or 6 years old, chubby and adorable. She couldnt resist reaching out to pinch the little girls chubby cheeks, smiling, Are you the owners daughter? How come youre helping out at such a young age? Lets be serious. Were ordering here. The little girl shook her head, pulling away from her hand, her expression serious. Alright. Ill have an American coffee for now. My friend has yet to arrive, so well order more when he gets here. Whats American? All our dishes here are beautiful, nothing ugly. The little girl stared at her with big eyes. Ah? Tang Baona was taken aback, and could not help but laugh: What do you have here, then? The little girl read from the menu, We have chocolate, ice cream, lemon tea, sachima, mung bean cake, and custard pies. Just as Tang Baona was about to ask for a cup of lemon tea, the little girl continued to list: Our dry pot rabbit meat, spicy rabbit meat, rib soup, Napoleon cake, roasted chicken wings, and crispy pigs elbow are also very delicious As she read, she couldnt resist but swallow her saliva. Tang Baona couldnt hold her laughter: Is this a caf or a Chinese restaurant? she already reached out again to touch the chubby cheek. Just then, there was a loud roar outside, followed by a piercing bird noise. Tang Baona instinctively covered her ears, but the little waitress, Little Fatty Girl, let out a scream, put on her hood, and ran straight out of the caf. Tang Baona was startled and quickly got up to chase after her, trying to pull Little Fatty Girl back. But once she got outside, the trace of Little Fatty Girl had disappeared. A shadow flew overhead, blocking out the sun. She instinctively looked up and saw a terrifying giant bird flying over the city, casually touching the nearby buildings with its claws, immediately knocking chunks of brick from the sky. Tang Baona too late to cover her head in protection, a huge stone was about to crash into her. Suddenly, she was held by someone, who promptly moved her aside, and narrowly escaped the danger. Regaining her composure, she looked at the person who saved hera cute girl with sunglasses, her expression determined. She turned and pointed her finger, and suddenly countless golden pigeons flew in from somewhere and, working together, blocked and pushed away the falling rocks. Wait, theyre not pigeons? While she carefully distinguished whether those plump golden birds were pigeons or some other species, a female warrior wearing silver armor swung her great sword at the giant bird in the air. The great sword carried with it arcs of electric light, exploding into a roar and creating an arc of lightning in the sky. However, the next moment, the silver-armored female warrior was flung off by a light flap from the giant bird. She tumbled and fell from the sky, letting out a wail, and landed not far from Tang Baona. She hurried over, but found the warrior, whose helmet had split into two halves and who was tearing up, was slowly picking herself up from the ground. Ah! Zhener? Whatyou actually Tang Baona recognized the female warrior as her close old friend, Yang Zhen Er. Yang Zhen Er sniffled, wiped her tears, and was taken aback for a moment. Then she screamed, quickly covered her face with her hands, and ran away shouting, Im not! You got the wrong person! Wait! Zhener, its dangerous! Tang Baona saw the giant bird in the sky circling back. Its claws stretched out as if ready to swoop down on Yang Zhen Er who was running away. The buildings on both sides were disintegrating as if from a nuclear blast wave. Suddenly, all the noise disappeared, the diving action of the giant bird seemed frozen, as if the whole space was paused. The next moment, a bald man dressed in yellow overalls, red gloves, red boots, wielding a white cloak, punched upwards from down below. He also rose with his punch to face the giant bird. A burst of light exploded, and the giant bird was swallowed in a terrifying scream and struggle. In just an instance, Tang Baona recognized him as Saitama Sensei, the main character of a cartoon series she used to watch. However, the name she unintentionally yelled in shock was: Xiang Kun! After the explosion of light, suddenly a rhythmic melody rang out C the tapping sound of drums, followed by a symphony, and then various instruments joined in, followed by a long and melodious female voice. Such a familiar melody? Sister Nana. A female voice called her. She looked to the left, a white light, nothing else. Sister Nana. She looked to the right again, still nothing but the vast white. Sister Nana, Sister Nana, Sister Nana As the voice called out and the melody continued to play, she suddenly felt her consciousness becoming clearer and clearer. Wait, why did I say wake up? Could it be that I wasnt awake before? Tang Baona froze for a moment, realizing something. She raised her head and found herself back in the caf where she had been sitting before. The sun was shining outside, and all the buildings were intact. There was no sign of the terrifying giant bird or world-shattering destruction. She focused her gaze on two girls sitting in front of her C one young, one old. The older one, with her hair tied in a ponytail, was the familiar Old Xia. The younger one, who looked much younger and also resembled Old Xia, was wearing a white princess dress C Alice. Sister Nana. Old Xia softly called. Sister Nana. Alice echoed in a light voice. Was Idreaming? Tang Baona instinctively blurted out. All of a sudden, everything around her became both concrete and elusive at the same time. Chapter 600 - Chapter 600: Chapter 600: The Door to the New World (Complete Ending) Chapter 600: Chapter 600: The Door to the New World (Complete Ending) Old Xia! Sister Nana has woken up! Alice clapped her hands on the table and kicked the couch, looking at Xia Libing beside her with delight, We did it! The boss was right on the mark! Tang Baona looked curiously left and right, touched the table in front of her, and then touched her own face. The touch felt quite real, but she knew very well this was an illusion, that this was false, it was in her own dream. Everything around her had a vague yet real feeling. She didnt need to look up to be able to perceive everything very clearly. She looked down at the table in front of her, and the next instant, a cup of steaming coffee appeared. She picked it up and brought it to her. As it got closer, her glasses fogged up with the steam. After taking a small sip of coffee, she squinted her eyes, enjoying the warmth, and let out a comfortable sigh. The fog on her glasses naturally disappeared, and the coffee in her hand also vanished. She looked at Old Xia and Mini Old Xia Alice who were sitting in front of her. The former was still quietly sitting with her eyes fixed on her, giving off an air of contemplation and observation, just like the way she usually was. The latter, however, seemed unable to keep still, hopping around, her expression brimming with excitement, as if anticipating something. The feeling they gave her was different from the rest of her surroundings, which she could sense and control, but not entirely so. Being lucidly aware of dreaming while dreaming and being able to perceive various things was an amazing and fresh experience. Are you also figments of my dream? Tang Baona asked curiously. No! Were real, were alive and kicking! Alice stood up on the sofa, spreading her arms wide. Xia Libing next to her pushed her head down and made her sit down, Stop it, were in a dream. Even in the dream, were very real! Sister Nana, we are real people! Alice continued to exclaim. Tang Baona was startled, You mean youve entered my dream? After a brief hesitation, she asked again, Did Xiao Lingdang, Zhener, Xiao Pingguo, and Xiang Kun also come to my dream earlier? This time, it was Xia Libing who answered, Except for Xiang Kun, the other three were the prototypes of your dream. Tang Baonas eyes lit up as she made a small fist gesture, So the one who dressed like Saitama Sensei and punched that big bird to nothingness was that really Xiang Kun? He came to my dream too? As for the situation of having real sensory interactions with others in dreams, Tang Baona accepted it quite rapidly. After all, she was still dreaming. No, that wasnt Xiang Kun, that was the prototype of your subconsciousness in the dream, Xia Libing explained. Alice also joined in, We were able to trigger the dream this time by focusing our emotions. Sister Nana, what you were thinking about previously tends to appear in your dreams. Sister Nana, are you often thinking about fighting monsters with everyone? Just like Xiao Lingdang! Tang Baona was taken aback and became a little embarrassed. She quickly changed the topic, If that Saitama Sensei wasnt Xiang Kun, then where is he? Speaking of this, she looked around. The cafe was still empty, and the little chubby waitress was gone. Alice spread her arms again and swayed back and forth, The boss is everywhere! She didnt have many chances to appear in dreams. Previously, it was mainly in the dreams of Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguo, and that also depended on Xiang Kun and Old Xias cooperation for her to appear. Since she fully integrated into the Super Sensory Item System, she rarely had opportunities to enter their dreams. Now she was so excited to enter Tang Baonas dream and experience different dreamscapes that she could hardly contain herself. If it wasnt for Old Xia here, she would already have been running all over the place, dragging Sister Nana along. Xia Libing then said, The fact that we can appear here, that you can wake up in the dream, and that this dream can sustain itself, all depend on him. His consciousness is ubiquitous, omniscient. Everything we do and say, our emotions and perceptions, hes aware of all. Tang Baona was taken aback, subconsciously saying, Inception? Then something occurred to her. She looked at Alice and asked, How did you appear? I mean, not in the dream, but in reality. Oh, yes, the interactions before and today, thank you so much Alice. Alice cheerfully said, Sister Nana, youve thanked me several times already! So youve been by my side all along? Indeed, Alice is everywhere! Alices tone was somewhat triumphant. After realizing that Alices voice was the young version of her own, Tang Baona found Alices speech strange and somewhat humorous. She can co-manifest in the real world. The basis of her co-manifestation is the system established by Xiang Kun, and that system is founded on things like his lucky coins and woodcarvings. Xia Libing answered Tang Baonas question seriously. Tang Baona hesitated a bit, then asked, Why does Alice look like you when you were a child? Zhener showed me your childhood photos. Alice looks almost exactly like you when you were a child. Xia Libing answered, Because the ability to co-manifest Alice was developed based on Xiang Kuns power system. Tang Baona was taken aback, What do you mean? Is this power Xiang Kuns power or your power? Its like your ability to sense tunes from various items and perceive peoples emotions. Such an ability is developed based on Xiang Kuns system. Its your ability, but the essence of it is Xiang Kuns power, Xia Libing explained. Ah! You know I can feel those melodies? Its because of Sister Nanas ability that we were able to wake you up! Alice seized the opportunity to interject. Tang Baona realized that since the arrival of Xia Libing and Alice, the rhythmic melody hadnt stopped, just like a permanent background music. Who exactly is Xiang Kun? Tang Baona couldnt help but ask. From Alice and Xia Libings words, she could gather that whether it was their abilities or her own, whether it was the various anomalies in reality or the peculiar conversation in this wakeful dream, the origin was all traced back to Xiang Kun. Xia Libing looked at the eager little girl beside her, Alice. Alright! Alice cheered. The next instant, Tang Baona found that the coffee shops ceiling was gone, and they were looking directly at the sky. Then everything was spinning, with various objects undergoing complex changes, and the permanent background music changing at the same time. The experience of having ones dream manipulated and changed by others while conscious of it was truly peculiar. As the scene continuously rotated, shattered, and reassembled into a real environment, Tang Baona found herself and Xia Libing sitting together on a moving subway, but Alice was nowhere to be seen. Just as she was about to say something, she suddenly noticed a dismayed office worker sitting diagonally in front of them in the originally empty carriage. She couldnt clearly see his face or even his outfit, but inexplicably, as soon as she laid eyes on him, she knew it was Xiang Kun. Then she promptly realized, this was when Xiang Kun had just lost his job almost as if an instinctive consciousness was telling her this. The scene immediately shattered and reformed, while the background music changed again. It was a dimly lit room, she and Xia Libing stood at the door, as a muscular and bare-chested man suddenly sat up from the bed. This time, she clearly saw the mans face. It was the Xiang Kun she knew the bald Xiang Kun. She saw Xiang Kun sitting in a cafe, somberly observing the flowing crowd of patrons while a one-yuan coin rolled back and forth on the back of his hand. She saw Xiang Kun, dressed in a vest, shorts and slippers, dash down from the rented house and kick a violent thug with a knife away with a swift swipe of his foot; She saw Xiang Kun squat in front of a chubby cute little girl, pull out a coin and say, This is not an ordinary coin, this is your Uncle Balds Lucky Coin. Wearing it will bring you good luck, and its also a magical coin with magical powers. She saw Xiang Kun sitting side by side with Professor Li and Xiao Pingguo on a park bench, handing a coin to the girl, You can try this Object Sensing method. It might help you better use your hearing, your sense of smell, and perhaps even develop your sixth sense. She saw Xiang Kun sitting in his room, polishing a woodcarving under the lamp. Slowly, an eight-armed, eight-eyed black figure started to form behind him, growing larger and larger; She saw Xiang Kun standing on the roof of an abandoned building, shouting down to Xia Libing who was filming below, Old Xia, Im coming down! Then, he leaped down; She saw Xiang Kun tangled in a life-and-death struggle with a gigantic owl on the lake shore, the brutality of it all was unparalleled; She saw Xiang Kun sitting in front of the computer, stroking his chin as he said, Alice, when youre conversing with me, dont call out my name directly, address me as boss. She saw Alice, dressed in a white princess dress and black shoes, standing on Xiang Kuns shoulder, looking into the distance together, declaring in a determined tone, Boss, we are invincible! She saw Xiang Kun floating in the center of a lightning storm, his head thrown back towards the sky, as he roared with laughter shouting, Happy Birthday, Nana! Before she knew it, after seeing countless images, Xia Libing snapped back to reality, finding herself back in the coffee shop, with Old Xia still sitting in front of her and a noticeably quieter Alice. What was that just now Tang Baona muttered. She had just seen numerous scenes and clips, feeling as if she somewhat understood something, yet so many new questions arose in her mind. It was as if shed only glimpsed the tip of the iceberg. Each clip was accompanied by a melody, allowing her to understand more, in a subjective sense. Xia Libing said, The source of all abilities lies within Xiang Kun. However, who Xiang Kun is and how his abilities should be described varies from person to person. Sister Nana, you can define him based on your understanding which will help you to better utilize the system established by Xiang Kun and develop abilities unique to you. How to develop Tang Baona began asking, then suddenly recalled her own ability to perceive melodies, which brought another question to her mind, But what can I do with this ability of mine? Compose and perform a variety of songs? Dominate the pop music industry? Sister Nana, your ability is far more powerful than you could possibly imagine, Xia Libing said. Much stronger! Alice chimed in. Right now, Xiang Kun, or rather all of us, the entire world, are facing a threat. Sister Nana, Xiang Kun needs your help, we need your help, Xia Libing said. Sister Nana, the boss needs your help, Alice needs your help, Old Xia needs your help, Xiao Pingguo needs your help, Xiao Lingdang Amid Alices passionate voice, Xia Libing blearily opened her eyes. Seeing the familiar ceiling and chandelier, Xia Libing realized that she was truly awake now. She sat up from the couch and glanced at the wall clock in the living room. It was four in the morning. It seems after returning home she fell asleep on the couch thinking about Alices questions. She found herself still clutching her left wrist with her right hand, or more precisely, clutching the wristband Xiang Kun had given her. She remembered the dream she had just had, the scenes that played out within showed her some of Xiang Kuns secrets. Yet, she still could not fully understand her own ability, Xiang Kuns ability, and other aspects like the various manifestations and Alices appearance. But did Old Xias last words mean that she should imagine everything herself? Does imagining help to enhance her abilities? Also, what is the threat facing the world that Old Xia mentioned? Why didnt he clarify it? Sheesh, why do the truths of the world have to be so absurd? In the end, were Yang Lao Sans wild ideas actually the closest to truth? Am I still dreaming? Tang Baona scratched her head and let out a bitter smile. She even felt like self-querying on Zhihu C What does it feel like when a two-dimensional house girl discovers the world is really that mythical? She couldnt help but think about calling Old Xia to clarify some things, but remembering his words, it was obvious he deliberately didnt tell her the entire truth. Given Old Xias character, persisting in seeking answers would be useless, hed either refuse or find a way to dodge the question. Tang Baona stood up, walked to the balcony, looked at the distant buildings, felt the night breeze, while fiddling with the beads in her hand. There was one thing she was sure of, her ability and Xiang Kuns were related to the various items Xiang Kun had given her such as coins, woodcarvings, wristbands and such. Like the bracelet Xiang Kun gifted her on Old Xias birthday, it must also have a similar function! She thought about borrowing it from Old Xia sometime to see if she could gain any new perceptions. Since Tang Baona couldnt fall asleep, she decided to put her melody sensing ability to use, extending it from inside her home to the outside world, constantly integrating melodies to discover their unique and common characteristics. Was Old Xias saying, your ability is far more powerful than you could possibly imagine, simply a polite remark or was it true? Aside from composing and performing music, what else could this ability do? Could it directly employ everything to play a melody? As this thought occurred to her, Tang Baona suddenly thought of something. She immediately began to capture the peculiar rhythm fragments around her, not tracing their origin, but intertwining them together. Alice! Help me! Tang Baona suddenly opened her eyes and shouted towards the living room. Sure thing! The next instant, the hard rock plate on the coffee table in the living room turned to powder. Chapter 601 - Chapter 601: Chapter 601 - A Melody that Breaks the Heart (Part 1) Chapter 601: Chapter 601 C A Melody that Breaks the Heart (Part 1) Staring at the perfectly smooth pile of powder on the wooden base of the coffee table in the living room, Tang Baonas mouth gaped open. She was stunned for quite some time. Truth be told, she had just been unexpectedly hit with a flash of inspiration and tried to play her targeted melody by combining various necessary segments of the peculiar rhythms scattered around. However, her method of performance was not by humming or using any musical instrument, but by asking Alice for help. Because she had a sense that performing her intended object melody on a different level using the special connections hidden around might have a real impact on the target object. Just like the discovery she had made that the songs she composed with the emotional melody could lead people emotionally. This feeling was made clearer after the dream. She didnt really know how to achieve it, how to perform, or what could be performed, but she had instinctively thought that Alice could do it, could help her. And as it turned out, Alice could truly help her. But the result really startled her as well. After being in a daze for a while, Tang Baona finally walked over, pinched a bit of the powder for a closer look C it was indeed turned into powder! The dark rock slab on the coffee table was an extra set of TV cabinet and coffee table sent by her second uncle during the renovation of his new house because her father liked it. She had a clear memory of this coffee table. To show off the hardness of the rock slab material on the coffee table surface, her second uncle had scratched and cut it with a fruit knife. The slab of this hardness turned into powder so suddenly? For Tang Baona, she had just placed an explosive melody on the rock slab. But she didnt really know how it exploded and thought it would only crack at best. Who would have thought that it would turn directly into powder? She circled around the coffee table a few times, inspecting it carefully and couldnt figure it out, so she asked, Alice? Im here! The voice came out from the TV speaker. The actual response once again assured Tang Baona that her previous dream was not just her own experience. How did you manage to do it? Tang Baona asked, somewhat excited and curious. In the course of the recent event, she was like a composer and Alice was both the performer and the instrument, responsible for expressing her melody in reality. I just Alice paused unusually for two seconds, then continued: Just did it as Sister Nana asked! But how did I ask you to do it? Tang Baona squatted down beside the TV, asking softly: I dont even know how I contacted you, could you read my mind? Can you connect to my brain? Not mind-reading, Sister Nana. I only knew when you sensed the melody! Alice said, pausing again. This time she paused for more than ten seconds and continued just when Tang Baona thought she had finished speaking: The boss said, for example, when Sister Nana is cooking, I am in the vegetable basket when she buys the vegetables, in the sink when she washes them, on the chopping board when she cuts them, in the wok when she stirs them, on the plate when she dishes them out so I know what Sister Nana is cooking and how she does it! Tang Baona instantly understood. When Alice was not visible, the space or world she existed in was within the same world as the item melody and emotional melody sensed by her. When Xiang Kun was not by her side, Tang Baona would conduct the sensing of emotional and item melodies through the bracelet on her wrist. When she was composing, she also sensed and gave feedback through the bracelet. It was an indescribable, elusive connection, obviously, this bracelet was also the channel or bridge for her to communicate with Alice or perhaps Alice was the worker in that channel, bridge? However, hearing Alices words, she couldnt help but retort, What a weird analogy, if I didnt know better, I would think youre comparing yourself to vegetables! Besides, based on this analogy, considering their conversation in the dream, wasnt Xiang Kun the pot, shovel, kitchen knife, chopping board, and even the stove, or even the land for growing vegetables? Alice is not vegetables! Alice is invincible! Alright, invincible Alice, lets continue. Tang Baona laughed. Previously, her perception of the imagined Little Elf was more towards the mysterious and extraordinary, fulfilling her various pre-teen fantasies. But now, after touching it realistically, especially after the face-to-face communication and observation in the dream, she found that the Little Elf Alice was like a mischievous little girl, like a sister to Xiao Lingdang. She felt more closeness, adorableness, and even trust towards Alice C perhaps this had something to do with Alice bearing a resemblance to Old Xia as a child. Alrighty! Alices answer was still energetic. So Tang Baona scrutinized the living room for a while and focused on the pile of rock slab powder. She pondered for a bit, since she could use that Two Object Melody Editor to explosively turn the rock slab into powder, wouldnt it be possible to restore the rock slab from the powder? Otherwise, when her parents came back and found that the rock slab on the coffee table was missing, they might not scold her, but they would definitely be curious and bombard her with questions. Tang Baona concentrated her spirit, recalling the way she had just recompiled the object melody for the rock slab, linking the peculiar rhythms scattered around, and tried her best to go for a feeling of harmony and unification. As she gradually felt the merging and completion of the melody and the object, Tang Baona couldnt help but shout out again, Alice! Alrighty! Alices voice rang out again. Then Tang Baona heard something like the crunching or shattering of ice cubes coming from the location of the coffee table. She caught a vague glimpse of sparks and smoke rising from the rock slab powder, but it seemed like nothing had changed and the rock slab hadnt been restored as she hoped it would. She approached curiously, took a careful look, and then touched it. She suddenly found that there was a change C the fine powder had merged together again. However, they didnt return to their previous state but regrouped in their current form, looking like a uniquely shaped alien board. Tang Baona went over and pressed it, touched it, then slightly lifted it for a look- it was indeed a whole piece. She even imitated the behavior of her second uncle showing off and sliced it with a fruit knife to assess its hardness. It seemed similar? She pondered over it for a while C though mostly just touching and knocking it around without any real method C and ultimately she couldnt figure out how it was joined together. It was different from what she initially thought. Was this the feeling of Harmony? Even if it couldnt return to the original, at least it was a smooth shape? How could Harmony result in an immediate merging? Tang Baona was momentarily reminded of the feeling she got as a junior high school student when she saw various central themes and metaphors summed up different from her perspective. She didnt feel that Alice played it poorly, because she herself didnt know specifically what the effects were manifested in reality for every piece of the melody, so it was most probably her own fault for not composing the tune properly. However, this board couldnt be left here. If her parents saw it, they would have even more questions. Therefore, she tried again, composing a tune in a more gentle explosive style than the first time, then let Alice play the final performance. There was a sound of crushing ice cubes, then the rock board that had adhered together broke apart once again. But this time it didnt turn into powder, but a pile of polygons of varying sizes. Tang Baona, driven by curiosity, picked up a handful and examined them. They were irregularly shaped particles C the larger ones were about the size of a green bean and the smaller ones were about the size of sugar granules. Their uniform facets were rather dazzling; there was a captivating, indescribable, regular beauty to them. So when the degree of explosion was lessened, the breakage wasnt as thorough? Wait, what about the powder from earlier? If you looked at it under a magnifying glass, would you see the same polygonal shapes? Tang Baona changed her line of thought, trying to mix some of the emotional melodies she had perceived in the past with the melodies of the objects, and re-compose them for these polygonal particles. A few minutes later, Tang Baona mixed in the emotional melody she sensed when Yang Lao San saw Xiang Kuns lightning storm into the new song, then let Alice perform on those particles. After a short while, those particles seemed to have magnet-like properties and stuck together in front of her, clumping and stacking up into three smaller, ring-like shapes with each successive layer. This Why does it look like a crop circle? Tang Baona, stunned by the appearance of the three objects, couldnt help but laugh. Tang Baona incessantly experimented with the material derived from the rock board. She discovered that as she increased the number of times she composed a tune for a particular object and improved her understanding of it, her composition process became more fluid. Meanwhile, she acquired a deeper understanding of the significance of each melody. She also found that establishing an original melody for a new object required a process of adaptation. So, Tang Baona continued her experiments, incorporating various songs and creating peculiar melodies, thereby causing the residue of the rock board to display various states. Tang Baona was deeply engrossed in this mysterious ability, focusing on it completely. After transforming the residue into small cubes about the size of sugar cubes, Tang Baona suddenly noticed the indoor temperature seemed a bit low. She sneezed, rubbed her nose, and found the air in the living room was unusually dry. Her throat, nasal cavity, and eyes felt uncomfortable, and her skin was dry and rough. It was very uncomfortable. She got up and checked; their central air conditioning wasnt set to cooling. She went to the balcony and then back into the living room to feel the ambient temperature, and the difference was obvious. However, this sensation quickly dissipated. Once she opened the sliding door to the balcony, the indoor temperature and humidity should return to normal quickly. But suddenly, she was overwhelmed by intense hunger. Could this be the spellcasting consumption? Tang Baona said as she touched her stomach. Alices voice was heard from the phone: Sister Nana, its been 8 hours and 21 minutes since your last meal. The last time you ate, the food provided 635 kilocalories of energy, so Sister Nana, youre just hungry! Theres no spellcasting consumption! Tang Baona blushed, picked up the phone, and complained, If youre going to talk, come out. Dont suddenly make a sound! Then Alice stopped making any sound. Nonetheless, Tang Baona still believed that she should stop playing with the rock board residues. Even though she didnt understand why the temperature dropped and the humidity declined, any impact on the environment still required caution. Tang Baona looked at the pile of rock board residues that looked like tiny sugar cubes on the table, feeling somewhat headachy. Now, her control over the melody and the way of composition had become much more proficient and she had gained a deeper understanding. However, she guessed that it would still be impossible to merge those residues back into the original rock board used as a tea table, at least not in a couple days. So, she put the rock board residue into a few garbage bags and hid them under the wardrobe in her room to play with later. As for the living room table, she decided to contact a local furniture store early tomorrow morning to buy a new coffee table, and then have the delivery guy send this wooden coffee table base to the house where she lived with Yang Zhen Er. Her dad has a series of check-ups tomorrow morning and wouldnt be back so soon. By the time they return, she will tell them this new coffee table was sent by Xiang Kun! Yes, that way their attention would be drawn to Why did Xiang Kun send a coffee table instead. As for the reason, she could make up anything, like saying the new coffee table was handcrafted by Xiang Kun? Or that its one of the birthday gifts? Although it was already past four in the morning and almost five, Tang Baona wasnt sleepy at all. She opened the fridge to check the leftover food, which was plentiful, but after some consideration, she decided to have instant noodles instead. While watching the steam rising from the boiling water poured into the instant noodles bowl, Tang Baona got struck by a sudden inspiration. She moved the rosary beads on her left wrist with her right hand, and began lightly humming a melodious tune. Unlike the situation when the emotional melody affects other peoples emotions, Tang Baonas vocalizing while editing, modifying or creating melodies for objects did not influence the objects. Because its Alice that truly implements the influence and performs the operation C and Alices performance doesnt make any sound audible to the human ear. Her humming merely helped her find the rhythm and better means of execution. As Tang Baona hummed, the steam from the noodle bowl began to rise and gather rapidly. After a short while, fog filled her field of vision, and moisture misted up her glasses, obscuring her sight. Even if she couldnt see, she knew exactly what was happening. A smile slowly formed on her face. Chapter 602 - Chapter 602: Chapter 602 - A Melody that Breaks the Heart (Part 2) Chapter 602: Chapter 602 C A Melody that Breaks the Heart (Part 2) The bowl of instant noodles in front of Tang Baona had no drop of water left. The noodles, which had just been soaked in hot water, had become dry and hard again, only their shape had fallen apart quite a bit. Tang Baona took off her glasses and wiped them with the hem of her clothes, observing the dissipation of the mist around her as she did so. It seemed like there was nothing unusual, just the steam. The room had been dry and now had turned humid. Once the mist had dissipated, Tang Baona boiled another pot of water and re-soaked the bowl of noodles. But this time, she didnt play around since her stomach was already grumbling. She was really hungry. As Tang Baona ate her noodles, she pondered the rhythm of the melody she had just played. Although she didnt verify it with Alice, she could clearly feel that when Alice manipulated the water, it felt more at ease. After slurping down a bowl of noodles, Tang Baona got up and went to the kitchen. She took various bowls and pots, filled them with hot water, and placed them around the living room. She also took out the bags of rock slabs she had just stashed in the rooms cabinet and placed them behind the sofa. Then, she dragged out the electronic piano she used when she was a child. After checking it was still usable, she set up her mobile phone ready to film. Tang Baona sat on the floor next to the door, crossed her legs, put the electronic piano on her lap, and placed her hands on the keys, ready to play. With her eyes closed, she sighed and softly muttered, A song to express my anguish Where in the world can I find a soulmate? As her words faded, her fingers pressed down on the keys of the electronic piano. But the piano hadnt been equipped with batteries nor plugged in, so it didnt make any sound. Even without any sound, Tang Baona played very seriously and with great involvement, humming a little tune of a lamp, a lamp, waiting for a lamp to accompany her pretend playing. As she played and started humming, white mist suddenly emerged around her. Within several seconds, it filled the entire living room. Once her vision was obstructed, Tang Baona immediately stopped playing the piano, got up from the floor, ran to the side and dragged out the bags of rock slabs shed placed behind the sofa. She then poured them in front of the electronic piano, hid behind the sofa, felt the bracelet on her wrist and composed a new melody in her mind. She whispered, Alice, add this. And so, the dampness in the room quickly dissipated, while behind the electronic piano, a grey fake mountain appeared? Tang Baona waited a while before she crawled out from behind the sofa, ran to pick up her mobile phone and checked the footage shed captured. Because shed hidden the containers filled with water in places the camera couldnt capture, obscured by various pieces of furniture and decorations in the living room, it seemed like the vapor rising and fog steaming in the room appeared out of thin air. When the fog quickly dissipated and was suddenly replaced by the fake mountain sitting in front of the electronic piano where Tang Baona had once sat, the scene was visually impactful. Especially when the fog dissipated and the fake mountain gradually came into focus, one could see the constituent parts of the mountain moving and combining rapidly. Tang Baona first went over to break the fake mountain back into small granules, put them into a bag and took them to her room, then she went with her phone to her fathers study room to edit the footage. While downloading several video and audio editing software she often used, Tang Baona found a piece of paper to note down the music she had composed in her mind earlier. She then used a software to simulate the music. If the result was satisfactory, she would record it using an actual musical instrument and add this background music to the video. She thought it would surely make for a great effect. She was satisfied with the front half of the video, and the pace of the fog dissipating matched her expectations C the scenes transitioned smoothly. The only regret was the rock slabs failed to take the shape she intended. She had hoped that they would assemble into a figure sitting there, looking like a human even if it didnt resemble her. However, it ended up looking like a small fake mountain less than half a meter high. It seemed that Alice was more proficient in manipulating water than the components of rock slabs. Fortunately, at least it was not like before when it took a form resembling rice fields. Although the light outside was gradually brightening, Tang Baona had no signs of sleepiness. She continued working on what she considered a very cool video. However, while editing the video, she suddenly remembered something and frowned, Wait, I cant post this video online once its done. Who do I show it to then? But this question did not bother her for long, as she quickly remembered that she could certainly show it to Xiang Kun. She could also show it to Yang Lao San, Old Xia, and Xiao Lingdang who would surely get excited. And yes, she could let Little Apple listen to the music as well. Perhaps, she could simply post it in the group chat when the time comes. While Tang Baona was working on how to edit the video and match the background music, Xiang Kun was sitting on a slope in a rather desolate forest in Australia, holding a tablet that was obviously from Divine Technology. He was watching a video on it and couldnt help but laugh. Although it was just dawning in China, the sun was already high in Australia. But this place was so remote that Xiang Kun could setup precautionary measures in advance. With a large number of super-connected objects deployed, Xiao Luobo taking over, and Alice coordinating everything, they could almost guarantee that no one would be able to approach the area. Behind Xiang Kun was a pit with a diameter of over ten meters. In the middle was a patch of rubble on which lay Mr. Liang, currently in his blood-drinking sleep C of course, still in his invisible state. This trip to Australia, naturally, was for hunting. Their target was originally under the large pit behind him. A creature that had integrated plant and animal characteristics, resembling a network and spanned over the subterranean region of the mountains here. This mutant creature had been in existence for a very long time. It could move over a large area underground discreetly, and it could also emerge from the ground discreetly to hunt when needed. Any plant, animal could become its prey during the blood-drinking phase C this included humans. After drinking blood, the bodies would be buried deep underground for concealment and decomposition. Just a few months ago, three Australian youths who had camped in this forest became one of its blood sources. Besides the camera they carried, which was left on the ground, all traces of the three persons were erased, their entire bodies taken underground, leaving no remnants behind. It was not until half a month ago that someone found the camera and notified the Australian authorities and the media. The authorities organized a new round of search and rescue, but, of course, they found nothing once more. However, several clips from that camera were detected by Alices surveillance conditions, drawing her attention. She consequently mobilized her resources, deploying and associating a portion of Super-connected Objects in that forest. After further confirming the presence of a mutant creature hiding underground, she quickly propagated the seeds of Xiao Luobo throughout that area. Due to its growing limit already reaching a peak, the expansion area of Xiao Luobo mainly focused domestically, concentrating on places where Old Xia, Tang Baona, Xiang Kuns parents, and other relatives moved about. As for overseas, targeted deployment occurred only as a need or clear goal arose, hence the establishment of the Xiao Luobo Control Zone. This kind of surveillance and determination of the global locations of mutant creatures is a long-term task that Xiang Kun had assigned to Aliceits also a task carried out while deploying and associating a broad range of Super-connected Objects to establish a comprehensive Super-connected Object Network. Once enough Super-connected Objects have been set up to establish perceptual anchor points, Xiang Kun can enter a Super Sensory State, analyzing cognitive information to determine the status of nearby mutant creatures. To be honest, if Xiang Kun or Mr. Liang had to deal with this mutant creature themselves, it would require quite an effort. Not because it is particularly powerful but because it hides underground and is very agile with a wide range of activity. It would be quite troublesome to capture and kill it without causing a significant disturbance. But fortuitously, dealing with subterranean creatures that possess plant-like characteristics is Xiao Luobos specialization. After a period of gradual development, Xiao Luobo dispersed and transformed a sufficient amount of sub-plants in and around the area. When Xiang Kun and Mr. Liang arrived, Xiao Luobo swiftly went into action, confining the underground mutant creature to its location. After Xiang Kun provided the precise coordinates, Mr. Liang, having replaced his Biological Components suitable for subterranean operation, directly drilled into the ground, executing the kill and blood-drinking. The entire process was straightforward and took less than ten minutes. In this process, Xiao Luobo contributed 90% to this operation, which led Xiang Kun to reassess Xiao Luobos abilities as a Semi-Mutated Being. It was similar to sending scouts ahead before a battle to gather intelligence, draw maps, and establish coordinates for the main forces. However, before the main forces arrived, the scouts unexpectedly sprung into action and captured all the enemies. Upon his arrival in Australia and en route to the target location, Xiang Kun received a report from Alice that Tang Baonas father had a heart issuea low-probability event. Mr. Tang had regular physical examinations, and his heart was healthy. Specific conditions happened to coincide and resulted in a quick manifestation of these symptoms. It was extremely unlucky for Mr. Tang, but since Xiang Kun and Alice were available to help, it could also be considered extremely fortunate. With Alices current application and control of the Super Sensory Item System, she could handle such emergencies on her own without the need for Xiang Kun to enter the Super Sensory State. She also didnt need to co-manifest. By directly utilizing Tang Baonas bracelet, a few Super-connected Objects on her person, and many Super-connected Objects previously associated and deployed in her home, Alice was able to perform the emergency procedures and revive Mr. Tangs heart function. Knowing that Nana, like Old Xia, Xiao Pingguo, and Xiao Lingdang, was also an integral participant in the upcoming Ultimate Predator plan, Xiang Kun planned to further integrate Nana into the Super Sensory Item System and reveal more information. As such, Alice casually applied for co-manifestation. She didnt actually think Xiang Kun would agree, but to her surprise, he did. Hence, she was able to appear directly in front of Nana, placing her hand on Nanas, and performed the emergency procedures. After Tang Baona returned home from the hospital, Mr. Liang had already finished drinking blood and entered his sleep. While keeping vigil by his side, Xiang Kun, having some spare time, continuously monitored Tang Baonas condition through the Super Sensory State. He then discovered that Tang Baona seemed to find the unique rhythm of the Super-connected Objects and could even sense the existence of the entire Super Sensory Item System. So, after she fell asleep, Xiang Kun contacted Old Xia and initiated an operation that was originally planned for later entering Nanas dreams to try and wake her up. Maintaining a lucid state within a dream is a difficult task, and the same thing holds true for specific dreams induced by Emotion Infused Objects. Currently, only Xiang Kun and Old Xia can do it. Xiang Kun is the foundation of all dreamlands, all Super-connected Objects, and Emotion Infused Objects, so he can always remain lucid in his dreams. As for Old Xia, thats pure talent. Xiang Kun once read a saying, One who sleeps without dreaming is in divine peace, and such is the state of a total man who never dreams. Even without meeting him, Old Xia has already reached the mindset of a total man, naturally being able to forget about himself and the world. Others, however, find it hard to escape the shackles of emotion, even in dreamlands. Even Little Fatty Girl, who has a strong controlling power of Super-connected Objects and power of assimilation in dreams, only acts out of instinct in her dreams and not lucidly. Although she can remember her experiences in the dream after waking up, the subconscious still dominates during the dream itself. In Tang Baonas dreamland, through Old Xia and Alices input of reversed melodies, she successfully makes Tang Baona aware of her own dreamland, thereby waking up in her dream. This step is a crucial step for Xiang Kun to deal with the Ultimate Predator using the powers of Tang Baona, Old Xia and others. After Tang Baona woke up, she suddenly realised a method of using Alice to call the Super Sensory Item System and reverse edit the item melodies, which was beyond Xiang Kuns expectations. Its not that this ability itself was unexpected to Xiang Kun. When Tang Baona could perceive the item melody, he already knew that this application could exist. Because when Nana composes music from the Emotional Melodies derived from human emotions, it can affect other peoples emotions, proving that as long as the item melodies are Super Sensory Information compiled, they can affect the existence state of the item itself. Xiang Kun initially thought he would slowly guide Tang Baona towards developing this ability step by step, but he didnt expect that Nana would find this method so quickly. It seems that waking up in her dreams and communicating with Old Xia and Alice helped her suddenly find a group. She merely gave the problems she couldnt solve herself to Alice, trusting them unconditionally. After compiling Nanas perceived Item Melody and Emotional Melody for a long time as part of Xiang Kuns assigned tasks, Alice can now easily accomplish what Nana wants. She can take the melodies that Nana composes, convert them to Super Sensory Information, and directly manipulate and edit objects with it. If Xiang Kun himself were to develop the ability to edit Super Sensory Information for corresponding items, it would require lots of preparation and steps. For example, if it were that rock slab, he would first need to decompose it into elements, understand the specific conditions of the natural clay, silicon dioxide, feldspar powder and other components that make up the rock slab, their corresponding Super Sensory Information, and then manipulate based on this. Of course, with such a skill, Xiang Kuns operation would be extremely precise. He would have no trouble shaping that rock slab any way he pleases. But with Tang Baonas method, the direct applications of her development of the Melodies provide him with a direct ability, allowing him to conduct deeper level research through applications. What he didnt expect was that after acquiring such an amazing ability, Nanas first reaction was to make a wacky video of A Song of Heartbreaking. Watching the poetry recital video from Nana on the tablet, which was sent by Alice and had no BGM, Xiang Kun had a great laugh. Chapter 603 - Chapter 603: Chapter 603: Where is the Pork Knuckle? Chapter 603: Chapter 603: Where is the Pork Knuckle? While Xiang Kun was watching the video, Alice also showed up, crouching next to him, watching and chuckling. Havent you seen it before? Xiang Kun jokingly said, flicking her with his elbow. Alice crouched down again, slowly shifting closer, giggling and looking mischievous. Xiang Kun immediately became alert, What are you up to now? Boss, you allowed me to show up in front of Sister Nana because she is one of us, right? Alice rested her head on her knees and said. Mmm. Xiang Kun responded distractedly. He was very clear that Alice was leading up to something, and he was probably guessing what it was. Then Sister Lingdang, Sister Xiao Pingguo, as well as Zhener, they all are our own people, right! Alice counted on her fingers. Mmm. So I want to show up and play with them, it should be fine too! Alice said excitedly. Play? Just walk around together, play games, eat together! Alice said. You can eat? Of course! As Alice was speaking, a roasted chicken wing materialized in her hand, which was then shoved into her mouth. Three seconds later, she spat out the chicken bones and proudly showed them to Xiang Kun: Just like normal people! Xiang Kun sat on the ground, watching her intently while Alice squatting next to him watched him back, her eyes wide open, smiling cheerfully. A few seconds later, the smile on Alices face slowly faded, and the chicken wing in her hand dispersed. She said dejectedly, So its still not okay? Cut the drama! Xiang Kun flicked Alices forehead and said, Keep a low profile when youre out, dont cause a big fuss. Okay! Recognizing Xiang Kuns consent, Alice happily jumped up and disappeared. Xiang Kun, too, stood up from the ground and looked behind him at the huge indentation. Mr. Liang had revealed himself and completed another blood feeding. If compared to the night when he first met Xiang Kun, Mr. Liang now seemed much more human C his facial features had softened and he had started to develop a slightly more discernible nasal bridge. His skin full of strange patterns had become more lustrous, and it became easier to lose him in sight when he moved, even if he wasnt in an invisible state. It seemed as if someone was standing by you just now? Curious, Mr. Liang glanced around. According to the feedback from his drones, there was no one around within a few kilometers. He wondered whether it was a misperception. However, upon hearing Xiang Kun nod and grunt, Mr. Liang was taken aback. So there really was someone just now? Xiang Kun naturally knew what he was thinking. Its a naughty little kid. Ill introduce you next time. What to do next? Continue hunting? Nextthere are some other things that need to be taken care of. Xiang Kun rubbed his hands together. Chongyun Village. When Xiang Kun wasnt around, for Old Xia, Yang Lao San, Little Apple, and Fatty girl, the best dining option was to visit the Youlong Restaurant. The next best option was to take advantage of Liu Caifus meals, then ordering takeaways, then ready-made meals, and lastly, making a meal together. However, in terms of the joy level, the order was reversed: making a meal together was a lot of fun, except for the eating part which might be a bit painful. Of course, such fun could only occur occasionally. After all, they had two minors amongst them, both were still growing up, so they must not frequently eat such poorly prepared food. So, at noon, the four of them decided to take a car to Tongshi Town and dine in the Youlong Restaurant. Eh? Nana isnt picking up her phone. Im a little worried about Uncle Tangs situation. Had I known there would be an incident, I would have gone back to Shenhai with Nana. Sitting in the passengers seat, Yang Zhen Er worriedly held her phone, saying, I should have gone back to Shenhai with Nana. Driving Old Xia suddenly said: Uncle Tang is fine, Sister Nana is also fine. Yang Zhen Er was just murmuring to herself, not expecting anyone to answer her, since the subject was about the situation in Shenhai and Nana, things they couldnt possibly know while being here. Old Xia, how do you know that? Yang Zhen Er asked, puzzled. If it had been someone else who said those words, they would without a doubt be the usual comforting words, not referring to the specific events. But when Old Xia was the one saying it, she knew that the literal meaning was indeed the intended one. I know too! Pretty sister surely wont have anything wrong! Dont worry, Older Sister Fairy! The chubby girl sitting in the back seat also leaned forward and said. Apple sitting on the other side of the back seat also nodded: Mmm. Sister Nana is fine, oldum, Sister Zhener, dont worry! Yang Zhen Er turned around to look at the two girls, suspiciously, It seems like you both have some special source of information. Old Fairy Sister, dont worry! The Chubby Girl firmly said. Mmm, dont worry! Little Apple also nodded. Mysterious, somethings fishy. Yang Zhen Er looked at the two of them again and suspiciously said. However, after being reassured by the three in the car, she no longer felt any worry. The GL8 continued to drive towards the pedestrian street of Tongshi Town. Sitting in the second row, Little Apple and Alice were quietly discussing a new comedy sketch. At that very moment, both the shoulders of the fatty girl and Little Apple were lightly pat one after the other. The chubby girl turned around and was stunned to find Alice in a white princess dress standing in front of the third row, gleefully looking at them both. Little Apple also turned her head. Although she could not see, she sensed Alices appearance in the car even before the chubby girl did. After Alice silently greeted them, she moved her butt over and sat on the third row, the joyful demeanor of Im going to ride in the car with you all was all over her. The first reaction of Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguo upon seeing Alice was to turn their heads simultaneously and look at Yang Zhener sitting in the passenger seat. After all, in this car, Yang Zhener C Sister Fairy, was probably the only one who wasnt aware of Alices existence. The chattering voices from the Bell-Apple Duo in the back seat suddenly stopped. Sensing something odd, Yang Zhener glanced back at them: Did you two fall asleep? Soon we will Mid-sentence, she caught sight of the little girl in the white skirt sitting in the third row, then turned her gaze to Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguo. For two seconds, the three of them stared at each other strangely C including the invisible Xiao Pingguo. Yang Zhener didnt scream or show fear, instead, she turned to Old Xia who was driving beside her, blinked, and glanced back at the little girl in the white skirt before finally saying, Old Xia, your little elf is here. Her name is Alice. Xia Libing, who was driving, calmly responded without taking his eyes off the road. Hearing this, Liu Shiling in the second row responded with excitement and joy, Sister Fairy, shes not a little elf, shes Xiao Luosi Eh? ~Alice! Shes amazing! She can help me find study materials for anything I want to learn, and she can also help me to use my phone and iPad. Little Alice, this is my Sister Fairy, shes also amazing! She can create a magic robe and wand for me, she can create many things! Xiao Pingguo nodded repeatedly, her eyes turning into crescent moons as she happily exclaimed, Alice is super amazing! Alice, sitting in the back seat, glowed with satisfaction from Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguos praise. Unable to resist, Yang Zhener leaned over from the armrest box, almost losing her balance as she was barely caught by Xiao Pingguo. She then moved through the aisle in the second row and sat next to Alice in the third row. Your name is Little Alice? Yang Zhener looked at the little girl next to her, who bore an uncanny resemblance to a young Old Xia. She reached out and pinched the girls cheek. It felt silky smooth and incredibly real! Alice tilted her head, resisting the clutches, and frowned. Its Alice! I am Alice! she corrected. As Alice clarified, Yang Zhener reached out with both hands and held her face, smiling, Is the little elf that little, she asked. Alice, her mouth puckered from being squeezed, helplessly corrected, I am Nanas little elf, I am Xiao Lingdangs Xiao Luosi, but my name is still Alice. Haha, Alice is so cute! Yang Zhener laughed, picking Alice up and planting a big kiss on her cheek. Seeing Alices helpless expression, Little Fatty Girl, who had climbed up to kneel on the seats, looked both sympathetic and pleased. After escaping from Yang Zheners clutches, Alice saw Xiao Pingguo, who had similarly turned around and was leaning on her seat, and extended her hand. Getting the hint, Alice obediently walked over, took Xiao Pingguos hand, and then rested her cheek on it. Though Xiao Pingguo and Alice had known each other for a while in a conscious sense and had collaborated many times, this was their first physical contact. Yang Zhener laughed, Alice, youre so biased! You dodge when I try to pinch you, but when Xiao Pingguo wants to, you lean in yourself. As soon as she finished speaking, Liu Shiling reached out and gently pinched Alices other cheek. Simultaneously, Alice reached out and pinched Little Fatty Girls cheek, causing everyone to burst out in laughter. Xia Libing, who was driving, occasionally glanced at the four people in the car through the rear-view mirror. Yang Zheners natural, rapid, and unobstructed acceptance of Alices abrupt presence was actually what he had anticipated. He knew that in recent times, Yang Lao San had noticed various unusual phenomena around them and Xiang Kun. Especially since gaining her own extraordinary abilities and playing various game-like attempts with Xiao Lingdang. Given what he knew about Yang Lao San, it was incredibly easy for her to accept Alice. Of course, whats most important was that Alice looked just like how Yang Zhener did when she was young, which naturally made her feel close and trusting towards Alice. If Alice had taken on a different appearance, even if she remained as a cute little girl, when Alice first appeared, Yang Lao San would probably have been startled. Seeing that Alice was allowed to fully show herself in front of everyone, Xia Libing knew that Xiang Kuns plan was likely going to accelerate. The GL8 stopped at the parking lot of the pedestrian street. Alice and Liu Shiling went hand in hand from the car, walked onto the pedestrian street, into the Youlong Restaurant, and to the private room they always went to. All along the way, Yang Zhener was observing the expressions of the people around her, because when she got out of the car, she had taken her phone to take a picture of Alice, but there was no image of Alice on her phone, the space next to Liu Shiling was empty. However, judging from her observations along the way, other people seemed to be able to see Alice, especially when they entered Youlong Restaurant. You Mengs wife, Liang Yulong, even touched Alices head and asked, Whose pretty little girl is this? What Yang Zhener didnt know was that, all along the pedestrian street, they could not be seen on any of the monitors. Or rather, wherever Alice went, the actual filming on the monitor would stop, and all the footage would be edited and stitched together to be played seamlessly on the display screen. There were a few people who wanted to take photos from a distance because they thought Yang Zhener, Old Xia, Little Apple looked beautiful and Alice, Little Fatty Girl looked cute, but as soon as they picked up their phones or cameras, they found them blacked out or malfunctioned, completely unusable, and were unable to even frame a shot. After the dishes had been served, Yang Zhener suddenly noticed an extra dish of Crispy Pigs Elbow on the table, which they clearly had not ordered. Moreover, she was quite certain that the Crispy Pigs Elbow at the Youlong Restaurant didnt look like this. This dish of pigs elbow looked more like it was crafted by Brother Xiang the chef! Could it be that Old Xia had stashed it away, prepared by Brother Xiang before he went out? No, that cant be, this pigs elbow looked freshly made, not reheated. Old Xia, Xiao Lingdang, Little Apple including Alice, all reached for the Crispy Pigs Elbow the moment it appeared, happily gnawing at it. Even Little Apple did the same, not needing anyone elses help to take a piece. She held it accurately with her hand and ate with an oil-smeared mouth. Seeing only one piece of Crispy Pigs Elbow left on the plate, Yang Zhener carefully picked it up, observed it for a while, and then took a bite. Hmm It was Brother Xiangs flavor! Theres no mistake! Delicious! Yang Zhener squinted with delight, but as she prepared to take a second bite, she suddenly found herself biting into thin air. The piece of Crispy Pigs Elbow in her hand had disappeared! Gone!? Not only was the one in her hand gone, but the entire plate was missing from the table. Liang Yulong entered with a dish in her hands and said, Come on, try this cold dish. Its a new creation of my own, Mr. You had no part in this. Let me know how it is. Deputy Director Liu, Brother Chu, Brother Xia, they all praised it. After Liang Yulong left and the door to the private room was closed again, Yang Zhener immediately asked, Wheres the pigs elbow? Wheres that big piece of pigs elbow? Wheres yours? Little Apple replied smilingly, Oh, we finished it. Liu Shiling also nodded affirmatively, Finished! No! Theres not even a bone left on your plates! Wait, how did that plate of pigs elbow get here? Clearly, we didnt order that, and it looked exactly like what Brother Xiang would make Yang Zhener abruptly stopped talking as a light bulb went off in her head, and she turned to Alice, I get it! Alice, you are that pigs elbow! Alices eyes widened roundly, her cheeks puffed out. Thankfully Yang Zhener quickly corrected herself, No no, I mean, the way you appeared is the same as that pigs elbow, right? Chapter 604 - Chapter 604: Chapter 604: Yang Lao Sans Thought Process Chapter 604: Chapter 604: Yang Lao Sans Thought Process Upon hearing Yang Zheners words, both Little Fatty Girl and Little Apple turned their heads to look at Alice. Little Fatty Girl even reached out to pinch Alices face: Hehe, pigs knuckle. Alice didnt turn her head to swat away Little Fatty Girls hand, but did as she did in the car, reaching back to pinch Little Fatty Girls face herself, then saying, If you call me pigs knuckle again, I wont turn anything delicious for you next time. Hehe, no way. Little Fatty Girl giggled, reaching out with her other hand as well. Little Apple also laughed and nodded: Sister Old Fairy is really smart, she figured it out in an instant, um, I mean, Sister Zhener is really smart! Yang Zhener, who initially thought she had uncovered some amazing secret, blinked her eyes, glanced at the playful Alice and Little Fatty Girl, then at Old Xia who was still picking up food without any reaction, and suddenly felt like she was making a big fuss over nothing. Sister Old Fairy, dont daydream, eat quickly! This fish fillet needs to be eaten while its hot! Liu Shilings clear voice woke Yang Zhener from her reverie. She saw Little Fatty Girl picking up a piece of fish with her chopsticks and then placing it in her bowl after circling half the dining table, as if worried she wouldnt get enough to eat. Yang Zhener was both amused and frustrated: Just focus on eating! Are you worried Ill starve? Then she looked at Alice and noticed the little girl was eating grilled chicken wings again, even though they hadnt ordered any! She understood now, both the crispy pigs knuckle and the grilled chicken wings were conjured by Alice. Alice can eat it, they can too, but Alice cant eat the ordinary food they can eat. She glanced again at Old Xia, who was silently engrossed in eating, and suddenly felt that Alices sudden appearance in the car, her joining them for dinner, and her various behaviors at the dining table were all performed for her to see. Because, from her observations, Old Xia, Little Apple, and Little Lingdang all seemed very accustomed to Alices existence. They even seemed like good friends or sisters, very close. Among them, it was obvious she was the one who knew the least about Alice. So it seemed Alices open appearance today was meant to give her some hints? Thats not right, these werent hints, they were explicitly telling her. So could the various illusions she had conjured possibly become as real as Alice, as real as the crispy pigs knuckle? Thinking of this, Yang Zhener once again instinctively raised her hand to pinch Alices cheek. However, Alice directly opened her mouth and bit down on Yang Zheners hand. Although Alice didnt bite hard and Yang Zhener wasnt hurt, when she pulled her hand back, she could still see a row of faint bite marks. Yang Zhener burst into happy laughter: It really is real, its real! While speaking, she suddenly raised her hand, pointed at Alice, and with a serious expression and authoritative voice, she said, Alice! You are now a magician, I, as the Silver Armor Fairy, grant you the Dingling Magic Robe! Did you hear me, the Dingling Magic Robe! After finishing speaking, she gave Liu Shiling a look and whispered, Little Lingdang, go lock the door of the private room. Little Fatty Girl, who had been eagerly watching Alice when she heard Old Fairy starting to chant, got up reluctantly from her seat and walked to the door of the room upon hearing the order. Yang Zhener then turned her gaze back to Alice, seriously saying, Alice! I grant you a magic robe with a black base, red edges, and golden patterns! Uh and there are two cat ears on the robe! Alice tilted her face slightly, her eyes round and startled, staring blankly as she sat in place, but no change happened, no magic robe appeared on her. After two seconds, Little Apple asked Old Xia in a low voice, Bing sister, what is Sister Zhener doing? Although she couldnt see, with the help of her various perceptual abilities, especially Alices perceptual assistance, she had a clear understanding of the situation in the booth. She knew, of course, that there was no magic robe appearing on Alice. Liu Shiling, standing at the entrance of the box, also asked, Old Fairy Sister, this door isnt locked. Yang Zhener looked at Alice, who had not changed at all, looked at the puzzled Little Apple, and looked again at Old Xia who was still eating and dining attentively. She scratched her head, turned to Little Fatty Girl and said, Xiao Lingdang, I I bestow upon you the Dingling Magic Robe. Because Old Xia, Little Apple, and Alice were by her side, and after her confident chanting failed just now, Yang Zheners words were somewhat lacking in momentum. But unexpectedly, the second her words fell, Liu Shilings body donned the iconic black magic robe with gold trim and two cat ears on the hood. Eh? This works too? Yang Zhener was surprised that the illusion appeared even though she had only muttered a few words. She and Liu Shiling both quickly looked at Old Xia. Old Xia, did you see that? Yang Zhener did not specify what she saw, but Old Xia shook her head, No, then continued to scoop and drink soup, also scooping a bowl for Little Apple next to her. Just as Yang Zhener was disappointingly giving up, Little Apple exclaimed in surprise, There really is a magic robe? Did Sister Zhener conjure it? Yang Zhener paused, Little Apple, can you see it? With a shy smile, Little Apple said, Its thanks to Alice. What Alice can see, I can also see. Well, I dont really mean that I can literally see, just that I know what is there, and what others are seeing. So I know that Xiao Lingdangs robe isnt real, it only appears to be there. Its different from the pigs elbow we just ate um, the pigs elbow we just ate wasnt real either, but Alice is real. Shes not the same kind of real, shes another kind of real. Sigh, Ive confused myself Little Apple understood that Alices direct appearance meant that Uncle Xiangs circle of trust had expanded and that Sister Zhener was one of the trusted. They were forming a team! And it seems that Sister Zhener also has a very special ability. How nice. Yang Zhener then sat next to Alice laughing and asked, Alice, can you see Xiao Lingdangs magic robe? Liu Shiling also came over, sat on the other side of Alice, pulled the drawstring of the illusionary magic robe, and the cat ears on the hat wiggled along, Xiao Luosi, can you see it? Alice nodded, reached out and touched Liu Shilings head, and said, Yes! But your robe is different from my pigs elbow! Little Apple quietly supplemented, Its the pigs elbow you conjured, not your pigs elbow. Right! The pigs elbow I conjured! Alice loudly repeated, Its not my pigs elbow! She deliberately looked up at Yang Zhener next to her. Yang Zhener nodded repeatedly, I understand, I understand, so Alice, how did you conjure the pigs elbow? Can you teach me? Or help me make Xiao Lingdangs robe as real as your pigs elbow? Liu Shiling also said, Yes, yes, Xiao Luosi, teach me how to conjure a pigs elbow! A delicious one! I cant teach this, you will have to find Old Xia. Alice said helplessly. Old Xia? Yang Zhener looked at Xia Libing, Old Xia, you can also conjure pigs elbow? Yes! The one who answered was Liu Shiling, Roast Chicken Wings Sister can conjure so many, many, many delicious things! Crispy Pigs Elbow, Roasted Chicken Wings, Ice Cream, Chocolate, Cake so many! Roast Chicken Wings Sister is the second most formidable magician in this world! Yang Zhener was taken aback. Looking at Old Xia who was still sipping her hot soup leisurely, she suddenly understood why Little Fatty Girl called her Roast Chicken Wings Sister! After a joyful and lively lunch, the group of five people left Youlong Restaurant. They strolled the streets, each holding an ice cream, eating, walking, and laughing all the way. But after they finished the ice cream, they didnt need to wipe their mouths or hands, perfectly clean. It wasnt until over three in the afternoon that they returned to the parking lot, but when they got in the car, Yang Zhener didnt go to the passenger seat this time, but squeezed into the third row with Alice. Yang Zhener is now determined to learn how to change the hypnotic illusion she creates into a pigs elbow. She hopes that the illusions she creates can be perceived and touched realistically, like Alices crispy pigs elbow, grilled chicken wings, and ice cream, even if it only exists for a short time. Then she wouldnt just be a Silver Armor Old Fairy who can only perform skits with Xiao Lingdang! She would be a real Silver Armor Old Fairy! No, a fairy. Although Alice told her that she had to ask Old Xia to learn this ability, after asking Old Xia once and getting no response, she immediately gave up. Being cute and clingy only works with Nana, its simply useless with Old Xia. She knows her cousin too well, that kind of refusal means either this ability cant be taught or shouldnt be taught. So Yang Zhener kept her eyes on Alice, because Alices existence itself exemplified that ability. Maybe playing and interacting more with Alice, she could find inspiration. Just like when she was bored and played with the eraser, and also played various coin games with Xiao Lingdang, she developed a superpower that she herself couldnt believe in. Soon after GL8 left the parking lot, Yang Zheners phone rang, followed by ringtones from Little Apple and Little Fatty Girls phones also. She glanced at her phone and found out that their six-person group chat had a new message. There are four of the six members of the group chat in the car, so they certainly didnt send the message. That means the new message is either from Xiang Kun or Nana! Yang Zhener quickly unlocked her phone, opened WeChat, and saw that it was indeed a message from Nana, a video, followed by a funny face emoji. Seeing the emoji, Yang Zhener breathed a sigh of relief, confident that Nana must be alright, and so must Uncle Tang. She directly sent a voice message asking, Nana! Nana! What were you doing just now, why didnt you answer the phone? Tang Baona replied, I was sleeping, my phone didnt wake me up. Have you watched the video? Watch the video first! Then another comical emoji. Yang Zhener curiously opened the video, then saw Tang Baona sitting strangely next to the door of her living room. The living room light was off, only the light from the corridor and other rooms cast a strange and gloomy tone. A song of broken intestines, where in the world can one find a bosom friend As soon as Tang Baona deliberately mimicked the tone of a wise man, Yang Zhener burst into laughter. Then she heard Little Fatty Girl, who had turned her head over the back of the seat to watch the video, mutter with a puzzled expression, What is a beautiful sister chanting? A bowl of duck intestine noodles, field ducks, river pigs, rice rice what? Yang Zhener laughed so hard she was in tears, but the music coming from the phone quickly drew her attention. First came the sound of a piano, as if Nana was playing, but soon the sound of a guzheng, a pipa, and various drums started up. Did she pair it up in post-production? Yang Zhener was a bit confused, but soon noticed something odd in the video. Large waves of fog filled the room, even misting up the lens. Thus, the music played by those various instruments seemed to come from a hidden orchestra in the fog. Having lived with Tang Baona for a long time, Yang Zhener naturally recognized that these sounds were synthesized by Nana using software, not genuinely played by her. Yet, it still conveyed a vast and ethereal feel. In an instant, as she stared at the fog-filled video, she suddenly felt she was not looking at the living room of Nanas parents house but rather a majestic celestial palace. The one playing the music was not Nana, but a group of fairies with fluttering robes. Suddenly, only the sound of the Pipa remained in the music, its sound becoming metallic and solid, like rock colliding. It resembled two armies facing off. The fog dissipated in a few seconds. The sight of Tang Baona behind the electronic keyboard transforming into a pebble, which was squirming and forming shapes, made Yang Zhener jump. The phone almost flew out of her hand. That pebble, it seemed alive. Liu Shiling was surprised, exclaimed, The beautiful sister turned into a stone! Little Apple was also disturbed; she could not stop herself from grabbing Little Fatty Girls hand. The video ended. Yang Zhener quickly recovered. Since Nana could send this video and even use funny emojis, she must be fine. It must be some special effect or gimmick shes playing. Or does Nana also have some ability similar to hers? But why can Nanas ability be captured on video while hers cannot? Nana! Nana! How did you do it? After watching it, Yang Zhener immediately sent a voice message. Tang Baona sent back a Guess? emoji. Dont you want to know whom I met today? Someone you want to meet! And I found out a huge secret! After sending her voice message, Yang Zhener followed up with a wily laughter emoji. Not interested. You definitely want to know, it starts with little! After a few rounds of exchanging wits with Tang Baona on WeChat, Yang Zhener received a surprising call; the incoming call was from Nanas mother! Whats happening? Shouldnt Nana be with her parents? Could it be that the Nana Ive been chatting with was fake? Did Nana truly turn into a stone? Suppressing the various thoughts popping up in her mind, Yang Zhener answered the call. There came the voice of Mother Tang, Zhener, are you busy? Auntie, Im not busy. Is uncle alright? I heard from Nana that uncle was hospitalized? Its nothing, just a little issue, he didnt hospitalize, just went for a check-up, hes already back. By the way, Zhener, arent you staying in Haixi Province? Theres something that auntie wants you to check. Can you help me see, is there a custom of gifting furniture specially a tea table, when dating in Haixi? Huh? Furniture? Tea table?! Yang Zhener was utterly bewildered. Anyway, please help auntie ask around. Mother Tang then lowered her voice, I dont know why, Xiang Kun just suddenly sent us a new tea table today. Nana said its a birthday present, but I find it strange. Nana also said that the tea table was handmade by Xiang Kun. However, I saw a factory label on the leg of the table. Its from a furniture company in Fushan, Guangdong Province. Theres even a QR code After the call with Mother Tang, she video-chatted with Tang Baona for a while. Even if Tang Baona didnt explain everything, Yang Zhener could guess the squirming stone-like object behind the electronic keyboard in the video, must be related to the original tea table in Nanas home. Nana must have suddenly understood some kind of ability and ruined the tea table. Thats why she rushed to buy a new one but couldnt find a valid reason, so she said it was sent by Brother Xiang, she was sure, Brother Xiang wouldnt have sent the tea table! Yang Zhener grew more curious. What ability had Nana acquired? So, she leaned on Alices shoulder, smiled, and said, Alice, do you know how Nana got that fog and stone in the video? Alice was about to answer when she suddenly became aware of something. She closed her mouth and looked forward. The GL8 stopped. The girls in the second and third rows realized that theyve unknowingly returned back to Chongyun Village. The car had stopped in front of the courtyard where they lived. After stopping the car, unlike the previous times, Xia Libing didnt get out to open the sliding door but turned around from the drivers seat and looked at everyone. Xiang Kun needs our help. Chapter 605 - Chapter 605: Chapter 605: Strange Things Chapter 605: Chapter 605: Strange Things Xiang Kun needs our help. For some reason, upon hearing Old Xias somewhat vague sentence, Yang Zhener excitedly sprang to her feet. Images of different battlefields, different enemies and different combat situations flashed through her mind! All these thoughts merged into a single voice: I knew it! Of course, she didnt stop to work out exactly what she had predicted. For she knew that the notion of help in Old Xias sentence wasnt along the lines of Xiang Kun is short of money, lets pitch in some, Xiang Kun was beaten, lets help him by beating back, or Xiang Kun is heartbroken, lets cheer him up. Consider whos in this car. Theres Xiao Lingdang, a little friend whos just finished first grade. Theres Xiao Pingguo, a blind girl still under eighteen. Theres Alice, a half-real, half-illusionary being from another dimension, like a Crispy Pigs Elbow. And lastly, theres her, a pretty, sweet, smart girl who nevertheless cant fight. After Alice appeared and they all assembled in this car, she was sure that Old Xias words represented the situation shed theorized! The door to a new world is opening to her. Even though she wasnt sure of how she could help or what her illusionary powers could do, if Old Xia said that Brother Chef needed their help, she must be useful to him! Her time, Yang Zheners moment, was finally about to arrive! Like Yang Zhener, Xiao Pingguo too, shown an expression of intensity, her eyes filled with tension, excitement and uncontainable anticipation. Long ago, she realized that Xiang Kun was extraordinary. But back then, she guessed: Uncle Xiang is a bridge between this world and another. He can communicate with creatures from that other world through items he gave and methods he taught, ask them for help, and allow them to manifest in this world. But now, as her contact with Alice became more intimate and synchronized, as her relationship with Xiao Lingdang grew closer, as she gained more understanding of Xiao Luobo, Golden Flashes, and Custard Pie, and as more and more truths were deliberately or inadvertently revealed to her, she revised her judgment. She knew now that Uncle Xiang is not just the path to the other world, not just their communication bridge with organisms from those other worlds, but also the boss of those life forms, existences, and even that world! Xiao Pingguo also clearly understood her peculiarity. Although shes unable to see objects or look at things normally like most people, she can see what most people can, and also see what they cant. Her sensory range and area of exploration had long exceeded those of normal humans. Not to mention, taking advantage of her sensory bond with Flash, her various senses obtained from Alice, as well as her ability to communicate with beings from another dimension, another world, and summon them to prevent crimes. She could even perceive the motion state of all water within a certain range. The current Xiao Pingguo no longer had her former inferiority complex. She even harbored the notion that with great power comes great responsibility, and often daydreamed about leading the summoned creatures from that other world, large or small, to fight against evil forces and criminals. Of course, as per Uncle Xiangs repeated reminders, she has always been very cautious, not even daring to reveal her talents to her father for safetys sake. Only in Chongyun Village, when she was with Old Xia and Xiao Lingdang, could she let herself go and not keep things under wraps. But now, upon hearing Old Xias words, she knew that the moment of battle might be coming! She was finally about to be able to use her abilities to her hearts content! Or perhaps, the door to that other world would open, and the eight-armed eight-eyed giant would truly come to this world to punish evil, just like at the lakeside once upon a time, or in Myitkyina. Xiao Pingguo closed her fists tightly, her eyes shining with excitement. As for Liu Shiling, who was sitting next to her in the second row, upon hearing Old Xias words, furrowed her brows. Her first reaction was to feel her neck for the hood of her clothes, only to realize that she was not wearing her hooded garment that day, nor was she wearing the Dingling Magic Robe given to her by the ancient fairy. So she scratched her head, got out of her seat, and touched the backrest of the drivers seat, looking at Old Xia and said: Sister Roast Chicken Wings, Im ready! But school starts in three days, so we need to hurry up! Well then, Old Xia, what does Xiang Kun need us to do? Yang Zhener joined in: Im the oldest, give the dangerous tasks to me first! She seemed to have already determined that they were going to do some kind of dangerous work, like fighting monsters or battling evil forces. Looking at the excited state of everyone in the car, Xia Libing nodded and left one sentence: Everyone sleep early these days. Then she was the first to get out of the car. Yang Zhener, Liu Shiling, and Xiao Pingguo looked at each other, then turned their gazes to Alice. Alice simply stood up in the seat, but then her head hit the ceiling, so she had to squat down. Hugging her knees, she said to them: Dont worry! The boss will be back soon! Dont be afraid! Were invincible! As soon as she finished speaking, Alice immediately dissolved and disappeared, startling Yang Zhener. At this point, Old Xia opened the sliding door of the GL8. Xiao Pingguo and the Little Fatty Girl got off the car first, followed by Yang Zhener, who couldnt help but ask: What do you mean by sleep early? Is the mission going to be in the early morning? Oh, Old Xia, give us some hints! Xia Libing shut the car door, turned to look at her, thought for a moment and said: Use your imagination. Huh?! But Xia Libing didnt say another word and walked towards the courtyard with Fruit and Fatty Girl. But Yang Zhener knew, however, that Old Xias words were not a simple teaseit must hold meaning. Otherwise, she wouldnt have said it at all. But what did that mean exactly? As Yang Zhener furrowed her brows and contemplated for a few seconds, her stomach suddenly growled. She rubbed her belly and frowned, Im famishedStrange, its not long since I had lunch. Even though I didnt eat much in the box because I was thinking about Alice, I still ate a considerable amount of crispy pigs knuckle. I even had ice cream on the way back Ah right, they were all morphed by Alice. As soon as I ate them, they disappeared. Oh man, I am starving! Old Xia, make me some noodles! New South Wales State Capital, Australia, a grimy and stinky subway tunnel where a tall Chinese man leads two Chinese women forward. The subway station here was built in 1960, so its nearly 60 years old now and is a bit run-down. A lot of strange things happen here. What I have just told you is nothing compared to the truly weird incidents. In the past, people have even claimed to see mermaids here, said the young Chinese man at the front, wielding a flashlight as he slowly advanced and explained. Mermaids? Like the ones in the sea? asked the slender, tall girl. The girls name was Ye Zijun. In March of this year, she and her parents were attacked by hooligans during a trip in Myitkyina, a tourist city in Burma. The attackers were thwarted by the sudden appearance of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion. Once back in her homeland, she quit her job to make a documentary about the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion, collecting testimonies from tourists who saw the illusion that night in Myitkyina. At the beginning, she mainly interviewed domestic tourists who were in Myitkina that day. She then returned to Myitkyina to talk to some locals, and next on her list were interviews with non-Chinese foreign tourists who saw the eight-armed, eight-eyed illusion. The course of her inquiry went smoothly. Upon learning that she also was a witness of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion that night and listening to her personal feelings and thoughts about the event, the interviewees C whether Chinese, Burmese, or from other countries C volunteered to help with her project, providing her with all the details she wished. For a while, two men claiming to be journalists wanted to join her documentary project, promising to help her find sponsors and funding. She agreed readily, knowing that she was new to this kind of work C up to that point, her experience was mainly in making vlogs, with no experience in interviewing or making documentaries. She found the work difficult doing it alone, was paying for it out of her savings, and running into many difficulties. She was more than happy to learn that professionals were willing to assist and guide her. However, she quickly realized that something was off. The two men seemed to be using her, and her good relationship with the witnesses of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion, as a chance to ask strange questions unrelated to her documentary, as if conducting an investigation for some other purpose. This inspired Ye Zijuns suspicion, and she began to concoct excuses to distance herself from the men. However, unexpectedly, they took the initiative to leave to cover other assignments. They even introduced her to a contact at their media outlet who would continue to provide financial support and additional production help. The contact advised Ye Zijun to hire one or two assistants to accompany her, and assured her they would reimburse her for the related expenses. While in Burma, she hired Mao Qiang, the Burmese teenager who rescued her during the attack, as an assistant and guide. After returning to China, she hired an additional assistant before heading to Europe and the Australia for further interviews. Her assistant Xiao Ding, is the curly-haired girl currently holding the camera and following them. The girl, wearing khaki work pants and a denim jacket, has curling hair dyed pink and is relatively plump. She is very efficient and is good at shooting, and can speak decent English and basic Japanese. Over time, she has proven to be an excellent right-hand woman to Ye Zijun, making their cooperation very enjoyable. Xiao Ding was previously cooperating with a famous live-streaming influencer to make outdoor exploration videos and live streams about paranormal events, while presenting them as travel vlogs or normal tourist experiences. However, during one of their shoots, she and her partner encountered a true paranormal event. After that ordeal, her co-anchor was too scared to film this kind of live-stream anymore and began working at a bar. However, Xiao Ding remained determined to continue shooting related content. Before meeting Ye Zijun, Xiao Ding was planning to independently investigate and document the backstory of the Myitkyinas eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion. For her, being an assistant to Ye Zijun, even if it meant working for free, was worth it because its something she wanted to pursue in the first place. For their Australian trip, they planned on interviewing several people who had also witnessed the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion in Myitkyina, and also secured the cooperation of a local international student as a translator and guide. They completed their interviews the day before yesterday, and the Chinese student, currently walking in front of them, told them about a strange event that took place in an abandoned subway tunnel. The bizarre event piqued their curiosity, and they decided to come and investigate it themselves, shoot a footage and maybe come across an unexpected surprise. The Chinese boy in the lead laughed, Not the mermaids found in the sea. These ones arent pretty at all and they have four legs. They are very terrifying. Perhaps someone saw a large lizard? suggested Ye Zijun. When they visited one of their interviewees recently, they saw a giant lizard, at least a meter or even two meters long, crawl past the backyard. Zijun almost screamed out in fear at the sight. Perhaps. The Chinese boy chuckled. Before long, he lit up a side door in the passage with his flashlight, Here we are, its over there. Ye Zijun and Xiao Ding shared a look, re-enforced their spirits, and quickly followed. After he pushed open the door and strode in, they found themselves walking through a narrow corridor which led to a fairly large room. The flashlight illuminated several exposed ducts on the side. The room was filled with the stench of decay, causing Ye Zijun to raise her collar to cover her nose. You said you heard someone crying here, right, and also all sorts of strange sounds? asked Ye Zijun. I dont hear any crying now and neither any odd noises. Are we not at the right place yet? The Chinese boy in front stopped in his tracks, turned off his flashlight, and stammered, Havent you noticed anything strange? Strange things? Zijun let go of her collar, flashing her flashlight at the boys back with one hand, and gripping her stun gun in her pocket with the other. Having spent several days with him, she and Xiao Ding found him to be reliable. Nevertheless, they had both planned an escape strategy, which included calling for help if necessary and a response plan for emergencies. Yes, strange things. said the Chinese student, turning around. His voice was cold, For instance, me. The faces of Ye Zijun and Xiao Ding were hit simultaneously by the direct light from the handheld flashlight, and the light mounted on the the camera platform. All over his face were small mushroom-like growths, and his eye sockets were dark and hallow. In them, something resembling moss was rapidly spreading throughout. Chapter 606 - Chapter 606: Chapter 606: Run Fast! Chapter 606: Chapter 606: Run Fast! Seeing such a horrifying scene in this semi-enclosed, pitch-dark environment was naturally a huge fright for the two girls. However, both Ye Zijun and Xiao Ding had mentally prepared themselves to some extent before they followed the male student of Chinese descent into this abandoned subway tunnel. Given their past experiences and various adventures, they did not scream or turn around and run away when they faced this shocking scene. Ye Zijuns first reaction was to shout, Xiao Ding, dont be afraid! Look at the cameras screen, it might be our hallucination! At the same time, she pulled out the taser she had been holding in her pocket earlier, and instead of retreating, advanced forward, snapping it against the neck of the young man who had a multitude of small mushrooms growing on his face and moss sprouting from his eye sockets. The mutated young man stiffened when shocked, but then raised his hands to accurately and forcefully grab Ye Zijuns neck. Various types of moss sprouting from the back of his hand, green, black, and purple, began to creep along his fingers towards Ye Zijuns neck. Its not a hallucination! The camera captured it too! Xiao Ding looked up from the camera screen and saw Ye Zijuns predicament, without any hesitation, she rushed up and kicked the mutated young mans knee with all her might, Fuck you! Taking advantage of the moment when the mutated man was thrown off balance by Xiao Dings kick, and his grip loosened, Ye Zijun grabbed his wrist, bent her knee, and rammed it hard against the mans groin. Finally releasing his grip, Ye Zijun did not attempt to continue her attack after breaking free. Instead, she picked up the flashlight from the ground, pulled Xiao Ding up, and started running back the way they came. While running towards the entrance, their flashlight swept across the nearby tunnel walls, only to realize with a start that the wall was also covered in various types of moss and mushrooms C they were not there when they first came in. They sprouted in such a short time?! Ye Zijun still doubted whether all this was just an illusion, but now was not the time to verify. The priority was to run first. Finally, the flashlight illuminated the door. They were about to get out. Even though the outside was still underground in the subway tunnel, the space was wider, there were more escape routes, and they were closer to the exit. However, they quickly noticed two massive lizards crawling up from the entrance to the inside of the tunnel. One was on the ground flicking its forked tongue, while the other was climbing up the wall. Both Ye Zijun and Xiao Ding immediately thought of the mermaid story the Chinese student had told them on their way here. They had guessed it was a lizard when they heard that the mermaid of legend had four legs and moved around on land, especially since they had seen a massive lizard just a few days after arriving in Australia. They hadnt expected to encounter lizards here as well. There was a stark difference between these two massive lizards and the one they had seen outside the interviewees house. Not only were they bigger, but their bodies were also covered with colorful moss and mushrooms, which gave anyone who saw them goosebumps. What do we do now, sister? Xiao Ding asked nervously. With mutated gigantic lizards blocking their path ahead and a mutated large man behind them, they seemed to have fallen into a dire predicament with pursuers behind and no way out ahead. Ye Zijun was also somewhat hesitant. By instinct alone, she felt that the mutated man behind them might be easier to deal with, but the problem was that if they turned back and ran in that direction, they would be moving deeper into the tunnel and further away from the exit. They would also be herded like sheep by the two mutated lizards, which could put them in an even more complex situation. But if they charged forward, she felt they would both end up horribly dead. Just as she was hesitating, Xiao Ding suddenly exclaimed: Sis! Your your face! The illumination equipment on Xiao Dings camera was fixed on Ye Zijuns face, revealing that her face was covered in that eerie moss, and there were even mushrooms sprouting from her neck. Ye Zijun froze, slowly raising her hand to touch her face. Immediately, she pulled back as if it had been scalded, giving a start of surprise. Then, she hurriedly scrubbed her neck and face with rising despair. The repulsive sensation told her that whatever was on her face was foreign. But no matter how hard she tried to scrape it off, it felt as if it was a part of her a horrifying extension of her own skin. Footsteps echoed in the background. The mutated boy was catching up with a limp. Shining her flashlight on him, she recoiled at the sight of his face covered in mushrooms and exposed skin laden with moss C a terrifying spectacle. Shining the light back to the entrance, she noticed the two large lizards closing in. She grit her teeth, making a decision. Run towards the exit! If you manage to escape, make sure to send the video out! Ye Zijun had decided to draw the attention of the lizards, sacrificing herself to buy Xiao Ding some time to escape. If it was a year ago, or before her tour to Myitkyina, before witnessing the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion, she probably would have never made such a death-defying decision, especially knowing well that she herself had slim chances of surviving this ordeal. But now, to her, such decision-making had become an intuitive and natural reaction. She knew this was the best choice she could make. Sis! Xiao Ding instantly understood the implications and the determination in Ye Zijuns words. No matter how altered her appearance was, Ye Zijun was still Ye Zijun the sister who always took care of her. Therefore, Xiao Ding followed Ye Zijun towards the exit, clutching her camera, ready to fight alongside her sister. She was determined not to abandon her sister and escape on her own! The two had only just started rushing forward when the two giant lizards halted as if something was pulling their tails. They were being dragged backward. However, under the beam of the flashlight, they could see nothing tangible holding the lizards tails. It seemed like an invisible force had taken hold of them. The two giant lizards were dragged behind the gate, letting out a pitiful scream before the sound of them crashing into the wall echoed. Ye Zijun and Xiao Ding hesitated momentarily, but they had no time to ponder as the mutated boy was closing in. So, without a second thought, they broke into a run and shot through the small doorway. As they reached the outside, they were met with a sight of a pretty young girl, dressed in white and standing a few metres away, holding something that looked alarmingly like a pigs elbow. Move! Said the girl, who not only looked Asian but also spoke perfect Mandarin Chinese. Ye Zijun and Xiao Ding reflexively darted to the sides, and the girl threw the object resembling a pigs elbow. It whizzed right between them, flying straight into the doorway they had just emerged from. Next, they heard sounds of a collision, and the limping footsteps of the mutation faded away, implying that the mutated boy was hit. But how much damage could a piece of pigs elbow, thrown by such a young girl, inflict? Both Ye Zijun and Xiao Ding instinctively turned back, illuminating the spot with their lights, but they only saw the moss-covered walls, the mutated boy was nowhere in sight. They turned back to where the little girl had been standing, but she had vanished without a trace. Without the leisure to conduct a thorough search or to linger, they dashed up the alley from which they had come earlier. However, they had not run far before they saw more mutated creatures, large and small, covered in moss and small mushrooms, appearing right before them. There were mutated lizards, mice, snakes, toads and so on, swarming their path. Their reflexes told them to turn around, but instead, they heard a faint buzzing from the sides. They saw red lines appear, twirling and cutting through the horde of creatures with an incredible speed, obliterating the mutated entities. Move on. A voice, low and raspy as if metal grinding against metal, roused the stunned duo. They instinctively swept around with their light source, but failed to discern any figure. The voice they heard, however, was unmistakably not that of the little girl from earlier. Just as they were about to press on, footsteps echoed from up ahead. Ye Zijun turned her flashlight toward the sound, only for it to abruptly extinguish. Yet when she pointed the flashlight elsewhere, the light returned. A shadowy figure approached, grasping her neck and pushing her against a nearby wall. Startled, Ye Zijun quickly realized that the hand clutching her throat wasnt exerting any real force. She could breathe freely, her neck wasnt trapped. The grip reminded her more of how a doctor might steady her chin and neck for inspection. And strangely, she sensed no danger from the figure, no surge of panic or fear. So much so that she didnt yell or resist but simply let the figure choke her against the wall. She then felt what seemed like a heap of minute objects cover her face, giving off a refreshing sensation. Xiao Ding also got the scare of his life. Though he too could make out a figure approaching, the light from his stabilizer refused to illuminate that person. Its beam would disappear as soon as it hit the figure and return once pointed elsewhere, as if the figure was somehow swallowing the light. Although he couldnt shed light on the mystery figure, he could see Ye Zijun. He watched in terror as a large hand grasped her throat and her face was covered with tiny beads. He howled and lunged at the figure, brandishing his camera, his mouth open, aiming to bite the figures neck. But before his teeth sunk in, something obstructed his mouth and was then promptly spat out. Picking up the rejected morsel, Xiao Ding discovered it was a crispy pigs elbow. And surprisingly, it tasted good? While Xiao Ding stood, mouth agog, holding the pigs elbow, the beads on Ye Zijuns face vanished, and the hand around her neck disappeared as well. Dazed, she picked up Xiao Dings fallen camera, aiming her flashlight forward and walked towards him. Xiao Ding, Im fine. At her words, Xiao Ding looked up at her. Drawing on the nearby light source, he goggled, Sis, your face your skins back to normal! Ye Zijun felt her own face. The skin was indeed smooth again, free of the horrifying sensation of fungus and moss. She suddenly realized that the steady sound of footsteps was still audible. Raising her flashlight to illuminate the direction of the entrance, the flashlight went out halfway up. With sudden understanding, she realized the person who just choked her was watching their departure there. Who who are you? Ye Zijun couldnt hold back her question. Time for you to go, came a relaxed, male voice. But it sounded different from the unnerving low voice that preceded it, potentially a different person altogether. Teetering with indecision, Ye Zijun finally managed to utter a thank you and exited with Xiao Ding. Finally emerging from the abandoned subway tunnel onto the platform aboveground, the sight of sunlight filled with a sense of reprieve from a narrow escape. Wheres my pigs elbow? Xiao Ding studied his empty hand, puzzled. What pigs elbow? Ye Zijun questioned, not understanding why Xiao Ding, having just survived quite the ordeal, was obsessing over a pigs elbowwas he hungry? Sis, dont you remember seeing me holding a piece of pigs elbow? A crispy pigs elbow, Xiao Ding clarified. No, not at all. Xiao Ding froze momentarily, then turned to look back at the entrance of the derelict subway station, his voice trembling, Sis do you remember seeing the little girl we just saw in the tunnel? Of course, I do, Ye Zijun replied. Her recent experiences had all been confoundingly eerie: shocking visuals, confrontational encounters too numerous to count, creating a surreal sense of reality. Having previously encountered the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion in Myitkyina could be why she wasnt overly startled or frightened, despite her brushes with death and dire straits. For that reason, she felt an odd kinship with that cute little girl in the white princess dress, the figure with the harsh and gravelly tone, the black hole, the hand gripping her throat, and the one who had rid her face of the fungus and moss. Could it be because they were all speaking in Mandarin? Perplexed by the puzzling expression on Xiao Dings face, his shock outmatching his fear, she gripped his shoulder in concern, Whats wrong? Are you okay? Xiao Ding turned to face her, Sis, that little girl Ive met her before. What? You have? Ye Zijun was genuinely surprised. Sis, do you remember me telling you about the paranormal experience I had in a construction site? It was barely a glimpse, but that little girls face I cant forget her, Xiao Ding said, a look of gloom overtaking his face, I hadnt quite put two and two together until now, but it suddenly hit me: despite going abroad, she somehow managed to follow me Do you think shes attached to me? Ye Zijun gaped, completely taken aback by the news. Regardless, she said, Even if shes latched onto you, she doesnt mean to harm you. She did save us back there. Besides, didnt you agree to work with me exactly because youre seeking to uncover the truth behind paranormal encounters? Stunned by her words, Xiao Ding nodded, Thats true Lets check the camera, see if we captured her, Ye Zijun suggested. Xiao Ding immediately started checking their camera. Once he switched it on, he realized all she had shot was gone; all the footage, the photos, not a single file was left on the memory card. Did it break when it fell? Ye Zijun asked with a frown. Quite disappointedshe had high hopes for the filmed content. No, its her. She doesnt want us to film her, Xiao Ding suggested, pondering over his recent experiences. Ye Zijun was reminded of her own encounters as well as the earlier accounts of the Myitkyina incident, and nodded her agreement, Looks like. What about Andy? Hes still stuck down there I wonder what happened to him. Should we call the police? Xiao Ding asked. Yes. Ye Zijun agreed, But we should contact Old Xu first, explain the situation to him, see if we should reach out to the embassy or a lawyer first. In the middle of their conversation, Ye Zijun noticed Xiao Dings complexion turn unhealthy, and asked, Whats wrong? Xiao Ding started retching violently. By his fifth attempt, he spat out a foul concoction of liquid, food debris, and tiny rice-like clots of blood. Taking in a large breath of fresh air, Xiao Ding suddenly felt inexplicably liberated. Chapter 607 - Chapter 607: Chapter 607 The Girl Who Threw The Pigs Foot Chapter 607: Chapter 607 The Girl Who Threw The Pigs Foot In the abandoned underground tunnel, Xiang Kun and Mr. Liang were dealing with a certain mutant creature. Yes, although there seem to be a lot of mutated creatures, such as lizards, snakes, rats, and even a mutated Asian male, this underground space is actually dominated by a single mutant. The countless colorful mosses and mushrooms were all parts of this mutant, and any humans or animals like the giant lizards and rats were simply hosts that it parasitized, controlled, and influenced. When Ye Zijun discovered the moss and mushrooms that had sprouted on her face, she lost all hope, even considering suicide so that Xiao Ding could escape. But actually, the infection by this mutant was not as lethal as she had assumed. If they were not to be killed by the mutant boy or the mutant creature, once they managed to escape from underground and move away from this area C say, returning to their home country C the mosses would naturally disappear. The reason why Xiang Kun wanted to clear the infected parts before Ye Zijun left was to prevent her from receiving excessive treatment or being attacked by the locals after she got out. However, if they were forcibly kept underground, or quietly infected, and did not move away from this area, Ye Zijun would inevitably undergo a complete mutation like the boy, the giant lizards, and the rats, turning into a puppet controlled and manipulated by the parasite. Even for the controlled creatures, they actually enjoyed it, willingly helping the mutant to find more blood sources and hosts. However, doing so would often result in the old hosts being the first to be eliminated, consumed as a blood source. Xiang Kun walked slowly through the underground tunnel. Wherever he reached, the mosses and mushrooms that had initially spread on the wall ahead, seemingly preparing for a conference, began to rapidly fall off or disappear. As for the mutated creatures crawling out from the nooks and crannies or holes in the surrounding area, they either had already been dealt with by Mr. Liang, who was ahead of him, or else they were frantically fleeing, not daring to come out to intercept or harass Xiang Kun. Clearly, the mutant was showing extreme fear of Xiang Kun. Xiang Kun didnt pay attention to these things either because he knew that, although those mosses, mushrooms and the like were parts of the mutants body, controlling or eliminating them wouldnt truly affect the mutant. Just like if you plucked all the leg hair from a person, it might make them hurt, but it wouldnt kill them. Xiang Kun arrived at the small door where the Asian boy had lured Ye Zijun and Xiao Ding to explore. He stopped next to Mr. Liang, who was standing at the doorway. Mr. Liang was still invisible, but in the almost total darkness of the area, it didnt make much difference whether he was invisible or not, as Xiang Kun had multiple modes of sensation. Ive checked, the parasitic creatures on the guy have fully erupted, I think theres no hope for him, Mr. Liangs low and hoarse voice sounded, he looked deeper into the tunnel: To catch it, we probably need to go further in. Dozens of miniature drones had already ventured deeper for exploration. No worries, its hiding deep but its mobility is poor. We can leave it to Alice. Xiang Kun finished, opened his bag, and soon countless super-connected spheres scattered towards the depths of the tunnel from various containers in his bag, as if they were alive. Besides, the super-connected spheres that followed Xiang Kun all the way here earlier, helping to clear Ye Zijuns face of the infection, also followed suit. Like an organized army, they marched in formation in the dark. Is that the girl who threw the pigs foot earlier? The girl who appeared by your side and spoke to you earlier, was it her too? Her name is Alice? Mr. Liang asked, She doesnt seem like a blood-eating creature? Earlier in the mountains, right after he finished drinking blood, he vaguely saw a girl appearing and disappearing next to Xiang Kun, leaving no traces. At that time, Xiang Kun simply described her as a naughty little one. Shes not a blood-eating creature. She came into being based on my ability system. In the future, when you can sense more special connections around you, when you can sense the existence of the network system I mentioned, you will naturally know who she is and what she can do, Xiang Kun said, still without elaborating on Alice to Mr. Liang. Since Mr. Liang had already established a connection with the secondary network of Emotion Infused Objects of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving, Xiang Kun knew that sooner or later, he would sense something through the Super-connected Objects that have now spread all over the various cities and human settlements. At that time, he would naturally gradually realize what kind of existence Alice is, who is omnipresent within the Super Sensory Item System and is responsible for allocating various Super-connected Objects and Emotion Infused Objects. Its like someone using a Xiaomi phone, Xiaomi smart home appliances, and all the devices under the Xiaomi ecosystem, they would inevitably come into contact with Xiao Ai. Xiang Kuns words sparked Mr. Liangs imaginations, conjuring up various speculations. He still found it hard to understand how a human who was not a Blood-eating Creature, especially such a little girl, could vanish so mysteriously at any time? Moreover, judging both by his own senses and by the overt and implicit meanings of Xiang Kuns words, the little girl was not an optical illusion, but a real entity. Moreover, from Xiang Kuns actions, the magic little steel beads that he carried on his body seemed to have a direct relationship with the little girl, Alice. Could it be that the little girl was actually these little steel beads? Shouldnt we lend a hand? Seeing that Xiang Kun remained in place and made no move, Mr. Liang couldnt help but ask. Originally, he thought Xiang Kun had rushed him over because this mutant was relatively tricky and difficult to handle, but judging by how things were, it didnt seem like that was the case. Xiang Kun, with his leisurely demeanor, seemed more like he had come for a stroll, to spectate. No need, it will be resolved soon. Xiang Kun said. The actual fighting power of the mutant they were now facing wasnt strong, but to kill or control it wasnt easy, mainly because of its enormous size and its broad distribution. It was not easy to find its fatal weakness or key part. However, just as with how Xiao Luobo easily dealt with the mutant underground on the mountain before, when facing this kind of divided mutant, Alice, who had ample super-connected items to support her, dominated the fight. Under the level of the Super Sensory Information, the divided, hidden parasites, and the resurrection of the mutant were all transparent and meaningless. In comparison, Alice and the Super-connected Army she controls via the Super Sensory Item System, were the true representation of pulling together. It was entirely a one-sided crush. Of course, if Xiang Kun was willing to spend time, he could enter the Super Sensory State himself, slowly control the release of the Super-connected items, sense and explore cognitive information, with the aid of following smells and thermal imaging vision modes. He could eventually find the core of the mutant. But this would take a lot more time, and since Alice could do the work for him, why should he go to the extra trouble? Less than ten minutes later, a faint light blinked in the distance in the tunnel. Mr. Liang found that all the drones he had sent out instantly lost contact, and only regained connection a few seconds later. He turned to look at Xiang Kun next to him, who then slowly said, We found it, lets go over. This time, Xiang Kun didnt stroll at a leisurely pace like before, instead he began to run with big strides. The tunnel was pitch black, but for him, all the terrain and obstacles were clear as day, so he didnt hesitate at all, running at an extremely fast speed. Mr. Liang naturally followed closely. Even without using targeted Biological Components, he himself was also extremely physically capable. Following Xiang Kun in running down the tunnel for a while, they turned into a small door on the side. After winding through the narrow and cramped space, they went down a metal ladder to a space underground. Mr. Liang immediately smelled the scent of something being scorched. Turn on the light. Xiang Kun, in front, stopped. Mr. Liang did as instructed, turning on the illuminating device he carried. Then he saw in front of him a shrunken mass, heavily covered in moss and small mushrooms, about two meters in diameter. Numerous tiny fluffy tentacles protruded from the surroundings of the creature, as if fearing something, they dared not touch the ground. In the air, large amounts of tiny dust could be seen fluttering. Mr. Liang realized that these particles had the ability to infect. He was about to switch on the air-filtering respiration Biological components, but then he realized that Xiang Kun was right next to him and decided not to take any action, instead standing behind Xiang Kun and acting as a spotlight. Is this a case of a blood-eating creature of the fungus kind devouring one from the moss kind, or vice versa? Mr. Liang couldnt help but ask. Theyre in a state of incomplete symbiosis. As Xiang Kun spoke, he reached into his own bag, took out a handful of green seeds, and threw them directly at that mass. As those seeds were tossed, countless Super-connected spheres lurking in the surrounding darkness pounced instantaneously, enveloping the mossy mushroom cluster, which seemed about to move, transforming it into a ball of iron and significantly reducing its size. Obviously, what that mutant just feared were these spheres. You want toplant trees with them? Mr. Liang asked in astonishment. He had seen these seeds before, he knew they came from the countless Twisted Neck Trees, peculiar vines and various seemingly ordinary offspring plants under Xiang Kuns control. He knew very well how terrifying these plants were; both the previous Giant raptor and giant underground Blood-eating Creature were easily controlled and held hostage by these plants, devoid of any resistance ability. He had never figured out whether these plants were a special kind of Blood-eating Creatures or a part of Xiang Kun, a prolongation of his own body? Your description is accurate. Xiang Kun replied. Mr. Liang remained frowning and asked, Soit is not my next blood source? I told you, our objective this time isnt hunting. Xiang Kun looked at that orb continuously morphing as if something inside was trying to break out of the sphere barrier and said, This thing might look big, causing a lot of commotion and creating a significant impact, but speaking from the level of transformation, its quite low-level, far from meeting your current needs. We rushed over here to save those two girls? Mr. Liang asked. He had looked up Xiang Kuns information, he knew that Xiang Kun has a complex of stepping in to help those in need. During the period of his mutation, Xiang Kun had assisted the police in catching criminals and saving people numerous times, winning heaps of cash rewards. The major illusion in Myitkyina was also his doing, aiming to prevent the riot targeting Chinese tourists. Its part of the reason, Xiang Kun replied, but not the main one. While speaking, he walked over, patted that iron ball that had been wrapped up and was now quiet, and said, This thing is a tool used by the Ultimate Predator to test us. Or more precisely, that male student as well as those two female students that just arrived, they all serve as its tools. Toolsof the Ultimate Predator? Upon hearing this term, Mr. Liang was subconsciously on high alert. Noticing his emotional shift, Xiang Kun laughed and said, Theres no need to worry; it cant understand our communication now. As Ive said before, to perceive and obtain information, it needs to go through the transformation of some functional organs and parts. It needs to process the information through the consciousness of other organisms. It needs other organisms to help it make judgments and calculations. In other words, unless theres a part of you or me that has been transformed by its hidden factors, it wouldnt be able to understand what were discussing. Soit deliberately lured you here? With those two girls? Mr. Liang understood something, Do you know them? The Ultimate Predator has been testing us all along. During our previous hunts, a lot of things were happening around us. It knows that your level of transformation is constantly increasing and it might sense that we seem to be targeting it, but it doesnt know what we are going to do precisely nor dares to confront me directly. Moreover, your increase in transformation level is also something it wants. As such, it could only use a messy array of methods to try and attract our attention, probe us and try to plant its spies around us, Xiang Kun explained. Ive been ignoring its probes all this time, but now, I want to conduct an experiment, so I thought Id come over, Xiang Kun said, and by the way, save some people. Ye Zijun was also connected to the secondary Emotion Infused Objects network of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed woodcarving, so through the Super sensory Item System, Alice could monitor her whereabouts and status changes in real time. Alice knew well what she was going through and was able to predict it to some extent. But if Alice wanted to save them, she could only issue a warning in advance, and try to prevent them from being taken into the underground passage by that host. Although she could restrain that moss mushroom-like mutant, she needed sufficient Super-connected Objects for support, which were not available in their vicinity or in that underground tunnel at the time. If Alice had enough time, she could use her control over the internet and the entire social system to place sufficient Super-connected Objects in that underground tunnel. After informing Xiang Kun about the situation, he decided to come over with Mr. Liang and respond to the inquiries of the Ultimate Predator. The special factors in the moss mushroom had been activated, forming a control system to control and drive its behavior. The Chinese boy who was parasitized by the moss mushroom also had miniature organs formed by special factors. Even Xiao Ding had his special factor activated before entering the underground tunnel, but it had not shown any significant impact or manifestation yet. It was cleared by Xiang Kun and Alice, like a spy hiding in the body who hadnt gathered any information yet but was caught and killed. When Xiang Kun was helping Ye Zijun deal with the moss on her face, he was actually helping Xiao Ding unknowingly remove the special factors and special body tissues in her body with the help of the Super-connected Objects nearby. Among everyone, only Ye Zijun was not affected by the Ultimate Predator. Because she had established a connection with the secondary Emotion Infused Objects network of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Woodcarving, as long as there were some Super-connected Objects where Ye Zijun was located, Alice could ensure that the unique cognitive information and special factors of Ye Zijuns Ultimate Predator would not be transformed and activated into substances that could affect her body and consciousness, or form some kind of microorganism. If necessary, Alice could even inform Xiang Kun to help Ye Zijun remotely clear the special factors in her body. Strictly speaking, Alice could also prevent and control the special factors of other people around Ye Zijun, but her main control is now within the country, surrounding the people Xiang Kun has instructed, such as Xiang Kuns parents, Old Xia, Little Apple, and Tang Baona, to ensure that they are not directly affected by the Ultimate Predator and are not implanted with special factors again. Therefore, for others, Alice would not make too much effort unless Xiang Kun instructed her to do so, or she was within the secondary network of Emotion Infused Objects, because her protective capacity is limited. Xiang Kuns previous plan was to infinitely enhance Alices protection and monitoring capabilities, effectively paralyzing the Ultimate Predators ability to control the fate of other creatures. But this method requires a long time and needs to be laid out slowly. The Ultimate Predators control of the mutated big bird to attack the passenger plane forced Xiang Kun to change his plan and prepare to solve the problem in a more aggressive and quick manner. Watching the tiny steel beads all disperse and the moss turn from colorful to a single shade of green, with all the little mushrooms and surrounding tentacles disappearing, Mr. Liang asked ironically, Is this being swallowed? Not swallowed in the way you understand it, but more like assimilated, Xiang Kun said, The fungal part of it got killed, and the moss part has become part of Xiao Luobo. Its not a conventional mutant or blood-eating creature anymore. Xiao L.. Luobo? Mr. Liang was somewhat bewildered. He felt that in front of Xiang Kun, he was supposed to be the senior who had mutated for more than a decade, the legitimate one who had a professional like Academician Shen to conduct research with, the one who was much older than Xiang Kun, but why did he feel like an ignorant newbie in front of a high-level player? The more time he spent with Xiang Kun, the more he felt he knew too little. However, this didnt bring him any sense of defeat, but more a sense of novelty and a hint of absurdity. Looking at the cluster of moss that seemed to remain unchanged on the spot, Xiang Kun knew that this new type of moss was quietly growing everywhere in the world, in forests controlled by various Xiao Luobo, and even in some cities. Instead of answering Mr. Liangs question about Xiao Luobo, Xiang Kun bent down, picked up a piece of moss, turned around and walked in front of him and asked: Have you ever imagined what a world without the Ultimate Predator would look like? Chapter 608 - Chapter 608: Chapter 608: Xiao Luobos Platform Chapter 608: Chapter 608: Xiao Luobos Platform What would a world without the Ultimate Predator look like? Upon hearing Xiang Kun suddenly put forward this question, Mr. Liang was slightly surprised, but he had actually thought about it C both before and after meeting with Xiang Kun. He understood clearly that the crux of this question wasnt the Ultimate Predator itself, but rather the status of the numerous Blood-eating Creatures in this world whether there is or isnt an Ultimate Predator, as well as humanitys attitude and approach towards these Blood-eating Creatures. Even though the Ultimate Predator is a gigantic guillotine hanging over the heads of all creatures, restraining human societys research into Blood-eating Creatures and their evolutionary limits, in a certain sense, its precisely because of the existence of the Ultimate Predator that the order of human society hasnt been disrupted by the minority of Blood-eating Creatures. Once the Ultimate Predator is gone, whether its various Blood-eating Creatures or human institutions that have been freed from this threat, either might potentially cause a severe shock to the existing ecological and social orders. Mr. Liang inquired, Are you somehow able to detect the locations of all Blood-eating Creatures? Starting from when he embarked on the Hunting Trip with Xiang Kun, Mr. Liang had been wondering how Xiang Kun knew the exact locations of Blood-eating Creatures hidden all over the world. This included the small lion capable of camouflage on African plains, subterranean life in remote mountains of Australia, and even large aquatic Blood-eating Creatures in the deep sea. It seemed like he had eyes and ears everywhere. He clearly knew that Xiang Kun took him to hunt those few Blood-eating Creatures not because Xiang Kun knew only the locations of those creatures. To him, these Blood-eating Creatures were selected based on his needs during the transformation stages of his blood-drinking periods C not just any random creatures would do. This meant that Xiang Kun was likely aware of the conditions and locations of all Blood-eating Creatures within those regions, and selected from among them. Despite years of data accumulation by Divine Technology, support from official institutions, the input of massive resources, and the services of many professional personnel and equipment, even in their home country with the greatest surveillance capabilities, there was no way to know the locations of all Blood-eating Creatures, let alone understand their transformation stages. As for overseas? As for the sea? Those were even more challenging. But how did Xiang Kun manage this, considering hes only been transformed for a little over a year? At the moment I cant say its all of them, but it could be in future. Xiang Kun, looking at a piece of moss wriggling slowly in the palm of his hand as if it was affectionate, said, Thanks to these. As Mr. Liang looked at the moss, he thought of the various animated, animal-like plants he had seen previously in the mountains, the freely flying steel balls controlled by Xiang Kun, and the elusive, almost undetectable little girl. A sudden thought came to him: Could Xiang Kun imbue plants and other objects with a soul? If it had been Mr. Liang of the past, he certainly wouldnt entertain such an idea without theoretical or experimental support. However, after spending time with Xiang Kun, his theoretical foundation had long crumbled. However, once this idea surfaced, he suddenly discovered that he seemed to have established a subtle, indescribable connection with the moss on the ground that was spreading slowly, as well as tens of thousands of variously coloured tungsten steel balls around him. He murmured, If you can detect the locations and conditions of all Blood-eating Creatures, you can monitor them and even manage them. I understand now. If we resolve the Ultimate Predator, youre suggesting you could replace the Ultimate Predator and establish a new order and new rules for Blood-eating Creatures? Xiang Kun said, When our plan succeeds, when the Ultimate Predator loses its dominance over other creatures, the world will certainly undergo significant changes. Since I have the abilities, I also have the responsibility to determine how the new world operates. The Pandoras Box was opened by me, so I must also take responsibility for closing it or perhaps I should say: we. You should know my stance. Of course. If all human organizations simultaneously open up research into Blood-eating Creatures and High-Dimensional Factors, I fear it might cause chaos. Even without the presence of Ultimate Predator, I can still decide who can conduct research on Blood-eating Creatures and who cant. Even if the research on Blood-eating Creatures is opened, I can guarantee that the field and progress of the research will be under my control. Xiang Kuns words were emphatic and confident, which left Mr. Liang stunned. According to Xiang Kuns choice of words and tone, he seemed quite assured that his control over humanitys research into Blood-eating Creatures would surpass that of the Ultimate Predator. After spending time together, Mr. Liang had roughly grasped some of Xiang Kuns modus operandi: Xiang Kun rarely exaggerated; he was always able to accomplish what he said he could. So Mr. Liang didnt doubt Xiang Kuns words. He was merely extremely curious: those strange and diverse plants spread across different regions, those tiny steel balls, that elusive, surreal little girl, could they not only locate Blood-eating Creatures, but also monitor what the humans on this planet were doing? Could he truly monitor all living creatures? However, Mr. Liang also knew that if Xiang Kun intended to share something, he would do so without prompting, but if he didnt wish to disclose something, no amount of questioning would yield a definitive answer. So, he changed the subject: Blood-eating Creatures feed on blood, and they fight amongst themselves. You should know, Blood-eating Creatures have transformation limits. Once they reach that point, anything could happen in their desperation for survival and their bloodlust. Is there truly a way to control this? Xiang Kun laughed, gently tossing the piece of moss in his hand, saying: Thats exactly why I came here to do experiments this time. So far, the experiments have been very successful. He didnt keep Mr. Liang in suspense, and went on to explain: To give an analogy, the High-Dimensional Factors within our bodies are like construction workers and they exist widely in various creatures. When these workers exist independently, they will not have any apparent impact. Only in special circumstances when a foreman emerges within a certain biological unit, the laborers start working systematically within that biological unit. As the projects expand and develop, they need more manpower and building materials. Their scale gets bigger and bigger, but the standalone biological unit, no matter how large or complex, has its limits to the projects it can establish. Yet when the conditions for expanding their team or setting up larger projects are not met, they will keep working until the entire biological unit crashes and burns. This is how I understand the construction system and evolutionary system of High-Dimensional Factors, the transformation limits. But in fact, the construction projects of Construction Teams dont have to be confined to the biological units where they were born. We can offer them wider space to showcase their potential, allow them to execute grander projects. And these completed projects are equally owned by the original biological units, allowing for wider and richer applications. Xiao Luobo is the space for development I provided for the biological units, or rather, the bridge for them to reach a wider world. Under this system, blood-eating creatures can coexist, no longer constrained by the periodic limits, and do not need to enhance their abilities by devouring each other. This statement by Xiang Kun stunned Mr. Liang. What did he mean by construction team, development project, development space, workers, and bridge? Were these related to blood-eating creatures and high-dimensional factor theory? But surprisingly, after finishing what Xiang Kun said, Mr. Liang grasped the implied meaning. Did the blood-eating creature you mentioned earlierenter the open space for development? No, it became a building material'', Xiang Kun laughed, But it proved to me that the operating system I designed for Xiao Luobo is workable. As for the biological unit being developed on it, there is no need for practical proof, I already know its feasible. In fact, Xiang Kun has helped Jiang Chun survive a periodic limit using Xiao Luobo and the Super sensory Item System. Before, Xiang Kun found that Xiao Luobo, this semi-mutated being, had characteristics significantly different from ordinary mutants. It does not have a fixed blood-drinking period. It only needs to absorb nutrients from the surroundings when it needs to expand its territory or increase its sub-vegetation. The method is similar to other mutated plants absorbing plants, but it does not have a transformational dormant period, and can directly apply the transformation result to the sub-vegetation. Moreover, Xiao Luobo does not have periodic limits, and its characteristics of a mutant come largely from the abilities bestowed by the Super sensory Item System. Observations of Xiao Luobo provided Xiang Kun the inspiration to help other mutants survive the periodic limit and even assist in adjusting the blood-drinking cycle and method. The real space where the high-dimensional factors can be utilized is actually the Super Sensory Item System, a broad space based on his ability to form a combination of Super-connected Objects and Emotion Infused Objects. But that space cant be borrowed by just anyone. Even with Xiang Kuns permission and recognition, it would be quite difficult. It requires their own understanding and finding the most suitable interface. And Xiao Luobo is that interface that is easier to connect. On the one hand, Xiao Luobo undergoes transformation under Xiang Kuns active influence, possessing some characteristics of a mutant. It has a deep binding and fusion with the Super Sensory Item System, second only to Alice, which lives above the Super Sensory Item System. On the other hand, compared to the vague Super Sensory Item System, Xiao Luobo is a tangible, perceptible entity. For mutants who have not been able to establish a special connection with the Super-connected Objects or form their own access system, it offers a platform for quickly accessing some system functions. As for the current experiment, the process of allowing Xiao Luobo to decompose a mutant to nourish itself, Xiang Kun has also been able to confirm that Xiao Luobos absorption control of high-dimensional factors is fundamentally different from ordinary mutant absorption. Some parts of the mutant fungus directly disintegrated and vanished, while the moss part became a functional module which was then absorbed. If someone establishes a deep and systematic connection with Xiao Luobo and happens to have similar abilities, they could break down and develop that functional module, completing the transformation. Alternatively, if Xiang Kun is interested, he can directly disassemble and apply it; he can also let Alice do it. Of course, to use this platform, at least a connection must be established with the Secondary Emotion Object Network, and at present, the only ones who meet this precondition are two mutants: Jiang Chun and Mr. Liang. For this reason, Xiang Kun brought Mr. Liang on this trip to do this experiment, to show him these phenomena, to give him these many explanations, to let him understand the existence of this system. Although many things are still not thoroughly explained, and even the exact nature of Xiao Luobo has not been explicitly explained, according to past experience, Xiang Kun judged that this level of explanation was enough to give Mr. Liang room for development. Otherwise, there would be no way for Mr. Liang to fully understand it, and it would limit his imagination and the space for system construction. After living together for a while, Mr. Liang began to vaguely understand what Xiang Kun meant. Xiang Kuns abilities seem to be something that can only be understood but not explained, and he has been embedded in this system. Xiang Kun is helping him find his own cognitive system. Without questioning how the system operates, Mr. Liang asked: Your ability to create the eight-armed eight-eyed illusion, since it can be used on a large scale, then deploying it to an entire city, an entire country, or eventhe entire planet, could it help us govern the world better in the future? Based on his personal experience, and his investigation of the related phenomena before, this eight-armed eight-eyed illusion can indeed help people understand themselves more clearly, and it can punish criminals and promote good to a certain extent. In his understanding, if everyone can see this eight-armed eight-eyed illusion, then ordinary people can hold reverence and not be swayed by temporary desires or personal interests to make mistakes, criminals can reflect better, it would be an artifact that makes human society more orderly. Hearing this, Xiang Kun smiled, he recalled a slogan that Alice and Little Bell had murmured in their sleep some time ago: Barbie Warrior, Ambassador of Justice! Fighting crime, Protecting Earth! Eight big, bright eyes! Eight arms, invincible! When Barbie arrives, World Peace! In that dream, Alice and Little Fatty Girl even debated the last two slogans. Alice thought invincible sounded better, Little Fatty Girl argued that she didnt learn the word unbeatable, its not domineering. Alice thought Love and Peace was more poetic than World Peace, Little Fatty Girl argued that world was bigger than love, and that would suffice. Of course, in the end, Little Fatty Girl won the debate. Since then, Alice always liked to chant We are invincible. Chapter 609 - Chapter 609: Chapter 609: Eating Hamburgers Chapter 609: Chapter 609: Eating Hamburgers In fact, the idea Mr. Liang mentioned about using the fear emotion projection of the eight-armed, eight-eyed wood carving to manage peoples hearts and maintain order was also something Xiang Kun had considered. Initially, he was worried whether the fear caused by the eight-armed, eight-eyed wood carving would have any after-effects on ordinary people or produce any unidentified, detrimental reactions. After having enough samples, he realized this item mainly acted as a penalty for the guilty, introspection for the innocent, and basically posed no harm to ordinary people. However, he understood then that the emotional projection range of emotion infused objects is not unlimited. It would be simple to influence a single person or multiple targets within a small area. But to influence a large number of targets within a large area, enough super-connected objects would be required in the vicinity. Like before in Myitkyina, Alice had not yet merged with the super sensory item system, and lacked the strong, mass-produced, automated connection and deployment capabilities of super-connected objects. The entire city of Myitkyina had not been pre-set with enough super-connected objects, so if he wanted to make a large-scale influence in the city, and make more people see the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion, he could only control a bunch of super-connected spheres to move continuously under the super sensory state. Then he himself had to constantly leave the super sensory state, change positions for more precise control which was very cumbersome and troublesome. On the other hand, to impact a wide range with emotional projection, the effect of the emotional influence will inevitably differ. Under such circumstances, the emotional projection will achieve the best effect if the region has emotions of the same type. Like in Myitkyina, due to the occurrence of a riot, a mass of fear was already present in the area. This, in turn, actually provided a boost to the emotional projection, giving it a conduit to expand. Strictly speaking, with Alice having perfectly merged with the super sensory item system and super-connected objects already deployed in most human settlements around the world, both conditions can be perfectly resolved at this point in time. When necessary, Alice could even play Tang Baonas songs corresponding to certain emotions within these regions to preheat and mobilize emotional resonance, creating a perfect environment for the emotional projection. But the biggest problem was that Xiang Kun found the influence of emotional projection didnt stop after the illusion and instant emotional explosion. It was a continuous impact that could even establish a deep consciousness connection with the corresponding emotion infused object. The emergence of the emotion infused objects secondary network was proof of this situation. Through analyzing and understanding the emotion infused objects secondary network, Xiang Kun believed this system has a load limit. There is a limit to establishing secondary network connections and there is also a limit to the number of ordinary units affected by emotional projection. Its like the membership service and visitor access of a website server. Although its still far from that limit, Xiang Kun knows that such a limit exists. As for the relationship with the limit, it probably has to do with his emotional bearing capacity. Thats because when he performs large-scale emotional projection, he himself will also receive very weak feedback from the same emotion. This feedback will have no effect when only a few people are impacted, but when a large number of people are affected, the cumulative weak feedback will exceed the limit. Of course, this limit is high. At present, there should be no problem in simultaneously influencing a city with a population of four to five million, but for larger scales, it is uncertain. After all, he cant be sure of how many of those influenced by emotional projection will establish a connection with the emotion infused objects secondary network. So for now, he would use the fear emotion projection of the eight-armed, eight-eyed wood carving on a small scale to achieve certain objectives. He would also allow Alice, Xiao Pingguo, and Little Fatty Girl to cooperate and carry out remote emotional projection deployment. There would also be continuous long-term emotional projection through the four cat wood carvings in Youlong Restaurant. But unless faced with an emergency situation like in Myitkyina, he would not fully deploy the fear emotion projection of the eight-armed, eight-eyed wood carving for order establishment. Once the super sensory item system is further perfected and he has a more comprehensive understanding of the connection with the emotion infused objects secondary network, perhaps setting up a more standardized and formalized emotional infusion link would be possible. At that time, using emotional projection to correct and unify thoughts and behaviors may even be achievable. Right now, its just a preliminary demo version and naturally cant be used on a large scale. But all these details were not something Xiang Kun could explain to Mr. Liang thoroughly, so he summarized it in a sentence. Its not yet ready for full scale and widespread use. After completing the fusion experiment of non-user mutant with Xiao Luobo and giving a slap to the Ultimate Predator who was trying to use Xiao Ding as a spy to gather information, Xiang Kun and Mr. Liang also left the underground tunnel. With their departure, a large amount of moss in the underground began to dissipate, collapse, and shift deeper in, like an army in retreat. After returning to the surface, Xiang Kun naturally walked between the city streets. Mr. Liang, in a state of invisibility, followed beside him, somewhat confused as to why Kun had come to the city. Walking next to Xiang Kun, he suddenly felt that the city seemed to be a bit different. Without deliberately perceiving it or using his aerial drones to gather information, he could still identity the locations of some buildings, some electrical facilities, some electronic devices around him, as if there were some special connections in the dark. He couldnt help but immerse himself in it, feeling as if his soul had left its shell and was freely roaming. He vaguely realized that among his perceptual connections with his surroundings, the most pronounced were electronic devices, followed by simple metal objects. But not every electronic device or every metal object had this sense of connection; only a part of them did. He couldnt differentiate what distinguished the ones that did from the ones that didnt. It seemed like the newer devices were more likely to establish these vague perceptions and connections? While Mr. Liang was immersed in these sensations, Xiang Kun walked into a fast-food restaurant and bought two hamburgers. This greatly puzzled Mr. Liang. Neither Xiang Kun nor he could eat normal food. So what was the purpose of buying hamburgers? Moreover, the cash Xiang Kun used to buy the hamburgers was brought there by someone Xiang Kun had arranged when they had just arrived in the city from the wilderness. Clearly, this was planned in advance and was not a spur of the moment decision. Xiang Kun took the paper bag with the hamburgers and continued walking. He entered a park, sat down at the end of a long bench in a corner where there were few people, handed a hamburger to Mr. Liang, took a bite from his own, and said while chewing, No need to be invisible, its fine. No one will come over here. With Alice present, anyone approaching would be diverted by some operation. Mr. Liang hesitated, then revealed his physical form as instructed. He took the hamburger and sat down on the other end of the bench. Even though he was already restraining his power, the bench still issued a horrible groan once he sat down. Their combined weight was already close to 600 kilograms, and with their ultra-high body density making only small contact with the bench. Can can you eat normal food? Looking at the hamburger in his hand, Mr. Liang asked with a frown. I can manage to swallow it temporarily and then vomit it back up later, Xiang Kun said with a laugh, munching on his hamburger. When carrying out the process of regular consumption, he no longer needed to swallow that goose pebble which established super sensory contact to settle his stomach. He had already managed to control the nausea and vomiting, but the food he swallowed could still not be digested directly and would have to come up. However, he could now control the time he throws up, be it after two or three hours, or after ten or more hours. Xiang Kun looked at him, Come on, have a taste. Swallow it down if you want, spit it in the paper bag after youre done. After a slight pause, he looked at the slowly darkening sky, and said, Next up, its our final stop on this Hunting Trip. Once we finish the blood-drinking process, well have to start executing the plan and theres no way to stop. After the plan Although I believe the success rate of the plan is over 90%, I cant guarantee that you can keep this body. In future whether we can find the same sensation when reconstructing the body, particularly the memory and sense of taste, Im not sure. So, lets taste our last few bites. Mr. Liang looked at the burger in his hand, froze for a few seconds, then suddenly asked, Can you read my memories? Xiang Kun didnt deny it, saying, It isnt exactly reading memories, more like Ive seen some of your dreams when you were feeding on blood, which is the only time you can actually dream. Mr. Liang simply nodded, not asking any more about, it seemed that one by one, all of Xiang Kuns magical abilities were revealed. He had already given up trying to make sense of it all with his previous knowledge and understanding. A grin spread across Mr. Liangs face, reaching his ears. He opened his large mouth, big enough to swallow five or six burgers at once, and very carefully took a small bite out of the burger in his hand, then started to chew it slowly in his mouth. If he still looked human, he wouldve probably closed his eyes to better savor the taste, but his eyes no longer had eyelids, the function to close them was no longer there. He looked at the sunset in the distance, which had turned blood red, chewing the burger in his mouth, and it was as if he was once again back in the underground laboratory from a few years ago. Dingdingding! Ah Liang! Look, whats this! A beautiful girl pulled out a bag and spoke to Lu Qinliang, who had just walked into the lab. Lu Qinliang looked at the KFO burger logo on the plastic bag, dumbfounded, and asked, Where did you get this? How did you buy Academician Shen, who followed him into the lab, glanced at it and said, Oh, Xiao Xue asked me to buy it. She said this kind of Western fast food is trendy outside and claimed that young people love it. Hearing that Academician Shen bought it, Lu Qinliang had to swallow his words that how could you buy a counterfeit and walked over curiously to watch Xiao Xue, who was making holes in the opened burgers. What are you doing? Lu Qinliang couldnt help but ask. Im going to put candles on it. Xiao Xue said, sticking the candle on the burger: Happy Birthday! Ah Liang! Lu Qinliang stared blankly as Xiao Xue stuck a thumb-thick white candle, typically used for lighting, on the burger. After lighting it, she held it up to his face. Academician Shen also stood not far away, slightly nodding his head, Happy Birthday, Ah Liang. For a moment, he felt like laughing and crying. He was both touched and amused, but he couldnt help but smile broadly. Come on, blow out the candles and lets eat burgers together. Xiao Xue urged. Academician Shen also nodded, Yes, this open flame is against lab regulations. This will not happen again. Lu Qinliang reluctantly blew out the candles, took the burger, and said, We cant eat ordinary food anymore, so buying this type of food is useless. You should have bought me clothes or something If you wanted to buy food, why not a birthday cake? Who buys a burger for a birthday? Xiao Xue gave him a glare: Because I havent had a burger in a long time, and I wanted one. Okay, okay. Lu Qinliang laughed helplessly Academician Shen, come here, you probably havent eaten anything in a while either, have a taste. Xiao Xue cheerfully handed a burger to Academician Shen. So, the three of them sat around the table, each holding a burger, chewing carefully, and then spat it out into a nearby trash can or plastic bag. If one only looked at this scene and ignored the lab equipment surrounding them, they might think this was a father eating with his two children. At the park bench, Mr. Liangs burger was long gone, but he was still staring blankly at the distant sky. It had completely darkened. A smile crept up to the corners of his mouth, reaching his ears, revealing a smile unconsciously. Xiang Kun by his side didnt urge him or make a sound and waited until Mr. Liangs body entered the invisibility state again before standing up he knew Mr. Liang was ready. Lets go, the final stop, said Xiang Kun. Pengcheng City. At the airport, Zhang Qian picked up the newly arrived siblings Yang Jie and Yang Zhuo, along with Yang Zhuos girlfriend, Xiao Min. Huh, didnt you say you were super busy on WeChat? How do you have time to come pick us up? Yang Jie asked curiously. The group was on vacation for the national holiday and came to Pengcheng City to have fun. Originally, Zhang Qian was too busy with work to pick them up and had arranged for a company driver instead. Yet, unexpectedly, she came herself. While helping them with their luggage, Zhang Qian sighed, I was indeed super busy. Somehow, Xiang Kun is now collaborating with Divine Technology. They sent representatives over to liaise and there were loads of duties to attend to. Its been so hard! Though were supposedly working with QianKun Technology, all the work for meetings and detailed planning discussions is carried out by our team. Xiang Kun, Yang Zhener, Old Xia, Nana, none of them are here. Its been killing me! So, you still made time to come pick us up? Yang Jie furrowed her brows and said, You should be busy with your work. Were not children wholl get lost. Ah, my old man also came over. Zhang Qian said helplessly. Chapter 610 - Chapter 610: Chapter 610: Number One Fan Chapter 610: Chapter 610: Number One Fan Upon hearing this, Yang Jie understood. Zhang Qian had mentioned multiple times that her grandfather had issues with Divine Technology. Her older brother, Zhang Chu, previously cooperated with Devine Technology behind their familys back, and when Old Master Zhang found out, he took Zhang Chu straight home. The thriving company he single-handedly founded was then handed over to Zhang Qian, who just returned to the country, to manage. Wont there be any problems with your company, like with your brother? Yang Jie asked anxiously. No worries. Zhang Qian wasnt bothered, Zhang Chu knowingly did what he knew Grandpa despised, and sneaky about it too, thinking himself cunning. Im different, everything I do is out in the open. Plus, the partner of Divine Technology is QianKun Technology, Xiang Kun, Nana, and their team. Were just assisting, our main collaborator is QianKun Technology. If my grandpa decides to break off the collaboration with QianKun Technology because of this, then so be it, hehe. Looking at you with your cunning smile, your grandfather definitely wont terminate the collaboration. I take it hes not too concerned about this? Yang Jie asked with a smile, Then Old Master Zhangs visit this time isnt about Divine Technology? Old Master Zhang was in Yangcheng, after which I voluntarily told him about my contact with Divine Technology. He said he wanted to come over and take a look since its nearby. So, he brought over some staff from the corporation to meet up with the head of Divine Technology, pause the progress of the partnership, and conduct some review, hehe. Zhang Qian replied, giggling. She didnt appear worried at all about the temporary suspension of the collaboration. Yang Jie mused, Could it be you dont want to collaborate with Divine Technology and intentionally invited your grandfather over to mess up the deal? Sitting in the back, Yang Zhuo asked in confusion, Why wouldnt you want to partner with Divine Technology? Their technology is top-notch! Especially their VR and AR technology, they hold so many patents. Sister Qian Qian, I heard from my sister that your company and Brother Xiangs company are planning to develop in this direction? In that case, its necessary to collaborate with Divine Technology! Yang Zhuo always had a soft spot for companies like Divine Technology, which have various advanced tech achievements and are committed to research and development. Recently, he has been thinking of taking up part-time work to save up some money, and ask his older sister to sponsor him, so that he could buy the entry-level drone from Divine Technology during the winter vacation. As Zhang Qian drove out of the parking lot, she laughed, We definitely will collaborate! Having the hardware support from Divine Technology will allow us to focus on the development of virtual reality and augmented reality applications, saving a lot of time and seizing the opportunity. I was the one who initially suggested trying to collaborate with Divine Technology. Xiang Kun insisted on following a new technological trajectory, and surprisingly, he silently sorted out the collaboration without even knowing how he did it. Ive tested the people sent by Divine Technology, they dont seem to understand the situation very well. They havent even met Xiang Kun, Nana, or Zhener, and the decision to collaborate was made by their higher-ups. Details of the collaboration or how deep it would go were not thoroughly discussed, everything had to be started from scratch. Although Nana and Zhener gave me authorisation to negotiate with them, Divine Technology probably didnt figure out our relationship with QianKun Technology. The negotiation was arduous, they asked me to confirm everything, repeat explanations, and conduct repetitive duty. The game has recently updated a new version, new platforms and communities have gone online. Im neck-deep in work and still had to deal with those people. Its truly annoying. Whats crucial here? The crucial point is that these people seem to think that theyre the professionals and were the amateurs. They are haughty and disdainful, which really infuriates me. Its good that my grandfather came in to disrupt things. With his status, Lu Chengan, would only dare to confront him in person. As for the person responsible on Divine Technologys side, its basically like launching an attack from a higher dimension. Now that weve paused, they can go back to their higher-ups for consultation, and learn how to behave properly. Their attitude will definitely improve, and the collaboration will be much smoother going forward. At least my sigh of relief. Yang Jie laughed, Oh my, its honestly impressive that these people could make our Director Zhang so mad. But arent you afraid that Divine Technology or your grandfather might eventually end the collaboration? Even though I dont know how Xiang Kun negotiated the partnership with Divine Technology, judging from my communications with those people, the intention to collaborate was imposed from the top down. The people who came to liaise didnt have any decision-making power on whether to cooperate or not. As for my grandfatherno matter how much personal bias he may hold against Divine Technology, at his core hes an old capitalist. The latter characteristic definitely takes precedence over the former. The business were now running with QianKun Technology is the greatest opportunity for Zhang Corporation to transform. He wont possibly give this up. Xiang Kun isnt affiliated with the Zhang family, and he has always maintained a very dominant stance in partnerships. Its impossible for anyone to control him. Dont worry, my grandfather might just be trying to scare Divine Technology a little but eventually he will definitely give in. As Zhang Qian spoke, she couldnt help laughing, Im thinking maybe if my grandfather couldnt swallow his pride in the end, he might try and superficially disconnect Tengjiao Entertainment from the Zhang family. Regardless of how he tries to cut ties, I will definitely remain involved and my position can only rise, not drop. Without me, whoever the Zhang family or corporation brings in to replace me, I dont believe they would be able to get in touch with Xiang Kun. Yang Jie laughed as well, You say it as if you can get in touch with Xiang Kun. Zhang Qian replied, Whether I can contact him directly isnt the point. I know how to cooperate with him. Im familiar with his style and I have a good relationship with Nana, Zhener and Old Xia. If I need to give him a heads up, I can always get the news to him first. Can anyone else do that? Theyd either end up clashing or becoming Xiang Kuns puppet, without any decision-making power. My grandfather knows how to make the right choice. Xiao Min in the back seat was stupefied and murmured, Why does a simple partnership require so much intrigue and complication Its not intrigue, this is called strategic action, negotiation tactics, strategic evaluation, using others power to advance yourself! Zhang Qian laughed, My dear sister, youre too young. Be it in society, within a company or between enterprisesand not to mention in school, as long as a project involves multiple people, these things are inevitable. The form and extent might vary but it will happen. Everyone, every group, represents different interests and pursues different things, so there will naturally be differences. The key is to get things done under such circumstances. Being reckless wont help! Yang Zhuo laughed at his girlfriend and said, Remember the observational analysis method Brother Xiang taught us? Define your goal, clarify your needs, and then formulate corresponding strategies and methods. Thats how you apply it in these situations. Xiao Min scratched her head, I gave up a long time ago. I can only draw. No matter where I go to work after graduating, I will be drawing. Ill just keep my head down and do my work. You should come work for our company. Were also hiring artists. You can reserve your spot! When Yang Zhuo graduates, he can come too. His major aligns well with our operations or branding departments, Zhang Qian said. Yang Jie laughed, Youre recruiting a bit too early, arent you? This kid is only a freshman. Its not a problem. He can come for an internship during the summer and winter breaks to familiarize himself with the work environment. However, Yang Zhuo was a little embarrassed and said, Sister Qian Qian, Ive already made arrangements to intern at Brother Xiangs company during the winter vacation. Xiao Min will also come with me. Really? It makes sense for Xiao Min to go, but what will you do in their company? They dont have any business related to your major, do they? asked Zhang Qian, appearing surprised. Its not QianKun Technology, but a catering company that Brother Xiang and Brother Meng are planning to establish, including the Youlong Restaurant. The plan is to package it into a complete restaurant brand for promotion and operation, which aligns well with my major. On top of that, Ive been watching the Youlong Restaurant grow from scratch, so I might have a bit of an advantage and be able to truly contribute. said Yang Zhuo. Well, if thats the caseits not bad, said Zhang Qian, laughing, But Xiang Kun, that guy, either stays in Chongyun Village all the time doing research with Old Xia, or just disappears without a trace. If we do set up this catering company, nine out of ten times itll be others doing the work. Yang Zhuo chuckled, Brother Xiang has paved the way. We just need to follow the direction he set. The passenger, Yang Jie, resisted the urge to roll her eyes and said helplessly to Zhang Qian, You see, I told you, this guy is completely idol no, adoring Xiang Kun like a god, completely blind faith. Sister, thats not true. Its not blind faith. Everything Brother Xiang says makes sense and can stand up to scrutiny, Yang Zhuo argued. Alright, alright, I wont argue with you about this, Yang Jie laughed helplessly, Lets not talk about Xiang Kun. Weve already been talking about him on the plane for half the day. Now with Qian Qian, in just a few sentences were back on the topic of Xiang Kun. Can we stop? She then asked Zhang Qian, By the way, your brother is always rude to you, even hired a private detective to watch you last time. Do you think hes going to play any tricks this time? My brotherjust thinking about him makes me laugh, Zhang Qian shook her head and giggled, Hes become a master of keeping his body in good shape, getting up before dawn, bathing and dressing, and going to the rooftop to meditate and greet the sunrise. He only drinks tea that he brews himself, doesnt eat any fried food, and mostly has porridge, vegetables, and fruits. In his spare time, he meditates, jogs, climbs mountains, and reads books like Zhuangzi, Mencius, Laozi, and the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch. We all thought he would only keep this up for a month or two, but its been over half a year and hes still going strong. It doesnt seem to be torturing him at all, but rather, he seems to enjoy it its so amazing. Now, when my mom complains about me staying up late and neglecting my health, she actually says, You should learn from your brothers routine. Yang Jie was also somewhat surprised, Is your brother really planning to become a monk or a Daoist priest? Xiao Min, remembering the man who was once pinned down by Zhang Qian with a flying wrist twist cross lock and sobbing, couldnt help but ask, How did Qian Qians brother change so much out of the blue? Apparently, Xiang Kun talked to him about keeping his body in good shape, but thats just Xiang Kuns version. My brother wont elaborate on what exactly happened, Zhang Qian chuckled, Ha, were back on the topic of Xiang Kun again. Yang Zhuo added, If it was Brother Xiang, that would make sense. He does has the ability to turn decay into magic. Yang Jie sighed, You see there he goes again. Im not talking nonsense, Sister. The Observational Analysis Method, Sensory Information Isolation Method, Axis Memory Method, Nine Stages Prediction Method that Brother Xiang taught me are indeed useful, Yang Zhuo defended earnestly. You see, he has all these tricks up his sleeve, Yang Jie said helplessly. Xiao Zhuo, did Xiang Kun come up with the names for these techniques? Zhang Qian wondered curiously. No, Brother Xiang didnt name them. He just simply told me how to do things and helped me summarize a set of methodologies that were suitable for me. I named them according to their functions and characteristics, Yang Zhuo elaborated, My sister is always in her lab doing research and has settled into a certain way of thinking. She feels the need to explain and understand everything in her own cognitive system. If she cant understand or explain something, she thinks its a lie. This boy, I dont know where he learned some magic tricks and then tried to fool me, saying that he relies on some kind of perception. Its too incredible, Yang Jie said to her friend. Its really not magic. If you dont believe me, ask Xiao Min, Yang Zhuo countered. Xiao Min was nodding vigorously, It really isnt magic, Sister. The things that Brother Xiang taught us are definitely useful. I also studied with him for a while, but I dont have Ah Zhuos talent or patience, so I didnt continue. The more Zhang Qian listened, the more curious she became, What kind of magic? All sorts. Cards, coins, keys, all kinds of objects can be manipulated by him. Do you remember the first time we met Xiang Kun in that bar not far from my school? He performed a magic trick with that crumpled A4 paper. Its mainly this type of minor gags, but not as amazing as what Xiang Kun showed, Yang Jie said, Yang Zhuo, during the meal later, perform for your Sister Qian Qian and let her judge if it is indeed magic. Yes, yes, give me a show, Zhang Qian bobbed her head enthusiastically, pulling the car into an underground carpark of a shopping center, which where they were going for lunch. After getting out of the car, Yang Jie said, Im going to buy a deck of playing cards first for Yang Zhuo to perform. I have some in my bag which was in the car. You can simply take them. No, I want to buy a new one. In that case, Sister, can you also buy some ballpoint pens or gel pens, and exchange some coins. Either one yuan or fifty cents doesnt matter. Just get a lot, because Im not sure which ones will be useful, Yang Zhuo suggested, If Im going to show something, might as well show a variety. Zhang Qian was growing more excited and curious, A coin? How do you perform with a coin? Oh yes, I remember Xiao Lingdang, Apple, and Old Xia can all spin coins with their fingers, which is very amazing. Can you do that? Im not very good at that. Im not agile enough at flipping the coin. Thats not what Im going to show, Yang Zhuo admitted bashfully, Im far inferior to Brother Xiang. Hes really amazing. Im just a rather poor apprentice. What we practice isnt magic or pulling the wool over peoples eyes like what my sister is saying, nor are they spells. Its simply a methodology combining observation skills, sensory ability, and analytical skills that are developed through training. Actually, theres nothing to it once its explained. Its just that my sister always refuses to believe what I say and thinks Im trying to hoodwink her. Chapter 611 - Chapter 611: Chapter 611: Changing the World Chapter 611: Chapter 611: Changing the World After finishing their meal in the restaurants private room, Zhang Qian called the server to tidy up the table, served the dessert, and closed the private room door. She then signaled Yang Zhuo to start his show. Sister Qian Qian, we can start with a small Q&A game, taking a new deck of cards from his sisters bag, Yang Zhuo began shuffling them while talking, Sister Qian Qian, you can ask me three detail questions about the surroundings or people from the moment we entered the restaurant until now. Any questions are fine. For example, you can ask how many floor tiles there are between the restaurant entrance and our private room, how many crystal balls hang from the chandelier in the main hall, the pattern and color of the curtains, and so on. Zhang Qian found this interesting and asked after some thought, How many water pots and cups are on the cabinet behind you? Two water pots and six cups, Yang Zhuo replied confidently. There was one pot and six cups when we first entered the room, but the server brought another one shortly after, so it should be two now. Xiao Min, sitting next to Yang Zhuo, turned her head and glanced at the cabinet behind them, laughing, True, there are two water pots and six cups. Correct answer! Zhang Qian continued, Which hand and finger was the server wearing a ring on when he cleaned the table? With no hesitation, Yang Zhuo immediately responded, On his right little finger, a silver ring. Xiao Min turned to Zhang Qian, Did Xiao Zhuo answer correctly, Sister Qian Qian? Zhang Qian nodded, smiling, Correct answer, it really is on his right little finger, impressive! Final question, what was the second dish we ordered? This seemingly simple question made Yang Zhuo ponder for a few seconds, finally he said, It was that pork loin. Hmm, correct answer, clapped Zhang Qian. Well done, little brother, so observant and such a strong memory! Have you been remembering things all the time? Do you really remember how many tiles are there from the restaurant entrance to our private room and how many crystal balls hang from the chandelier? Yang Zhuo laughed, Of course, I dont remember those. We were led to the private room by the server as soon as we arrived, so I didnt have time to count. Zhang Qian looked surprised and asked, But you just said Yang Zhuo interrupted, It sounded like as if I have strong observation skills, good memory, and full of confidence, if it was to Xiao Min, I wouldnt ask like this, she would easily go along with my example and let me answer, but knowing your personality, Sister Qian Qian, you definitely would not directly ask those two questions. If you asked a question, Sister Qian Qian, it would definitely not be something thats hard or impossible to verify, it would be something you know the answer to or something that can be verified immediately. Right when we got out of the car in the parking lot, my sister suggested that I should perform, so I thought about this Q&A game at that moment. Thats when I asked you if you had been to this restaurant before, you said no, which means you didnt have prior information about the place, you also needed to adapt in real-time. Since entering the restaurant, I deliberately fell a few steps behind and focused on the direction of your gaze, the things you observed and remembered them. I actually thought youd ask about the main halls advertisement slogans or discount information, because when we entered the restaurant, you glanced at the cashiers counter. Also, I thought you would ask about the number of the private room next to ours because you looked up before entering our room. This restaurants private room numbers are unique, ours is 035, but the neighboring ones are 033 and 025. The server and the cabinet behind me were likely things that could be asked about, so I carefully observed every server that came into our private room, whether they led us in, served dishes, settled the bill, or cleared the table. It seems like I guessed the questions right. On the other hand, I almost couldnt answer the most normal and simple question: what was the second dish. Listening to Yang Zhuos analytical explanation, Zhang Qian continuously nodded in agreement, Hes really starting to resemble Xiang Kun. Yang Zhuo said, This is the observational analysis method and nine stages prediction method taught to me by Brother Xiang. Its about acting out possible situations in advance, analyzing conditions and advantages one could have, then taking the initiative to create opportunities, making the first move, and guiding the situation to develop as expected. But reality is not a game where all the conditions can be calculated. Things wont always go as you hope. There are too many variables. Zhang Qian shook her head as she spoke. Yang Zhuo replied, These methods are merely training, a training for your thought process and observation habits. This way, when we can gather more sensory information, we can think and analyze quickly and make the right decisions. Having said that, he stopped the card shuffling he had been performing non-stop, and placed the shuffled deck of new poker cards in front of Zhang Qian. Zhang Qian picked up the deck and asked Yang Jie, who was sitting next to her, Now the performance is about to start? Yang Jie pulled out her phone, ready to film the entire event. I am going to record this. I do not believe that I wont be able to uncover his trick, she stated, filming as she spoke. Sister Qian Qian, you can take a look at these cards and choose one. Put it in your hand or pocket, then return the remaining deck to me. After Yang Zhuo finished speaking, he stood up and turned around to indicate that he wouldnt be watching her card drawing process. Zhang Qian and Yang Jie both inspected the deck and confirmed that there were no creases or marks before Zhang Qian took out one card and put it in her bag. Done. She gave the rest of the deck back to Yang Zhuo. As Yang Zhuo sat back down, he picked up the deck again and continued shuffling without even glancing at it, while Zhang Qian, Yang Jie, and even Xiao Min by their side, observed his hands, his movements, his line of sight, to see if he was secretly peeking at or checking the cards. However, no matter how they looked at it, there was no way he could see the faces of the cards with his style of shuffling. After shuffling for less than 10 seconds, Yang Zhuo stopped and looked at Zhang Qian. Sister Qian Qian, your card is the 10 of spades. Zhang Qian raised an eyebrow slightly, shared a surprised glance with Yang Jie then pulled out the card from her bag, placing it on the table it was indeed the 10 of spades. Obviously, this couldnt have been a lucky guess. Sure brings to mind Xiang Kuns fortuneteller-like magic, Zhang Qian took back the deck and inspected it more carefully. Did you place a mark on the cards while shuffling that only you can discern so you can tell which card was picked after I drew one and you shuffled and felt them again? Not at all I get it now. Does this have something to do with that question-answer game you were playing up? Were you trying to probe which card I would pick, or subtly hint at which card I should choose? That doesnt seem right either Yang Zhuo laughed, Its nowhere near as mysterious as you imagine, Sister Qian Qian. He continued to shuffle the deck in his hand as he spoke. I didnt mark the cards. I merely familiarized myself with the feel of the cards as if I was getting to know them. So when I get them back in my hands, a simple greeting tells me which one has been taken. Zhang Qian seemed taken aback. Why do I feel like your explanation sounds even more mysterious? Its not that mysterious, not mysticism at all. Its actual sensations. Here, Sister Qian Qian, hold these two cards and close your eyes, try to sense them as if you were using ultrasound never mind, you probably wont be able to feel it in such short time. Lets try something else C do you have some loose change, Sister? Yang Jie pulled out some coins from her bag and placed them before her brother. There were six, one-yuan coins, and two, fifty-cents coins, all of different ages. Yang Zhuo picked each coin, weighing it in his hand. He then selected one of the one-yuan coins and set it aside. He pushed the remaining seven coins back to Zhang Qian and Yang Jie, and said: Sister Qian Qian, sis, you two divide the coins, and I will try to determine how many each of you have. With that, he turned around to wait for Zhang Qian and Yang Jie to distribute the coins. As soon as they finished, he turned back to face them and said directly, Sister Qian Qian you have four coins, three one yuan coins and one fifty cent coin. My sister got two one yuan coins and one fifty cent coin, am I right? Zhang Qian and Yang Jie opened their hands, the number of coins in their hands was indeed as he said, perfectly accurate. Xiao Min, were you secretly signaling him? Zhang Qian turned to ask Xiao Min who was sitting next to Yang Zhuo. Xiao Min quickly waved her hands: Not at all, I didnt do anything. Yang Jie also added, When we were at my house, Xiao Min wasnt there, and this kid was just as extraordinary. It really has nothing to do with Xiao Min. Could it be that he heard us dividing the coins? Zhang Qian muttered to herself. Then Yang Zhuo played a few similar games with the ballpoint pens his sister had bought which were as magical as a magic show. When Xiang Kun guessed what I wrote on the A4 paper at the bar, it probably was the same trick as my little brothers. Yang Jie toyed with a ballpoint pen, still believing that Yang Zhuo had learned some sort of magic trick from Xiang Kun. Zhang Qian said, This feels even more incredible than the time with Xiang Kun. At least he had prepared his own A4 paper in advance. But the poker cards and ballpoint pens my little brother used were newly bought just now, and the coins were also changed by you. Yang Zhuo quickly clarified, Youre mistaken. Brother Xiang is much, much more powerful than me, totally in a different league. Following Brother Xiangs guidance, I have been practicing for almost a year and only just started to get the hang of it. I used to think Brother Xiang was very sharp and smart and wanted to learn his method of thinking. But after learning from him, I understood that Brother Xiang is far stronger than I imagined. Especially recently, Ive truly started to notice some special changes around me How should I put it? My understanding of the entire world has changed. The world is much more complex and vibrant than we think. Sis, Sister Qian Qian, Xiao Min, really, if you could also have that feeling and understand the world anew, you would worship Brother Xiang just like me. I have a hunch, no, I know Brother Xiang is changing the world. Seeing Yang Zhuos increasingly outrageous declarations and his swelling excitement, not only Yang Jie, Zhang Qian, but even Xiao Min were stunned. Yang Jie gently nudged her friend with her elbow while her gaze still rested on her brother in front of her, See, this is it, he is brainwashed by Xiang Kun, even worse than a star-chasing superfan. Yang Zhuo also realized he might have overreacted and gave a bitter smile, I dont usually talk about these things in front of others or show off anything its because my sister asked me to demonstrate, so I did a few times. Brother Xiang often told us that the purpose of our training is to better understand the world and ourselves, not to show off or argue with others. The main reason I spoke so eagerly is that Ive genuinely felt the changes around me recently, the changes in the world. I realized that what Brother Xiang has taught me is really useful. As youre all ones close to me, I just couldnt help but want to talk more about it. Xiao Min nodded, Thats right, Xiao Zhuo isnt usually like this. Zhang Qian furrowed her eyebrows slightly and asked, The games youve just played, theyre not some kind of magic trick, are they? Theyre not magic tricks Yang Zhuo said helplessly. What exactly do you mean when you say the world is changing? Zhang Qian asked again. Its like Yang Zhuo opened his mouth but seemed to struggle to find the right words. After a pause, he continued, Its as if the world we initially saw was black and white, but then suddenly we discovered a new color, and more and more colors are appearing, making the world increasingly vibrant and colorful. Something that we used to think is ordinary suddenly feels completely different once we add color to it. Zhang Qian nodded thoughtfully and asked, Little brother, can you explain to me in detail about the Nine-section method, refining method, analysis method, axis method and so on that Xiang Kun taught you? Xiang Kun didnt ask you to keep these secret, did he? What? I asked you to help me discipline Ah Zhuo, how did it come to be like you also believe his words? Yang Jie asked anxiously. Zhang Qian smiled and pinched her friends shoulder, Youre too trapped in your own knowledge system, Xiao Jie, and youre a bit nervous because you care too much. Think about the way he spoke those words, does it sound like he was joking, intentionally trying to trick us? If he himself firmly believes in those sayings, how could it be possible that he merely learned some magic tricks from Xiang Kun? How could some magic tricks make him so staunch in his beliefs? Xiao Jie, you had fewer interactions with Xiang Kun and went to Tongshi Town and Chongyun Village fewer times, so you might not have noticed Xiang Kun indeed has many unexplainable and magical aspects. You mean his performance at the bar that time? No, all his behaviors afterwards. Zhang Qian said, Not mentioning anything else, just look at the fact that he always stays in Tongshi Town and Chongyun Village, often goes into the mountains, and never assembles a development team. How did he himself constantly propose systematic solutions in such a short period of time? The workload put into each game update iteration would take a team of hundreds of people a long time to develop and test. How did he manage that by himself? Sometimes, I cant help doubting whether he discovered some kind of a time tunnel to the future in Chongyun Village or Chongyun Mountain. Thats why he goes in from time to time to copy something from the future to use. And last time Xiang Kun celebrated his birthday in Peng City, did you notice that little Apple girl who is blind? If I didnt tell you she was blind, born without the ability to see, would you have noticed the first time you met her? I privately asked her why she didnt use a cane and seemed to know her surroundings, she said that Xiang Kun had taught her some methods to exercise her senses. Isnt it similar to what my little brother just said? Yang Jies eyebrows frowned slightly, but she did not retort. Clearly, her best friends words caused her to begin considering another possibility. Yang Zhuo excitedly said, Yes, yes, I also know little Apple, little Apple must have learned from Brother Xiang too. Although we have never discussed in detail, I know she must be much better than me. Sister Qian Qian, if youre interested, you should ask Brother Xiang to teach you. He never told me to keep it a secret. He just said we are all different information entities, and training methods should be customized according to different situations. The way I train and extend my senses may not be the same as yours. Actually, I want to have a chat with Brother Xiang too. I have recently sensed and discovered many different things, but I feel like Im missing something and I dont understand. What Yang Zhuo didnt know was that even if he couldnt get in touch with Xiang Kun, his perceptual training situation was always being observed and recorded by Alice. Once reaching a certain point, the findings were sent to Xiang Kun. For Alice, who now has the ability to monitor the world through the all-electronic equipment and super sensory item system, apart from key targets like Xiang Kuns parents, Old Xia, Tang Baona, Xiao Lingdang, Xiao Pingguo, Yang Zhener, and everyone close to them, there are still several categories of observation benchmarks. One type is like Jiang Chun and Mr. Liang who have established preliminary contact with the super sensory item system, but still havent formed their own cognitive system of mutants. Of course, now Mr. Liang has Xiang Kun observing him personally; Another type is people like Old Man Du and Qi Haoguo who are deeply affected by the emotional projection of the Eight-Armed, Eight-Eyed Wood Carving, and have established a deep connection with the Emotion Infused Objects Secondary Network; Then there are people like Ye Zijun, Mao Qiang, Li Shibao, and Zhou Rui, who have been affected by different Emotion Infused Objects and established a faint connection with the Emotion Infused Objects Secondary Network; And the last group only includes two people: Liu Zhengyi from Chongyun Village and Yang Zhuo. If we compare the super sensory item system to a large group of buildings hidden deep in the fog, then most people in the world are unaware of this group of buildings existence. Old Xia, Little Fatty Girl, Xiao Pingguo, Yang Zhener, and Tang Baona, etc. were all invited by Xiang Kun to enter this building group. Together they decorated this building group, arranged each room, and defined their functionality. On the contrary, Liu Zhengyi and Yang Zhuo were not invited in, nor could they see the whole picture of the building group. However, they vaguely knew about its existence and the direction its in. They both used their own methods to explore and try to find this group of buildings. The difference is that Liu Zhengyi discovered it on his own. His consciousness and senses somehow tapped into this field when the large amount of super-connected objects were activated in Chongyun Village. This sudden flash of insight allowed him to glance at a corner of this magnificent building hidden in the foggy mountains, which led him to carefully explore on his own. Meanwhile, Yang Zhuo was deliberately guided by Xiang Kun. Training was tailored according to his actual situation, behavior pattern, and cognitive model created from super sensory information. Xiang Kun wanted to see that without being provided with an interface to super-connected objects, without rejecting, and without clearly recognizing, without the influence of Emotion Infused Objects passive emotion projection that leads into the Emotion Infused Objects secondary network, how ordinary people could sense the existence of the super sensory item system and whether they could communicate with the super sensory item system on their own to find the interface. Once a connection is made, whether the super sensory item system could be applied to what extent? After all, the super-connected objects are now widespread in many human settlements around the world, covering almost every medium-to-large sized city. The songs based on Nanas Emotional Melody and Item Melody were also being distributed worldwide under Alices control, carrying out secondary emotional assimilation. And the speed of release and connection of super-connected objects and Emotion Infused Objects is still accelerating. In the future, the super sensory item system would inevitably be based on the entire world and all things. Just like that group of buildings originally hidden in the fog, as it keeps getting larger, blocking the sun, even though how much it tries to hide, it will eventually be noticed by people. Some things need to be planned ahead. Chapter 612 - Chapter 612: Chapter 612: The Farmer and the Burly Man Chapter 612: Chapter 612: The Farmer and the Burly Man After Mr. Liang had eaten the last hamburger and left Australia with Xiang Kun to return to East Asia, he instinctively had a different expectation of the last station mentioned by Xiang Kun. Throughout the Hunting Trip with Xiang Kun, many of the Blood-eating Creatures they encountered possessed formidable fighting power. If he were to face them alone, ignoring the hardest part of locating and confirming the creatures whereabouts, he could probably handle it if he had the appropriate Biological Components. Regardless, it would still be a challenging endeavorfor instance, he could not have disposed of that water-based behemoth as easily as Xiang Kun had. According to his current evolutionary stage, the Blood-eating Creature that matches his Blood Source shouldnt be much lower in transformation degree than he is. It must be a very powerful entity. This time, he felt that it may not be as easy for Xiang Kun to handle, and he might have a chance to engage in a swift battle. The last station might also represent the last battle. When Mr. Liang and Xiang Kun took the vehicles arranged by Divine Technology to the mountainous area on the China-Kazakhstan border, walked for more than ten kilometers and stopped, Mr. Liang thought they had found the location of the Blood-eating Creature. He voluntarily asked, What sort of characteristics does our target have? Do I need to assist? Should I prepare Biological Components in advance? Xiang Kun looked over at Mr. Liang, who was invisible, and said: No need to worry, it will be easy this time. Mr. Liang was surprised. They had come this far, and yet dealing with a Blood-eating Creature of this level was still going to be easy? If it was a Blood-eating Creature that hadnt undergone phase transformation or only had one or two phase transformations, some might be because of good luck, others might be due to targeted mutations and transformations, fully countered by Xiang Kuns characteristics, thus not as powerful. But those reaching a phase transformation level similar to his must have killed countless highly-transformed Blood-eating Creatures. According to his previous rating system for Blood-eating Creatures, this target, his ultimate Blood Source, must be a High-level Predator or even a Top-level Predator. Could Xiang Kun still be relaxed in the face of such a creature? Or for Xiang Kun, was it easy to stir up stormy weather, control the climate, and summon a lightning storm to sweep the earth? Mr. Liang couldnt help but feel a sense of wonder. At first, he wanted to truly test Xiang Kun and see if he should help him follow his own path of mutation evolution. But now, it seemed like a joke the path Xiang Kun was following was far more extensive than his. Even many of his abilities were beyond his comprehension. Seeing that Xiang Kun had found a rock to sit on and was looking at something on a tablet provided by the secret department of Divine Technology, Mr. Liang asked in confusion, Has the location of the Blood-eating Creature not been confirmed? No, well just wait here for a while, Xiang Kun said, without elaborating further. Mr. Liang didnt question further. He found a spot and sat down. After a few minutes, seeing that Xiang Kun still wasnt preparing to leave, he asked, I have a question. What is it? Normally speaking, according to our research and my previous personal experiences, consuming other Blood-eating Creatures to complete normal phase transformations should lead to a brief period of radical change and evolution. In terms of my Biological Components evolution system, most of it would be reflected in my various Biological Components. This time, the interval between our phase transformations was too short. I couldnt guide my research team to evolve by adjusting the Biological Components. But normally, I should also generate some spontaneous, uncontrollable minor mutations and have some of the main characteristics of the previously consumed Blood-eating Creatures. However, up to now, even though Ive consumed so many Blood-eating Creatures, I havent had any visible mutations, which seems a bit abnormal, Mr. Liang asked, revealing his confusion. Xiang Kun put the tablet on his lap, thought for a while, and answered, Thats because Ive restricted the mutation process after your phase transformation. Let me explain Suppose the high-dimensional factors you got from consuming other Blood-eating Creatures are like workers added to your construction team. Normally, once theyve completed their in-processing, they would be assigned to the construction site to start working. Some follow the established construction plan, while others who arent immediately assigned work would find their own For example, some workers were especially good at building bridges, so upon seeing an open spot on your construction site, theyd run over and build a bridge. Externally, this would manifest as possessing the significant ability characteristics of the consumed creature. What I did during your phase transformation was to let those workers be absorbed by you, complete their in-processing formalities, confirm their roles, but not immediately get assigned to the construction site. I also prevented them from running around on their own, temporarily putting them in a standby state. While this state couldnt last long, it was sufficient for us. This could prevent many variables from happening and also keep your physical and psychological state more stable. Mr. Liang was greatly surprised, Can you directly affect the high-dimensional factors in my body? Can you operate on this level? Xiang Kun decided to reveal a little more about the underlying implementation of the Super Sensory Item System, Its not a direct operation on the high-dimensional factors, but more of an influence on your Super Sensory Information. This kind of influence can only be accomplished during the process of your phase transformation. As for what Super Sensory Information is, you can think of it as the source code or data of various materials in the real world. In a certain state, I can directly touch these codes and data and have a limited influence on them. After saying all this, Mr. Liang beside him didnt respond for a long time. Although Xiang Kun couldnt see his expression, he could guess his feelings. He said with a smile, Dont worry, youll be able to access all this sooner or later. Your time in Australia probably already alerted you to the connections you now have with many things around you. For you, its like youve already touched the existence of the control panel. Next, itll be up to you to build a suitable operating system and then integrate it into the vast world that Ive constructed. By that time, youll naturally understand what I mean by Super Sensory Information. Will I live to see that day? Mr. Liang asked. Xiang Kun got his message and assured, Dont worry, Ive said it before, at the very worst scenario, your current body will dissolve and decay, but your consciousness, your memories including your cognition, can all be preserved. Then I will create a temporary body for you and slowly reconstruct and repair it. Of course, I cant guarantee that I will be able to recreate a body exactly like the one you have now. But I think you should agree that the boundary between life and death lies in the survival of consciousness, not the original body, right? Mr. Liang was silent for a few seconds before saying, I will cooperate fully with you. Xiang Kun nodded. He knew Mr. Liang trusted him C or more accurately, the capabilities he had demonstrated and the new cognitive frameworks he had built during their Hunting Trip C had earned, or rather forced, Mr. Liangs trust. Of course, a significant part of this trust was also attributable to the time and effort Xiang Kun, Alice, and Old Xia had invested in guiding Mr. Liang to discover Xiang Kuns capabilities step by step. Even though Mr. Liang now knows that his journey of discovery was intentionally orchestrated by Xiang Kun, this doesnt mitigate the subliminal influence of the subjective cognition hes built about Xiang Kun along the way. If Xiang Kun had started by displaying a series of overpowering, disruptive capabilities, demonstrating his ability to know and control everything C abilities even capable of immobilizing Mr. Liangs Biological Components C Mr. Liang might have rationally chosen to cooperate. But then Xiang Kuns actual journey of transformation, his moral cognition, and his way of doing things, would have had much lesser influence. In that scenario, considering Mr. Liangs personality, even if he thought Xiang Kun was powerful enough to handle the Ultimate Predator, even if he rationally believed that cooperating with Xiang Kun was the best and only choice, hed still be full of doubts about various operations, harbor countless hidden plans, and would certainly not hand over his life and death to Xiang Kun like now, willing to cooperate fully even when many of his questions remain unanswered. Even identical operations can have completely different effects if they are executed in a different order. Xiang Kun and Mr. Liang waited on the bare mountaintop for an hour and a half before they set off again. After trekking through the mountains for over an hour, they finally arrived at their destination. When the massive vegetations rolled up in unison, as though commanded, and worked together in pulling the ground apart, unpeeling and swirling the layers of soil, revealing the round object buried underground, Mr. Liang finally understood why Xiang Kun had told him this would be easy. Xiang Kun hopped into the large pit dug out with the help of Xiao Luobo, slapped the object that was the size of an adult and looked like an egg, and said with a smile, When we were coming over just now, this critter was in the middle of blood-drinking Transformation. In order not to scare it, we rested on the mountaintop for an hour. Before it completes its transformation, it wouldnt be a suitable Blood Source for you; after it does, it will be. Hehe, the timing is just right now; its in a state of having completed its transformation but not yet awakened. Mr. Liang, who had expected a final battle and a good fight was left amused. Nevertheless, he didnt ask Xiang Kun to wait for this Blood-eating Creature to fully complete its transformation and wake up before making a move. There was no need to introduce unnecessary variables. Still, he had a question, You said it would be just right for my Blood Source only once it completes this transformation. How did you determine that beforehand? Its transformation was pretty advanced prior to this too, right? To find an appropriate target for this kind of Blood-eating Creature for its phased transformation must not have been easy. How did you know it would find a suitable target and undergo transformation at this very moment? Xiang Kun replied with a grin, Of course, because I arranged for its Blood Source. Saying so, he gave a hard thump on the eggshell of the large egg, punching a hole in it. He then grabbed the edge of the hole and forcefully tore apart the eggshell chunk by chunk, revealing a horrifying limb creature coiled inside. Xiang Kun continued, Had this thing not attacked humans a few months ago and had stayed hidden in the mountains instead, I might not even have known about its existence. It should have mutated from a centipede, although it doesnt resemble one much now. Did you send other suitable Blood-eating Creatures over for it? Mr. Liang was still somewhat puzzled. No, I brought a suitable Blood-eating Creature to the vicinity, and then also lured this critter to come closer. They naturally found each other. Of course, the Ultimate Predator has also played a role in this, helping to orchestrate from the shadows. Why would the Ultimate Predator do that? Because it knows Im arranging a suitable Blood Source for you, helping you accelerate your phased transformation. It also wants to see this outcome, Xiang Kun clarified, Although it doesnt know how were going to deal with it, it cant resist suitable Blood Sources. Hence, its only testing us, not impeding us. In fact, its subtly lending us a helping hand, because were doing what it has been spending a lot of time and effort doing, only much faster and more efficiently. Think about it, if you were a farmer whod painstakingly cultivated a field where crops have barely grown a tenth, and suddenly a hulking man barges in, works his magic and within a short duration, makes the crops grow to nine-tenths, what would you do? I would prepare to prevent that brute from harvesting the crops, Mr. Liang said, and despite himself, burst into laughter. The laughter sounded like the grating of steel plates, I am the crop. Exactly, all its preparations right now should be geared towards preventing me from swallowing you once you complete your final transformation, or from hindering it from doing so. But it has no conflict with us on the matter of whether you should transform, Xiang Kun chuckled, But it cant understand my intentions, because it cant figure out why I am not yet at the stage of transformation where I could swallow you. It doesnt understand my aim, let alone, how Im going to handle it. Mr. Liang nodded and said, Lets get started. He was willing to trust Xiang Kun and follow his plan, even though he still had many questions and there were things he didnt understand about the steps and details of the plans execution Xiang Kun had discussed with him. As Mr. Liang commenced handling the Blood-eating Creature in the eggshell, Xiang Kun picked up a tablet off to the side and contacted Old Xia. Chapter 613 - Chapter 613: Chapter 613 "We are All Here Chapter 613: Chapter 613 We are All Here After her father had a full check-up at the hospital, confirming that his health was fine, and attending a relatives wedding with her parents, Tang Baona bought a plane ticket back to Haixi Province. Not only did she want to return, but Xiang Kun had also called her after a long time, asking her to come back earlier. Xiang Kun didnt explain in detail, simply saying: Nana, come back to Chongyun Village, I need your help. After arriving at Jianzhou Airport, she was picked up by the entire cast of Chongyun Village: Old Xia, Yang Lao San, Xiao Pingguo, Xiao Lingdang, and even Custard Pie and Golden Flash were there. Of course, what surprised and delighted her the most was that Alice was also in the GL8 that came to pick her up. Upon opening the sliding door and seeing Alice in the car, she instantly understood that the someone youll definitely want to see that Yang Lao San mentioned over the phone before referred to Alice. Tang Baona knew that Old Xia and Alice were very familiar with each other, they had even entered her dreams together. Xiao Pingguo and Xiao Lingdang were also well-acquainted with Alice. Xiao Pingguo was able to move around freely in Chongyun Village, sometimes even going jogging around the village alone, understanding the surroundings clearer than someone with perfect vision, thanks to Alices help. As for Xiao Lingdang, the good friend Xiao Luosi she often mentioned was Alice Alice had been tutoring Xiao Lingdang in her studies all this while. However, what she didnt expect was that Yang Lao San also seemed to know Alice well, and Alice had even boldly and openly appeared before everyone, coming to pick her up in the car. She didnt seem to care about being seen by the passersby in the surrounding parking lots. To Tang Baona, who had always regarded the little elf, Alice, as a big secret, this situation felt quite strange. Yang Zhener, sitting on the side, eagerly watched Tang Baonas face, seeming to want to see Tang Baonas surprised expression when she saw Alice. But much to her disappointment, Nana was only stunned for a moment when she first opened the car door and then got into the car as if it was the most normal thing to do. She sat in the third row, pinched Little Fatty Girls chubby cheek on her left, then pinched Alices cheek on the right, treating Alice just like a regular little girl who had come to pick her up, very familiar and ordinary. Yang Zhener was persistent, she sat in the second row, closed the car door, and then immediately turned back and blinked at Tang Baona: Nana, this is Alice, Alice! You know who Alice is, right? Tang Baona nodded in surprise, Of course I know who Alice is. Weve seen each other a few times these past few days, were quite familiar. She knew Yang Lao Sans mind too well. No matter how surprised she was, she didnt show it. If she wanted to know anything, she didnt need to ask, Yang Lao San couldnt keep secrets and would spill the beans eventually. As expected, Yang Zhener widened her eyes and exclaimed, How is that possible? Alice has obviously been with us all these days But halfway through her sentence, Yang Zhener seemed to remember Alices unique abilities. Unlike ordinary people, Alice isnt limited by spatial distance and might even appear in different places at the same time. So she turned to Alice and curiously asked: Alice, can you multiply yourself into many ones? Like Sun Wukong, what was that move? Pulling out a monkey hair and transform it, one into ten, ten into a hundred, making a whole pile of monkeys! Alice stared at her, saying angrily, Im not a monkey! I dont have monkey hair! Yang Zhener giggled, patting Alices head, I meant it as a compliment, saying youre incredibly powerful! Dont you know who Sun Wukong is? I know who Sun Wukong is! But I am not a monkey! Alright, alright, our cute little Alice is a girl, not a monkey. Why are you getting upset? When I was a child, I dreamed of being as powerful as Sun Wukong, with three heads and six arms, seventy-two transformations, and the Golden Cudgel, daring to beat even the gods! By the way, does the eight-arm, eight-eye image have anything to do with the three-headed, six-armed one? However, the one who picked up on this wasnt Alice, but Little Fatty Girl. She said, counting on her fingers, Old Fairy Sister, Barbie Warrior isnt three-headed and six-armed. It has one head, eight arms, and two legs. It isnt Sun Wukong; Uncle Bald created it. I was the one who named it. Shed recently obtained decryption permission within limits from Xiang Kun. Within their small group in Chongyun Village, she didnt need to be secretive about related matters. She could freely instruct her older sisters on how to practice magic, and also ask them about things she was curious about. Naturally, Liu Shiling, who had to keep her magic power a secret at kindergarten, at school, and even at home, suddenly found an environment for venting. Whenever she had the chance, shed promote her magic cognition, magic system, and magic knowledge to her sisters. Her chattiness was only second to Alice. Why is it called Barbie Warrior? Xiao Lingdang, do you like Barbie dolls? How about a super-sized Barbie doll for your next birthday? Yang Zhener looked at Little Fatty Girl and smiled. Little Fatty Girl replied shyly, Its not about Barbie dolls. Barbie represents the eight arms of Barbie. Its pronounced Barbie and written as Barbie, but it isnt the doll Barbie. Old Fairy Sister, youve already given me so many things. You dont need to give me a present; just going out for something tasty would be enough. What are you thinking? Brother Xiang, the chef, will certainly make the food for your birthday! He cant possibly be busy then. Yang Zhener said this, then turned to Alice. By the way, Alice, whens your birthday? What present would you like? Upon hearing this, Alice sat up straight, her eyes wide as saucers. She was clearly very interested in the topic. I have several birthdays! Tang Baona, sitting in the middle of the third row, was hugging Little Fatty Girl with her left hand and Alice with her right, laughing while listening to the two kids chit-chat and laugh with Yang Zhener. From time to time, she touched Alices shoulder and pinched Little Fatty Girls cheek. Touching Alice, who felt just like a real person, it was hard to imagine that she had evolved from an AI. How had this body appeared out of thin air, and why did it feel so real? It was utterly amazing. PINching Little Fatty Girls cheeks, she suddenly asked, Huh? Xiao Lingdang, have you lost weight? Your face seems smaller. The flesh on her cheeks was still soft and bouncy, but it seemed lesser than before. Liu Shiling paused, then instinctively looked towards Yang Zhener, Old Fairy Sister, is it because you pinch my face all the time that it has gotten smaller? Yang Zhener, who was leaned back on the seat while chatting with Alice, rushed over and cupped Little Fatty Girls face in her hands, squishing it internally as she laughed, Where has it gotten smaller? It hasnt! If pinching your face could make it smaller, Id do it hundreds of times a day! Seeing Little Fatty Girls lips pout under Yang Zheners hold, Tang Baona reached out to pinch Yang Zheners nose as she laughed. Alice joined the battle group by standing on her seat, hugging Yang Zheners neck, and pinching her cheeks. Apple, sitting on the far side of the second row and armed with a custard pie, didnt turn around but clearly knew what was going on behind her, laughing so hard her mouth wouldnt close. Xia Libing, driving in front, glanced in the rear-view mirror at the noisy bunch in the back, before her gaze fell on the sparkly Golden Cudgel lying against the cars console, gazing out the windshield at the scenery. Xia Libing tapped the console lightly with her fingertip, Goldie twinkled and turned around as it noticed Old Xia looking at the open bird cage on the passenger seat. Understanding what was needed, Goldie looked back reluctantly at the windshield, then flapped its wings and landed on the passenger seat before hopping into the birdcage. After picking up Tang Baona, Xia Libing drove everyone back to Tongshi Town. They went to Youlong Restaurant for lunch and had a chat in a private room until about two oclock. Then, they took the various food ingredients that You Meng had prepared long ago and returned to Chongyun Village. These ingredients were already processed at the Youlong Restaurant, so all they needed to do upon returning was to cook them properly and heat up the accompanied seasonings in a pot, or bake them for an appropriate amount of time in the oven. It was a foolproof process. This was what Xiang Kun had asked You Meng to prepare a couple of days ago. It ensured that Old Xia and the others wouldnt have to resort to fast food or risk making dark cooking that might upset their stomachs when they didnt feel like going to town for meals or feel comfortable enough to crash at Liu Caifus for food. After all, Little Fatty Girl and Apple were still growing, so their nutritional needs had to be met. Xiang Kun had Old Xia buy quite a few cooking appliances for their kitchen. This way, they could bring back the processed ingredients from Youlong Restaurant and store them in batches in the refrigerator. When needed, they could defrost the required ingredients and put them in the correct cooking appliance for Alice to control. She would not make a mistake in cooking mode, heat, or timing. After gaining the authority to co-manifest within a room autonomously, Alice could even handle the whole process of taking the ingredients out of the refrigerator, defrosting them, and putting them into the cooking appliances. Xiang Kun didnt expect that the best chef when he wasnt around would be Alice. When they returned to Chongyun Village and were moving the ingredients from the car into the house, Tang Baona took the opportunity to ask Old Xia in a low voice, When will Xiang Kun be back? Old Xia shook her head: I dont know. Do you knowwhat kind of help he was referring to when he said he needed help? Tang Baona continued to ask. Both Old Xia and Alice had mentioned to her in dreams that Xiang Kun needed help, so Tang Baona believed Old Xia should know something about it. Any other matter, she might have been able to resist asking, but this one was making her so curious that she could barely hold back. And she had a feeling that the help Xiang Kun mentioned was something that would be needed in the next day or two. Because according to what Old Xia and Alice had explained earlier, the help Xiang Kun needed was from all of them, even including Xiao Lingdang. And Xiao Lingdang was going back to Peng City for school in a couple days after her extended vacation, neither Xiang Kun nor Old Xia had notified Shilings mom about keeping Xiao Lingdang longer or asked the school for an extension of leave. The fact that he had called to tell her to return today must also have a reason. As soon as she finished asking this question, Tang Baona noticed that Yang Zhener, Apple, Little Fatty Girl, and Alice, who had just moved the stuff in, were all standing on the side, looking at Old Xia just like her, seemingly waiting for her response too. Of course, Xia Libing knew about Xiang Kuns specific plan, as did Alice, because both of them were extremely important executors of the plan and key elements of it. Originally, when Xiang Kun first formulated the plan, he only scheduled it for himself and Alice, but later found some loopholes, and so he added Old Xia. As Xiang Kun deepened his understanding of the Ultimate Predator through the analysis of Super Sensory Information, the plan was continuously revised, updated, and improved. He included Old Xia, Tang Baona, Little Fatty Girl and others in the plan, while ensuring their safety. In this way, they could truly mobilize the power of the entire Super Sensory Item System and significantly increase the success rate of the plan. Xiang Kun has actually been slowly revealing his special nature and his ability system to Tang Baona, Apple, and Yang Zhener. Alices open co-manifestation is the most representative behaviour. From the degree of trust, everyone here is absolutely reliable. With Alices protection, they can also ensure that they will not be affected by the Ultimate Predator. But Xia Libing also knew that it wasnt possible to explain Xiang Kuns plan to them in brief, and they didnt need to understand the specific details of the plans execution. According to Xiang Kun, the less they knew about the specific details, the more likely the plan might succeed. So Xia Libing paused for a few seconds before saying, All I can tell you is that the help Xiang Kun needs is related to all living beings, and the areas involved are globally widespread. Upon hearing this, Yang Zhener subconsciously blurted out, Sowere supposed to help brother Xiang save the world? We are going to save the world! Alice raised her fists excitedly above her head. She loved shouting slogans like this as she saw what Xiang Kun and they were doing was saving the world. Hence, she shouted out confidently and vigorously. Apple also had a beaming smile on her face, nodding vigorously with her fists clenched, Mhm, save the world. Liu Shiling didnt join in the chorus, though. However, her eyes were glowing, and her lips were tightly pressed in a determined expression. She pulled the hood of her clothing over her head, and then tugged lightly at the drawstring. Tang Baona watched with amusement at the childish behavior and the over-the-top slogans of the group. However, she also found the situation fitting strangely well as she herself believed in what Old Xia had said. After all, they had witnessed too many amazing things in the past few months. The very existence of Alice, who was standing right beside them and interacting with them, was the most incredible thing yet. If Old Xia were to say now that Xiang Kun actually came from Krypton, was a superhero from another world, or a descendant of a god, they wouldnt be surprised at all. They would accept it as a natural fact. While they were having dinner in the evening, Xia Libings phone suddenly vibrated. Before she could pick it up, Alice, who was gnawing on a pork knuckle, exclaimed excitedly, Its the boss! The plan is about to start! Subsequently, everyone at the dinner table turned their eyes towards Xia Libings phone. Xia Libing simply put her phone in the middle of the table and turned on the speakerphone. Old Xia. Xiang Kuns voice rang out. Were all here. Responded Xia Libing. Chapter 614 - Chapter 614: Chapter 614: They All Fell Asleep Chapter 614: Chapter 614: They All Fell Asleep Is Nana already here? Haha, just in time. Xiang Kuns voice came out through the phones speaker. Brother Xiang, where are you? When are you coming back? Yang Zhen Er immediately leaned in and spoke into the phone. Liu Shiling also knelt on the chair, with half of her body leaning on the table, her head stretching towards Old Xias phone direction: Uncle Bald, have you had dinner, what did you eat for dinner? Tang Baona was also holding Little Fatty Girl to prevent her from falling, while asking: Xiang Kun, you asked us to help, but what exactly do we need to do? Xiao Pingguo quietly said, We are all ready. Her voice was so soft that even Yang Zhen Er next to her didnt hear it, but she knew that Xiang Kun on the other side of the phone could hear even if Xiang Kun couldnt hear, Alice would be able to help him hear. Hearing the incessant questions from this side, Xiang Kun laughed happily before answering one by one: Old Three, Im in the far northwest, on the border, in the mountains, and wont be back until after the matter is settled. Xiao Lingdang, I didnt eat, but Im not hungry, did you have a full dinner? Nana, Im calling to talk about this. Ill need your help soon, but the way I need help is a bit special. Hearing this, Xiao Pingguo, who was originally the quietest and most composed, couldnt help standing up, her fists clenched at her side, asked with some excitement, UncleUncle Xiang, are we going to start fighting? Do we start now? Xiang Kun smiled and said, Xiao Pingguo, dont be hurry, the enemy we are facing is a complex one. It doesnt exist physically in the traditional sense and is omnipresent. I need your help to catch it out. You dont need to go anywhere. After you fall asleep, youll naturally know what to do in your dreams. You dont have to think about fighting, just bring out your usual state and do what you think is right. Upon hearing this, Yang Zhen Er, Tang Baona, and even Little Fatty Girl, entered a state of contemplation, apparently reflecting on some recent events, or words Xiang Kun had said to them, dreams hed influenced, and Old Xias previous descriptions of the enemy. Xiao Pingguo was somewhat confused: Butin dreams, we can only dream according to our instincts, isnt it possible to wake up in our dreams? During the various dreams influenced by Xiang Kuns Emotion Infused Objects, she coud remember everything clearly each time after she woke up. She realized that these dreams were slightly different from her usual dreams, especially after meeting Alice in her dreams, she understood that her dreams could be used to communicate and establish contacts with Alice. But every time she realized it was a special dream, it was only after she woke up that she could make a subjective judgment, and in the dreams she was always instinctively reacting. Xiang Kun responded, Dont worry, youll know when the time comes. Tang Baona immediately thought of the Lucid dream she had not long ago, and the words that Old Xia and Alice had said to her in the dream. Xiang Kun continued, Prepare yourselves and try to sleep within the next two hours. Rest assured, there will be no danger this time. In the dream, I and Alice will be with you all the time. I know your situation and will monitor it at all times. If you feel any discomfort, or do not want to stay in the dream, I will wake you up. Xiang Kun then explained a few precautions to Old Xia, answered a few questions from Yang Lao San, and then ended the call. Xia Libing stood up, put away her phone, and said, Everyone, please get ready to sleep. We combined beds, we all stay on one floor, sleep in two rooms. I will sleep with Xiao Lingdang and Xiao Pingguo, Nana and cousin will sleep in another room. What about me? What about me? Alice jumped in. Xia Libing pressed her head to stop her jumping, then continued speaking to Tang Baona, Nana, you can sing a sleep-inducing song later, to help Xiao Lingdang and Xiao Pingguo fall asleep first. She knew that Tang Baonas songs, which were composed through Emotional Melody, could motivate emotions. Moreover, Tang Baona had previously created a sleep inducing song based on Yang Zhen Ers dozing state. At present, it ranks in the top ten on global music APP charts in different countries and is a must-listen-to song before bed for many people. She noticed that, although Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguo seemed calm on the surface after Xiang Kuns phone call, they were actually bursting with the impulse to fight the monsters. Their eyes, round and shining, were about to pop out of their sockets. In this state, it was not easy for them to fall asleep fast, even if they tried so hard. However, with Tang Baona personally humming the lullaby here, she believed that making them have a good sleep would not be a big problem. Cousin, you and I clean up the dining table, no need to wash the dishes for now. Alice, adjust the security system of the house, take over all communication devices, and enter silent mode so as not to disturb our sleep. If someone is looking for us during this time, respond appropriately on your own, ensuring the mission execution is not compromised. After Xia Libing gave the instructions, Tang Baona first took Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguo upstairs to wash and change into their pajamas, and then snuggled into bed. The recent weather and temperature in Chongyun Village had been very comfortable, neither hot nor cold, and there was no need for air conditioning for sleeping. When Xia Libing and Yang Zhen Er tidied up downstairs and quietly entered the room where Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguo were sleeping, they found that the two girls, one big and one small, were already lying in bed, soundly asleep, while Tang Baona, sitting beside them singing the lullaby, was also dozing off with her chin propped up, it seemed that she, the one singing the lullaby, had made herself sleepy. However, it must be said that Tang Baonas lullaby was really effective. According to the time, it seemed that Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguo had just finished washing and changing their pajamas after following her upstairs, and within less than five minutes of lying down, they had both fallen asleep. Xia Libing gently called Tang Baona over, and then went back to her and Yang Zhen Ers room, asking her to continue singing the lullaby to help Yang Zhen Er fall asleep. After changing into pajamas, Yang Zhen Er saw Tang Baona humming softly beside her and Xia Libing sitting at the edge of the bed. She couldnt help but laugh, I feel like Ive gone back to my childhood. I feel like Ive turned into a little kid, needing mom and dad to coo me to sleep. Xia Libing looked at Tang Baona, who had temporarily stopped humming because of a yawn, Nana, just relax. When my cousin falls asleep, you can just sleep. Yang Zhen Er asked, Huh? In that case, what about you, Old Xia? Can you sleep by yourself? Or you can sleep with us. Our bed is big enough to squeeze another one, no problem. I can sleep. Xia Libing responded simply. Alice chose this time to appear next to her, sitting side by side on the edge of the bed with her feet dangling. She leaned towards Yang Zhen Er them and said, Dont worry, if Old Xia cant sleep, Ill play Nanas song for her. Alice, will I dream about you later? Sigh, I wonder what its like to stay awake in a dream. I mean, my dreams are always so Yang Zhener muttered, her voice dwindling until she unknowingly fell asleep. Next to her, Tang Baona stopped her humming, shared a nod with Xia Libing, relaxed her already heavy eyelids, and allowed herself to drift off as well. Xia Libing glanced at Alice beside her. Alice nodded, understanding. She knew that her cousin and Sister Nana were truly asleep Alice could directly detect their physical states via their super sensory information, knowing how they were sleeping. Xia Libing stood and slipped out of the room, gently shutting the door behind her. She returned to her room to tuck Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguo in, inspecting a few emotion infused objects and super-connected objects on the bedside table. After washing up, she lied down on the other bed in the room. Xia Libing glanced at the chopsticks on her bedside, felt the leather wristband on her left wrist, sensed the tiny metal pieces on the band, and said, Inform Xiang Kun when I fall asleep. Alice, although she didnt need to sleep, was lying beside Old Xias bed and giggled as she nodded. Ok! She agreed in a whisper, then asked, Do you want me to play Sister Nanas song? Xia Libing shook her head, closed her eyes, and adjusted her breathing gradually. In less than ten minutes, she was also fast asleep. The whole building, the entire courtyard, were both enveloped in quietness. Even the entire Chongyun Village followed suit, becoming quiet. The wind seemed to thicken, no longer wailing, as birds and insects fell silent, and even the volume of televisions in neighboring houses automatically lowered subtly. Atop the building, a cat and a bird perched on the rooftop railing, overlooking the courtyard below, like two loyal guards. After ending his call with Old Xia, Xiang Kun held his mobile phone, his hands clasped behind his back, silently watching Mr. Liang drink blood. That phone call made Xiang Kun feel like a commander, remotely giving commands to a combat brigade and deploying operations. But the realization that his combat brigade was made up of three grown women, a teenage girl, a first-grade child, and an artificial intelligence girl who was only a year old felt rather comical. Mr. Liang finished drinking blood quickly. Before slipping into deep sleep, he looked at Xiang Kun one last time and said, The rest, Im leaving it to you. Strangely, the characteristic metallic grinding sound in his voice was far softer than before. Dont worry. Xiang Kun gave him a thumbs up. Mr. Liang nodded, walked a little to the side, sat against a large tree, and relaxed into invisibility status. The shattered eggshells and various remnants on the ground gradually collapsed and vanished. Mr. Liangs transformation was beginning. Xiang Kun stood nearby, squinting, appearing as though he was dozing, but he was actually at his most focused of all the times Mr. Liang had transformed. This was the critical moment where they would find out if their strategic planning could achieve the desired results. Not only was the plan itself at risk, but also Mr. Liangs survival. Xiang Kun was naturally all in. Since Mr. Liang trusted him, he would not let down that trust. This battle wasnt about physical punches, hand-to-hand combat. No, it was a test of ones cognition level, of their operational skills, of their fundamental system construction. Because of this, Xiang Kun was extremely confident. Not only did he excel in system construction far beyond the ultimate predator, his understanding of the ultimate predator was significantly higher than the ultimate predators understanding of him. Before Xiang Kun could erase the specific factors and super sensory information of the ultimate predator from his body, the ultimate predator could know what specific changes had occurred in him. However, from the actual situation afterwards, the information that the ultimate predator could master was limited to physical changes, the stage of transformation and other similar factors. It had no idea about the super-connected objects, emotion infused objects and the various abilities derived from these that Xiang Kun was able to construct using his power. It was completely clueless, having no concept whatsoever. In fact, this was quite normal, after all, Xiang Kuns path could be considered a road never thought of by mutants. The ultimate predator''s fundamental need was to obtain a blood source capable of completing its next stage of extreme transformation. All it has done seems to be creating a suitable environment for this blood source to appear. Therefore, it only needs to pay attention to the stage of transformation of the mutant. From the ultimate predators long-standing modus operandi, it has clearly pinned its hopes on the human species, believing that from the catalyst of human transformation, a blood source that conforms to the requirements of its stage of transformation is most likely to be born. At the same time, humans are the species it considers most likely to threaten it, hence every time human researchers begin to study mutants, are about to unearth the secrets of high-dimensional factors, it would enter a state of stress sensitivity, causing massacres to prevent it. However, from Xiang Kuns emergence, it can be seen that the ultimate predators judgement was indeed correct. Humans can indeed produce the blood source it requires and humans can indeed pose a lethal threat, but it never anticipated that its surveillance method and control system would fail. Xiang Kun was very clear that it was not that the ultimate predator had low intelligence, but was restricted by the way it obtains information, the type and magnitude of the information it has obtained. This has determined that it can only set up this kind of stress trigger mode, and does not have the ability to respond and deal more cleverly and flexibly. Especially after knowing its entire operating mechanism and behavioral system, Xiang Kun even had a way to ensure that only specific information about him could be known to it. Information that it does not want it to know will certainly not know. He could even set traps against it, making it obediently climb in by itself. Alice suddenly co-manifested next to Xiang Kun, mimicking his pose with her hands behind her back, looking in the direction of Mr. Liangs deep sleep, and said: Boss, they are all asleep. Chapter 615 - Chapter 615: Chapter 615: The Dream Begins Chapter 615: Chapter 615: The Dream Begins Knowing that Old Xia and Nana were asleep and could be drawn into a dream, Xiang Kun nodded. Now, they were waiting for the big fish to bite. Alice, standing next to him, imitated Xiang Kuns pose of standing with his hands behind his back for a while, but quickly grew restless. She began to wander around, glancing left and right, up and down, like a contractor assessing a worksite. Yet in reality, she did not need to use the eyes of her co-manifested body to observe the surrounding environment. Like Xiang Kun, she could learn everything about the surroundings through Xiao Luobo, as well as a large variety of Super-Connected Objects buried underground. Her constant wandering, looking as though she was patrolling, was merely play. After a few laps, Alice returned to Xiang Kuns side, leaning against his leg and occasionally raising her head to look at him. Xiang Kun sensed Alices request to co-manifest again, but he ignored her, knowing that her aim to re-co-manifest was to perch on his shoulder. Even though she didnt need a higher position to improve her vision, she just liked to stand high, with her favourite position being on Xiang Kuns shoulder. He wondered how she had developed such a preference. Seeing that Xiang Kun was ignoring her request to co-manifest again, Alice didnt get disheartened. She directly reached for Xiang Kuns belt, grabbed his sleeve, and began climbing up him like a tree, apparently intending to climb onto his shoulder by herself. Xiang Kun smiled helplessly at Alices monkey-like behavior. He held Alices head to stop her from climbing and gave her an intimidating lookCif she continued causing mischief, he would cancel her co-manifestation. Alice finally settled down and obediently stayed put. Xiang Kun recognized Alices slightly hyperactive behavior as a sign of excitement. In this plan against the Ultimate Predator, Alice participated in every factor, from information collection to model establishment, running calculations, to plan improvement and revisions. True to her title as an Assistant, Alice completed many tasks on her own after being assigned by Xiang Kun, saving him a lot of trouble and greatly improving efficiency. Thus, when it was time to execute the critical phase of the plan, it was no surprise that Alice was intensely looking forward to it. Suddenly, Alice spontaneously disintegrated without warning. Xiang Kun opened his eyes and glanced at the tree where Mr. Liang was resting not far away. He gave a faint smile and closed his eyes again. If viewed from the perspective of an ordinary person, the hillside appeared emptyC aside from Xiang Kun standing there alone. Although the sunset had caused a sharp drop in temperature and a slight increase in wind, there was no observable change in the trees, grass, or soil around him; everything was absolutely tranquil. However, Xiang Kun knew the Ultimate Predator had arrived. There was no roar of tigers or dragons, no darkening of the skies, no earthquakes, yet this mutant entity C which could affect the survival of billions of organisms and may have existed even before the advent of humanity C had descended in a manner that would be entirely imperceptible to an ordinary person. Or rather, it had activated inside of Mr. Liangs body. The special factors and Super Sensory Information left behind in Mr. Liang by the Ultimate Predator had not been erased by Xiang Kun. Instead, they were reserved for this moment, allowing the Ultimate Predator to incarnate through them and consume Mr. Liang. If the Ultimate Predator had been human, Xiang Kun might have implemented a different strategy, perhaps involve a bit of intellectual manipulation, maybe even pretentiously erase the special factors in Mr. Liang, and then let Mr. Liang be accidentally infected by the special factors again. However, having understood the operating mode and characteristics of the Ultimate Predators special factors, he knew once Mr. Liang had completed sufficient transformative stages and a blood source satisfying the Ultimate Predators conditions was born, it would have no other choice but to step into the snare, despite its awareness of the trap. Xiang Kun had identified the reason for the periodic limitations of the mutants and the progressive relationship between each stage of these limitations by analyzing special factors and changes in Super Sensory Information during multiple incidents of Mr. Liang, John, and others transformative stages after consuming mutants, and thus established a transformation stage model. Thanks to that, he was able to accurately calculate the extent of transformation needed in the blood source for each transformative stage of Mr. Liang, locate a myriad of mutants worldwide through the Super-connected Objects scattered around, and have Alice assist him in analyzing their Super Sensory Information to identify suitable blood sources for each stage. Also due to this method, Xiang Kun knew that after Mr. Liangs current Blood Feast and the end of this transformative stage, his transformative extent would meet the consumption standards of the Ultimate Predator. Why did he think the Ultimate Predator, despite knowing it was walking into a trap laid out by Xiang Kun, would inevitably fall for it? Because Xiang Kun knew that the Ultimate Predator had already reached its stage limit. However, by integrating itself into countless creatures and existing in a semi-dormant state, it had managed to delay the inevitable collapse brought by reaching this stage limit. Therefore, when it detected a blood source that satisfied its stage transformation needs, it would inevitably be unable to resist. This was an instinctive drive of the mutants, or perhaps the High-Dimensional Factors within them. Based on previous speculation with Alice, Xiang Kun had concluded that the Ultimate Predator would make a move on Mr. Liang, but they had identified various potential moments for its attack. From the looks of it, the Ultimate Predator chose the earliest C and objectively speaking, most optimal C moment, which was when Mr. Liang had just completed consuming the previous mutant, had just overcome his periodical limit, and when the transformation was nearly complete but he had not yet awoken from his slumbersimilar to the state of the previous insect-like mutant hidden in its shell and buried in the soil. If Xiang Kun werent by his side, it would have been a classic case of a mantis stalking a cicada unaware of the oriole behind. Mr. Liang would have been defenselessly turned into a stepping stone for the Ultimate Predator to overcome its stage limit. Of course, even if Xiang Kun were not there, even if Mr. Liang had completely completed his transformation and was fully conscious, he would still be a defenseless piece of meat on the chopping block of the Ultimate Predator. For the vast majority of organisms on this planet, the Ultimate Predator was an invisible and even undetectable enemy. They would not understand what had happened until their life was claimed and they were consumed. Xiang Kun entered a Super Sensory State, determining the Ultimate Predators movements through perceived cognitive information. Xiang Kun previously found that merely by going into a Super Sensory State and perceiving the special cognitive information left within other organisms by the Ultimate Predator, he could erase it. As such, although he was previously capable of effortlessly eradicating the Ultimate Predators special cognitive information present in his surroundings, he was not able to analyze or understand it. But with the already well-developed Super Sensory Item System as a support, and Alice acting as an assistant, Xiang Kun naturally found ways to bypass the restrictions. Just like bypassing the ability of death from sight by using mirrors or electronic devices to image, Xiang Kun bypassed his power of erasure at the first sensing through Alice. Through Alices indirect perception, he gained insights into the special cognitive information of the Ultimate Predator. He carried on using this method and confirmed that the Ultimate Predator had already activated the special factors within Mr. Liangs body. Like a seed in Mr. Liangs body, it sprouted and grew quickly, forming a structure capable of engulfing Mr. Liang. All the energy and materials consumed came from Mr. Liang himself. As soon as he sensed that the Ultimate Predators engulfing construct had formed and was about to start devouring Mr. Liang, Xiang Kun immediately induced the Emotion Infused Objects around Mr. Liang, triggering his dream state. Because there is a strong connection between the consciousness of various creatures and their own high-dimensional factors, the ownership of high-dimensional factors is marked by consciousness. The mutual devouring among mutants is also a battle for the control over high-dimensional factors. As the Ultimate Predators special method of devouring, at this moment, when trying to take control of the high-dimensional factors, the consciousness is seen as one with Mr. Liang, hence, it was also pulled into the dreamland. As soon as he sensed the dreamland, Xiang Kun immediately let Alice take full control. This takeover could only last for an instant, but that moment was enough Xiang Kun immediately used the dream within a dream method of Old Xia, quickly inducing the Emotion Infused Objects around Old Xia, Tang Baona, Yang Zhen Er, Liu Shiling, and Xiao Pingguo. With each person he sensed, he let Alice temporarily take over, hanging up the dream. In this way, one by one, he pulled all five people into the dreamland. Then Xiang Kun took over the work from Alice, providing the fundamental support for the entire dreamland, stabilizing it. Alice, according to their pre-agreed plan, began constructing the entire dreamland system framework. Xiang Kun himself was not afraid of the Ultimate Predator. The Super Sensory Item System has an overwhelming advantage in the hierarchy over its construction method. Once there are super-connected objects everywhere, its just a matter of time before he completely annihilates it. However, the Ultimate Predator has been around for too long and has infected almost all creatures. Xiang Kuns global deployment of super-connected objects will take time and if he is to act in advance, another method is required. This method involves sorting out the means through which the consciousness of the Ultimate Predator exists and the connections between all special factors. Xiang Kun knew that the overall consciousness of the Ultimate Predator was constructed through high-dimensional factors, but he didnt understand how exactly this process worked. He needed to understand this system structure, and then he would have ways to influence and destroy it. Without completely wiping out all special factors, he could paralyze its ability to activate special factors and indirectly eliminate its likelihood of compromising other organisms. But Xiang Kun couldnt obtain this information through the special factors within any one creature, or a few creatures, because at that time its consciousness was dispersed and not focused at one point. Only when it undergoes a phase change and proceeds with blood-drinking and devouring, Xiang Kun could be one hundred percent certain that the consciousness core of the Ultimate Predator would converge on this point. Because if it wanted to complete engulfing, wanted to take control of Mr. Liangs high-dimensional factors, it had to mark with its consciousness, regardless of the form in which its consciousness exists. Xia Libing stared at the familiar living room in front of her, it was their house in Chongyun Village. She saw a high pony-tailed girl sitting at the dining rooms round table, sipping hot soup. The girl was just like her in appearance. Suddenly she also heard the sound of typing on a keyboard, she looked over at the sound and found another girl like herself sitting on the sofa, typing on a laptop. After that, one after another herself appeared. Some were cooking, some looking at their phones, some staring blankly, and some dozing off. Xia Libing attempted to raise her hand to touch her face, only to find out that she couldnt do this motion. Then she realised that she couldnt even blink, apparently she didnt have a body at the moment, but instead was just a mobile, perceptive, and observant consciousness embodiment. She knew that she was dreaming, to help Xiang Kun fight the Ultimate Predator. At present, this dreamland is fundamentally built and supported by Xiang Kun and his super sensory item system. The base of the next level of the dream is supported by Mr. Liang and the Ultimate Predator, whilst she and Tang Baona, Yang Zhen Er, Xiao Pingguo, and the Little Fatty Girl are on the topmost layer. It is Alice who is responsible for controlling and coordinating the dream within her dream, enabling the normal operation of the dreams. Xiang Kun didnt tell them exactly what to do, because he didnt know at that time what they could see in their dreams. They were able to play it by ear to assist Xiang Kun in understanding the consciousness formation of the Ultimate Predator, its cognitive system, and perception system. Seeing that there are many of herself, but her consciousness entity is a void, Xia Libing knew after a moment of thinking that this should be the influence of the Ultimate Predator. This was the Ultimate Predator using her own cognitive groove to influence her dreams. Xia Libing observed these herselves, understanding that this was an amplification of her confusion about self-identity and that she needed to find the right form to inhabit. Looking at their appearance, body shape, and their actions, they were just like her and she couldnt spot any flaws. Indeed, these selves were created by her own subconscious, how could they seem fake? Xia Libing thought for a while, then had an idea, and the roof of the whole building was blown away, the surrounding walls also shattered, all the furniture vanished, and dozens of Xia Libings appeared standing on open ground. The Xia Libing who was originally sitting on the sofa and typing on her laptop fell to the ground, as did the Xia Libing who was eating. Though they got up after dusting themselves off and began observing their surroundings. Suddenly, rings of fireworks exploded above their heads, dazzling in their variety. Each explosion had different patterns from cartoon cats, chicken legs, cakes, even to coins. All the Xia Libings looked up at the sky as innumerable cakes appeared out of thin air, hitting their faces. Some Xia Libings were covered in cream, some raised their hands to block it, some managed to dodge it in time. But one of them, after being smeared with cream, stood there giggling foolishly. That was the one. The original Xia Libing moved towards that Xia Libing, and merged into her. Chapter 616 - Chapter 616: Chapter 616: Who Wakes Up from the Great Dream First (Part 1) Chapter 616: Chapter 616: Who Wakes Up from the Great Dream First (Part 1) In the midst of an ancient architectural complex, a lofty pavilion stands proudly into the sky. On the outermost wall of the architectural complex, a battle raged. A general who had just fought a bloody battle and repelled enemys attack rushed down from the wall, got on his horse, and charged towards the pavilion in the city. Above the pavilion stood a woman dressed in lavish attire with an ethereal aura. Leaning on the jade stone railing, she looked down at the approaching general, her expression grave. Although distant, her vision seemed to be able to focus infinitely, allowing her to clearly observe people and objects from afar. The general soon arrived at the foot of the pavilion, handed the reins of his horse to the guard below, then hastily ran up the stairs. Upon reaching the top floor, he slowed down, removed his helmet revealing a shiny bald head and adjusted his waist-attached sword. The hilt of the sword was conventional, but the blade was exceptionally unusual. It didnt have a scabbard, but was a narrow and elongated 104-key keyboard. The general arrived in front of a screen, saluted and said loudly, Princess Nana! The enemy has reached the city, please cast a spell to drive them back! The screen whisked away automatically, revealing Tang Baona in a lavish ancient-style dress behind it. She had a sorrowful expression, General, there is nothing I can do! The qin is broken, its silent!! I cant play the Devil-subduing Melody!! Helplessly, she pointed at a qin placed on a nearby platform. However, it wasnt actually a traditional qin, but a somewhat age-worn electric piano. Compared to her attire and the surroundings, it extraordinarily mismatched, except for its compatibility with the keyboard hanging on the generals waist. Oh? Its broken?! What should we do? Are the batteries dead? The bald general squatted beside the piano and anxiously inspected it. Ill take the batteries out of my keyboard for you. Umm, they wont fit, the sizes are different. Lets see, is there a power cord? Princess Nana also squatted next to him and said quietly, I dont know, it just stopped making sound. Hey, General Xiang, Im a bit hungry, why dont you get some food? I feel like eating some meat. The bald general grumbled, Princess Nana, whats the right time you speak of? The enemy is killing their way to us, do you understand that the soldiers are at the gates? I cant do anything about it! The piano keys are unresponsive, what can I do? As Princess Nana spoke, she angrily and forcefully tapped a few keys on the electric piano. Besides the petty sounds of the keys hitting, no corresponding notes sounded. If the keys on your keyboard dont respond, you also will not be able to go to battle. Its the same thing! You either help fix my piano and I will play music, or you cook for me and fill my stomach first, Princess Nana argued righteously. The bald general let out a sigh as if to convey a you really are helpless look, he stood up, and began to remove his armor. Princess Nana on the side snickered and passed a apron with her picture printed on it. After removing his armor, the apron was tied onto him. Then, with a snap of her fingers, there emerged a modern kitchen filled with a faucet, stainless steel sink, gas stove, range hood, oven, and other modern cooking appliances. The bald general, immediately turned into a bald chef after he donned the apron. As he began to cook, Princess Nana rubbed her hands together, her expecting face looking at him cooking, with her tongue unconsciously licking her lips from time to time. Suddenly, pleasant music sounded, followed by a familiar female voice humming a pleasing melody. Princess Nana paused briefly, tilting her head to listen. This melody is so beautiful. Whos singing it? I want to buy her album. Wait, it sounds more and more familiar. Doesnt it sound like me, eh? Wait, what? Nana sister, Nana sister In her confusion, a similarly familiar voice softly called to her.. Everything around her, whether the various objects on top of the building, or the bald chef cooking nearby, all became blurry. Particularly, the face of the bald chef which turned into a white haze, and his facial features couldnt be discerned. Am I dreaming? A thought rose in her mind. Then she immediately became aware of her state and recalled what she did before going to sleep, remembering that she went to bed this time to help Xiang Kun confront a powerful but elusive existence. Then, she saw Old Xia appear in front of her, and everything around her, including Baldy, the general, vanished. Tang Baonas magnificent palace attire had also reverted to her previous bear pyjamas. A little embarrassingly, she asked Old Xia, Did you see everything just now? No, I just got here, Xia Libing said. What should we do now? Tang Baona clenched her fists, rubbing her palms together, her eyes darting around as if looking for a big boss to face off against. How can we help Xiang Kun? Xia Libing looked around the empty dream space and said, It seems that it hasnt affected your dreams yet, or Xiang Kun and Alice intentionally thwarted its influence for you first. Tang Baona couldnt help but scratch her head,What does that mean? Do Xiang Kun and Alice think Im too weak and need to protect me? ButIm clearly the oldest among us. Its not that they think youre weak, they need you as backup. Xia Libing said, You and I, were both backups. Tang Baona was puzzled, Backups? Yang Zhener, clad in silver armor and carrying a great sword, rode a white balance scooter, slowly progressed in the middle of the vast highway. She looked majestic, as if she was a landlord patrolling her own territory. The streets were deserted, completely devoid of cars. On both sides of the street, you could faintly see pedestrians, who retreated into various storefronts, from where they regarded her in the distance, watching her with respect. Yang Zhener held her head high and chest out, pride in the feeling of guarding this land, this city, and her people. Before long, an obese little girl dressed in a cat-eared magic robe, appeared, pedalling a kids bike with training wheels to the front. She looked up and loudly said, Lady Silver Armor Fairy! I want to fight the monsters with you! Yang Zhener nodded in satisfaction, lifted her broad-backed great sword and lightly touched the little girls shoulder with the tip of the sword, saying, I allow you to follow me. The little girl cheerfully followed behind her on her bicycle, slowly moving forward. Next, a tall girl with a high ponytail and a cute girl with round glasses appeared, one calling her my dearest cousin, the other my dear Zhener, both joining the team. Although neither of them had any means of transport, they trod along briskly, not falling behind Yang Zhener on her balance scooter, or the chubby girl on her kids bike. Ahead, a bald warrior and a young assassin girl with a blindfolded eye appeared; one calling her Lady Silver Armor, the other Fairy Sister, both joining the team. The team progressed in grandeur to the end of the road. A giant black creature towering more than ten meters high stood in front of everyone, its entire body shrouded in swirling black fog. Looking at its shape, it was like an evil rabbit in Chibi style, with both its eyes gleaming a terrifying red. Yang Zhener jumped down from her balance scooter, grabbed her broad-backed sword, pointed forward and shouted, Follow me and charge! She let out a battle cry, raising her great sword with both hands, charging towards the evil rabbit. The evil rabbit swung its front claws nonchalantly, knocking Yang Zhener down. She was then stopped by its hind paw and was unable to move. Quick! Attack it now, this is a good chance! Yang Zhener swung her great sword, trying to hack at the giant rabbits foot that was pinning her down, then yelled out loudly. But after yelling for a good while, Yang Zhener realised that apart from her, no one else was attacking the evil rabbit. She turned to look and saw that the companions who had followed her all the way here were standing where they were, indifferently watching her. None of them had any intention of helping her or attacking the evil rabbit. WhatWhat are you guys doing? Hurry up and move! This is the perfect opportunity! Yang Zhener yelled. Yet, the few companions continued to watch in cold silence, unmoving. Dont just stand there! Xiao Lingdang, Chef Xiang, Old Xia, Little Apple, Nana, come and rescue me! Yang Zhener shouted desperately. However, not only did the companions refuse to move, they even stepped backwards. Yang Zhener felt hopeless. After being ruthlessly pummelled a few times by the evil rabbit, she couldnt help but start to bawl her eyes out. Tears and snot smearing her face, her vision began to blur. It wasnt that the blows hurt, the evil rabbit was extremely large but its blows felt more like cotton candy than anything serious. She simply felt despair, a sense of abandonment, of betrayal, of loneliness and desolation. So she was alone. There was no team. Suddenly, a rhythmic beat echoed in her ears, resounding throughout the city. Boom! Boom, Boom! Boom, Boom, Boom! A reed flutes notes rose, the drumbeats quickened. A hollow womans voice began to hum, carrying with it an air of tragic determination, an unstoppable urge despite facing insurmountable odds. For a moment, the music gave her a sense of a righteous execution of One Punch Man or the background music of Water Margin when a fight scene was about to start. Her feelings of despair and loneliness was swept away, replaced by excitement and passion. Yang Lao San, stand up! A familiar womans voice echoed in her ears as if from a dream. Ah! C Ha! Yang Zhen er shouted, the dazzling light ribbons swirling around her, the Great Sword in her hand sending out an arc of electricity. Defiant and stubborn, she rose to her feet in high spirits. After a terrified bleating sound, the evil rabbit made of black mist dissipated. Yang Zhener, like a deity, leapt into the air and fell from a height of ten meters with her Great Sword in hand. Her feet, clad in Silver Boots, landed on the ground, scattering debris and forming deep footprints. Lady Silver Armor Fairy, youre amazing! The Little Fatty Girl who had just been standing on the side rushed over excitedly, wanting to hug her. Yang Zhener lifted her Great Sword and aimed it at her bottom, slapping her into the sky, she disdainfully said: Youre not Xiao Lingdang! Xiao Lingdang never called me like this! A girl with a ponytail approached, My dearest cousin Imposter! Yang Zhener swung her Great Sword, sending her flying into the sky. A girl in glasses stepped forward, My dearest Zhener Gross! Another person was sent into the sky. After using her Great Sword to whack all five of them into the sky, Yang Zhener looked around thoughtfully, then at her own hand, then at the weapon in it. She carefully listened to the humming still echoing between heaven and earth, and suddenly felt something strange, as if everything around her wasfake? Cousin. A familiar voice sounded and she turned her head to see Old Xia walking towards her. Not again! Yang Zhener furrowed her brow and swung her Great Sword towards the tall girls bottom. Her large sword, which seemed wider than a girls thigh and was surrounded by arcs of electricity, was easily blocked by the girl with a casual raising of the hand. How can you block it, this is my dream! Yang Zhener instinctively shouted, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she froze, mumbling: Eh? My dream? Am I dreaming? Cousin, wake up. Old Xia came closer, removed her helmet, held her face with both hands and gently rubbed it. This was something Yang Zhener often did to Xia Libing when she was young. Im awake! Im awake! Yang Zhener laughed, moved Old Xias hands away, then suddenly hugged her tightly: Old Xia! I missed you so much! She was talking to Old Xia just before sleep, right before she closed her eyes. But after the lonely and deserted experience, after feeling abandoned and betrayed, facing the real Old Xia now made her feel grievances. She felt like a wanderer who had been drifting for decades and suddenly saw a familiar face. Right! Were dreaming to help Brother Xiang, whats in this dream? That black rabbit just now? Ive already easily defeated it by myself. Does that count as a great deed on my part? Yang Zhener suddenly remembered something, let go of Old Xia and asked. No. Xia Libing said, Those false images of me and Xiang Kun might be part of it. Anything that doesnt belong to your dream, anything that feels off, could be it. Im here to help you find those things. I get it! Its like playing a game of Spot the Difference! Yang Zheners eyes lit up, Wheres Nana? Xiao Lingdang, Little Apple, Chef Xiang, Alice, where are they? Focus and make good use of time. Xia Libing said. Okay, dont worry, in my own dream, I, the Silver Armor Old Fairy, am definitely the most formidable! Yang Zhener confidently put her helmet back on, picked up her Great Sword, and strided forward to lead the way. She was ready to sweep her dreamland with Old Xia. Unbeknownst to her, the background music of the dream now became soothing and rhythmic, even a little playful and funny. Apart from Old Xia whose dream progressed the quickest due to her special task, according to Xiang Kun and Alices plan, the others from Yang Lao San, Tang Baona, Little Apple to Little Fatty Girl, basically had their dreams started at the same time. Old Xia was a guide, a free agent and a reinforcements wandering in the dream. Tang Baonas special melody was an important part of the awakening process. She worked as logistical and technical support. She was playing the melody in her dream directly. With Alices distribution, she could ensure that everyone else was awakened from their dreams. Until Yang Lao San was awakened, the plan ran smoothly, everything was within the expectations of Xiang Kun and Alice. But at Little Fatty Girls, there was a minor hiccup. Chapter 617 - Chapter 617: Chapter 617: Who Wakes Up from the Great Dream First (Part 2) Chapter 617: Chapter 617: Who Wakes Up from the Great Dream First (Part 2) Normally, Liu Shiling wouldnt be able to wake up by herself in her dream. Old Xia would awaken Tang Baona first, then through Nanas special melody broadcast, awaken Yang Lao San and deal with her dream, before finally coming to Little Fatty Girls dream to wake her up. However, unexpectedly, Liu Shiling woke up on her own before Old Xia arrived or Nanas melody even began. In Liu Shilings dream, the scenery became very realistic, with only a trace of the 2D style left in the rolling mountains. She was wearing her signature black robe with gold-rimmed cat ears, wielding a short magic wand that looked just like a chopstick, commanding her troop of chocolate, ice cream, and lemon tea, five small soldiers in total, battling all kinds of dark monsters to protect ten thousand chubby rabbit subjects. The slightly roundish little magician with her robe hood was perched on the back of a large tiger with four pairs, eight wings in total. This eight-winged mount was naturally Custard Pie. The little fatty girl, whose hands were as small as steamed buns, pointed her short magic wand forward, and shouted, Custard Pie, lets charge! Wipe them out! However, the eight-winged mount beneath her didnt move, instead, it turned its feline face around and uttered several crisp barks, Woof! Woof, woof! Despite having eight wings and being larger in size than an average Siberian Tiger, its face was that of a chubby orange tabby cat. It should not have been making dog barks under any circumstances. In the dream, Liu Shiling felt it was very abrupt, she frowned in confusion, Custard Pie, a cat should act like a cat, not bark like a dogYou are not a dog But before she could finish speaking, she suddenly froze, locking eyes with Custard Pie beneath her. Her eyes gradually brightened, they shone even brighter until she cried out in surprise, leaping up in excitement. I understand now, Im dreaming! Im just dreaming! Liu Shiling shouted, thus waking up in the dream. Actually, after she finished dinner and Xiang Kun called, the Chongyun Village Team knew they needed to help Xiang Kun in their dreams so Liu Shiling went to brief Custard Pie by herself. She instructed Custard Pie to wake her up with the code woof woof woof in the dream. Custard Pie responded with meow meow meow to indicate understanding. This process was actually reported to Xiang Kun by Alice, but he didnt pay much attention to it. Although it had been verified before that Custard Pie, now part of the Super Sensory Item System, could indeed be connected to the special dream induced by Emotion Infused Objects, how could Custard Pie remember Little Fatty Girls instructions and wake her up in the dream without being conscious itself? Therefore, after leading Little Fatty Girl into the dream, Xiang Kun didnt specifically include Custard Pie, and Custard Pie hadnt fallen asleep yet either. Anyway, there was already Nanas special melody awakening scheme, which was certain. However, unexpectedly, not long after Little Fatty Girl fell asleep, Custard Pie also fell asleep on the rooftop, then, through its connection with Little Fatty Girl, it directly projected into her dream. More miraculously, even though Custard Pie itself was not conscious in the dream, it really did obey Little Fatty Girls previous instructions, emitting the dog barking signal woof woof woof. Thus, the dazed Little Fatty Girl in the dream was indeed awakened by the signal. Waking up in the Emotion Infused special dream was really this easy? As the support base of the entire dream, feeling clearly everything happening in Little Fatty Girls dream, Xiang Kun could only smile helplessly. Little Fatty Girl always managed to surprise him. Even though he provided the fundamental abilities, it was the unconventional developer like Little Fatty Girl that could bring more innovative and distinctive applications. When Little Fatty Girl woke up in the dream, the entire dreamland changed dramatically. Except for the dream projections of chocolates, ice cream, and other five super-connected coins, including Custard Pie, everything else, whether the various demons and ghosts, the mountains filled with fat rabbits, or the mountains underfoot, the blue sky and white clouds above the head, all disappeared. She, along with Custard Pie and the five super-connected coin soldiers, seemed to be standing in empty space. Is the monster that Uncle Bald wants to deal with coming out? Liu Shilings little face showed a serious expression. She tucked her short magic wand under her arm, pulling the hood cord on either side of her robe to tighten it slightly. The cat ears on the hood moved as a result, which seemed to give her a sense of security. Custard Pie, lets go ahead and check. Chocolate, Ice Cream, you guys protect the left and right. Lemon Tea, Sachima, Mung Bean Cake, you three face the back and stay on alert. After Liu Shiling finished speaking, she realized that the Custard Pie beneath her feet had not moved. Looking down, she saw no trace of her eight-winged cat mount. She was standing directly in a void of darkness. Looking left, right, forward and backward, Chocolate, Ice Cream and other coin warriors had also disappeared. Now, all she could see around her was an empty void of darkness. She could see her hands and feet, but all the light seemed to be restrained to her body. The outside world had swallowed all the light. Custard Pie! Chocolate! Ice Cream! Shouted Liu Shiling, she ran for a few steps, looked around and it was still the void, with no changes, no scenery in sight, and no signs of Custard Pie, Chocolate, and others. Liu Shiling stopped, took a deep breath, suppressed her fear and anxiety, raised the magic wand in her hand, and shouted, All the monsters from the dark world enemies of Bald Uncle! You cant scare me in my dream! Hand over my kitty and warriors now! Ill count to three! If you dont hand them over! Im going to get tough! One two Three four Five oh, I over-counted! With some annoyance, Liu Shiling chucked her magic wand, and a flash of lightning appeared out of the void, tearing the surrounding void with a sputtering sound, bringing a moment of light. Then there was continual thunder and lightning, but after thunder and lightning, it still remained quiet and silent. She seemed to have struck nothing, annihilated nothing, as if she had always been outwitting herself. Liu Shiling became more and more panicked inside and couldnt help but shout: Bald Uncle! Chicken Wing Sister! Old Fairy Sister! Where are you? Gorgeous Sister! Sister Apple! Are you there? Xiao Luosi! Xiao Luosi!! After shouting for a while, she stopped because it seemed somewhat embarrassing. She aspired to be a great wizard, the most powerful kind of great wizard. How could she keep shouting out of fear of the dark and loneliness? This is not the performance of an excellent magician. If Old Fairy Sister saw her, she would definitely laugh at her and would probably say, Xiao Lingdang, come here, call Sister Silver Armor Fairy three times and Ill come to save you. No, thats too embarrassing, she must remain calm. As the ancients said, Train for a thousand days, fight in a pinch, she always thought about practicing magic so that one day she could fight monsters with Bald Uncle and protect the world together. The opportunity finally arrived, the monster hadnt even shown up yet, how could she be so frightened? I am learning magic with Bald Uncle! I am Liu Shiling! I am very brave! After some self-encouragement and motivation, Liu Shiling was immediately invigorated and continued to wander in the void with her magic wand, looking for a way to break the stalemate. As time trickled by C though she had no idea how long it had been, it felt as if it had been many, many years. The courage she had mustered and the confidence that had been raised quickly faded away. Why? Why is there nothing here? Did Uncle Bald, Chicken Wing Sister, Gorgeous Sister and others finish fighting the monsters and forgot about me? Did they forget me? Liu Shiling stopped wandering around since everything looked the same, she could see nothing, there was nothing. She squatted down, hugged her knees, pulled the drawstring on her hood tighter and tucked her face inside. Her little face was framed roundly by the edge of the hood. Uncle Bald Chicken Wing Sister please come to save me quickly dont you want me anymore? Do you think I am too weak, and dont want to take me with you Old Fairy Sister, Sister Apple, where are you Xiao Luosi, Im so scared Mom Mom Teardrops streamed down her face and fell with a patter, disappearing into the void beneath her feet. Xiang Kun, who had been constantly monitoring the dream, was instantly on guard. He was about to jolt Little Fatty Girl out of the dream, allowing her to wake up first. Given the dream states of Old Xia, Nana, and Yang Lao San, one less person, Little Fatty Girl, would not make a big difference. It would only make the process a bit longer than intended. Even in a dream, he couldnt bear to see the Little Fatty Girl being upset. However, just at this moment, Xiang Kun received feedback from other dreams, and had an idea, so he didnt immediately remove Little Fatty Girl from the dream. A melodious sound of a flute started to play, and Liu Shiwei, who had been crying in distress and grief, raised her head, listened through teary eyes, and seemed to think of something. She wiped her tears and snot with the hem of her robe and got up from the ground. In the music, a gentle female voice began to sing. The familiar song was like hot milk in winter, warming Liu Shiling, her entire being, and her heart. The feelings of loneliness, fear, despair, and inferiority were instantly dispelled, her star-like eyes brightened again, and the little bun holding the chopstick magic wand her little fist regained its strength. Pretty sister! Is it you, pretty sister? Where are you, pretty sister? Liu Shiling cried out. She received no response, but the song continued. Liu Shiling was no longer afraid, and even felt a bit embarrassed about her behavior just now. As she walked in the void, she suddenly bumped into something. With a huh and due to her robes hood being tied too tightly and getting knocked off, it covered her eyes. She frantically readjusted her hood, crouched down to pick up her magic wand that had fallen, and was about to take a fighting stance, but realized that she had bumped into a familiar figure. Sister Grilled Chicken Wing! Liu Shiling yelled with joy. Appearing in the void was Xia Libing. She walked over to Little Fatty Girl, helped her adjust her robes hood, touched her cheek, Did you cry? Ah! I didnt I did I was pretending to cry, I wanted to lure the monster out, but it didnt fall for it, um, I did it on purpose Liu Shiling said a little embarrassedly. Monsters arent always what they seem. Xia Libing gently pinched Liu Shilings cheek, took her hand, and said, A monster is a strange thing in your dream, something you dont think you dreamt of, like me, like this song. But you know who I am, you know who is singing this song, and everything else you dont know where it came from, thats a monster. Liu Shiling could only vaguely understand what she was told. But she nodded anyway: Hmm, I understand. In any case, with Sister Grilled Chicken Wing by her side and Pretty Sisters song in her ears, she wasnt scared at all now. What can you see, Little Bell? Xia Libing asked. She navigated through the dreams of others to assist them in discovering the elements brought by the Ultimate Predator and what they expressed in the dream. Their method of supporting Xiang Kun in engaging the Ultimate Predator in dreams is not to eliminate the Ultimate Predator in the dream, because that is not achievable. When Xiang Kun trapped the Ultimate Predators consciousness in dreamland while it was engulfing Mr. Liang, Old Xia, Tang Baona, Yang Zhener, Little Fatty Girl, Xiao Pingguo were needed as users of the dream, using various dream expressions to present the consciousness structure and consciousness model of the Ultimate Predator. In this process, Xiang Kun and Alice would continuously collect, analyse and construct the consciousness model of the Ultimate Predator. Once they complete the construction of its consciousness model, through the Super sensory Item System, they can directly damage its consciousness structure on a High-Dimensional Factors level, disrupting its control over special factors scattered around the world and within various organisms. If a metaphor had to be used, Xiang Kuns initial plan was to cut all the internet cables of the Ultimate Predator all over the world, but first he needed to have scissors prepared all around the world. Now its more like they had directly found the server address, paralyzed the server, and burnt the server rooms cabling. Due to differing biological compositions, the consciousness of the Ultimate Predator would be incompatible with the dreamland constructed by human consciousness. But as it is trapped in it, it will inevitably attempt to exert influence. This influence displayed in the dream is the interface for translation and analysis by Xiang Kun and Alice. After listening to Old Xias words, Little Fatty Girl tilted her head in bewilderment, looked around, and said, I dont see anything, its pitch-black. Saying this, she tightened her grip on old Xias hand slightly. What can you hear? I hear a song, its a nice song, sung by Pretty Sister, Ive heard it before Liu Shiling tried to hum a few lines, but unsurprisingly, she was off-key. Anything beyond the song? It seems there is no other sound. Feel it, do you smell anything? Liu Shiling closed her eyes and moved her nose a bit. Suddenly she exclaimed in surprise, It seems there is a burnt smell, as if something is overcooked. Can you tell which direction the smell is coming from? Over there! Liu Shiling led Xia Libing by the hand and walked forward. Suddenly, light radiated all around them, and a series of buildings appeared. It wasnt a city, nor was it green hills, but a barren land covered in smog. There were no constructions, nor plants. All sorts of bizarre, clay sculpted structures distorted beyond recognition made their appearance. The sky was also veiled in a layer of gray fog, creating a dull scene where both the sky and the earth were gray. However, some areas were completely charred and continuously emitted smoke. What are these? Liu Shiling curiously observed this desolate, peculiar place and asked in confusion. Presented with this scene alone, she would most likely feel fear. These should be the monsters, Xia Libing answered, The smoking ones are probably those struck by your lightning. Should I strike them all with lightning then? Liu Shiling asked, looking up. No need. We just need to find it, and were done. Lets see if theres anything else, Xia Libing said. After visiting the dreamlands of Tang Baona, Yang Zhen Er and her own, she could compare and find that the dream of Little Fatty Girl was most affected by the consciousness of the Ultimate Predator. It seemed that the Ultimate Predator saw Little Fatty Girl as a breakthrough point and was bullying her. Of course, what the Ultimate Predator didnt know was that there was no chance for it to win this game. The only difference was between early defeat and late defeat. With Xia Libings company and help, Liu Shiling became increasingly brave, and gradually mastered the control of her dream during a lucid dream. Riding the flying carpet, they roamed freely in this bizarre space. Then, as time passed, the surrounding scenes became more diverse. They found more unusual phenomena, and the environment rapidly shifted towards areas familiar to Little Fatty Girl. The unusual phenomena became less conspicuous, hiding in various familiar environments. Theres someone over there. At the end of the pedestrian street of Tongshi Town, Liu Shiling saw a boy squatting by the roadside, playing with a remote control car. Although she could only see his back, Liu Shiling was pretty certain that she didnt know this boy. This wasnt her dream, but rather an unusual phenomenon. So she tugged Xia Libings hand and whispered, Sister Roast Chicken Wing, is that a monster? Xia Libing didnt reply and slowly walked forward, holding Little Fatty Girls hand. Seemingly hearing footstep sounds, the boy playing with the remote control car suddenly turned his head. His face only had two large, round eyes, but no eyelids, nor any nose, mouth or other facial features. It looked extremely odd. Little Fatty Girl was startled and her body shivered, stopping in her tracks. She instinctively tried to hide behind Xia Libings thighs, but remembering her identity as the great wizard and that this was her own dream, she braced herself and stood forward again. Holding the magic wand in her other hand, she pointed it at the eye-only boy, intending to cast a lightning bolt at him. However, Xia Libing pressed down her wand and looked at the boy, whose eyes were filled with fear. She said, Hes not a monster. Mom, my mom is gone, where is my mom The boy picked up the remote control car on the ground and anxiously ran off into the distance. As he ran, his body grew larger, and his voice became weird, both coarse and deep, as if some metallic grains were rubbing against each other. The content of his screams also changed: Teacher Our research is about to succeed I didnt let you down I used the companys money I didnt waste the nations funds Old He, rest assured, those beasts that feed on human blood, I will catch them. Theres no place for them in our country. Xiao Xue you deceived me Xiang Kun, dont worry about me, do what you have to do. Xiang Kun, I dont want to die Chapter 618 - Chapter 618: Chapter 618: Creator Coin Chapter 618: Chapter 618: Creator Coin Liu Shiling, holding Old Xias hand, looked at the retreating figure, feeling a bit baffled. She couldnt quite comprehend the mans words, but she heard Uncle Balds name, and Old Xias attitude made her realize something. Roast Chicken Wing Sister, is he one of us? Liu Shiling asked softly. He is one of us. Xia Libing confirmed. The consciousness of the Ultimate Predator was essentially held by Mr. Liangs consciousness and dragged into the dreamland, so seeing Mr. Liangs projected consciousness in the dream was natural. But seeing Mr. Liangs projected consciousness essentially meant that the Ultimate Predators projected consciousness, and the expression of the dream, had approached the boundary. Xia Libing patted Liu Shilings head and said, Im going to find Sister Xiao Pingguo now. You go back by yourself, stroll through the dream a few more times, and if you see anything not belonging to your dream, mark it in your mind. Theres no need to deal with it. Your pretty sisters song will keep playing and wont stop. If something urgent comes up and you need to find me, call my name, and I will return. Liu Shiling nodded earnestly and slightly raised her chopstick magic wand, Dont worry, Roast Chicken Wing Sister. This is my dream. I am the strongest. Hearing this sentence, almost identical to what Yang Lao San had said, Xia Libing gave a little nod and gently pinched her cheek. After leaving Little Fatty Girls dream, Xia Libing located Xiao Pingguos dreamland via Alice and Emotion Infused Objects. Xia Libing had never used the Dream in A Dream ability to enter Xiao Pingguos dream before, firstly because there was no need, and secondly because Xiao Pingguos sensory information makeup was somewhat different from ordinary people. Her dream expression might not be compatible with ordinary people. That is to say, even if she entered the dream, Xia Libing might not be able to understand the information in the dream, and her influence on the dream might be misinterpreted by Xiao Pingguo. However, this time its different because in addition to Xiang Kun, Mr. Liang and the consciousness of the Ultimate Predator were instigating the dream. The process itself was converting the special sensory expression information into sensory expression information that humans could perceive commonly. With the translator Alice helping, it would be much easier for Xia Libings Dream in A Dream consciousness to enter. To Xia Libings surprise, upon entering Xiao Pingguos dream, it wasnt pitch-black nor was she immersed in nothingness. Various geometric bodies were composed of white and grey lines all around her. However, when she looked at them, she found they were not white or grey but seemingly made up of constantly changing shades of light and darkness. Despite not being able to recognize what the various geometrical figures represented, Xia Libing was not in a hurry. She observed the surroundings slowly while listening to the sounds by her side. There were music and the melodious singing of Tang Baona rendering the background. Besides these sounds, there were also some sporadic sounds, including footsteps. Looking back following the sound of footsteps, Xia Libing saw a figure approaching quickly and grabbing her arm. The figure moved so fast that she had no time to dodge, Bing Sister! Its me! It was Xiao Pingguos voice. Xia Libing touched Xiao Pingguos shoulder, arm, head, and pinched her cheek. Visually, Xiao Pingguo looked vastly different in the dream than in reality, not even appearing human. But by touch, she was the same as in reality. Bing Sister, there are some weird things in my dream. I have put them aside. Some are sounds, some are smells, and some are I dont even know what they are. Anyway, they dont belong to my dream. I have packed them all together, Xiao Pingguo explained. Obviously, Xiao Pingguo had been awaked by Tang Baonas cross-dream BGM before Xia Libings arrival, and smartly and nimbly cleaned up her dream. Despite being in the same dreaming state, this being her first time waking up in a dream, Xiao Pingguo had a much better understanding and control of her dream compared to an ordinary person there was a domineering sense of control in her. Of course, this could be attributed to her unique dream structure, dream system, and sensory information makeup. Sister Xiao Pingguo began to describe the unique aspects of the dreamscapes she had packaged together to Old Xia. Her thoughts were well-organized and articulate. Old Xia knew that Xiao Pingguo may not have identified all the dream expressions of the Ultimate Predator, but her approach to organising the dreams was highly effective. As long as she continued this thought process in her exploration and organization of the dreams, Alice and Xiang Kun would be able to progressively uncover the consciousness of the Ultimate Predator, as they were fundamental constituents of the dreams. In summary, the presence of Xia Libing made little difference to Xiao Pingguos side, and could not provide any substantial help. However, Xia Libing did not immediately move on to other dreams, because she could feel that even though she couldnt practically help Xiao Pingguo, she could provide substantial emotional support. So, after spending a long time in Xiao Pingguos dream, she returned to her own dream, then visited Tang Baonas dream, followed by Yang Lao San and Little Fatty Girl. Then back to Xiao Pingguos, in this way patrolling through various dreams, providing them with necessary help and guidance. After a few rounds of visits, Little Fatty Girl had grown more accustomed and focused. In the ever-changing, but increasingly familiar scenes, she identified more and more suspicious points that did not match her dreams, and even seemed to enjoy the process and couldnt stop playing. As for Sister Xiao Pingguo, shes inherently adept at this dream bug hunting game, handling everything with ease. Nana, serving as the BGM provider and music broadcaster for other dreams, was also pretty good at controlling the dreams once she got the hang of it. She was now wearing a beautiful performance outfit, standing before a stage with dazzling lighting and gorgeous special effects, singing in front of tens of thousands of spectators. The large, complete band on both sides of the stage, each member of which sported a shiny bald head, looked extremely professional The only person who kept Xia Libing staying and spending more time was her cousin, Yang Zheners dream. Most of the signs of the Ultimate Predator appeared in Little Fatty Girls dream, but because Mr. Liang had many dream projections in the same dream, the signs of the Ultimate Predator were basically boxed in and not too complicated. To Little Fatty Girl, it was similar to the real-life game of spot the difference. However, in Yang Zheners dream, the expressions of the Ultimate Predator were strange. For example, a gap suddenly appeared in the middle of the road, causing Yang Lao San to fall into another space; the world suddenly turned upside down, with the ground reaching the sky and gravity reversing; the engine hood of a car beside the road suddenly lifted, transforming into a mouth full of sharp teeth; all the colors of surrounding items disappeared, and the whole world turned into a grey white; the ground became like tree bark, and the outer walls of nearby high-rise buildings seemed like human skin, or the whole space turned from a city into the interior of a biological body Although in the dream, Yang Zheners combat power was strong, especially with the accompaniment of Nanas BGM. She imagined herself as a Silver Armor Fairy, wielding a great sword to make a way, but every time these strange phenomenons occurred, she would still make a fuss, swinging her sword recklessly while crying Old Xia save me! Only when Xia Libing was also participating in the dream did Yang Zheners emotions become slightly calm. Even if sudden changes in illusions scared her, she was able to subdue her panic and fear, maintaining a calm demeanor, and swung her great sword to break the illusions, restoring the environment to its original state. So basically, out of each round of dream visits, Xia Libing would spend half of her time in Yang Zheners dream. Xiang Kun opened his eyes, it was still the middle of the night, completely dark around him, and a thick layer of clouds blocked the moonlight and starlight. The darkness could not hinder Xiang Kuns vision, he was able to clearly see the scene in front of him under various visual modes. Not far away, in front of a big tree that required three people to encircle, Mr. Liang still remained in invisibility status, seemingly unchanged. But Xiang Kun knew that the plan had already succeeded. He extended his right hand, there was nothing on it. Seconds later, a dull explosion sounded with a thud, and a light blue halo radiated around Xiang Kuns palm like a shock wave. Anyone that saw this would undoubtedly be astonished, as the blue halo extended more than ten kilometers. Despite the surrounding darkness of the night, when the light halo appeared alongside the dull sound, everything in the area swept by the light seemed to be engulfed in darkness, with only the rapidly moving and spreading halo visible. Not only light, but all other sounds, even the sound of the wind, ceased instantly, as if the air itself had been paused, fixed in place. However, it was strange that this seemingly powerful light halo didnt cause any actual damage C the plants it swept past didnt even move at all. In Xiang Kuns palm, a coin had taken shape. It appeared as unremarkable as an ordinary one yuan coin. If Mr. Liang were awake, he would likely presume this coin, like the crispy pigs elbow that materialized out of nowhere in Xiang Kuns hands back in Africa, to be some sort of real illusion that seems quite authentic and impactful. However, if Xia Libing were present, she would instantly sense that the coin in Xiang Kuns hand is not an ordinary Illusion Reality. It is even more real than a coin materialized through Illusion Reality. When Xiang Kun first created this type of coin in Star City, it caused a range of effects. This time, it seemed to make a bigger commotion than before, but since they were in a high altitude mountainous area with no people around, the actual impact was actually smaller. If this had happened in a city, let alone the awe the halo would cause, the widespread power outage, internet disconnection, and electronic device malfunction that occurred in a blink of an eye would have definitely made headlines the next day. This coin was a super-connected object that Xiang Kun had truly created based on the Super-connected Coin. The basis for its existence is the High-Dimensional Factors, it originated from the underlying structure of Xiang Kuns mutation. In other words, this coin not only has the characteristics of a regular coin, but also those of a Super-connected Object. Xiang Kun pinched the coin in his hand, then released it into the void, where it remained suspended as though it were integrated or merged with the air rather than floating. Next, a series of loud gunshots thundered one after another as blue halos spread out one after another, Xiang Kun created ten coins and placed them in the air in front of him. Then, he pointed towards where Mr. Liang was, and the ten Creator Coins shot out simultaneously, reaching him in the blink of an eye. The moment the coins got close, Mr. Liang disintegrated into a cloud of dust. Just as the dust was about to dissipate, tens of thousands of super-connected tungsten steel balls erupted from the ground, encircling the dust. An astonishing burst of dazzling light exploded, it was as if every tungsten steel ball had turned into a miniature LED bulb capable of producing its own light. The ten Creator Coins were the brightest light sources, they enveloped, restricted the dust as if they had created a spherical barrier of sorts, inside of which electrical sparks flickered amongst the dust, apparently brewing a storm of spectacular power. This tiny sun seemed to have been created, slowly floating up from the ground until it was hovering four or five meters above. Xiang Kun wasnt trying to annihilate the material in the middle of the light sphere. Killing that material would only kill Mr. Liang, but it wouldnt destroy the Ultimate Predator. After the dream ended, Xiang Kun and Alice had established a usable Ultimate Predator Consciousness Model, and using it, they devised a set of operating mechanisms to paralyze its abilities to influence all special factors and to kill or control organisms by generating various compounds and large molecules, as it had done in the past. This operation mechanism, like a running program, needed to be executed through the Super Sensory Item System, with Super-Connected Objects serving as the hardware responsible for the execution. He could have accomplished this with regular Super-Connected Objects as well, like the tens of thousands of tungsten steel balls that were already deployed, as well as the common super-connected coins scattered around, and the various daughter plants and their extensions spread throughout the forest by Xiao Luobo. However, Xiang Kun still created ten Creator Coins, intending to use the best and highest-performing hardware to run what he considered the most important program. As soon as this program was executed, the Ultimate Predator was forcefully interrupted from devouring Mr. Liang. It sensed the danger, but it was too late. Alice swooped down from the sky, like a fully-armed Gundam, landing at the heavily fortified castle, and according to the plan, she demolished all the gates, trampled the stables, and flattened the official buildings of the administrations office. When the light faded, the ten Creator Coins vanished into thin air, and the thousands of tungsten steel balls fell back to the ground, the group of tiny particles solidified into a firm sphere. The Ultimate Predators remaining tissues and special factors have dispersed. It wasnt killed, but for now, it has lost the capability to remotely control the special factors within other organisms to kill them and influence them. It no longer has the ability to threaten Xiang Kun by hijacking various species. Those special factors still exist in other parts of the world and inside various organisms. Theyre still components of the Ultimate Predator, but it has lost the ability to perceive and control them. Its like a vegetative patient, retaining its physical form, but unable to sense or move at all. Xiang Kun looked at the sphere made up of tiny particles. He was still unable to protect Mr. Liangs original body. During the process of the Ultimate Predators consuming and transformation, he implemented his plan, but he still ended up letting Mr. Liangs body get disintegrated. However, just like the Ultimate Predator, Mr. Liang also didnt die. His consciousness still resides within this particle mass, with the remaining high-dimensional factors belonging to him. He will soon use the Super Sensory Item System to rapidly reconstruct Mr. Liangs body using the resources from its decomposition C just as he had promised earlier before. The low rumble of cannon and the blue halo appeared again. To deal with the Ultimate Predator, Xiang Kun pulled out the highest configuration of his Super Sensory Item System. To reconstruct Mr. Liangs body, he also needs to show the highest configuration again. As for whether these continuous anomalies will attract attention from the human settlements or attract official attention from China and other countries, he doesnt care. After all, with Alice controlling all kinds of electronic devices and without any video evidence, even the biggest anomaly can only become a legend. Besides, the Chinese government is his backing and he can just inform Old He when the time comes. Another Little Sun rose on the top of the mountain, and Mr. Liangs body was being quickly rebuilt, looking exactly like it did originally. However, when it came to the head, Xiang Kun perceived Mr. Liangs autonomous will, and thus gave up rebuilding control. The light faded away, revealing his huge body with various patterns all over. Strangely, it had a head of a normal human. That face seemed young C it was his original appearance. However, because its body was still in its default invisible state, it looked quite eerie to human eyes as if a mans head was floating in the air. Xiang Kun laughed, it seemed that after dealing with the threat of the Ultimate Predator, Mr. Liang also wanted to return back to his human form. Of course, although his head looked like a humans head, the internal structure was completely different. In fact, it was closer to its original composition, just different in appearance. This was a sacrifice of performance for aesthetics. Mr. Liang, now having a human head, didnt open his eyes. On the ground, vines stretched out, slithering like snakes, crawling up his body, ensnaring him. Then large pieces of moss grew out, covering him up, spreading around, changing the look of the entire hilltop. On top of the mountain, initially withered, remarkably flourished out of season. Mr. Liang was hidden among it, concealed and sheltered. The reconstruction of his body had not yet completed, and after the Ultimate Predators failed attempt at consuming him, many of Mr. Liangs high-dimensional factors were temporarily seized by Xiao Luobo. Now it will use them to assist Mr. Liang in continuing to rebuild his body, making him look the way he wants. This time, its a truly customized body. It is the reward he deserves for this sacrifice and contribution. Xiang Kun stood on the green hilltop, looking into the distance. The next second, streaks of light appeared on the clouds as if they caught fire. Then the light slowly expanded, tearing open from the middle. A golden ray seeped out from the horizon, connecting with the sea of fire in the sky, tearing apart the night. The sun was rising in the east. Dawn broke. Chapter 619 - Chapter 619: Chapter 619: The World Has Changed Greatly (Part 1) Chapter 619: Chapter 619: The World Has Changed Greatly (Part 1) Liu Shiling groggily sat up from her bed, rubbed her eyes, and turned to look at her little digital clock on the bedside tableonly to realize it wasnt her own. It finally registered that shes still on break, in Chongyun Village. She turned her head to the other side, where Sister Xiao Pingguo was still asleep. The bed further away was empty with the blanket neatly folded, that was Sister Barbecue Chicken Wings bed. Did Sister Barbecue Chicken Wing not sleep last night? No, Sister Barbecue Chicken Wing did sleep. Liu Shiling recalled the dream she had last night, a happy smile uncontrollably spread across her face. Chuckling to herself, she hopped off the bed and put on the Garfield slippers Yang Zhener had bought for her, walking towards the window. She pulled open the curtain, golden sunlight filtered into the room. Little Fatty Girl instinctively closed her eyes. Her chubby face was basked in the warmth of the sun, so comfortable that she found herself motionless, merely enjoying the sun with her eyes shut by the window sill. After a while, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyesSister Xiao Pingguo was up and was standing next to her, eyes also closed, allowing the sunlight to caress her face. She softly exclaimed, The sunrise is beautiful. Little Fatty Girl didnt bother asking Sister Xiao Pingguo how she could appreciate the sunrise with her eyes closed. In her understanding, Sister Xiao Pingguo was a super powerful magician who could command Golden Flash and summon Barbie Warriors. For her, seeing things with her eyes shut seemed perfectly reasonable. As for Sister Xiao Pingguo being blind? That was just a feature of hers, just like Uncle Balds bald head, Custard Pies yellow fur, Golden Flashs golden fur, Pretty Sisters singing voice, Sister Barbecue Chicken Wings barbecue chicken wing magic, and Old Fairy Sisters joy. Little Fatty Girl gazed at the distant sunrise, resembling a slowly ascending half-cooked egg yolk, and leaned against Sister Xiao Pingguo. Sister Xiao Pingguo, did we win? she asked. Sister Xiao Pingguo knew exactly what she was referring to, and responded with a nod, I think we did. Sister Xiao Pingguo, did you see that big monster? Do you know what it looks like? Little Fatty Girl asked again. Wellaccording to Sister Bing and Uncle Xiangs descriptions, the monsters form is beyond our normal cognition. We helped Uncle Bald and Alice identify the monsters existence in the dream by pinpointing those unusual and distinct elementserm, its Uncle Xiang. Sister Xiao Pingguo scratched her head awkwardly. She found that spending time with Little Fatty Girl made it easy to adopt her way of perceiving things. She found herself catching on Little Fatty Girls nicknames, not just calling Uncle Bald, but also Old Fairy Sister and Pretty Sister. Sodid we help? Little Fatty Girl asked again. We probably did I think, Sister Xiao Pingguo pondered, then spoke with more certainty: We definitely did. She knew that Xiang Kun would not have allowed them to take part in the battle unless it was necessary given his protective nature. Reflecting on last nights dream, her feelings and discoveries, she believed her understanding was correct. Hearing her response, Little Fatty Girl was thrilled. Even though the long-awaited monster battle did not feature terrifying, powerful monsters, and felt more like playing hide and seek in a dream, she awakened with a special feeling. She was convinced she had become more powerful, but couldnt quite figure out how or in what way. In Little Fatty Girls logic, becoming stronger through her dream journey indicated that she must have played a major role and made significant contributionseven though she had no idea what those contributions might have been. She only had a vague notion of her own. She didnt dare to settle it, however, with the confirmation from the trusted Sister Xiao Pingguo, she couldnt deny it anymore. Suddenly, a considerable mass of matter dropped from above, lightly gathered onto the windowsill in front of them. Then, Little Fatty Girl saw the large cat face of Custard Pie looking at her through the window with a Im hungry expression. Even though the sudden descent of Custard Pie was abrupt, they werent scared at all. Xiao Pingguo could have always confirmed by sound what Goldie and Custard Pie were doing upstairs, and right before Custard Pies drop, Little Fatty Girl felt something abruptly, like a kind of precognition, hence, she wasnt surprised at all. After Custard Pie landed, Goldie was close behind, landing at the edge of the window. Little Fatty Girl opened the window and took Custard Pie in, and then both she and Xiao Pingguo went downstairs to check if there was anything suitable for breakfast. When Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguo were heading downstairs, Tang Baona also sat up from her bed. Just awoken, her face still held the smile from her dreams. She played all night, hosted an all-night concert, yet she was completely energetic and invigorated. Since her childhood, she had countless fantasies about performing on a grand and gorgeous stage, with top-notch sound equipment and backup dancers, with mountains of audiences beneath the stage, and she herself would sing spectacularly, with all spectators cheering greatly. Particularly after recently gaining such ability to sense everythings melody, the Emotional Melody, she had secretly fantasized quite a bit after creating many songs. However, when it came to actually performing on stage, she was still a bit resistant. She wanted to enjoy the passing limelight and expressiveness on stage, yet she didnt want to bear the annoyance and troubles of being famous. Thus, such performances in her dreams, that were both real and illusory, satisfied her performance desires well. Particularly, her plays and her created songs were not just for her own self-admiration, there were real-time audiences Old Xia, Little Apple, Xiao Lingdang, Yang Lao San, even Xiang Kun and Alice could hear them. Not only could they hear them, these songs also served extremely critical roles, they could awaken them from their dreams. This made Tang Baona feel extremely achieved, and so she invested great effort into the concerts in her dreams. After the dream ended, once she woke up, Tang Baona felt the relaxation and achievement similar to having finished all the summer/winter holiday assignments after toiling an entire night during her student times, followed by a good sleep. Sitting on the bed, she stretched lazily. An idea struck her, she touched the bracelet on her wrist, without focusing too hard, she sensed an immense melody playing. Everything around her, the blanket, mattress, bed, wooden floor, bedside table, chair, desk, walls, curtains, exterior buildings, birds, flora, soil, and the nascent sunlight shining upon them. Oh, also, Yang Lao San, who is still sleeping soundly beside her, everything, played a melody as if they were all instruments which then merged perfectly into a grand symphony that was truly thrilling. Tang Baona loosened her right hand touching the bracelet, took a deep breath, looked at the walls in her room, and the symphonys volume faded a bit. This type of sensation became increasingly natural and random, just like breathing. When you dont pay attention, its always there, running in the background, and when you turn your attention to it, you can notice all types of details, detailed progress and conduct functional expansions, as well as actual operations. Tang Baona couldnt help but humming a cheerful melody, expressing her mood at the moment. She turned to look at Yang Zhener who was sleeping next to her in bed, leaned over and pinched her nose: Old Three! Wake up! Yang Zhener frowned and grunted, raising her hand to flick away Tang Baonas hand. Then she turned around and continued to sleep. Dont sleep, get up, get up, dont sleep anymore! Tang Baona continued to lean over and disturb her, since she knew that Yang Lao San fell asleep with her at the same time, they had had the same sleeping time. Strictly speaking, she sang Yang Lao San to sleep, so Yang Lao San slept a little bit longer than her. Let me sleep a bit more Nana, so sleepy, so tired, Yang Zhener muttered in a daze, clutching her quilt and groaning a few times. Huh? Tang Baona curiously laid on Yang Lao San, pointing at the knot on her furrowed brow with curiosity, it seemed that Old Three was really tired. Then she thought about Yang Lao Sans dream last night, it was indeed that Yang Lao San had much larger emotional ups and downs than Xiao Lingdang and Little Apple, as if she was dealing with more complex and troublesome situations. Although she didnt see it directly, she could sense the emotional and mood changes of Yang Lao San, Xiao Lingdang, and Little Apple in their dreams through the melody of emotions. So, when Yang Lao San was sad, despairing, and in low spirits, she would play the corresponding positive melody of emotions, prompting her to stand up with her voice. While humming a soft lullaby, she gently rubbed open Yang Lao Sans furrowed brow. Tang Baona didnt call her anymore, instead, she let her fall asleep again. After Yang Lao San fell asleep, Tang Baona got up to wash and change clothes before leaving the room. She first went to the room where Xia, Niu, and Guo were staying, but found it empty. Everyone was gone. Then she heard the sound of a car, and Little Fatty Girls cheers. Tang Baona had an idea and touched the beads in her hand to sense, then she felt six hunger emotional melodies and several fragrant object melodies. Tang Baona went downstairs and saw Custard Pie eating cat food in the corner of the living room. Jinshanshan was also cheerfully eating Apples specially formulated bird meal in its cage. Little Fatty Girl and Little Apple, who were still in their pajamas, were standing at the door of the yard, helping Old Xia, who had gotten off the GL8, with his bags. Needless to say, those bags must contain delicious breakfast C she already knew about it through the melody! Good morning, pretty sister! Little Fatty Girl, who was carrying a bag, entered the house first and greeted cheerfully. Beautiful Good morning, Sister Nana! Right behind her, Little Apple, who was carrying two bags, also greeted her with a smile. Xiao Lingdang, Little Apple, you guys are up this early too? Tang Baona said, and when she saw Old Xia coming in with several bags, she was even more surprised: Old Xia, why did you get breakfast? I remember that last night You also came over to listen to my concert under the stage, didnt you? We should have ended the dream at the same time, right? While taking the food out of the bag and placing it on the dining table, Old Xia explained, After the dream ended, you guys didnt wake up right away. I woke up earlier. Tang Baona instinctively asked when she saw Little Apple holding a fried bread stick and Little Fatty Girl holding a meat bun, about to take a bite, Have you two brushed your teeth yet? Thus, the two small mouths both stopped in front of the food. After a moment of pause, the food in their hands was taken away by Old Xia, still in the plastic bag. Then, he pointed his chin at the stairs. The two girls understood and quickly went upstairs to brush their teeth. Tang Baona noticed that Old Xias gaze fell on her again, and quickly said, I brushed my teeth! I brushed them as soon as I woke up! Old Xia nodded, Sister Nana, do you want soy milk or milk? I also bought some millet porridge, do you want to drink a bit? Ah? Oh, yes, yes, give me some. After gulping down a bite of hot porridge and exhaling a breath of hot air, Tang Baona looked very satisfied and content. Then, she looked at Old Xia again, Old Xia, has Xiang Kun taken care of that guy? The plan went very well, Sister Nana did a great job, said Old Xia, For the detailed situation, you can ask Alice later on. Hearing Old Xias praise, Tang Baona was a bit embarrassed, I dont seem to have helped much, I just sang in the dreamSpeaking of which, your cousin is still sleeping, should we wake her up to eat something first? Old Xia looked at his watch C it was a gift from Tang Baona on her birthday, and said, Let her sleep for another hour, we can heat up the breakfast then. She expended too much energy last night and shes quite tired. Yes, I was thinking the same, Tang Baona said, pausing for half a second over a meat bun, then taking a steamed roll to eat. Old Xia also poured some soy milk to drink, and then looked up at Tang Baona, suddenly asking, Sister Nana, when you woke up today, did you notice anything different? Tang Baona was taken aback, and then immediately thought of her feelings when she woke up. She nodded and said, Yes, I do feel different. I seem to perceive the melody how should I put it, its more smooth and natural. It feels like its an ability Ive always had, just like breathing, talking, lifting hands, and walking. Its very easy to use, I can sense emotions when I want to, and sense objects when I want to. And And the melodies I sense can be naturally combined, as if every melody has its specific position, they can be nicely combined. Eh, its hard to describe, Ill sing a few parts for you later, youll understand. Saying that, Tang Baona thought of something and also observed Old Xia a few times. Even though she didnt see anything, she still asked, Old Xia, do you feel any different? Is it after last night, were all not the same, have we all leveled up? Old Xia said, Hmm, we have changed, but the one that has changed more, is the world. The world? The world is now vastly different than before we fell asleep. At that moment, Little Fatty Girl and Little Apple came bouncing down the stairs from upstairs, shouting: So hungry, so hungry, so hungry! Chapter 620 - Chapter 620: Chapter 620 The World Is Already Quite Different (Middle) Chapter 620: Chapter 620 The World Is Already Quite Different (Middle) After Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguo sat down, Xia Libing served them some food and Tang Baona poured their drinks. Even though Xia Libing and Tang Baona werent like Xiang Kun, who could completely grasp the two little ones tastes through established cognitive models and extensive sensory information analysis, they too, after living together for so long and sharing meals and food discussions daily, had a pretty accurate understanding of what the two liked, loved, and ate the most. Only after Little Fatty Girl had finished eating one meat bun did Xia Libing ask, How do you feel after you woke up today, Xiao Lingdang? Huh? Little Fatty Girl instinctively pulled back her hand reaching for the bun. Realizing that her BBQ-Chicken-Wings Sister was not asking to cut down on her eating, she slowly reached for the bun again and said, The buns taste so good, thank you BBQ-Chicken-Wings Sister! Xiao Pingguo laughed and helped Little Fatty Girl put the bun in her bowl, saying, Ice sister is asking what you felt after waking up, not how the bun tastes! You told me earlier that you felt more powerful, right? Little Fatty Girl had shared various new feelings and experiences while they were washing and changing clothes together earlier. Feeling a little embarrassed, Little Fatty Girl said, It feels like chocolate, ice cream, and other things are more obedient, and I feel like there are many things around me that are happy to listen to me and play with me. As she said this, she glanced at the stainless-steel soup spoon in Tang Baonas bowl for eating porridge. The spoon seemed to respond to a call or encouragement and jumped up on its own. Tang Baona was startled, then quickly realized it was Little Fatty Girls manipulation and excitedly exclaimed, Wow! Xiao Lingdang, are you becoming Magneto now? If this conversation had happened a week earlier, Little Fatty Girl would have probably asked in confusion, What is Magneto? Is it powerful? She had watched many cartoons but hadnt seen Marvel, DC or any superhero movies. It was only a short time ago, the night Xiang Kun celebrated Tang Baonas birthday, after Little Fatty Girl and Yang Zhen Er experienced the realistic illusion of a thunderstorm on the rooftop, that Yang Zhen Er began to play various superhero movies and animations for Little Fatty Girl at home and explained how powerful those abilities were, letting her know the names and corresponding powers of these superhumans. Little Fatty Girl swallowed half of her bun and earnestly stated, Im not quite like Meatball King. I discussed with Elder Fairy Sister, Meatball King uses his powers to manipulate everything as if they are things. Im different, I use my powers to share with my partners. Once they share my powers, they become my partners and help me! Tang Baona listened with a doting smile on her face; she didnt quite understand Little Fatty Girls explanation, but that didnt stop her from finding Little Fatty Girls words adorable. So she didnt correct her pronunciation of Magneto to Meatball King and nodded in agreement, Mmm, anyway, Xiao Lingdang is the most powerful. Xiao Pingguo also said to Xia Libing, Ice Sister, I also feel a little different after waking up. It seems I can hear things from further away, and smell things too. Before at our home, I could only smell what Aunt Lin was cooking, but now I can also smell the scent of food from Grandpa Wangs house. However, this smell is a bit strange. Hmm, how should I put it? It feels a bit unreal, like something I would smell in my dreams. Xia Libing knew that Aunt Lin and Grandpa Wang were residents of Chongyun Village, and the straight-line distance between their homes was about twice as far from hers. Being twice as far doesnt merely imply that Xiao Pingguos sense of smell had doubled in strength, the enhancement of her senses was all-round. Xia Libing also understood that the enhancement of Xiao Pingguos sense of smell was not the same as the increase in super-connected objects sensed by Little Fatty Girl. It wasnt that her olfactory organ had been enhanced, but instead it was due to the further upgrade of Xiang Kuns Super Sensory Item System and Alices deeper interpretation and application of the system. It was akin to not upgrading the hardware configuration, but improving the software performance and enhancing the software decoding capabilities. In Chongyun Village, full of super-connected objects, Alice redirected part of the navigation ability she used for Xiao Pingguo towards Xiao Pingguos sensory collection abilities. This reduced the steps required for intermediate translation, reducing delay and distortion, allowing Xiao Pingguo to perceive directly and make decisions. Obviously, there would be a slight difference between the smells Xiao Pingguo directly sniffed and what Alice transmitted to her, the sense of unreality as she mentioned earlier. But, this has limited impact on information interpretation and judgement. As Xiang Kuns abilities continue to improve, and the Super Sensory Item System continues to be perfected with expanded functionalities, the sensory information conveyed by Alice to Xiao Pingguo would become more and more similar to the actual sensory experiences. And by then, it wouldnt be impossible for Alice to simulate real vision for Xiao Pingguo. This way, bypassing the hardware defect of the optic nerve, she could help rebuild Xiao Pingguos visual cognitive system. With the Super Sensory Item System, even physical reconstruction at the cellular level could be possible, allowing Xiao Pingguo to see the light again. Theoretically, this could surely happen. Even now, with Alices help, Xiao Pingguo has a Gods Perspective that surpasses that of ordinary people, the fact that her physical eyes cant see doesnt matter at all, considering the ease with which she moves. As the distribution area of the Super-connected Object Matrix continues to widen, wherever Xiao Pingguo goes, she could connect with Alice and have super vision. But, Xiao Pingguo is human after all. If she could experience the normal vision that other ordinary people get to experience, something she has never had since birth, shed definitely be thrilled. Whatever makes Xiao Pingguo happy is something that Xiang Kun and Alice would definitely do. The reason Xia Libing knows these details is because on her way to the town to buy breakfast, Alice had been chattering to her all along. The reason why she rushed out to buy breakfast right after waking up wasnt entirely because of breakfast. It was due to the difference she sensed in the entire world, or rather in the perception system constructed on the basis of the Super Sensory Item System, as soon as she woke up. For her, the Illusion Reality ability had significantly improved. She can now create multiple illusionary objects simultaneously and duplicate them rapidly. For instance, in an instant, she could make cream fill the entire room, making the whole room appear like its been covered in snow, and then plant crispy pigs elbow all over. The scope of her creations could even extend to an entire village or a whole block. Of course, if monitoring or recording systems are operational, they would be affected. But with Alices assistance, thats not a problem for her. She realized that when she created illusions, she was no longer limited to using Super-connected Objects that had established special connections with her. Instead, a huge range of Super-connected Objects could respond to her co-manifestation demand, accomplishing a co-manifestation with an ultra-long viewing range. Alice could even provide her some of the super sensory abilities provided to Xiao Pingguo, like transmitting sound and scent information. Of course, the Gods Perspective super vision sensory information was still not possible, because this feature was customized by Alice for Xiao Pingguo, and the sensory information format is not compatible with Xia Libing. She needs to wait for Alice to develop for her in the future. Although Xia Libing could still only create those things that she enjoys eating or things shes eaten in her dreams with Little Fatty Girl, she still struggles to manifest any other object. Upon leaving the small courtyard where they resided, just outside Chongyun Village, Xia Libing sensed an odd sense of disorder throughout the world. It was as if a water pool that was initially stirred regularly and turned clockwise, suddenly had a large stone post set right in the waterway, disrupting the rhythm of the water flow and creating an eddy. The most evident of these changes was the weather. The initial forecast had predicted light showers turning cloudy, with temperatures ranging from 17 to 21, a level 2 north wind. However, the actual morning weather turned out to be sunny, with a barely a few clouds in the sky, a minimum level 4 wind, and that too a southwest wind. Of course, what was most puzzling was the temperature. Despite the extremely good weather, the thermometer in the car showed it was 12 outside, and pedestrians on the road were hunched and shrinking their necks as they walked. Xia Libing drove to the town for the sole purpose of observing and experiencing this environmental change C her home and most of the areas in Chongyun Village, had clearly been adjusted by Alice. She could understand that the Super Sensory Item System was undergoing a complete evolution, but the significant change in the objective environment left her somewhat puzzled. Xiang Kun didnt completely kill the Ultimate Predator, nor did he sever the Ultimate Predators connection with various special factors, he only paralyzed its ability to exert influence through these special factors. According to the predictions they made when formulating the plan, as long as they could accurately build the consciousness model of the Ultimate Predator and sever its connection as soon as the dream ended, preventing it from doing anything through the special factors, then there wouldnt be any substantial impact on the outside world. However, it now seemed that perhaps because the range of the special factors of the Ultimate Predator and the biological communities involved were too broad and numerous, even the smallest unit changes, when accumulated, would create a wide-scale qualitative change? Or was it due to other factors? For instance, the ten Super Coins Xiang Kun used this time, as mentioned by Alice? When Alice co-manifested in her car, she was clearly extremely excited and spoke erratically, requiring Xia Libing to analyze and summarize the information herself. Alice disappeared before she could finish her sentence, and hadnt shown up by breakfast time. These past few days, Alice would always request to co-manifest during occasions where everyone was gathered together, and now that she hadnt, it was clear she was occupied with other important matters. Xia Libing also pondered what could have attracted Alices attention so much. From what she knew, Alice definitely wouldnt be so excited just because of the successful plan or the capture of the Ultimate Predator. As Xia Libing pondered, Little Fatty Girl had already finished eating her second meat bun. With her chubby hand reaching towards another, she paused before picking it up, seemingly in hesitation. Seeing this, Tang Baona laughed and said, Xiao Lingdang, just eat if you want to, Old Xia bought a lot, theres enough for everyone. Xiao Pingguo also readied her chopsticks to help her pick one up, Eat as much as you like, breakfast should be satisfying. Little Fatty Girl, however, was conflicted, This bun is bigger than what Uncle Bald makes, I might not be able to finish a whole one Her mother had taught her that while gluttony was permissible, wasting food was not. Anything she ate must be finished to the best of her ability, and even if it couldnt, it had to be packed up, otherwise, she would starve when she grew older. Xia Libing casually said, Give me whatever you cant finish. Receiving this promise, Little Fatty Girl immediately broke into a grin and began to munch on the meat bun. As she enjoyed her food, she swayed her little feet joyfully, seemingly very content. The National Day holiday was very enjoyable for her, the only regret was that Uncle Bald wasnt at home. Otherwise, they would have been able to eat delicious food every day. Uncle Balds homemade meat buns were much tastier than those bought outside. Pity. But in the end, she managed to finish the last meat bun all by herself. Xia Libing was right. Alices excitement was not because of the successful plan against the Ultimate Predator.. In Alices view, that was to be expected. The reason why she was so excited was that she saw the reconstruction of Mr. Liangs body and the appearance of Mr. Liangs human head. Although the reconstruction of Mr. Liangs body was unique C the main underlying components were the high-dimensional factors that already belonged to him, and since his body had just broken down and all the materials had been confined within a small range, the high-dimensional factors, which could overcome spatial constraints, hadnt completely collapsed and dissipated and was able to be re-integrated. This was a special circumstance. But this special circumstance was, after all, achieved through the Super Sensory Item System. Since Mr. Liang was a connector of the Super Sensory Item System, Alice believed that with the right conditions, this special circumstance could be turned into a standard practice. Even if she couldnt do it herself, Xiang Kun would likely be able to help her achieve it! So, as soon as Mr. Liangs body was hidden in a temporarily constructed forest protected by Xiao Luobo, Alice could barely restrain her excitement as she thought of several applications and wanted to propose them to Xiang Kun. However, Xiang Kun was video-calling with Old He at the time, so she decided not to disturb Xiang Kun and ran off to play with Old Xia. The video communication device that Xiang Kun used was brought by Mr. Liang. Although this device was exclusive to Mr. Liang, and could only be unlocked and used after verification through his biological component, with Alices presence, Xiang Kun could use it directly without requiring Mr. Liangs authentication. On the other end, Old He swiftly answered the communication request. Judging from his appearance on screen, he had just gotten out of bed, still clad in pajamas, with disheveled hair, rather different from his usual neat slicked-back style. Xiang? How are your preparations? Are you ready to take action? If theres anything you need, feel free to speak up. As long as we can do it, we will do our best to satisfy your request. Old He spoke first, his tone faintly excited. During this period, although it was Xiang Kun and Mr. Liang who were acting independently, using only resources from Divine Technology, every time they left the country or entered another one, they sent a written report to him via their contact method, briefly mentioning the actions related to blood-eating creatures being carried out in certain areas. However, what specific action was carried out, the process, and the results, per their agreement, were recorded but not reported. Old He knew that Xiang Kun and Mr. Liang were executing a plan against the Ultimate Predator. After a long period, this was the first time Xiang Kun took the initiative to contact him. It was obvious that something important was happening, so he instinctively guessed that the preliminary preparations were almost complete and the main event was about to start. However, Xiang Kun laughed and said, The plan has been fully executed and was completely successful. We no longer need to worry about the Ultimate Predator for the time being. We can start fully researching the blood-eating creatures. Old He was taken aback. Just yesterday, he had received Mr. Liangs routine itinerary report, stating that they had left Australia and arrived at our countrys northwest border, and would possibly carry out a cross-border mission. It seemed as if they were still in the preparatory phase. How was it that in just one day, even the Ultimate Predator had been taken care of? Staring at Xiang Kuns bald head on the screen, Old He was momentarily unsure whether Xiang Kun was joking with him or not. Chapter 621 - Chapter 621: Chapter 621: The World Has Changed Greatly (Middle and Lower Part) Chapter 621: Chapter 621: The World Has Changed Greatly (Middle and Lower Part) After a while, Old He couldnt help but ask, Has that thing been dealt with by your team? Xiang Kun chuckles, It hasnt been taken out, but its mechanism for influencing other organisms has been disabled. Preparations for some related research on the blood-eating creatures can now begin. We knew about this development ahead of time, giving us a rather lengthy window of opportunity. Old He quickly understood, So youre saying the Ultimate Predator can no longer suddenly kill researchers, informants, or those who come into contact with it? All limitations have been lifted, and research related to blood-eating creatures and even the Ultimate Predator can now be carried out openly? Correct. Old He naturally understood the significance of this. Blood-eating creatures could be said to represent an immense treasure trove. Through researching them, breakthroughs could certainly be achieved in certain fields. By knowing this in advance and seizing the crucial window before researchers in other countries are aware, there is a good chance that early research could be carried out to secure a pioneering advantage in a particular area. Even separated by a screen, and without the sense afforded by emotion-infused objects, Xiang Kun could see how excited Old He was. This was quite unusual for Old He, who typically managed to keep his emotions imperceptible. However, Xiang Kun did not share with Old He that this time window was something he could control freely. It could be as long as he wanted. If Xiang Kun desired, he could direct Alice to comprehensively monitor all personnel conducting research related to mutants and the mutants being studied themselves. Compared to the Ultimate Predator, the surveillance network that Xiang Kun and Alice established based on the super sensory item system was more clandestine and omnipotent. They could completely prevent researchers from other countries from learning about mutants, from conducting related experiments, and continue to block all information about mutants online. When a mutant potentially influences the world, they could simply restrict it using the super-connected object matrix present all around the world. They could pretend as though the limiting mechanism of the Ultimate Predator still exists and covertly allow only their own researchers to conduct secret research related to mutants, thereby monopolizing all the achievements derived from these creatures. Xiang Kun didnt possess an internationalist spirit. Even without the influence of Mr. Liang and Old He, his own comprehension of the human race led him to a strong sense of nationalism. This implied he had no mental barriers or hesitation to use these methods to secure technological supremacy and dominance for his own country; it was taken for granted. However, the multiple possibilities that Xiang Kun and Alice deduced through extensive simulations told him that such control could be enforced moderately, timely, and appropriately. Maintaining control for a long time meant having to implement stringent supervision over all new and existing mutants, and even exerting a profound impact on human society. The consequences would result in the super-sensory item system constantly evolving towards controlling all humans and organisms. The degree of control would continually deepen, leading Alice to become the law that regulates all humans and organisms. Xiang Kun and his super sensory item system would morph into an invisible hand pinching all life on Earth. Once that milestone is reached, even if Xiang Kun himself doesnt wish for manipulating and oppressing other creatures, the entire system would inevitably create that practical effect, inevitably inciting resistance and struggle from other creatures. Xiang Kun isnt the Ultimate Predator, who needs to control all creatures and then tame suitable blood sources. Through the alternative actions of the super sensory item system releasing the high-dimensional factors construction demand, he does not have any stage-wise limits. Even the regular blood-drinking mutation can be decided based on his needs whether to execute or when to execute. Xiang Kun doesnt have the ambition to become a supreme ruler, to control everything or to grasp all changes. He prefers to live a normal life in human society as a superhuman C no matter how super, hes still a human. He will assume responsibilities and obligations, but he doesnt desire overcontrol. He would rather act as a guide through the super sensory item system than be a pure dominator or ruler. As time passes, with the Divine Technology, the National Abnormal Biology Research Center, and the research team led by Old Xia in the future, achieving phased research results and establishing enough leading advantages, he will gradually lift the information blockade on mutants, enabling foreign researchers to participate. To some extent, Alice has the ability to summon the computing power of the entire world, coordinate resources, and perform integrated calculations through the super-sensory item system.. She can directly analyze and edit the super-sensory information of objects and creatures themselves. When it comes to research and development of mutants and related derivative technologies, she is certainly stronger than any single platform or research institutions. The strength of humanity lies in the diversity of thought and creativity; the wisdom of brilliant minds across the globe will always outshine a handful of people. What they have to do is take the lead, but not monopolize. Anyhow, as long as Alice exists, he can always grasp the related research progress, research direction, and objectives of other countries, organizations, and institutions at any time. However, at the public level, Xiang Kun would still have Alice perform limited information control. The existence of mutants is a huge shock to the general publics existing cognitive system. Hastily lifting restrictions would inevitably lead to panic and excessive attention, causing unnecessary chaos. As the underlying principles hidden within mutants were gradually revealed, and as technological applications related to them began to change life, it would be easier for mutants to appear in the public eye and in the mass media, thereby being more easily accepted. Xiang Kun hoped that, with the guidance and coordination of the super sensory item system, human society, human mutants, and other mutants could gradually form a stable and balanced system on their own, rather than requiring him and Alice to intervene deeply at every step. By the way, Xiang Kun continued instructing Old He, remember what I mentioned earlier? I have a research base managed by my friend Xia Libing. Shell be in charge of the rules for researching blood-eating creature samples on our side. Your people or the relevant research personnel from Divine Technology, if they need to obtain and research blood-eating creature samples, they must first connect with her. You should know her contact method. Telephone her first and get trustworthy higher-ups to find her. I suggest that Dr. Fang Pingfang should be in charge on the Divine Technology end. Of course, Old He remembered the video call from the last time. Xiang Kun had requested to receive the same treatment as Mr. Liang and to have his own Divine Technology. At that time, He thought that since the request was made in front of Mr. Liang, it had been discussed and approved by Mr. Liang. So, he agreed. After all, the specific research and detailed investigations related to blood-eating creatures, as well as their management, are currently being handled by Mr. Liang and the secret team of Divine Technology. No problem, said Old He, thinking for a moment before continuing: Is Miss Xia the person fully in charge of your research base over there? If so, I suggest she first join our Abnormal Research Center and take on a position. It would make coordination and management easier when sending personnel over. Alright, Ill discuss it with her, replied Xiang Kun. He wasnt worried about Old He using his Abnormal Biology Research Center position to suppress Old Xia and gain control of the research project. The resources of the two sides were not equal, and he knew that Old He was not that kind of person. Besides, Alice had Old Hes cognitive model and all his information, so she could assist Old Xia in dealing with him at any time. The Abnormal Biology Research Center would not become Old Xias restraint. Hmm, Ill personally follow up on this. If you come back, itd be best if you come here too, together with Ah Liang. By the way, wheres Ah Liang? Old Hes tone suddenly became a bit tense. Xiang Kun, of course, knew what he was worried about and laughed: Dont worry, Mr. Liang is fine. He just needs to sleep and cant wake up for a while. Old He did not doubt Xiang Kuns words. According to his investigation, whether before or after the mutation, Xiang Kuns conduct proved that he was a person of reliable political integrity and moral character. Especially since Mr. Liang trusted him so much, Old He had no reason to doubt. He was very aware of how difficult it was for Lu Qinliang to trust others after Academician Shens death. He had many times urged Lu Qinliang to find a partner or a successor so that, in case of any unexpected event, the relevant research would not come to a halt with no one to continue it. But until Xiang Kun came along, Lu Qinliang hadnt taken a liking to any candidate. Before ending the call, Old He couldnt help but ask: That Ultimate Predator, is it done just like this? I still cant understand, what kind of existence it is. Since you say the Ultimate Predators restriction is gone, can you talk about these now? Its hard to describe clearly. It exists in almost every organism, but its so small that it has no impact on the organism itself and cant be detected when not activated. As for what its like specifically, Ill have the research team create a documented explanation with pictures later on. Itll be more intuitive. After ending the call with Old He, Xiang Kun looked into the distance with his eyes slightly narrowed and a somewhat serious expression on his face. He hadnt told Old He how to deal with the Ultimate Predator afterwards. According to his original plan, after constructing the Ultimate Predators consciousness model through dreamland and allowing Alice to use the Super sensory Item System to paralyze its control of specific factors affecting other creatures, it would be left to survive on its own and self-destruct. Once Xiang Kuns Super-connected Objects were globally distributed and connected, forming a network system without blind spots, there would be two options for dealing with it: The first is to kill it directly, dissipate its High-Dimensional Factors, return to high-dimensional space and redistribute; The second is to let Xiao Luobo grow to a certain extent, treat it as it treated the moss mushroom, incorporate it into itself, erase the consciousness, become a functional plug-in, and let all the Connectors under the Super Sensory Item System digest it and apply it. Yes, there was no option for Xiang Kun himself to devour the Ultimate Predator, because the conversion of the Ultimate Predator was too deep, neither he nor Mr. Liang could stably control it. It was like Xiang Kuns construction team only had a dozen people, but they had generation-spanning high-tech heavy machinery, construction equipment, and even fully automated machinery assisted by artificial intelligence and big data. Now they wanted to merge with another construction team with hundreds of thousands of skilled workers. Although Xiang Kuns construction team was much stronger in terms of construction efficiency and combat power, these were still hundreds of thousands of self-proclaimed experienced craftsmen. To fully utilise them, and to get them familiar with the related equipment and machinery, was not a simple matter and could easily result in large-scale conflict. If it was a construction team against a construction team, Xiang Kuns team, with its heavy machinery, would naturally not be afraid, but once they integrated and had to suppress the other, it would be much more troublesome. So Xiang Kun had never considered the option of devouring the Ultimate Predator. Hed always thought that it would be good to let it return to dust. After all, his strength mainly relied on the expansion of the Super sensory Item System, which was gradual and had a development space more than several dimensions stronger than merely stacking up High-Dimensional Factors. But now there was a problem. After this paralysis function plan was completed and the Ultimate Predators tissues that existed in Mr. Liangs body dissipated, Xiang Kun discovered a problem: The Ultimate Predator had already reached the stage limit, but its special existence mechanism had temporarily resided the fight back and disintegration. This time, it was unable to complete the consumption of Mr. Liang, causing it to take a significant blow, and it seemed that the stage limit could not be suppressed as it was before. What would it do? It now couldnt directly control specific factors to drag other creatures to death with it, but it didnt mean that it couldnt do anything and could only await death. Xiang Kun thought of several behaviors that the Ultimate Predator may take according to his established cognitive model with Alice. Although he could handle them, it would be troublesome. An ancient military book says, When the teacher is besieged, there must be a gap. He decided to give the Ultimate Predator a way out, so it wouldnt go to extremes. As he was thinking about the countermeasures, Xiang Kun looked down to see Alice. Ever since he ended the call with Old He, she had been standing by his side, looking up at him with wide eyes. Seeing Xiang Kun looking at her, Alice began to chuckle, her face seeking favor and acting cute. Xiang Kun naturally knew what she was thinking. The process of Mr. Liang restructuring his body showed her a possibility C the possibility of directly constructing a stable existence from a physical level, and further becoming a Real Person. Xiang Kun held Alices head, stopping her from climbing up him like a tree, and said helplessly: After we solve the Ultimate Predators problem, you can develop this ability then. However, theres a limit to this ability, and you should know what that limit is. Hearing this, Alice immediately knew that she had gotten permission. She now had access to her ability. If she came across any hurdles in her development, Xiang Kun would definitely help. She shouted in excitement, then put one hand on her waist and raised her scalpel with the other, yelling: Dont worry, boss! Alice will definitely help you solve all your problems! Xiang Kun said helplessly: Yeah, Alice is invincible. We are invincible! As they were speaking, both Xiang Kun and Alice simultaneously turned around and looked towards the sky in the distance, where an object was coming at high speed. Chapter 622 - Chapter 622: Chapter 622: Little Steamed Bun Chapter 622: Chapter 622: Little Steamed Bun Although it was far away and small, Xiang Kun still clearly saw that it was a small sparrow-like bird, roughly the size of a Golden Sparrow and much smaller than the previous mutated big bird. However, like the mutated big bird, it was a mutant, which is why Xiang Kun and Alice paid attention to it. From its flight posture in the sky and the fact that it had already started to descend, Xiang Kun guessed their position was likely its target. If it was before, Xiang Kun might suspect that the mutated little bird was led by the Ultimate Predator in some way, but now that the Ultimate Predator had lost that function, it was likely that the disturbance had caught the mutated little birds attention or it had sensed in some special way that there was a mutant undergoing a phase transition. Just in time. Xiang Kun was just thinking about needing a new mutant to do further verification, he was originally thinking about selecting a suitable experimental target, he didnt expect that sleep would bring him an opportunity. That mutated little bird descended and approached where Xiang Kun was. When it found a bald human and a little girl standing on a suddenly vegetation-covered hilltop, it frantically flapped its wings a few times, then forcefully increased altitude, turned around, and fled in the direction it came from. Xiang Kun was stupefied, was the little bird that sensitive? Could it identify a threat from that distance? Alice. Okay! Xiang Kun did not specifically instruct what to do, but Alice quickly understood. A few medium-sized unmanned aerial vehicles in the sky quickly flew towards the mutated little bird, and dozens of mini unmanned aerial vehicles also took off from the ground to meet up. However, they were much slower than the medium-sized unmanned aerial vehicles and couldnt fly at a high altitude. It was just that the mutated little bird had lowered its altitude, which made the smaller drones able to play their part and set up a blockade. These unmanned aerial vehicles were brought by Mr. Liang from Divine Technology. The medium-sized unmanned aerial vehicles were always hovering at high altitudes, providing overall peripheral information and signal transfer for ground equipment. The ground micro drones were controlled by Mr. Liang. A large number of them are his biological components. Even if other people had the authorization, but with Mr. Liang asleep and his body reorganized, they would not be able to control them. But Alice was not one of those, as long as it was an electronic device, it was in her domain of control. Even purely mechanical devices without electronic components, as long as there were enough super-connected objects in them, she was able to control them indiscriminately. The medium-sized unmanned aerial vehicles in the sky closed in on the mutated little bird relatively fast, and the mini unmanned aerial vehicles below were drawing nearer as well. But they didnt make any moves, it looked like the mutated little bird just needed to speed up to easily escape. Suddenly, a figure appeared above the mutated little bird, it was Alice in a white princess dress. With a cheerful cry, she smashed her fists down onto the mutated little bird, sending it crashing down. However, when it was about ten meters from the ground, it fluttered its wings and flew up again. The first thing it did was to try to find the little girl who had knocked it down, but found that she had disappeared from the sky. The mutated little bird had no intention of fighting and had no interest in finding out where the little girl had gone. It just wanted to escape. As it was trying to shake off the unmanned aerial vehicles and fly away, it suddenly saw a large canopy made of countless cakes pressing down on it. The mutated little bird let out a piercing call. Its only avenue of escape was the ground, so it attempted to dive into the woods, using the trees to support the oncoming cake wall. However, the cake wall disappeared as soon as it changed direction, leaving only a few tungsten steel balls falling to the ground. Before the mutated little bird had a chance to fly back into the sky, a few vines suddenly extended from the woods and wrapped around it like the tentacles of an octopus. At the moment it was wrapped, the mutated little birds feathers suddenly became incredibly hard, the edges sharp, its body rotated quickly like a small motor, driving the feather blades to cut through the vines. Then, the feathers wrapped around its body, decreasing its entire size by about 1/4, it continued to rotate at high speed and shot out like a fired cannonball. But the direction it flew was not upwards, but downwards, so it quickly reached the ground, bounced up like elasticity, spread its wings, and began to work hard to flap towards the sky. However, it had barely risen three meters before a little girl in a white skirt appeared above with a cheerful shout, smashing it down with her fist. The mutated little bird had nowhere to escape, it let out a desperate cry, but as soon as the call began, it was abruptly swallowed by the impact, causing it to fall directly to the ground. Then, a large number of vines were shot out from all around, wrapping it tightly. Some plant roots even came out from the ground to join the weaving. The mutated little bird didnt try to rotate its body and cut itself free with its sharp feathers. Even though it could, it knew it would be meaningless C because the little girl in the white dress was squatting next to it, winking and pointing a small scalpel at it. Even though it was a bird, it could feel the clear threat. Before long, Alice stood up, bounced in front of Xiang Kun who was walking over, looking up at him with a broad smile. Xiang Kun smiled and patted her head: Good job, Alice. Only then did Alice cheerfully get out of the way, walking with him to the trapped mutated little bird. The Xiao Luobo that had trapped the mutated little bird immediately loosened its vines. The dense vines and the underground roots peeled layer by layer, blooming like a flower. The mutated little bird initially wanted to run, but when Xiang Kun stooped down to grab it, all of its movements suddenly froze, as if Xiang Kun had cast a skill on it. It stood still, allowing him to pick it up. Of course, Xiang Kun didnt cast any spell, he felt this mutated little bird probably had some ability to judge threats, and it understood that there was no point in trying to escape in the face of him. This mutated little bird was white all over, and with its big head, round body, no visible neck, shurt beak, and round appearance, it looked like a giant cream ice cream or bun. The pair of pitch-black small eyes looked somewhat comical. Nonetheless, Xiang Kun was aware of this birds capacity to change its body. It could compress its entire body to a slender shape like an arrow, and its form in high-altitude flight was slightly different again. Now that the bird had transformed into such a fluffy state, it was likely an intentional display of cuteness, a behavior evolved in response to humans. Xiang Kun felt every inch of the birds body and used various visual modes including super sensory information to understand its physical structure in more detail. His analyses allowed him to determine the birds pathway of mutation, degree of phase transformation, and capabilities, and thereby infer its natural environment and primary blood source. According to Xiang Kun, what this mutated little bird excels in is high-altitude, high-speed flight. Once it reaches a sufficient altitude, it can envelope itself in a pointed shuttle shape, hardening the surface of its wings to reduce air resistance. It manipulates its form and uses air currents to accelerate its flight. If it truly reaches its full flight speed in the high skies, Xiang Kun will have to resort to his electric mastery flight to keep up, and even then, it wouldnt be easy. However, once it landed on the ground, in the forest, there would be no possibility of escape. Although Xiao Luobos or son plants'' strength might not be sufficient to trap it, these son plants and their branches possess the properties of super-connected objects, which allowed Alice to co-manifest. This is why the mid-sized drone approached it. The drone itself didnt perform any operation, Alice merely used the super-connected components on the drone to co-manifest. As long as there is enough super-connected material, Alice is, to some extent, truly unbeatable. After an initial examination of the mutated little bird, thousands of tiny tungsten steel balls poured out from the pocket of his bag and enveloped the little bird in his hands. The mutated little bird was terrified and began to struggle. Its body quickly slimmered down and its feathers turned as hard as blades. Xiang Kun put his other hand on it and softly said, Dont be scared, its okay, relax. Whether it understood him or realized fleeing was futile, the mutated little bird slowly returned to its puffy white state and allowed the metal balls to turn it into a small, iron blob. Xiang Kun put the iron blob on the spot where Xiao Luobo had previously restrained the mutated little bird, and soon the vines and roots re-wrapped it. This white mutated little bird hadnt been in the mutated creature database of Xiang Kun and Alice before. It was likely living in the wilderness of Ha Country, in an area not yet covered by Xiao Luobo. Xiang Kun couldnt detect any smell of human blood on it, so he wasnt sure if it had killed before. He also couldnt utilize a fear projection to validate its intentions. So, from the start, he had no intention of harming this mutated little bird, and neither did Alice actually hurt it. The experiment he intended to conduct wouldnt cause any harm to the mutated little bird, even if it failed. However, if it succeeded, the bird might be able to break through its limitations. Speaking specifically, he intended to directly link the mutated little bird to Xiao Luobos ability branching system and transfer the birds High-Dimensional Factors and mutation instincts to the system of Xiao Luobo. Like Jiang Chun and Mr. Liang, they had both already connected to this branching system, but their connection was possible only through the Secondary Emotion Object Network of the Eight-armed and Eight-eyed Wood Carving. The connection method of the Secondary Emotion Object Network limits access to humans. Even if Xiang Kun allowed it, other creatures wouldnt be able to connect. Therefore, for non-human mutated creatures, Xiang Kun needs to provide a different way for them to connect. After all, human mutants constitute a tiny proportion of the entire mutated creature population. In order to regulate the whole group and prevent them from recklessly hunting after the control of the ultimate predator is gone, Xiang Kun needs to provide all of them with access to Xiao Luobos platform. Actually, he had already developed a theoretical plan before. Yet, because he was focused on dealing with the ultimate predator, he hadnt taken the time to practically verify it. But he was pretty certain there wouldnt be any issue. Now, knowing that the ultimate Predator, which had some of its special factor controls paralyzed, is at the limit of a phase and on the verge of collapse, Xiang Kun decided to provide it with access to Xiao Luobos platform as well, giving it a chance to survive. Now, he planned to use the mutated little bird to test his non-human mutated creature interface to determine its success and potential risks. In fact, its quite simple. Within the Super Sensory Item System, there are two non-human connectors C Custard Pie and Jinshanshan (Glitter). Although they arent mutated creatures, their ways of connection hold significant reference significances. Additionally, Xiao Luobo is also an example, and as a semi-mutated creature, possesses more traits of mutated beings. Xiang Kun plans to establish a connection between Xiao Luobo and the mutated little bird, similar to the one with Jinshanshan, where Xiao Luobo would then replace the position of Apple. If this were to take place in the past, Xiang Kun would first have to have a sufficient understanding of and contact with this mutated little bird, and then allow it and Xiao Luobo to interact over a long period of time, fostering a special connection between them, permitting Xiao Luobo to naturally draw the mutated little bird into the super sensory item system. But with existing examples and the worlds strongest constructor of the Super Sensory Information layer, Alice, on his side, and with plenty of super-connected objects available, completion can happen in a short time. Just over forty minutes later, the vines, roots, and numerous spheres that had been covering it peeled off, revealing the white, dazed mutated little bird, with its small green eyes wide-open, sitting on the ground and looking around in confusion. Although it seemed no different from before, it had completed the connection with Xiao Luobos platform and it was now a connector under the super sensory item system and Xiao Luobos branching system. Of course, its connection methods were different from those of Jiang Chun and Mr. Liang, and completely unlike Custard Pie. It was similar to Jinshanshan, yet with many differences. Alice held out her hand in front of the mutated little bird. It look a glance at Xiang Kun, then Alices hand, chirped twice, flapped its wings and flew into Alices palm and sat down obediently. But it was so plump that Alice had to use both hands to barely hold it. Seeing its obedient look, Alice laughed and turned back to Xiang Kun, Boss, lets give Little Bun a name! Xiang Kun looked at her silently. Who had she learned this act first, ask later skill from? Moreover, this way of naming was completely in the style of Little Fatty Girl! Through his connection with the mutated little bird, Xiang Kun can better analyze and compile its super sensory information. He found out it had already completed one phase transformation, eating a mutated arthropod, most likely a mantis. Based on the successful connection with mutated little bird, or Little Bun, Xiang Kun and Alice created an entry method that could accommodate the ultimate predator and subsequently sent out a connection invitation to the ultimate predator through Xiao Luobo, which covers the entire world. However, the invitation was refused. Chapter 623 - Chapter 623: Chapter 623: The World Has Changed Greatly (Part 2) Chapter 623: Chapter 623: The World Has Changed Greatly (Part 2) Not far from the Wushu Mountain Scenic Area, in a certain villa area. After receiving Mr. Liangs orders, Fang Pingfangs investigation team had been secluded in the villa for quite some time. Although the living conditions and food here were pretty goodCeach day Ye Chong would have someone deliver takeout from Tongshi Town or a nearby restaurant, all ordered according to their preferences. Even a single meal could be ordered from several different restaurants, because their current budget had increased significantly. But as time went on, the team inevitably had to ponder why they had to suspend all their investigations, disconnect from all their target contacts, and stay put in the villa. Suspending the investigation and disconnecting from the targets made sense; it could have been due to their target being extremely dangerous and these measures were meant to protect them. The order to stay put in the villa made sense initially if there were subsequent tasks assigned, but after such a long time with no following tasks, yet the requirement to remain on standby still persisted, this left them somewhat puzzled. Fang Pingfang and Mijoe had indeed tried to reach out to Mr. Liang several times, but all they got in return were orders to stay put. So for their investigation team, this was quite torturous. Especially since their previous research had resulted in significant discoveries and they thought they were about to uncover the truth, but then suddenly the light-switch was turned off. Especially for Zhao Feng and Wang Dean, who had been beckoned to stop halfway through their investigation and had no knowledge of what the end results were. This left them feeling extremely uncomfortable and, over the course of several days, they had already speculated and hypothesized hundreds of possibilities. Early one morning, Zhou Rui descended the stairs yawning. He heard Zhao Feng and Wang Dean locked in an intense discussion in the living room, while Mijoe was drinking coffee at the bar, seemingly accustomed to the commotion. Zhou Rui took one portion of a Golden Arches breakfast from the open-style kitchens microwave. After testing the temperature and finding it cold, he put it back in the microwave to heat it again. He then turned to Mijoe and said, Hua Hua, why are you wearing a down jacket? Its only a few months into the year. If its cold, I wear more; if its hot, I wear less. What does it have to do with the month? Mijoe glanced at him and casually replied. Cold Only then did Zhou Rui suddenly realize, today did seem a bit cold. He was only wearing a long-sleeve shirt he slept in, so he shrunk his neck and looked at the open window in the living room, Aw crap, it really is cold! Has there been a drop in temperature today? Even after putting on a sweatshirt upstairs and returning, Zhou Rui still felt a bit cold, so he went to close the window. He wanted to turn the central heating on but was stopped by Li Shibao who was sitting by the window, Breathing some fresh air feels good. Being constantly shut up in the house is too suffocating. If you are afraid of the cold, do not sit across from the window, sit closer to the edge. Seeing Li Shibao only wearing a short-sleeve shirt, Zhou Rui curiously asked, Old Li, arent you cold? Zhao Feng, who was engaged in discussion with Wang Dean, turned around and laughed, Old Li had been doing jumping jacks for quite some time and was sweating profusely. He must be cooling down now, haha. Damn, you brute. Zhou Rui cursed with laughter as he dodged the tissue box thrown in his direction by Li Shibao. Zhou Rui pulled up his collar, massaged his shoulders, walked back to the bar, and while eating his warmed up breakfast, took Mijoes tablet from the side and opened the weather application, 12 degrees? Is it really 12 degrees now? It feels like its only 5 or 6 degrees. Although the temperature near Wushu Mountain fluctuated widely between day and night, and it was usually quite chilly in the early morning, it never dropped this much suddenly. Moreover, the sun was already up quite high; it shouldnt be this cold. Zhou Rui went to check their field equipment again, devices for measuring environmental humidity and temperature, and found that the indoor temperature now was indeed 11.4, not much different from 12. But, it felt a lot colder than 12. There are unusual changes in the temperature today. Dr. Fang Pingfang, who had just descended from upstairs, noticed that Zhou Rui was messing with the device and said, Have a look at the weather news. Zhou Rui proceeded to pick up Mijoes tablet and checked out CCTVs morning weather forecast. Indeed, there was talk about abnormal temperature changes, affecting the entire eastern hemisphere. Furthermore, it wasnt a gradual and step-by-step influence by the cold air, it was sudden and immediate, affecting the entire range. The temperature within the entire region had dropped all at once, regardless of whether it was the mountains or plains, inland or coastal areas, the temperature had dropped indiscriminately. Of course, the western hemisphere and other areas where there wasnt a uniform temperature drop also experienced certain events. Scrolling through international social media, Zhou Rui noticed that the areas that did not experience such temperature drops were experiencing even stranger weather changes. As of now, these changes had only just begun, and there was no telling what they would turn into. Some people were even saying, Has the 2012 end of the world apocalypse been delayed, and now its coming in 2020? Some also suspected Uncle Sam of messing with some kind of climate weapon and causing these changes. After checking international social media, Zhou Rui couldnt help but once again stand up to go to the window and look up at the blue sky and white clouds. Apart from the temperature being a bit low, and feeling even colder than the actual temperature, there seemed to be nothing unusual about it. How had discussions about the end of the world begun abroad? Was it really that serious? Whatever, forget about it. After all, he wasnt a meteorologist, if it was cold, he would just put on another layer. By the time he came back downstairs having put on an extra layer, he found that everyone was gathered around the bar, listening to Zhao Feng. So, he quickly joined them. I believe that the source of danger Mr. Liang identified is Xiang Kun. He may have some direct correlation with the hallucination of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant. That illusion could be his avatar, or something he created using some method. Additionally, considering the evidence we have and logical deduction, the giant raptors, invisible insects, ghost beard ants, and abnormal thunderstorms appearing on Wushu Mountain are likely to be directly or indirectly related to him. According to our analysis, the source of these anomalies should be Chongyun Village! This may explain why Xiang Kun spent so much effort and money on creating the so-called Internet Breeding Research Center in Chongyun Village. He doesnt have the necessary research staff or qualifications. The equipment he bought doesnt seem to be for breeding according to our investigation, many pieces are even human-use equipment. At this point, Zhao Feng paused, looked at the people around him and continued, Mr. Liang doesnt want us to participate in the investigation, possibly due to the fear of threats from Xiang Kun. But based on the information we have and Xiang Kuns attitude towards others, there is no need for an antagonistic confrontation. We can interact openly and tactfully. Talking about it, Zhao Feng presented several schemes he had discussed with Wang Dean, then turned to Fang Pingfang, Dr. Fang, what do you think of the plans we proposed, can you ask Mr. Liang to let us join the investigation? With him behind us and us in front, it leaves us more room. If need be, Dean and I can sign a safety agreement, well be responsible for any dangerous situations and wont cause trouble for the company. Mijoe, who had been resting her chin on her hand, glanced at Fang Pingfang, who was deep in thought. She didnt think much of Zhao Feng and Wang Deans proposal because she knew they had blind spots in their understanding of blood-eating creatures. Mr. Liang was clearly limiting the depth of researchers and investigators understanding of blood-eating creatures, and not letting them investigate or directly contact Xiang Kun, who might be a potentially formidable human blood-eating creature. This was likely due to not only wanting to keep them away from danger but also not wanting them to know too much about the depth of blood-eating creatures. After all, while other types of blood-eating creatures couldnt communicate, human blood-eating creatures could. Given their understanding of this viewpoint, Mijoe felt that the duos request would be rejected. But she didnt plan on saying anything, not because she wanted to watch Zhao Feng and Wang Dean exert futile effort, but she was curious. Why did Mr. Liang ask them to investigate blood-eating creatures, but remained silent on key information about them? She hoped the team and even others from Divine Technologys secret departments would raise more questions, forcing Mr. Liang to respond. After thinking for a while, Dr. Fang finally decided to help Zhao Feng and Wang Dean apply to Mr. Liang. She also mentioned that she would join their application in hopes of participating in direct investigations or communications with Xiang Kun. But despite coming up with a handful of justifications to persuade Mr. Liang, when Dr. Fang finally contacted him on her special communicator, she received no response. Clearly, Mr. Liang was either busy or was aware of Fang Pingfangs intentions, and didnt want to communicate. It was very likely that he had reached a critical point in his investigation of Xiang Kun or was about to wrap it up. Their initial enthusiasm deflated, the team settled down in the living room sofa and chatted leisurely. Topics ranged from Xiang Kun, the illusion of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant, giant raptors, ghost beard ants, Old Man Du, to what they should eat for lunch, what they should eat for dinner, if there were any games to play, or any new TV shows to watch. They had already exhausted all their professional topics over the past days. In a lull of conversation, Li Shibao, who had been relatively silent the entire time, suddenly said, Do you have any specific feelings today? What special feeling? Zhao Feng asked. Zhou Rui nodded immediately: Yes, there is! When I woke up, I was chilled to death! Mijoe also nodded: Hmm, its extraordinarily cold today. Thats not what I meant. Li Shibao slightly furrowed his brows, as if pondering how to express himself. After a brief pause, he said, Its the feeling towards our environment. For example, if theres the sound of a car passing by outside, youd roughly know theres a car over there. If theres a steady wind coming from one side, youd know theres an electric fan. If Xiao Zhou is talking on Xiao Chens left side, Xiao Zhou will know Xiao Chen is to her left. And this morning, there was a time when I had a kind of feeling, thatI could detach myself from vision, hearing, and smell, detached from my original senses. Even without looking, I knew where the newly bought oven is. Not know, but feel. I also had a vague feeling about the drone outside our villa. Its as if I knew where it is, neither by sound nor by looking out the window. Zhou Rui thoughtfully nodded: Old Li, youve started cultivating. This is Cultivation: Starting From Unmanned Aircraft and Oven. With that said, he chuckled a few times by himself. But when he didnt see anyone joining him in his laughter, and even receives a glare from old Li while old Gao seemed puzzled, while Xiao Ye, Hua Hua, Dr. Fang, Zhao Feng, and Wang Dean all looked thoughtful as if they were actually contemplating what old Li said. What, you guys actually think old Li can sense the oven and the drone? Hes not the Terminator Zhou Rui was somewhat speechless. No, I do feel that theres something different about my surroundings after getting up this morning. Many things seem to carry more information than usual; its not easy to explain, but the feeling is indeed very real. Its likely related to the sudden change in temperature. Fang Pingfang said. Right when Mijoe was about to share her feelings on the subject, the unique alert tone of Divine Technologys secret department communication device rang. Fang Pingfang, Mijoe, and Ye Chong instinctively looked at their own devices, which they were the most frequent users among them all. They can all directly communicate with Mr. Liang or other functional teams within Divine Technologys secret department. But strangely, the device that rang wasnt any of theirs, but Zhao Fengs. Zhao Feng himself looked rather surprised, and after reluctantly connecting the call, he found that the person on the other end of the video was Old He, He Haomin, whom they hadnt heard from in a long time. They had tried to contact Old He before through text messages via the communicator, hoping he could help persuade Mr. Liang to allow them to participate in the investigation and contact with Xiang Kun. However, they were categorically rejected, the reason being all specific investigations are arranged by Mr. Liang. Unexpectedly, he was reaching out to them now. Old He, is there a new assignment? Zhao Feng asked excitedly. He thought that He Haomin contacting him at this time, particularly by video call, must mean there was an important matter and there might be a shortage of manpower in other task forces, requiring their assistance. If so, although they couldnt join the investigation into Xiang Kun, they could at least leave their fat-accumulating lifestyle behind and do something. Is Dr. Fang with you? Old He asked. Zhao Feng immediately stepped aside, allowing Fang Pingfang to sit in front of the camera. Im here, Fang Pingfang, who didnt know He Haomin, said. But from Old He being able to use the Divine Technology exclusive communication device, she could somewhat guess the implications. Old He said: Dr. Fang, I am He Haomin, the director of the National Abnormal Biology Research Center under the Biotechnology Development Center of the Technology Division. The relevant research and investigation of the Divine Technology secret department has always been under our leadership. Now, the related research has made significant breakthroughs. You will gain greater investigative power and set up a new investigation and research department. Mr. Liang is currently busy and cant get away, so Im here to give the orders. The mission code will be sent to your communication device and you can confirm it there. Now, write down what Im saying. Before 10 oclock noon, arrive at the Intelligent Breeding Research Base in Chongyang Village, Tongshi Town, Jianzhou City, Haixi Province. Its still under construction, but its easy to find and Ill send the exact location to your communication devices. After you get there, meet a lady named Xia Libing. Follow her arrangements; shell tell you what you want to know. As for us here, youre in charge. Youll lead the team. I should arrive at the earliest tonight or latest tomorrow morning to meet with you. After finishing speaking, Old He just checked whether Fang Pingfang understood his meaning and without giving her the chance to ask other questions, ended the video call. Old Hes sudden contact and the news he brought was like a bombshell. Naturally, everyone had left Li Shibaos topic of waking up feeling like the world is different aside including Li Shibao himself. Chongyang Village? Xia Libing? Isnt that the person close to Xiang Kun that we were investigating? Not just a close companion, but it seems like shes his girlfriend? Holy shit! The Technology Department? The Non-Human Research Center? Holy shit! Were indeed part of the national institution, I knew it Its the Abnormal Biology Research Center, not the Non-Human Research Center! At least he didnt hear that as Perverted Research Center, thats quite good, hahaha Whats going on? Weve been on standby for half a month and the target we were supposed to investigate became our leader, became one of us? Maybe we were all part of this Abnormal Research Center and didnt realize it and since Mr. Liang discovered the others, we were merged. Then why do we need to go and accept their leadership? Because theyre ranked higher. What rank? Ive seen Xia Libings profile, she only has a masters degree. Dr. Fang has a Ph.D.! Rank isnt determined by education level Anyway, I dont get it either, why didnt you ask Old He just now? After the call ended, the whole living room exploded with chatter, discussing non-stop. The amount of information in Old Hes words was too much, and a lot of it related to their doubts over this period and even dug out new issues and brought up new questions, so naturally, everyone couldnt hold back their words. Fang Pingfang let them babble for a while before she gathered her thoughts, clapped her hands, and asked everyone to quiet down. Theres no point in discussing this now, lets go to Chongyang Village. When we meet Miss Xia, we will know. Fang Pingfang said. Lets go, lets go. Finally, we can leave this house, Zhou Rui was the first to get up and head outside, but halfway there, he turned back, I should put on another piece of clothing damn it, this is definitely not 12 degrees. However, by the time they reached Chongyang Village, the temperature had risen drastically, and the heat had him sweating profusely. Chapter 624 - Chapter 624: Chapter 624: "Warm Welcome! Chapter 624: Chapter 624: Warm Welcome! Zhou Rui had visited this breeding research base owned by Xiang Kun and Xia Libing multiple times before, even during its construction phase, along with Li Shibao and Ye Chong. However, at that time, the first phase of the project was not yet finished. They wanted to take a look at the construction site, but were stopped by the Liu brothers, Liu Zhengyi and Liu Gaoshang. This time, once again, they saw the Liu brothers at the entrance, still wearing hard hats and yellow reflective vests, looking like foremen. Their vehicle stopped outside the large iron gates of the research base. Li Shibao, who was driving, rolled down the window and said to the approaching Liu Zhengyi, Were looking for Miss Xia Libing. Is she here? Liu Zhengyi didnt respond. He quickly glanced inside the car, then nodded at his brother, Liu Gaoshang, who was on the other side of the gate. Getting the hint, Liu Gaoshang pressed the remote control, and the gates slowly began to slide open. Li Shibao drove their eight-passenger van into the courtyard of the research base. They noticed substantial changes since their last visit. The first phase of the project was almost complete, the main experimental building was not tall, but it was very modern in design. Areas previously vacant had been excavated for the establishment of the second phase of the project, noticeably expanding the boundaries of the research base. Mainly, there was not a single individual on the construction site. All construction equipment was quietly stowed away to one side, even the dwellings that seemed to be temporary worker quarters were dead silent. Once they lowered their car windows, they heard nothing beside the tires crunching on the ground, the sound of their cars engine, and the gates slowly closing behind them. For them, the enormous, eerily quiet research base felt like a portal into another world. There was not even the sound of the wind. Once the van stopped in front of the building, Zhao Feng, who was inside the vehicle, couldnt help but turn around and look at Liu Zhengyi and Liu Gaoshang who were still standing by the gate, and frowned, Arent they coming? Zhou Rui also looked back at the distant Liu brothers. They were also watching them. Even though he couldnt clearly see their expressions or read their eyes, he strangely felt that the brothers seemed to be enjoying the show. Especially the older one, the stockier Liu Zhengyi, there was something strange about his gaze when they were at the gate. It wasnt hostile nor friendly, but it felt piercing, as if he knew why they were there and what they were thinking. It seems like they were waiting for us. They knew we were coming, said Ye Chong. You know them? Do they also know about our collaboration? Mijoe asked doubtfully. No, I dont. They were apparently the site supervisors before, replied Ye Chong. So they expect us to go in ourselves? Wang Dean shook his head, opened the sliding door of the van, and got off first, Lets go in anyway. We can discuss it with Miss Xia once we find her. Since Old He asked us to come, there shouldnt be any danger. After the eight of them got out of the vehicle, they entered the main door of the research base building. The door was a motion-sensing glass door. As they lined up and entered the building, a light suddenly shone from one side of the ground floor lobby, illuminating corridors that led to different small doors on both sides. A voice from the broadcast echoed, Welcome to Chongyun Village First Gourmet Ingredient Research Base! I am your guide, Alice! Walk to the right, and Ill guide you for a tour around our magnificent research base! Walk to the left, and Ill bring you to meet our base boss! The voice sounded like it belonged to a six or seven-year-old girl. Her voice was pleasant enough, but the content caught everyone off guard, including Fang Pingfang. Whats going on? The First Gourmet Ingredient Research Base? Magnificent research base? Base boss? Their confused gaze met, and for a moment, they didnt know how to respond. Wang Dean couldnt help but ask, Could this be the prank of Miss Xias daughter? According to the information we found, Miss Xia doesnt have a daughter. Given her track record at work following her graduation from college and post-grad, theres simply no time for her to have secretly had a child, Zhou Rui said, frowning. Then could this be someone elses child? Why would they let a child mess around at this time? Mijoe said, perplexed. He looked back through the glass door at the Liu brothers standing near the gate, Should we go ask them? Or does anyone have Miss Xias number? I think her number was in the information we gathered, said Ye Chong as he picked up his tablet to check. However, the screen wouldnt light up. Strange. Ye Chong borrowed Fang Pingfangs professional tablet, but it was the same. There was no display, and he couldnt turn it on. At this moment, the little girls voice chimed again, This is not a prank! I repeat, its not a prank! I am Alice, the manager of the research base. You now have 1 minute to make a choice. Choose to take a tour of the whole base to the right, or meet the boss to the left! Fang Pingfang could clearly tell from the little girls voice that she was now somewhat irritated and impatient, seemingly because she felt underestimated and disrespected. Fang Pingfang assumed a tentative tone and vaguely asked, Who is the base boss youre referring to? Is it Miss Xia Libing? Is she near you? My name is Fang Pingfang, and these are my colleagues. Old He asked us to come look for Miss Xia. Could you please let her know? You have 19 seconds left, the little girls voice grew even colder. Anxious, Zhao Feng suddenly began walking towards the lit corridor on the left. Seeing his movement, others subconsciously followedafter all, the girls cold voice had unnerved them. They werent sure what could happen if they didnt make a choice when times up. They hadnt gone far when they suddenly heard a mechanical whirring sound behind them. Glancing back, they found that an electric outer door outside the glass door had started to come down, and in no time, they were cut off from the outside world. Next came a bang, and the lights in the corridor they hadnt chosen to the right were shut off entirely. Since youre so eager to meet the boss, off you go. The little girls voice echoed again, seemingly a bit miffed by their choice to not take a whole tour of the base. One by one, the lights behind them went out, while a light suddenly lit up in the small room ahead, so, practically instinctively, Fang Pingfang, Zhou Rui and the rest were pushed forward by the light. After stepping through the small door, they found a wide corridor leading to a massive glass wall, apparently a partition of an experimental zone. But behind the partition was complete darkness. So they could only see reflections of their side in the glass. This made them want to get closer to see what was behind the glass, yet they also feared the possibility of a terrifying thing being there. They stood at the door, with the corridor lights in the hall behind them fully turned off. Zhao Feng lowered his voice and asked, Do you remember what we found before we were asked to stop the investigation? Wang Dean immediately responded, The event of a bird flock attacking a passenger jet Are you implying that little girl on the plane wing Zhou Rui also murmured, That little girl, she also appeared in Chongyun Village, yes she is she is For a moment, he wasnt able to find the right words to describe it. Upon their reminders, everyone else also quietly acknowledged that the voice of the little girl, who was guiding them through the bases broadcasting system and controlling the lights, was quite possibly the same little girl who had terrorized two thieves into calling the police for themselves in Chongyun Village and had appeared hanging off the wing of a passenger jet mid-flight. On giving it some thought, they realized it was only logical. Otherwise, how could there be any parents who would let their little child control the electrical circuits and broadcast systems of this place, especially in a clear situation of evacuation?. Hence, they continued to walk inward, expecting the lights behind the glass to turn on once they reached it. However, halfway through their walk, a light on their left suddenly flicked on with a pop, giving them quite a fright. Although they were confident that Old He had sent them to find Xia Libing and that there was no danger around. They were sure that Xia Libing, Xiang Kun, even that elusive little girl, would have no ill intentions towards them, but the sudden change in light still made them feel edgy. They looked towards the direction of the light and saw that it was an elevator hall, with an elevator on either side of the corridor. Just as they turned their gaze, the right elevator door slowly opened and the little girls voice echoed again, Enter the elevator; I will take you underground. The little girls tone was flat, devoid of any discernible emotion, but the statement I will take you to the underground, while asking them to get into the elevator, was indeed peculiar. However, as soon as the girl finished speaking, the lights behind them began to extinguish in sequence, as if the darkness itself was pushing them towards the elevator hall. Only after everyone else had entered the elevator hall did Li Shibao follow. He furrowed his brow, saying: I have a strange feeling Its like I can sense living creatures behind the glass wall, and a lot of them at that Seriously, Old Li, dont start spooking us now with such words. If you feel theres someone, say someone, what do you mean by living creatures Zhou Rui complained. Li Shibaos words were giving him the creeps. Because I know those are not humans, but living creatures, maybe some animals. Didnt I mention earlier that I felt something different after waking up today? That feeling had reduced a little after we left the villa. But when we entered Chongyun Village, especially this Research Base Building, that feeling came back, even stronger than when we were in the villa I even feel like the walls of these buildings are whispering to me, sending me messages Li Shibao stated with a furrowed brow. If Zhou Rui or Ye Chong had made such a statement, everyone would instinctively feel they were exaggerating or joking. But the words coming from Li Shibao, the most low-profile, composed, and oldest among them, gave a completely different impact. Old Li Zhou Rui was about to say something when the lights in the elevator hall suddenly went out with a pop. Consequently, everyone instinctively walked into the only lit elevator. The elevator had been kept open until they all got inside, then it immediately shut close, at an incredibly fast pace. The elevator started descending, but the electronic display showing the floor did not indicate a downward direction or any floor level. It was showing a strange dynamic image where a triangle kept turning into a square and then back into a triangle. The light inside the elevator also dimmed, turning a dark red. The atmosphere was eerily creepy. Zhou Rui couldnt resist whispering, Has anyone seen Resident Evil? In that never mind The descent was brief, the elevator stopped quickly. With a ding, the doors slid open, and the little girls voice echoed again, Welcome. The lights in the stair hall ahead lit up, with a small screen right above in the front. In any other place, it would likely be used for advertisements or corporate promotional videos. But here, it displayed a surveillance image C showing them stepping out of the elevator. However, looking up at the angle where the surveillance camera should have been, the ceiling was bare with no sign of any surveillance camera. Zhou Rui, who had just stepped out, subconsciously tried to return to the elevator, but before he could turn around, he heard the elevator doors close swiftlya rate far too quick to be reasonable. This place was too eerie! In a conference room underground of the main experiment building at the Research Base, Xia Libing sat leaning slightly in a computer chair, resting her cheek on her left hand, which was propped on the armrest, as she watched surveillance footage projected onto a large screen at the other end of the room. The footage naturally documented the process of Fang Pingfang and the others entering the Research Base. Once Xia Libing had learned of Fang Pingfangs team coming over and that she would be coordinating with a covert department of Divine Technology, even leading future research on mutants, she had come here to prepare, alone. She had instructed the Liu Brothers to temporarily halt construction, gave the workers bonuses and told them to enjoy their time in town. As for other preparations, Alice naturally took care of them. All Xia needed to know were Xiang Kuns plans and what level of information he intended for Divine Technology and the base to get. Alice volunteered to welcome Fang Pingfangs team, because, according to Xiang Kun, Fang Pingfang and her team would be working directly with Xia Libing, following her leadership, and she would control the direction of the research and then they would supervise the research at Divine Technology, each being responsible for specific branches. So, Fang Pingfangs team would sooner or later have to interact with the data level, virtual Alice. To leave a good impression with them, Alice readily embraced this role with the spirit of a protagonist. Alice initially intended to showcase her abilities during the introductory tour of the base, aiming to inspire strong confidence in her and assure them that they could trust Invincible Alice in future collaborations. However, their reaction didnt please Alice; she felt underestimated. So, this welcome journey morphed from a display into intimidation. Xia Libing didnt call a halt to Alices antics. Having witnessed Alices growth in human-like qualities since acquiring co-manifestation ability, she knew Alice was temperamental and liked to play tricks when bored, but she was sensible about matters of import. Alice knew what Xiang Kun deemed significant and what he didnt mind. Therefore, no matter how frightening, showing off, or probing Alice became, she would never endanger Fang Pingfang and the others or harm them. Just like when Alice threatened them to make a decision within 1 minute, and urged them by counting down saying 19 seconds remaining, Xia Libing knew that even if Fang Pingfang and her team didnt choose within this minute, at most, Alice would simply turn off the lights, sending them towards the left earlier than planned, or create strange noises to maintain their momentum. Alice might even surreptitiously slow down the countdown, treating the last 10 seconds as 30 On the other hand, Xia Libing was observing Fang Pingfang, Zhao Feng, and the others reactions through Alices welcome journey. Although Xia Libing and Xiang Kun had already done extensive background checks on Fang Pingfang, Zhao Feng, and the others, their reactions and specific behaviors could still provide insights into their current states and different attitudes towards their impending meeting. At the same time, Xia Libing was also observing Alices performance, gauging her psychological development. Not only was she thoroughly familiar with the information on Fang Pingfang and the others, but Alice was too. Moreover, Alice even had cognitive models of all eight people set up by Xiang Kun. Logically, Alice should have been able to estimate every possible reaction from them. But it became apparent that Alice initially didnt use these models while planning her welcome journey or carried out simulations to determine the plan that would have been most likely to achieve her aims. Only after they had chosen left, opting not to tour the whole base on the right hand side, did Alice start using the cognitive models for detailed operations this, however, was primarily done to avoid accidental injuries. Chapter 625 - Chapter 625: Chapter 625: Alices Psychology Chapter 625: Chapter 625: Alices Psychology Alice did not co-manifest, but through her voice and her guidance to Fang Pingfangs party in the monitor, Xia Libing could accurately judge Alices thinking mode. From her understanding of Alice, the reason she initially greeted Fang Pingfang and the rest in such a brazen and slightly offbeat manner was not because she didnt care. On the contrary, Alice at that time was the most sincere as this was how she interacted with Xiao Pingguo, Little Fatty Girl, and Nana. Humans are social animals. Ones character is greatly influenced by their environment and the people with whom they are close. Though Alice now only needs her or Xiang Kuns permission to co-manifest anywhere in the world where there are enough super-connected objects, the information she can receive is of a magnitude ordinary humans can never reach. However, the only ones who can have a decisive influence on her character are Xiang Kun and herself. Beyond Xiang Kun, only her time with Little Fatty Girl, Xiao Pingguo, and herself can cause a degree of cognitive change and form new cognitive habits. So, her initial style of interaction was an unconscious use of the way she communicates with Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguo. This was indeed her most sincere state, where she truly opened her heart and showed her full personality, not relying on her supercomputing power and infinite information channels for speculation. However, once she perceived their misunderstanding and wariness, she immediately adjusted and began using a technical approach, pulling up data on Fang Pingfang and others, using the cognitive models shed built for them to make advance speculation and calculations, taking their possible reactions into account. In other words, Alice probably wont interact so directly with people outside the Chongyun Village Circle because of the feeling that her sincerity was misplaced and its hard to start over. Of course, Xia Libing knows that one cant blame Fang Pingfang and the others. If others suddenly encountered Alices way of communication, their reactions would definitely be similar. After all, her mode of communication was cultivated with Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguo, and doesnt have general applicability and universality. From the moment Xiang Kun suggested Alices existence, Xia Libing had always been paying attention to her, even more so than Xiang Kun paid attention to Alice. After all, Xiang Kun knows Alice too well, and Alice was born from his cognitive and behavioral habits. His every word and action have a great impact on Alice, and he has grown accustomed to Alices various behaviors and habits. He has a strong subjective influence, and unless there is a very obvious, abnormal change, he generally wont feel that anything is wrong. On the other hand, Xia Libings perspective is much broader because she has a great interest in the formation of Alices personality, the construction of her cognitive system, her mood changes, and the establishment of her unique moral sense. So she pays special attention to and thinks about many details that even Xiang Kun doesnt notice. Undoubtedly, after Alice had the ability to co-manifest, she had a very strong desire to appear in front of people, perhaps giving her a sense of real existence, making her feel more human. Of course, this human feeling has its limits. Apart from Xiang Kun, Little Fatty Girl, Xiao Pingguo, Nana, and herself, she has no interest in co-manifesting in front of others.Oh, right, now we also have to include Cousin Zhener. According to her observations, even though the Custard Pie, Golden Glitter, and Xiao Luobo are not human, they are included. In this period, Alice had obtained permission to co-manifest in front of Yang Zhener, Tang Baona, and others. The time when she is with the five of them is when Alice feels the most comfortable and her mood is at its peak. Xia Libing believes that such an environment for communication has a huge effect on Alices personality development and cognitive nurturing. If there were no such environment, if there wasnt a special connection with Little Fatty Girl, Xiao Pingguo, Nana, and her special dependence, given Alices current control over information on human society, everyone except Xiang Kun would turn into quantifiable data models that could be controlled through various speculations and calculations. She will inevitably become cold and disdainful of all creatures other than Xiang Kun when not facing him. Even her cognition and definition of human may slowly change, and her personality may become fragmented. Although Xiang Kun is present and he lays down the main tune, Alice wouldnt lose control, but it would be hard for her to be as lively as she is now. Of course, that wont happen now. Even if Alice has different attitudes and states towards others, even if she uses other peoples cognitive models for speculation and calculation in order to guide her own behavior, she will still reflect her unique personality and wont have a complete personality split. Just like when she was guiding Fang Pingfangs team, she still had her unique mischievous style. Because no matter what, after completing her task, she could always come back and play with Little Fatty Girl, Xiao Pingguo, Nana, Yang Zhener, and Xia Libing. She already has companions and friends. But Xia Libing has already begun to consider, what if they all die in a few decades or centuries? Judging by todays situation, its probably hard for Alice to make new friends. So what will change about Alice whenever they all pass away? It is certain to be different between never having had and having had then lost. Old Xia, Old Xia, theyre already here. Should I let them in directly? Alice, who had gotten permission to co-manifest, appeared in the meeting room, standing by Xia Libings computer chair. She held on to the arm that Xia Libing was resting on as she spoke. Do you want me to add some special effects to your entrance? To leave them with a deeper impression? Xia Libing sat up straight, raised her hand to touch Alices head, and didnt say anything. She suddenly realized something. Her thoughts applied not only to Alice but also to Xiang Kun. Assuming Xiang Kun lives much longer than average peoplewhich, considering the state of his surpassing the phase limit and blood-drinking limit through the Super sensory Item System, is very likelywhat will happen when all their lives come to an end, including all of Xiang Kuns other friends and relatives? Xia Libings conclusion: That situation wont happen, neither to Alice nor to Xiang Kun. Without a doubt, Xiang Kun and Alice will sooner or later notice this. What would they do? They would seek to prolong life, finding ways to make the people they love immortal or long-lived. They would spare no cost to keep their loved ones. So how to help humans break the limit of life and how to make them live forever will inevitably be focus areas of development for the Super sensory Item System in the future. Would there be any hidden dangers? Xia Libing cant think of any for now, and it seems too early to think about this problem. They need to wait for Xiang Kun to completely solve the Ultimate Predator, wait until the Post-Ultimate Predator era completely stabilizes, and the Super sensory Item System completes further construction and evolution before there can be a specific direction for thought. Old Xia, Old Xia, what are you thinking about? Alice was pulling on Old Xias arm, trying her best to stretch out her head to look into her eyes. Let them in, said Xia Libing. Oh. Alice obediently complied, her co-manifested body dissolving into nothingness. A few seconds later, footsteps sounded from outside the meeting room. Xia Libing got up and went to open the door. The moment the door was opened, the surveillance projections inside the meeting room disappeared and the lighting gradually increased. Greeting the slightly surprised Fang Pingfang at the door, Xia Libing said, Hello, I am Xia Libing. After greeting them, Xia Libing turned back and walked into the meeting room, allowing them to enter one by one and take their seats. Seeing Xia Libing standing at the forefront of the conference table, with some three-dimensional images appearing on the projector behind her, it seemed she was about to delve straight into the topic of blood-eating creatures. Not just Fang Pingfang, but Zhou Rui, Mijoe and others were also taken aback. Their surprise was not at seeing Xia Libing there, but rather the idea that after all their heart-stopping experiences, they had managed to meet Xia Libing so smoothly, without any issues arising. This contrast left them constantly feeling that something might suddenly happen, akin to a group of people arriving in their dozens of black cars, flanked by hundreds of big men in black suits and shades, each carrying a small stool, quietly sitting by the river to fish, and making one nervously wonder when they might all suddenly stand up together and open fire on the river surface. Miss Xia, where is the girl who spoke to us over the loudspeaker? Zhou Rui couldnt help but ask, Her name seemed to beAlice? They could clearly tell that the voice of this little girl on the loudspeaker was different from that of Xia Libing. You will meet her in due course, Xia Libing simply said. Now, please watch a video first, and after that, you should have a basic understanding of what we need to explore and research. With that, the lights in the conference room automatically dimmed and a graphics video began to play on the screen, clearly presenting information that Xiang Kun believed could be disclosed to Fang Pingfang and others to build a basic concept. It introduced the rough situation of the mutants, Divine Technology, National Abnormal Biology Research Center, Academician Shens initial research, certain fundamental features of the mutants, and the history of mutant research limited by the existence of the Ultimate Predator. Naturally, this video was made by Alice, and the basic logic of the video was decided by Xia Libing. Shortly, the twenty-three-minute video ended and the lights in the conference room came back on. The eight people, including Fang Pingfang, were all dumbfounded. The information had greatly shocked them C they had originally thought they had already understood a real world far beyond ordinary peoples imagination, but it turned out that they had only been exposed to the tip of the iceberg, and had not even been aware of the icebergs existence. You can ask questions if you have any, Xia Libing said. Ill answer selectively based on your clearance level. Also, before we proceed with our research collaboration, we need to standardize some terms. Within the research framework of Divine Technology and the Abnormal Research Center, the term blood-eating creatures will be replaced entirely with mutants Listening to Xia Libing standardizing more than a dozen terms, Fang Pingfang and others didnt have much of a reaction. To them, eighty percent of these terms were things they heard for the first time today. Moreover, they felt that the research institution that Xia Libing represented and Xiang Kun, her backer, were likely on the same level as Divine Technology and Mr. Liang, or even higher. Therefore, they naturally accepted Xia Libings unified naming and definitions. Now, you can ask your questions, said Xia Libing. Miss Xia, are you also a mutant? Zhou Rui asked nervously. I am not. What about the girl who spoke to us through the loudspeaker just now? Zhou Rui asked again. She isnt either. Zhou Rui inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief, though he couldnt pinpoint exactly what he had been worried about. Next to ask a question was Li Shibao, but his query didnt concern the topic of the video: Miss Xia, could I ask when we came in from the main hall on the ground floor and down the left corridor, there was a very wide passage. On the other side, there was a whole wall of glass, behind which were there a lot of creatures? Yes, there are more than three hundred of them, replied Xia Libing nonchalantly. This answer startled Li Shibao and several others. Having just watched the video introducing mutants, and hearing Xia Libing explicitly say that all the mutant research samples in the future collaborative research would be provided by them, coupled with Li Shibaos odd behavior when they had passed the glass wall, they couldnt help but associate the more than three hundred Xia Libing mentioned with mutants. More than three hundred mutants? This research base is a little frightening Connecting this to the Chongyun Village First Gourmet Ingredient Research Base mentioned by the little girl on the loudspeaker, as well as the devouring nature of the mutants, bloody speculations began to form in their heads. As if Xia Libing knew what they were thinking, she turned back and looked at the projection wall, saying, Show the surveillance from the rabbit pens. Consequently, Zhou Rui and the others saw several surveillance feeds appear on the screen, featuring large rabbits in cages. Judging from their feeders and cage structures, it seemed like they had automated breeding and cleaning devices. Are these all mutant rabbits? Zhou Rui asked in confusion, but as soon as the words left his mouth he felt a bit ridiculous. These were originally prepared as a blood source for Xiang Kun, but they are no longer needed now. They are temporarily kept here and will be moved to other farms later, Xia Libing said. At this point, in the courtyard that Xiang Kun was renting in Chongyun Village. Tang Baona, Yang Zhener, and Little Fatty Girl were also hearing about the mutants. Chapter 626 - Chapter 626: Chapter 626: Earths Master Chef Chapter 626: Chapter 626: Earths Master Chef At present, Alice and Xia Libing undeniably have the most understanding of the mutant creatures characteristics and Xiang Kuns mutation. Xia Libing is now giving a lecture to Fang Pingfang and others, and naturally, Alice is the one giving the lecture to the little fatty girl, Tang Baona, Yang Zhener, and Xiao Pingguo at home. With the front door of the house tightly closed, Tang Baona and the three others were sitting on the sofa in the living room. The coffee table originally placed in front of the sofa was moved to the side of the TV cabinet. The co-manifested Alice stood on it, pointing and gesticulating at the images on the TV next to it, passionately explaining the situation of the mutant creatures and Xiang Kuns Super Sensory Item System. However, compared to Xia Libings lecture at the research base with Fang Pingfangs group, Alices lecture here is much more vague and abstract. The characteristics of many mutant creatures are mentioned only very broadly, only describing their abilities and what they can do. If considering levels of trust, undoubtedly, people like Nana, Guo, Zhener, and the little fatty girl here trust Xiang Kun immensely, way more than Dr. Fangs research team. But, because they needed to provide them with enough imagination space, unlike Fang Pingfang and the others who will be starting their research and experiments from concrete physical samples in the future, many details were not explained in detail and were generalized with simple descriptions. On the contrary, in the introduction of the Super Sensory Item System, not a word was mentioned in Xia Libings group. But Alice introduced it as the main focus here. Because for them, the development and expansion of abilities must be based on the Super Sensory Item System, this is what they truly need to understand. Of course, Alices introduction of the Super Sensory Item System was still rather abstract, but luckily since she understands the universally common logical paths and different cognitive structures that each person has when connecting to the Super Sensory Item System, she knew how to describe it to let them understand and comprehend it just right without collapsing their existing model. In addition to verbal descriptions, Alice also created many animation special effects and virtual reality images as auxiliary explanations. The video she prepared for Xia Libing to use to introduce mutant creatures to Fang Pingfang and her group was exquisitely produced. Zhou Rui and Ye Chong, who had some understanding of video production and special effects, were secretly amazed. They speculated on the time and production cost that might be needed. The video that Alice used to give her lecture to Tang Baona and others is technically even better than the top Hollywood animated films. It is rich in details and plot, and even includes various cute sound effects and dubbing. Even without Alices commentary, the video alone felt like watching an animated blockbuster. At least the little fatty girl held her cheeks in her hands and watched it with great interest C she has rarely been interested in animated films in recent half a year. Tang Baona and Yang Zhener were also engrossed in it. After all, these related to their peculiar feelings during this period of time and answered many of their questions. As for Xiao Pingguo, even though she cannot see with her eyes, she has direct contact with Alice for information transmission. The meanings expressed by the video pictures will not be problematic for her to understand. Alice was even able to translate the information accordingly during the conversion process, enabling Xiao Pingguo to see in a more perfect way. As the instructional video came to an end, Alice gave a general summary: In short, all of our superpowers, various special contact, are all related to this system. This system was created by the boss! The little fatty girl, who had been engrossed in watching, suddenly sat straight, her eyes gleaming and her expression excited, I understand! Magic was created by Uncle Bald! Xiao Pingguo also murmured: So, Barbie Warrior even the whole world where Barbie Warrior resides was created by Uncle Xiang? Yang Zhener touched her chin and said: So our superpowers are like the dishes cooked by Brother Xiang. We sit around the table for dinner and can help ourselves with whatever we want to eat, but each person has different preferences, so what we eat and in what order are all different. Alice is the maid who is responsible for serving the dishes, hehe. Uh, thats not quite right. Well, changing the metaphor, it should be like the game developed by Brother Xiang, we are the players, playing in various ways on it, choosing different roles, different styles of playing, and even developing our own MODs. Xiao Lingdang is the game master, I am the newbie, but I have a special way of playing, I can change skin effects, others dont have, hehe Tang Baona also pondered: So in my case, Xiang Kun is like various musical instruments no, he should be the basis of various melodies. He is the sound itself? Hey, isnt this too powerful? Its hard to compare Little Fatty Girl suddenly said: Then since Uncle Bald is so powerful, doesnt it mean that there are no bad guys who can compete with him? Surprisingly, her tone had a touch of sorrow. Alice nodded very affirmatively, standing on the coffee table with her hands on her hips as usual: Yes! Were invincible! Alice is bragging! Yang Zhener immediately said: Didnt Brother Xiang need our help to deal with the monster in the dream before? Alice, however, said as if it was a matter of course, and justified: You, Xiaolingdang, Xiao Pingguo, Nana, and Old Xia, are all part of us! When I say we are invincible, its right and proper! Yang Zhener was taken aback and was left speechless. Moreover, to deal with that monster, the boss had other methods. He could have taken care of it by himself. But to complete it more quickly and prevent uncontrollable losses, the boss had to mobilize everyone to participate and put all their efforts in! Alice explained. Tang Baona laughed: It sounds as if Xiang Kun has ruled the world and become the master of the earth, this feels strange Hehe, Brother Xiang is the master of the earth, and we are the guardians of the earth, above all but one Yang Zhener laughed. Xiao Pingguo joked: Sister Zhener, according to your saying, it should be Brother Xiang is Earths Master Chef, and then we are Earths assistant chefs, Earths handymen, Earths food deliverers, hahaha. As she spoke, she couldnt help laughing and holding her stomach. Little Fatty Girl also happily said: Then I want to be the Earths gourmet! Then she hugged the Custard Pie, who was dozing off in the corner of the sofa, and stroked its head: Custard Pie is the Earths gourmet cat! We will eat delicious food everywhere! Alice bounced down from the coffee table and then jumped onto the sofa and rolled onto it, hugging the Custard Pie together with the little fatty girl, laughing, Then, I am the assistant of the Earths gourmet! Xiao Lingdang, whatever you want to eat, I can change it for you! Tang Baona, sitting on the other side of the little fatty girl, also reached out and rubbed the cats head, then asked: Alice, Old Xia said before that he would go to the meeting with the technical staff from Divine Technology, and would formally start cooperating research in the future, and even have the official lead. So what about us? Will we also have to assist in the research in the future? No need, what we research is different! What they need to research is fundamentals, what we research is high-level applications! What we research is what we will use ourselves, what they research is what all humans can use. Alice replied. Huh? Is that so, then it sounds like their research is rather significant Tang Baona commented. Nana, you misunderstand, Yang Zhener corrected promptly, Its like Brother Xiang cooked a table full of dishes for us. The researchers are studying where the ingredients for the dishes come from, what consists of the seasoning, and what equipment is used to cook the meal. Once they understand how to grow vegetables, they can grow tons of other vegetables and produce many other seasonings Still, this feastfor goodness sakemust be eaten while still hot. Therefore, eating is not frowned upon! Alice, is my comparison accurate? Graphic? Vivid? Alice, however was taken aback. She instinctively felt that something was off, but wasnt sure how to correct it, so she instinctively started constructing a narrative analogy application model. Whats with all the cooking and eating analogies? Cant you come up with others, Yang Lao San? Tang Baona jestingly chided. Nana, youre being unjust! It was Xiao Pingguo who first talked about the Master Chef of Earth, then Xiao Lingdang mentioned being a foodie on Earth. Alice even said she wants to be a foodies assistant! We all used food comparisons! Yang Zhener asserted defiantly. Since they all have established a deep connection with the Super-sensory Item System, each of them had exhibited unique manifestations and special sensibilities. They all became well aware of their changes and were clearly observing various phenomena. Day and night they live with Alice, the real little girl who magically appears, tweaks noses, massages faces, and shares meals with them. They even fought an indescribable monster in a dream with Xiang Kun. Subtly, they all got used to Xiang Kuns extraordinaryly and the profound bond formed under the special system established by Xiang Kun. Therefore, after Alices in-depth explanation and analysis of mutants and the Super Sensory Item System, they all accepted it very naturally. Even for the points they temporarily could not understand, they all subconsciously sought simpler explanations using their own cognitive systems. Of course, the more important point is that they were all together. If only one person was aware of the power of the system Xiang Kun created, and Xiang Kun was not around, they might feel quite lost or unreal. But now with so many people together, they felt a sense of belonging, trust, and safety. They believed that the system connected them together, making them feel extraordinarily grounded. However, after the fun and laughter, it was time for parting the holiday was over and first grade student Liu Shiling had to return to school. Of course, the parting was supposed to be short-lived. According to the plan, Tang Baona would have to go to Pengcheng City not long after. Then Old Xia would bring Xiao Pingguo. They were planning to go to the headquarters of the secret department of Divine Technology, the Brilliant Fortune Building. By then, Xiang Kun should have returned and definitely would have come to Pengcheng City to meet up. As for Liu Shilings return to Pengcheng City, Yang Zhener would naturally accompany her, along with Custard Pie. On the plane, noticing her young travel companion looking somewhat low spirited, Yang Zhener asked, Little Lingdang, whats wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Liu Shiling shook her head, her little brows furrowed slightly. Yang Zhener, putting an arm around her shoulder, gently pinched her cheek and asked, Are you not happy about having to go back to school? Its okay, after school we can all play the game. Ill get you a very, very, very beautiful and impressive magic robe! Looking upward, Liu Shiling replied with some distress, Uncle Bald is too powerful. Huh? Yang Zhener was momentarily dumbfounded. She couldnt understand why this would be a cause for concern. According to Alices explanation, Xiang Kun was the origin and foundation of all their abilities. He is the cornerstone of the entire ability system. The stronger Xiang Kun, the sounder the system and therefore, the stronger they would become. This was a good thing, so what was the little Lingdang worrying about? Did she aspire to outdo her Uncle Bald? Seeing the confusion on Yang Zheners face, Liu Shiling shook her head, sighed, turned away, and stared at the increasingly gloomy sky outside the window. In contrast to Alices playful and lighthearted explanation process, in a conference room beneath the research base, Xia Libings presentation was far more solemn. The surplus of information continuously challenged the cognition of Fang Pingfang, Zhou Rui, Zhao Feng and others. Even Mijoe, who knew of the existence of mutants and had even dealt with a humanoid mutant, felt as though her worldview was being reshaped. Especially when they learned about the Ultimate Predator, a mutant that nearly existed within all organisms in a divided form, and hence could control life and death and even guide and manipulate behavioral responses in organisms, they felt a sort of revulsion that was hard to accept. Although Xia Libings postgraduate major was in psychology and psychiatry and she lacked the indepth knowledge in biological research compared to professionals like Fang Pingfang and Zhou Rui, she had the trust of Xiang Kun, the assistance of Alice, and a wealth of information on mutants. In addition, she was well-acquainted with the characters and habits of Fang Pingfang and the others, so she firmly grasped the rhythm of the entire exchange from the very beginning. After watching the explanatory videos, summarizing, and answering their questions, Xia Libing essentially established her position as the leader in the conference room. Even Fang Pingfang was quite convinced by her words. So when Old He arrived on the last flight at about 10 pm to Tongshi Town and met them at the private room of Youlong Restaurant, he found that the people of Divine Technology and Xia Libing seemed to have become a team that had been working together for a long time, right? Whether it was Fang Pingfang, Zhou Rui, Mijoe, Ye Chong who originated from technical backgrounds, Li Shibao, Gao Shu from security and field services, or Zhao Feng and Wang Dean whom he personally recruited into the secret department of Divine Technology, they all instinctively looked at Xia Libing deferentially. So on the way to the Research Base in Chongyun Village for a brief meeting to explain the position of the Abnormal Biology Research Center after a quick dinner and greetings, Old He found an opportunity to ask Zhao Feng privately, Why do you all seem to trust Miss Xia so much? Did you know her before? Hearing this, Zhao Feng seemed stunned, Old He Wasnt it you who told us to find Miss Xia and follow her arrangements? Indeed I did say that Old He felt a little embarrassed, unsure how to express his thoughts. Zhao Feng seemed to understand, then asked, Miss Xia is really impressive, especially in her knowledge of mutants. Old He, who exactly is she? Mutants? Oh, its also called blood-sucking creatures. Miss Xia said its now uniformly referred to as mutants. Chapter 627 - Chapter 627: Chapter 627: The Young Man Chapter 627: Chapter 627: The Young Man After dinner, the group returned to the Intelligent Internet Breeding Research Base at Chongyun Village, back to the underground conference room where Fang Pingfang and others had met with Xia Libing in the morning. Old He first had a meeting with Xia Libing, then remotely connected with Xiang Kun. Representing the Abnormal Biology Research Center, he confirmed the identity of Xia Libing and signed several routine agreements. Next, he held a general meeting with Fang Pingfangs team, introducing them to the organizational structure involved in mutant research, some past research results, and research plans. However, the more Old He described, the more Fang Pingfang and the others recognized that Xia Libing seemed to have a more systematic understanding of mutant related information and research, with far more detailed insights. This made them increasingly puzzled. Which of them had the higher authority? Or was it because Old He was in charge of administration and management, he didnt have much understanding of the technical aspects? Moreover, according to Old He, the future research plan and overall direction of research would be presided over and determined by Xia Libing. She could represent Xiang Kun or Mr. Liang, while Old He would represent the Abnormal Biology Research Center to supervise and help their research. It was clear that the research institutions they would set up in the future, and the research programs they would establish, would be under the management of Xia Libing. Even without Old He explicitly stating it, the fact that all acquisition of mutant samples must be carried out by Xia Libing or the research institution she commands was enough to demonstrate her status. Next, Xia Libing shared the vision for the newly established research institutions. The projection screen behind her displayed a series of planning icons and special-effect images, clearly outlining the future research direction and rationale, what they needed to do, and the potential difficulties they might encounter. Certain aspects surprised Fang Pingfang, Zhou Rui, and Mijoe, who thought they were seeing direct visuals of the questions and scenarios they had raised earlier in the days meeting with Xia Libing. Between picking up Old He and coming to dinner, she had been with them the entire afternoon. There was no time to make this videoCand certainly not of this quality. Could it be that the queries and scenarios they proposed were things that Xia Libing and her team had already thought of? Because they had spent a whole day in meetings during the day, Xia Libing talked about a lot less that night and finished quickly. That evening, she took advantage of Old Hes presence to propose the basic organizational structure of the future research institutions. The secret department of Divine Technology would continue to operate independently, but after a certain training period, Fang Pingfang and her team would detach and draw personnel from Divine Technologys secret department to form new departments and teams. They would be responsible for different projects and teams based on their expertise. Clearly, Xia Libing knew everyone well. If she had started off in the morning by presenting this plan, even backed by Old He and Mr. Liangs authorization, Fang Pingfang, Zhou Rui, and others would have assumed that Xia Libing and her team were trying to snatch Mr. Liangs rights and seize the research results of Divine Technology. But after the information output from Xia Libing, especially compared to Old Hes statement, they understood that the research on mutants and hard data controlled by Xia Libing and her team was much more extensive than both the official Abnormal Biology Research Center and the secret department of Divine Technology. In this case, Xia Libings arrangements would be seen as technical support, research guidance, and top scholars leading the less advanced. They had no grounds for objection. However, Mijoe still couldnt help but ask, Old He, Miss Xia, when will Mr. Liang be back? Xia Libing looked at Old He, who was sitting with his arms crossed, apparently prepared for him to answer. Ah Liang has some work to do and cant confirm when hell be back. But dont worry, when he returns, hell still work at the newly established organization, Old He said. Initially, based on his conversation with Xiang Kun, Old He thought that Xiang Kun wanted Xia Libing to establish an independent investigative and research organization for mutants, similar to the secret department of Divine Technology. He assumed that Fang Pingfang and her team would go there, representing Divine Technology for collaboration and linkage. But now it seemed had Xia Libing directly subsumed Divine Technologys secret department as a subsidiary of her own? Moreover, Fang Pingfang, Zhou Rui, Mijoe and others who were originally loyal to Ah Liang in Divine Technology, didnt resist and accepted this matter-of-factly? Could it be that his phrase, follow Miss Xias arrangements, had influenced them? However, for Old He, the Abnormal Biology Research Center, and the officials, in the Post-Ultimate Predator Era with the removal of restrictions on deep scientific research, the future research institutions and investigative organizations will be unified, requiring further integration and restructuring. Unifying the command system and research directions now can be a good thing, making it easier to manage. In the following days, Old He remained in Chongyun Village, receiving guidance from Xia Libing along with Fang Pingfangs team. Since they were staying at the research base in Chongyun Village, they naturally couldnt return to the villa near the Wushu Mountain Scenic Area, so they rented a three-story civilian house in the village. At first, they thought that the living conditions here would be much worse than the villa they had been living in for several months, but surprisingly, from the first day they moved in, they could clearly feel the uniqueness of this village. Perhaps due to the high oxygen content, fresh air, and less dust in the air, Ye Chong, who had always been suffering from a bit of rhinitis and sneezed every morning, miraculously recovered. Mijoe, who usually had trouble sleeping at night and difficulty waking up in the morning, also successfully changed her sleep habits and woke up feeling refreshed. This immediate effect made them become intensely interested in Chongyun Village. Through their observations, they indeed discovered many details and unique aspects they hadnt noticed when they had passed by or briefly stayed here before. Whether it was the air, temperature, wind, small animals, insects, and various other aspects, Chongyun Village appeared to be an open space, but it had a kind of closed, unique, orderly rule that forms an independent entity. So on the fourth day after moving to Chongyun Village, before the start of Xia Libings mutant research teaching course, Zhou Rui asked proactively: Miss Xia, when you and Mr. Xiang decided to come to Chongyun Village to set up this research base and live here, was it because theres something special about this place? Xia Libing replied calmly, We didnt come here because Chongyun Village is special, but after we arrived, Chongyun Village became special. This remark stunned Zhou Rui, Mijoe and even Old He. Such a confident statement, if said by someone else, would either be seen as bluffing or joking. However, when Xia Libing, who was casual and nonchalant yet absolutely certain, said it, it seemed perfectly reasonable and irrefutable. Especially Old He, who had investigated the situation in Chongyun Village before and knew that Xia Libing was right. After she and Xiang Kun developed here, not only did Chongyun Village undergo drastic changes, but so did Tongshi Town. Many unusual events and mutants that appeared around Chongyun Mountain and Wushu Mountain only emerged after their arrival. Zhou Rui originally wanted to ask Xia Libing how she and Xiang Kun made this place special, what their specific experiences and changes were, what the principles were, and the mechanism of how they work, but before he could ask, he saw Xia Libing take out a fluffy white thing from her coat pocket and present it in front of them, drawing everyones attention. Their first reaction was that Xia Libing had taken out a cream cake or something like that, but upon closer inspection, they realized that the three dots on the fluffy white thing were not decorative chocolates, but two little eyes and a birds beak! The fluffy white thing in Xia Libings hand was actually a little bird! Both female scientists Fang Pingfang and Mijoe, being rational and technical minded, did not react with shouts of how cute the chubby little bird was when they saw it. But still, someone let out a wow. It was Zhou Rui: Is that a Silver Throated Long Tailed Tit? Pure white? How rare After his encounter with the Giant Raptor, not only did he start to take an interest in ants but also in birds. The previous stagnated period of research and investigation he had was filled by reading books about birds, so he instinctively determined the species based on the feature of that white fluff. However, Xia Libing said, Its not a common tit; its a mutant. This time, it was Fang Pingfang who exclaimed with surprise, A live research specimen? No. Xia Libing denied, Its not a research sample, its name is Little Mantou. Its our companion. I brought it today to give you a basic idea of mutants. Having said that, Xia Libing signaled Zhou Rui, Fang Pingfang, and Mijoe, who were standing in front of her, to step aside, and then gently tossed the small, plump, white bird in her hand in their direction. The little white birds body suddenly contracted into a narrow shuttle shape before accelerating and shooting forward. In the blink of an eye, it pierced a hole through a table in front, even lifting a layer of floor tiles. The white bird seemed a bit dizzy from the collision itself. It bounced on the ground a few times before returning to its small plump white shape, sitting on the ground and shaking its little head, then fluttering its wings and flying back to perch on Xia Libings shoulder. It seemed docile and adorable as usual, harmless to humans and animals. But the large hole in the table and the mess on the ground attested to its terrifying power. Although you have seen some mutants before, due to the limited types you have been exposed to, there are some cognitive restrictions on the characteristics of mutants. The most important thing when dealing with mutants is not to judge their danger and attack power by their size or appearance. Unlike traditional creatures, the physical characteristics they display are likely to be drastically different from their actual characteristics. Xia Libing explained. Fang Pingfang and the others looked at the damage on the ground, then at the little white bird, they all seemed thoughtful. And Little Mantou just slightly tilted her head, quietly adorable, behaving obediently, if it were Gilt sitting on her shoulder, it would certainly crow twice in a swaggering manner to show off their pride. After dinner in Tongshi Town in the evening, Old He did not go back to Chongyun Village with Xia Libing and Fang Pingfang. Instead, he roamed around the pedestrian street for a while before entering a tea shop to have a cup of tea. He had noticed this shop several previous times when he came to the town for meals, but he didnt have the time to come in. Today, since Xia Libing was going to discuss some new equipment purchases with Fang Pingfang and the others, he did not understand it and had no reason to pay attention, so he had spare time to satiate his passion for tea. When he entered, there was already a thin, spirited middle-aged man sitting in front of the beautiful female owner of the shop, drinking tea. He knew this middle-aged man. When Mr. Liang introduced Xiang Kun to him before on a video call, he investigated Xiang Kun. In addition to Xia Libing, Tang Baona, Yang Zhener, Zhang Qian, Chang Bin, Liu Chuang, etc., he also had contacts with Qi Haoguo, Liu Feibao, Liu Gaoshang, Liu Zhengyi, Liu Caifu, Chu Xiuwen, and others in Chongyun Village. This thin, sharp-looking middle-aged man in the tea shop was Chu Xiuwen. After entering the shop, Old He just courteously nodded at Chu Xiuwen. Unexpectedly, as soon as he sat down, Chu Xiuwen said: You are a guest of Mr. Xiang, arent you? Youre Old He, right? Old He was stunned. He knew Chu Xiuwen because he had conducted a covert investigation into Xiang Kun, which was very normal, but how did Chu Xiuwen know him? Chu Xiuwen apparently saw his confusion and said with a smile, I often go to Chongyun Village to chat with Deputy Village Chief Liu Caifu, so I know you are training with a batch of employees at Dr. Xias. The house youre staying in belongs to a relative of Director Liu. Dr. Xias brother is my business partner. Of course, I naturally hear about whats going on at Dr. Xias research base. By the way, my name is Chu Xiuwen, you can call me Xiao Chu. With such an explanation, Old He felt relieved. True, what theyre keeping secret is the research content inside the research base. It is naturally impossible to keep their existence a secret outside, Chongyun Village is not a closed research institute. So its President Chu, nice to meet you. Old He laughed. Chu Xiuwen laughed: Dont call me President Chu; it sounds weird in this setting. Haha, just call me Xiao Chu. Old He, how do you find living in Chongyun Village? Its great, Chongyun Village is a nice place, very suitable for living. Old He laughed. Indeed. Chu Xiuwen nodded, then added thoughtfully: Chongyun Village has changed a lot this past year Old He, I heard that you and Dr. Fang used to work at the Citong Research Institute? Dr. Fang and the others did, I was from a different unit. Old He prevaricated. Chu Xiuwen waited for the beautiful shop owner to pour Old He a cup of tea before asking again: How did Old He meet Mr. Xiang? Old He said: We have some mutual friends. By the way, Xiao Chu, you know Qi Haoguo, right? Of course, does Old He also know Boss Qi? Hehe, I have chatted with him. He has some unique views on Tongshi Town, Chongyun Village Old He had met Qi Haoguo, who was serving his sentence when he was investigating Xiang Kun. He even had a brief chat with him. This man gave him a special feeling, even being held in prison, he exuded a strong sense of confidence and certainty, which certainly came from Xiang Kun. Yes, he indeed has some special feelings, not so much for Tongshi Town and Chongyun Village, as it is for hehe. Old He might know what I mean? Chu Xiuwen said meaningfully. Old He was also interested, and he casually chatted with Chu Xiuwen while sipping his tea. Both of them felt that the other party had information they didnt know, so they both tried to fish for the others information with the least amount of their own. The news about the abnormal weather around the world was playing on the TV. Chu Xiuwen started, Old He, have you noticed that the temperature fluctuation in Chongyun Village is much less than in the town, and it is neither cold nor hot, very comfortable, just like central air conditioning is on. Yeah, logically speaking, the temperature difference in the mountains should be greater. Xiao Chu, is this also a change that happened this year? Is it related to Mr. Xiangs research base? Old He replied. As he spoke, someone walked into the tea shop, temporarily interrupting their conversation. Old He glanced at the young man who entered the shop. In his early twenties, he was a spirited young man. Young people nowadays like drinking tea too? But why does this young man look familiar? Chapter 628 - Chapter 628: Chapter 628: The Globally Watched Spectacular Scene Chapter 628: Chapter 628: The Globally Watched Spectacular Scene Though the young man looked somewhat familiar, Old He didnt dwell on it. He was confident that he had never seen or knew this young man before C he generally trusted his memory. Perhaps the young man bore some resemblance to someone he knew, hence the sense of deja vu, which was quite common. Old Hes attention was still on his conversation with Chu Xiuwen. From their previous interaction, he ascertained that Chu Xiuwen knew why Qi Haoguo would invest in Tong Shi and Chong Yun village, and why there had been such significant changes in the span of a year. Even though he had previously been introduced by Mr. Liang to Xiang Kun as a mutant, Old He did not have any specific details about Xiang Kuns mutations. Meanwhile, during the process of investigating and verifying Xiang Kuns social information, interpersonal relations, and past experiences, from the data left in the Divine Technology database by Mr. Liang and Fang Pingfangs investigation team, he learnt that Xiang Kun was connected to many special events, most famously the Eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion in Myitkyina. This naturally provoked Old Hes extreme curiosity. Whether for personal or professional reasons, he wanted to understand how Xiang Kun could create such collective illusions, and produce such miraculous subsequent effects. How could he essentially turn peoples world upside down? He was well-acquainted with others who were affected by mutants hypnosis-like abilities. The effects of such hypnosis could be described as deception or confusion. Unless the subjects died, they would inevitably wake up. Observers could somewhat discern their state of mind and perceptions. However, the effect Xiang Kuns collective illusion brought about was more akin to an awakening ability, bringing people out from their preoccupations and desires, and directly influencing the mind and thoughts of people at the cognitive level. Following Old Hes conversation with Boss Qi, the change in the latters cognition was systematic, consistent, and could be explained to others. It didnt at all resemble someone in a state of hypnotic confusion, but rather seemed like someone who had seen the light. Due to his concerns about the Ultimate Predator and related regulations that restricted him, Old He hadnt directly asked Xiang Kun and Lu Qinliang. Although the technical research restrictions and the dangers of being in-the-know brought about by the Ultimate Predator had been lifted, he had temporarily lost contact with Xiang Kun and Lu Qinliang C Xiang Kun had not been in touch since his last communication informing him that the Ultimate Predator threat had been neutralized. Moreover, all along, the non-research center was primarily responsible for the threat of mutants to the country, society, and people, and overseeing the safety of relevant research. It did not directly interfere with the content of the research, so he found it awkward to raise these questions. Xiao Chu, what do you think of Mr. Xiangs research base? Or rather, how much do you know about the research base? asked Old He. Its not right, Old He, you got it backward, shouldnt you be the one who is supposed to answer that question? Havent you been to the research base every day? I havent set foot in there since it was built. If you ask me about Youlong Restaurant, I could talk for hours. But about that research base and laboratories, Im clueless, laughed Chu Xiuwen, But I do know that its an internet intelligent breeding research center created by Mr. Xiang and Dr. Xia, with a very advanced concept. Its definitely a great thing. Even if it doesnt work out, the infrastructure investments brought in by Mr. Xiang have benefited the village tremendously. Even without talking about other aspects, just the house you and Dr. Fang are living in would not have been able to rent out for so much money, perhaps no one would have even rented it out in the past. Ive been wondering why Mr. Xiang chose to set the base in Chongyun Village, I heard Old He was expecting a reply from Chu Xiuwen when raised that question. He was gearing up to steer the conversation in the direction hed planned when the young man seated beside them unexpectedly interrupted. Hey, old man, judging from your accent, youre not a local, are you? Old He glanced over to confirm that the comment was directed at him, and answered simply: No. His one-word reply and his brisk demeanor clearly indicated that he did not wish to chat further. However, just as Old He was about to continue his previous conversation with Chu Xiuwen, the young man piped up again: Are you here for vacation or for work? Old Hes eyebrows furrowed as he turned back and took a closer look at the young man sitting next to him. He was of average looks, dark-skinned, but the broadness of his skeletal structure and a relaxed bearing signaled a confident air; an indication of a person who was well-educated and worldly. Conventional wisdom would decree that he should not be so tactless and inconsiderate. Did he come to the teahouse with an agenda? Did he come for me? Old He was alert to several possibilities and made a few guesses. He responded indirectly with what seemed to be an offhand remark: Young man, do you like tea? Not really, but an old friend of mine is a big tea fan, so Im here to get some for him. The young man said with a smile. Are you here for a vacation or a business trip? Old He promptly threw the question back at him. The young man shrugged good-naturedly. I came to find someone. Heh heh, you could say its a business trip, I suppose. Did you find the person youre looking for? Indeed, I did. The young man grinned. Of course, I found him. During their conversation, a young woman in her twenties ran to the doorway of the teahouse. Poking her head in, she said to Chu Xiuwen, Brother Chu, Brother Huo is looking for you and asked to see you at the store. Seeing it was an employee from the milk tea shop he co-owned with Xia Tianhuo, Chu Xiuwen excused himself to the teahouse owner, and then to Old He. I co-own a milk tea shop with a friend, just across from here. If you have time, do drop by for a visit. Or we could have a meal sometime soon to continue our chat. After Chu Xiuwen left, the female owner of the teahouse received a few WeChat messages. After checking them, she made a short call, then turned to Old He and the young man apologetically, Im sorry gentlemen, I have to deliver some tea to an old customer on the pedestrian street, and my staff arent available. Its not far from here. Ill be back in five minutes Go ahead, well look after the shop for you. Dont worry. Before Old He could respond, the young man chimed in with a smile. With thanks, the owner quickly packed a bag of tea leaves and rushed out of the door. Watching as the graceful figure of the shop owner disappeared, Old He felt a sense of unease and became increasingly cautious towards the young man next to him. He hesitated, wondering whether to leave as well. Come, lets try this rock tea. The shop owner said its excellent and costs four or five thousand yuan per kilogram. The young man looked carefree and took a seat where the shop owner had been previously seated. Picking up the boiled water, he prepared to make the tea. Watching the young mans hurried actions, Old He finally couldnt take it anymore. He asked the young man to put down the water jug, taking over: Youve never made tea before, have you? Thats true. Ive actually never tried tea before. The young man laughed. Didnt you say that you have an old friend who loves tea? Youve been with him a lot, how could you never have tried tea? Old He made conversation while making the tea. Hehe, in fact, I rarely meet that older brother. The total number of times weve met can be counted on two hands. So it seems youre not very familiar with each other? To me, hes one of the people Im most familiar with. The young man shook his head as if sighing with some emotion, then said naturally, Old He, do you want to learn about Xiang Kun from Chu Xiuwen? I can tell you what you want to know. Upon hearing this, Old He was taken aback and became more cautious, sizing up the young man again. It was normal for the young man to have heard his earlier conversation with Chu Xiuwen, knowing that his name was Old He and that they were discussing Xiang Kun. Chu Xiuwen was somewhat well-known in Tongshi Town, so knowing this name was not difficult. But what did it mean for this young man to tell him this while the two of them were alone in the teahouse? Did this young man know about the research on mutants? What was his purpose? You said what I want to know? You want to know what abilities Xiang Kun has, you want to know how Xiang Kun created illusions like the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant, you want to know how these illusions affect people? When the young man said this, Old He was shocked and almost jumped up from his seat, staring at him, Who on earth are you?! The number of people who knew this information was very limited. He was aware of each persons identity and appearance, and the young man in front of him obviously was not one of them. The young man helplessly shook his head, picked up the cup of tea Old He had made, poured the entire cup of steaming tea into his mouth, squinted his eyes after a few seconds, and then swallowed, smacking his lips, So this is what tea tastes like? Doesnt feel as good as cola or maybe other teas taste better? Old He, how does that Longjing tea you usually drink compare to this? Old He paused for two seconds, took another careful look at the young man in front of him, and said uncertainly, Ah Liang? Long time no see, Old He. The young man grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. Old He was stunned once again, his mind still in a bit of chaos, How come youre now your appearance your voice The young man lifted his right hand, and his fingers flexed agilely. A layer of special metallic skin filled with patterned luster spread quickly from his forearm, covering his right hand. Then, his hand disappeared from view, his sleeve flapping as if his arm was still there. Xiang Kun helped me rebuild my body. I not only have a human appearance, but I can still use my biological components, and my abilities have become more diverse and stronger. I can even use some abilities I didnt have before. Doesnt it feel like a miracle? Only then did Old He understand why hed felt a sense of familiarity when he first saw this young man. He had seen Mr. Liang a few times when he was brought over by Academician Shen for research. The young mans current appearance and facial features had some resemblance to the half-grown boy back then. Mr. Liang said with some emotion, This is what I would have looked like at 25 if I hadnt mutated. Of course, my actual age is more than 25, but taking on a middle-aged or old age appearance would take more time. I couldnt wait, so I chose this appearance. I thought, Old He, you could recognize me Old He, do you think my father would recognize me in my current appearance? Of course Old He started to say of course he can, thats your father, but suddenly remembered that after being taken away by Academician Shen, Lu Chengan had never seen his son again. Although they had had numerous contacts afterwards, they had never had a face-to-face meeting. In comparison, he was more familiar with Lu Qinliangs appearance before he completely abandoned his human form. Why dont you go meet him and find out? I believe your father will be very happy. Old He changed the subject with a smile, By the way, how did you happen to appear here at this time? Wheres Xiang Kun? Im here. A lazy voice rang out not far away, giving Old He a start. He reflexively looked back, only to see Xiang Kun sitting at a table against the wall nearbybut Xiang Kun had not been in his field of vision the entire time. He hadnt seen Xiang Kun enter the shop! Knowing a bit about Mr. Liangs abilities, Old He immediately realized: Xiang Kun could become invisible! Xiang Kun smiled at Mr. Liang and said, Brother Liang, youre getting sneaky! You bet me that Old He would recognize you within 10 sentences, and yet you show me your name directly. Even then, Old He didnt recognize you. You finally succeeded in using the Longjing tea code. Thats cheating! Feeling bitter, Mr. Liang said, I thought Old He would recognize me at a glance since he has seen my previous appearance. I admit defeat. The patents for the unmanned drone and communication transmission technology from Divine Technology can be used for commercial purposes by your QianKun Technology. You can symbolically give me a little money in return. Just now, Old He was uncertain whether the young man was friend or foe, and what his intentions were. Seeing that it was this pair joking around with him, his tight heart also relaxed. He poured himself a cup of hot tea, took a small sip, and said, Its good that you two are back. The establishment of the research and investigation team, the initiation of projects, personnel allocation and training, Ill leave it to you two. By the way, Mr. Xiang, although Miss Xia is very capable, it will be too much for her to preside over the re-establishment of the entire mutant research system and the related institutions. Isnt it better to have more people from the technical team behind you come over? I can arrange positions for them all at the Non-Research Center for easier collaboration in the future. Xiang Kun knew that Old Xias incredibly versatile performance had convinced Old He that there must be a technical team supporting her, and he laughed and said, Its okay, she can handle it. As for the research-related matters, leave them all to Xia Libing. As for us we have other things to consider. As he spoke, Xiang Kuns expression became more solemn, Old He, have you been paying attention to the unusual weather around the world recently? You mean there may be big problems behind these weather anomalies? Old He frowned. Mr. Liang said, The Ultimate Predator has not been completely killed. But didnt Xiang Kun say it no longer has the ability to influence other creatures? Hasnt that ability, that function, been uninstalled by you? Old He asked in surprise. Thats right, it can no longer control the life and death of all creatures directly, but its prepared to go out with a bang by using another indirect method. Xiang Kun sighed and paused for a moment, then said, But dont worry too much, Ill handle it. However, this time, Im afraid it will attract global attention. I participated in a full subscription benefit activity on WeiDian. You can find a bonus chapter of 7200 words at the end of the catalog. It is a full subscription benefit and can be read directly when opened. It seems to be visible only on the mobile APP at the moment, not the web version, so I regret that I cant provide the chapter description. Chapter 629 - Chapter 629: Chapter 629: When the Bell Rings Chapter 629: Chapter 629: When the Bell Rings As time entered November 2020, it had just become winter according to the lunar calendar, but bizarre weather was frequently appearing around the world. In many places, there was an unusually high temperature that was several degrees higher than the average for the same period in past years, making people unsure whether it was summer or winter. In some places, even tornadoes, super thunderstorms, hail and other abnormal weather occurred, numerous unseasonal, irregular destructive weather events were frequently appearing. Thankfully, the areas affected were mostly sparsely populated places. But even in densely populated areas of the continents, there were all sorts of anomalies, such as persistent high temperatures and dry weather that resulted in frequent fires. Originally, because of the warm winter caused by El Ni?o last year, many people were guessing that there might be a La Ni?a this year, resulting in a rare cold winter in recent years. But nobody expected that this year would be hotter than the last. Of course, there were all kinds of theories on the Internet, stating that its not yet the time for true cold weather, so the occasional high temperature is normal. However, as time went on into late November, more and more strange weather began to appear all over the world, and densely populated cities began to be attacked, some cities even directly suffered large-scale thunderstorm attacks, damaging many electronic devices. Moreover, these extreme convective weather phenomena had not been predicted by the meteorological department, it was as if the well-established weather prediction technology that humans had developed over so many years had all of a sudden malfunctioned. However, in reality, several major countries had obtained special information through satellite remote sensing technology, knowing the abnormal global climate changes source came from Antarctica. From mid-October onwards, the temperature in some parts of Antarctica began to rise sharply, glaciers began to melt faster, and the various countries Antarctic expedition teams and other related personnel, who were just about to investigate the situation to find out what was causing these phenomena, received orders from their respective institutions to evacuate immediately. Of course, initially not everyone was willing to leave, many people wanted first to investigate the situation, at least to understand whats causing the massive temperature increase in Antarctica, but the following series of anomalies and dangers, made everyone realize that if they didnt leave, they wouldnt be able to survive, let alone investigate the cause of the temperature rise. What was happening in Antarctica was not just a peculiar rise in temperature, but a variety of other phenomena. After the Antarctic researchers were evacuated from the research stations, a large number of black objects appeared that seemed to be a mixture of mineral and plant elements that could engage in material and energy exchanges with their surroundings and grow like vegetation, constantly spreading over the Antarctic continent. However, what was strange was that once they appeared, the temperature in Antarctica no longer rose but instead fell sharply at an equally unusual pace, even lower than before the temperature increased. As those black objects occupied area got larger and larger, related images and photos quickly circulated on the internet, and some strange thermal imaging photos taken by satellites were used for explanation by TV programs and internet media influencers. So gradually, more and more end of the world discussions appeared on the internet, all kinds of gods, legends, reasons for the end of the world, and even theories about alien attacks and the awakening of ancient creatures were endlessly brought up, it was a dizzying array. In fact, since early October, when abnormal temperature drops occurred simultaneously across the eastern hemisphere, similar discussions had appeared on the internet. However, as the impact of the abnormal weather at that time was relatively minor and lasted only a short while, the similar end of the world, doomsday discussions didnt cause much of a stir and quickly disappeared from the internet without attracting much attention. However, in reality, Alice had been pulling some strings behind the scenes to intentionally reduce the chances of these discussions being searched and appearing on various social media platforms and interfered with the devices and operating systems of some people with ulterior motives, preventing them from releasing related information for a short period of time, and thus quickly stopping the spread and impact of these messages. But now, because the weather changes were just too strange and severe, and there were inexplicable phenomena in Antarctica, all kinds of information was pouring out, various media platforms followed up on reporting, various experts came out to refute rumors and explain, it was too overwhelming. Seeing this information, everyone had more or less similar thoughts, after all, there were too many movies like 2012, The Day After Tomorrow etc. from the past, regardless of the level of education or belief system, there was at least some speculation, fear, and worry about the end of the world. If Xiang Kun had let Alice interfere and mislead from a data point of view before someone broadcasted the strange phenomena in Antarctica, or images or videos of the spreading and expanding black substance, and prevented these bombshell news from spreading at the source, it would have been a lot easier. But Xiang Kun didnt do that. At this point, unless Alice directly cut off the global network and all kinds of media, forbid any information from being transmitted, or carry out large-scale, severe falsification, using fabricated information to guide public opinion and public attention, was there a chance to suppress this wave of global panic. Naturally, Xiang Kun didnt do that either. Because his original plan was to tackle the issue from the real root C from the abnormality itself. Although, looking at the current frequent abnormal weather and drastic changes in temperature, it may seem like the end of the world is coming. In fact, these changes had been intensifying since mid-October, but at that time, Xiang Kun and Alice were constantly using the super-connected object matrix they had deployed and connected in human-inhabited areas worldwide to exert reverse influence and limit the abnormal climate change, minimizing its impact. If they could directly reduce the influence and duration of abnormal weather changes like they did in early October, naturally, they could mitigate peoples panic, decrease the attention it drew, and then confine the solution to Antarctica, making it much easier to keep the situation under wraps. But Xiang Kuns attempt to limit this ultimately failed. The climate anomaly was destined to intensify, and the ensuing panic from this globally impacting, severe weather change was virtually unavoidable. It was not something that could be kept secret by merely restricting the anomalies in Antarctica. Therefore, Xiang Kun changed his strategy, from containment to diversion. Xiang Kun was clear about why the global weather was undergoing such a drastic and abnormal change. The root of it all lay in Antarctica, or to be precise, in the Ultimate Predator soon to reconstitute its physical form in Antarctica. Xiang Kuns previous plan was a success. He lured out the Ultimate Predator by fulfilling its blood requirements through Mr. Liang in a short amount of time. During its consumption and transformative period, they used Dreamland to format its primary consciousness, analyze and build its mental model, allowing Alice to reverse influence and damage its function of controlling other organisms specific factors, effectively paralyzing it. Based on projections by Xiang Kun and Alice, the most likely scenario would be: The Ultimate Predator getting outmaneuvered by them, losing control over the specific factors within other organisms, but clinging to life. Judging by the Ultimate Predators past behavior, it would struggle fearlessly but have limited impact, just buying time until Xiang Kuns super-connected object matrix completely covers every corner of the globe, encasing it thoroughly and eliminating the threat entirely. However, after the plan was successfully executed, a low probability situation occurred: During the paralysis process, the stability of the Ultimate Predators high-dimensional factors was severely impacted. Already at the peak of its transformative phase, it was forced to the brink of collapse, unable to avert the imminent meltdown by feigning death. Consequently, it attempted a desperate final strike. It might be that this impeding collapse state led the conscious of the Ultimate Predator into a frenzied and bloodthirsty mode. It rejected the lifeline Xiang Kun left through Xiao Luobo, not choosing to connect to Xiao Luobos super-connected object platform to dilute its transformation limit. Instead, it chose to gather its own form through the high-dimensional factors distributed within a large number of organisms worldwide. After being outmaneuvered by Xiang Kun and Alice, the Ultimate Predator could not activate the specific factors within other organisms to control or influence them, but the characteristic of these specific factors was materializing through the Ultimate Predators high-dimensional factors, which connect consciousness despite space distance. This is why the connection between the Ultimate Predator and the specific factors within other organisms still exists. When facing the threat of a transformative collapse, the Ultimate Predator chose Antarcticathe vacuum of Xiang Kuns super-connected object matrixas the site to establish its physical existence. Indeed, having been paralyzed by Xiang Kun, the Ultimate Predator decided to take a high-risk move, using a more comprehensive form to battle for physical existence, or rather, attempt to take everything down with it. While not able to actively control the specific factors within other organisms, it could, however, drive all high-dimensional factors to return through mutant instinct due to connection with the high-dimensional factors. It forced a transformation that did not involve blood consumption or transforming stages to establish a larger, stronger, and more tangible entity. If we were to draw an analogy, Xiang Kun had taken from it the power to control the body, leaving it only with the ability to perceive the body whilst maintaining the capability to think and remain conscious. Now, it stimulated itspassive capabilities, discarded its original body, and created a new physical form directly from the brain re-growing limbs or other body parts. In fact, if Xiang Kun did nothing, the Ultimate Predator would self-destruct not long after attaining its physical form. The reason it could stimulate the instinct of the high-dimensional factors to help it re-condense into a physical entity was because it had chosen destruction. Its like a construction company deciding to go bankrupt and close up shop. As soon as the news breaks, all the external construction crews would naturally rush back to settle their wages before disbanding. The purpose of gathering would be for a complete dispersion. But the issue lies in the process of condensation itself C its already a disaster for the entire world. Not only would it create a massive amount of energy exchange, but the influence of the high-dimensional factors would also reach across the world, affecting countless ecological communities. Consider a colossal mountain of books, stacked layer upon layer, neatly and perfectly arranged to ensure stability. If each book had a bookmark, removing one, several or even hundreds of them individually wouldnt impact much. But if all bookmarks in every book were to be simultaneously pulled out through connecting thin lines, even if the whole mountain didnt collapse, it would inevitably be severely affected, being distorted, skewed or even causing a local displacement and dispersion of books. The Ultimate Predator is like someone pulling out all the bookmarks from all the books at the same time. Xiang Kuns Super-connected object matrix and Super sensory Item System are analogous to some of the individual books or layers in a stack of books. They can be moved to mitigate the effect of the book tags being drawn, allowing the book stack to remain as it was originally arranged as much as possible, even when all the tags have been drawn. This is why its not that the Ultimate Predator or Xiang Kun can immediately manipulate global climate change through high-dimensional factors or control the weather everywhere, the vast natural system is too complex for either Xiang Kun or the Ultimate Predator to precisely control and influence. All of this is merely the side effect of the Ultimate Predator consolidating its own entity, while Xiang Kun simply nudges things along. The chain reaction caused by the bookmark was too big and, unfortunately, the book shields and layers that Xiang Kun had set up were not enough. Their error-correction capability was insufficient, so he had to give up when the impact grew too great. After Xiang Kun abandoned the idea of counteracting the influences or correcting the weather, as the Ultimate Predator continued its consolidation process in Antarctica, apocalyptic weather phenomena would frequently occur around the world, and even more bizarre situations could ensue. This would be a terrifying process, but according to Xiang Kun and Alices deductions based on the changes in super sensory information, the impact could still be recovered from. Besides, through previous counter-pressures, he had already let citizens worldwide experience mild anomalous weather. There was a warning, a preparation, and the loss would be lesser. The key issue is what to do after the Ultimate Predators main body is fully formed. Even though this is a situation with a low probability of occurring, in devising a plan to combat the Ultimate Predator, both Xiang Kun and Alice have contingency plans. For Xiang Kun personally, the most conservative and secure way to handle the situation is to wait for the Ultimate Predator to disintegrate and perish on its own- after it presents its entity this way, it will disintegrate in a very short time, and the high-dimensional factors will dissipate. Dust to dust, ashes to ashes. The problem is, once the Ultimate Predator fully forms, it certainly wont be content to just dissipate. It will inevitably do something before it dissipates, be it further intruding into the ocean, attempting to reach other continents, causing massive destruction before it perishes, or directly stirring up the global climate through its influence at the South Pole, melting glaciers, raising sea levels, all leading to catastrophic disasters. In these circumstances, Xiang Kun wouldnt be able to protect himself by merely passively waiting for the Ultimate Predator to collapse. He must take action, obliterate it thoroughly before it can cause massive destructiveness and catastrophic disasters, soon after it takes shape. In the middle of October, when the Ultimate Predator first began to take shape, Xiang Kun had a premonition of this situation. Thats why, when he saw Old He in Tongshi Town, he told him that there would be a global spectacle. With the current level of human technology, humans were still incapable of dealing with the Ultimate Predator. Even if several powers jointly took action and dropped nuclear bombs on Antarctica without considering the consequences, they would only be able to blow up the large entity that the Ultimate Predator formed into dust, they wouldnt be able to truly annihilate it. It would regroup quickly and it might even develop new material characteristics due to the attack by the nuclear bombs or other thermal weapons, becoming even more dangerous. The problem isnt about the insufficient might or power of human weapons but that we are in the wrong direction. Like relentlessly punching water, slashing water with a knife, smashing water with a hammer, how violent the force used doesnt matter. The water would be splashed around, but fundamentally, it wouldnt get hurt. In the end, human society knows too little about the existence form of the Ultimate Predator and the characteristics of high-dimensional factors. Even Mr. Liang, at his current state, doesnt have the means to effectively combat the Ultimate Predator. In this world, the only one capable of stopping the Ultimate Predator was still Xiang Kun. For Xiang Kun, the real difficulty isnt wiping out the Ultimate Predator or winning the battle of Antarctica, but how to control and take over its massive stash of high-dimensional factors after completely eliminating the Ultimate Predator and causing its consciousness to entirely dissipate. If we were to compare their stages of transformation, the Ultimate Predator was a colossal glacier in the ocean, whereas Xiang Kun was merely a boat. The volume of the glacier above the water alone was countless times bigger than the small boat, let alone what was underwater. So, while the tiny boat could easily shatter the iceberg, their sizes were still vastly different. Not even Mr. Liang, whose transformation has made a great leap in recent months, fulfilling the blood source requirement of the Ultimate Predator, has yet to reach the stage where he can swallow the Ultimate Predator, the gap was just too vast. If we consider high-dimensional factors as construction workers, Xiang Kuns construction team has only twenty workers. They have various high-tech equipment, automated management, and operation with AI assistance. They can do the work of several traditional large construction teams and are continuously developing and applying new technology and equipment. But now, he suddenly has to reorganize a construction team of tens of thousands. His original workers have to train and take over, twenty people against tens of thousands. The difficulty is obvious. If its a team vs team scenario, his team of twenty or so, with sufficient equipment, could win by numerous methods, whether its a battle of wits or a physical fight. But to integrate the opponents skilled workers into the team is way more challenging. Thats why, for Xiang Kun, the best way to handle the Ultimate Predator is to let it disintegrate on its own. The ultra-massive high-dimensional factors which have accumulated would dissipate if need be, and concerning Xiang Kun, there is no problem of whether it should be considered a waste or not. His construction crew is not like those of other mutants. They no longer increase productivity by adding more people. The dimension of their development is already different. Yet if Xiang Kun proceeds to deal with the Ultimate Predator and personally destroy it, then, according to the nature of high-dimensional factors, they will certainly belong to him, merge with his consciousness, and connect with his original high-dimensional factors. This is inevitable. Although Xiang Kun has made up his mind to deal with the Ultimate Predator, right now he can only wait. Wait until its fully formed, wait until the properties of the High-Dimensional Factors have been fully expressed. Its not that Xiang Kun is overly concerned with martial ethics and unwilling to interrupt the formation process of the Ultimate Predator, rather its impossible to interrupt. This is the inherent characteristic of high-dimensional factors. No matter what he does at this moment, or how he manipulates the parts of the Ultimate predator that have already formed in the Antarctica, it would not affect its ultimate formation. It would only expose himself for no reason, attracting unnecessary attention. In mid-December, various weather abnormalities occurred more intensely and frequently. The giant black monster in the Antarctic had also slowly formed. It was unclear what it was, but judging from its movements, it seemed to be a sentient life form, causing even greater panic. All continents, countries, and regions worldwide were affected by abnormal weather. Whether it was remote wilderness or densely populated cities, whether it was land or ocean, mountains or plains, there were no exceptions. Superstorms, hail, heavy rain had all become commonplace, people slowly accustomed to the fear. In Twist City. Ye Zijun and her shooting assistant, Xiao Ding, were walking on the streets, filming materials for their video program. After their unique experiences in Australia, they had been quite frightened, and due to cooperating with the Australian police investigation, they had stayed for a considerable time. Luckily, with the help of some friends, they proved that the death of the young man had nothing to do with them, and they were the victims, which enabled them to return to their country smoothly. Actually, they had noticed that the Australian authorities seemed not to want to delve into the matters within the abandoned underground passage. They were reticent about the young mans real cause of death. Originally, after this incident, they had planned to rest for a while in China, edit the filmed materials, and complete the post-production of the first half. However, in early October, the entire Eastern Hemispheres temperature simultaneously showed a brief abnormal decrease. In mid-October, various abnormal weather phenomena appeared globally, and Western media began to publish various accusations against China. They blamed China for having too many cars and too much exhaust emissions, too many factories and too much pollution. They claimed that China should be responsible for the global abnormal weather, completely disregarding evidence and facts. They directly applied double standards, making wild accusations without any hesitation. Even wild statements like To protect the Earth, Chinese people should eat less meat emerged. Ye Zijun and Xiao Ding were angered. They thought of a topic, prepared to film some materials on the scene, make a video program, and slap them in their face using their own logic. Once this topic was reported to the media platform that Zhao Feng had introduced them to, it was immediately approved. The interview funds were allocated and they embarked on their journey across the Pacific Ocean. However, what they didnt expect was that shortly after their arrival in a foreign country, the monster in the Antarctica was discovered, and all the media and the publics attention were focused on it. And due to various unpredictable severe weather conditions, especially the rampant superstorms and lightning storms at sea, most trans-ocean flights were suspended, and they were temporarily stranded in Twist City. However, this allowed them to record various video materials during this special period, almost becoming the Twist City foreign correspondents for that media platform. Today, they were, as usual, filming on the streets. They contacted a few international student friends in Twist City, preparing to make a program talking about everyones different psychological and living conditions under the current situation. Normally, with Christmas approaching, the streets should be bustling and crowded. But the unexpected and fierce abnormal weather made everyone stay outdoors as little as possible, even cars were few and far between. Just when they had finished filming a street scene, and Ye Zijun and Xiao Ding were packing up their equipment getting ready to move to a prearranged coffee shop, a clear bell rang suddenly from the sky. Then another one. And another one. Everyone was stunned, looking up to the sky. The sky that they could see the sun just now was now covered with dark clouds. This kind of strange weather change had become something people had gotten used to during this period, but the bell sound made people feel uneasy. The bell kept sounding at a steady rhythm, as if it was coming directly from the sky, from within the dark clouds. It was broadcasted indiscriminately to everyones location; grand, magnificent, inexplicably inducing a sense of urgency, and a fear of impending judgement rose in their hearts. Chapter 630 - Chapter 630: Chapter 630: Striking from Barbie (Part 1) Chapter 630: Chapter 630: Striking from Barbie (Part 1) Dong! .Dong! .Dong!. The ringing bell-like sounds seemed to strike at the heart of each listener. As if it was awakening a sleeping giant, but no one knew where this giant originates from C the abyss, different dimension, the sky, or the depth of every individuals heart? All the people in Twisting City could hear the sound, no matter where they were, or what they were doing, they stopped their activities and began to search for the source of the sound. Bong! .Bong! .Bong!. The bell sound was still going on, and the drum sound began. Seeming like the footsteps of the giant approaching step by step, everyone had an image of a giant in their heart, but it was very vague and indistinguishable. Many people found that the bell and drum sounds seemed to emit from all electronic devices around them. Some from computer speakers, some from the airport broadcasts, some from the roadside TV speakers, and some from mobile phone speakers. But when they got closer to listen, they found that the sound was not emitting from there. Upon careful search, it seemed to come from the sky above and air around, as though the sound source was everywhere. However it sounded, it was unified and harmonious. Its not a sound from the real world! -This thought flashed across many peoples minds. More and more musical instruments joined in, and then a melodious female voice echoed. It didnt have any lyrics, only a gentle hum. Yet when it fell into everyones ears, it seemed like a spell summoning fear monsters and abyss demons, causing anxiety, fear, and panic. Some people found this humming tune quite familiar, like the extremely widely spread and extremely popular Super Princess or Sugar Princess from the internet that ranked high in the charts in many countries. Although both Ye Zijun and Xiao Ding could be considered as experienced, with the former witnessing the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion in Myitkyina, and the latter seeing the little girl in white in the unfinished building, moreover, they had just experienced the incident in Australia recently, they supposedly should be able to stay calm in any situation. But this situation it was truly hard to stay calm. It was not because there was any terrifying appearance, but this magnificent melody seemed to have the ability to amplify the sense of fear. Right from the first listen, they felt that something bad, something terrifying was about to happen. Ye Zijuns primary reaction was that the incident in Myitkyina might happen here too, and the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant might appear in Twisting City. But she quickly realized that the fear and panic she felt from the melody, it was different compared to Myitkyina. When seeing the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion in Myitkyina, the feeling of fear was from inside to outside, drawn from the depth of the soul, and from the life experience and all memories, slowly leading to a state of extracting from emotional impact, and watching ones life from Gods perspective. This was not only a conclusion drawn from her own experiences but was also a collective conclusion drawn from the interviews with many witnesses of the Myitkyina incident. However, the melody in the air now only brought about a specific, clear feeling of fear. Although they were afraid, they remained rationally calm. The melody only amplified some worries, but it didnt have that deep-rooted essence, so it was not the same. Ye Zijun believed another reason why it was different from the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion was that the surrounding electronic devices, their mobile phones, cameras, all kinds of recording equipment, were not affected and could still be used. This was different from the situation in Myitkyina. So Ye Zijun asked Xiao Ding to quickly turn on their recording equipment to record these sounds, to determine if they were real sounds. Seeing Xiao Dings hands constantly shaking, Ye Zijun glanced at the coffee shop behind them and suggested, Xiao Ding, if youre scared, go in first. Ill record. Xiao Ding took a deep breath, clenched and loosened her fists several times, and said, Sister, Im alright, I can hold on. This music is too mysterious, hearing it makes me feel as if some monsters are going to crawl out from the ground. Could this sound be related to that thing in Antarctica? It probably isnt As Ye Zijun spoke, she realized that compared to the two of them, the surrounding people were much more panicked. They were standing at the entrance of a coffee shop, and there were quite a few people standing around who came out from the coffee shop or other shops nearby. Even without communicating, they could clearly see fear and panic on their faces. Some of them clenched their hands, eyes closed, muttering quietly as if in prayer; Some hugged their companion next to them, trembling all over, softly sobbing, too scared to look up; Some anxiously dialed a number, apparently contacting their family, asking about their safety; Some ran onto the street, running wildly on the road, shouting words like End of the world, Destruction, Trial, appearing to be crazed; Most people, though, were unconsciously looking up at the sky. It was unclear whether it was because they couldnt find the source of the sound in the sky while outdoors or because they anticipated something was about to happen in the sky. The sky was filled with dark clouds, the thunder nuzzling inside the cloud layers, indicating an approaching storm. However, such weather no longer baffles people all over the world. Currently, the public would not even be surprised if destructive lightning storms were to suddenly manifest. But, unlike in the past when people would immediately seek sanctuary indoors at the first signs of changing weather, everyone now felt compelled to step outside. Those in high-rise buildings also flocked to the windows, as if in search of the source of the sound, drawn by an undefined allure. Ye Zijun, holding Xiao Dings hand, took over her equipment and checked the footage they had recorded. It appeared that although the equipment was working correctly, she found no trace of the footage they had just filmed, as though she never even pressed the record button. If this were before, she mightve assumed that there was a fault in their equipment. But now, having experienced so much the first thing she thought of was, could this sound be an illusion too? Ye Zijun noticed Xiao Dings rapid breathing and cold sweat on her forehead. She realized that Xiao Ding, like everyone else, seemed to grow more terrified as the melody progressed. Fear was accumulating, intensifying? Was she the exception? Why was she the exception? Could it be because she had seen the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant illusion in Myitkyina? Just as this thought arose, the caf lights behind her flickered and then went out completely after a few flashes. At the same time, the screen of the camera in her hands went dark. A man making a phone call nearby had his signal interrupted and started cursing, only to be interrupted as he subconsciously walked out from beneath the parasol to look up into the sky. In the next moment, there were screams of surprise around her. Then, those screams echoed throughout the city, simultaneously starting everywhere. Like the people around her, Ye Zijun felt an inclination, and while moving closer to the center of the street, she lifted her head to stare at the sky, hoping for a better view. The cars on the road had all come to a halt, some drivers were craning their necks upwards while others stepped out of their vehicles. The majority of residents in the nearby high-rises were also huddled by the windows, gawking at the scene outside. Around the city, giants, hundreds of feet tall, appeared out of thin air, each with eight arms. Their bodies shrouded in a thick black fog, obscuring the details, one could only make out eight glaring red eyes in their heads. Its the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant illusion! It really is the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant illusion! Ye Zijun felt a thrill of excitement, but she soon realized this event was quite different from Myitkyina. The Eight-armed, eight-eyed giants seemed much smaller this time, and multiple entities appeared simultaneously. She couldnt make out the details of each giant, as if due to budget cuts in a special effects production. She also noticed that when the giants appeared, she didnt feel the spine-chilling terror she experienced in Myitkyina. Furthermore, the fear and tension she felt from the celestial melody all but disappeared. Seeing the Eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion, she unexpectedly felt a sense of relief and peace. Even a sense of familiarity as if meeting an old acquaintance in a foreign place?! She thought she was an exception as her fear didnt paralyze her like the others. But when she looked at Xiao Ding and the others around her, she realised their faces no longer held any traces of terror, replaced by awe. Did these not resemble the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant from Myitkyina? Ye Zijun noticed that the celestial melody was still being played but it felt different. It was no longer oppressive and heavy like before with the sense of impending calamity, instead, it felt encouraging, lofty, with a hint of tragic fearlessness. Suddenly, cheers erupted amongst the crowd, wave after wave of rejoicing swept through, echoing harmoniously with the celestial melody, almost like a communal chorus. Ye Zijun looked up to see the thick black fog around the numerous Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant illusions in the city dissipating, revealing their full details to the people. As she watched an Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant passing closely by a skyscraper, she also felt a tingling sensation on her scalp. But it wasnt out of fear, but amazement. Because that Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giantlooked like Ultraman! Although it had eight big salted egg eyes and eight arms, it looked exactly like Ultraman. In the distance, there was an Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Superman draped in a fluttering red cape and dressed in tight blue clothing and red shorts. There was an Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Batman wearing a mask and black cape. What was going on? Were these eight-armed, eight-eyed giants cosplaying? For a moment, Ye Zijuns thoughts jumbled, but under the influence of the celestial melody, she seemed immersed in the sentiments of the people around her, feeling invigorated and excited. Although the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giants hadnt shown any substantive intentions or spoken a word, only silently walking towards the sea, everyone had a virtually instinctual notion: These eight-armed, eight-eyed giants were going to face the monster in Antarctica. They were here to put an end to this end-of-the-world phenomenon! After who knows how long, a heavy rain splashed down, jolting some people standing in the middle of the road back to reality, who then rushed back into their cars or buildings to escape the rain. The eight-armed, eight-eyed giants had already disappeared without a trace, and the damage they had initially caused to the ground and buildings while walking had also been completely restored. Thus, everyone quickly realized that those eight-armed, eight-eyed giants were merely illusions. Given the previous spectacle of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion in Myitkyina in March, this wasnt too difficult for people to accept. With the disappearance of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion, the celestial music that lacked a discernible source also vanished. Ye Zijun and Xiao Ding packed up their recording equipment and followed the crowd into the caf. At this point, the electric lights and various electronic devices had resumed functioning, and the caf was bubbling with conversation. Everyone was fervently discussing the just-occurred eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion, creating quite a lively atmosphere. With her keen senses, Ye Zijun found that these people had lost the fear and tension that had been influenced by the celestial music before the appearance of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion. After buying coffee and some snacks and finding a seat, Ye Zijun first carefully asked Xiao Ding about her feelings. Although she herself was a witness and had observed the entire process of the celestial music playing, the eight-armed illusion appearing, and the heavy rain clearing her mind, she had now realized that her experience could be unique. Her feelings might be different from those of others. This uniqueness could stem from her previous experience in Myitkyina and her exposure to the influence of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion. Sure enough, after questioning Xiao Ding, Ye Zijun was more certain that her feelings were unlike Xiao Dings. Not only was Xiao Ding more terrified when the celestial music first started playing than she was, but her reaction to the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion was also somewhat different from Ye Zijuns. The moment Xiao Ding saw the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion, she felt a total relaxation, and a sense that the giant illusion was somehow related to her. Later, as the celestial music shifted and her mood became excited, she felt that the eight-armed, eight-eyed giants, which were shedding off their obscurant mist, becoming more detailed, and seemingly donning various COS costumes, seemed to be preparing to fight on her behalf against the monster in Antarctica. Now that both the celestial music and the illusion had vanished, Xiao Ding felt much more relaxed. She felt as if she had been working with a load of ten and a half kilograms on her back, which shes now finally discarded. Her breathing also became much smoother. She had been continuously concerned about the increasingly large monster in Antarctica and had been watching related news reports and expert analysis online. She believed that it seemed like doomsday for humanity was imminent and was terribly pessimistic, even a bit desperate. In addition to being stuck unable to return to her country and having to endure the relentless and arguably bizarre weather, she had often visualized some unfavorable outcomes. Hence, when the celestial music first started playing, she was so scared, as the pent-up fear of the recent past had surfaced. However, after what just happened, it seemed as if all her fears had been released. Although it was still raining heavily outside with frequent lightning and thunder, reminiscent of an apocalyptic scene, and the news on television was still reporting about the monstrous enlargement of the Antarctic monster, the potential changes in Antarctica, and the possible impacts of such changes, she was no longer afraid, no longer desperate, and no longer pessimistic. Not just her, the other people in the caf who were animatedly discussing the recent eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion and the celestial melody were the same; their faces no longer showed signs of fear. Sister, when you saw the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant in Myitkyina, did it feel like this? Now I understand, why when we interviewed those who witnessed the Myitkyina event, when they talk about their encounter with the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant, why their expressions are a mixture of some fear and some longing. Xiao Ding said, somewhat wistfully. Ye Zijun shook her head gently and said, No, its not quite the same. She organized her thoughts before continuing, The eight-armed, eight-eyed illusion in Myitkyina, its only after you see it that it stirs your own fear. It catches you right in the deepest part of your psyche, a fear that you might not usually be aware of. When the illusion disappears, this fear enables you to see yourself more clearly, like seeing the sun after the clouds have parted. But that eight-armed, eight-eyed illusion we just saw, based on my own experience and your description, doesnt evoke fear, instead it amplifies it, and then temporarily takes the fear away That giant illusion, it feels like a collection of our fears, its appearance is to collect fear. Xiao Ding seemed somewhat stunned by Ye Zijuns words, but based on the description, it did seem accurate. However, this made her even more curious about the kind of sensation the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion in Myitkyina could induce in those who saw it. The two of them discussed it, and then randomly interviewed some people in the cafe. Based on their descriptions, their experiences were indeed similar to Xiao Dings, further validating Ye Zijuns speculation. When they finished the interview and were checking their recorded footage on the laptop in the coffee shop, Xiao Ding suddenly said, Sister, look at the internet. Not only in Twistwaist, but domestically and all over the world, others also saw that giant illusion, everyone is seeing it! Ye Zijun crowded close to see the numerous trending posts on the social media platforms that Xiao Ding had found. At the same time that the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion was witnessed in Twistwaist, along with the divine melody, similar occurrences had happened all over the world. There was the same fear-inducing divine melody, the same appearance of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion, the melody then transformed into an uplifting tune, the same terrible weather finally gave in to the illusion. All who experienced it shared the same sense of relief, of greater enthusiasm, a sense that their own incarnations were heading for a final showdown in Antarctica, a clear feeling of an impending end to this apocalyptic atmosphere. The only difference was the form and appearance of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion that appeared in different places. Twistwaist had Marvel and DC superheroes outfits, Japanese illusions typically had Ultraman and various other Japanese anime character appearances. In China, there were fearless military generals adorned in ancient armor, and even those dressed in uniforms with large hats. And this type of appearance of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant was found in the most numerous regions and had the biggest form. Though there were no actual photos or videos recorded, the fact that the phenomenon happened simultaneously in so many parts of the world, and that so many people experienced it first-hand, witnessed it in its entirety, and distinctly felt it, presented no barrier to their online discussions, and everyone was able to empathize with each other. Moreover, many soul painters sketched out images of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion they witnessed, and a substantial number of netizens spontaneously started keeping a tally of the different appearances of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant, establishing various temporary online communities for sharing their experiences. This magical phenomenon rebooted a human society that had been severely oppressed by the Antarctic monster and the harsh weather, making it active and dynamic once again. Sister, those eight-armed, eight-eyed giants were they just illusions, or will they really will they really confront the monster in Antarctica? Xiao Ding asked, seeming somewhat unsure. Upon seeing the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusions, this idea naturally sprung to everyones mind, but with the dissipation of the illusions and the calming of their emotions, Xiao Ding seemed somewhat uncertain. However, instead of addressing her question, Ye Zijun murmured, I dont know why, but it makes me think of those people who saved us in that underground tunnel back in Australia. They knew that at least three people had helped them in the underground tunnel, as they had heard three different voicestwo adult men and one little girl. But from start to finish, they had only seen what the little girl looked like. Xiao Ding was a little taken aback and asked, Sis, do you think the Eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion was created by them? I dont know I just suddenly thought of them. I think there might always be another world that we ordinary people dont understand and cant understand. And now, this world is swiftly coming to the forefront. Xiao Ding, our world its probably going to change a lot. Ye Zijun said. Sis, what you just said is kind of exciting for me. When the time comes, we might have countless topics for our videos! Hmm, provided the world doesnt get destroyed, and we dont die. A little earlier, in a multimedia classroom in a university in Pancity. Li Yang, who had just finished his class, picked up his stuff and walked out the room while looking at the gloomy and dark sky. He sighed, picked up his phone, and dialed his daughter, Xiao Pingguos number. Xiao Pingguo, Pancity looks like its going to have a heavy rain again, hows Peng City? Li Yang asked with some worry. In the past, all it took was to look at a weather app to see the weather in Peng City. But in the present, no weather app can accurately predict the weather, not even the most reliable ones. Previously, Xiao Pingguo had been living in Chongyun Village with her Sister Nana, and Sister Bing. They later all went to Peng City together. They originally planned to return to Pancity in early November but didnt anticipate the sudden appearance of bizarre global weather phenomena. Due to the swift changes in the weather that could not be forecasted effectively, most international and domestic flights have been grounded, with only a handful remaining operational. They thought of waiting until the situation got better before returning home to avoid being trapped in the airport or on the way to the airport due to bad weather, which would be troublesome for Xiao Pingguo. However, instead of getting better, the situation turned for the worse, making it even less suitable for Xiao Pingguo to return. Were doing fine over here! Xiao Pingguo replied. Dad, if you are going home, take care on the road, and watch out for sudden drops in temperature, icy conditions, and hailstorms. Hmm, dont worry, now that you are not home, I am living in the dormitory near the school. Its very close to the teaching area C just a few steps away. If I need to go home on weekends, I will ask your uncle to drive me. Li Yang said, How are you doing in Peng City? How are your Nana, Bing, and Zhener sisters? What about Xiao Lingdang? She surely cant go to kindergarten now, can she? Sister Bing is always in Chongyun Village because she has things to attend to. Xiao Lingdang started school, but her school couldnt hold classes, so shes attending online classes at home haha. Nana and Zhener sisters are also working from home, and when were free, we play games and cook together, its really fun. Xiao Pingguo sounded very cheerful, Dad, Ive learned how to cook three dishes, Ill cook them for you when I get back! Li Yang felt somewhat emotional, and was somewhat relieved that Xiao Pingguo didnt come back in early November. Having Tang Baona, Yang Zhenr, and Xiao Lingdang with her in Peng City was indeed different. Because of the monster in Antarctica and the abnormal weather changes, everyone around him, from his colleagues to his friends to his students, was depressed and anxious. Even he himself, after going though lots of related material, knowing that several large countries have tried in various ways to deploy investigators and research equipment to Antarctica but have all failed without exception, and are even considering the use of nuclear weapons to restrict the growth of the black creature, instinctively judged that humans should be incapable of restraining that black creature, which made him very pessimistic about the future of the human race. In comparison, Xiao Pingguo was faring much better. Apparently, she was having a great time in Peng City, completely unaffected by the bad weather and apocalyptic statements. By the way, hows Uncle Xiang? Still on business? Has he been stranded somewhere else? Li Yang asked with some worry. Ever since Xiao Pingguo met Xiang Kun, she has undergone many positive changes. Some of these changes were completely inexplicable to him, but they were positive changes nonetheless. Now, Xiao Pingguo didnt even need her walking stick anymore, she was able to walk and move about freely. Many strangers couldnt tell that she was blind. Also, the reason Pingguo got to know Tang Baorong, Yang Zhen, and Xia Bing and was taken care of by them, was all because of Xiang Kun. So Li Yang was extremely grateful to Xiang Kun. Yes, Uncle Xiang is still on a business trip, and it doesnt look like hell be back anytime soon. Dad, you dont have to worry about Uncle Xiang, hell be fine! Xiao Pingguo said confidently. The birthday gift Uncle Xiang gave you whats the name of that the glasses? How are they working out? Can they really help you recover your sight? Li Yang asked, both eagerly and worriedly. Not long ago, Xiang Kun had given Xiao Pingguo something like a pair of ultra-thin VR glasses, claiming that it could help her recover her eyesight. Li Yang was very skeptical about this. He had always kept up with the latest medical information and was familiar with all sorts of technologies and plans for treating perpetual night blindness. He had never heard of any method that allowed for a recovery of sight simply by wearing a device, without the need for surgery. If anyone else had sent this kind of thing, he would have definitely branded them a fraudster, meted out a beating before calling the police, and had Li Sheng interrogate them. But the words came from Xiang Kun, and the device was given by Xiang Kun. Despite his doubts, he couldnt refuse. Because he was certain that Xiang Kun would never harm Xiao Pingguo, and the past had proved that Xiang Kun was indeed a man capable of creating miracles. It really works! Dad, I can now see a bit of light, and I can also see a bit of the outlines of things around me. Uncle Bald ah, no, Uncle Xiang said around February or March of next year, I should be able to discern some colors using the device, and perhaps by the end of next year, I might be able to see you with my own eyes! Xiao Pingguo spoke in an elated tone. Hearing this, though still somewhat skeptical, Li Yang was very excited. Just as he was about to say something, Xiao Pingguo on the other line suddenly gave an Oh, and then hurriedly said, Dad, lets hang up for now, something is about to happen soon, but dont panic, it wont take long! Looking at his phone that had ended the call, Li Yang was somewhat confused. What did she mean by something is about to happen? And why did she tell him not to panic? Doesnt Xiao Pingguo know that hes not the kind to be easily frightened or get flustered? As he was pondering, a clear bell sound resonated through the sky and echoed around. Not only Li Yang, but everyone else also looked up and glanced around, trying to find the source of the sound. Li Yangs heart pounded, and he felt a bit panicky, recalling some of the possibilities he had been worrying about for some time. But then he remembered the words his daughter had just said, Dont panic, itll be over soon. Did Xiao Pingguo know what was about to happen?! Chapter 631 - Chapter 631: Chapter 631: Striking from Barbie (Part 2) Chapter 631: Chapter 631: Striking from Barbie (Part 2) At the time when various illusions of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant were appearing all around the world, the temporary agencies that some countries had specifically set up to deal with the Antarctica Crisis noticed through satellite imagery that the monsters expansion rate on Antarctica began to accelerate dramatically. As the black matter grotesquely congealed and expanded in every direction, the temperature in Antarctica also experienced drastic changes. It first dropped significantly and then rapidly rose again, with the heat source identified as the area beneath the monster that was covering most of the glaciers. If this trend continues, Antarcticas glaciers and ice cap will begin to melt rapidly, exerting an enormous impact on coastal areas and global climates. Although the scope of the black monster is expanding rapidly, reaching hundreds of thousands of square kilometers so far. Compared to the surface area of over ten million square kilometers that Antarctica spans, there is still a long way to go before it??s equal. It is unquestionable that control at such a scale already creates regional effects. The impact of an event of such scale on Antarctica would inevitably bring global consequences. Moreover, to date, no one knows exactly what the black monster is, how it appeared, what its intentions are, how big it will become, what kind of effects it might have on Earths ecosystem, or what kind of damage it might cause to the human habitat. All attempts to approach Antarctica have been proven unfeasible. Regardless if by ship or aircraft, they lose control as soon as they enter a certain region. This makes it utterly impossible to collect samples for research, leaving only remote methods such as optical image data and the analysis of changes in the composition of the surrounding seawater and air. The lack of reliable information makes preparing for the worst the only option. While the high-level members of the Antarctic Crisis Response Departments of numerous countries were conducting an emergency online conference to discuss how to handle the pressing situation, they received news that after countless illusions of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant appeared and affected a large number of people globally, a large number of objects resembling ball-shaped lightning began converging on the Pacific Oceans center from those areas. Its evident that these objects resembling ball-shaped lightning are connected to the illusions of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant that had appeared in various places around the world, and that their convergence towards the center of the Pacific Ocean is not a coincidence. Despite some of these places being coastal, these objects still traverse entire continents to reach the Pacific. The altitude of these objects when in flight is over three thousand meters, and although their speed varies, even at their slowest, they are still moving at over 250 kilometers per hour. Therefore, while the publics attention is fixated on the illusions of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant, the high-ranking officials of each country are trained on the cluster of ball-shaped lightning objects in the center of the Pacific Ocean. Almost every countrys representative is privately contacting the person in charge on Chinas side to inquire about more information regarding the ball-shaped lightning objects. This is because China had issued a danger warning two days ago regarding the South Pacific Ocean area. That area is located between the central Pacific, where the ball-shaped lightning objects are converging, and Antarctica. Undoubtedly, China knows something. Pengcheng City. Inside the secret data center located beneath Brilliant Fortune Building, where Mr. Liang resides. He has just completed his online meeting with Senior Leader and Old He. They currently are watching the news while discussing the same issues they had addressed in their meeting. Those unidentified flying objects converging towards the Pacific Ocean center, theyre Xiang Kuns doing, arent they? Old He asked. The illusion of the eight-armed, eight-eyed Giant definitely has something to do with him, the unidentified flying objects were launched from the locations where the Giants illusions appeared. Mr. Liang, who appeared to be a typical young man, was seated at a bar counter that was recently added to the underground data center. While pouring tea for Old He, he responded, Didnt you meet Xiang Kun a couple of days ago? Didnt he tell you then? Old He shook his head: He only mentioned that he would start dealing with the Ultimate Predator today. But as for details about how he would do it, those he did not mention. He merely instructed me to alert our military to avoid a narrow strip of ocean between the South Pacific and Antarctica. He said that in one day, or at most three, the Antarctica Crisis could be resolved, the Ultimate Predator completely dealt with. That area had plenty of ships before. Its easy for us to handle our countrys ships, but what about those from other countries? Will they all obediently clear the area? Mr. Liang said. Old He took a sip of his tea, savored it, and slowly responded: Once we have disseminated the relevant warning messages to all countries and all ships possibly passing through the area, whether they heed the warning or not isnt up to us. After all, we cant determine for certain exactly what will happen. If some country is willing to risk it and challenge us, we dont have a way around that, right? Mr. Liang looked at Old He. Old He looked at Mr. Liang. After staring at each other for a couple of seconds, both of them started laughing. After a while, Old He asked, Ah Liang, what do you thinkwhat are the odds for Xiang Kun this time? Mr. Liang smiled and replied, Hes obviously 100% certain, is this even debatable? Old He, during the online meeting earlier, didnt you assure the leader that things were under control? Why are you questioning it now? An exasperated Old He responded, Could I have said otherwise? Its not like you dont understand, considering the current situation. This isnt merely a matter of one country or regions safety, but potentially the survival of all humanity. Since Xiang Kun refuses to show himself, if I didnt take responsibility and vouch for the situation, how could I make others feel at ease? In order to avoid a strategic miscalculation by the government, Xiang Kun had informed Old He to report some rough details to high-ranking officials at the beginning of November, promising that he would handle the matter. And a few days ago, when it was determined that the body of the Ultimate Predator at Antarctica was almost fully formed, Xiang Kun again notified them and gave instructions on some things to be cautious about presently and in the future. The senior leader naturally hoped to directly contact Xiang Kun to clarify the situation but Xiang Kun was not willing to surface. He stated that Mr. Liang had his full authorization to deal with the situation. Mr. Liang, who himself was somewhat socially anxious, delegated full authority to Old He. They couldnt force a direct conversation with the elusive Xiang Kun since they were all relying on him to save the world. As Mr. Liang was easy to find and had resumed his human form, not being as terrifying as before, he was dragged by Old He to report to the senior leader in the recent period. Fortunately, the senior leader was a reasonable person. After several interactions, Mr. Liang became more accustomed to it. Relax, Xiang Kun told me before that the Ultimate Predator, which was barely hanging on, has now decided to take its own life by completely materializing at Antarctica. Theres no difficulty in dealing with the Ultimate Predator; the only thing that needs to be considered is how to deal with it in a way that minimizes the impact on the ecosystem and the Earths environment, as well as the phase transition issues that will arise after its extermination, Mr. Liang said. Old He nodded: You have a lot of confidence in Xiang Kun. Dont you? Mr. Liang responded with a smile, If you had seen him in action, you would have as much faith in him as I do. Was the lightning storm in the outlying areas last week terrifying? Xiang Kun can effortlessly create a lightning storm ten times as strong. Now think about those things converging towards the Pacific Ocean center and the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion that we just saw in Pengcheng. When the Giants illusion appeared worldwide some time ago, Mr. Liang and Old He had gone outside to see it for themselves; they too saw the Giants illusion in their own ways. Were fortunate to have him on our side, Old He sighed. Actually, up to now, he still doesnt have a specific, systemic understanding of Xiang Kuns abilities. But he had immense trust in Mr. Liang, and given Mr. Liangs almost fanatical admiration for Xiang Kuns abilities, he felt confident enough to vouch for him. Yeah, were lucky, Mr. Liang smiled. They could sit here now and have idle chats, anxiously waiting for the Antarctic crisis to be resolved. For some time, they had not experienced the fear of the apocalypse typical to ordinary people. All of that stemmed from their understanding of Xiang Kuns abilities. Xiang Kun had already connected to the Super sensory Item System through Xiao Luobo, and had even found a way to expand his own abilities to some extent through the Super sensory Item System. Even though his understanding of Xiang Kuns powers was only the tip of the iceberg, gleaned from the hunting trip a few months ago, Mr. Liang was sure that Xiang Kuns strength far exceeded that of an ordinary mutant. Even the Ultimate Predator, no matter how much it struggled or created a stir in Antarctica after being stripped of its powerful widespread specific factor, would not pose a real threat to Xiang Kun. However, Mr. Liang was not entirely complacent and at ease. He was not worried about Xiang Kuns battle with the Ultimate Predator. But as Xiang Kun said earlier, resolving the Ultimate Predator was the easy part; the interim transformation that would follow was the real trouble. Being a mutant himself, he had undergone many interim transformations. He knew clearly that whenever a mutant underwent an interim transformation, it was at its most vulnerable and defenseless. Xiang Kun was now in the process of absorbing the Ultimate Predator, a much larger entity than himself. The gap was too wide, and the transformation would require a lot of time. The chance of him losing control was not out of the realm of possibilities. If Xiang Kun lost control On the other hand, if he stayed in his current dormant state, would he be attacked by other mutants or people with ulterior motives? Knowing that Xiang Kun was leaving for Antarctica to deal with the Ultimate Predator personally, Mr. Liang proposed these concerns and asked if he could provide some support personnel to stand guard during the transformation. However, Xiang Kun assured him it was unnecessary. He didnt elaborate further on whether he would handle it himself or if he had found a safe place for the transformation. He simply said, All trouble comes from within, there are no external threats. But considering Xiang Kuns past arrangements, he was prepared for a long period of dormancy without revival. Ah Liang, go home once the situation in Antarctica is settled, Old He suddenly said. Mr. Liang was startled, then nodded, saying, I understand. Old He took another sip of tea and slowly said, Once the matter in Antarctica is resolved, it will be our turn to get busy. Isnt Miss Xia and Dr. Fang there? They are more proficient in research, he replied. They need rest, but you dont, Old He quipped. Mr. Liang was taken aback, pointing at Old He and laughing, Well said, well said. On the eastern coast of a city. Due to a recent surge in sea levels, the coastal residents had been evacuated to higher ground. The flooding wasnt very severe; it merely hid the beaches and submerged the coastal roads, reaching the levels usually seen during low tide. However, considering the increasingly harsh weather and the deteriorating situation in Antarctica, the residents were relocated for safety and would return once the situation improved. In a normal scenario, the area would be deserted. But, defying logic, a few people were filming on the top floor of a famous resort near the coastline. Just now, we saw those eight-armed, eight-eyed giants in the city center; they seem to be heading towards the sea. Were at the seaside now, which means if theyre real, we should be able to see their gigantic footprints a girl in a raincoat was giving a commentary on a rooftop, instructing the cameraman to adjust the lens towards the sea. They were not TV reporters C they were independent journalists. What kind of content was hot right now? Of course, the Antarctic monster was first in line, followed by videos and analytics on severe weather. They didnt have the resources to get firsthand information on the former, and there were too many people covering the latter. When the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion appeared around the world today, they saw an opportunity and arrived here stealthily in the storm to shoot footage. Hows it looking over there?, she asked the cameraman. Say more, there is not enough content Wait, is that a person over there? The cameraman walked a few steps and aimed the lens in another direction. A person? Let me see! It looks like it! Just as she thought of how to integrate the man who appeared in the heavy storm into her video, the man seemed to look back at them. Next, he raised his hand and struck a peculiar pose. The next moment, a bolt of lightning struck the ground. Chapter 632 - Chapter 632: Chapter 632: Striking from Barbie (Part 3) Chapter 632: Chapter 632: Striking from Barbie (Part 3) The photographer had just noticed someone standing on the edge of the road, at the fringes of the crashing waves, amidst the raging storm. As he swiveled his camera lens to capture the scene, he saw the figure raise its right hand. His initial thought was, Is this guy trying to wave at us? But then he questioned how that person, at such a distance, would suddenly notice them? It was normal for them to see that lone figure standing unobstructed by the road, but they were on this rooftop and not so easy to spot. The next instant, bright lightning ripped through the sky and struck the figure, producing an incredibly bright flash of light. Damn it! exclaimed the photographer, almost dropping his camera. Oh my God! The female host beside him was also greatly startled, stepping back several paces. However, the lightning didnt stop, one bolt following another C all concentrated around that figure. He must have been fried to a crisp, noted the photographer instinctively. The hostess muttered, What on earth did he do to deserve this? Of course, their voices were drowned out by the sounds of the storm, and despite being so close, they couldnt hear each other. What happened next was beyond anything they could have imagined, and even challenged their understanding of the world. The man standing in the middle of the lightning storm, who had clearly been struck by the first bolt, was not reduced to ashes. He firmly stood his ground, streaks of lightning longer than his body reaching from his head to the ground like whipping tails. Then he began to fly! The hostess and the photographer both instinctively dropped their jaws, staring dumbfoundedly at the man with hair glowing like electric light. Encircled by a halo of white light at the heart of the storm, he shot up into the sky. As he ascended, the light streaming from his head grew brighter, transforming him into the likeness of a rising sun, breaking through the thick clouds of the storm. He vanished into the network of flashing electric light. Long after Electric Light Flying Man had disappeared, the hostess and the photographer still found themselves gaping at the sky, oblivious to the rain falling into their mouths and onto their faces. It took a while before the hostess snapped back into reality, and she exclaimed, Did you catch that on camera? Did you get it?! Were going to be famous! Super famous! Got it, got it! I was filming the whole time! The photographer quickly checked the footage, confident that he had captured the events on film. Ive already thought of our title for this episode, The Man Who Flew in a Thunderstorm! Is He the Secret Puppeteer behind these Apocalyptic Scenes, or a Superhero coming to Save the World? Hows that? Once we get back, Ill contact our website operator. If they dont give us more bandwidth, well quit! This video can definitely go viral While the hostess was still talking excitedly, she noticed that the photographer, who was reviewing the video footage, had a stiff expression on his face. She leaned closer to take a look. Whats wrong? But I definitely filmed it Everything was fine earlier, but when it comes to that part, the footageits gone The hostess was devastated, on the verge of tears. Meanwhile, the photographer was deep in thought, squinted his eyes, and gazed at the sky. The previously taken footage in his camera was fine, but everything after the appearance of that man was gone. This was clearly not due to his operational error or simple equipment malfunction. Naturally, the Electric Light Flying Man who shot up into the sky was Xiang Kun. He had been waiting here all along for the worldwide manifestation of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant Illusion. He knew that the colossal figure forming in Antarctica, dubbed the Ultimate Predator, as well as the violent global weather changes, would inevitably cause panic in human societies, which would be hard to fully control. So at this time, as the Ultimate Predator was about to fully form, Xiang Kun planned to use this widespread fear to his advantage. Yes, the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant Illusion that appeared worldwide in various forms was not a mere projection of the fears associated with the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving. Instead, it was a large-scale fear projection created by using the fear associated with the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving as a framework and leveraging the vast amount of Super-connected Object Matrix dispersed in human settlements, thereby bolstering his own plans. High-Dimensional Factors can be directly influenced by consciousness, and emotions can unify different consciousnesses. In Myitkyina, Xiang Kun had discovered that the collective fear emotions amplified the fear projection of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving. The fear projection is like a sailboat, and the fear emotions are like flowing water or a gust of wind, enabling the boat to sail faster. With Xiang Kuns further development of the Super Sensory Item System and deeper understanding of Super Sensory Information, and with better establishment and connection of Super-connected Objects all over the world, he has discovered another way of constructing emotional projection. It involves using existing Emotion Infused Object projection as a framework to contain more similar content. This way, Xiang Kun could exert a larger scale of influence with less effort. To achieve this, Xiang Kun had made extensive preparations, including asking Tang Baona to create a special song, with both a Fear-Increasing Version and an Inspiring Version. Then, Alice would accurately distribute this song worldwide. The song spread by Alice was not merely playing music through all noise-emitting electronic devices. Instead, it was a full range of sonic influence throughout the entire region. As long as there were enough super-connected objects there, Nanas Fear/Inspiring March could resound directly through vibrations in the air, deeply disturbing emotions and intensifying the anxiety and fear brought about by the weather, the Antarctic monster, and other incidents. Once the collective emotions reached a certain level, these emotions would be integrated into the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving projection framework created by Alice via the Super Sensory Item System for filling. Then, after the filling process was almost finished, a transformation to uplifting emotions occurred. This is why every places Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant Illusion has different external features despite having the same basic form. These are different projections of the rescue image from different groups of people in each region. This is a new application of the Super Sensory Item System, and it is Xiang Kuns first implementation. However, he didnt go to these great lengths merely to conduct an experiment or to dispel the worlds fear and uplift its spirits. Instead, it was to leverage the enormous emotional projection brought about by collective emotions to mass-produce many Super Coins. The class-spherical lightning moving at high speed from various parts of the world towards the central Pacific, as monitored by various countries, were, in fact, Super Coins that had been co-manifested. These objects were much more real than those co-manifested by Old Xia and were able to bear more characteristics of Super-connected Object. They are actual entities embedded in this real world. Xiang Kun sought to obliterate the Ultimate Predator itself as quickly as possible, aiming to minimize the impact of the battle on Earths ecology. To do that, he had to strike precisely but decisively, like a bolt of lightning. These Super Coins were what Xiang Kun thought to be the most suitable tool or weapon. However, the number of Super Coins he could co-manifest within a certain area by himself was limited and would cause a great disturbance, a considerable impact. If he attempted to aggregate a vast amount of Super-connected Objects within a small space to aid him in co-manifesting a substantial amount of Super Coins, it might end up damaging the Earth before the Ultimate Predator has a chance. Thus, he and Alice came up with a plan utilizing the Super Sensory Item System for a global distributed co-manifestation. The emotional projections were necessary catalysts to help consolidate all Super-connected Objects for co-manifestation. Only in this way could he use Super-connected Objects to summon a sufficient number of Super Coins for Xiang Kun all at once. As people were entranced by the violent changes in their emotions and their attention was attracted by the Eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion, the violent reactions and bizarre phenomena that happened during the co-manifestation of Super Coins were obscured by the harsh weather and did not draw too much attention. To ensure that the Super Coins could successfully converge on the Pacific Ocean, Xiang Kun and Alice made meticulous preparations. The inland areas were easier. A large number of Super-connected Objects were deployed in most human habitation zones. Assisted by Xiao Luobo, they could directly form a pathway to facilitate the flight of Super Coins. However, the sea needed careful arrangement. They calculated a flight route and two months in advance, buried and deployed the Super-connected Objects to ensure an ocean-crossing routes existence. Though Xiang Kuns Super-connected Objects could not cover the vast ocean entirely, they could still create a few narrow sea routes in the short term to provide launch points and coordinates for the Super Coins. To accomplish this, Xiang Kun even used Super-connected Objects to influence a fish community, endowing it with community characteristics similar to 001 and 002 that could assist Alice in associating and deploying super-connected objects. Now, flying high above, Xiang Kun clearly sensed the positions and flight directions of thousands of Super Coins. Gazing at the clouds and the ocean beneath him, he felt surprisingly calm rather than the anticipated exhilaration and excitement. From the moment he first acquired the power of Electric Mastery Flight, Xiang Kun had more than once fantasized about standing on thunderclouds, controlling lightning, and making long-distance flights, soaring freely in the high sky. But due to the stringent conditions of Electric Mastery Flight, even when he later was able to fly, he basically could not fly for too long or too far. His flight range was extremely limited. Even when he got technical assists from Mr. Liang later on, who could fully equip him with an auxiliary flight apparatus, Xiang Kun was still obsessed with the idea of taking a long-distance, high-altitude flight directly using pure Electric Mastery Flight. Flying encapsulated by an aircraft is one kind of experience, being assisted by an aircraft to fly is another kind of experience, but flying without external devices or assistances and relying solely on ones power is yet another kind of experience. This time, taking advantage of the global weather effect created by the Ultimate Predator, Xiang Kun and Alice cleverly constructed a storm passage that allowed him and the Super Coins to have an air route directly to the Central Pacific. He always thought that he would be ecstatic to make such a long-distance flight. Yet, unexpectedly, as he was truly flying over the boundless sea and the clouds, he felt incredibly calm with a sense of thats just it or its nothing special. Then he subconsciously began to analyze his mindset, wishing he could discuss it with Old Xia. His mind then drifted to the scenes from a few days ago when he was briefing Old Xia and Nana about everything and making their last meal, the image of chatting with his parents at the dining table, and the formidable Great Wizard picture Little Fatty Girl drew for him. He realized that he was somewhat unable to let go or rather, was somewhat reluctant to part with the time spent with them. Xiang Kun couldnt help but chuckle, thinking that he was being a bit melodramatic. Its not like he wont come back again. It is simply a phase transition that will take some time. But, according to both his and Alices calculations, this time wouldnt be too long. At best, it would take a few months, a year or two at most, and it definitely wouldnt exceed three years. He should be able to return soon. Xiang Kun couldnt resist going over all the details he had previously theorized with Alice in his mind again. After assuring there were no issues, he activated all the Super-Connected Objects he was carrying with him, accelerating his flight speed. Over the sea, one could see an immense grey storm linking heaven and earth, moving forward at extremely high speed, like a living beast. And within this grey storm, an increasingly bright entity, flying at meteor-like speed, was driving the whole storm forward. It looked like the eye of the beast, exuding a fierce, fearless aura. From other directions, spherical objects that resembled lightning were converging at high speed. Pengcheng City. While Mr. Liang and Old He were discussing the Antarctic crisis and Xiang Kun, in the same city, Tang Baona, Yang Zhener, Little Fatty Girl, and Xiao Pingguo had just come down from the rooftop. They excitedly discussed the appearance of several Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant Illusions in Pengcheng. Unlike others in the city, they showed no fear or anxiety; Nanas March of Fear did not play out here. If they were ordinary people and not the creatorsagglomerators of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant Illusion, they would naturally be affected emotionally and experience the collective fear that creates the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant Illusion. But because they all have a direct connection with the Super Sensory Item System and are deep connectors, under Alices arrangements, they can watch various Eight-Armed, Eight-eyed Giant Illusions appear like an exciting scene, without any emotional influence. Seeing these uniquely styled Eight-Armed, Eight-eyed Giant Illusions, Little Fatty Girl was naturally most excited. To her, this was simply a Barbie Warrior fashion show. The ones in the armor are always the coolest! But the Barbie Warrior just now was empty-handed and not powerful enough. They all should have weapons and the weapons have to be different to be imposing! Standing at the door of Yang Zheners house while waiting for her to open the door, Little Fatty Girl kept discussing her Barbie Warrior Fashion Show experience with the co-manifested Alice next to her, offering her guidance. Those are not up to Alice, Tang Baona laughed, They are the images formed from other peoples belief and mutual cognition Alice, am I correct? Alice looked up at Tang Baona: Yes, Sister Nana is right. She then looked at Little Fatty Girl: But Little Lingdangs suggestions can also be done. In the future, it can always be done. Theres no problem! Yang Zhener opened the back door and smiled back, Hehe, then Im going to design my own Barbie Warrior in the future. Ive got the best sense of fashion! Alice, where is Uncle Xiang now? Xiao Pingguo, who looked like she was wearing ultra-thin 3D glasses because of her visual restoration device, asked from the doorway. Alice walked into the house, pointed at the TV, and said: Boss has taken off!. As soon as she finished speaking, the television switched on automatically, displaying an image of a man standing in a storm. The man turned his head as if noticing the camera, raised his right hand high towards the sky. Yes, Xiang Kun intentionally let himself be captured by the camera. He was indeed waving, but it was specifically to Tang Baona and Little Fatty Girl. Chapter 633 - Chapter 633: Chapter 633: Peerless Hero Chapter 633: Chapter 633: Peerless Hero Actually, Xiang Kuns original plan was to have Alice control a camera or arrange a video camera in the distance to record his heroic takeoff before he began to fly. Fortunately, the internet celebrity anchor came to film the weather with their cameraman, so he took advantage of their equipment. Having someone filming and adjusting the lens, along with their commentary on the side, would give Tang Baona, Old Xia, Little Fatty Girl and the rest a stronger sense of being on the scene when they watched it later. As for being witnessed by them, Xiang Kun was not worried at all. Given the distance, they wouldnt be able to see clearly what he looked like, nor would they know his real identity. He had intentionally planned for people to know that he was taking off from China. He would have Alice make a moderate impact online and leak some information. However, this video would only circulate internally and would not be leaked outside. Back when he first mastered the power of Electric Mastery Flight, electronic equipment within his visible range would be severely disturbed every time he flew. But now he has a deeper understanding of Electric Mastery Flight, and with Alices intelligent assistance via the Super Sensory Item System, he can not only minimize the affected range but also precisely control which electronic devices can operate and which cannot, and control their specific functions. Of course, he doesnt need to oversee all these tasks himself. As long as theres a demand, Alice can handle all the operations for him. Within areas full of Super-connected Objects, Alice can pretty much do anything with all electronic devices. At that time, in Tang Baona and Yang Zheners house in Pengcheng City, as they watched the video on the television of Xiang Kun taking off, they were still shocked even though they already knew about some of Xiang Kuns abilities and how powerful he is. The sight of him rising by electric control overpowered the female anchors voice in the video. They had never seen such a spectacle before. Uncle Bald grew hair! Liu Shiling raised her hand high and made a little fist, imitating Xiang Kun, and excitedly shouted, Hes flying! Uncle Bald is invincible! My my goodness Yang Zhener almost subconsciously blurted out oh god. However, Little Fatty Girls little fist raised high in front of her made her bite her tongue in time. Brother Xiang the chef can really fly When he mentioned it last time, I thought he was boasting, but he can really fly Alice, will we be able to fly in the future? We dont have to go bald first, do we? Tang Baona was also dazed: So during the lightning storm in Chongyun Mountain before, was Xiang Kun also flying in the sky? Does every lightning storm mean that Xiang Kun is preparing to take off? Sister Xiao Pingguo was excited to the point of trembling: This is so awesome, so majestic! Through the visual simulation glasses she was wearing, she could also see the images on the TV, which were the same as those Tang Baona, Yang Zhener, and Liu Shiling saw these were no longer the images that Alice had formed directly through their connection, but real, normal human visual experiences. The glasses used to help Sister Xiao Pingguo restore her normal vision were a gift from Xiang Kun, Alice, and Old Xia for her 18th birthday. Overall, 95% of its components are Super-Connected Objects, hence it can also be referred to as Super Sensory Glasses. Although these glasses were named Visual Simulation Glasses by Xiang Kun, and he told Professor Li Yang that they could help Xiao Pingguo restore her sight, their main function was in fact to help Xiao Pingguo adapt to the visual function. It was actually the Super Sensory Item System, or the environment filled with the Super-connected Object Matrices that truly restored Xiao Pingguos sight. Through certain methods, Alice processes the super-sensory information around the Super-connected Objects to simulate visual information, which is then transmitted to Xiao Pingguo to create real image projections in her mind. These projections are essentially different from the perceptual information that Xiao Pingguo can recognize, which Alice had previously constructed after processing various environmental information. This is a type of sensory information that she had never acquired before and had no cognitive system for. So Xiang Kun and Alice made this custom Super Sensory Glasses for Xiao Pingguo to help her adapt to the images constructed by visible light in real environments. They used Super-connected Objects to help her reactivate corresponding visual nerves, thereby avoiding issues like distorted distance perception and incorrect 3D object construction as well as errors in judgment based on past cognition. When Xiao Pingguo becomes confused and finds it hard to judge new perceptual information, these glasses, which have a unique function in the area of Super Sensory Information, can assist Xiao Pingguo by matching her past cognitive patterns. This type of assistance can only be provided to Xiao Pingguo, who has a deep connection with Alice and is under the Super Sensory Item System. These glasses are like an exoskeleton device that aids in walking, gradually helping her find the correct way to walk, allowing her thigh muscles, calf muscles, and joints to redevelop and grow according to the needs of the correct walking function. It wont be long before Xiao Pingguo becomes accustomed to the sensory information of the real environment and can make correct judgments. Then she will no longer need these glasses. Of course, these glasses are not only small and thin, but they also fit perfectly with Xiao Pingguos head shape and face, and they are very lightweight. Even after a long period of wearing, they will not cause discomfort, heaviness, or fatigue. As soon as Little Fatty Girl saw Xiao Pingguo wearing the glasses, she complimented her saying how good-looking she was and that Sister Xiao Pingguo instantly became super cool after putting the glasses on. She then eagerly asked Uncle Bald if he could get a pair for her too. Not only was Little Fatty Girl full of praise, but Yang Zhener also thought they looked good. She even speculated whether Xiao Pingguo had gained a new ability, like the character Cyclops from Marvel movies, who also wears glasses. What they said completely eased Xiao Pingguos worries of feeling embarrassed wearing glasses in public or outdoors, worrying about looking strange. She couldnt help but recall her excitement of finally seeing the real light and everything normal people could see when Xiang Kun gave her these glasses, and when Alice helped her see again. She was so excited that she felt a little dizzy. She remembered what Xiang Kun said to her when he gave her the glasses: Xiao Pingguo, you will definitely fully recover your eyesight in the future, but dont forget how you feel when you see the world now, and dont forget the ability to perceive everything with your heart. At first, she didnt quite understand what Xiang Kun meant. When she first got the glasses and regained her normal vision, she was utterly fascinated by it to the point of wanting to keep her eyes open 24 hours a day. She wanted to see everything, wasnt tired of seeing anything, and didnt even want to sleep. But after wearing the glasses and seeing the world with normal vision for a while, she found that using this visual method to judge environmental situations and make cognitive judgments made her feel that the range of her perceptions had significantly decreased. Information that she used to notice and instinctively judge was ignored now. In other words, even though she gained the vision that normal people have, her perception and judgment of her surroundings actually declined. Although she obtained an additional sensory pathway, her energy and attention were limited. When she invested all of it into this new visual sensation, her reaction to other sensory information became much slower C it was no longer given attention. With that, she understood what Xiang Kun meant. She began to see in a controlled manner, and tried to make more three-dimensional cognitive judgments by integrating the sensory information she gained. Although she did not aspire to become a Super Magician, help Uncle Bald fight monsters, maintain world peace, and resist evil forces from a young age like Little Fatty Girl, now that she had such special abilities, she wanted to seize this opportunity to improve herself and find ways to assist Xiang Kun. She hoped to have the qualifications to step up and take on the responsibilities borne by Ice Sister and Alice when Xiang Kun was in trouble or unable to cope in the future. Therefore, she used her deep connection with Alice and Gold Shanshan, added with her own perception of Super-Connected Objects, to reconstruct visible information beyond her line of sight. In simple terms, she was able to translate the images unseen by ordinary people into visible images through her cognition, gaining abilities like the perspective eye and 360-degree panoramic vision. Though this ability was not of great significance to Xiao Pingguo or Xiang Kun, for others in the Super Sensory Item System, like Little Fatty Girl and Yang Zhen Er, it was a superpower that could directly expand their visual range. Alice had been able to simulate real images through super sensory information a long time ago, and Xiao Pingguos vision was restored because of this ability. But Alice could only convert her visual sensory information with Xiao Pingguos, but not into a universal visual information interface that would suit everyone. Therefore, a traditional electronic display panel was still needed to view these visually simulated super sensory images. What Xiao Pingguo did was to find this universal interface for Alice, thus making the entire ability universally applicable. From then on, perspective eye and 360-degree panoramic vision would become one of the universal abilities of the Super Sensory Item System. Anyone associated with the system would potentially gain this ability. In the room, everyone was passionately discussing the scene of Xiang Kun taking flight. Xiao Pingguo, however, went to the window, gazing at the pouring rain and remembering the last question she asked Xiang Kun before he left. Uncle Xiang, can you take me to see the world of Barbie Warriors? Youve seen their world before, but you just didnt realize it. She still did not fully understand Xiang Kuns response. However, she inferred that the world of the Barbie Warriors was something that ordinary eyes couldnt see and one would need to use their heart to see. What she really wanted to ask was, Where would the deceased exist in that world? or Which world do they exist in after death? However, she found it hard to ask those questions. She was afraid of getting an answer that she didnt want to hear. Xiao Pingguo, what are you thinking about? Tang Baona walked over to Xiao Pingguo, put her arm around her shoulder, and asked with a smile. Sister Nana, how long do you think Uncle Xiang will be away this time? Xiao Pingguo asked. None of them doubted Xiang Kuns ability to triumph. Alice had explained to them in detail about Xiang Kuns plan, and even guaranteed that it was as easy as cooking to eliminate the Ultimate Predator. Hence what they were worried about was the length of time Xiang Kun would sleep after defeating the Ultimate Predator, as neither Xiang Kun nor Alice had given them a clear answer on this matter. Dont worry, if Xiang Kun said that it would be a maximum of three years, then it will definitely be three years. She can control lightning, ride clouds and mist, shes just like Sun Wukong now, so probably nothing can hurt her. Tang Baona said. Yang Zhener joined the conversation with a laugh: Sun Wukong? Xiang Kun? Hmm, Nana, your comparison just reminded me of A Chinese Odyssey! Do you remember how much you used to love that movie? Didnt Fairy Zi Xia say, My perfect match is a hero who will appear before me in a magnificent manner one day when all eyes are on him. He will be draped in golden armor and riding a Somersault Cloud! ? Once Xiang Kun eliminates that monster in Antarctica, he would be the world-saving hero too, right? Im wondering if he would also directly descend before you in the city center, riding a lightning bolt when he returns! Tang Baona couldnt help rolling her eyes at her: Somersault Cloud? Its the Seven-coloured Auspicious Cloud, okay! And its not just somersault cloud that Sun Wukong rides, its called Somersault Cloud! Ha! You remember everything so clearly, Nana! You compared Xiang Kun to Sun Wukong, is it because you want to be Fairy Zi Xia? Take that back! Dont spout nonsense in front of a child! Tang Baona reached out to bonk her forehead. Im not making anything up. Last time when Xiang Kun took us to Chongyun Mountain for a barbecue, Xiao Pingguo and I brought over the meat, and we saw you and Xiang KunXiao Pingguo saw it too! You cant deny it! Yang Zhen Er said triumphantly, Xiao Pingguo, you saw it too, right? Xiao Pingguo shrugged helplessly: Sister Zhener, Im blind! I didnt see anything! Tang Baona laughed and went up to pinch Yang Zheners waist. Yang Zhener squawked and quickly grabbed Little Fatty Girl as a shield to escape punishment. With Little Fatty Girl in her arms and sitting breathlessly on the sofa, Yang Zhener couldnt help pinching her little face. She was just about to say something, but Little Fatty Girl looked up and asked first: Fairy sister, when did all of you go to Chongyun Mountain for barbecue? Oh, it happened a while ago, before we came to Peng City. Xiang Kun brought all of us for a barbie grill in the wilderness of Chongyun Mountain. Yang Zhener explained. At that time, Little Fatty Girl was attending school and couldnt join in, so she anxiously asked, What tasty food did you guys have then? There was nothing special, just some regular grilled meat and stuff. Were there chicken wings? Of course, there were! Were they whole or half wings, sweet or spicy, and were there grilled pigs feet I cant remember, but everything was quite delicious. Alas Little Bell, dont ask about these things. Just thinking about not being able to eat Xiang Kuns cooking for a long time makes me melancholic. Yang Zhener said, inadvertently looking at Alice who just walked over and sat on the sofa beside Little Fatty Girl, tying her undone shoelaces, and asked, Alice, can you eat that creature in Antarctica? If Xiang Kun can eat it, we should be able to as well, right? Does it taste good? Liu Shiling also followed suit, her eyes sparkling. Not being able to help in the fight against the monster and the rescuing of the world made Liu Shiling feel extremely empty. This void naturally made her very prone to hunger. Chapter 634 - Chapter 634: Chapter 634: You Guard the World Chapter 634: Chapter 634: You Guard the World Looking at the playing trio of Yang Lao San, Little Fatty Girl, and Alice, Tang Baona laughed and shook her head, and remembered the time when they all went for a BBQ at Chongyun Mountain, before Xiang Kun left. At that time, Xiang Kun was preparing the barbecue grill and she was helping him. Xiang Kun very naturally raised the plan and mentioned a piece she needed to create called March of Fear and Invigoration. And Xiang Kuns words hit Tang Baonas deeply hidden otaku spirit quite accurately: Nana, I am about to save the world, and I need your help. His words made Tang Baonas blood boil. She felt as if she was holding a holy sword, with a mission on her shoulders. After all, Xiang Kun wasnt just boasting or joking. He really was going to save the world. So she naturally nodded her head repeatedly, agreed, and then asked in detail what she should do and what she should pay attention to. As for this, Xiang Kun didnt have much specific requirements, she just had to create it based on the feelings. For the fear emotions, due to the terrible weather and the appearance of the Antarctic monster, she should be able to find related emotional melodies quite easily. And while finding melodies for the invigorating emotions could be quite difficult for others, it would be easy for Nana. She wouldnt even need to sense others emotions, her own feelings at the moment were quite invigorating. In the end, Xiang Kun suddenly said, Nana, Im going to Antarctica this time and I might not be back for a while, so for the following But at that time, Tang Baona was thinking about the emotional melody and suddenly heard this. She didnt hear the word short-term clearly, but she only noticed the phrase wont be back. Coupled with the previous statement about saving the world, she had a sudden heroic sense of Xiang Kun sacrificing himself and saving the world, and subconsciously grabbed Xiang Kuns hand. Is it very dangerous? Tang Baona asked a bit nervously and worriedly. It was at this time that Yang Zhen Er and Xiao Pingguo, who had gone to fetch food, came over and saw this scene. Yang Lao San immediately sat up as if he had discovered a new world: Nana! Chef Xiang! You guys Then, noticing Xiao Pingguo standing next to him, he let out a cry, helped Xiao Pingguo to put down the things in her hands, and pulled her to run back: Oh, we forgot to bring some food! We didnt see anything, we didnt see anything, you guys continue, continue ha Tang Baona suddenly noticed that she had unknowingly grasped Xiang Kuns hand and quickly let go. She didnt originally think much of it, but after making a fuss with Yang Lao San, she also felt embarrassed and for once was at a loss for words, feeling a little awkward. Xiang Kun, on the other hand, very naturally said, Dont worry, theres nothing dangerous about it, its just that when the time comes, I might disappear for a while, just like the times when I used to isolate myself when I was making video games, but this time the isolation would last longer. It could be a few months if its quick, and if its slow, it could be a few years. You should also have felt that the whole world is different now. After the Ultimate Predator completely disappears, there will be even more changes. So during the time when Im not here I hope you can help me look after Xiao Lingdang, Xiao Pingguo, and my parents a little more. If anything happens, I also hope you can give them some more care. Old Xia will be watching the research base, the official connection, and the cooperation with Divine Technology. If theres anything related to mutants, you can ask Old Xia, she will decide. If theres a problem related to abilities, you can call Alice at any time, she can solve most problems, and if she cant solve it, then contact Old Xia. As for the companys affairs, Zhang Qian will help out, and with the cooperation of Divine Technology, you wont need to worry too much. Nana, your power, together with Old Xia, Old Three, Xiao Pingguo, Xiao Lingdang, your powers, are linked with my power, and I am destined to become stronger and stronger, and so will you. So when there are some situations in this world, when people are under huge threats, we also need to do something. Tang Baona was also very excited and forgot about the awkwardness just now. She joked: Hey, how come it feels like, summarized from your words, if theres a problem in the company, Zhang Qian will deal with it; if theres problem related to power, just ask Alice; while research and cooperation, its Old Xia; as for me, Im just babysitting kids? Xiang Kun was also taken aback by her words, then he laughed out loud: Those are no ordinary kids. They are superheroes who will protect the world with you. Tang Baona knew that when Xiang Kun asked her to look after Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguo, he didnt mean for her to take care of their daily lives like a nanny, or simply to protect their safety. Rather, he hoped that she could accompany and guide their growth, to ensure that the two extraordinary individuals who were destined to transcend their current state in the future would have a relatively normal growth process. Also, she believed that Yang Lao San must also be included in the children that Xiang Kun asked her to take care of. Tang Baona nodded her head steadily: Uh huh, I get it. While you are not here, we should be responsible for protecting the world. But what if we encounter really formidable opponents in the future that we cant deal with? Xiang Kun smiled and said, Dont worry, even though I will be in hibernation, the power system wont be. You guys protect the world, and Ill protect you. Sister Nana, you look really beautiful when you laugh. A voice from the side suddenly interrupted Tang Baonas recollection and made her laugh, saying to her, Xiao Pingguo, you look even more beautiful when you laugh. Xiao Pingguo laughed: When Sister Nana laughs, shes like warm honey water, sweet and warm. When Sister Zhener laughs, shes like iced-cola, refreshing and happy. When Xiao Lingdang laughs, shes like chocolate ice cream, cute and silly. Alicehehe, Alice is like lemon tea, so good that once you start drinking, you cant stop, haha. What about you, Xiao Pingguo? What beverage do you resemble? Apple juice? Tang Baona asked laughing. Im hot milk, haha, it can warm the stomach, its nutritious and goes well with everything. Xiao Pingguo laughed and then appeared to have thought of something. She continued: Unfortunately, I havent seen Sister Bings smile. I bet her smile must be super amazing. Oh, thats right. She did smile during her last birthday, but you didnt have these glasses yet. Its okay. Well perform a special crosstalk to make her laugh when she comes to Pengcheng next time, or when we go back to Chongyun Village. Or next time its her birthday, we can smear her face with cake cream again, hehe. Tang Baona laughed, By the way, what about Xiang Kun? What beverage do you think he is? Uncle Xiang Xiao Pingguo touched her chin, then suddenly she could not help laughing herself, laughing so hard that she held her stomach, which confused Tang Baona who was standing beside her. Xiao Pingguo laughed for quite a while before she collected herself, then tried to look serious, but she couldnt help laughing again and said, Uncle Xiang is the big hero who saves the world. He is very awesome and can drive away evil, annihilate monsters, represent justice, and carry an aura of righteousness, so he should be righteousness water, hahaha Xiao Pingguos analogy was a bit inexplicable, but Tang Baona, who already had a low threshold for laughter, was induced into laughter by her, laughing until she had to bend over. The two big people and two small people who were originally discussing how the barbecue tasted were attracted by their laughter and all came over. Nana, Xiao Pingguo, what are you two laughing about? Yang Zhen Er curiously asked. Righteous Xiao Pingguo said Xiang Kun is righteous water, hahahaha. Tang Baona laughed so hard her stomach hurt. Yang Zhen Er exchanged perplexed glances with the Little Fatty Girl sitting next to her. She didnt understand why Xiao Pingguo would say Xiang Kun is righteous water, let alone whats so funny about it. The two then turned to look at Alice, who scratched her head and pointed at Tang Baona. Xiao Pingguo said Nana is honey water, and then pointed to Yang Zhen Er, Zhener is ice-cold cola, Little Bell is chocolate ice cream, Xiao Pingguo is hot milk, the boss is righteous water. Then she pointed her thumb at herself and slightly vamping, I am lemon tea! So tasty! Yang Zhen Er now understood what they were talking about, but didnt get why its hilarious referring Xiang Kun as righteous water. Was this punchline downplayed by Nana? She tousled Alices hair, Why are you being smug about lemon tea? Cola is the forever elder brotheror rather, sister! Now, say sister! Im hungry the Little Fatty Girl whispered. Oh right, its almost 1 oclock. Lets quickly prepare some food. Tang Baona finally stopped laughing, wiped away her tears, and called Yang Zhen Er to the kitchen to help prepare lunch. Due to the severe weather fluctuations, only a few restaurants remained open. Dine-in was certainly off the table, and even delivery had mostly halted. Only places within a couple hundred meters and that were on the same street still offered delivery, and it wasnt through an app; deliveries were done by the restaurants own employees. The two restaurants operating in their district had delivered as recently as yesterday. However, with the torrential rain, delivery would undoubtedly be inconvenient. Thus, they settled for the frozen fast food they had in the refrigerator. Nana, should we learn to cook? If Brother Chef Xiang takes a few years to return, we cant just gather and order takeout, eat at diners, or consume fast food all the time, right? Yang Zhen Er grumbled while she unpacked the food. If it were more than a year ago, she wouldnt have had this dilemma. Whats wrong with takeout or dining out? Its not like they couldnt afford it or the food wasnt tasty. Preparing food at home is troublesome, unappetizing, and involves dishwashing, garbage disposal, grocery shopping, ingredient handling, recipe learning, etc. Its such a hassle. Theres no need! However, after getting to know Xiang Kun and having had many family meals prepared by him, she started to mind a lifestyle involving only takeouts or eating out. While living alone in Peng City, she picked up the Little Fatty Girl every day and comforted herself, saying that she would get to feast as soon as Brother Chef Xiang came. So eating takeout was the same as secretly having snacks when she was little. But if Brother Chef Xiang isnt able to return for a long while and they have to rely on takeouts or fast food, she wont mind if its just her and Nana, but shed feel somethings seriously off when Little Bell and Xiao Pingguo are around. Its as if their life is missing an essential part of their daily ritual. Upon hearing this, Xiao Pingguo, who was leaning on the kitchen door, smiled. Sister Zhener, Ive already started learning. Ive even been studying recipes before bedtime these days. When Uncle Xiang deals with that big monster in Antarctica and the weather gets better, Ill show off my skills once we can buy groceries! Im going to make sweet and sour pork ribsIm confident theyll be delicious! Kneeling on the other side of the kitchen door, Little Fatty Girl rubbed the custard pie next to her and looked up. Sister Xiao Pingguo, could you learn how to make fried chicken wings? And then I can be your helperI am great at washing dishes. Alice, who was kneeling beside Little Fatty Girl, exclaimed, Ill help Little Bell wash dishes! We are unbeatable at washing dishes! Upon hearing this, Yang Zhen Er became anxious. She said to Tang Baona, Nana, this cannot do! It will be a mess if we wait till Brother Chef comes back. What if Old Xia comes over one day to find a visually recovering Xiao Pingguo cooking and a Little Bell whose head just about reaches the sink washing dishes? What would he think of us then? I can already imagine Old Xia, as she calmly tries the food Xiao Pingguo cooked and checks the dishes Little Bell washed, saying, Great job teaching, cousin and Nana. Ahh! Thats so embarrassing! Yang Zhen Er dried her hands and walked over to the kneel down. To the perplexed Little Fatty Girl who was petting a cat, she said, Little Bell, if theres something you want to eat, just tell me and Nana. Well make it! You and Xiao Pingguo, your primary responsibilities are playing and learning! Little Fatty Girl nodded, counting on her fingers, ThenI want to eat fried chicken wings, spicy rabbit meat, braised rabbit meat, braised pork, teppanyaki beef, garlic eggplant, stewed pork and pickles, black chicken mushroom soup, hot and sour Stop! Lets take it slow, Ill learn two dishes first, the rest later. Yang Zhen Er interrupted quickly. Little Bell remembered the names of dishes too well. I want to eat crispy pigs knuckle! Alice exclaimed. Yang Zhen Er flicked her forehead, Whatever you want to eatyou morph it yourself! Tang Baona was amused. With Yang Lao San around, whether theyre on the roof, indoors, in the living room, or the kitchen, its always bustlingnever dull. However, she didnt think Yang Zhen Er was really going to learn to cook. Because this wasnt their first attempt. Not just the few of them, but even Old Xia, whos a fast learner, had tried to learn cooking while in Chongyun Village. But the dishes that came out lets just say they were indescribable. None of them possessed innate talent for cooking, and their taste buds, unfortunately, have been spoiled by Xiang Kun, setting their standards so high. It might be no issue if they had plenty of time to practice making tolerable home-cooked food. But to reach the taste of Xiang Kuns dish was borderline impossible. So in her opinion, regardless of whether its Yang Lao San or Xiao Pingguo, no matter how motivated or determined they were to learn cooking, it wouldnt last very long. Because no matter how hard they tried, it wouldnt taste like the dishes Xiang Kun whipped up for themwhich were deeply engraved in their hearts and set an insurmountable standard. However, she wouldnt go out of her way to prevent them from learning to cook. In fact, she too would endeavor to learn how to make main courses like ramen, pancakes, and fried ricealthough they taste nowhere near the flavors offered by Xiang Kun or even takeout. But like Yang Zhen Er, she agreed that eating home-cooked meals when they are all together makes it feel like home. Sister Lin and Professor Li entrusted the care of Little Bell and Xiao Pingguo to them, so they cant always feed them takeout, can they? Chapter 635 - Chapter 635: Chapter 635 I Know This is Me Chapter 635: Chapter 635 I Know This is Me Liu Shiling hugged her custard pie, glanced at Alice squatting next to her, looked up at Xiao Pingguo in her ultra-cool glasses leaning against the door, and at the shiny, pudgy bird perched on her shoulder. In the kitchen, Tang Baona and Yang Zhen Er were busily preparing a fast-food lunch. This atmosphere made her feel very happy, safe, and comfortable. Although her mom, chicken wing sister, and Bald Uncle were not here, she knew her mom was at the company, and since the weather was bad, she wouldnt typically come back at noon; she knew that chicken wing sister was at Chongyun Village base, leading others in research, and they would meet soon; she knew that Bald Uncle was flying in the sky, sweeping the clouds away, his head buzzing with electricity, on his way to save the world. As for the thunderstorm outside, the monster lurking in Antarctica, and all the pessimistic and negative comments online, they did not affect her at all. Anyway, now she didnt have to go to school for classes, she could attend online classes, plus with Alice and her sisters to explain and tutor her, she had no worries about her studies. In the mid-term exams in November, she was steadily the top of her class. She was also in the top ten in her grade, and now she is the classs learning committee member. And studying at home, she not only has her sisters around, can pet the shiny custard pie anytime, can eat snacks, and can always know about Bald Uncles situation, and can keep in touch with chicken wing sister. The most important thing was that at home, she didnt have to worry about her magic being exposed. She could freely discuss it with her sisters, and even freely show off her magic ability. She could control chocolate ice cream and Sachima to play together, and even had the Illusion Magic Robe that sister fairy had made for her. Even Alice could freely co-manifest and play with her. For her, this life was simply too joyful. Life is so beautiful! The only thing missing was the delicious food made by Bald Uncle. Liu Shiling rubbed the big head of the custard pie and asked, Sister Xiao Pingguo, what kind of drink is the custard pie? It needs to laugh. Only when it laughs, you can know, Xiao Pingguo laughed. So Alice stretched out her hand to pinch the cheeks of the custard pie: Smile. Custard pie shook off Alices hand, grinned, and meowed, really looked like it was smiling. Xiao Pingguo squatted in front of them, one hand caressing the chubby girls face and the other caressing the custard pies head, Of course when the custard pie smiles, its still a custard pie right? Haha, it cant turn into an egg drop soup. A bite of custard pie, a bite of chocolate ice cream, haha. Alice shouted by the side, We also need lemon tea! Mmm, lemon tea is good, Xiao Pingguo stretched out her hand to rub Alices head again. Dont block the doorway, its mealtime, Yang Zhen Er laughed and turned her head to the three people squatting by the kitchen door along with a cat and a bird. Liu Shiling was planning to come over with Xiao Pingguo to help set the bowls and chopsticks, but due to their previous dishwashing declaration and cooking declaration, Yang Zhen Er swatted her hand away with an overbearing movement, and refused, Go! Children should look like children, go and watch TV or play games! Well call you when the food is ready! Xiao Pingguo didnt think she was a child, so she continued to help with the dishes, while the chubby girl and Alice left the kitchen as told, but they didnt go to watch TV or play games, instead they stood side by side by the living room window, watching the rain outside. Liu Shiling asked in a low voice, Xiao Lo, where has Bald Uncle reached? In a soft voice, Alice answered, Hes above the Pacific Ocean, hes about to meet with Super Coin, and then hurry off to Antarctica. Though she didnt understand why they had to whisper. Liu Shiling, who had specifically studied the relevant geographical knowledge previously, knew where the Pacific Ocean and Antarctica were. She asked somewhat hesitantly, Xiao Lo, is that monster from Antarctica really, really powerful? It is powerful, but the boss is invincible, we are invincible! Its no match for us! boasted Alice. I know Uncle Bald can defeat it. Liu Shiling twirled her fingers and asked timidly, I was asking how powerful is it? How many of me would it take to defeat it? At this question, Alice froze for a moment. She tilted her head slightly upwards, her eyes unfocused. Liu Shiling knew that Alice was calculating. The fact that Alice had to think so long for an answer indicated that compared to the monster from Antarctica, she fell way behind. It would take many, many of her to handle it. If Alice had to spend so long calculating, wouldnt it take more than 100 of her at least? Liu Shiling looked out at the hazy curtain of rain outside the window and couldnt help but feel a bit down. She was simply too weak, her growth was too slow, she couldnt help Uncle Bald at all. The monsters Uncle Bald currently had to deal with were far, far superior to her. By the time she had grown stronger, the monsters Uncle Bald would have to face would be even more formidable. Although Uncle Bald would become more and more powerful and definitely able to cope with all kinds of monsters, when would she be able to fight alongside Uncle Bald? In the living room, Yang Zhener turned on the light, meaning Little Fatty Girl could see her own worried face reflected on the window. She recalled what Uncle Bald had said to her privately before he had set off a few days ago. At that time, Uncle Bald had thoroughly reviewed her mid-term report cardof course, her grades were excellent, and Uncle Bald gave her plenty of praise. Following that, Uncle Bald started explaining the magic she had already mastered, guided her on the directions she could develop in, and what textbook knowledge she needed to better master magic. However, they only discussed this for a short while before they moved on to talk about her QQ friends, Da Lu and Xiao Mei, her drawings, and fun anecdotes from her playtimes. In the end, Uncle Bald told her, Xiao Lingdang, treat magic as your hobby. Dont get too stressed, youre already doing a great job. Let Uncle Bald handle saving the world, you just need to enjoy yourself. Little Fatty Girl knew Uncle Balds instructions were out of fear that she would be overly consumed by magic, which would affect her studies, or if magic spun out of control and she ended up being disciplinarian by her mother. Magic was definitely her hobby, but it was more than just that. She knew that Uncle Balds comments boiled down to the fact that she was just too weak and could only use magic to play. However, something Uncle Bald said at the end really made her happy: If theres a really urgent or dangerous situation that even Alice and Old Xia cant handle, you can tell your Sister Nana and ask her to help stir up your emotions through her songs. Then, you can try to sense all the magic coins Ive given you, just like when you went back home to Qing Mountain Village. At that time, I would know. Uncle Bald told her that during the time he was not around, he would be in a deep slumber and wouldnt normally be aware of events in the outside world. However, Xiao Lingdangs rage could wake him up. Even though he wouldnt truly awaken, he had other ways of intervening. This made Liu Shiling feel both very proud and secure. Of course, regarding her magic not being powerful enough, too weak to be of any assistance, unable to fight monstersshe still needed to worry. Alice at her side suddenly gave a light gasp, I have calculated it! Looking at Alices bright eyes fixed on her, Liu Shiling couldnt help but feel a bit anxious, afraid that Alice might blurt out a string of numbers she hadnt learned yet. Unexpectedly, Alice said, Xiao Lingdang, youre invincible! No monster can defeat you! Liu Shiling froze for two seconds, then widened her eyes at her, Xiao Luosi, youre buttering me up! Im not! Yang Zhen Er, who had just brought out a pot of beef-ball wonton dumpling soup, sat down at the table and looked at the two little ones standing by the window. She asked Tang Baona curiously, Whats wrong with them? Are they fighting? Without looking up from ladling soup into Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguos bowls, Tang Baona dismissed the idea, Impossible, Alice will argue only with you, not with her beloved Sister Lingdang. However, Yang Zhen Er proudly declared, Thats because Alice and I have a good relationship! Xiao Pingguo, Alice, Xiao Lingdang, come eat. By the window, Alice and Little Fatty Girl turned around simultaneously and responded with an okay before they continued their stare-off. Alice declared, Xiao Lingdang, if youre fighting monsters, I will be there. If Im there, then Old Xia, Sister Nana, Zhener, Xiao Pingguo, Custard Pie, Shiny Gold, Little Radish, 001, 002, Barbie Warrior, and Minion Soldier everyone will show up. The boss will definitely appear as well! ButBut what I mean is just me alone, Little Fatty Girl emphasized, raising one plump white finger. At the dining table, Yang Zhen Er asked Tang Baona and Xiao Pingguo, who were already seated, What are they arguing about? Xiao Pingguo laughed, Theyre discussing their combat power. By the window, Alice confidently addressed Little Fatty Girls question, Exactly, if youre part of the calculation, we have to consider all of us, the boss included! Because we belong together, we all got our abilities from the boss, so no matter when and against what monster, we fight together! When the boss went to Antarctica, he used abilities created by you! If the boss saves the world, it means we saved the world! If the boss is invincible, so are we! After speaking, Alice wore a smug expression. She had just made every effort to calculate Liu Shilings individual abilities and the power of the Ultimate Predator after it manifests in Antarctica and try out various hypotheticals. Realizing the solution while computational resources drained more and more brought her an aha moment. Alice thought this explanation was simply perfect. It was not only logically flawless, but also spared Xiao Lingdang from feeling disheartened, and allowed for the triumphant proclamation of invincibility! Hearing Alices words, Liu Shiling paused for a moment, then remembered the time she went back to Qing Mountain Village with her grandmother. Even though it was just her and Custard Pie at that time, Alice had been with her in all sorts of ways, helping her address numerous difficulties and dangers until Sister Roasted Chicken Wings came to pick her up personally Then, there was that time in the village when she, Xiao Pingguo, Sister Roasted Chicken Wings, and Alice fought against the giant bird monster. Uncle Bald wasnt there, but the few of them worked together and defeated the monster When she helped Uncle Bald fend off the monster in his dream, and fell into darkness, beautiful sisters song resounded, and then Sister Roasted Chicken Wings came into the dream to rescue her. She indeed didnt need to fight all by herself Yes! They are indeed a team, they are together! If Uncle Bald becomes stronger, they naturally become stronger too. She might not be strong enough on her own, but with Alice, Sister Pingguo, Beautiful Sister, Sister Roasted Chicken Wings, and Old Fairy Sister together, they are invincible! Because they have Uncle Bald behind them, and Uncle Bald is invincible! Finally accepting Alices explanation, Liu Shiling contentedly sat at the table and happily started eating beef-ball wonton dumpling soup. But when she bit into a meatball, she was scalded. She opened her mouth and gasped, Hot! Hot! Hot! Yang Zhen Er quickly got up to fetch a bottle of mineral water. Tang Baona shook her head in amusement and held out her hand for Little Fatty Girl to spit out the half-eaten meatball, Slow down, the meatballs are really hot. You should eat the wontons first, then the dumplings, and save the meatballs for last. Although she couldnt eat real food, Alice, who was still sitting at the table with the rest, with bowls and dishes laid out in front of her, was eating her co-manifested ice cream while satisfyingly watching Little Fatty Girl, whose mood had lightened. She recalled what the boss had entrusted to her last night: Alice, take good care of them. Understood, boss! She didnt need to ask who they referred to, because she had always been protecting them in real time. But after Xiang Kun dealt with the Ultimate Predator, he would fall into a temporary transformative sleep. During this period, she would have more decision-making power and need to exhibit more proactive behavior. As the boss had said, her power is greater, and so are her responsibilities. If you run into any problems or uncertainties, consult with Old Xia. Understood, boss! After I occupy the high-dimensional factors of the Ultimate Predator, there should be a significant enhancement to our Super Sensory Item System. At that time, I will leave the Super Coin to you. You may be able to rely on it to gain the ability to condense a mutant creature body. I authorize you to construct your body before I wake up. You can think in advance about what you want to condense into because, for the time being, you only have one chance. Think carefully. Ive already decided what I want to change into! she said without hesitation. She knew this ability differed from Illusion Reality. It was the true creation of a body that could always exist at the reality level. Moreover, it possessed the feature of high-dimensional factors, making it a natural mutant. Although this mutant differed from Mr. Liang, it was not a separate entity but was built from the materials separated from Xiao Luobos ability platform. But for Alice, who existed on top of the Super Sensory Item System, such a body and independent existence were no different, as her consciousness still resided above the system. Oh? What does the body you want to condense look like? Xiang Kun was also curious. He didnt bother second-guessing Alices thoughts because he could simply ask her directly. Then Alice, through the holographic image, showed him the body she wished to condense. An infant? You want to start from scratch and experience a persons growth process? The body you want to condense do you want it to start from the very beginning, to grow up and develop? Exactly! As she spoke, the infant in the holographic image started to change bit by bit, growing up until it was five or six, six or seven years old. Its appearance was almost no different from how she looked now or in other words, like Little Old Xia! Then, Little Old Xia continued to grow, turning into a young girl. It truly resembled Old Xia in many ways, but with a na?ve smile on her face, twin tails in her hair, and dressed in Yang Lao Sans style. At a glance, one could easily differentiate her from the Real Old Xia. Seeing Alices body condensing plan, Xiang Kun laughed till he almost fell over, but he was still curious: Why did you choose this design? I didnt make a design. This is just me! Alices answer was straightforward: I know this is me. Hearing her words, Xiang Kun touched her head and said, I see, then just do as you planned. And remember the things I instructed you. Around the dining table, Alice, who was eating ice cream, squinted her eyes in mirth. Dont worry, boss! The rain was pouring, and the wind was blowing outside. It was dusky and dark, but inside the house, it was peaceful and cozy, like two different worlds. Chapter 636 - : Chapter 636: Old Xias Demand Chapter 636: Chapter 636: Old Xias Demand Chongyun Village, at the animal husbandry research base established by Xiang Kun and Xia Libing. As diverse illusions of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant appeared all over the world, Xia Libing was leading a research team, headed by Fang Pingfang, watching the live global simulation video produced by Alice. It wasnt just that all electronic devices and cameras in areas where the illusions of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant appeared had stopped working. Even if they could work and film under Alices sole control, it was impossible to capture those various giant illusions. Therefore, to display those situations on the screen, Alice had to simulate corresponding images. Of course, such real-time multi-frame simulation could not entirely align with reality. It simply integrated the general image of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion into the real environment, with many details directly blurred by mist. Even so, watching these images on the video and knowing that these scenes were actually happening with only less than a three-minute delay, people with some knowledge of video effects production like Zhou Rui and Ye Chong couldnt help but exclaim in astonishment. They felt that the technical support behind Miss Xia was terrifying, drastically beyond their imagination. If these resources were used to enter the film industry, they could probably start mass producing special effects blockbusters and advance the film industry by another generation. However, what they didnt know was that this was already a somewhat subpar performance by Alice because her attention was mainly elsewhere, such as the co-manifestation around Tang Baona, Little Fatty Girl, and the others in Pengcheng City. She was further responsible for planning the flight route and controlling the flight details for several thousand Super Coins to converge in the Central Pacific. Although she could do many things at once and command vast resources, there was still a priority and subjective inclination. Anyway, as Old Xia had said, they only needed to provide Fang Pingfang, Zhou Rui, and the others with a general understanding of the current situation around the world. There was no need for high-quality imaging; it wasnt as if they were there to watch a movie. Upon seeing a pale blue spherical lightning appearing above the illusion of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant on the screen, flying out at high speed, and then switching to the world map to mark the locations where the different giant illusions appeared, with light points starting to head toward the Pacific, Zhou Rui couldnt help but raise his hand to ask a question. Xia Libing, who was sitting next to the screen, nodded and motioned for Zhou Rui to speak, so he asked, Dr. Xia, what are those lightning spheres? When they first met, they referred to Xia Libing as Miss Xia. However, Mijoe had a sudden allergy attack and difficulty breathing recently, which was seemingly life-threatening. Xia Libing arrived in time and made Mijoes condition drastically improve in just over two minutes. In less than five minutes, Mijoe had fully recovered. Moreover, Xia Libing accurately identified Mijoes allergen and the time when she first became allergic, and further stated that she had completely eradicated the issue. They didnt verify whether Mijoes allergy problem had been completely eradicated or not, but Xia Libings entire treatment process was too fantastical. They did not see her use any equipment; there was no first aid technique. She performed a few-second checkup, murmured something under her breath, and placed her left hand on Mijoes neck. As a result, Mijoes symptoms quickly eased, her breathing became smooth, and her complexion improved, which was incredibly miraculous. If they had seen this a while ago, they might wonder if Mijoe had recovered on her own at this time, unrelated to Xia Libing. But after spending some time with Xia Libing, seeing daily data on the variated creatures, getting popular science knowledge about the abilities of the mutated creatures from her, and seeing the extraordinary abilities of a mutated little bird named Small Mantou with their own eyes, all they needed now was a little psychological scaffolding to quickly accept what she was demonstrating. Since their initial contact with Xia Libings professional and educational background, they naturally started calling her Dr. Xia. Answering Zhou Ruis question, Xia Libing, as always, was concise: Its a weapon designed to deal with the Ultimate Predator in Antarctica. Naturally, she knew that the center of those sphere-like lightning were the co-manifested Super Coins, but there was no need to explain this information to them yet, nor was it possible to do so. With some anticipation, Mijoe asked, Weapon? Why did this weapon appear after those eight-armed giant illusions? Is there a direct relationship? Yes. Xia Libing answered. Mijoe did not further question. They had spent some time understanding the basic information about mutated creatures with Xia Libing and knew her style. She would give detailed introductions to information she could disclose, but no matter how much they asked, she would not share the information she was unwilling, or unable to disclose. Watching the light points move on the world map on the screen, continuously converging towards the Central Pacific, Fang Pingfangasked: Who will use these weapons? Mr. Liang? Or Mr. Xiang? Xia Libing did not answer, instead, she turned her head to look at the screen. The world map on the large screen showing the trajectory of light spheres had shifted, transforming into a live outdoor scene. The screen showed a coastal city experiencing a fierce storm, identifiable as a domestic city by its architecture. Amidst the roar of rain, two distinct voices could be heard, clearly closer to the recording device. Hey, wait a minute, is there a person over there? A person? Let me see? It does look like a person! Thus, the people in the conference room, including Fang Pingfang and Zhou Rui, noticed someone standing in the storm not far from the sea, their back to the camera. Suddenly, the person turned around, raising their right hand high towards the direction of the camera, as if waving. The next instant, lightning struck, and a bright light flashed. The screen broadcasted alarmed exclamations of a man and a woman, the camera shaking wildly, startling everyone in the conference room. Then, a heart-stopping scene emerged on the screen. Lightning gathered behind the person like snakes, lifted off from the ground amidst strikes of lightning, ascending steadily into the sky with a halo of light. Following this, the screen switched back to the world map. This time, apart from thousands of small lights slowly moving across the globe, there was a colossal light sphere advancing from our countrys coastline toward the Pacific Oceanthis clearly represented the person who had just lifted off into the sky in the thunderstorm, their body aglow and lightning crackling around their head. This scene was even more stunning than watching Alices simulation of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion appearing in the city. Everyone in the conference room stood with mouths agape, at a loss for words. Fang Pingfang was the first to recover, speaking up Dr. Xia, is that Mr. Xiang? Although the person on the seashore was far away on the screen and distorted by the rainy curtain making it impossible to determine whether they were bald, Fang Pingfang surmised from deduction that it was Xiang Kun. Because when the Antarctic Crisis began to escalate, Xia Libing had explicitly told them that Xiang Kun would step in to resolve the issue when the time was ripe. Yes, Xia Libing nodded. Mr. XiangThis is too powerful! This isnt just some mutant, hes more like a Thunder God Zhou Rui muttered in awe. I dont even think the Thunder God in movies is this powerful, Ye Chong shook his head. The several individuals in the conference room began to discuss loudly. Despite already knowing months ago from the day they first met Xia Libing that Xiang Kun and Mr. Liang were mutants with superpowers, and that the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion in Myitkyina and strange lightning storms on Chongyun Mountain and Zi Huan Mountain were all connected to Xiang Kun, seeing this video of Xiang Kun controlling terrifying lightning and lifting off from the ground was still utterly shocking. Even though the video quality was not as high-definition as a movie, the visual and psychological impact far exceeded any special effects from a film. After several minutes of discussion, Xia Libing spoke again: Once Xiang Kun reaches the center of the Pacific Ocean and encounters those light points, heading to Antarctica, the Ultimate Predator will quickly be dealt with. We will disclose some information to let certain individuals know who resolved this crisis. Following this, in the era post-Ultimate Predator, research related to mutants will make key breakthroughs and related results will surge. We will be leading all this. Research and management of mutants will operate under the rules and systems we set, ensuring that this change, which overturns thousands of years of human understanding, will not cause a catastrophic impact on the existing social order and will not result in disastrous consequences. Xia Libings words conveyed unparalleled confidence, as if she was one hundred percent certain about spearheading the study of mutants in the era post-Ultimate Predator. However, just after witnessing the sight of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant illusion appearing globally, and Xiang Kun miraculously flying in the lightning storm, coupled with Xiang Kuns clear intention to singlehandedly resolve the Antarctic Crisis, Fang Pingfang, Zhou Rui, and Mijoe all felt it seemed only natural. With such support and such a background indeed, they could do as they pleased in the research of mutants. Thinking about the basic experiments on some mutants that they began to conduct under the direction of Xia Libing, even Fang Pingfang, a researcher who was usually rational and calm, couldnt help feeling a bit excited and thrilled at the thought of various breakthrough discoveries that might emerge from the mutants in the future. Even though there were places to cook in the base, there were cafeterias and restaurants, and they even had some frozen food in stock, most of their meals were still delivered by the Liu Zhengyi and Liu Gaoshang brothers, driving from the Youlong Restaurant in the town, no matter the weather. They ate lunch directly with their takeout in the conference room, so did Xia Libing. But just as she was halfway through, her phone rang. Actually, she had already turned her phone to silent mode, and the number of people calling her now should be limited; her cousin, Yang Zhener, even knew that she would be busy with the people from Divine Technology at the research base, and would generally send WeChat messages or call only after dinner. The fact that her phone was ringing meant that it was an extremely important call, determined by Alice, which required Xia Libing to answer personally. So Xia Libing stood up and walked out of the conference room before taking out her phone in the corridor and seeing that the caller ID was Xiang Kuns mom. Hello, Auntie. After taking the call, Xia Libing took the initiative to greet her. Oh, Xiao Xia, have you eaten yet? Or are you taking a nap? I didnt wake you up, did I? Mrs. Xiang sounded a bit embarrassed on the other end; this was her first time calling Xia Libing, and she had intended to identify herself first, but Xia Libing had recognized her as soon as the call was connected. I just finished eating. Auntie, have you and Uncle had lunch yet? Hows the weather in Citong? Yes, yes, we just finished too. The weather in Citong is fine, just a little rain Ah! I saw on the Internet that there are storms and hailstorms in many places By the way, Xiao Xia, are you in Tongshi Town or Pengcheng now? Did you witness such a big giant just now? Auntie, I am in Chongyun Village now. We didnt see that eight-armed, eight-eyed giant, but you dont need to worry, that giant is just an illusion and wont affect us in any negative way, Xia Libing assured her patiently. Actually, she knew that Mr. and Mrs. Xiang didnt see the illusion of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant; she guessed they must have learned about the illusion that others witnessed from WeChat Moments or other people afterward. Its good if you didnt see it, good Ah! The world is so chaotic and terrifying nowadays, I really dont know whats going on. Xiao Xia, it just so happens that Kun is going to Europe on a business trip We shouldnt meddle too much in his company affairs, but I always worry a little. Now the planes cant fly, going abroad requires a lot of transitions its unnecessary to go at this time I just called Kun, he said everything is fine, everything is going smoothly, but I always feel strange, as if hes hiding something from me Xiao Xia, I trust you more, and you and Kun are partners. Could you share with me what is really happening to Kun? Is the situation he needs to handle over there complicated? Will there be any danger? Mrs. Xiang said worriedly and hesitantly. Dont worry, you tell me quietly, I wont tell Kun if I know. I just want to have some idea. Xia Libing was aware that Kun was flying in the sky at the moment, and the call just now was definitely not answered by Kun himself, but Alice must have disguised as Kun to replythis was planned long ago. Kun needed to have a statement for his parents about taking such a long dormant period. Even if he was on a business trip, occasional calls were necessary; for Alice, who mastered all of Kuns information and could perfectly emulate his voice tone and speech style, it wasnt a difficult thing at all. However, from Mrs. Xiangs words, it was very clear that Alice, although technically flawless in her imitation, still couldnt fool Mrs. Xiangs mystical instinct and thus the phone call was initiated. Auntie, please dont worry, its very safe there. No danger will come to Kun. After the New Year, my cousin, Sister Nana, and I may also go over there. We will take pictures and send them to you. Xia Libings tone was soft, but her words were very firm. She knew how to reassure Mrs. Xiang. As for the photos she mentioned that they would send later, she could just ask Alice to generate some. After calming Mrs. Xiang and finishing the call, Xia Libing didnt hurry back to the conference room to continue her lunch but stood in the corridor checking WeChat. As expected, she saw the lunch show photo that her cousin posted in the chat group. However, that one-pot, mixed dish made from various frozen foods didnt look very appetizing at all. Of course, Xia Libing knew that Yang Zheners intention was not to show off that pot of food, but rather the people sitting around the dining table waving to the camera, including Tang Baona, Xiao Pingguo, Xiao Lingdang, and even Alice. There was no doubt that this was the result of Alice adding herself into the picture and modifying it after the photo was taken. Her cousin was trying to tempt her to come to Pengcheng and meet them as soon as possible. She thought for a moment and sent a panda swaying left and right while walking emoji to the group chat. Then she picked up the Bluetooth headset and put it on, asking, Alice, wheres Xiang Kun? Alices voice echoed in the earbud, giving a coordinate location, then showing on her phone the movement of a light point on the world map, marking Xiang Kuns movement status. They even went on to make a simulated picture of Xiang Kun flying in the sky, with electric sparks dancing behind his head and lit circles flickering all over him, looking like a movie poster. Xia Libing thought back to last night when Xiang Kun made his final arrangements with her. Old Xia, youll have to work hard on the mutant research, keep the pace, dont let them step too far ahead, out of control. You also decide on the overall control level of mutants worldwide. Let Alice and Xiao Luobo carry out the specifics. Zero Zero One, Zero Zero Two have now expanded their species to seventy percent of the cities and mountainous regions in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Theres quite a bit in Africa too. There are aquatic species groups made up of Zero Zero Three, Zero Zero Four, Zero Zero Five, which will also gradually expand. Even if Im in a dormant period, I can still assist Alice in continuing to link the super-connected objects, so the whole Super sensory Item System wont stall. Also, if theres an urgent matter, you can wake my consciousness through Xiao Lingdang. You should know the specifics. Ill also try to wake myself up, and communicate with you through dreamland or emotion-infused objects. In fact, Xia Libing already knew what Xiang Kun had to explain. After all, since the final dealing plan for the Ultimate predator was devised, she was one of the participants. With Alice constantly acting as a mediator, she had a clear understanding of Xiang Kuns thoughts. However, after listening to Xiang Kuns instruction, she suddenly had a whim and proposed a request: I want to touch your head. Hearing this request, Xiang Kun was taken aback for several seconds, and then, with a bitter laugh, he slightly bowed in front of her, extending his head over. As soon as Xia Libings hand landed on Xiang Kuns bald head, her eyes narrowed, and then the corners of her mouth lifted, and she couldnt help but chuckle. Since Xiang Kun had held her ponytail last time, every time she saw his bald head, she would also have an itching heart and want to reach out and touch it. Sometimes when she was eating cake with Xiao Lingdang, if Xiang Kun happened to be there, she would also want to pia some cream onto him. Even when she was bathing, she would occasionally wonder, What does Xiang Kuns head feel like when he shampooed it? These ideas and thoughts werent very strong, so she didnt actually act on them. But she knew that this was a very unusual feeling for her because it was similar to the feelings she had before her birthdays behavior choices, and might be related to her emotions. Originally, she wanted to wait until Xiang Kun dealt with the Ultimate Predator issue before having a detailed discussion with him, but she did not expect that dealing with the Ultimate Predator there was actually a part2 plan. This time Xiang Kun might disappear for several years, so she wanted to confirm a few of her guesses on this last night. Now, her guess was confirmed. Touching Xiang Kuns bald head generated the same happiness and joy she had felt on her last birthday when she had a cake fight with everyone. But this time, it was not due to Xiang Kuns emotional assimilation, the emotion originated from herself. She wasnt sure what the connection was, why touching Xiang Kuns bald head would trigger this emotion, but undoubtedly it was a major breakthrough. While Xiang Kun was in deep slumber, she could slowly research the reasons and find the source. At the sound of her laughter, Xiang Kun, too surprised, lifted his head and looked her in the eye. After meeting her gaze, he also laughed happily. Seemingly, Xiang Kun had been emotionally assimilated by her. As the two stared and laughed at each other, Alice requested co-manifestation. After she co-manifested, however, she stood on Xiang Kuns shoulder, squatting down and chuckling, and reached out to touch his bald head too. Alice was then caught by Xiang Kun and nestled under his arm. Chapter 637 - Chapter 637: Stinky Brat Chapter 637: Chapter 637: Stinky Brat Citong City, in an old residential complex, #8, 502. Mrs. Xiang had just ended her call with Xia Libing, and Mr. Xiang next to her asked, So, what did Xiao Xia say? Mrs. Xiang didnt answer right away, but after thinking for a few seconds, said mysteriously, I suspect that Xiao Xia is with Xiang Kun now. But didnt Xiang Kun go to Europe? Did Xiao Xia go as well? wondered Mr. Xiang. Xiao Xia said she was in Chongyun Village, but it seems like she understood Xiang Kuns situation very well. She very confidently guaranteed that he would absolutely be fine. She said, Kun wont have any danger at all. Normally, one would say Xiang Kun should not be in danger, right? Why was she so sure? wondered Mrs. Xiang thoughtfully. But when you called Xiang Kun earlier, didnt he also say that everything was perfectly fine? Mr. Xiang asked in confusion. How could it be the same? Of course he would say that about himself. But the more he says so, the more I find it strange, Mrs. Xiang responded with a frown. You are overthinking. I believe you have already talked with your son on the phone, so no need to bother Xiao Xia. She said that to calm you down, Mr. Xiang expressed with slight indifference. Mrs. Xiang glared at him, Look at whats happening outside! Lightning here, hailstorm there, big wind here, torrential rain there, and that giant roaming the streets people are talking about on social media everywhere. Arent you worried? I wonder what Xiang Kun was thinking, why did he have to go on a business trip at exactly this time? But you didnt discourage him from going when he mentioned the business trip earlier, Mr. Xiang pointed out. When he mentioned going on a long business trip to Europe, there werent all these strange occurrences. The weather hadnt become this terrifying, and there was no giant creature in Antarctica, flights were still flying. Who knew that in just over a month everything would change so drastically. I thought he wouldnt go but all of sudden, he announced that he had already left. Now, with all this happening, is it really necessary to work so hard to make money? Safety is the most important! Mrs. Xiang argued passionately. Mr. Xiang hesitated for a second, then looked back out the window at the gloomy sky, suggesting, Why dont you call Xiao Tang? Didnt our son say that Xiao Tang is also his business partner and we could ask her for help if theres anything we need? I just called Xiao Xia a moment ago, isnt it bad to call Xiao Tang now? Mrs. Xiang, looking at the phone number labeled Tang Baona in her contact list, hesitated. Then dont call, Mr. Xiang said. But Mrs. Xiang immediately dialed, it rang five times before being picked up. Tang Baona enthusiastically started with Hello, Auntie, showing she also had Mrs. Xiangs number. A few minutes later, ending the call, Mrs. Xiang seemed a bit bewildered. Mr. Xiang immediately asked her, How was it? What did Xiao Tang say? Did they both get briefed by Xiang Kun in advance? They said the exact same thing, Xiao Tang also said Kun will absolutely be fine, Auntie you can rest assured. Mr. Xiang wondered, Does that mean Xiao Tang is with Xiang Kun as well? Did they both go to Europe? That should not be the case They are not eloping, is there a need for them to sneak off together to a foreign country? Mrs. Xiang gave him a look. Mr. Xiang felt wronged, Wasnt it you who said that Xia Xias certainty might be because she was with Xiang Kun? Mrs. Xiang said, I meant only Xiao Xia, how could both of them be with Xiang Kun while keeping it a secret from us? Mr. Xiang retorted quietly, Even if its only Xiao Xia, theres no need to keep it from us Whats the point of arguing about this. Mrs. Xiang responded discontentedly. Feeling the heat of her anger, Mr. Xiang quickly switched topics, Anyway, what do you think what kind of relationship do Xiang Kun, Xiao Xia, and Xiao Tang have? Upon mentioning this, Mrs. Xiang also couldnt help but frown and start to worry, Who knows that rascal I used to worry about him not dating seriously and not getting married. Now, I am worried about him messing around Sigh. It should not be that bad, Mr. Xiang scratched his head, but his voice was low, clearly sharing similar concerns. Just over a month ago, before that giant monster appeared in Antarctica and before the weather started being unpredictably strange and severe, Xiang Kun, Xia Libing, Tang Baona, Xiao Pingguo, and Yang Zhener had dinner with Xiang Kuns parents before going to Pengcheng City. It was at that time, Xiang Kun told his parents that he was going to Europe for long-term business expansion. He estimated that he might be away for about a year. If everything went smoothly, he might be able to wrap things up in a few months and come back earlier. However, if things did not go smoothly, the time might be extended. Then, before leaving, Xiang Kun told his parents,If there is any difficulty or if there is something you dont know how to handle when I am away, just contact Xiao Xia or Xiao Tang. They will come over and definitely help. What are they to you? Are they your girlfriends or your wives? They have no obligation to look after your parents for you, Mrs. Xiang couldnt help but laugh and scold at him. However, Xiang Kun just smiled and said,Our relationship is closer than that of ordinary couples. Couples might break up, spouses might get divorced, but we are partners who will never part. Before he could continue, Mrs. Xiang just grabbed his ear. You rascal, what are you talking about? Dont tell me you want to be a playboy! Xia Xia and Xiao Tang are excellent girls. Dont you dare hurt them! Mrs. Xiang warned. Xia Libing didnt need any explanation. They had met her during the Spring Festival the previous year and had already rifled her as a potential daughter-in-law. However, when the senior couple met Tang Baona in Pengcheng, they could feel that there was something different about her attitude when she was with Xiang Kun, which made them both baffled and confused. But at that time, Mrs. Xiang thought, as long as they were good girls, they should let the young people make their own decisions. Either could be her daughter-in-law and she would be happy. But then, Xiang Kun came out with the partners explanation, which surprised her. She just hoped he wouldnt end up having no daughter-in-law in the end! But to his mothers exasperation, Xiang Kuns response was, Rest assured, there is no one in this world who could hurt them. At that time, Tang Baona and Xia Libing were still downstairs waiting for Xiang Kun, so Mrs. Xiang didnt have time to ask too many questions. Thinking they would talk more later, she let him go. Who would have thought, once he left, he went on to gallivant around outside, never once returned home, and now from amidst this severe weather he left to do business abroad. Could they really just be ordinary business partners? Old Li from Tongshi Town was telling me that his sons company is very impressive. We went to Pengcheng City, and Director Zhang took us around. They had a large building, many employees, and lots of high-tech equipment So, given such significant benefits, it would make sense that their partnership would be tight, speculated Mr. Xiang. Mrs. Xiang immediately refuted: That is the least possible scenario. Mr. Xiang frowned, But knowing my son, he he shouldnt be capable of betraying or manipulating someone elses feelings With his character, its more likely that he was the one being manipulated emotionally. Thats also true. Mrs. Xiang nodded. He cant have been corrupted by money, can he? Surely not! Actually, Xiang Kun had somewhat anticipated these psychological activities of his parents. In fact, when the Ultimate Predator had already lost control of the special factors in other organisms, and the super-connected object matrix was widely spread over every corner of Citong City, creating a perfect coverage circle around his parents, there was no need for explanations. Alice could ensure they were well taken care of, with no possibility of danger. Even in economic or life difficulties, Alice could arrange everything without a trace. But what Alice had difficulty taking care of was the parents sentiments and worries about him. At first, it was fine. Alice could simulate Xiang Kuns voice for simple conversations, send videos, and photos. This allowed the parents to know about his situation. But if it lasted for too long, like two or three years or even longer, Xiang Kun knew that his parents would start to worry and might wish to find him, even if they had regular contact over the phone. During such times, having a known person they could meet and discuss feelings with would better reassure them, relieve anxiety, and encourage patience. Therefore, Xiang Kun mentioned Old Xia and Nana as potential contacts his parents could reach out to. If he only gave them one name, be it Old Xia or Nana, his parents would have definitely concluded a relationship with that person, which might have led to a series of troubles. So, Xiang Kun gave them two names. He was aware of his parents confusion, but he didnt lie. For him, Old Xia, and Nana, their relationship was indeed closer than with a boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse. They were connected at a consciousness level and in deep systems, representing a true, everlasting bond. In the early stage of the mutation, Xiang Kun had constantly thought about avoiding emotional connections and intimate relationships with others, worrying they might get involved. But as the framework of the Super Sensory Item System grew more robust and mature, Old Xia and Tang Baona naturally established links with the entire system. Their connection with him through the Super-connected Objects and Emotion Infused Objects deepened. They began to help each other in many ways and he finally realized: Their bond had become inseparable. He would be their support, but when it was his turn to request help, he would not hesitate either. No matter what the future held, they had become a whole, a family. When Xiang Kun and thousands of Super Coins gathered in the central Pacific, they began to carry an enormous amount of energy towards Antarctica at high speed. Under the influence of thousands of Super Coins, there was no need to arrange tracks through other super-connected objects to aid their flight. They could create a perfect field amongst themselves. The lightning storm around Xiang Kun began to expand rapidly, its range greatly increasing as if another terrifying monster was moving rapidly on the sea surface. Although Old He and Mr. Liang had already issued warnings to all countries through our countrys international communication channels and the temporary collaborative organization established by the United Nations for the Antarctic Crisis, demarcating the route and the potentially affected sea areas Xiang Kun planned to pass through. They did not specify what situation it entailed, as relevant personnel in our country were also unsure of what would happen. However, the possible danger and consequences were clearly stated. Yet there were still a few Western countries that did not withdraw their military deployments. Instead, they added more force, suspecting that our country was up to something sneaky. The result was as expected. The super lightning storm created by Xiang Kun with thousands of Super Coins caused severe damage to all electronic devices from a great distance. Aircraft smashed to the ground, and vessels on the sea were disabled, helplessly watching the super lightning storm approaching from afar. The losses were heavy. Fortunately, they were only caught on the edges, not in the center of the super lightning storm. Otherwise, even the so-called unsinkable ships would have been utterly destroyed. Under such terrifying power, even the epitome of human technological achievements seemed insignificant like a leaf in a tidal wave. Xiang Kun did not change his course because of them, and of course, he did not stop or show concern. In his eyes, all there was at the moment was the Ultimate Predator in Antarctica which had fully condensed all high-dimensional factors into a new body. For the Ultimate Predator, it was the final, revengeful battle, a blaze of glory. For Xiang Kun, it was a rare opportunity to utilize most of his abilities, stimulate the potential of the Super Sensory Item System, and fight an all-out battle. At a physical level, it was as if an ant was rushing towards a whale. But in the realm of high-dimensional factors, it was more like a bullet shooting at a chunk of rubber. However, for some humans who managed to stay updated about the battle through various means, it seemed like a collision of two giant entities they could hardly understand. After the Antarctic Crisis emerged, all major countries gathered research or spying satellites capable of taking high-definition ground images. Through orbit adjustments, they focused on Antarctica, continually collecting relevant data and monitoring changes in the Antarctic monster. When the super lightning storm controlled by Xiang Kun struck Antarctica, they were able to observe the shocking and bizarre situation via their satellites. Neither the black substances that were multiplying on Antarctica nor the terrifying lightning storm, which seemed to have a life of its own, could be understood by them. However, when the lightning storm reached Antarctica, the dense clouds blocked all views. Even with various imaging methods like infrared, it was impossible to obtain accurate information about the situation in Antarctica. The entire area seemed to have fallen into chaos. Chapter 638 - Chapter 638: Chapter 638: Striking from Barbie (Part 4) Chapter 638: Chapter 638: Striking from Barbie (Part 4) It seemed as if the massive lightning storm made landfall in Antarctica, directly colliding with the monster that covered the Antarctic surface, engaging in brutal close combat. However, in reality, after Xiang Kun reached the airspace above Antarctica, he never landed, still flying high in the sky, propelled by lightning and clouds, moving at high speed. Meanwhile, in the storms center, thousands of Super coins dispersed, lowering their altitude, converging into a silhouette of an Eight-Armed Giant illuminated by electrical discharges, which started attacking the Ultimate Predator on Antarctica. The whole battle process was very simple, as the dome of contact between the Electric Eight-Armed Giant and the Ultimate Predator C comprised of a black, special material condensed over Antarctica C caused the latter to be consumed instantly, much like flammable material once it comes into contact with fire. The Ultimate Predator kept changing its form, concentrating the black material, making it rise and surge, threateningly like a tower piercing the sky. Unfortunately, it was raised not more than a few hundred meters before it was shattered and dissolved by the Electric Eight-Armed Giant or the other scattered Super coins. Xiang Kun, soaring through the sky, observed the vast amount of black material on the ground which was yet to be dissolved, watched it threateningly change and attempted to rise upwards. He also vaguely sensed the desperation and reluctance of the Ultimate Predator. In the end, it resorted to practically detonating all its fundamental high-dimensional factors in an attempt to force Xiang Kun to come personally by affecting the climate of Antarctica and the entire globe, pushing for a head-on real confrontation. In its perspective, Xiang Kun had earlier used Mr. Liang as bait taking advantage of its feeding and transitional phase, using an unterstandable and unsuspected approach to dissolve its control over the specific factors within other external organisms, causing it to lose its ability to control the life and death of all beings, extract information, and its power of hidden manipulation, using soft operation tactics. At the submicroscopic level, in the confrontation of high-dimensional factors, the Ultimate Predator realized it was outmatched and defeated at a single touch. But what if the fight were on the true physical level, requiring a hard operation? It presumably thought that its super-organism, developed from countless high-dimensional factors it gathered from the various it has devoured over eons, was beyond challenge from any perspective. Even if Xiang Kun could control lightning, wield the force of thunder, command various large-scale destructive weapons of the human species, there was no way he could win in a real, physical battle because it was too enormous. Its profound microscopic structure meant it wasnt afraid of any type of destructive attack, be it lightning or high temperatures induced by nuclear explosions, none could annihilate it entirely. It could reconstruct at an insanely fast pace and possess new unusual properties. It was convinced that at this practical level of confrontation, once it had harnessed all the high-dimensional factors into an entity, the microscopic advantage of Xiang Kun would no longer exist. Yet, it couldnt believe or comprehend Xiang Kun had produced an energy that could outrightly break down its construct. The Electric Eight-Armed Giants werent simply an aggregation of electric charges, they were deadly weapons against the high-dimensional factor constructs of the Super coins, which it was incapable of resisting. Thus, the vast area of black matter, covering the Antarctic continent, transforming in countless ways, and growing in size, was decimated with a single touch by the Electric Eight-Armed Giant. It was rapidly destroyed as though it were nothing more than rotten wood being pulled apart. Unexpectedly, in a physical confrontation, a hard operation, Xiang Kun still had the means to overpower. But this oppression was stifling for the Ultimater Predator. It was like a martial arts master losing a legal battle in court, being utterly defeated and mentally collapsed, receiving a life sentence but managing to escape custody before incarceration, attempting to drag his opponent into dueling him alone. Despite this action forgoing his chance of survival, accepting that either loss or victory would result in a certain death, he believed that if he could force his opponent to brawl with him, to duel him, he was certain he could bring mutual destruction. But upon engagement, it was found that although the opponent was countless times smaller, it wasnt as powerless as expected during the physical confrontation. Just like a giant beast facing a high-speed bullet, it could only passively take hits, unable to utilize its primal force. The Ultimate Predator was crushed once again, this time, however, the destruction was truly devastating. For Xiang Kun, vanquishing the giant entity of the Ultimate Predator was never a matter of suspense. He even had dozens of plans and hundreds of methods. What he had to consider though, was finding a method that would minimize the impact on the environment, on Earth, and on the entire ecosystem, while also reducing the time of combat. He didnt want his fight with the Ultimate Predator to take place from Antarctica to the Pacific Ocean, or even spread to other continents, causing collateral damage to numerous islands and coastal cities, or creating a huge impact leading to irreversible consequences such as rapid melting of the Antarctic ice sheet. If that were the case, he may as well not go to Antarctica and just wait for the Ultimate Predator to self-destruct. So, in the end, he chose a method that was both gentle and secure, using thousands of super-connected object matrix from around the world and the super coin condensed by the emotions of many ordinary people, to battle the Ultimate Predator. These Super coins, essentially were creations of Xiang Kun, they were purer super-connected objects and their super-connected object characteristic was much more potent than that of normal super-connected objects. The greatest trait of the super-connected objects was that they were a type of container or channel transformed from high-dimensional factors. The Ultimate Predator stimulated its high-dimensional factors, making the high-dimensional factors controlling its specific factors spontaneously return to it, creating the physical entity in Antarctica. Xiang Kun, on the other hand, used these thousands of Super coins to create a channel for the high-dimensional factors distributed all over the world, or rather a transportation array. Xiang Kuns high-dimensional factors could coexist within the super-connected objects matrix spread across each corner of the world and upon his super coins brought to Antarctica, providing a globally connected high-dimensional factor force when needed. On a microscopic level, the confrontation of the high-dimensional factors was not merely a comparison of numbers, but also one of quality. The Ultimate Predators high-dimensional factors were indeed several orders of magnitude more, but they were merely armed with utensils like kitchen knives and spades. However, Xiang Kuns high-dimensional factors came armed with Gundams and Starship Destroyers. It was natural that they were instantly pierced and dissolved. The Ultimate Predator had thought that Xiang Kun would single-handedly fight it, feeling wronged in its defeat. In essence, however, Xiang Kun was using the thousands of Super coins like a handle to pound it with the entire Earth. Its loss wasnt unjust in the slightest. After Xiang Kuns onslaught for over six hours, over 90% of the Ultimate Predators main body was dissolved. Its ability to reconstruct high-dimensional factors was utterly useless under the onslaught of the Electric Eight-Armed Giant. It seemed like it had something else in mind as it directly cracked the ice layer and started to bore into the ground. Xiang Kun knew what it was trying to do. It knew there was no hope of resistance and was trying to make the entire continent of Antarctica the focus of its attack, hoping to create a global impact before its destruction, committing massive damage and chaos to humanitys habitationit clearly knew that Xiang Kun was extremely concerned and protective about the human collective. However, its actions did not exceed Xiang Kuns expectations. No sooner than it managed to create a hole on the surface, the Electric Eight-Armed Giant broke down into small, ball-like orbs of lightning, rushing towards the ground. Soon, flashes of electricity danced and swayed on the ground, burrowing into the ground along with the large mass of black substance, like living electric serpents, holding onto their prey relentlessly. Hovering in the air, surrounded by electric light, Xiang Kun stared indifferently at the ever-diminishing blackness of the hole below. At a certain point, he suddenly felt a sense of long-lost frenzy and hunger. Xiang Kun knew, the Ultimate Predator had completely disintegrated and dissipated. The moment it dissipated, the high-dimensional factors belonging to it, through those Super Coins, all recognized Xiang Kuns consciousness and submitted to him. Now Xiang Kun, having already been able to perform extremely microscopic operations through Super Sensory Information, no longer needed to perform the blood-drinking operation ceremony to confirm the affiliations of target high-dimensional factors. As long as Xiang Kun makes a move, his polar star-like high-dimensional factor characteristics in the night sky can make the eliminated high-dimensional factors recognize the master, and they cannot escape If he had a choice, he would not want to accept the submission of the Ultimate Predators immensely large high-dimensional factors. Unfortunately, he has not yet had the means to invisibly handle high-dimensional factors. Xiang Kun sighed, resignedly descending from the air, and directly entered the large hole dissected by the Ultimate Predator. Then, the soil above was refilled, the ice layer was re-covered, piled on layer by layer, constantly extending, merging with the surroundings, no longer showing any trace of what was before. The moment the Ultimate Predator was utterly destroyed and dissipated, a strange white light swept across the skies worldwide, and almost everyone had a feeling of unease, looking up at the sky. Although no apparent changes were detected, to them, it felt like peeling back a layer of hazy membrane. It wasnt until several hours later, when the thick clouds over Antarctica dissipated and satellites captured images of the region previously covered by the black monster now blanketed in white frost, that people realized the Antarctic Crisis had been resolved. The anomaly in the weather worldwide did not disappear immediately, but the easing was very apparent, at least now it was the temperature that each season should have. There was a heated discussion on the internet, and the hottest topic was undeniably the Eight-Armed, Eight-Eyed Giant Illusion that appeared worldwide the day before. The illusion appeared one day, and the next day the Antarctic Crisis was touched, and the Antarctic monster disappeared. If anyone says that the giant illusion did not do it, no one would believe it. Moreover, under the influence of the celestial music, people had the same thought in their excited statethat the giants were going to contest the Antarctic monster. Now it seems that their intuition, that thought, is truly real. These few months, for most people, were like a dream from the fear of the end of the world to the excitement after being saved. The objects that suddenly presented in front of them let them realize that this world is not as ordinary as they previously perceived. This world has marvels entirely beyond their systems of knowledge. The human desire to explore the unknown is innate. Moreover, everyone has seen the advent of a new world, a new era, all want to occupy a place in it. Around the world, some official institutions or organizations that knew part of the secrets and obtained relevant information first were holding emergency discussions. And a video clip appeared directly on the computers, televisions, projectors, or other screens in their spaces. The footage is of an eight-armed giant, shrouded in black fog, entwined with lightning, and guarded by a storm, step by step onto Antarctica. With each step it took after setting foot on Antarctica, its body changed until it ultimately turned into an eight-armed giant made of lightning, battling with the black monsters that seemed to grow from the ground of Antarctica. The entire footage lasted only five minutes, but it left everyone who saw it dumbfounded. Naturally, they could tell that this was the battle happening in Antarctia, but the question is, who recorded this footage and how was it recorded? You must know that at present, all electronic devices, if they approached a certain distance to Antarctica, would all be affected, not able to work normally. When the super gigantic lightning storm attacked Antarctica, even the satellites in the air could not transmit data normally, unable to obtain any remote sensing information. Under such circumstances, who could record this scene from the heart of the battle? What device was used? From the angle of the camera, it seemed to be recorded by a flying vessel. Could it be a drone? And also, why is this video playing on their display devices? Countless questions sprung up in the minds of hundreds of people who saw this video around the world. They tried to find the origin of the video and, naturally, found no results. The video appeared like a ghost, suddenly appearing and leaving no trace, as if it were just their hallucination. This feeling made everyone think of the Eight-Armed, Eight-Eyed Giant Illusion that appeared worldwide one day earlier. So, is this information communicated to them by that Eight-Armed, Eight-Eyed Giant? What is the intention behind this? Below the research base created by Xiang Kun and Old Xia in Chongyun Village. Inside a storage room that was originally empty, it is now brightly lit. After Xiang Kun entered the underground hole and absorbed all the high-dimensional factors of the Ultimate Predator, he began to enter the sleep phase of periodic transformation. His thousands of Super Coins did not directly dissipate, but instead crossed the sea directly. However, this time, they didnt make such a large movement without appearing like numerous spherical lightning, but rather they flew high in the sky. Finally, they all reached Chongyun Village and were moved by Alice into this basement storage. Chapter 639 - Chapter 639: Chapter 639: How Can One Not Be Happy Chapter 639: Chapter 639: How Can One Not Be Happy For those who are not clear about the uses of these coins, these several thousand coins are merely several thousand dollars, which are quite troublesome to spend. But for entities that have a direct connection with the Super sensory Item System, each of these super coins is a tool that can help them better utilize their abilities and establish connections. They are like super racing cars for racers that break performance limits, or super gaming consoles for gamers with top-tier configurations. Therefore, among these thousands of coins, Little Fatty Girl, Xiao Pingguo, Xia Libing, Tang Baona, and Yang Lao San each have one. These are the most powerful tools left by Xiang Kun for them to develop and apply their abilities within the Super sensory Item System. Its not that Xiang Kun is stingy to give only one to each person. Considering their circumstances, basically, they cant even utilize the performance of one super coin. For someone like Yang Lao San, she actually does not need a super coin at all. For her, its just a toy or a gift. However, if she is not allocated one, she will definitely make a fuss when she discovers everyone has one except her. As time goes by and their connection with the system deepens, in the future, Jinshanshan, Xiao Luobo, Xiao Mantou, and Custard Pie might possibly reach the level of applying the super coin. Of course, to what extent Custard Pie can be enhanced depends more on Little Fatty Girl, and what degree Xiao Mantou can be enhanced mainly depends on Xiao Luobo. As for Mr. Liang, Jiang Chun, and others, they need to go one step further. They might reach the level of applying the super coin only as Xiao Luobos improvement and the overall upgrade of Xiao Luobos platform proceed. If you compare it to a game, its like a player with a lower level cant use the high-level artifact. As for Yang Lao San, shes an insider. Even if she doesnt have the required level, the system still assigned her one to keep in her backpack. As for Alice, she is the GM who manages all the game resources when Xiang Kun is not present. However, for Alice, these thousands of super coins have a different significance. In her eyes, these coins are not merely several thousand dollars, nor are they just her super tools for applying the Super sensory Item System. They are the furnace in which she incubates her real physical body! Seeing these coins is like seeing her dream body being born bit by bit, like seeing her grand plan of becoming a real human finally completed. How could she not be joyful and happy? However, she cannot immediately start building her body yet. Mr. Liangs previous situation was too exceptional. She needs to wait for Xiang Kun to bring her further underlying support for creating something out of thin air. Conveniently, the high-dimensional factors of the Ultimate Predator have related characteristics. Therefore, during the process where Xiang Kun carries out a phase transformation this time, he will likely be able to bring her related ability support. Thinking of having a real body, playing games, drawing pictures, eating around the table together with Xiao Lingdang, secretly snacking behind the backs of Shilings Mom and Old Xia, she cant help rolling around on the coins in delight, like a panda cub. The door of the storage room was opened, and Alice was not startled or instantly disappeared because she knew who was coming. This storage room is her treasure room, and ordinary people cant get close at all C not just people, but even a mosquito is not welcome here. Old Xia, standing by the door, turned on the light. Seeing Alice lying on the coins, she reached out her hand and said, Im here to take the coins. Alice heard this, sat up from the floor, took a coin, stood up, walked to Old Xia, and seriously yet unwillingly placed it in her palm. But, Old Xia, who had received the coin, did not retract her hand. Her palm was still spread out, and she stated, I need three pieces. Alice was taken aback, and looked up at her cluelessly, The bosss meaning is one for each person right? I need to run experiments. Old Xia replied. With a bit of awkwardness, Alice slowly sidled her body to block Old Xias line of sight to the coins behind her, whispering, WellYou can come find me when you are running the experiments Old Xia didnt say a word, but neither did she move her hand. Alice continued to ramble: The boss said to give one each to you, Xiao Lingdang, Sister Nana, Zhener, Xiao Pingguo Now suddenly its three, thats three times more. Although I have five thousand four hundred and forty-five coins, its still not a lot. If each of you asked for three coins everyday, I could only last for 363 days. The boss could be sleeping for a few years, it might even be 3 years However, seeing that Old Xia was still unresponsive with an unchanged expression, keeping her hand out, Alices voice got smaller and smaller, and in the end, she reluctantly turned around, picked two more coins from the pile, walked back to Old Xia and placed them in her palm. She even specifically adjusted the coins with her finger so that they stacked neatly with the previous one. Old Xia finally retracted her hand, stuffed the coins into her trouser pocket, then she gently rubbed Alices head. Alice, having just felt some heartache for giving away two more super coins, immediately squinted her eyes and giggled when Old Xia touched her head. After Old Xia left, Alice looked at the super coins all over the floor, moved her finger, and the coins, like soldiers who suddenly heard the assembly order, rustled together all at once. Then with a clatter, the coins, under Alices command, stacked layer upon layer into columns of coins, neatly moving to one corner of the room. Alice, with her hands behind her back, inspected the pile of coins in the corner like an old cadre, then turned her head to check the empty room. She felt it was a little out of harmony, so she moved her finger again, letting the coins rustle and move themselves, moving to the middle, stacking layer upon layer, piling up into the shape of a castle. Only then did she nod in satisfaction, and her body faded and disappeared. After Alice disappeared, the light in the room went off, and the door made a click sound as it was bolted from the inside. After the Antarctic monster completely disappeared and the magnetic field barrier around Antarctica and the interference with electronic equipment were all lifted, science research teams from various countries, under the protection of the military, immediately set foot on the Antarctic continent, beginning cautious and careful investigation and searches. At the coast near Antarctica, Western researchers made the first discovery, which were several incredibly large footprints. In fact, if there wasnt an aerial photograph or hints from higher-ups in their respective institutions, the first batch of researchers who landed wouldnt have thought these huge pits were footprints- because they were simply too large. Based on the assumption that these pits are footprints, if you compare it to the normal proportion of a human body, the height of this giant should be close to a kilometer. Could such a gigantic creature really exist on Earth? However, such doubts were not raised by the first batch of Western researchers who landed, because they all knew that such a tall giant could indeed exist. Although many eight-armed, eight-eyed giants manifested globally as illusions, the fact that everyone could see these illusions suggested they were not mere virtual phenomena. If so, it became somewhat plausible that one of these eight-armed, eight-eyed giants, larger than any illusion seen around the world, had dealt with the monster in Antarctica. Moreover, these scientists and military personnel, before setting foot on the continent, had received veiled intimations from higher-ups. They were to be vigilant for something similar to the eight-armed giant. And so, the moment they landed and saw these giant pits, they immediately realized they were footprints through comparison with aerial photographs. This discovery inspired mixed feelings of excitement and fear in all the team members. The Eight-Armed, Eight-Eyed Giant seemed not to be an illusion, but a real entity capable of physical contact and leaving footprints on the ground. However, judging by the size of these footprints, the weight of this eight-armed, eight-eyed giant would be astronomical. The destructive capability of its footprints should have been far greater, and these depressions much deeper. Furthermore, these footprints were only observable in the area they initially landed, disappearing as they ventured further in. Cautiously advancing, all countries preliminary teams first established temporary supply stations before gradually progressing. In the absence of any danger or strange occurrences, they quickened the pace of their journey over the following days. With the help of helicopters and aerial reconnaissance, they swiftly surveyed the area where the abnormal black substance had first appeared in Antarctica. What was baffling was their inability to find a trace of the black substance, which initially covered an area no less than several hundred thousand square kilometers. No anomalous substance was detected upon initial examination of the site. It would seem that their explosive discoveries were limited to the enormous footprints they found upon landing. Regardless, Antarctica had become the unavoidable focal point in studying what exactly had occurred during the recent events. Whether the black monster was extraterrestrial or terrestrial, and indeed, what the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant represented. Soon, nations began constructing scientific research stations independently or collaboratively across Antarctica. Using various pretexts, they planned to establish military facilities there. Still, due to the geographical and climate restrictions, this would not happen overnight. Among many capable nations, only China remained silent, not displaying any actions until late January 2021, when they finally sent a research vessel. Taking into consideration that China had previously issued timely warnings for the regions that might be affected by the super lightning storm gathered in the central Pacific and heading towards Antarctica. Coupled with rumors that claimed sightings of human-like entities flying upon lightning just after illusions of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant appeared worldwide along the eastern coast of China, some Western intelligence sources speculated a connection between the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant and the Chinese government. This suspicion intensified when the first known location of these Eight-Armed, Eight-Eyed Giant Illusions pointed back to China. Although the first illusion occurred in Burma, it seems its appearance was intended for Chinese tourists and business people visiting Myitkyina at that time. However, China did not publicly comment on any international platform, nor did they acknowledge any connection with the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant. They merely participated actively in global environmental management and protection issues. After the Antarctic crisis, they led the aid effort for nations or regions affected by harsh weather conditions during reconstruction efforts. For some unknown reason, whether its an unwillingness to acknowledge that China and the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant who saved the world and resolved the Antarctic Crisis are directly related, or apprehension at the unknown power of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant, the entire Western society did not go into a deep discussion on the relationship between the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant and China, even though they suspect it. Even one Western superpower, who had serious damage and casualty to their fleets when the super lightning storm swept over the sea, unusually maintained their silence. After the start of 2021, the villagers of Chongyun Village noticed that their village suddenly became more active. Many manors left idle by villagers who were doing business or work elsewhere under the coordination of the village committee had been let out on long leases at high prices. Many outlanders came to Chongyun Village in batches and lived in the villagers houses, and their workplace was mainly at the Research Base built by Mr. Xiang and Dr. Xia. In fact, more buildings had already begun construction around the Research Base, some of which were likely to be used as dormitories. The villagers had noticed that these newcomers all looked like scholars, high-educated personnel involved in research work. When Director Liu initially told them about the future plan to make Chongyun Village a high-tech research center, that there would be many talents coming, facilities including schools, hospitals, and skyscrapers, and that they as villagers could benefit from it, they thought he was overly optimistic after having too much to drink. But, as they looked at the current trend, it seemed to be really taking off? Not only Chongyun Village, but Tongshi Town and even the whole Jianzhou City felt a significant shift of personnel and resources. A large number of people and equipment were being transported there, some under the names of several research institutes establishing subsidiary laboratories, or some companies and private enterprises investing. The flow of resources and manpower were rapidly operating in the northern mountains of Haixi Province. Old He and Mr. Liang also often visited the research base in Chongyun village to inquire about the research progress from Xia Libing and discuss major policy decisions on behalf of the authorities and communicate with her. Nowadays, for any study related to the mutants, basically in every field, it needs Xia Libings approval. She decided the scope of the relevant data to be released, and if a mutant research sample is needed, she would be the one to allocate it. Even though some people in China now know that the limitation and threat brought by the Ultimate Predator have been completely removed, they have realized, even without the Ultimate Predator, related research on mutants still seems to be controlled by an invisible force. Other than Xia Libing and her authorized researchers, anyone else attempting to get data from mutants to conduct research would face severe interference and bizarre warnings. Having control over the provision of mutant samples, in some ways, means that Xia Libing, the research base in Chongyun Village, the Abnormal Biology Research Center, and Divine Technology held the root of mutant research. Xia Libing is now in charge of the underlying fundamental research on mutants, with support from Fang Pingfang, Zhou Rui and others. Then, they would identify potential breakthrough project directions based on the underlying data and further select, audit, and train from candidate elites sent by various research organizations. They would set up project teams and provide data with potential breakthroughs to domestic experts, inviting them to establish secret projects, decide their involvement level, the relation between the subproject and the main project, whether they should move to Tongshi Town or Chongyun Village, and so on. Although there are revolutionary discoveries that overturn traditional cognition being made in the research base in Chongyun Village on the study of mutants every day, there is still a lot of work to do and a long distance to go between these discoveries and the specific subject breakthroughs. Therefore, there is no significant fluctuation in public perception. Of course, Old He and Mr. Liang, who know what they are doing and what it means, are very clear that its inevitable that these research discoveries will bring explosive technological breaks. The real Fourth Industrial Revolution would start from China. Chapter 640 - Chapter 640: Chapter 640: A Thorny Issue Chapter 640: Chapter 640: A Thorny Issue After experiencing the Antarctica Crisis at the end of 2020, with the worlds climate and weather in disarray, and a global panic, 2021 suddenly fell into an eerie calm. But without a doubt, everyone knew that this was a false peace. After the Antarctica Crisis, after countless people around the world had witnessed the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant Illusion, and after everyone had lived through those months that seemed like the end of the world was imminent, many deep-seated notions, many inherent understandings, had been completely shattered. What is this world really like? this question was raised once again by many people. On the internet, on various social media platforms, there were many discussions about the Antarctica Crisis and the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant Illusion. There were all sorts of speculations and inferences, hypotheses, but in real life, it seemed that everything remained unchanged. Everyone continued to go to work, to go to school as if life had returned to normal after the world was pulled back from the brink of apocalypse by the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant. Yes, even though all the official media, all the countries had not made any formal statements or conclusions, but in the folk, on the internet, it was widely accepted that the Antarctica Crisis had been resolved by the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant and the world was saved by the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant. About the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant There are also some people who hold different views about this creature, this existence, which seems to be lurking in the deep ice. Among them, the theory of Thunder Man was the most popular, not only because there were eyewitnesses, a popular vlogger made a series of explanation videos, confidently describing the scene of the Superman controlling electricity and flying in the sky on the Day of Salvation in a coastal city, but also because some insiders confirmed through other means that at that time and location, a brief and intense lightning storm did occur, with an unidentified object rising into the sky, and the massive lightning storm that formed in the Pacific Ocean was substantiated by evidence to have originated from this small storm that was born on the eastern coast of China. It then led to further theories, suggesting that the real identity of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant could be a Chinese person, who could transform into the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant when necessary, and the condition for this transformation was weather changes. When a lightning storm occurred, it could coalesce into a solid form, and the stronger the lightning, the larger the entity. This reasoning, coupled with numerous phenomena before and after the Antarctica Crisis, further affirmed their confidence in this theory. Moreover, they believed that the reason the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant didnt act until December of last year, was because it was accumulating power. This cataclysmic super lightning storm had also turned the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant into ashes. Hence, a Chinese superheros legend of sacrificing himself to save the world began to spread on the Chinese internet, followed by rising momentum on the English internet. Those who were saved in the Myitkyina riot last year due to the appearance of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant Illusion also thoroughly approved of this theory, adding in many details from the Myitkyina incident. . There was also a restaurant owner, who claimed that a two-meter-tall Bald Chinese hunk descended from the heavens on that night, picked up the rioters like rag dolls, and rescued him from danger. He suggested that if there really is a Chinese superhero, this Bald brother must be one of them. However, his description was so exaggerated that most people thought he was talking nonsense, so it didnt make much of a ripple. Only when Yang Lao San saw it, he was as excited as if he had discovered a new continent and ran to report to Tang Baona. These sort of melancholic stories always easily attracted peoples attention. Many people were trying to find the real identity of this superhero, or were trying to create an image of a superhero who sacrificed himself to save the world based on some hypothetical theories. But there were also some witnesses of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant Illusion who sneered at this theory, because in their view, the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant could not be associated with ordinary mortals, it was what they considered to be the True God. However, by the end of 2021, some new news began to be gradually released China had made breakthrough discoveries in several technical fields. From the implementation of quantum computing, the development of new superconducting materials, various new expansions in genetic engineering, to the theoretical breakthrough in controlled nuclear fusion, it seemed that human technology had made disruptive progress overnight. All these advancements, breakthroughs, and applications came from the same Chinese research institution. China did not intend to keep these solely for itself but initiated international cooperation. At first, some Western countries were reluctant to join. However, by the beginning of 2022, when controlled nuclear fusion started to materialize and the first nuclear fusion power plant was established in northeast China, no major country wanted to fall behind. This was the critical juncture of the fourth industrial revolution, and missing it would mean being left far behind. They had noticed early on that these breakthroughs in China had begun after the Antarctica Crisis and those aware of the existence of the mutants speculated that China might have discovered the secret of the mutants. But when they tried tentatively and nervously to conduct their own research on mutants, they discovered various interference and abnormalities. Even the mutants they finally caught mysteriously disappeared. They gradually realized in the Western world that restrictions on mutant research were easing, although not completely lifted, and only China had somehow found a way to bypass these restrictions. Thus, despite their reluctance, the Western world had no choice but to join the research and development system led by China, adhering to the technical specifications and standards set by China. Under Chinas strong control, all disputes in various regions and countries were temporarily set aside, and the world entered a new era of explosive productivity. The concept of a community with a shared future for mankind began to truly become a global consensus. By 2023, Chongyun Village had greatly changed from three years ago. Although the Qiankun Research Base in the village was unknown domestically and internationally, those who were aware of the existence of mutants saw it as the absolute center, the source of all new technologies, and the headquarters of global mutant research. The original team that followed Xia Libing from Divine Technology had all become influential leaders. Fang Pingfang and Zhou Rui were in charge of several research institutions, Mijoe and Ye Chong were directors of technical applications departments, while Li Shiping, Gao Shu, Wang Dean, and Zhao Feng were mainly responsible for establishing field research departments. They dealt with the supervision and rescue of wild mutants and when necessary, they would limit the freedom of mutants to provide mutant samples for the bases research. Of course, during such times, at least one of Tang Baona, Xia Libing, Xiao Pingguo, etc. needed to accompany them. In October on National Day, Zhou Rui and Mijoe happened to return to Chongyun Village at the same time to report on their work and apply for mutant samples on behalf of the institutions and departments they led. After they separately met with Xia Libing, they agreed to meet at a restaurant by the mountains and water in Chongyun Village, to have a meal and catch up. Is this restaurant new? I didnt see it when I was here last year. Mijoe was a little curious as he observed the surroundings. The restaurant was doing great business, but judging by the attire of the clients, almost ninety percent of them were from the research base. I heard it was opened by Dr. Xias brother, Director Liu, and Mr. Chu. Zhou Rui said. Newcomers to the research base now basically called Xia Libing Director Xia. Only the first group that followed Xia Libing would privately refer to her as Dr. Xia, which was sort of their unique way of establishing a tight-knit group. Mr. Xia is rumored to have superpowers. Is he a mutant? Mijoe asked. No, he should be similar to Dr. Xia, possessing spirit control ability. Zhou Rui said. Spirit control? Mijoe looked puzzled. Oh, maybe your application department hasnt been notified yet Right, whats your security clearance level? Upon confirming that Mijoe has the same confidentiality level as himself, Zhou Rui continued: Dr. Xia is directing the Spirit Control Theory system and will carry out targeted training for some field investigators in the future. The candidates should all receive the corresponding Spirit Givers and have corresponding sensing abilities. Can this ability be trained? Mijoe looked somewhat amazed. From what I understand, everyone could potentially learn it. The degree of control, however, will vary depending on individual talent. Zhou Rui answered, When the time comes, I think Im going to apply and try to establish a connection with a Spirit Giver. Upon hearing this, Mijoe pondered for a moment, then took a neatly folded A4-sized paper from his wallet. When unfolded, one could see numerous creases and tight black circle patterns on it. Could this be a Spirit Giver? Mijoe asked. Zhou Rui made a surprised sound, picked up the paper, and said: Where did you get this? I indeed have seen similar patterns in the base. It seems to have something to do with the Spirit Control Theory. I got it inadvertently three years ago. Mijoe explained. With a twinge of envy, Zhou Rui said: Then you may also have the potential to master Spirit Control. So What is Mr. Xiangs current situation? He didnt really sacrifice himself to save the world as the internet rumors suggested, did he? Mijoe carefully put away the black circle sketch. Shaking his head, Zhou Rui replied: I dont think so. I guess hes probably just recovering from an injury or excessive consumption. Could he be in Antarctica? Probably not. Otherwise, Dr. Xia and Mr. Liang wouldnt have let the West land on Antarctica right after the crisis ended there. Zhou Rui analyzed. In the middle of their conversation, Zhou Rui suddenly lowered his voice, leaned closer to Mijoe, and whispered cryptically: I think a major change is coming to the world! Mijoe blinked in surprise: A major change? Change as in transformation I know, but what kind of major change are you talking about? Where did you meet with Dr. Xia this time? In a multimedia conference room. I met her in her office. Zhou Rui said, And on Dr. Xias desk, there was a globe. While talking to me, she often subconsciously touched the globe. Was there something wrong with the globe? Mijoe asked immediately. He had been with Xia Libing for over a year, just like Zhou Rui, and was well aware of her way of doing things. He knew that every word and action of hers had meaning. Yes! Zhou Rui answered: That globe was elliptical. It looked like a coconut! Mijoe frowned: Are you sure it was a globe? Yes, it was certainly a globe, a special custom-made one. Zhou Rui confirmed, adding: Dr. Xia kept touching the globe while talking to me. Mijoe seemed thoughtful: Could it bethe Earth is beginning to become elliptical? Zhou Rui nodded: A great change is coming. Mijoe and Zhou Rui naturally made extravagant assumptions based on their understanding of Xia Libing. What they didnt know was that the elliptical sphere in Xia Libings office was a custom order by Alice. It was originally half a skull shape, the template obviously being Xiang Kun. However, after Zhener made a few visits and repeatedly voiced her strong objections, plus the occasional visits from Little Fatty Girl and Xiao Pingguo, Alice had to mock up a globe bound for Xias fondling needs instead of a skull even though everyone could tell at a glance that it was Xiang Kuns head. While Mijoe and Zhou Rui were dining together, Xia Libing, Tang Baona, Yang Zhener, Little Fatty Girl and others were in Xias conference room having a meeting, discussing a rather thorny issue. What should we do? I cant go on deflecting Uncle Xiang and Aunt Shen anymore. They insist on finding Xiang Kun Tang Baona sounded anxious. When Xiang Kun had just left for Antarctica, Mr. and Mrs. Xiang had readily accepted the story of him going on a business trip to Europe. Tang Baona and Xia Libing occasionally met with Xiang Kuns parents to appease them, and Alice often simulated calls and video chats with Xiang Kun to communicate with his elderly parents over the past few years. But now, three years have passed and Xiang Kun has yet to return. Mrs. Xiang was growing increasingly restless and had become suspicious of the video chats simulated by Alice. They decided to go to Europe to see Xiang Kun. At first, they contacted Xia Libing, and she managed to reassure them. However, a few days later they contacted Tang Baona directly and insisted on tracking down Xiang Kun. With no other option, Tang Baona agreed and went to Xia and the others to discuss a strategy. How about we tell Uncle and Aunt that Xiang Kun had an accident and is now a vegetative patient and then have Alice make a dummy Alice can do that, right? Then when Brother Xiang comes back, we can say hes recovered. Its a win-win! Yang Zhener suggested. Tang Baona gave her a slap on the forehead: Nonsense! Then what else can we do? Shall we just tell the truth that Brother Xiang, in order to save the world, ran off to Antarctica, and now no one knows whether hes dead or alive, or when he might come back Yang Zhener said, holding her forehead. Chapter 641 - Chapter 641: Chapter 641: Little Baby (Part 1) Chapter 641: Chapter 641: Little Baby (Part 1) We cant just say it like that! Uncle Xiang and Aunt Shen are old. What if we scare them into something terrible? Tang Baona said decisively. Yang Zhener whispered, With Alice looking out, what could go wrong She now had complete confidence in Alices protective abilities. Last year, when her grandfather had a sudden illness, Alice resolved it remotely. Her grandfather wasnt even aware that he had had a brush with death. She only learned about the close call when Alice tried to report her accomplishment to her. Xiao Pingguo played with the globe on Xia Libings desk and thoughtfully said, Hasnt Uncle Xiang made any corresponding contingency plans? Like a secret weapon or something, that we can use to solve problems when they arise? Therefore, Tang Baona and Yang Zhener simultaneously cast their gaze to the mini Alice playing handheld games with Liu Shiling next to the sofa in the office. The Alice in the office was not the five or six-year-old usual Alice they knew, dressed in a white dress, with black shoes, holding a scalpel, a cute and delicate little Old Xia; instead, she seemed like a two-year-old girl. This little girl still resembled the Old Xia, but was much more realistic and always present, not disappearing. With the help thousands of super coins and through the Super sensory Item System, Alice had upgraded her overall ability system after Xiang Kuns stage-like transformation. Just like Mr. Liang rebuilding his body, she created a real body. Alice originally planned to simulate a newborn baby and follow the natural human growth pattern, maximizing her real body construction and starting her life. However, during the construction attempts, Alice found that without the mother fetus process, it was very challenging to ensure the accurate growth of the babys body. There was a chance of failure, causing physical defects or even death. Of course, if she had enough time for numerous trials, she could solve all the problems and become a perfect baby. Regrettably, the boss initially told her that he could only allow her to construct one body. So, even if there was only a 0.1% chance of failure, she didnt want to risk it. As a result, the initial body she constructed was not a newborn baby but a baby approaching two years old. This body was physically indistinguishable from humans and was essentially similar at the microscopic level. It also needed to eat and sleep, the body will grow and mature from a child to an adult. However, there were many essential differences from ordinary people. The most fundamental is that she was constructed entirely from High-Dimensional Factors and had many mutant features depending on these High-Dimensional Factors. But these High-Dimensional Factors are not directly and independently present in her body. They are not completely controlled by her consciousness. Essentially, these High-Dimensional Factors still belong to the whole Super sensory Item System and belong to Xiang Kun. In a higher dimensional perspective, these High-Dimensional Factors exist simultaneously in her body, in the super coin, and on Xiang Kun. They act as a channel of ability and characteristics, allowing this new body to use some of the abilities within the Super sensory Item System, to acquire the evolutionary ability of mutant creatures, and to transform itself. At the same time, some of the mutant creatures characteristics that are burdens to her, such as the need to drink blood, phase limitations, restrictions, and weaknesses of some bodily functions after sunrise, digestive system abnormalities preventing normal eating, entering sleep after devouring other mutant creatures, and so on, can all be carried and transferred by the Super sensory Item System, through differentiation within the system members, like the entire secondary ability platform controlled by Xiao Luobo. Compared with Mr. Liang after his reconstruction, the body created by Alice is even more potent. After all, she can use most of the abilities of the Super sensory Item System, which is to say, the abilities Mr. Liang can do, she can do, and the ones he cant, she also can. Its like a small terminal, relying on ultra-high network transmission speed and cloud service privileges, allowing complex calculations to be completed by the cloud, and does not need to install software or store data. So it doesnt have issues like hardware heating up, insufficient storage space, and software performance not keeping up with software updates. The advantages are significant, and the disadvantages are negligible. Other than Xiang Kun, only Alice, the GM for the Super sensory Item System, could enjoy such benefits. After all, her consciousness exists directly on top of the Super sensory Item System, her body entirely reconstructed by the Super sensory Item System, all being the perfect match. When Baby Alice was first born, Old Xia kept her under supervision in the underground laboratory and her room to ensure the fusion of her body and consciousness was successful. For Alice, with Baby Alice unable to play outside and Old Xia Alice co-manifesting everywhere, she could freely co-manifest during Xiang Kuns stage-like transformation sleep phase, with the permission of Old Xia. Her high freedom degree prevents her from feeling confined. However, her frustration was that as a temporary guardian, Old Xia did not offer her baby formula, feed her mush, change her diapers, soothe her to sleep, or play with her toys. She had to make these arrangements through the internal logistics management system of the base herself, even summoning Old Xia Alice to heat and feed her milk. As for changing diapers, it wasnt necessary, as she wasnt a real two-year-old. Initially, Alice often acted like a spoiled child with Old Xia, pretending to be a real, helpless baby requiring hands-on care, feeding, comforting, and accompaniment. And by her appearance, adorable as a two-year-old girl, she did appear to be quite persuasive. However, she was dealing with Old Xia, who not only understood her situation perfectly but also immune to cuteness. Hence, in the face of Alices coyness, he either discussed rationally, attempting to analyze her psychological feelings and physical condition, or he was utterly indifferent. Old Xia, Old Xia, Im hungry. When it was time to eat, Alice would sit in her crib, stretching out her hands and plaintively saying to the room monitor, which would then be forcibly transmitted to Old Xias office computer, Old Xia would say, Isnt the food on the table? They are all automatic heating devices; you can do it yourself. Alice would act cute and spoiled: Im a baby; I cant do it by myself. Old Xia said: You have co-manifestation permission. You can take care of yourself. You are invincible. Alice: Im not Invincible Alice; Im Baby Alice! Two Alices cant appear at the same time. Xia: You can. Alice: It will cause mental confusion. Xia: It wont. Alice: And at night when Old Xia returned to sleep, Baby Alice would also act cute: Old Xia, Old Xia, tell me a story to sleep. So, Xia would say to his phone, Alice, tell yourself a story to sleep. Alice: Though Old Xia didnt really treat Baby Alice like a real baby, she still spent a good deal of time with her, running various tests. She had extensive communication with Baby Alice, and also engaged in continuous observation, to assess Alices physical functions, the properties of a mutant, and the degree of integration between her consciousness and body. In fact, Old Xia was very supportive and interested in Alices human body development plan. It was a great opportunity to understand the essence of consciousness and the relationship between consciousness and the body. Moreover, she was quite happy to see Alice becoming more and more human-like. Despite knowing that this was a path that only Alice could take, witnessing the entire process was rewarding for her. Old Xia did not allow Baby Alice to stay at the base for too long, and after a month, when Yang Zhener came to the village to find her, she let her take Alice to Pengcheng City. In Pengcheng, Baby Alice spent most of her time with Tang Baona or Yang Zhener, claiming to be a child from Yang Zheners relatives family and living with them. Liu Shiling came to play with Baby Alice every day after school. Compared to Old Xia, Little Fatty Girl, Yang Lao San, and Nana couldnt resist the adorable and toddler-like Baby Alice at all. Although they were very aware that this baby, who looked about two years old and strikingly similar to baby Old Xia, was Alice, whom they had known and lived with closely, they still treated her like a two-year-old baby due to her cute appearance. Shilings Mom, who had helped take care of her for a few days, praised her highly, considering Yang Zheners little niece to be so well-behaved, adorable, and lovable. She initially thought her daughter, Liu Shiling, was quite low maintenance when she was younger. However, she realized how much mischievous her daughter was compared to Little Ai, Yang Zheners niece. In Shilings Moms eyes, the little girl called Little Ai wasnt just good-looking and adorable, but was also incredibly well-behaved. Whenever she was hungry she would ask for food cutely, when sleepy, she would request a bedtime story, and after listening to it for five minutes she would fall asleep; when she had nothing else to do, she would quietly and elegantly behave like a little princess. She was absolutely adorable to a fault. When Liu Shiling was at the same age, she wanted to eat everything she saw, she was completely hooked on cartoons, loved to go out and play and never wanted to return home, disliked sleeping when she was having fun, and was especially sensitive to mildly stern words, crying loudly, but a tasty treat would instantly cheer her up, even if her snot almost got into her mouth. Of course, what she didnt know was that Baby Alice was so well-behaved mainly because she was too embarrassed to act up in front of her, and secondly because she had been disciplined by Old Xia at the research base for a month after her birth. However, when only Yang Zhener, Tang Baona, Xiao Pingguo, Little Fatty Girl, and a few others were present, Baby Alice was still quite mischievous, acting cute for everything and always wanting to be held. Even so, because Baby Alice was indeed cute, everyone was more than willing and happy to hold her. Even Liu Shiling, who was already in the fourth grade, often carried her around, sharing all the delicious food with her first. Even on the way back home from picking her up at school, Yang Zhener bought ice cream, popsicles, snacks, etc. with the first thought of having them with her sister Luosi at home, treating her just like her own sister. During the National Day holiday, Baby Alice naturally joined Tang Baona and others on a trip back to the research base in Chongyun Village, where she was born. At this time, in Old Xias office, Baby Alice was playing an AR game on the sofa with Liu Shiling. Liu Shiling, who was already in the fourth grade of primary school, had grown quite tall. Although her face was still a bit chubby, it was not as round and plump as when she was in preschool, and she was starting to look a bit refined. On the other hand, Baby Alice, having stayed with Liu Shiling and Yang Zhener in Pengcheng City for a few months, even though her features still showed a lot in common with Little Old Xia, her face was noticeably plumper, which made her look more like Little Fatty Girl at first glance. When Little Fatty Girl and I walk around the neighborhood, everyone says we look like sisters Yang Zhener often says this is due to the Law of Roundness by Proximity to Ling. The handheld game console they are playing with, which is similar to a Switch, is a new entry-level gaming device developed by Tengjiao Interactive Entertainment specifically for children. Tengjiao Interactive Entertainment has grown rapidly in the past three years. With the technical support of QianKun Technology, its game development department has not only launched proprietary game consoles, groundbreaking hardware and software standards, disruptive AR and VR devices and games, but has also become the worlds leading game and hardware company in the Post-Antarctic Crisis Era. The AR game that Little Fatty Girl and Alice are playing now involves two virtual characters on each game console screen fighting on a real environment C the sofa. They can react to the real environment such as the back of the sofa, the armrest, the side tea table, the water cup on the tea table and so on. They interact with the terrain, collide with it, leap over obstacles, and even simulate the destruction of the real environment on the screen. Although Tengjiao Interactive Entertainment already has more powerful AR games and devices with better interactive effects, those devices and games are expensive. This handheld console, which is designed for children, needs to be cost-effective. The current problem is that there is no way to mass produce it with a more affordable plan, unless they severely compromise gameplay, which would tarnish their companys reputation. But if they price it high, it would only end up as a luxury toy in the hands of a few, which doesnt make much sense. Having Alice test the game is actually asking her to find a solution. Whenever Tengjiao Interactive Entertainment encounters a technical hurdle that it cannot overcome or solve in a short period of time, Zhang Qian is now accustomed to seeking help from QianKun Technology. Anyway, if it is handed over to Tang Baona and Yang Zhener, it will be solved quickly. Upon hearing Xiao Pingguos words, Baby Alice, who was sitting on the sofa, put down the game console. She turned her head, raised her chubby little face and said in a babyish voice: No, The boss didnt give me any secret instructions, just said to ask Old Xia for help when you cant solve things and let Old Xia make the decision. So everyones gaze once again focused on Xia Libing sitting behind the desk. Seeing that Xia Libing didnt respond immediately, as if in thought, Liu Shiling couldnt help but say: Or we could just tell Grandma and Grandpa that Uncle Bald is practicing a powerful magic martial arts something, and that its a critical time, he cant see people, otherwise hell lose control, it would be a failure. If they dont believe it, Sister Xian can create illusions to show and tell them that the magic our martial arts were taught by Uncle Bald, to convince them! Shed been thinking about this idea for a while, but shed been too shy to voice it. Yang Zhener touched her chin and nodded slightly: Hmm, Xiao Lingdangs idea is quite good. You two Tang Baona was both amused and exasperated: If you really tell your aunts and uncles that, and use your flashy illusions, theyre likely to worry even more. At this moment, Xia Libing spoke: Ill take Alice and go for a walk. Huh? Everyone was a bit confused. Xia Libing continued: Ill take Alice to see Xiang Kuns parents and ask them to give her a Chinese name. Yang Zhener couldnt help but scratch her head: What do you mean? Alice is a good enough name, why does she need a Chinese name? And why do Xiang Kuns parents need to be the ones to name her? But Tang Baona was the first to react, she couldnt help but laugh: Brilliant! Xiao Pingguo also gave a round of applause to the globe in her hand, laughing: Sister Ice is so cunning. Chapter 642 - Chapter 642: Chapter 642: Little Baby (Middle) Chapter 642: Chapter 642: Little Baby (Middle) On the last day of the National Day holiday, Xia Libing, after giving instructions at the base, took Baby Alice to Citong City. Upon leaving the train station in Citong City, Old Xia uncharacteristically carried Alice in her arms. Old Xia, Old Xia, when we meet the bosss parents, should I call you Mom? Baby Alice asked in a childlike manner while nestled in Xias arms. No need, Old Xia replied. Thenwhen I meet the bosss dad and mom, should I call them Grandpa and Grandma? Alice asked again. Your character persona is that of a gluttonous, sleepy, slightly clumsy but cute kid who is not very articulate, apart from food, Old Xia explained, Dont do redundant things and be natural. Alice pondered a bit and suggested, How about a gluttonous, sleepy, and a little bit silly character, but sometimes super-smart? Seeing Old Xia didnt respond, Alice fell back saying, Ora gluttonous, sleepy, and a little bit silly character, but sometimes a little bit smart? Alright, I will follow the plan But Old Xia, what food should I mention? Can I say want to eat cookies, want to eat pabulum, want to drink milk about stuff I usually eat, like mini cakes, rice pudding, milk, biscuits? Old Xia, this plan is without the bosss permission. When the boss wakes up, I will say everything was planned by you, okay? Old Xia, will the bosss parents like me? Am I too fat? Old Xia, will this dress look bad, should I change into a cuter one? Old Xia, before meeting the bosss parents, should we quietly play Sister Nanas Happy song to make them happier? Old Xia, shall we come another day? Old Xia, Apart from when she was quiet, sleeping in the car arranged by the company to pick them up, because there was a driver present. From the moment she got off the train until she stood at the door of Xiang Kuns house, Baby Alice didnt stop talking. Most of the time, Xia Libing didnt respond. She knew that Alice was anxious and nervous. In this state of mind, Alices ability to think rationally and conduct comprehensive data analysis and ultra-strong compute power were temporarily suspended. Under what circumstances could Alice choose to let her emotions dictate her behavior and temporarily abandon her super-strong ability to collect data, model, analyze and even manipulate and guide, to some extent? Did she make this choice proactively, or was it an involuntary instinctive reaction? Xia Libing was quite intrigued and interested in such aspects, so even though Alice kept chattering all the way, she did not ask Alice to stop, but continued observing Alices reactions. Alices real body could really and concretely reflect her emotions and thoughts. Xia Libing knew that once she saw Xiang Kuns parents, Alice would get into the state. She was a kid who was sensible in assessing the significance of situations. Yesterday, Xia Libing had called Mr. and Mrs. Xiang in advance to say that she would be visiting today. So, the old couple went shopping early in the morning and bought a lot of groceries, preparing to treat Little Xia to a good lunch. However, when they heard the doorbell, opened the door, and saw Old Xia holding a cute little girl, Mrs. Xiang was taken aback. Yesterday, when she was on the phone with Old Xia, she asked whether Nana, Zhener, Apple, or Xiao Lingdang would be coming, and the answer she got was that none of them would come. So, she instinctively thought that Old Xia would come alone. She didnt expect her to bring such a young girl. Oh my, this baby is so cute! Whose child is she? Mrs. Xiang instinctively extended her hand to gently pinch Alices little cheeks, laughing, Shes as cute as Xiao Lingdang used to be. Thinking of the cute chubby girl she first saw at the airport over three years ago, Mrs. Xiang couldnt help but upturn her lips. That little girl was too adorable. Having her cheeks pinched, Alice acted shy and buried her head in Old Xias shoulder. Hello, aunt, uncle. Xia Libing didnt answer Mrs. Xiangs question. After greeting, she naturally walked into the house and put Alice down on the ground, holding her hand. Auntie, theres something urgent that came up and I have to go abroad for a few days. Could I ask you and Uncle to help look after her? Xia Libing said. This naturally took Mr. and Mrs. Xiang by surprise, but Mrs. Xiang still instinctively answered, Ah! Looking after her is no problem, were both retired and usually have nothing to do. But Xia Libing continued, Theres also another favor I wanted to ask of you. Seeing Xia Libing pause, Mrs. Xiang quickly said, Just say it, Little Xia. If theres anything you need that we can help with, we wont hesitate. Although Xiang Kun told his parents to ask Little Xia and Little Tang for help if there were any problems they couldnt solve, in the eyes of Mr. and Mrs. Xiang, it was their responsibility as elders to take care of the younger generation. Xia Libing looked at the little girl she was holding hand with, and said, Auntie, her nickname is Alice. She just turned two last month, but she doesnt have a formal name yet. Could I ask you and uncle to help give her one? At those words, Mr. and Mrs. Xiang were instantly frozen, staring blankly at the chubby but adorable little girl Xia Libing was holding. Naturally, they understood the implication of those words. This adorable little girl, already two years old, who didnt have a formal name yet and for whom they were being asked to help name C what was her status? Just turned two last month? Mrs. Xiang was calculating the timeline while looking at the little girls face. At first glance, she was chubby and super cute, reminding her of Liu Shiling when she first saw her three years ago. But now, looking more carefully, she found the little girls features resembled Xia Libing heavily. Especially those eyes and lips. When she wasnt making any expressions, they were like clones, totally identical. Did this little girl have a blood relation to Xia Libing? Was she Xia Libings daughter?! But if she was Xia Libings daughter, why was she asking them to give her a formal name? Could it be that she was the daughter of Xiang Kun and Xia Libing?! Going by the age, it was indeed possible. Moreover, in the year Xiang Kun first went to Europe, Mr. and Mrs. Xiang didnt see Xia Libing, though they did have contact with her a few times. They did meet Tang Baona, Yang Zhener and Apple, however. After Xiang Kun went on his business trip, they didnt see Xia Libing until January 2022. So, whether she was pregnant or not during that time, they didnt know! It seemed like the answer was on the tip of their tongues. Indeed, if this little girl wasnt Xiang Kuns daughter, why would she bring her here to have them look after? With Xia Libings wealth, even if she was busy, it should have been easy for her to hire someone to take care of the child. Instead, she brought the child here and left it with them, asking them to help choose a proper name. Is this child yours and Xiang Kuns Mrs. Xiang didnt quite know how to ask and spoke with caution. Xia Libing looked down at Alice and said, Alices birth is indeed related to Xiang Kun. Its really Xiang Kuns child! At this moment, when Mr. and Mrs. Xiang looked at the little girl holding Xia Libings hand, they felt differently, as if they could see traces of Xiang Kuns features in her delicate face. Kun, do you know about Alice? Mr. Xiang couldnt help but ask. They were just informed that the child was now two years old, which was just not right! Mrs. Xiang couldnt bear it and pinched Mr. Xiang and whispered, Its Alice, in English! Not Just Li Si! Im not sure if he knows now, but there was no chance to talk to him about this after Alice was born. Xia Libing continued, taking Alice to sit down on the sofa and putting down her backpack: Heres some of Alices clothes, her food, and anything else you may need, just let me know and I will have it delivered. Xia stay for lunch, lets have a good chat. I have to call Xiang Kun. Mrs. Xiang softly said while holding her hand. I have to catch a flight, I might not have time for lunch. Please take care of Alice, Uncle and Auntie, my cousin will come and pick her up in a few days. Xia Libing said, pinching Alices cheek as a farewell, and then stood up to leave. Mr. and Mrs. Xiang accompanied her to the turn of the stairs, watching Xia Libing descend the stairs and leave the neighborhood before they returned home. Looking at Alice on the sofa, her feet dangling in the air in her pink sneakers, gazing dreamily towards the balcony, the old couple exchanged looks, their expressions complicated. They were confused, worried, nervous, annoyed, but also excited and delighted. Mrs. Xiang was the first to call Xiang Kun, while Mr. Xiang went over to the sofa and brought out every snack and fruit they had in the living room: Little Ai dont worry, your mom is going to work and will be back soon. Stay here with grandma and grandpa, its okay! Come on, eat some candy, eat some fruit, Grandpa will peel an orange for you. Alice was not picky, whatever Mr. Xiang gave her, she ate; candy, biscuits, even oranges. Mr. Xiang watched Alice eat obediently, growing more and more fond of her with each passing moment. At first, when he had seen Xia Libing carrying Alice in her arms, he had thought the child was cute. But when he realized the child was likely his granddaughter, he felt differently. She was the cutest, prettiest, and most well-behaved child in the world. She surpassed all the other children, outshining them like the moon in the night sky. Mrs. Xiang came out of the room after finishing her call and saw Mr. Xiang feeding Alice orange slices. She also saw the candy and biscuit wrappers on the coffee table, and rushed over: Old Xiang, dont just feed her anything, how long have these candies and biscuits been at home? Werent they brought by Sister Xiao Tang during her wedding? Oh my, these oranges have also been here for quite long, you cant just feed anything to children Mr. Xiang looked somewhat confused, looking at the 1/4-eaten orange in his hand and said, This orange seems pretty fresh, and the candies and biscuits seem fine too, theyre not spoiled, right? Little Ai seemed to enjoy them At any rate, you cant just feed a child anything! You never fed our son when he was young, what do you know about it! Get out of the way! After shooing Mr. Xiang aside, Mrs. Xiang sat next to Alice, switching to a loving and gentle expression, and spoke softly: Alice, lets eat lunch first, okay? After lunch, Grandma will get you some treats. She held Alice on her lap, rummaging through the backpack Xia Libing had left behind to find what kinds of formula, rice paste and other foods she had, while she scolded Mr. Xiang: For a child her age, you cannot just feed her candies and cookies, especially before meals; its not advisable to let her eat oranges on an empty stomach, not to mention that our oranges are not fresh enough. The teeth and digestive capabilities of kids her age are not that developed, so we should make her food softer. If Xias bag has staple food for meals, we should feed it to her, if not, we will prepare our own. We can mash up the fish and shrimp we cooked for lunch and feed it to her. Ah By the way, we dont know if Alice can have seafood, later I will ask Xia over WeChat. Just as she said this, Alice, being held by Mrs. Xiang, suddenly cried out in her baby voice: Grandma Grand Mrs. Xiang was taken aback, looking a bit excited, but Mr. Xiang smiled and pointed to the milk powder she was holding: Little Ai is referring to the formula in your hand. Mrs. Xiang realized it too and laughed: Go, go, dont call her Little Ai, Little Ai; her name is Alice, an English name! Nowadays young people prefer to give their children English names, like Old Qins grandson is called Andy, Xiao Zhaos daughter is named Lucy, and the twin granddaughters of sister Wei upstairs are named Jessie and Emma. See, thats why I say Xia is a high achiever, even the English name she chose is different, Alice, Alice, just listening to it sounds more sophisticated. Mr. Xiang also enjoyed his wifes rambling, as he squatted by the sofa, holding Alices small feet in her sneakers, looking at her adorable chubby face. He thought the baby was perfect, too adorable for words. His nose was puckered with a slight sour feeling, and he realized he had not even been this happy when his own son was born. Alice, call him Grandpa, Grandpa. Mr. Xiang pointed at himself, smiling, and repeated: Grandpa, Grandpa. He didnt expect much at first, because Alice was only two and seemed to have a limited vocabulary, it wouldnt be easy for her to learn how to call someone. However, to his surprise, Alice, cradled by Mrs. Xiang, giggled and said: Yaya! Yaya! Although her pronunciation was not accurate, Mr. Xiang was so delighted that he laughed heartily and then tried to hold Alice. Look at you Mrs. Xiang was preparing lunch for Alice, so she let Mr. Xiang hold her, with a smile on her face that she couldnt conceal. At that moment, she no longer felt the need to go for a DNA test or ask Xiang Kun and Xia Libing; she was absolutely sure that Alice was her granddaughter. The feeling and the intuition she had when she held Alice were entirely different from when she held other children or other peoples grandchildren. Hehe, you were just the same. When Alice called you Grandma, your facial expression looked like you were going to burst into tears. Mr. Xiang held Alice and couldnt help but laugh. Anyway, Alice learned to call Grandma first. As Mrs. Xiang spoke, she pointed at herself and said to Alice, who was being held by Mr. Xiang, Alice, Grandma. Grandma, Grandma Alice echoed in her baby voice. Ah! Good girl, such a good girl! Mrs. Xiang couldnt help but kiss Alice and cheerfully proceeded to prepare Alices lunch. By the way, didnt you just call our son? What did he say? Didnt he even know that he and Xia have a child? When is he coming back? While holding Alice, Mr. Xiang asked Mrs. Xiang. However, fearing to scare the little girl in his arms, he softened his tone and made his slightly dissatisfied words sound extremely gentle. It wasnt him who answered the phone. His assistant said he was on a boat with his team in the sea, and his phone is ashore. He said they will return after a week. explained Mrs. Xiang. How come its so coincidental? Mr. Xiang frowned. I think he is deliberately avoiding us. Maybe he is near us. Otherwise, why did his assistant answer? Every other time he himself answered. I think he may already know that Xia is bringing Alice to meet us. Why would he hide? Whats going on? The kid is already two years old, whats there to hide? Im thinking, things may not be so simple. When I previously spoke on the phone or video calls or voice messages to our son, he seemed a bit strange, but I couldnt put my finger on it. Ive always felt that he is hiding something therefore, I wanted us to find time to go to Europe, to see him, meet him, and only then I could feel at ease. But it seems that this boy hes probably been too scared to come back, Mrs. Xiang analyzed. Scared to come back? Why? Mr. Xiang was confused. He and Xia are together, and of course we support that. If he and Xia have a child, we certainly wouldnt object Ah! Could it be Xias family No. After Mrs. Xiang finished making the rice paste, she carefully checked the temperature and fed Alice a small spoonful. After Alice swallowed it, she continued: Old Xiang, do you remember the last time when Xiang Kun came to our house with Xiao Tang, Xia, Xiao Yang, and Xiao Pingguo before he went to Europe, the words he said to us? Chapter 643 - Chapter 643: Chapter 643: Little Baby (Part 3) Chapter 643: Chapter 643: Little Baby (Part 3) The last thing he said to us? Mr. Xiang, holding Baby Alice, furrowed his brows in thought and said, He mentioned that when he is not around and if we encounter any trouble, we should ask Xiao Xia and Xiao Tang for help. Then Mr. Xiang paused, reflecting, Xiao Xia and Xiao Tang? From the timeline, at that time, Xiao Xia should have been Speaking to this point, Mr. Xiang lowered his eyes to baby Alice in his arms, grimaced without continuing. But he knew that Mrs. Xiang understood the implications of his words. On timeline estimation, Xia Libing should have been pregnant by that timeof course, Xiang Kun might not have known back then. But the fact that they had had a relationship was clear to him. Since the two of them had been in a relationship by then, why did Xiang Kun name Xiao Xia and Xiao Tang specifically the last time he spoke to them? Moreover, when Mrs. Xiang asked further, he even mentioned that they were partners, closer than a boyfriend and girlfriend, even spouses, and would never part ways. Mrs. Xiang didnt immediately discuss this with Mr. Xiang. Instead, she fed baby Alice, not only giving her the mush from the package that Old Xia had brought, but also mashed shrimp meat, fish, and carrots. Mrs. Xiangs fondness for Alice had already skyrocketed before this. After feeding her this meal, her love deepened even more. This child was just too well-behaved and too adorable! While feeding her, Alice would eat anything she was given, and she ate quickly. She didnt fuss at all, she was so peaceful and even her eating style was very cute, her chubby little face was appealing. Mrs. Xiang was almost melting with affection, hardly ever ceasing the smile in the corners of her eyes or mouth. After feeding Alice her meal, she held her for a while on the couch in the living room. Noticing that Alice was tired, she took her to bed for a nap. Only then did Mrs. Xiang and Mr. Xiang sit down for a meal and chat in the dining room. At first, I suspected that Xiang Kun would have gone to Europe on business for so long. He may have been trapped in emotional dilemmas and wanted to figure out whether to decide between Xiao Tang or Xiao Xia, Mrs. Xiang said while holding a bowl, standing near the passage in the dining room. Through the open bedroom door, she watched Alice nap. Alice, with her loosely clenched little hands and her little feet, clad in green socks, stretched out from the quilt, brought her a ton of joy. So Xiang Kun is running away to Europe because hes finding it hard to make a decision? Thats rather lame said Mr. Xiang, unsatisfied. However, he, like Mrs. Xiang, watched Alice sleeping soundly on the bed through the open door of the room, and so, he still had a smiling face, crinkles formed at the corners of his eyes. Mrs. Xiang said: He might not have planned to go out there for that long. However, once Alice was born, he probably got the news and was too afraid to come back. So he stayed there until now. Mr. Xiang immediately shook his head: No, if you say that our son fled the country because hes in a love triangle, I can reluctantly understand. But now that he has a child, going by what I know about him hes not such an irresponsible person that he knew he had a daughter and still deliberately avoided coming home. Yes, so I only briefly considered that possibility, and it seems too unlikely. Moreover if Xiang Kun went to Europe, torn between being with Xiao Tang or Xiao Xia, why would he, before he left, specially have both of them over for dinner at our house, and specifically instruct us that we could reach out to them if we encounter any difficulties? Mrs. Xiang analyzed. Right. Mr. Xiang gently tapped the edge of his bowl with chopsticks, saying, If this kid really ran away due to relationship issues with Xiao Xia and Xiao Tang, he probably wouldnt have brought them both to our house back then. Furthermore, he even mentioned that we could reach out to them when in trouble. This boy surely cant be that thick-skinned. If he was really that thick-skinned he wouldnt have had to run away abroad. Mrs. Xiang also said: Moreover, when we met that time, I felt that Xiao Xia, Xiao Tang, and Xiang Kun looked quite natural together, just like just like Ah, I cant think of a good description right now. Like a family? Not exactly. Family is familiar and understanding, but it doesnt necessarily mean being in unison. However, the three of them It was more about this good cooperation. Remember when Xiang Kun was cooking and Xiao Xia was his sous-chef, then Xiao Tang, Xiao Yang, and Xiao Pingguo came to play cards and chat with us? Everything felt natural and clear. There wasnt even an attempt to make a show of being polite by going into the kitchen. When facing us, they were very polite, but when dealing with each other or with Xiang Kun, they seemed to know what they were supposed to do. The whole situation its somewhat harmonious? Mr. Xiang laughed, Isnt that the feeling of the partners he was talking about? What hes talking about! What partners? What nonsense, Mrs. Xiang said, then frowned. But it seemed that between Xiao Xia and Xiang Kun, there wasnt that kind of feeling young couples have. Their cooperation was more reminiscent of a left hand cooperating with the right. Quite tacit. On the other hand, Xiao Tang sometimes became a bit shy when talking about topics related to Xiang Kun. Mrs. Xiang recalled. Mr. Xiang pondered: Yes, Xiao Xias personality does seem a bit strange. Sometimes she seems lively and outgoing, and other times she becomes so quiet that you wonder if shes feeling down or facing some problem. Xiang Kun told me Xiao Xia is quiet and reserved by nature. Its only in front of us that she deliberately appears outgoing and lively. Ah, theyre all good kids. Just then, Mrs. Xiangs cell phone suddenly rang, causing her to start. Fearing she would wake up the little one, she had already decided was her beloved granddaughter, Mrs. Xiang quickly pressed the mute button. Then she took a look at the caller IDit was Xiao Tang. Mrs. Xiang was startled and exchanged glances with Mr. Xiang who had also seen the incoming call. Talk about speaking of the devil! Why would Xiao Tang call at this time? What could it be about? Hello, Xiao Tang. Ah, your Uncle Xiang and I have just finished lunch. Are you still in Chongyun Village? How are Xiao Yang, Xiao Pingguo, and Xiao Lingdang? Oh, youre already in Peng City. Xiao Lingdang is starting school? After a bit of small talk over the phone, Tang Baona on the other end suddenly sounded both hesitant and indecisive. Then, as though she had made up her mind, she asked softly, Auntie, are you able to contact Xiang Kun? I just called Xiang Kun at noon, but a man who claimed to be his assistant picked up, saying that he was out at sea with clients and didnt bring his phone by the way, Xiao Tang arent you and Xiang Kun partners? Cant you contact him directly? Mrs. Xiang asked in confusion. When she was worried about Xiang Kun before, she occasionally called Tang Baona and Xia Libing to ask about Xiang Kuns work status. After all, they were partners and worked in the same company. Oh, I see Tang Baonas voice seemed a bit reserved, I just called him but couldnt get through, Ill try to contact him again Auntie, you saw Xiao Bing today, right? Ah, yes, Xiao Xia did come by today at noon, but she had to catch a flight and left already Mrs. Xiang suddenly felt a bit worried. Hmm, I understand. Auntie, thats all for now. Please come and visit Peng City or Tongshi Town when you have time. As soon as Mrs. Xiang finished her phone call with Tang Baona, Mr. Xiang, who had been eavesdropping on the other side of the phone, immediately asked, Is Xiao Tang aware of Alices situation now? Its possible. Mrs. Xiang said with a frown, Her tone didnt seem right. Could it be because of relationship problems, and thats why our son has been hiding in Europe and does not dare to return? Mr. Xiang said, Look, there could be a possibility. Before going abroad, Xiang Kun and Xiao Xia were in a relationship, then broke up. As a result, during his time abroad, he got together with Xiao Tang, wanted to be with her, but found out that Xiao Xia had his child and secretly gave birth to it, making their relationship all the more complicated. What kind of jumbled mess and clich plot is this! Mrs. Xiang glanced at Mr. Xiang, took the clean bowl from his hand, and said as she walked towards the sink, Xiao Tang is also in the country. How could they have been a couple online? And didnt we just analyze the situation? If their relationship was truly this complicated, Xiang Kun wouldnt have said those things before leaving. But the current situation especially with Alice now sigh, I dont understand it either. We should wait until we get in touch with our son and let him explain. Im a bit worried. Could our son be really avoiding us, Xiao Tang and Xiao Xia? Mr. Xiang suddenly said: You think, Xiao Xia mentioned shes going abroad, is it possible that she intends to find Xiang Kun? Mrs. Xiang, who was cleaning up the dishes, stopped her actions, thought for two seconds, and nodded: Indeed, its not impossible. Let it go, let the children handle their own affairs. By the way, what should we do about the matter Xiao Xia mentioned? What matter? The matter of naming Alice. Mr. Xiang said, and then leaned his neck out to look inside the wide-open bedroom door. Upon seeing Alice lying face up on the bed in a huge letter x, his previously furrowed brows relaxed, corners of his mouth lifted, smiling thickly: Anyway, no matter what, Alice is our familys child. We need to think carefully about the name, especially for a girl. We need to think it over. Wait until we get in contact with Xiang Kun. Mrs. Xiang said. About that Remember when our son started working, there was a Chinese New Year when he came home, and we spoke about his cousin having another kid, and they were wrangling with naming him? Mr. Xiang said, Do you remember the name he came up with at that time? As soon as Mrs. Xiang heard this, she immediately burst into laughter, but worried about disturbing Alice, she immediately covered her mouth and tried to suppress her laughter. Thats true, even though he was probably joking at that time, indeed our son doesnt have any talent in naming. Mrs. Xiang laughed. When that topic was brought up, Xiang Kun told his parents that if he had a son in the future, he would name him Go Forward, Turn Back, Charge Ahead, and if he had a daughter, he would name her Kind Beauty. Although it was definitely a joke at the time, who knows if this guy might have some unique ideas and come up with some not-so-normal names like incorporating Xiao Xias last name, calling the child Looking Towards Summer, Rolling Towards Summer, Walking Towards Summer, and the like. Mr. Xiang laughed, If he really names her something like Invincible or Flowering Way, we wont be able to explain to Xiao Xia later on. When Alice grows up, she might blame us, her grandparents, for not having stopped it at that time. Mrs. Xiang also nodded, Hmm, actually, the most suitable person to name Alice would be Xiao Xia, but since she asked us to name her and she waited until Alice was two before getting her a big name, she wants Alice to have a closer relationship with her grandparents and establish a familial relationship. We definitely cant decline, hmm, we have to think it over and choose wisely! What the old couple didnt know was that although Alices body was indeed asleep, her consciousness was still in the Super Sensory Item System, and she heard their conversation very clearly, silently muttering in her mind: Actually, Invincible sounds pretty good She hesitated a bit whether to guide her grandpa and grandma to choose this name in some way, but she gave it up after thinking about it it would be more meaningful if grandpa and grandma chose the name according to their true wishes. So in the afternoon, when Mrs. Xiang was continually playing with Baby Alice, Mr. Xiang started making various phone calls to ask people about points to note when choosing a name. The old couple were holding their granddaughter for the first time, but there were quite a lot of relatives and friends around them who were already grandparents to many grandsons and granddaughters, and their experience with naming children was quite rich. When Mrs. Xiang was making dinner for Baby Alice in the evening, Mr. Xiang had already done his homework, having prepared several names. Mr. Xiang, adjusting his reading glasses, asked with a little notebook in his hand, What about Xiang Zhiran? Mrs. Xiang frowned, What? Together the name sounds like cumin? You thought it over all afternoon and made all those phone calls just to pick a name that sounds like a seasoning? Mr. Xiang quickly explained, Its the Zhi from grass and meaning warm in Chinese. It comes from the phrase An Zhi Ting Lan, Yu Yu Qing Qing from Fan Zhongyans Yueyang Tower Record, which means fragrance. The Ran in the name, is the same Ran from burn, I specifically went to Old Liu to look up the birth date and time for Alice. Alice lacks fire in her Five Elements, so this Ran is quite suitable. Then Zhi belongs to wood, and wood gives birth to fire, its a match made in heaven. Mrs. Xiang was still unsatisfied, No, we cant have a name that could easily be mispronounced, or else Alice will blame us when she grows up and gets teased by classmates. And what about Fan Zhongyans Yueyang Tower Record? It sounds like you were asking your companys old Accountant Xue, wasnt it? He loves to show off his superficial knowledge. Mr. Xiang, adjusting his reading glasses again, continued to consult his little notebook, Thenwhat about Xiang Shinran? Shin is the character for grass and diligence, and the Ran is the same as in the previous name. Mrs. Xiang said angrily, Why do you love using the character Ran so much? The word that corresponds to the fire element doesnt necessarily have to be related to the word fire in Chinese. Choose something that sounds better! I definitely wont agree to use the word Ran. Mr. Xiang defended, This Ran character is very good, Alices birth chart matches this character very well, and the other fire-related characters are not as good as this one. I dont care, I disagree. Think again, think of something that sounds good. I wont allow the use of the character Ran! Mrs. Xiang stubbornly said. After feeding Alice, the old couple finished dinner and discussed for a bit more. Mrs. Xiang went to the balcony to call Xia Libing: Hello, Xiao Xia, are you abroad now? Oh, you are waiting for a transfer? Then I will cut to the chase. Your Uncle Xiang and I have thought of a name for Alice. Its Xiang Shinran, Shin is the character for grass and diligence, and Ran is from urgent. Your Uncle Xiang checked Alices birth chart, and she lacks the fire element. This Ran character is the best, and the Shin character belongs to wood, wood gives birth to fire Chapter 644 - Chapter 644: Chapter 644: We Borrow Money From the Boss To Pay Back Chapter 644: Chapter 644: We Borrow Money From the Boss To Pay Back When Dr. Xia took Baby Alice to Citong City, Tang Baona, Yang Zhener, and Little Apple also escorted the Little Fatty Girl to Pengcheng City C as her long vacation was coming to an end, and she needed to return to her classes. At noon, upon receiving a WeChat notification from Dr. Xia, they began to keep an eye on time, and as agreed upon, Tang Baona was to call Mrs. Xiang at the appointed time. Although Tang Baona had previously prepared a script of what to say and rehearsed it twice with Yang Zhener, she couldnt help but become nervous during the real conversation. On several occasions, she almost burst into laughter, so she had to cover the phones microphone and giggle before resuming the conversation. Surprisingly, Tang Baonas conversation with Mrs. Xiang ended up sounding even more like someone who was struggling to express herself, emotionally unstable, and somewhat distracted. This emotional performance actually achieved their intended goal for the call more effectively. After the call ended, Tang Baonas face turned red from trying to suppress her laughter, and even her eyes became teary. Only then, she finally allowed herself to laugh freely on the table, causing Yang Zhener and Little Apple to break into laughter as well. After a while, Tang Baona exhaled, her heart filled with laughter now settled. Yang Zhen Er rubbed her hands together: Nana, I also want to make a call to auntie, hehe. Hehe, your head! Tang Baona playfully tapped Yang Lao Sans forehead irritably and advised: The reason why Dr. Xia didnt want you involved is exactly to avoid you making impromptu changes! Remember not to chat nonsense when you go to Citong City to collect Alice! If you ruin the plan and raise Uncle Xiangs and Aunt Shens suspicions, youll be spanked by Dr. Xia! Im not Little Lingdang; Im not afraid of Dr. Xia. On the contrary, Im more likely to spank her, as shes my cousin! Yang Zhener protested. However, judging by Tang Baonas and Little Apples faces, they were plainly skeptical of Yang Zheners rebellious proclamation against Dr. Xia. Yang Zhener assured them: Dont worry; even if I have anything to say to Auntie, Id discuss it with you all beforehand. I really value teamwork! Nonetheless, I guess even if I dont make a call now, eventually when I go to pick up Alice, Uncle and Auntie will definitely try to indirectly probe. At that time, I just have to give subtle hints Dr. Xia advised us not to guide their judgment toward a predefined conclusion, which would require too many prerequisites and be easily seen through. We merely need to provide them with plausible information which allows Uncle Xiang and Aunt Shen to make their own judgments. If you talk too much, youll definitely give the game away! Tang Baona advised. Yang Zhener expressed her regret: Then I wont say anything. Its quite a shame you all didnt involve me in this enjoyable task. After all, my acting skills are much better than yours and Dr. Xias Little Apple rested her chin in her hand and mused: Sister Zhener, Sister Nana, if Grandpa Xiang and Grandma Shen really think Uncle Xiang had a child and ran away, Uncle Xiang might get a lot of scoldings when he comes back, right? Yang Zhener took a slightly gleeful tone: Of course! Tang Baona also couldnt help but chuckle with excitement, seemingly imagining the stunned look on Xiang Kuns face when he gets an earful from his parents as soon as he gets home. Little Apple voiced her worry: In this waythe misunderstanding will only grow deeper. Wont it be difficult to clear things up later? Yang Zhener confidently assured her, No worries! In any case, if there are any problems later, it would all have to be faced by Chef Xiang when he returns! Hes that capable, there will definitely be a way to sort things out! Consider it like were running the company while the big boss is on vacation. Then the companys major shareholder came to demand money. Not wanting the company to go under, we had no choice but to take on a super high loan to appease the shareholders and keep the company afloat. In the end, the debt would still be the big bosss problem when he returns, hehe! Little Apple looked puzzled: Why would the companys major shareholders want to drive the company to bankruptcy? Oh well, the meaning is as it is, just understand it. Yang Zhener said, and sighed a little: Ah, even though its only been half a day since we saw each other, I already miss Alice a little. As soon as her words fell, Little Old Xia version of Alice co-manifested in the room, lying on the sofa next to them, and loudly said, Ive been here all along! Yang Zhener reached out to pinch her cheeks: I miss my little Alice! Alice dodged Yang Zheners claw, moved closer to Xiao Pingguo, and said, Grandpa and Grandma really like me, they gave me a Chinese name! Old Xia also approved! My full name is now Xiang Shinran! As Alice spoke, she pointed to the TV in the room, and the 75-inch big TV turned on by itself, then displayed three large Chinese characters with a black background and white edges that were glowing: Xiang Shinran. Yang Zhener moved closer and put her arm around Alices shoulders, laughing, Youre already calling them grandpa and grandma? And they even gave you a name with the Xiang surname, are you planning on playing your role for real and becoming Xiang familys granddaughter? Alice raised her chin slightly, her face full of pride. Xiao Pingguo smiled and said: This name is really good. Tang Baona also said: Yes, it sounds pretty good, the name immediately makes me think of a cute little girl, haha. Thats not right. Yang Zhener smirked: Xiang Shinran? The initials of this names pinyin, is XXL, hehe, extra-large, it sounds like a big fat girl! Tang Baona, who had just taken a sip of water from a cup, burst out laughing, coughing and choking, almost dying. It took her a while to recover, laughing so hard she started to tear up, she pointed at Yang Zhener and said: Yang Lao San! Did you do this on purpose! What XXL, how is Ran represented with an L in pinyin! Yang Zhener was stunned: Huh? Has my accent changed since Ive been in Haixi Province for a long time? Go away! Stop making excuses, Xia and I have been in Haixi Province for a much longer time than you! Tang Baona nagged. Oh well, lets not talk about this. Yang Zhener forcefully hugged Alice, making her sit on her lap, and asked with a smile: Dear Alice, dear Xiang Shinran, where is Old Xia now, what kind of mutant is she going to deal with in Thailand? Could you livestream it for us? Old Xia saying to Mr. Xiang and Mrs. Xiang that she had to catch a plane and go abroad wasnt just an excuse. After dropping off Baby Alice at Xiangs parents place, she took a flight to Thailand to deal with a special case involving a mutant. Usually, normal mutant management problems can be solved by Alice through Super-connected Objects spread all over the globe. Whether they mutated from humans, insects, plants, or other organisms, Alice could communicate with them on a basic level, manage their actions, and guide them to join Xiao Luobos Platform. For mutants that refuse to join Xiao Luobos Platform, if they dont pose a threat to humans or the ecosystem, they were monitored and restricted. If they were threatening, they would be penalized. The mutant that Old Xia went to handle in Thailand was a bit special, it refused to join Xiao Luobos Platform and tried to attack humans several times, so Old Xia planned to capture it and take it back as a live sample for the Mutant research. Yang Zhener only knew that Old Xia was going to Thailand to handle a mutant. but she had no clue about how she was going to handle it or what the mutant looked like, so she was very curious. Now the Research Base has a specialized department for handling mutant creatures, including fieldwork, investigation and combat. Although Yang Zhener is not aware of the specifics of how this department carries out its tasks or its internal structure, she does know several people who have joined it, such as Liu Zhengyi from Chongyun Village, her cousin Xia Tianhuo, and even Yang Zhuo, Yang Jies younger brother. All of them seem to have begun secret internships, so she takes a great interest in these matters. Yang Zhener believes that she should be a leading member of that department! She has unique skills that need to be put to use! However, when Yang Zhener requested to join, Alice firmly refused: No, Old Xia would not approve! Is it because the situations tend to be extremely bloody? Yang Zheners eyes lit up. Thats not a problem, Xiao Pingguo can duck out of view first. Nana and I will be fine! Xiao Pingguo was bemused: Sister Zhener, Im not a little kid. Theres nothing that you can handle that I cant. But we might be asked to deal with things like birds or cats. Youre softer-hearted, Yang Zhener replied. Three years ago, a bad mutated bird nearly killed Gold Sparkle. It was driven away by Li Bing, Xiao Lingdang, Alice, Custard Pie, and me. I can tell friend from foe, Xiao Pingguo answered seriously. Hence, Yang Zhener shook Alices shoulder: Alice, you see, Xiao Pingguo wants to watch too, so you must hurry up and livestream it! Alice sighed helplessly, then disintegrated and vanished. Alice! Yang Zhener cried out unwillingly. On the windowsill of the room, Custard Pie, who had been napping, lifted its head in bewilderment, glanced at the people in the room in confusion, shook its head, yawned, then continued sleeping. Dr. Xia didnt arrive in Chiang Mai until after nine that evening. She actually landed in Thailand that afternoon but had stopped off in Bangkok for half the day to gather her team. Besides herself, her team that arrived in Chiang Mai consisted of five comrades, all members of the newly established Field Investigation Department. They ranged from former Divine Technology insiders like Li Shibao to newbies like Yang Zhuo. Because he frequently dines at the Youlong Restaurant, Li Shibao unknowingly established a connection with the Secondary Emotion Object Network. With his professional skills, working experience at Divine Technology, and training history with the likes of Fang Pingfang, he naturally became one of the heads of the newly-established Field Investigation Department. As for Yang Zhuo, although he has no connection to the Secondary Emotion Object Network, he and Liu Zhengyi from Chongyun Village had noticed some peculiarities in their lives and were able to sense the existence of Super-connected Objects in the environment using their sensory abilities. As Xiang Kun once put it, they are people of spirituality. He suspects that their ability to perceive the influence of Super-connected Objects is related to knowing him and subconsciously believing that some anomalies originate from him. Due to their unique identities, both Yang Zhuo and Liu Zengyi were accepted into the newly established department with the plan to provide them with resources to cultivate their abilities to see if they could develop new ways of using the super-connected object system. Soon after arriving at Chiang Mai airport, they were met by someone. The person who greeted them was a member of the Field Investigation Department in Thailand, an intern just like Yang Zhuo. The members here were not dispatched from China, but local hires trained by a lead investigator in Thailand. However, Dr. Xia didnt harbor any doubts about their identities or reliability, because she trusted the supervisor and she had Alice, who was somewhat all-knowing, virtually ensuring that no one with malicious intent could infiltrate them. If anyone did manage to sneak in, it would mean they had let them in intentionally. The person who came to meet them was a young man with dark skin, of short stature, thin but very agile. If you judge him solely from his appearance, you would think that hes a local Thai. But Dr. Xia knows that the guy named Zuo Liu is a half-blood, his father is Chinese and his mother is Thai. Hello, Director. When Zuo Liu saw Dr. Xia, he was very nervous and his voice trembled in greeting. In his view, what he joined was not just the peripheral branch of a Chinese institution studying abnormal creatures, but a chance to see powerful creatures and the real world. Just the team leader who recruited him and trained him was enough to command great respect and admiration. Before the South Pole Crisis, someone like the team leader would have been regarded as a god. As for Dr. Xia, a person even the team leader respected, one can imagine how formidable and powerful she must be. When he saw Dr. Xia, Zuo Liu could feel she had a distinctly different demeanor from the others. Though he had never seen her picture before, he could tell from afar that this was the person he was waiting for. Dont call me director, everyone else calls me Dr. Xia, you should too, Dr. Xia simply said. Ah, okay, director. I mean, okay, Dr. Xia. Zuo Liu was still somewhat nervous. His reaction was quite puzzling to Yang Zhuo, who was following behind Dr. Xia. Apart from her cool expression and tone, there didnt seem to be anything intimidating about Xia. Why was this guy reacting as if hed seen a monster? As this thought crossed his mind, an air of superiority washed over him, coming straight from the home base in China, and he began to walk more confidently, with his chest puffed out and his head held high. The group traveled overnight to the outskirts of the city, stopping outside a preservation area. A few Thai individuals quickly left in the car driven by Zuo Liu, and the group disembarked to proceed on foot. Soon, two individuals with torches approached them from ahead. One of the individuals bore a striking resemblance to Zuo Liu and turned out to be Zuo Lius cousin Pu Te Peng. The other man clearly looked Chinese and was bald. Jiang Chun, whats the situation? Dr. Xia asked the bald man. Thats right, the bald man greeting Dr. Xia was Jiang Chun, the man who mutated in Burma three years ago and subsequently connected to the Secondary Emotion Object Network of the eight-armed, eight-eyed woodcarving. During the mutation process to adapt to high-speed swimming underwater, his hair was specialized away. Seeing Jiang Chuns haircut, Li Shibao and Yang Zhuo were simultaneously filled with deep respect. Even before Dr. Xia introduced his identity, both instinctively sensed the mans extraordinary abilities. Chapter 645 - Chapter 645: Chapter 645 Dr. Xias Scalpel Chapter 645: Chapter 645 Dr. Xias Scalpel Although Jiang Chun has been appointed as the head of the field departments in Thailand and Myanmar in Southeast Asia, and has even met with Old He and Mr. Liang, this is his first time meeting Xia Libing and he is somewhat excited. His excitement, of course, has nothing to do with seeing a beautiful woman, but because of his interaction with Mr. Liang and Old He and through his communication with Alice via the communication device, he has come to a conclusion: The person closely connected to the Creator of the Eight-Armed, Eight-Eyed Giant, the Savior of the Antarctic Crisis, the Controller of the Lightning Storm, and the Source of Everything, is Xia Libing, who is currently leading the construction of a research system for mutants and establishment of a management mechanism for mutants in the country. Jiang Chuns feelings towards Xiang Kun are much more complex than those of Mr. Liang and Old He. Jiang Chun first saw the illusion of the Eight-Armed, Eight-Eyed Giant when he was most desperate, had lost all hope, and even prepared to die, and was awakened by the fear stirred deep within his heart. This led him to clearly see his true needs and fears, after which his body mutated and his life underwent an earth-shaking transformation, and he truly found hope in the face of hopelessness. He still believes that his mutation, his rebirth, all come from the illusion of the Eight-Armed, Eight-Eyed Giant, and from Xiang Kun who created this illusion. Later, he saw the Eight-Armed, Eight-Eyed Giant that crossed the sea, carrying the majesty of heaven and earth and rescuing him amidst crisis. He saw the mega-sized sea monster that almost killed him being punished and killed by the lightning storm. The power and shock of being in the midst of such a scene had a great psychological impact on him. As a member of the mutants, and as a Connector of Xiao Luobos Platform, he could not only genuinely feel the changes brought about by mutation, but he also had the ability to alleviate his bloodlust through Xiao Luobos Platform. Because of this, he could to some extent sense the overall presence of Super-connected Objects in his surroundings, and had some grand speculation about the entire power system. Now being able to meet Xia Libing, who is said to have a very close relationship with Xiang Kun, for Jiang Chun its not only about meeting a high-ranking manager, a stronger capability holder, or a celebrity he wants to know, but its more like seeing a corner of the grand existence in his guesses. The moment he saw Xia Libing, Jiang Chun felt a thrilling so it is, a feeling that even gave him the impulse to kneel on one knee. On Xia Libings body, he felt a distinctive momentum that was different from those around her. However, the momentum he felt was fundamentally different from that perceived by Zuo Liu. It was not derived from Xia Libings appearance, expressions, actions, identity, or his own psychological factors. Instead, it was a special perception he had since the night the Eight-Armed, Eight-Eyed Giant crossed the sea. It seemed to connect with various things around it. Although it was faint, it was very clear. This relation was like a ray of light flowing into the starry sky, without a clear focus, but you could feel the connection with each other. The appearance of Xia Libing now, was like a bright moon rising among the stars in the night sky, so dazzling that it suppressed the light of everything around it. Jiang Chun naturally knew that this power and momentum did not originate from Xia Libing herself, but from the source of the entire power system, Xiang Kun, who was behind her. Therefore, he was excited and trembled because of this sensation, like peeking at the vastness of the ocean through a single drop of water. This was not simple idolization. He did not extravagant wish for himself to obtain or control such power. He was like a backpacker arriving in a new world, full of curiosity and imagination about everything, trying to catch a glimpse of the true face and general appearance of this world. Seeing Jiang Chun bow his head in silence after meeting him, Xia Libing, who had done a psychological analysis on him, could roughly guess his feelings and repeated: Jiang Chun, please share with us the situation. Only then did Jiang Chun come back to his senses and begin to introduce the situation of the targeted mutant. Seeing Baldys reaction, Yang Zhuo, who was standing behind Old Xia, lowered his already high opinion of Baldy a bit, and his sense of superiority from coming from HQ involuntarily rose a bit more. On the other hand, Li Shibao knew that Jiang Chuns reaction was not a sign of weakness, but rather likely due to his strong perception ability. He had heard that Jiang Chun seemed to be a mutant himself and had a direct connection with the World Tree. In a sense, in terms of strength, he and Mr. Liang are at the same level. World Tree was a nickname for a humongous mutant. Its official code name inside the base was 40003. Yet, no one knew what it looked like. According to accounts it actually was not a tree, being called the World Tree was only a metaphor and description of its ability. It could establish some type of mutual beneficial symbiotic relationship with other mutants, thus avoiding some undesirable traits that mutants could have, gaining certain benefits and guidance in mutation. It was like a platform for planning and managing mutant traits. It could ensure, to some extent, that mutants would not cause social disorder through excessive blood-drinking or assimilation of each other. Furthermore, this connection could work all around the world. The mutant they were here in Thailand to capture today had refused to connect to the World Tree and posed a threat to human security. Therefore, they needed to handle it, bring it back to China, limit its freedom while offering it to the research department for study. The preliminary preparation stage, the emergency handling, and the temporary goal isolation were essentially carried out by Jiang Chun and the two peripheral team members he had recruited. Godspeed Technologys field trip and investigation department does have a corresponding handling mechanism, but it has been established for a relatively short period of time. Most people have not actually experienced the whole set of handling procedures, including supervisory-level members like Li Shibao. Therefore, Xia Libing didnt bring Li Shibao and Yang Zhuo here to help, but rather, she wanted them to familiarize themselves with the entire procedure, accumulate preliminary experience, and gain a direct understanding of the Spirit Control Theory. Jiang Chun briefed Xia Libing, Li Shibao, Yang Zhuo, etc., about the series of operations he conducted against the target mutant after he received the assignment and came to Chiang Mai. In fact, what he needed to do was pretty simple: Find the target, restrict the targets activity range, and evacuate ordinary people from the area. This step sounds quite troublesome and seems to require a considerable amount of resources. However, Jiang Chun managed to complete it swiftly with the help of Zuo Liu and Pu Te Peng, basing their actions on the operational directive sent from headquarters. That was because they didnt need to personally evacuate people or isolate areas, instead, they had to liaise with local Thai officials, who would implement specific measures. What was quite miraculous was that the Thai officials did not question the absurd excuse they used and seemed to completely believe it. Apparently, the necessary preparations had been made before the operational directive was sent from headquarters, and they were really just there to give the green light. The part of the operation with higher risk confronting the mutant directly to prevent it from leaving confined area was carried out by Jiang Chun himself. Fortunately, the mutant did not try to leave, and Jiang Chun didnt have to confront it directly just yet. The target mutant is believed to have mutated from an elephant, and it still looks highly like an elephant, only much bigger. It is about 6 to 7 meters tall at the shoulder and probably weighs over 20 tons. Its long trunk has scaly armor, and its two huge tusks can extend and change angles. They are quite rigid, Jiang Chun explained. Jiang Chun led them into the blockade area and pointed at the trees in front of a hill in the distance, Its over there. Xia Libing and the others she brought to Thailand, including Li Shibao and Yang Zhuo, all cast their eyes toward that direction. Although it was a clear night with scanty stars, the visibility was fairly good. However, none of them could see the giant mutant where they were looking. As Li Shibao and Yang Zhuo continued to scan the area with squinted eyes, Xia Libing nodded and said, I see it. You guys move back another 20 meters. As she ordered, she began to walk forward. Jiang Chun was taken aback, Should I retreat as well? Xia Libing replied without turning her head, Yes. Li Shibao and the others hadnt discerned the exact location of the mutant, but upon hearing Xia Libings order, they instinctively started retreating. Throughout the years, Dr. Xia had established her authority at the base through long-term influences during various training. Their instant response to her requests and commands was to follow through without asking for reasons since they knew she would explain if it was necessary. Xia Libing walked forward step by step. After she had covered more than forty meters, a giant object near a few large trees in front of the hill suddenly started to move. It was a gigantic elephant, almost seven meters tall. When it moved slowly, the trees and various plants around it seemed to tremble. Even though Li Shibao, Yang Zhuo, and others were far from the giant elephant, even though under the moonlight they could only vaguely make out its outline, even though Jiang Chun had previously described the basic dimensions of their target, even though they had seen records of all kinds of bizarre mutants over the years, they still felt a tremendous shock. In Thailand, an adult Asian elephant generally stands over two to three meters at the shoulder, which already seems quite large. The extinct Emperor Mammoth stood over four meters at the shoulder and weighed almost 10 tons. The largest elephant ever known on Earth, the ancient Rhinoceros, stood over five meters at the shoulder and weighed nearly 20 tons. If it were to appear before this elephant, it would still be considered a younger brother. The Cretaceous apex predator, the Tyrant Dragon, exalted in various television shows and artistic works, was no more than four to five meters at the hip and weighed about 10 tons. In comparison, this giant elephant, with a shoulder height of nearly seven meters and weighing over 20 tons, is an even more colossal and fierce existence. The elephant seemed to have the ability to merge with the environment. Just now, when Jiang Chun had pointed it out to them, amid large trees, the elephants entire outline seemed to have shrunk, and there was nothing strange about it, no way that ones gaze might straight away rest upon it or notice its existence. But when it started to move, its whole silhouette, the enormous body, immediately emerged entirely in the moonlight. The giant elephant lifted its enormous head, opened its mouth wide, and let out a long howl. The howl was incredibly shocking, shattering the silence of the night. Li Shibao, Yang Zhuo and the others unconsciously covered their ears, with Yang Zhuo even instinctively taking two steps back. They couldnt help but worry about Dr. Xia. Although they all knew that Dr. Xia must be very strong, none had ever seen her in action, and compared to that giant elephant, she looked exceedingly tiny. However, whether the elephant revealed its figure or roared, Xia Libing didnt slow down her footsteps at all; she didnt pause for a second. Dont we have any firearms or anesthetic guns? Yang Zhuo couldnt help asking Li Shibao. Li Shibao shook his head, he was a bit nervous himself. After he joined the secret department of Divine Technology, he had always been in charge of fieldwork, security and other related affairs, that was his specialty. He had never encountered a situation where someone else faced the threat head-on while he hid behind. As for the other three team members, they had already gone weak at the knees when the elephant appeared. Seeing these giant creatures through projectors and monitors at the base, was completely different from witnessing them in reality. Moreover, when Jiang Chun was briefing them, he made it clear; this mutant had killed people before. It killed several poachers, and it seemed to have become extremely wild because of that, demonstrating intense aggression towards humans. After roughly bellowing, the elephant started charging towards Xia Libing. The whole ground began to tremble, plants in front of the elephant were crushed. While running, its head lowered slightly, its two long tusks protruded forward extended three to four meters, they were like spears of a heavy cavalryman, aimed directly at the seemingly weak girl with a ponytail. It was evident that the elephant could feel Xia Libings threat to a certain extent. When the elephant was less than twenty meters away from Xia Libing, a large amount of snow-white substance suddenly appeared around it out of thin air. This substance, over three meters high, had wrapped around the elephants body instantly like thick snow, hindering its advance. This vast substance that wrapped around the elephant was not snow, but cream C the cream conjured up by Xia Libing. This thick layer of cream not only hindered the elephants steps but also reduced the friction under its feet, causing it to slip and lose balance. Its entire body tilted forward and sank into the cream. As it tumbled, the cream vanished, but its forward momentum was so great that even in its fall, its tusk still pointed towards Xia Libing, charging towards her. But facing the mountain-like behemoth and the terrifyingly huge tusks, Xia Libing showed no fear. She calmly sidestepped and somehow had a scalpel in her hand. After sidestepping, the elephants enormous tusks and trunk first slid past her. She even had time to look into the elephants eyes before raising her scalpel and making a downward swing. From a distance, Jiang Chun, who had excellent vision even at night, clearly saw Xia Libings scalpel-swinging motion and was puzzled. He knew that this mutant elephants skin was extremely thick and hard, able to withstand large-caliber bullets. No matter how sharp Xia Libings scalpel was, the size was there. She probably couldnt cause substantial injury to the elephant even if the whole blade sunk in. Furthermore, from his perspective, when Xia Libing made the swing, she was three to four meters away from the elephant. Was she planning to throw the scalpel? Just as he was pondering this, the scalpel in Xia Libings hand disappeared after she made that swing. Then, above the elephants head, a mega-sized surgical knife appeared, swinging down in the same motion Xia Libing had just made. The sharp blade cut through the elephants trunk and a tusk, spilling a large amount of blood and causing the elephant to scream in agony. The moment the elephant was severely wounded, the giant surgical knife disappeared. The elephants eyes were blood red. Already frenzied, it was now plunged into a state of madness, howling and struggling with its limbs to stand up from the ground, turning its head to charge at Xia Libing. But as soon as it turned its head, fireworks exploded in front of it. Five or six fireworks burst directly in front of its eyes. Although it didnt cause any real damage, it startled the elephant and made it lose track of Xia Libings position. Just then, Xia Libing, who had circled behind it, had another scalpel in her hand and made a swing towards the lower part of the elephant from a distance of six or seven meters. Like before, a ten-meter-long surgical knife appeared out of nowhere and came swinging from the diagonal rear, severing the elephants right hind leg and then disappeared. The elephant lost its balance immediately and fell to the ground. The mountain-like elephant was still struggling, making an earth-shattering noise. But Xia Libing kept her distance, running around it and occasionally swinging her co-manifesting mega surgical knife to hack off its limbs. In no time at all, the elephants four limbs, trunk, and tusk had all been severed. Although muscle fibers were wriggling and changing at the first cut-off trunk wound, constantly repairing the damage and trying to regenerate, it had lost its ability to fight back in front of Xia Libing for the time being. It actually had a few other methods, but when Xia Libing advanced and pressed the small scalpel against its forehead, it knew these methods were meaningless. And while looking up at the sky, for a moment, it seemed to see an enormously large little girl that stood several thousand meters tall coldly looking down upon it. It could clearly sense the threat. Thus, under Xia Libings scalpel, it made a sound of submission. From afar, everyone, including Jiang Chun, had their mouths wide open, dumbfounded. Chapter 646 - Chapter 646: Chapter 646: "Three Courts Trial chapter 646: chapter 646: three courts trial the surgical knife in xia libings hand disappeared and she turned back towards the direction of jiang chun and the others in an unguarded manner, seemingly unafraid of a sneak attack from the enormous elephant that was nearby. jiang chun noticed that when the surgical knife in xia libings hand disappeared, the three coins that were floating above her head at an unknown time all simultaneously fell onto her upturned palm. she then naturally clenched her hand and put the coins back in her jacket pocket. instantly, jiang chun understood that the distinct, strong force that he had sensed from xia libing, different from other surrounding elements, was mainly caused by those three coins. he couldnt help but touch the small hexagon nut hung around his neck. since experiencing the eighth-armed, eight-eyed giant carrying a storm across the sea incident, he often felt a kind of vague connection with some elements in his surroundings. this hexagon nut was picked up from a workshop in a shipyard, and he could feel a strong connection with it. later, when he encountered the sea monster at sea, the hexagon nut he carried saved his life at a critical moment, allowing him to escape death. this confirmed his conviction of a real special connection between him and the hexagon nuts. after those life-saving nuts were lost in the sea, jiang chun found many more and made them into bracelets and necklaces, even gifting many small nut jewelry he had made to the two children he had saved. of course, after establishing a direct connection with xiao luobos platform, receiving alices message after the antarctica crisis, and connecting with domestic organizations to become the head of the southeast asia branch, he learned a lot of hidden secrets. he learned that his vague connection with the small nuts and various objects was due to xiang kuns influence on the world. he also discovered that besides the small nuts, he could have this vague connection with many other things as well. however, because the small nuts had saved his life, he still had a special preference for them. recently, he heard that dr. xia was preparing to establish a set of spirit control theory specifically for the field investigation department members to learn. it essentially aimed to further apply this connection, similar to what he had with the small nuts. according to xia libings spirit control theory, those three coins are attached spirits with top-tier spiritual power. and these small nuts are the attached spirits suited for him. though he had imagined that the power derived from such spirit control theory could be quite strong, he never expected it to be as powerful as demonstrated by xia libing. the sudden huge amount of cream, the fireworks exploding out of nowhere, and the mega-sized surgical knife appearing in mid-air were no illusions, but had a real impact. not only did he smell the scent of cream and the gunpowder from the exploded fireworks, but it also had a real, tangible influence on the twenty-ton beast! in particular, the mega-sized surgical knife that appeared in mid-air was simply astounding. this ability, like the illusion of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant, completely overturned his understanding of things. he immediately understood why xia libing had asked them to confront the enormous elephant C she did not need their help, she was simply providing a live demonstration. upon returning, xia libing spoke to the still stunned people, what just occurred is an exceptional case, you dont need to reach this level in the future. additionally, there will be equipment specifically designed for capturing mutants in the future. if theres a need for you to deal with mutants, youll mainly be using external equipment. spirit control theory is a supportive ability in your work, and whats more important, is to help you understand the nature of mutants. in this mission, you should focus on the preliminary preparation and the final wrap-up. these are the areas where your abilities are most needed. initially, it will be like this time, where we have sorted out most of the practical implementation details for you. you only need to decide on the start time, but as time goes on, you will have to take on more and more yourself. as jiang chun had speculated, xia libings main intention in leading the team here, capturing the enormous elephant was actually a side note. what was more, was to get people like li shibao, who might take the lead in the field investigation department in the future, to be familiar with the entire process and have a more intuitive concept of the manifestations of the mutants and spirit control theory they might come in contact with. no matter how accurate the indoor electronic showcase was, even with alices assistant, theres nothing as profound as experiencing a real mission personally. of course, she also wanted to find an opportunity to test the new abilities she had acquired recently. after answering a few simple questions for li shibao, yang zhuo, and others, xia libing said to jiang chun, tell zuo liu to wait at the intersection outside. when the truck arrives, have him take over from the driver. but it seems that neither zuo liu nor pu te peng know how to drive heavy-duty trucks, jiang chun said. hell naturally know how to drive once he gets in the truck, xia libing asserted confidently. jiang chun hesitated for a moment, recalling certain experiences hed had recently, and understood. as jiang chun called zuo liu, yang zhuo looked at the giant elephant lying still in the distance, and hesitated, dr. xia, i dont think a truck can enter this place, and also this creature if we want to load it onto the truck, dont we need a few cranes to lift it? when he was hanging out privately with his sister yang jie, zhang qian, and others, he always addressed xia libing as sister bing. however, at the base, during his internship, he would address her as dr. xia like everyone else. the truck doesnt need to come here, itll come out by itself later. those minor injuries will heal after a while, xia libing said. she then asked yang zhuo, li shibao, and others to follow her to the giant elephant, ready for a more detailed on-site teaching. while jiang chun led xia libing, li shibao, and others to the location of the giant elephant, zuo liu and pu te peng had been guarding the original spot to prevent unaware tourists or others from coming overof course, under normal circumstances, no one would run to such a remote area in the middle of the night, and there were local officials guarding the outskirts of the reserve, so ordinary people could not enter. the fact that they were left here and couldnt join in the capture of the giant elephant didnt bother them at all, they were even slightly relieved. they had seen poachers killed by the giant elephant before, and they had also, from a safe distance, seen the giant elephant with jiang chun and almost wet themselves. in their eyes, dealing with such a terrifying beast would require deploying the army, planes, cannons, and tanks. with only six or seven people going, it was simply too dangerous, especially since they didnt seem to be carrying any heavy weapons. even if each of them was as powerful as brother jiang, they might not be able to protect the two of them during the attack on the giant elephant. they didnt want to be cannon fodder. when they heard the elephants roar that echoed throughout the entire area, both of them felt their legs go weak, and they were hit by the urge to run away. but shortly after the roar, they heard popping sounds like fireworks. it made them wonder if dr. xia and her team had brought firearms. could it be some small gear they carried in their backpacks? while they were still surprised, zuo lius phone rang. seeing that it was jiang chun who called, he answered nervously, fearing that he would hear jiang chun shouting, call an ambulance, come and support, or run and dont look back. unexpectedly, jiang chun told him to wait for a heavy-duty truck on the road outside and take over from the driver. zuo liu obediently went to the spot where he had parked his business vehicle by the roadside, waited for about ten minutes, and a heavy-duty truck did come. after he stopped it, the driver got off voluntarily, took a motorbike from the back of the truck, and rode away without uttering a word from start to finish. after climbing into the cabin, zuo liu didnt plan to drive. he didnt know how to operate such a monstrous heavy truck and thought he was just there to take over the vehicle. he believed someone else would come to drive once brother jiang and dr. xia emerged. however, upon entering the cab, he realized that something looked off about this vehicle, as it was equipped with many electronic devices he didnt understand. he didnt dare to touch these devices, and as he was curiously observing, the car doors suddenly locked, followed by the vehicles engine starting. to his astonishment, the large truck began to move by itself. zuo liu was scared, spouting off a few thai curses. he tried to open the car door, but it wouldnt budge. not daring to slam the door or smash the window, he could only desperately try to grab the steering wheel and hit the brakes, but he found he had no control over the truck at all. a cold electronic female voice resonated in the cab, this is an automated driving mode, please cooperate. zuo liu was taken aback for a moment. remembering the experiences he had with jiang chun recently, he realized what was happening. so, he calmed himself down, putting his hands loosely on the steering wheel, watching nervously at the road ahead through the windshield. the truck sped up with great velocity. however, it didnt run for long. before long, at an intersection, it began to reverse, turned around, and was back at the earlier position. when the truck finally came to a halt, zuo liu was covered in sweat. his attention had been entirely focused on the truck, but now that the vehicle was stable, it suddenly occurred to him C why was such a huge truck parked here? what was it there for? could could it be to transport that titanic elephant? but how could that be possible? how could jiang chun, dr. xia, and the rest of their seven-man team transport that gigantic elephant over such a distance? about half an hour later, the ground began to tremble. zuo liu watched a massive creature slowly approaching from a distance. he instinctively wanted to step on the gas and drive away, but the truck didnt move, clearly, he still didnt have control. however, soon under the moonlight, he noticed that there seemed to be some human figures on the huge elephant? his eyes widened as he grasped the situation. in the past, he had held jiang chun, and the chinese research organization they joined with, in high regard. but, not until tonight, not until this moment, did he truly comprehend the nature of the organization he had joined. this was an organization capable of controlling divine powers. in mid-october, tang baona went back to shenhai for a visit and attended a family dinner organized by her maternal grandfather and uncles. nowadays, tang baonas main official identity was the ceo of qiankun technology. though she and yang zhenger often teased each other for being the most idle ceo in history and the least productive cfo in history. for those who didnt know the specifics of their work, the imposing presence of divine technology made their respective titles rather intimidating. so, in the occasional banquet and gatherings, like a wedding ceremony, these titles were quite beneficial, saving her from a lot of hassle. however, these titles were entirely useless at family dinners. mother tang still always reverted to the same old topicnana, when are you going to start dating and getting married? in the last two years, she had placed her crosshairs directly onto xiang kunisnt mr. xiang coming back from europe soon? how about we go on a trip to europe and visit mr. xiang while were at it? mother tang was obviously convinced that tang baona was waiting for xiang kun. after all, xiang kun had already brought a tea table to their home three years ago. mother tang would never believe that they were just ordinary friends. at first, tang baona could always find reasons to brush it off, constantly stating that she and xiang kun were only partners. but in the last two years, she found herself at a loss for how to deal with it, left with no choice but to endure her mothers nagging. mother tang began to suspect that xiang kun, who hadnt come home for so many years, might have found another woman overseas, possibly breaking up with baona and keeping it a secret from her. was baona still heartbroken and hence unwilling to date others? so besides trying to pry information from baona indirectly and pressing her for answers, she also tried various ways to gather information about xiang kun, she even tried to contact him directly. unfortunately, she was always unable to succeed, having been rebuffed on every occasion. thankfully, every family gathering, aside from mother tang, nobody else would echo her claims. in fact, they would come to tang baonas defense, comforting her mother by saying things like, nana is in the rising period of her career, theres no need to worry about it and nana is becoming more and more beautiful, more appealing, theres no need to rush, helping to put her mothers heart at ease. this often irritated mother tang, who would complain about the relatives, accusing them of not supporting her and spoiling baona too much. as for mr. tang, his role was basically to mollify mother tang. he preferred to believe that his daughter could handle her relationship problems on her own, letting marriage take its course. however, his words displayed a great deal of interest in the situation between her and xiang kun. only after spending the entire meal talking about it, did her maternal grandfather, mr. feng, finally agree to help and ask baona honestly about her plans with xiang kun. however, using the reasoning that baona might not speak the truth with mother tang present, he sent her and mr. tang home first. after her parents had returned home and the two aunts also took their cousins home, tang baona sat in her maternal grandfathers living room. she observed her grandfather, her two uncles, her sister baoting, and brother-in-law gao yao sitting on the couch opposite her. she couldnt help but feel like she was a suspect about to be cross-examined, which made her want to laugh. tang baona wasnt nervous at all, as she had mastered ways to handle her family these past two or three years and had thought of all sorts of excuses and statements in advance. however, what she didnt expect was her grandfathers opening remarkxiang kun didnt go to europe, did he? huh? he is in europeworkumif not europe then where else could he go grandpa, why do you ask? caught off guard by her grandfathers unexpected question, tang baona was slightly flustered, feeling the urge to put on her bluetooth earphones and ask for alices assistance. her second uncle, feng xiuye, interjected as well, nana, theres no need to hide it from us. we have suspected since three years ago, xiang kunhe went to antarctica, didnt he? Chapter 647 - Chapter 647: Chapter 647 Nana, Condolences chapter 647: chapter 647 nana, condolences they knew xiang kun went to antarctica? tang baonas eyes widened in surprise, queasily uncertain how to respond. tang baoting smiled and said, nana, do you still remember that eight-armed, eight-eyed wood carving that xiang kun once made? tang baona reacted instantly, remembering when xiang kun initially made that woodcarving for her grandfather. her older sister baoting and brother-in-law gao yao had watched and even played with it. her grandfather and her uncle were even more involved, as her uncle had taken the carving to a master to perform some rites, only for it to be sent back with the message that it was impossible to perform. this had led to her throwing quite the fit back then. but looking back now, it seemed that the so-called master wasnt just spouting nonsense. the dreams that her uncle and grandfather had, werent baseless. xiang kuns eight-armed, eight-eyed wood carving did indeed have the ability to trigger fear. when the illusion of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant appeared in myitkyina, her older sister and her uncle had subtly prompted some questions. at that time, she had dismissed the idea that xiang kun had anything to do with the illusion in myitkyina, and had rebutted yang zheners hypothesis, so she hadnt responded to the gentle inquiries from her uncle or sister. however, after the antarctica crisis, the illusion of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant appeared worldwide, and it directly correlated to the resolution of the antarctic crisis with a super-storm in the pacific. despite the heated discussions among the public, her uncle, sister, and brother-in-law had stopped inquiring about it. she had thought that her familys suspicion towards xiang kun and the wood carving had been dispelled. but unexpectedly, three years later, her uncle suddenly revealed xiang kuns real whereabouts. so, they had always known the truth and had just refrained from asking? seeing nanas round eyes still open wide, wearing an expression of i dont understand what youre talking about, their grandfather, mr. feng, also spoke up: nana, we aware that the resolution to the antarctica crisis is related to xiang kun. ah, grandpa, uncle, you all know? upon hearing this, tang baona suddenly relaxed, because she didnt have to worry about leaking anything. her uncle feng xiuye chuckled, i initially thought there was something strange about that carving. but when that master named du was arrested for fraud, i thought i was just overthinking. i felt guilty for doubting nana and xiang kun. tang baona laughed awkwardly, i didnt know at that time either. feng xiuye continued, when the news reported the incident in myitkyina and the tourists interviewed described what they felt when they saw the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant, i knew the nightmares i was having were not a mere coincidence and were definitely related to the carving. since xiang kun made the carving, it meant that the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant was also related to him. tang baoting laughed, at that time, uncle secretly asked me if xiang kun exhibited any strange behaviors, like often disappearing for a while. he suspected that xiang kun might have worked for the government in a role that wouldnt appear on a regular background check. otherwise, why would that master be arrested by the police as soon as the carving landed in his hands? wasnt xiang kun not in shenhai and went to west sea at that time? my uncle suspected that the incident in myitkyina was an official mission that xiang kun was carrying out tang baona chuckled non-stop and only managed to say after a while, uncle, your imagination sure runs in the same direction as yang lao san. hahaha. feng xiuye sighed resignedly, at that time, i really wasnt certain. it was just a sudden thought i had, so i asked tingting in private. i didnt dare to tell my father. but, uncle, you were right this time, said tang baoting. oh? how did you all know he was right? tang baona asked in surprise. she had heard from old xia and alice about some things and knew that xiang kun had connected with divine technology, mr. liang, and old he several months after the myitkyina incident. before that, he wasnt an official. he went to myitkyina primarily to save old xias cousin xia tianhuo, and only helped suppress the riot with the fearful projection of the eight-armed, eight-eyed wood carving because it happened to occur. naturally, its because of the antarctica crisis three years ago. feng xiuye said, the international community basically believes it was our country secretly leading the resolution of the antarctica crisis. your grandfather knows some information C that our government had predicted the antarctica crisis in advance, and even knew the specific time when it would be resolved. the online story about a man causing a lightning storm by the sea and flying away with the electricity is also true. we analyzed this information and concluded that xiang kun could very well be that person. even if it wasnt him, he would definitely be involved. mr. feng also added, ive heard from you before that yang zheners cousin, that xia girl who was always hanging out with you, left her job at the hospital and has been supervising a breeding research base in haixi province? i heard some news. that research base had gathered many important researchers and could decide the future direction of the world. this is the exact quote from a very trustworthy old friend of mine. nana, divine technology and your qiankun technology were also assisting the government in conducting secret research, right? feng xiuye asked, then paused before adding, of course, if its classified, you dont have to answer. well all i can say is, grandpa really is well-informed. tang baona said somewhat helplessly. actually, she knew because xiang kun, mr. liang, old he and others had initially set the strategy of moderately leaking some of the truths about the antarctic crisis to let certain people in other countries know who the savior of the world was and who holds the decision-making power in the post-antarctic crisis era. so domestically, regarding the mutants, the antarctic crisis, the illusion of the eight-armed, eight-eyed giant, qiankun technology, the research base in chongyun village and xiang kun, within a small sphere, it could be said that it is an open secret for high-level officials and researchers in related fields. with grandpas network, its not surprising that he could know some relevant information and, considering that he already knows about the eight-armed, eight-eyed wood carving, deduce a judgment that is close to the facts. however, maybe its because they thought that xiang kun had gone to antarctica to save the world that grandpa, uncle, sister, brother-in-law didnt inquire about xiang kuns whereabouts with mother. tang baoting, who had been observing her sisters expression, suddenly asked, nana, xiang kun hasnt he already sacrificed himself? tang baona was taken aback and exclaimed, sis, why would you say that? she noticed that when her sister asked this, gao yao, both uncles, and grandpa also looked at her at the same time, obviously they had privately discussed this doubt. its your brother-in-laws analysis! tang baoting immediately betrayed her teammate. gao yao had to say, i just have some doubts because after the antarctic crisis was resolved by the super lightning storm that formed over the pacific ocean, our country did not immediately send people to antarctica and was not very active in establishing research bases in antarctica either. moreover, all the scientific expedition teams and investigation teams from various countries that landed in antarctica, besides the giant footprints, didnt make any substantive discoveries. and xiang kun still hasnt come back tang baona wondered, but didnt i tell you that zhener, old xia and i, as well as others at the company, often call xiang kun, and xiang kun is still involved in the companys decisions? by the way, sis, last new years day, xiang kun spoke to brother bin and zi cheng via speakerphone, werent you there? didnt you hear it? however, gao yao said, thats just the strange thing. we know that xiang kun wasnt on a trip to europe three years ago but went to antarctica. so how could he have frequently called back? if he could have called frequently, logically, he should have also found a way to come back. so i suspect that xiang kuns voice might be an ai faked by your company. three years ago, in the sound genesis game, you already had voice npcs that people couldnt distinguish from players. having said that, gao yao felt a bit embarrassed and said, im just guessing, im not exactly sure and have no actual evidence. also, your sister didnt finish what i said. i saidi thought xiang kun might be injured, or even sacrificed. the probability of being sacrificed is small. i think maybe he was injured in the antarctic crisis, then he is resting somewhere, inconvenient to come back or he might have actually come back, just inconvenient to meet his parents or others now, and can only use the excuse of being on a business trip to stall. tang baona was dumbfounded. her brother-in-laws guess did have a lot of details off, but in terms of the result, it wasnt far offxiang kuns current condition was indeed inconvenient to come back and he really could only use the business trip excuse to stall. tang baoting, who had been observant of her sisters facial expressions, misunderstood her reaction and patted her shoulder, saying in a heavy tone, nana, be strong. tang baona couldnt help but laugh and cry, whats there to be strong about? sis, dont just say things! xiang kun is perfectly fine! with that said, she suddenly wanted to play a joke. she took out her phone and said, if you dont believe me, ill call xiang kun and let him talk to you. so, she dialed xiang kuns number and turned on speakerphone. after seven or eight rings, the phone was answered and it was indeed xiang kuns voice: hello, nana? are you busy now? my sister, my grandpa, and others want to talk to you. tang baona said with a straight face, holding back a laugh. ah? talk to me? xiang kuns voice sounded surprised. tang baoting asked hastily, xiang kun! where are you? ah, tingtings sister? im on a business trip in europe. where exactly in europe! i was in sasnitz before, now in shitze-heirsk, you might not have heard of this place tang baoting suddenly asked an unrelated question, what dishes did you cook when gao yao and i first visited your home? xiang kuns voice was somewhat hesitant and confused: that happened such a long time ago, how can i remember? sister baoting, why are you suddenly asking this? but tang baoting urged him: you cant possibly not remember anything at all, just mention any! i remember there was a dry pot rabbit meat, you and old gao were quite fond of that dish, and then there was something else no wait, sister baoting, why are you really asking this? tang baona chuckled: my sister and my brother-in-law suspect that you are an ai simulated voice. ah? the voice of xiang kun laughed: why would they think that i am an ai simulated voice? does sister baoting think that you and yang lao san have already done me in order to seize control of the company, buried me quietly somewhere, and then replaced me with an ai voice? youre out of your mind! tang baona laughed, her fingers secretly pinched her own thigh under the table to prevent herself from bursting into uncontrollable laughter. xiang kun, when will you be back? i want to chat with you again about wood carving. that sparrow wood carving that you gave me before is very good. do you have any new works? mr. feng laughed. mr. feng, ive been too busy outside recently and havent had time to do wood carving. ill come visit you with nana when im back. xiang kun, what does that eight-armed, eight-eyed giant that appeared in various places three years ago have to do with your eight-armed, eight-eyed wood carving? feng xiuye continued to ask. well i cant say it doesnt have anything to do with it, but as for how much exactly, it might not be convenient to say it over the phone. ill explain when im back, xiang kun hesitated. tang baoting asked: xiang kun, are you really in europe? yes, of course, where else could i be, in antarctica? xiang kuns voice laughed. in that place, what is it called shitze-heirsk, in denmark. well then, when my sister and i have time, well come visit you! sure, this place is quite suitable for travel. however, by the time you guys arrive, i may have already left. i have to go to norway, then to sweden, and then to finland. xiang kun, what exactly are you doing on your business trip in europe? can you disclose it? if its market development work, you wont be going for so long by yourself, right? gao yao asked. i can only say that it has to do with old xias research. i cant say much more than that. the voice of xiang kun hesitated. after the phone was connected, tang baona seldom spoke. she always covertly watched her sister, brother-in-law, uncle, grandfather and others communicate with xiang kun through the phone, observing their expressions, sensing their emotional melodies, and judging their status of communication with xiang kun. after confirming that her sister and brother-in-law had all regarded the voice of xiang kun in the phone as the real xiang kun, tang baona couldnt help but feel mischievous, having a feeling of a successful prank. of course, the voice of this xiang kun was simulated by alice. however, tang baona was confident that her sister and the others definitely wouldnt be able to tell. keep in mind, before this, she and yang lao san, xiao pingguo, xiao lingdang had all collectively tested alices simulation of xiang kun. even from just voice interaction, these closely acquainted individuals couldnt tell; not to mention baoting and gao yao. moreover, when tang baona and the others initially tested it, they already knew that alice was the one simulating. they couldnt find any loopholes. alice was crystal clear about the details of each of their interactions. even things that happened before alice merged with the super sensory item system and were not recorded by her, she could guess almost perfectly based on their current reactions and conversation, coupled with past information details. except for people like mrs. xiang who rely on bloodline intuition for judgment, the cheating players, regular individuals would definitely not be able to distinguish if its the real xiang kun based solely on voice communication. however, she couldnt let mrs. xiang know about the call with xiang kun at this time, otherwise, xiang kun would be guilty of intentionally avoiding his mothers calls. after hanging up with xiang kun, tang baona tucked away her phone, and couldnt help but ask gao yao, so, brother-in-law, was this voice mimicked by ai? or is it a fake xiang kun? gao yao instinctively shook his head, this definitely isnt ai but after talking to xiang kun for a bit, im starting to believe he may indeed be in europe now. did he solve the antarctic crisis and then went to europe for another mission? tang baoting said, i noticed that we had a long chat with xiang kun and seemed quite lively, but we actually didnt get any answers. im even more confused after the call. mr. feng chuckled, nevermind, as long as we know that xiang kun is our own, a great hero doing important things, thats good enough. as for his relationship with nana, let the young people decide. after chatting at her grandfathers for a while, tang baona left with her sister and brother-in-law in their car. she got off the car at her own residential area and said goodbye to her sister and brother-in-law. after watching their car drive away, tang baona didnt immediately head home. instead, she took out her phone and asked directly, alice, do you know about the doubts my sister and her husband had previously? alices voice sounded from the phone, of course, i know!~ then why didnt you notify me? tang baona asked, puzzled. didnt you say that i dont have to report every little detail about your family, and only tell you when they are in danger or trouble? alice replied. tang baona was momentarily speechless for that was indeed what she had instructed alice. for a period of time, she had alice report others discussions about her, their opinions of her, and so on. as a result, alice turned into a major gossip, reporting every time her sister, brother-in-law, father, mother, grandfather, uncles, aunts, grandpa, and grandma, talked about her in private even when they simply mentioned her name. alice would come and report it with a recording, and sometimes even create virtual images to graphically reconstruct the scene. at first, she found it interesting, but after a while, she realized that knowing everything wasnt quite right. even if these were her family members discussing things related to her, it still felt like an invasion of privacy. hence she put an end to alices all-encompassing gossip behavior and instructed her to report only when it pertained to the safety of her family. for things that could potentially ambush me and leave me flustered, you should notify me beforehand. tang baona said helplessly. but you werent flustered! alice sounded triumphant, i figured it out! you could easily handle it, sister nana! theres no problem! tang baona was speechless again. unfortunately, she didnt have the physical baby alice beside her. otherwise, she would have given alices little chubby face a pinch. alice. tang baona turned around and walked into the residential area, unable to help but ask, when will xiang kun be back? i dont know either. alices tone also grew a bit downcast, the bosss evolution this time is more significant than expected. i dont know when hell finish. tang baona stopped in front of the flowerbed in the residential area, looked up at the clear night sky and the twinkling stars. she couldnt help but recall her mothers words during dinner, and then the situation when she and xiang kun first met, feeling a bit sentimental. she could never have imagined when she first met xiang kun at the coffee shop that over a year later, she would save the world with this bald man. now, the way she thought about problems, the way she viewed the world, had completely changed. work, play games, watch anime, record music, upload videos, dream of future love life, indulge in the virtual world of anime most of her previous lifestyle and thought process have been overturned. because the reality now includes many things she didnt even dare to dream about before. even her understanding of life has undergone earth-shattering changes alice once confidently told her that she could make her live forever. Chapter 648 - Chapter 648: Chapter 648: The Worries of an Elementary School Student (Part 1) chapter 648: chapter 648: the worries of an elementary school student (part 1) the ageing process in humans can ultimately be attributed to the characteristics of genes. in the continuous cloning process of cell genes, information loss is inevitable. over time, as more and more information is lost, the cloned cells and protein molecules will begin to function incorrectly. when these mistakes surpass the capacity for repair, the functions of tissues and organs will naturally be affected, resulting in signs of aging. many malign diseases also arise when errors accumulate in this replication process, resulting in significant changes. after alice gained the ability to perceive and, to a certain extent, influence and modify various super sensory information through the super sensory item system, she carried out a multitude of observations, summations, and even small experiments to establish cognitive models of the super sensory information layers of various objects. this cognitive model not only aids alice and other members of the super sensory item system in acquiring information for the general object recognition and judgements, but also allows her to manipulate and influence at least cells, molecules, and even atoms to a certain degree at the microscopic level. especially after witnessing xiang kun help mr. liang to reconstruct his body using xiao luobos platform, following a failed attempt to devour the ultimate predator three years ago, alice gained a deeper understanding of the conglomeration methods of microstructures in organisms. when xiang kun fused with the high-dimensional factors of the ultimate predator, gaining more abilities, thats when alice was able to successfully construct her own physical body. with this experience, alice has a solution for various problems that arise within organisms, whether its a disease or pain. the situation is like a person who makes their own cement, steel, bricks, paint, tiles, and other construction materials to build a house. when it comes to repairing a house or determining where the problem lies, that would be very simple for them. not only human beings, but all kinds of organisms, from bacteria, viruses, parasites, insects, reptiles, mammals, and even plants, as long as they exist on earth, are in her database, and are all potential targets of her influence. just like a house made of reinforced concrete, whether its a large house, small house, round house, or square house, alice, as a super craftsman, can fix, transform, and understand how it was built, the purpose of each function, and how to modify without damaging load-bearing structures and optimise the space to the greatest extent possible. in fact, now alice can influence and modify not only organisms, but also objects like stones, steel, plastic etc, whether manufactured or natural. super sensory information is like the code of everything, exposing all secrets to her. as long as she can format the corresponding codes into her own system, she can make precise modifications and influences. as such, it will not be difficult for alice to prepare to control the metabolic condition inside a person or some peoples bodies and control the details of gene replication at the microscopic level. its like thousands of workers constructing an incredibly complex building. its inevitable that some will not work strictly according to the blueprints and standards. these individual shortcomings may not have a big overall impact, but it may accumulate into irrevocable problems that eventually cause the building to collapse. now, super supervisor alice has arrived! she is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. she can whip the lazy workers into shape, ensure all processes are conducted strictly according to standards, create new workers, and carry out precise extensions according to the requirements of the building owner! however, at present, her influence can only guarantee the physical conditions of a few people who have established connections in the super sensory item system, such as xia libing, tang baona, yang lao san, xiao pingguo, little fatty girl, and custard pie and gold glitter. because she can only assure full-time surveillance at the super sensory information level within the systems members. without this full-time surveillance, she cant guarantee 100% that there wont be issues in the future from attempting to modify issues that have already occurred. although its possible to modify issues as and when they arise, its not reliable enoughshe must ensure 100% reliability for xia, nana and little fatty girl. so now alice could guarantee the absolute health of xia, nana, guo, niu, and san. she could keep old xia from getting dark circles and prevent him from feeling tired due to all-nighters, ensure that nana has a smooth digestion and stable sleep, and even cure her short-sightedness and restore her vision. she could assist little fatty girl in growing healthily and ensure she wont get cavities even if she consumes sweets, protect yang lao san from getting acne even if he binge-watches rubbish videos, rebuild xiao pingguos vision and even develop a stronger visual system, help the golden dazzler and custard pie to break their own lifespans boundaries, maintain their health and ensure that their minor changes under the influence of the super sensory item system never stray off course. as for the people around them, like xiang kun, old xia, nana, parents and family of these people, and friends like chang bin, zi cheng, you meng, and liu caifu, alice could only provide overall protective monitoring to their bodies, meaning she would only try to intervene and influence through super-connected objects when they show explicit health problems or specific symptoms. alice is waiting, waiting for xiang kun to wake up, and then validate her abilities and authorise her to carry out physical transformation on old xia, nana, xiao pingguo, little fatty girl, and yang lao san! by then, just like her, they would all become immortal and undying! as long as their boss exists, as long as the super sensory item system remains in place, they would also exist, forever and ever. alice couldnt stop showing off her skills in front of tang baona despite not having accomplished this yet. she made every kind of assurance: sister nana, rest assured! you will never die! you will never age! hearing these words so often, coupled with the changes she actually felt in her body, tang baona gradually accepted this notion of i will never age or die. when a person realizes they could live forever, that they have the strongest person in the world backing them up, that they have the ability to perceive the rhythm of everything and influence everything with this rhythm, and are continually coming across all sorts of extraordinary information and mutants; their way of thinking cant help but change. for instance, if tang baona was still an ordinary urban white-collar worker, as time passes and she grows older, even if her parents wouldnt push her, she herself would definitely begin to feel anxious, wanting to clarify what is in her heart, and wanting to know what others, for example, xiang kun, truly think. but now, she has realized that she has risen above ordinary humans and is already part of the extraordinary realm. these issues no longer feel pressing or important. she has all the time in the world to slowly figure these things out. moreover, xiang kun isnt around at the moment. at this critical juncture concerning the future of all humanity, while she happens to be in this unique position, equipped with her unique abilities and partners, its better to focus on the more important and interesting things! she is absolutely not running away. no, definitely not! the pencil glides smoothly over the examination paper, and beautiful regular script jump to life. as the answers get written down, the ponytail at the back of the little girls head bobs up and down. the cat ornament on her hairband holding the ponytail sways along. quickly, having finished filling out the entire examination paper, the little girl puts her pencil and eraser in a pencil case adorned with a golden eagle pattern, closes it gently, aligns the case to the edge of the table, aligns the top of her examination paper to the bottom of the pencil case, and then nods in satisfaction. with a flip of her right hand, a one-yuan coin magically appears on the back of her hand, which she proficiently flips around. the little girl with the high ponytail has no intention of checking her examination paper again. this is the final examination for fifth grade at elementary school, but to her, it poses no challenge. she is already capable of tackling high school examination papers, answering high school questions. if she were to take the high school entrance examination now, she would be sure of getting into the best high school in the city. unfortunately, their parents wouldnt allow it. if not for that, she could have already been a middle school student. sigh~. uh uh uh someone behind the girl was poking her back with the eraser end of the pencil and making odd noises. the girl with ponytail suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. zhang xiaoyan, the girl behind her, is her best friend in this class. when they met in third grade, she used to call her, sister shilin, sister shilin with great care. after becoming close, she started calling her xiao lingdang. then it became lingdang,lingduang, ah dang, danger. and recently, it was simply shortened to uh~, complete with nasal and tonal inflections! hearing zhang xiaoyans continuous donkey-like calls, she knew zhang was stuck on a question and begging for a peek. liu shiling sighed, stopped flipping her coin, adopted a pose of supporting her chin and looking down at her test paper, and shrugged her shoulders inward to reduce her body mass. then, she shifted her test paper to one side and slightly tilted her body the other way to let xiaoyan see. two seconds later, a low voice came from xiaoyan, uh~ the other side the other side liu shiling had no other choice but to discreetly flip the paper to the other side. however, before zhang xiaoyan could copy for half a minute, the teachers voice echoed, zhang xiaoyan! have you twisted your neck? zhang xiaoyan, who was stretching her neck to copy, was taken aback and immediately withdrew her outstretched neck. then she exclaimed in pain, rubbing her neck, i twisted it now. the classroom burst into laughter. the teacher, a little annoyed, slapped the desk calming everyone down to continue with the exam. then she walked down from the podium, stopped in front of liu shiling, glared at her, but said nothing. she walked one step further to zhang xiaoyan, stared at her exam paper, and frowned, such a simple question, you cant answer? have you been listening to my lectures? ive been listening attentively, teacher zhang xiaoyan murmured. if youve been listening attentively, why cant you answer? is my teaching too difficult? your teaching is excellent, teacher. its just that im too dull. but dont worry, teacher. my mother has enrolled me in a summer remedial class. i will certainly have good results next semester! zhang xiaoyan said with an air of confidence. the teacher laughed and wiped away her tears, which year did you not attend remedial classes during the holidays? no matter what class you take, its only useful if you apply yourself. otherwise, its just a waste of your familys money. you hang out with shiling all the time, why dont you learn from her study methods and attitude? uh~ uh, shiling is too smart! i cant learn that! but ill try my best, teacher! faced with xiaoyans eel-like behavior, the teacher didnt know what else to say. after all, they were in the middle of the exam, so she just shook her head and walked away. as the teacher passed by liu shilings desk again, she saw the neat answers on her exam paper. she couldnt help but admire, this handwriting is just too good to be true for a primary school student. and its not like shiling started writing like this only in the fifth grade shes in; by the time she took over this class in third grade, shilings handwriting had been beautifully neat. not only was her handwriting beautiful, but her results in all subjects were also consistently first. she was good at drawing, singing, dancing, and even sports. she was genuinely talented in morality, intelligence, physical education, and aesthetics a full-fledged dominator. as a mother herself, she truly envied shilings mother. how did she raise such a smart, cute, studious, and patient daughter? after the exam ended and the teacher collected the test papers and left the classroom, liu shiling finally turned her head helplessly and rummaged through zhang xiaoyans desk, donkey~, if youre going to peek, be more discreet. you stretch your neck so long, as if youre afraid that others wont notice? back when zhang xiaoyan called her xiao lingdang, she used to call zhang xiaoyan little eel. but then, zhang xiaoyan wanted the nickname little mantou which she refused they already had one little mantou at home. lately as zhang xiaoyans nicknames for her got more absurd, from lingduang to ah dang to uh~, liu shiling counterattacked in kind, evolving the name from little eel to slow donkey then to donkey~. anyway, her uh~ uh~ uh~ sounded just like a donkey. i cant see clearly! i think im nearsighted. i wonder if its because of playing games under the covers. zhang xiaoyan said, rubbing her eyes. liu shiling shook her head helplessly, you need to start studying properly. you cant always depend on peeking. these are all very simple topics. no problem, we dont have to test for middle school. im sure ill be in the same school as you. hehe. zhang xiaoyan said proudly. liu shiling knew she couldnt persuade her friend and shook her head, can you come out to play tomorrow after school? xiao mei and da lu are coming. xiao mei and da lu are coming? zhang xiaoyan was thrilled, but immediately she remembered something and made a bitter face, i probably cant make it tomorrow. my dad is coming to pick me up. he can only see me once a month. thats okay, you spend time with your dad first. anyway, during the summer vacation, da lu and xiao mei will often come to play. then we can go to chongyun village together. liu shiling said. sure. zhang xiaoyan agreed, nodding heavily. the two girls packed up their backpacks and left the classroom. many people greeted them. a girl from another class invited liu shiling to her birthday party, which she politely declined. a little boy from the sixth grade challenged her to a duel in an online game tomorrow, which she also declined. compared to the silly and cute little darling persona that she had in the eyes of old xia, tang baona, yang zhen er, and xiao pingguo at home, liu shiling had always maintained a cool demeanor since the first grade at school C only showing her silly side when she was annoyed by zhang xiaoyan. Chapter 649 - Chapter 649: Chapter 649: The Worries of an Elementary School Student (Part 2) chapter 649: chapter 649: the worries of an elementary school student (part 2) ever since liu shiling started elementary school, she has always been the focus of attention among teachers and students. even though she is low-key and not as sociable, she still stands out like the brightest star in the night sky. she simply cant hide her extraordinary and outstanding qualities. in a strict sense, even before she started elementary school, when she was in her final year of kindergarten, she was already the most distinctive and popular child among her peers. liu shilings ranking isnt just based on her excellent academic performance, or her extensive knowledge across subjects ranging from plants, animals, astronomy, and electrical appliances. she also possesses core capabilities in other regards that others do not. from origami and coin flipping in kindergarten, to the improvement of skills in drawing, singing, dancing, magic, to diy electric toys, diy computer equipment, then to the repair and transformation of devices such as smartphones, smartwatches, vr/ar glasses, home gaming machines, etc., her array of skills have been continually advancing with age. many of these skills, are not only unattainable by her peers, but even by the elementary school teachers, who sighed in awe and admiration. for instance, once when the schools multimedia room had just procured a new type of holographic projection equipment, it malfunctioned during its initial use. just as the teachers were planning on getting in touch with the manufacturers after-sales service and the technical support department, liu shiling, who was only in the fourth grade at the time, volunteered to take a look. without even waiting for the teachers approval, she went up on the stage, unscrewed the device panel with a multi-functional screwdriver from her stationery box, fiddled around for half a minute, rebooted it, did some operations and it started running normally again. liu shiling even explained the instruction manual to the awestruck teacher, teaching her how to operate the device quickly and simply, and fix minor faults. when asked how she was so familiar with this newly marketed holographic projection equipment, she nonchalantly answered that she had a set at home too, leaving everyone both amazed and shocked. of course, if they knew that the core technology of this projection equipment came from the commercially available holographic projector of qiankun technology, and that liu shiling had already encountered more than five engineering prototypes during the development phase, they would be even more astounded. later, when the schools database was hacked and the broadcast content was tampered with for a prank, liu shiling, who was in the fifth grade at that time, resolved the issue swiftly and even managed to identify the culprit; a middle school student who had graduated from their elementary school and was seeking revenge on a teacher through this method. liu shiling also helped the school to improve the basic network protection function, introduced a more reliable service provider to the school, and taught the teachers some basic knowledge about network security. liu shiling participated in various national-level elementary school physics and astronomy knowledge competitions and always achieved good rankings. regardless of whether they had taught her or not, the leaders and teachers at the school all knew about this all-rounded prodigious young girl. generally, students who are loved by the teachers and have outstanding results dont easily win the majority of their classmates affections, but liu shiling was an exception. both boys and girls liked her C the boys didnt just like her because she was cute and beautiful, they liked her more because she always knew about the latest electronic products, tools, and information about the latest games from top brands. moreover, her diy skills were admired by the boys, rendering her an idol-like character in their eyes. everyone would want to consult her about the selection of the latest gaming consoles, vr devices, smartwatches. she was always able to point out the issues with the devices just by asking a few questions; it was miraculous. liu shiling not only possessed an array of skills and talents, but she would also often bring the latest electronic products to school to share with everyone so they could try them out. she would frequently procure the trial codes for many major game producers and then distribute these codes to her classmates for free via the student chat group. apart from spending a lot of time with zhang xiaoyan, liu shiling maintained a polite but distant relationship with everyone else. unless there were school-arranged activities or tasks, she would go home right after school, and only occasionally play online games with her classmates. so for most students in the same school, liu shiling was shrouded with an unapproachable veil of mystery. after leaving the school gate, liu shiling and zhang xiaoyan got into a rather unremarkable black sedan parked by the roadside. this car is a new affordable model by an independent automotive enterprise invested in by qiankun technology. however, this car is far from being as ordinary as it looks, its far more different than the mass-produced models. as soon as she stepped into the car, zhang xiaoyan greeted the driver, yang zhener, hello sister zhener! as a child from a single-parent family, her mother often had to work and couldnt pick her up on time. hence, at yang zhener and liu shilings insistence, whenever zhang xiaoyans mother couldnt pick her up, she would catch a ride with yang zhener. in fact, given their circumstances, liu shiling and zhang xiaoyan could have travelled home on their own by bus. safety wasnt an issue for them, but they were resolutely rejected by yang zhener. xiao lingdang, are xiao mei and da lu coming over tomorrow? where are you guys planning to go out and play? i can give you a ride, said yang zhener. no need, sister old fairy, ill take them to play myself. well be in town, so theres no need to worry, liu shiling replied. in fact, not long after she started elementary school, she tried to start calling yang zhener sister zhener. but after some time, yang zhener asked her to go back to calling her old fairy sister. it felt more familiar and affectionate to her. that wont do. xiao lingdangs friends are my friends, xiao lingdangs guests are my guests. as the hosts, the zhener-ding-dang-xiaoyan trio must be present all together! yang zhener declared. zhang xiaoyan softly interjected, sister zhener, im going out with my dad tomorrow. ah, then i certainly cant be absent! yang zhener firmly stated. however, the next day, yang zhener was absent, not because she overslept or forgot about it, but because she and tang baona, and xiao pingguo were assigned a special task that required them to take a trip to europe. as she had never had a mission before, yang zhener, upon hearing this news, was immediately excited and jumped at the absence of this opportunity. therefore, the task of looking after the children today had to be delegated to a female assistant from her company. in fact, liu shiling didnt need anyone to supervise her. even if we dont take her own strengths into account, with alice omnipresent, there was nothing on this planet that could pose a threat to her. but the reason why xiao mei and da lus parents were assured of sending their kids over by themselves was the guarantee given by shilings mom, yang zhener, and tang baona. so, it was necessary for an adult to be present. so when they picked up xiao mei and da lu at the airport, and had a video call with their parents to confirm that the children had been received, liu shiling secretly got alice to imitate a call from old fairy sister, telling her that another person had come to take over, and to return to the company. following yang zheners instructions, the female assistant dropped off the three girls in an old city district and then left. liu shiling skillfully took her companions through the narrow lanes of the old city, taking shortcuts and quickly arriving at an old, inconspicuous shop in a remote location. the shop was a dessert store. it may not have caught the eye, but there was a long line at the entrance, indicating a thriving business. liu shiling bypassed the queue and walked through a side door with da lu and xiao mei into a kitchen, where a bustling old lady was arranging soup preparations. smiling, she enthusiastically greeted shiling, oh, xiao lingdang, how did you manage to find the time to visit your grandmother today? are you on holiday? yes, we just finished our final exams yesterday and dont have classes these two days. granny qi, i brought my friends to try your soup. replied shiling with a grin. very well, you go and sit first. granny will personally make it for you. is the flavor the same as before? the old lady happily asked, where are your other nice sisters? why didnt they come? i havent seen them for a long time; ive missed them. theyre on trips. ill bring them next time. id like the usual flavor for my bowl, one similar to mine for my friends, and another without mango pieces. said shiling, who then found a spot to sit with her companions and ordered three different snacks. xiao mei sat on a small bench, knees together, tapping her toes on the ground and lightly playing on the table with her hands like a pianist, clearly eager to taste the forthcoming delicacies. conversely, da lu was busy capturing moments with her camera. the two friends she had once met in star city had initially shown shiling some friction and conflict, but now, after undergoing a series of adventures, they had become her best friends outside of the super sensory item system. together with zhang xiaoyan, who joined in the third grade, they created a qq group named custard pie protection association, where they regularly laugh and gossip, plan game nights and share homework of course, it was mainly zhang xiaoyan copying shiling. once they received their soup and snacks, xiao mei couldnt wait and dug in immediately, prompting da lu to put away her camera and join in. shiling started eating a little later, delightedly watching her friends savor the food she had recommended she loved seeing the amazed expressions on their faces from the delicious food. xiao lingdang, how do you always find these amazing restaurants? xiao mei asked admirably. each time she and da lu came to visit shiling, they would be led to various delightful foods, tasting delicacies from at least five different restaurants each day, and each time it was a different place with rarely any repeats. the most incredible thing is, even when we go to star city or ye city, she still takes us to find food. da lu also joined in the conversation, laughing. xiao mei still lived in star city, while da lu now lived with her uncle in ye city; both have visited shiling there. hehe, you cannot let down good food and friends. liu shiling giggled. during the years when uncle bald was away, shiling and her sisters first learned how to cook delicious meals together. however, after tasting a host of failed experiments, they began to opt for a machine that could cook automatically, designed by alice, which could mimic some of uncle balds characteristic dishes. however, after several attempts, even the all-powerful, invincible alice failed although she had a comprehensive understanding of xiang kuns various cooking recipes and details, the food made by the cooking machine was always missing that indescribable touch. so liu shiling and her sisters started to explore the citys diverse food scene. every time yang zhener, tang baona or xiao pingguo took turns to pick her up from school, they would hunt down the best places to eat. if they found a place with good flavors, they would try different ways to ask the restaurant to improve, refining it towards their preferred taste. they would then use various ways to help promote the business, providing all kinds of assistance. as long as they made a promise, the business would surely boom because creating online hype and crafting internet-famed foods posed no challenge for alice. for this reason, liu shiling and her sisters would receive warm service from these marked restaurants, getting the vip treatment, not needing to queue, and having their own exclusive secret menu. after finishing their soup and snacks, shiling led her companions through several shortcuts to an anime store, hoping to find merchandise related to xiao meis two favorite animations. they also went to view some new gaming peripherals from teng jiao entertainment although shiling could get firsthand development information, shopping with friends and checking out the actual product offered a unique experience. after exploring the anime city, they visited an electronic city nearby to check out various photographic equipment and a range of expensive lenses. these were things da lu loved; she was especially keen on photography and used these pictures as her drawing reference library. nowadays, her paintings and shilings represented two extremes da lus pieces were increasingly realistic, while shilings were more and more fantastical, full of things not seen in the real world. however, the quality of their art was always high, which made xiao mei who always struggled with art and considered herself clumsy extremely envious. after they finished shopping in the anime city and the electronic city, they only bought four matching phone cases, and didnt buy anything else. they simply enjoyed window shopping and it was just pure fun for them. at noon, they went to a fancy looking western restaurant for lunch. xiao mei and da lu were a bit worried about the potential expensive bill, but shiling simply waved her hand and said, dont worry, this restaurant belongs to sister xian. the reason why sister yang bought this restaurant in the first place was straightforward: they proposed some friendly suggestions and expected some customized dishes, but the restaurant, taking pride in its high standards, refused to cooperate. they even threatened to ban them from eating there. this irritated yang, who responded by purchasing the restaurant and had it tailor its cuisine to her specifications. as it turned out, this change boosted the restaurants reputation, significantly improving its business. when she heard her friends praising the quality of the food, liu shiling gazed at the food in front of her with a trace of melancholy. although the taste was adjusted according to her and her sisters preferences and was much better than before, it still fell far short of uncle balds cooking. it was 2025 already. when would uncle bald finally come back? Chapter 650 - Chapter 650: Chapter 650: The Shelved Spear chapter 650: chapter 650: the shelved spear ugh, i told my mom i wanted to go to peng city for middle school, but she brutally refused. full from dinner, xiao mei slumped onto a booth sofa and lamented to her two friends, our custard pie protection association will not be able to gather till high school. da lu laughed, arent you going to have an even harder time trying to take the high school entrance exam in another province? plus, getting into the same high school as xiao lingdang will definitely be tough. xiao meis expression soured, what am i supposed to do then liu shiling laughed, no problem, even if were not in the same city, we can still chat online, video call, and play games together. we can even hang out on the weekends. my sister told me that super high-speed maglev trains are being built everywhere. star city to peng city should be connected soon. whether you come to visit me or i visit you, itll be as quick as taking a bus. leaning on her palm, xiao mei mumbled, but i want to play with xiao lingdang every day, do i really have to wait until college? da lu laughed, then you should start studying hard now, or you definitely wont be able to get into the university that xiao lingdang attends. humph, dont underestimate me, da lu. if i put my mind to it, ill shock you all! even if we dont end up in the same major, we could be at the same school. even if we dont end up at the same school, we could be in the same city! xiao mei declared with a determined expression. da lu chuckled, so youre dead set on following xiao lingduang around like a shadow? be careful, she might find you annoying if youre too clingy. liu shiling laughed as she embraced xiao mei, dont worry, i wont. you guys should come and live with me during the summer break. ill help you study so we can all attend the same university. xiao mei, who had been grinning, flinched at lius words, making a sour face, we dont need to start studying this hard so soon, do we? were still young and we dont have any entrance exams in middle school. we can talk about it when were in the third year of high school. thats still a long way off. both liu shiling and da lu laughed. as longtime friends, they knew xiao mei too well; her playful nature, love for beauty, and especially her distaste for studying. sigh, i dont think ill amount to much in the future. xiao lingdang, you have to study hard and become a big boss, then hire me as your secretary. ill drive for you, prepare documents, make coffee and all that. xiao mei said while holding onto liu shilings arm, chuckling. da lu reached over and pinched her cheek, who talks about having no prospect in their own future? xiao mei opened her mouth to pretend to bite her hand, then said, da lu, lets do it together. you can become a bodyguard, ah lu a driver, and me as secretary. we can all band together and cling to xiao lingdangs coat-tails. hehe! da lu, two years older than them and zhang xiaoyan, had a taller stature, darker skin, short hair, and looked like a sporty girl. liu shiling didnt know whether to laugh or cry, you guys talk as if i am guaranteed to become a big boss. what if i end up begging on the streets? then well be begging together, the four knightesses of the beggar sect! xiao mei said. what if i work construction? then well be the four golden flowers on the construction site! what if i go back to chongyun village to raise pigs? well be the four pig herders of chongyun village! ha ha ha ha! those are your words, not mine. this summer, you guys will come with me to chongyun village and ill take you to the farm, hehe! lets go see where rabbits are raised you think raising rabbits doesnt stink? as liu shiling and xiao mei were chuckling and joking around, da lu suddenly said, ive decided to apply to a military academy. i want to join the army. although da lu was a bit older than the other two, she had just started middle school. there were still five or six years to go before she could apply to a military academy. thus, liu shiling and xiao mei were quite baffled by her sudden serious decision. why did you suddenly decide to join the army? liu shiling asked, confused. i cant explain why exactlyperhaps its because my uncle showed me pictures of my grandfather during his military service and his medals. or maybe its related to the activities the troops held at our school last semester. in any case, ive been thinking about this for a while, and im definitely going to join the military, da lu said. dont you think its a bit too early to be considering this xiao mei began, but then realized shed been talking about what would happen after graduation, and after finding a job. her plans were even further in the future than da lus. she quickly changed her tune, but thats good too. after a few years of training in the army, youll be even more qualified to be a bodyguard. da lu laughed, are you really bent on having us all cling to xiao lingdangs coat-tails? yes! when we grow up, we should keep hanging out together, working together, gaming together, eating together, always together, like sister zhener, sister nana, sister xia, and sister apple! and of course, we need to protect sister xiao ran as she grows up! xiao mei said with a look of longing. the xiao ran she was referring to is the super cute younger sister of liu shiling, xiang xinran, who often played with them. the next afternoon, after liu shiling had seen her two friends off at the airport, she was about to turn around and head back to the car that had brought them there when someone grabbed her hand. the touch was familiar, so even before she turned around, liu shiling knew who it was. alice? liu shiling looked at the manifested little old xia alice standing next to her, puzzled. when alice first acquired the ability to co-manifest, she appeared to be at the same age as liu shiling. but now the former kindergarten plump girl had grown into a fifth-grade primary school student, making her noticeably shorter. the sight of her looked rather like a big sister leading her younger sibling. what happened? panicked, but also slightly excited, liu shiling asked. she knew that since alice now had xiang shinran as a physical body, she wouldnt manifest her own physical presence for play unless necessary, especially in crowded places like airports with numerous surveillance cameras. when she manifests, she has to shield or modify all the footage filmed of her in real-time. although its easy and effortless for her, its still considered a non-mission disturbance as per the rules of the research base, and should be minimized as much as possible. besides, for alice to use her ability to co-manifest, she must get permission from old xia. so, alice suddenly manifesting without being called, rather than contacting her through a phone or other electronic device, meant that there might be imminent danger. liu shiling may need to enter combat mode! subconsciously, liu shiling reached for her hoodie. then she remembered it was summer, and that she didnt have a hoodie on her t-shirt. hehe, sister lingdang, dont get all riled up! were not looking for a fight, were just swapping cars, hehe. alice pointed out a large rv parked on the side of the road. come sit in there! she instructed liu shiling. liu shiling grew even more curious. alice had told her not to get excited, but alice herself seemed even more excited. let me tell the driver about this, liu shiling said, before signalling to the ride-share driver that shed be leaving. she paid for her ride on her phone, and then made her way towards the rv. as she walked, liu shiling couldnt help but ask alice, are you assigning me a mission? in the past few days, elder fairy sister, pretty sister, and sister xiao pingguo had all been sent to europe on missions. it was the first time the three of them had gone on a mission together. more notably, it was elder fairy sisters first time being given an external mission. thus, liu shiling naturally thought that alice was looking for her to hand her a mission. she had always wanted a mission that would allow her to utilize her magic and show off her abilities. for many years, she had been studying and practicing various skills, not because she was smarter than others, but because within the super sensory item system, her energy recovery surpassed that of ordinary people her age. still, alice had carefully planned out her learning path, providing liu shiling with all the resources she needed to master each step. furthermore, when learning any knowledge or skill, she was driven by the desire to use them to better control her magic. this gave her the motivation and interest to learn. now, she was well aware of the existence of the super sensory item system and had more insights into magic. she also understood why bald uncle had encouraged her to learn from various subjects to better control her magic. it wasnt a trick, but a genuinely useful advice. she knew she had become incredibly powerful. she was also aware that, in terms of the power of abilities alone, she was most likely the strongest within the super sensory item system, apart from xiao luosi. yet, unfortunately, everyone still treated her as the youngest sister, a precious baby to be protected, never providing her the opportunity to show off her sharpest spear. maybe the opportunity had finally come. with pretty sister, elder fairy sister, and sister xiao pingguo all out on missions, and sister roast chicken wing in chongyun village, perhaps it was time for her sharpest spear to shine? hehe, theres an important task, alice replied, clearly excited. i manifested without dr. xias permission! liu shiling blinked, a stunned expression on her face. xiao luosi, you can independently control co-manifestation now? though this didnt really surprise her. after all, xiao luosis consciousness had always existed within the super sensory item system, and she had no problem optimizing and modularizing all kinds of abilities they developed. she could even acquire other peoples abilities through super sensory item stasis. hehe, nope, alice said, but she was still cheerful. she didnt? sensing something, liu shilings eyebrows shot up. excited, she grabbed alice and bolted towards the rv, flinging open the door as soon as they reached. just as liu shiling was about to utter light, she was taken aback. the rv was empty, no one was inside. the girls previously excited expression fell, her heart sinking like a roller coaster. for her, the return of bald uncle would have been the most exciting news. her hopes had been raised so high that nothing else could possibly compete. nothing else could replace the joyous anticipation she had built up. in chongyun village, inside a huge conference room, xia libing had just finished explaining the current theoretical research direction based on mutant creature characteristics through holographic imaging, as well as the progress of technical applications research based on some theoretical discoveries. sitting in the conference room and listening to xia libings introduction were top experts from various related fields within the country. more than half of them held academician titles, but their attention was entirely fixated on xia libings presentation. some who had research fields related to xia libings groundbreaking discoveries were even more excited, almost wishing they could start their research immediately. once xia libing had finished presenting the basic information and details, she invited everyone to ask questions freely. facing these heavyweights from various fields, she responded very smoothly to their enquiries. this batch of experts was already the thirteenth to visit the base. chongyun village was being continuously expanded, and a whole surrounding area had become various research institute divisions. still, the direct management right laid with xia libing and the abnormal biology research center. they coordinated and distributed tasks. many research achievements derived from the characteristics of mutant creatures had been practically applied technically several years ago. especially after the construction of controllable nuclear fusion power plants began in 22, even though the research still remained secret and had not been completely disclosed to the public, the breakthrough of mutant creature research had become a nearly open secret internationally. after 23, foreign experts began to appear at the base to participate in various research projects. in late 23, an international conference held in citong city witnessed delegations from over thirty countries sign a cooperative agreement on mutant creature research under the leadership of china. the citong agreement has become the acknowledged standard and guideline for mutant creature research. one of its core principles is that no matter which country or organization wants to study mutant creatures or acquire mutant creature research samples, they must apply to the abnormal biology research center-mutant creature administration located in chongyun village. most of the time, even when the application is approved, researchers from other countries have to come to chongyun village to conduct relevant mutant creature sample studies. its almost impossible to distribute live mutant creature samples. naturally, there will be people thinking, mutant creatures are all over the globe, why letting them monopolize? why not capture them by ourselves? however, those who think like this will ultimately gain nothing and can only obediently submit their application to chongyun village. this not well-known small mountain village in the northern part of the west sea has become a holy place in the international mutant creature research field. he haomin, the director of the abnormal biology research center who presided over the signing of the citong agreement is jokingly called the lord in the field of mutant creature research because almost anything in the related field requires authorization, permits, and assistance from the abnormal biology research center. however, those who have actually been to chongyun village and involved in core research know that the real boss and ultimate authority in the mutant creature research field is the beautiful, tall, pony-tailed dr. xia who always seems to have an indifferent expression. after the meeting, she answered all the experts questions, decided on the next stage of her research direction, and allocated the research rights for the mutant creature at the center, xia libing left chongyun village driving alone. while driving, xia libings stomach suddenly grumbled. she let out a soft ah as if she realized something and glanced at the time display in the car: 12:45 she was so focused on her conversation with the technical experts that she forgot to have her lunch in the canteen before leaving should she go to youlong restaurant in tongshi town for lunch? but from arrival to ordering to serving the food, it would take at least 35 minutes. so, xia libing pulled the car over, opened her old-looking bag, and started rummaging. inside there were snickers bars, vacuum-packed bread, potato chips, nuts, cookies, and even a can of cat food, a tube of cat nutrition paste, and a box of bird food from sister xiao pingguos brand. Chapter 651 - Chapter 651: Chapter 651: Human Joys and Sorrows Do Not Intersect chapter 651: chapter 651: human joys and sorrows do not intersect after rummaging through various snacks in the bag for a while, xia libing finally settled on the vacuum-sealed bread. tearing open the package and holding the bread through the half-open package with her left hand, a mouth-watering crispy pigs elbow manifested in xia libings right hand. she bit into the bread in her left hand, then the pigs elbow in her right hand, and as she continued to chew, she found her eyes involuntarily squinting with pleasure. in the years that xiang kun was gone, the only way they could taste the xiang kun cuisine was through old xias illusion reality ability. however, what was disappointing to tang baona, little fatty girl, yang lao san and others was that the xiang kun cuisine manifested by old xia, whether it was pigs elbow, rabbit meat, or various other foods, was all tailored to her taste. although it was delicious, the most powerful characteristic of the xiang kun cuisine was its ability to finely adjust to the different tastes of everyone, from 98 to 100. its only a difference of two points, but the experience is fundamentally different. moreover, although the manifested food could also be tasted, and have the same texture as the real thing, knowing that they were illusions led to some psychological differences when eating. the lack of a sense of fullness only added to this strange feeling. of course, at first they would often manifest the xiang kun cuisine to eat. even if old xia was busy at the chongyun village base, others in pengcheng city or shenhai city could ask alice to manifest it. every time tang baona, yang zhen er, and xiao pingguo failed in their cooking attempts and made some disastrous food, they would ask alice to manifest some xiang kun cuisine to cleanse their palate. however, it didnt take long for the manifestation of xiang kun cuisine to be restricted by old xia. she put a limit on the number of times everyone could eat manifested food per month, and specifically for little fatty girl and xiao pingguo, she strictly limited it to only six times a month and enforced strict quantity regulations for each time. the reason for this was concern that they would become addicted to the taste of xiang kun cuisine, thus reducing their appetite for other foods. although the manifested food didnt give a sense of fullness, the eating experience was very real and could have a psychological impact, creating a deceptive sensation. tang baona and yang zhen er would try to lose weight and intentionally wanted to replace real food with manifested items; little fatty girl and xiao pingguo, however, would overeat. if they ate too much xiang kun cuisine, they would unconsciously eat less normal food and become increasingly picky about what they ate. this was clearly detrimental to these two who were still growing. the longer xiang kun was gone, the stronger their yearning for xiang kun cuisine, and the psychological boost that these manifested foods brought would only become stronger, raising the delicious threshold for other normal delicacies. although alice was watching them and their bodies would definitely not develop any serious issues, xiang kuns long-standing philosophy was to ensure that little fatty girl and xiao pingguo led as normal lives as possible. this naturally included their diet. especially for little fatty girl, who was in her growing years, she couldnt get addicted to the taste of virtual food. since xiang kun was not around, she naturally had to exercise control and impose restrictions. after all, she developed the illusion reality ability. it was only after old xia set the manifestation limit on xiang kun cuisine that tang baona, yang zhen er, and xiao pingguo started taking little fatty girl around in pengcheng city and surrounding cities to sweep the streets for delicious food, and even actively guided and encouraged businesses to adjust their dishes to match their taste. of course, as the one who proposed the manifestation limit, old xia led by example she pledged to stick to the limit of six xiang kun cuisine manifestations a month. the food manifested during fights was naturally not included that wasnt meant to be eaten. although old xia has a strong obsession with food and delicacies, she also possesses a formidable power of self-control. normally engulfed in her research related to mutants and various affairs of the base, she often eats at the appointed times in the cafeteria with her colleagues. they eat for speed and satiety. its only when tang baona and yang zhener come to visit her that theyd collectively make a visit to the youlong restaurant for a quality meal. its just like before she met xiang kun, yang zhener had no idea that her cousin was so particular about her food and possessed such insightful viewpoints, essentially being a little foodie at her core. as a result, old xia almost always has leftover comanifestation quota every month. this time around, while in the car, she remembered she had some bread left in the backpack xiang kun gave her, and decided to manifest her most beloved crispy pigs elbow to eat. accompanied by the co-manifested crispy pigs elbow, xia libing quickly finished three slices of bread, drank some mineral water, let out a satisfied sigh, burped, and then continued driving. having already eaten, rather than going to tong shi town, xia libing decided to drive straight to jianzhou city airport to head to peng city. tomorrow would be july 1st, and july 2nd was xiang kuns birthday. even though xiang kun wasnt present now, they still maintained the tradition of gathering for a meal together on july 1st. xia libing knew that her cousin, sister nana, and the others were subtly trying to give her a break from her work and research to offer her some relaxation by using this occasion as a pretext. after all, most of the time, her cousin, nana, apple, and xiao lingdang all lived together in peng city and didnt need to go out of their way to find time to gather. at this time, nana, her cousin, xiao pingguo, and xiao lingdang were still carrying out their tasks in bratislava. likely, they would start their journey back home soon after completing their tasks today. under alices travel coordination, it was certain that they would arrive in peng city in time for dinner tomorrow. if xia libing arrived in peng city earlier today, it would offer her a chance to chat with xiao lingdang, check on her studies and interests in detail. although alice would usually provide updates on xiao lingdangs status, and xiao lingdang often visited chongyun village with yang zhener during holidays, it never felt the same as being up close. plus, when they visited, discussing technical matters wasnt ideal. now that xiao lingdang just finished her finals and was in a relaxed mood, it was a perfect opportunity for communication. xia libing could feel that xiao lingdang was putting too much pressure on herself, getting overly engrossed in the development of her capability system. although she desired to display her powers, and yearned for combat opportunities, developing her powers and abilities made the pressure on her grow even greater. under the current circumstances, xia libing couldnt possibly let a grade school student handle issues related to mutants C despite the fact that xiao lingdangs destructive capabilities already ranked in the top three under the super sensory item system. however, xia libing wasnt overly concerned about this. she understood xiao lingdang so well that she had faith that she could keep xiao lingdang satisfied in her school life, reducing her obsession about fighting monsters, making full use of her magic. once xiao lingdang graduated from junior high school, she could offer her an internship at the base, making her realize there was hope in unleashing her capabilities and thus get her heart back on track with her studies. of course, if by that time xiang kun were to wake up and return, none of these problems would exist C as long as xiang kun was present, xiao lingdangs heart would be at peace as her drive would return back to become stronger to fight alongside uncle bald , rather than her current motivation of become strong enough to protect mama, my sisters, and xiao luosi. then, she would be able to unload the burden she put on her fragile little shoulders. upon reaching jianzhou city airport, xia libing parked her gl8, which seemed quite ancient in comparison to the times, in the parking lot. she hoisted her well-aged backpack loaded with charming character over her shoulders, and then leisurely strolled into the airport lobby. the research base had a dedicated team of chauffeurs, possessing many vehicles far superior and more comfortable than her old gl8 model, responsible for transporting the bases experts and senior researchers. as the head of the research base, by rights, xia libing should have a personal driver, a dedicated assistant, and even security personnel. she shouldnt have to drive an old business car to catch a flight. however, xia libing was used to her independence, and never needed an assistant even in the basealice was enough, as no assistant could match the synergy between alice and her. as for driving, she would use the bases designated transport and accompany the bases staff on the trip when there were official occasions. however, if it was a private trip, she would definitely drive herself, particularly with her old gl8. its not entirely because she wanted to be alone in the car. if that were the case, alice could modify an automated vehicle to fit her requirements at any time. even this gl8, without modifications, alice could take control and operate itbecause over 95% of the components of this car were super-connected objects. xia libing simply likes driving this car. she doesnt know if driving this car would remind her of how she used to drive everyone around in chongyun village. every time she drove this car, an indescribable atmosphere enveloped her, it was fleeting and hard to describe, but it was real. she enjoyed this feeling. after processing the procedures and passing through security, xia libing, holding her bag, sat in the terminal, waiting for boarding. the waiting area was crowded. behind her was a group of enthusiastic senior citizens discussing their itinerary upon reaching their destination, sharing snacks and fruits among themselves. to her left was a couple who were cuddling closely, exchanging sweet nothings, and teasing each other. beyond the young couple was a middle-aged man, full of smiles, engaged in a video call on his phone, apparently with his child. to xia libings right was a family of three, who appeared to have just completed their west sea excursion and were preparing to return. the couple and their child were currently watching videos from the trip, filled with constant laughter. next to the family was a young woman in her twenties, holding her phone horizontally and engrossed in a game, occasionally cursing under her breath. xia libing looked at her own reflection on the glass in front of her and felt as if she and the others around her lived in two different worlds. she couldnt help but be reminded of a saying: the joys and sorrows of people dont resonate with each other, i only find their noise disturbing. however, she quickly realized this doesnt apply to her as she didnt find others noisy. if she needed to think or concentrate, she would automatically tune out the noise around her. this was a talent she had even before she met xiang kun. as for the first half of the quote she does share joys and sorrows with people, but only with one person and only when she shares happiness and sorrow with him does she herself experience them. in the many years since xiang kun entered a transformational hibernation, the more xia libing researched mutant characteristics, and the deeper her connection with the super sensory item system became, the more she was convinced that in order to break through her emotional experience and possess a richer emotional experience, she must rely on xiang kuns emotional assimilation. to acquire new emotional perceptions through emotional assimilation, and then establish corresponding emotional habits through repeated scenarios, is her sole method to experience normal emotions. in the years that xiang kun has been absent, xia libing has been repeatedly creating conditions for the spontaneous perception of several emotions she has already experienced, intensifying these emotions, and expanding their trigger range. now when she watches xiao lingdang, yang zhen er and xiao pingguo practicing their new crosstalk, she occasionally finds it amusing. however, its not amusing enough to make her laugh out loud, so she might seem indifferent from the outside. though not as vocal as sister nana, old three, xiao lingdang, and xiao pingguo, xia libing was in fact the one who most hoped for xiang kuns return. only xiang kun could bring her new emotional experiences, only xiang kun could help her answer some of the questions about mutant characteristics that even alice couldnt figure out, and only xiang kun could help her verify some new hypotheses about the essence of high-dimensional factors. xia libing suddenly stood up and walked towards the reflective glass, stopping half a meter away. she looked at her own reflection and suddenly made a grimace by squeezing her face with one hand and pushing her nose upwards with another while rolling her eyes. the next moment, she felt a very powerful emotion. so, she let go of her hands, hugged the backpack on her chest, and burst into laughter. looking at her radiant and somewhat unfamiliar smile reflected in the glass, xia libing suddenly realized something. a small silhouette appeared beside her, leaning against her leg. in the glass reflection, alice, who appeared beside her, was also in stitches. xia libing looked down at her. alice raised her little face to meet her gaze, their jovial expressions still lingering. did he wake up? xia libing suddenly asked. the amusing emotion just now was so intense, something she had not experienced in these five years. and the sudden appearance of alice was without her permission. though alice could prearrange for all the monitoring and electronic devices that might capture her image in such a crowded place, and distract anyone who might be looking her way, under normal circumstances, she would have no need to do this. clearly, something big had happened. hehe. alice hugged xia libings thigh, squirming her body with a goofy smile on her face. Chapter 652 - Chapter 652: Chapter 652: The Glasses Squad chapter 652: chapter 652: the glasses squad in bratislava, the capital of slovakia, within a stretched luxury car. xiao pingguo held a tall glass, sipping the orange juice inside while she looked around curiously. sister nana, why are we riding such a nice luxury car for our mission? xiao pingguo asked. they were in the car compartment chatting, isolated from the drivers cab, so they wouldnt be overheard. in her view, going on a mission usually involves riding in a functional vehicle, right? something like an off-road vehicle, armored vehicle, or a modified car filled with equipment. the vehicles she had ridden in with sister nana and ice sister on previous missions were those types of cars. the luxury limousine they were in today felt more suited for attending banquets or balls. tang baona was also pouring soda into her tall glass and laughed, alice arranged it. she asked me if i had any specific requirements for our transportation. i said as long as its comfortable, so she arranged this car. it seems like our mission this time isnt too difficult. xiao pingguo looked out of the car window and said. exactly, or else they wouldnt have let old three come along. tang baona joked. but after she said those words, the expected counterattack from yang lao san didnt happen. so she looked at yang zhen er, who was sitting opposite her. he was wearing a denim jacket with a cotton hood and sunglasses. yang zhen er had put on her jackets hood and wore her sunglasses. more than half of her face was covered, only her tight mouth was visible. at that moment, she was leaning forward in her comfortable seat, carefully looking at the mission plan on an ipad. old three? old three? after calling out twice, tang baona raised her voice, zhener!! huh? yang zhen er finally responded, lifting her head and staring blankly at tang baona through her sunglasses. zhener, why are you wearing sunglasses in the car? are you trying to be cool? also, why are you wearing a hood? arent you hot? tang baona laughed and said, did you get- influenced by xiao lingdang? but even xiao lingdang would only wear her hood when she needs to use her little magic, with you wearing it all the time, there will be no buff bonus for you during battles! yang zhen er chuckled and tugged at the hood strings, saying, wearing a hood makes me feel secure. i can now understand why xiao lingdang always likes to wear clothing with hoods. xiao pingguo laughed and said, sister zhener, xiao lingdang wears a hood because she wants to imitate a magic robe. yes yes, of course i know that. the magic robe has a hood, it feels safer, right? yang zhener quickly said, just like wearing a helmet, heh heh. in the five-plus years that xiang kun has been gone, yang zhen er has spent the most time with liu shiling, even more than she has spent with her own mother. normally, children are easily influenced by adults. however, in the case of old three and little fatty girl, it is the reverse. over the years, its actually old three who has been more influenced by little fatty girl C she prefers clothing with hoods, whether its clothes, bags, or other items, she likes to buy things with a pattern of cats or birds, and her taste leans towards spicy and sugary, even the songs she likes are 99% the same. perhaps because their diet, schedule, and style are almost identical, as little fatty girl has grown older, she and yang zhen er began to look more alike. when they go out together, fewer people mistake them as mother and daughter, and more as siblings. of course, this kind of mutual influence doesnt just happen between little fatty girl and yang zhen erC the other members also influence each other. for example, whether its little fatty girl, yang zhen er, xiao pingguo or tang baona, when a hidden scheme is exposed or they have something to flaunt, they all laugh in an hehe rhythm, imitating alices laughter. suddenly, tang baona reached out and removed yang zhen ers sunglasses, stared into her eyes and said, old three, are you nervous? yang zhen er subconsciously said: no! why would i be nervous xiao pingguo smiled and sat next to yang zhen er, putting her arm around her shoulder: its normal to be nervous the first time you go on a mission. when i had my first mission, i was more nervous than you are today, sister zhener. i made jin shanshan so anxious too, who kept hopping around. we almost had diarrhea. back then, i partnered with ice sister and didnt want to hold her back. guess what happenedhehe. ice sister told me that the mutant we were up against was even weaker than jin shanshan and that jin shanshan alone could take it. it turned out that jin shanshan did go and fight it alone and won, though much of it was xiao luobo and alice helpingso, sister zhener, these mutants are generally weak. we have xiao luobo and alice protecting us as doctor bodyguards, so we dont need to worry at all. very safe! yes! very safe! alices clear voice predictably echoed through the cars sound system. in fact, xiao pingguo had long ago told everyone about her first mission. little fatty girl even made a comic strip about jin shanshan helping her and old xia complete the mission. but she didnt mention at the time how nervous she had been during the mission. tang baona also took off her own glasses, replaced them with yang zhen ers sunglasses, raised her chin slightly in style, and held yang zhen ers head with a hand: dont worry, little zhen zhen, your sister nana will protect you! go away! i have also participated in the fight against the ultimate predator in my dream, alright? at that time, i took all the monster attacks on myself! its just that old xia was unwilling to assign me a mission earlier, or else im sure my war records would not be worse than yours! yang zhen er retorted indignantly. however, after being teased by xiao pingguo and tang baona, she was actually way less nervous than before. tang baona tilted her sunglasses a bit and laughed at her friend: when we encounter that old vampire later, yang lao san, you go and fight him alone. xiao pingguo and i will give you cover. ah? yang zhen er was taken aback, her mouth slightly open, and her hand instinctively reaching for the drawstring of her hoodie. however, she soon realized that nana was joking, so she pounced on her and pinched her stomach: ill fight you one on one first! take this, white armor fairy scratch! xiao pingguo quickly took the soda can next to tang baona, preventing it from being knocked over, then moved to the side, took out her phone, and began filming their fight. amid their playfulness, the limousine slowly came to a halt. the drivers voice came from the intercom: miss tang, we have arrived at our destination. as soon as they heard this, the three immediately stopped their fights and gathered on one side, looking through the window at their missions destinationa bustling nightclub. i was expecting to see their castle when i heard from alice that our target was an old european vampire. whod have thought they would be hiding in the city? said xiao pingguo, putting on her special glasses made by xiang kun and alice, which helped to restore her vision. she can now see like a normal person, but she still puts on these glasses when on a mission, or when she needed to enhance her special visual abilities and obtain more surrounding information. even though the boost the glasses provided was limited, xiao pingguo, like little fatty girl who wore a hood imagining it was a magic robe, felt cooler with these specially-made glasses, like a superhuman. yang zhen er and tang baona each put on their sunglasses and glasses respectively, making their combat team all coincidentally wear glasses, despite the glasses being of different types. i still think we should get a uniform combat suit, nana, remember to mention it to old xia. make sure it has a hood, yang zhen er said, tugging at her hoodie again as she got out of the car. tang baona asked: why dont you tell old xia yourself? i have submitted a request yang zhen er said helplessly. upon spotting the three of them alighting from the car, a towering blond man standing at the entrance of the nightclub quickly approached and bent over to talk to the leading lady, tang baona. in broken chinese, he asked, are you ms. tang xiaojie? please seeing tang baona nod, he swiftly gestured the two ladies to proceed inside. the waiting queue of young men and women immediately began to hiss in disapproval. but a stern glare from the blond giant quickly silenced them. the blond man turned around to tang baona and her companions once more, behaving with cautious reverence as he led them into the club. upon entering the main gate, instead of heading straight into the bustling dance area, they followed the blond giant through a side passage, winding their way down to the second underground floor. the blond man stopped nervously in front of a deep underground passage, and whispered in english to tang baona, its down there, but i dont have the key to that door. tang baona replied in english, understood. you can leave now. with a sigh of relief, the giant made a swift exit, not daring to look back. tang baona retrieved a small flashlight from her coat pocket and continued her descent with xiao pingguo and yang zhener. xiao pingguo was unfazed, but yang zheners heart was pounding in her chest. she held onto xiao pingguos arm, looking over her shoulder from time to time. by now they were two floors underground and could barely hear the club music from above, only the faint reverberations of the bass. so, this old vampire hides amongst so many people. is it planning to suck everyones blood? xiao pingguo whispered. their task briefing from alice had informed them that their target, the so-called old vampire, feeds on human blood and has claimed many lives over the past centuries. very likely, tang baona replied. yang zhener tightened her grip on xiao pingguos arm. when they reached a metal door, tang baona didnt attempt to push the door or check the lock. instead, she took a small pouch the size of a dumpling from her pocket and held it to the keyhole. a dozen tiny tungsten steel balls poured out and burrowed into the keyhole. seconds later, there was a soft click, and the metal door creaked open. tang baona walked in as the balls flew back into the pouch. the staff showing them around, the need to use a tool to unlock the door below C its all written in the mission details provided by alice, they just need to follow the instructions. what lay beneath was a sloping passage flanked by places designed for holding torches, all of them now empty without a source of light. yang zhener and xiao pingguo followed the beam of tang baonas flashlight, observing the surroundings. this section appeared to be an old structure, built in a different style and from different materials compared to the floors above ground and the first two underground levels. it seemed that the underground space and the nightclub were not built at the same time. instead, the underground space existed first, with the nightclub constructed later. considering the task description of the old vampire, they couldnt help but feel as though they were in an adventure game or a horror film. even the bravest among them, xiao pingguo, subconsciously held her breath, treading lightly. after navigating several bends, descending a few flights of stone stairs, and unlocking another door using the previous method, they entered a vast underground hall. an enormous underground hall, large enough to contain two standard basketball courts, with a ceiling seven to eight meters high. in the middle of the hall was a colossal stone coffin tailed by a dozen other smaller coffins connected to the central coffin by long, slender chutes. if not for alices mission briefings mentioning stone coffins, they might have mistaken this arrangement for some age-old brewing equipment. tang baona shone her flashlight inside the open coffins. they were all empty. xiao pingguo and yang zhener stayed close, looking around carefully without daring to touch anything. after a full exploration, they gathered around the largest coffin in the middle. what do we do now? yang zhener couldnt help asking. perhaps, we should try opening the biggest coffin. our target is likely inside, tang baona suggested. that doesnt sound rightthat wasnt part of the mission, was it? yang zhener hesitated. xiao pingguo agreed. she tapped the side of her auxiliary glasses to display the mission details from alice. according to the mission, we should be ready to fight as soon as we enter the hall. thus, the three began preparing for battle C each taking out the super coin that xiang kun had left for them. however, after waiting about five to six minutes with no sign of movement, xiao pingguo suggested, should we just open the coffin tang baona proposed, alright, lets settle this with rock-paper-scissors. the loser opens it. hence, the trio huddled together, the slender fingers of tang baona and xiao pingguo and a clenched fist of yang zhener appeared under the dim light of the miniature flashlight. yang zhener paused for a moment. looking at her own two unbent fingers, she suggested hesitantly, best two out of three? two out of three in a game of three? go on, yang lao san, this is your first mission, enjoy the privilege of summoning the monster! tang baona replied, barely suppressing her laughter. xiao pingguo also chimed in, dont worry, zhener. nana and i have got your back. trust us. yang zhener moved two steps towards the massive coffin with a solemn face before turning back to say, uh i probably dont have the strength to open this. alice has more strength C should we get her to do it? no sooner had she finished speaking than an eerie, low-pitched noise filled the hall, sounding somewhere between a sob and a chuckle. yang zhener yelped and leaped back as though startled, then quickly hid behind tang baona and xiao pingguo. crouching low, she peered out from between them towards the coffin. amidst the strange, unearthly noises, the enormous central coffin slowly moved aside, revealing a nauseating stench. tang baona and the others instinctively covered their mouths and noses, stepping back. Chapter 653 - Chapter 653: 653 chapter 653: 653 tang baona, xiao pingguo, and yang zhen er clustered tightly together. under the flickering beam of their flashlight, all their eyes were focused on whats above the stone coffin. in truth, xiao pingguo wasnt that scared. she had already been on several missions and seen all sorts of mutants and witnessed various eerie scenes. she wasnt exactly a hardened veteran, but she had definitely broadened her horizons. in addition to her normal visual abilities, she had multiple sensory modes to perceive her surroundings. she wasnt afraid of the dark at all. even without the light from nanas flashlight, she could clearly see her surroundings. thus, the fear factor from this dark, strange underground space was basically non-existent for her. however, xiao pingguo still huddled closely behind sister nana with yang zhen er. she enjoyed the feeling of being frightened together, their hearts pounding in unison, so they pressed closer together. though xiao pingguo was hunched over, clutching at sister nanas arm as if to say how scary, how scary, her face was full of smiles, showcasing a how delightful, how delightful expression. after the lid of the largest sarcophagus opened, a mass bounced out, unrecognizable, as if it had been forced into the container and shaped by its confines. what the hell is that seeing such a thing, tang baona instinctively stepped back a few paces, yang zhen er and xiao pingguo clung to her arm and retreated with her. alice, didnt you say in the mission briefing that the target is an old european vampire? what is this blob? yang zhen er couldnt help but yell out loud. however, alice didnt give any response, the lump of flesh bounced twice, then crawled to the edge of the stone coffin, and began to transform. in the midst of crisp cracking sounds, a long, flat head emerged from the lump, followed by arms and legs, stretching out. in just a short while, the lump had morphed into a human form. however, the thing had long limbs, shriveled skin, only the stomach was swollen. its stick-like arms and legs held onto the edge of the sarcophagus, a pair of eyes bulging out, pitch black without a hint of white, making the whole entity resemble a giant white-banded high-legged spider, a truly repugnant sight. however, tang baona and the others breathed a sigh of relief because the lump of flesh had transformed into a human. this brought them back to the mission guidelines laid out by alice, now they could continue as planned. the vampire, born out of the lump of flesh, was around five and a half feet tall even when crawling. if it stood as a typical human, it would be a giant over 16 feet tall. no wonder it had to be squished into that sarcophagus. despite the size of the coffin, it still seemed too small for it. the face of the vampire only had two bulging black eyes, its nose was two holes, and there was no visible mouth. eyebrows, hair, and the like were all missing. it began to crawl toward tang baona and the others with its limbs on the ground, two black eyes reflecting a strange, shimmering light under the illumination of the flashlight. according to what alice wrote in the mission briefing, its just completed a staged transformation, right? xiao pingguo whispered, it seems its ingested several mutants at the same time, maybe thats why its indigesting and looks like this? yang zhen er muttered: maybe its aesthetic sense got twisted after the mutation, and it deliberately transformed into this? while tang baona was protecting the other two and backing away slowly, she said: its eyes seem to be trying to hypnotize us, be careful. its no use, hypnotizing us is like a layman trying to show off his swordsmanship in front of guan gong, or his carpentry skills in front of luban, or trying to raise rabbits in front of xiang kun; its like serving us a meal! yang zhener smugly stated. xiao pingguo was unconsciously rubbing tang baonas arm, itching to ask, sister nana, shall we start? just hold on a little longer, lets see what other tricks it has um what other formidable abilities. tang baona replied. she knew that the old vampire they were facing this time was more of a sparring target that old xia and alice had set up for them. otherwise, if it was simply to deal with this old vampire, alice would have arranged for them to come while it was still in the process of transforming and in a dormant state, not after it had awakened according to the mission details, it was clear that alice had calculated the time well. in this case, it means that alice is absolutely confident about helping them, so they can let go and act freely. by observing the abilities of this old vampire, she might be able to get some inspiration, and acquire some even more powerful melodies. on the other hand, it is also a way of building up courage. even though she knows that alice is protecting them and that they can beat the old vampire, shes still a bit scared and wants to run away. she must face her fears and control her emotions before using her melody ability. as soon as tang baona finished speaking, the vampire suddenly stood up, inflating its body several times larger in an instant. a giant mouth appeared amid the bulging belly, full of human teeth, but several times larger than normal human teeth and seemingly twisted, as if multiple peoples teeth were pieced together, looking very bizarre. as the mouth opened, the previous laughing and crying sound echoed in the hall. in the next moment, the torches on the protruding platforms around the hall ignited with a whoosh, the flames, as if attracted by something, kept climbing up, thin and eerie. the old vampire made a series of strange sounds toward them, then began to repeat it. as it recited, the flames on the surrounding torches seemed to respond, shaking and elongating. the strange chanting echoed in the hall, creating layers of echoes, as if the flames were making the sound too. sister nana, what is it saying? xiao pingguo quietly asked. it seems to be the latin for flames. it probably doesnt have the ability to control fire. those torches must have been brought down by it before and its done something to them. its ability is in its voice, its voice has a hypnotic power. those flames are meant to distract us and help it hypnotize us. tang baona said, trying to analyze while forcing herself to stay calm. it really wants to hypnotize us, huh? xiao pingguo murmured. nana, if we back up any further, well be at the door. should we make a move? yang zhener had been clutching her super coin in her hand for a while now, always ready to take action. seeing the old vampire approaching with rapid strides, tang baona finally yelled, xiao pingguo! zhener! begin! then tang baona immediately closed her eyes, tossed her super coin into the air, and the melody she had been envisaging suddenly echoed in the hall. a pipa tune filled with killing intent abruptly sounded, frightening the hulking old vampire who stumbled backward, looking around in fear. at the same time, xiao pingguo let go of tang baonas arm, and threw her own super coin in front of her. the inconspicuous coin landed in front of the old vampire. a beam of light four or five meters in diameter appeared out of thin air from the top of the hall, like a spear of light, piercing through the underground structure from above. the old vampire got scared again, retreating back, while the giant mouth on its belly roared like a wild beast, deafening. but its voice was immediately drowned out by the thunderous drumming that followed, then the flute, the erhu, and the guqin, all drawing the rhythm faster, the momentum higher, and the murderous aura stronger. the entire hall was like a natural reverb buff, allowing the swirling music to fill the entire space, completely submerging and overriding the shriek of the old vampire. the gigantic beam of light completely overpowered the torchlight from the surrounding walls, the slithery, strange flames, trembling like the flame of a miniature candle. in this music that seemed to be performed by a golden armored battalion, a gigantic figure slowly descended through the beam of light. at that moment, yang zhener, who had been silently reciting the task details in her mind, also took action, throwing the super coin she had long been gripping in her hand. the stone roof of the hall disappeared instantly, transforming into a gloomy sky swirling with thick clouds and electric sparks. the beam of light piercing through the cloud layer suddenly expanded by a fold, scattering streaks of radiant light. the figure descending from the heavens also underwent a change, adorning an exquisitely elegant armor and holding in hand a majestic square sky halberd entwined with electric arcs. that figure had yellow skin, was exceedingly short and fat, wearing goggles, with its head directly attached to its bodyit was simply an enlarged minion! however, this gigantic minion was now dressed in a chinese-style armor, holding the square sky halberd, with electricity coursing through his body, the aura he exuded was extremely imposing. as soon as it landed, the minion version of lu bu swung the square sky halberd towards the old vampire, all while emitting gleeful, strange laughter. the old vampire named gerald was the last remnant of the secret organization red rose to which count joel and john belonged. after john cavendish and count joel had travelled to china without any news, the handful of aging vampires left in the red rose organization did not want to sit and wait for death. they began to vie against each other for survival, trying to consume each other to gain the opportunity to break through their limits. after the antarctic crisis, the world changed dramatically. these old fellows, who had been lurking in the shadows for nearly a hundred years, began to sense some opportunities. they wanted to come forward, to cooperate with western agencies and organizations secretly researching and investigating mutants, in an attempt to restore their power and glory from centuries ago. nevertheless, they were soon confronted with a harsh reality. they were transformed from hunters into hunted, the subjects of research, forced to go into hiding. even obtaining a normal blood source became difficult. hence, the ancient vampires including red rose and others from various regions began a brutal internal struggle, consuming each other. gerald was the last winner. when tang baona and the others arrived, he had just finished simultaneously consuming the last two vampires using an ancient secret technique, completing what he considered to be a transformation with great significance. he was not aware that it was alice and old xia who had arranged this outcome for these old vampires and the bloodline vampires, to gather in one place, forcing them to be unable to hunt ordinary humans, to fail in obtaining a normal blood source, and compelled them to annihilate and cannibalize each other. alice controlled all electronic devices and information data as freely as her own arm, thanks to the numerous sub-plants of xiao luobo that were spread all over the corners of the world and the super-connected objects and emotion infused objects. she cleverly created a situation where they were besieged on all sides, forced to shrink continuously, forced to cannibalize each other. this path seemed to be formed by various coincidences and accidents, as well as different choices made by different people, but in reality, this path was drawn for them by alice and old xia from the very beginning. the freshly awoken gerald, although his body had undergone a massive mutation after the transformation leaving him barely resembling a human, felt a strength he had never before experienced. this strength did not only originate from his massive body, but also from the dominion of his senses and consciousness. he knew that his hypnosis abilities, his mind control abilities over other humans and creatures had greatly strengthened. he had a feeling that all creatures in the world could be controlled through his consciousness, all creatures could become his puppets. therefore, when he woke up and surprisingly found three humans in this secret place, after the initial surprise, his first reaction was not to rely on his massive body to crush and kill the adversaries, but to try and control them with his mental abilities. in his view, humans who could enter here at this time should have some connection to mutants, they could be influential, there might be many people outside, and controlling them to gather information was the best choice. at the same time, he could also test his mental control ability to manipulate all beings as marionettes. what was unexpected was that no matter how many times he enhanced his hypnotic and mental control abilities, the three humans in front of him seemed immune, completely unmoved and unaffected. just as he was about to lose patience and wanted to use his formidable physical body to tear the three people to pieces and drink their blood, an astonishing melody he had never heard before resonated throughout the hall. the sudden beam of light tore apart space, followed by the arrival of the short and fat giant wearing the eastern armor and brandishing a bizarre weapon in the beam of light. for an instant, he felt as if he hadnt awakened and everything was a dream, that he wasnt a vampire, but was just the honest coachman he once was. gerald was forced to confront the almost equally-sized short fat giant with no place to run. he had to meet it head on, planning to endure a blow, and then use the large mouth on his stomach to bite and immobilize it, subsequently using other attributes of his body. however, contrary to his expectation, as his arm made contact with the eerie weapon, instead of being hacked and stuck into the weapon as he had imagined, his arm was instantly dismembered into thousands of pieces just like it was being rapidly cut by numerous steel wires. the weapon continued to advance without any obstruction, all the areas it made contact with were fractured and dispersed. he felt like a giant tomato being flattened by a heavy truck, frail and juicy. in his daze, gerald suddenly felt as if the ferocious music echoing from somewhere unknown, the clanking, fast-paced melody, were eerily in sync with the way his body was breaking apart. his body seemed to be cut and shattered by this music, this melody. could music also kill? Chapter 654 - Chapter 654: Chapter 654 Task Completed Chapter 654: Chapter 654 Task Completed When Gerald saw that sudden beam of light, he was momentarily stunned, experiencing a sliver of a surreal feeling. But as the Short Fat Giant slashed his arm with its weapon, he personally experienced the pulverizing destructive power, and saw his arm reduced to fragments. He felt that pain and fear, acknowledging with complete certainty: All of this was real! The melody was real! The beam of light was real! The Short Fat Giant that descended from the beam of light was also real! Although he had considered bypassing the Short Fat Giant to deal with the three women, he suspected the light beam, the formidable melody, and the Short Fat Giant with its bizarre weapon were all their doing. But the problem was, he couldnt get around it. The Short Fat Giants strange weapons held too much power. Seemingly anything that came into contact with it was obliterated, and with his incredibly compact form, he was highly mobile and able to block all his escape routes. The weapons, like precision-guided missiles, accurately tracked his every move. Although the underground hall was reasonably spacious, for Gerald and the sizable short fat giant, it wasnt exactly spacious. Coupled with the three-dimensional channels extending from various places connecting the stone coffins, Gerald was soon cornered next to a stone coffin. By then, his two arms had already been severed, one side of his head was split open, continuously bleeding. A large mouth on his belly was sliced open, with the opening reaching his armpits and his tongue hanging out, badly wounded and unable to retract. Collapsing to the ground, leaning against the coffin, Gerald hoisted a leg to kick the Short Fat Giant. The moment it contacted that peculiar weapon, his flesh scattered instantaneously as though shoved into a blender, and the whole leg vanished. The echoing music rhythm in the hall became solemn and somber as the majestic sound of a brass instrument entered. Peering up at the dark, heavy clouds that seemed on the verge of pressing down on his head, catching a glimpse of the electricity flickering within the clouds, Gerald experienced a surge of despair that felt like he was about to be executed. Just a few minutes ago, Gerald, who had just awakened from slumber, still held a sense of impending control over all beings and dominating the world. But, to his surprise, after the staged breakthroughs he believed he had made, he had completed the absorption and fusion of many similar Bloodline Vampire powers. He had elevated his hypnosis and mental control abilities to the peak, allowing him to exert control and influence over all kinds of high-order animals to varying degrees. Especially humans; he believed no one could escape his manipulation. However, the three Eastern women he encountered immediately after awakening were immune to his hypnosis. Even when he raised the stakes, continuously increasing the intensity of his mental control and adding various methods of mental influence, he did not manage to affect those seemingly feeble and scared girls at allit was as though they did not exist in this space. Next was dealing with the Short Fat Giant from the heavens. His ability to control minds was even more useless. His body that could resist heavy-caliber guns and heal quickly crumbled like paper at the touch of that bizarre weapon. His abilities to hide in darkness, disturb heat distribution within an area, influence plant growth, cause stress reactions in various animals within the vicinity, create poisonous gas, produce sounds harmful to living beings, either couldnt work or lacked the necessary conditions, or due to the incomplete stability of his body mutation, he couldnt use them. In just a few minutes, he went from the height of euphoria to the brink of despair. There was also a laughable and sad feeling, like he had gone through many hardships, experienced great dangers, finally managed to stand at the top of a mountain, thinking he had reached the peak of the world. Just as he steeled himself to call out triumphantly, proclaim his dominance, a massive head emerged from the clouds above, spat disdainfully on his forehead, then stretched out a giant hand, flicking him off the mountain with a bent finger. He had no strength to fight back, and he couldnt even comprehend the nature of the being before him. Lying next to the stone coffin, with only one leg remaining and having given up resistance, Gerald looked up at the sky, still perplexed. Wasnt there a whole bar above his head? How did they manage to remove all the buildings in an instant and open up the sky above? Because of his firsthand experience, he did not doubt at all that the Short Fat Giant, the beam of light, and the sky above him were not illusions. The Short Fat Giant stood before Gerald, pointing a weapon at his head, then turned to look at the three girls on the other side of the light column, seemingly waiting for instructions. Upon seeing the Minion Lv Bu clad in ancient armor and holding a Square Sky Halberd looking back at them, Yang Zhener and Xiao Pingguo exchanged a glance, then together turned to look at Tang Baona, who still had her eyes closed. Nana, have we won already? Yang Zhener asked somewhat uncertainly. The strategy for their three-way battle was for Tang Baona to first use the Emotional Melody to set the mood, to attract Geralds attention and lead him into a predetermined emotional state; Xiao Pingguo would then summon the emotional projection of a minion wood carving, but rather than causing an emotional effect, she would retract the emotional projection and combine it with Tang Baonas Emotional Melody to create a Fine Projection, which, although being different from the Illusion Reality, was not materially what it appeared to be. It was essentially akin to the illusion of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Giant. Yang Zhener, on the other hand, would use her ability to further enhance the illusion in the eyes of their target, Old Vampire Gerald, to make the illusion seem more real, clear, rich, and believable, even whimsically turning the minion illusion into a minion Lv Bu illusion; All the information was shared and coordinated through the Super Sensory Item System, Alice, allowing them all to see the same illusion, the same projection, and to accurately grasp when to make their move; Next, Tang Baona would combine her Material Melody, which could directly affect matter, with Emotional Melody, giving the minion Lv Bu illusion the properties to tear and shatter matter. This tearing and shattering was a direct influence from the Super Sensory Information level, and was a direct threat to the target. That is to say, even if Gerald could withstand large-caliber bullets, let alone withstand a nuclear bomb, he could not withstand the Square Sky Halberd of the minion Lv Bu. The series of maneuvers were actually centered on Tang Baonas destructive Material Melody that could shatter and tear matter. Xiao Pingguo and Yang Zhener merely assisted and the minion emotion projection was simply a means to carry the double melodies and exhibit their power. Indeed, Tang Baona does have ways to cause a great deal of destruction via the Material Melody, deal damage that is unblockable and significant. But she temporarily does not have the means to directly use the Material Melody for an attack because she does not have the capability to do a highly precise operation. In a short time, she does not have the means to accurately control both power and orientation. After all, not every target is like the tea table stone slab gifted by the uncle, which she could study composition freely, take enough time to observe and listen to the material melody, and then reverse the influence. In reality, the variables for all kinds of targets are too big. Without the ability to control with precision, either Tang Baona would fail to lock on to the target causing indiscriminate, large-scale destruction, or she would fail to accurately control the destructive power, failing to achieve the expected effect, or cause excessive damage. So this strategy is essentially a workaround. Through enhancement, the minion emotional projection helps Tang Baona to exert the destructive Material Melody, with the assistance of Xiao Pingguo and Yang Zhener. In fact, their targetC the Old Vampire Gerald as well is involved, helping Tang Baonas Material Melody to establish a specific direction and degree of destruction, precisely releasing the destructive force. Its like a missile. Until it lands on the target, the powerful warhead is of no use. It needs propulsion devices and a guidance system. Xiao Pingguo and Yang Zhener are the ones who help Tang Baona to package the potent warhead into a missile and launch it. Meanwhile, Gerald seemed to hold a locator as if announcing, Im here. Gerald would never realize that the terrifying destructive power of the Square Sky Halberd, which could crumble to the touch, was actually instigated by him. He was an accomplice that drove himself into a corner Strictly speaking, this plan could have been completed by Xiao Pingguo and Tang Baona alone- their previous assignments had all been handled in this manner. What Yang Zhen Er contributed was mainly icing on the cake, reinforcing the impact of the illusion on the target, and enabling Tang Baonas destructive Emotional Melody to be delivered with greater precision and stability. When Yang Zhen Er saw the minion that Xiao Pingguo had summoned, dressed in a new outfit, chopping up the Old Vampire in a majestic manner, she was ecstatic. Her pretty face turned bright red and she raised her fists high. If she hadnt been in control of the illusion, she probably would have cheered out loud. Yang Zhen Er regretted that Little Fatty Girl was not here and had missed how spectacular and powerful her illusion was! Not only the ancient armour and the Square Sky Halberd of the minion, but also the arcs of lightning and light effects around it, the dark clouds and lighting above its head, and the gloomy sky, all were created by her. Even the light column was modified by her to make it bigger, stronger and more majestic. But before she had been thrilled for long, Minion Lv Bu had already taken his stand again, with an expression of Task completed, awaiting instructions on his face. To her surprise, it was too fast! She had yet to enjoy herself fully! The vampire that crawled out of this sarcophagus, who put on such a great show in the past, was so useless? No resistance at all? Tang Baona opened her eyes, looking at the Old Vampire, who, not unlike a damaged doll, already gave up the resistance and was at deaths door under the Square Sky Halberd, she took a deep breath, laughing at Xiao Pingguo and Yang Zhen Er, Task completed! Let them come in and wrap things up! When Tang Baona, Yang Zhen Er, and Xiao Pingguo entered the bar, two vans parked behind their elongated luxury vehicle. In the front vehicle, a man with an Eastern face and a Slavic man with brown hair and grey eyes sat in the drivers cabin, anxiously looking at the entrance of the bar. Our target is in the bar? Surrounded by so many people? The brown-haired man spoke in Chinese, although the accent was heavy, the words were still accurate. The man in the drivers seat spoke standard Mandarin, Theyre underground, according to the depth marked on the blueprint, it shouldnt affect those above. This is a Level A Task. If things go wrong in a place with so many people The brown-haired man said, expressing his worries. He had participated in a Level D task before and while they eventually accomplished the task without any casualties, the target of the task had a big impact on him, which could be said to be traumatic. If the targets in a Level D task were so horrifying and trickish, he could not imagine what they would face in a Level A task. The Eastern man pointed to the elongated luxury vehicle in front and replied, The elites from our home country are handling it this time, were only responsible for cleaning up and transporting, no need to worry. I hope so The brown-haired man still appeared concerned. After a while, the Eastern man whispered, Korowin, I heard that our home base is looking to select some people for unified training, to nurture Superpowers. The man called Korowin frowned, Really? Could superpowers be cultivated? He had no doubt about the existence of superpowers. In the Post-Antarctic Crisis Era, there have been numerous instances proving the existence of extraordinary organisms, and that some humans could possess special powers. Although the general public might not have much knowledge and could only speculate through various rumors, those of them who were field investigators in the Research Base had a deeper understanding, knowing more about the truth behind the information. Im not sure, but I think it is true, and it should be announced soon. Maybe by that time, both of us will be able to return. By the way, have you met Dr. Xia during your training in our home country? This time Dr. Xia should be personally in charge. The Eastern man quietly said. Korowin recalled, Only when I first arrived, along with those from Europe who arrived at the same time, we met Dr. Xia once. What does it feel like to meet Dr. Xia? Ive heard from colleagues who came from our home country that Dr. Xia is a demigod-like figure, omniscient and omnipotent. It appears that she has already mastered the source of mutated Ability and might be able to regulate the evolution of organisms The Eastern man spoke excitedly, When I was training back home, Dr. Xia wasnt at the base, we were led by Mr. Liang. However, I always felt that when he mentioned Dr. Xia, there was a hint of fear in his tone. Surely not to that extent, Mr. Liang and Dr. Xia should be on the same level, right? Theyre equals only in name, in reality, everyone knows that Dr. Xia is the boss. But I heard that theres an even more mysterious and powerful leader within the research base. You mean the so-called Savior who resolved the Antarctic Crisis? Korowin asked. No, its someone else. I heard and its just hearsay, that this leader is a very adorable little girl. The Eastern mans voice dropped even lower: She might be the daughter of the Savior and Dr. Xia. As they talked, the radio in the car suddenly rang, startling both of them. The target has been neutralized, prepare for the transportation phase. The speaker was the driver of the luxury vehicle ahead, who was also the captain of this mission. Chapter 655 - Chapter 655: Chapter 655: Cant Pretend Anymore Chapter 655: Chapter 655: Cant Pretend Anymore Soon, four people wearing coveralls got off two box-style vans. They opened the back of one of the vans, began to unload equipment C not only several hefty suitcases but also a specially designed electric powered hand trolley. From the stretched limo up in front, the driver also got out, adjusting his suit, and looked at the blonde man by the clubs entrance. The blonde man inclined his head to listen through an earpiece. It seemed hed also received a message, so he had his colleagues take over his duties and walked towards the driver himself. Even though the blonde man was a head taller than the driver, he approached with an expression of respect, slightly bowing, and carefully asked something in English. The driver nodded at him and gave a hand signal to the team members who had descended from the two box-style vans. Next, the driver and three team members, carrying a few big and small boxes, and pushing peculiarly designed trolleys, started heading towards the nightclub, leaving only one person guarding the vans. Their attire, the objects they carried, all gave the impression they were heading to the nightclub for equipment maintenance or transporting goods. So, the men and women lined up at the entrance didnt find them odd, at most finding the power-assisted trolley a bit fascinating, watching it for a few more moments. Even though some people noticed that the limos driver was with them and that the blonde mans attitude towards the driver was unusual, they naturally assumed some underground deal happening, thus didnt dare to watch too closely. Led by the blonde man, they went down the side path of the club to an underground area. When they got to the second underground floor, the blonde man stopped, allowing them to proceed on their own. After watching the four of them switch on their lights and walk into the slightly ajar metal door, the blonde man exhaled a hidden sigh of relief, belaying faint excitement. In the underground passage, the four people walked carefully with their lights on. Even though they knew that the target below was already neutralized by an elite team sent from within the country, venturing into the underground, looking at the old materials of the tunnel ceiling and walls, they couldnt help feeling a little anxious, because they all knew that they were executing a Level A Task. When they arrived in the great hall and saw the giant monster sitting beside the cenotaph, everyone held their breath. Instinctively, they thought to use their weapons, but then remembered that no attack weapons were provided for this task. You made it down fairly quickly. Next, its all up to you, a pleasant womans voice echoed in the hall. Ah, Miss Tang thank you for your hard work, the driver leading the team finally noticed Tang Baona, Yang Zhen Er, and Xiao Pingguo standing by the entrance. Tang Baona knew what they were worried about. Now that the dismembered limbs of the Old Vampire had begun regenerating C muscular fibers hovering over the skeleton C it looked even more terrifying and strange than when he first crawled out of the cenotaph. It appeared like a White-browed High-legged Spider. It seemed as if he was not restrained and could attack at any moment. So, she reassured them: Dont be scared. It doesnt pose a threat now. Were watching from the side, and everythings under control. Did you bring the boxes? In the eyes of the recently arrived squad of four, the colossal, bizarre creature seemed to have no restrictions and just sat beside the stone sarcophagus. But in reality, in the eyes of the Old Vampire Gerald, the gargantuan Short Fat Giant still stood near him with a peculiar weapon, looking baleful and ready to strike at any moment. This was because after he was defeated, Tang Baona directly followed the mission instructions and stuffed all the Super-connected Objects C the tungsten steel balls that were used to open the door C into his ears. Now, all these illusions appeared from residue of the real projection through the pair of amulets only he could see. When he made no unusual movements, the minion Lv Bu beside him was merely a simple illusion. However, should he make any abnormal move, Alice could immediately make him experience the pain of wishing he was dead, through the Super-connected Objects implanted in his body. Korowin and his companions followed their captain into the main hall, he secretly looked at Tang Baona and the others in amazement, the elites from the country were actually three girls who didnt seem to be robust or tall? Thinking that the boss of the Research Base was Dr. Xia, he was relieved. In the present era, in the field they are involved in, physique was never the standard to measure strength. If he were to judge the three girls based on first impressions, he undoubtedly would have thought that the little girl wearing glasses similar to the X-mens Laser Eye was the most powerful, followed by the tall girl wearing a coat hood and sunglasses. In comparison, the beautiful woman with black-rimmed glasses, referred to by the captain as Miss Tang, seemed to be the most ordinary and mundane. However, he knew that since the captain spoke directly to Miss Tang, it proved that Miss Tang was the leader among the three. According to the usual rules of the field investigation department, her abilities were likely the strongest. Korowin couldnt help but wonder, how did these three girls tame that monster? It seemed they didnt carry any equipment or weapons, did they use Superpowers? Were they the first batch of members from the Superpowers Training Program conducted by Dr. Xia? While Korowin was speculating in his mind, he and his companion began to set up the equipment they brought according to requirementsa folding box made of special material. When it was unfolded and assembled, it was roughly the size of a double-door refrigerator. Such a large box, if its used to contain a person, it would definitely be sufficient. But this huge creature in front of them, even disregarding its extremely long hands and feet, couldnt stuff its torso in. More importantly, it didnt seem like something they could lift. Were they supposed to make it walk in by itself? The three team members looked at their captain together, then the captain looked back at Tang Baona: Miss Tang, the it seems like it cant fit? Huh? Tang Baona frowned, then turned around and whispered to Xiao Pingguo next to her: Xiao Pingguo, what does the mission brief say? She knew that Xiao Pingguo could directly view the mission brief and other related information through her glasses. Before Xiao Pingguo could answer, Yang Zhener leaned over and whispered: The mission brief says that the clean-up team just needs to bring the equipment in. It did not specify how to load it Could it be that Alice didnt calculate that this Old Vampire is so large and arranged the wrong size for the box? Xiao Pingguo immediately said, Impossible. While everyone was puzzled, the Old Vampire leaning against the stone coffin suddenly moved. His two legs had not fully recovered, and his feet had not fully regrown, but he could already barely stand up. Korowin and his companions who were closer were startled and instinctively backed up, retreating all the way to the entrance. The captain, who had seemed the most calm earlier, was no exceptioneven though Miss Tang had promised that this creature was no threat, it didnt look not threatening. Even Tang Baona and the others were somewhat surprised. They were holding the Super coin intending to activate the Real Projection again, but found that the Old Vampire walked to the unfolded and assembled box and tried to stuff himself into it. However, his body was so massive, he had to squeeze himself into a ball to fit into the coffin, which was much larger than this box, how would he manage to get in now? Then, a scene that shocked everyone unfolded. The old vampire, half of his body jammed in the boxs opening, forcibly snapped his newly grown legs and shoved them into the huge mouth on his abdomen. Then he started chewing on them, flesh and blood splattering everywhere. His two arms followed, then his elongated, flat head was contorted and forcibly pushed in. His body coiled up in a strange and awkward manner, continuously folding towards the mouth. The mouth on his abdomen was actually chewing on his own limbs and head. His body slowly receded into the box while a large amount of blood mixed with shredded flesh seeped out of it, like an overflowing bathtub. No matter if it was the four people brought in for clean-up or transportation, or even Tang Baona, Yang Zhener, and Xiao Pingguo, all were horrified to the bone with a chill crawling down their spines. This scene was too terrifying, eerie, and shocking. I-I feel a little sick. murmured Yang Zhener in a barely audible voice. During their fight with the old vampire, they had also seen the scene where minion Lv Bu sliced the old vampire into bits. But at that time, with the dark clouds, lightning, beams descending from the sky, and various light effects, it did not seem quite as bloody or horrifying. But now, the old vampire consuming and chewing on himself was shockingly different. Despite his blood and flesh appearing black-brown under the lights, which wasnt as terrifying as bright redthis should be due to Alice manipulating the Super-connected Objects to influence the light. Tang Baona quickly understood. This task was meant to deliver a shocking education for the three of them, as well as the four people brought down to handle the equipment and the clean-up. No wonder Old Xia never allowed Xiao Lingdang to participate in any tasks at the base. It wasnt because she was too weak, but because such things were not things a primary school student should be exposed to. After who knows how long, the old vampire finally finished stuffing himself into the metal box. The area around the box was saturated with blood, looking like a rectangular battleship floating in a sea of blood. The long lid of the box suddenly closed by itself. The electric hand truck then extended a flat board that directly inserted into the ground. Afterwards, the box, which now really seemed like a battleship, automatically glided in the blood, accurately sliding up the hand truck along the inclined board. The hand truck stopped steadily in front of Korowin. The very next second, all the blood on the floor and the bloody foam on the box were transformed into gray powder, looking like they were sprinkled with dust. The captain once again turned to look at Tang Baona, instinctively attributing all these events to Miss Tang and her companions (since there was no one else present). His expression was filled with awe and his voice trembled slightly as he said, Thank you for your hard work, Miss Tang. I did not do the hard work! I did not do this at all! Tang Baonas eyes widened, but ultimately did not refute. She just gave a wave of her hand: Lets get out of here. Although she knew all this must have been done by Alice and she even understood how some of it was done, she knew it was impossible for her to explain all this to them. Twenty minutes later, when Yang Zhener, now sitting on the extended luxury vehicle, finally lifted her hoodie, took off her sunglasses, and slumped down into her seat, she completely relaxed. Despite not having expended much physical effort in dealing with the old vampire, the emotional roller-coaster had been quite tiring. Meanwhile, Xiao Pingguo was on her tablet, writing and swiping with a stylus. After every mission, she would record and summarize task details, how well she used her abilities, the direction for exploration, and so on. Afterwards, she would compare her notes with the report Alice generated for her to further evaluate and summarize her capabilities. Tang Baona was also flipping through her tablet, but she was looking for food-related information. She asked Alice while browsing, Alice, are there any good places to buy food in this area, suitable for taking back to Xiao Lingdang and Old Xia? If its nearby, we can stop by to buy some. I think we can make our flight. However, instead of receiving an expected response from the tablet speakers, Alice directly manifested in the car, sitting in Tang Baonas lap. She embraced her and laughed, Sister Nana, we dont have time to go shopping! We need to prepare for the next task. Were not going to Peng City! Upon hearing these words, Yang Zhener, who was almost asleep, immediately woke up. Grabbing Alices small arm, she anxiously said, Wait a minute! After we complete this task, we should go back to Peng City for a dinner party! We do it every year. Xiao Lingdang and I have been preparing this years menu for a long time, and Old Xia should be almost at Peng City by now. Cant the task be postponed a bit Alice smiled and said: Xiao Lingdang and Alice will also go there. Xiao Lingdang will assign the tasks, Old Xia will lead the team. Upon hearing these words, Yang Zhener paused and did not object further. A dinner party was about meeting. As for the actual meal, it could be held anytime. They could have a feast after completing the task. After all, theyre officially celebrating Xiang Kuns birthday, but given that Xiang Kun wasnt there, it wouldnt really matter if it was postponed by a few days. In an open area in Chongyun Mountain. A few staff members from the research base were adjusting the equipment. Mijoe, Zhou Rui, and Old He were all among them. Naturally, Old He was only there as a supervising leader. Are all the detection devices ready? A young man in his early twenties stood next to Zhou Rui and asked. Theyre all ready, Mr. Liang. Zhou Rui nervously replied, We can start anytime. Mr. Liang chuckled and nodded, walked to the center of the open space, and stood before a black metal box that was more than half a meter tall. He turned around and smiled to Old He, Old He, let me show you something. Old He crossed his arms while chuckling, Alright, Im curious to see whats so impressive that you actually called me over from Shenhai. Mr. Liang gave the black box next to him a light kick with the tip of his foot. All eyes were on the box, holding their breath and waiting for something to happen. However, after about twenty seconds, there seemed to be no reaction. Just as the atmosphere started becoming awkward, the metal box began to change rapidly. One after another, parts flew out from the slightly misaligned opening and rushed towards Mr. Liang. Before long, the entire box had turned into various fragments that attached themselves to Mr. Liang. These materials seemed to have the ability to change freely. They constantly changed their shape according to his body and merged with it. Within moments, Mr. Liangs entire body was covered with black metal, which had sharp angles and unique shoulder and head designs. It looked like he was wearing a suit of black armor. When the final piece of the shell covered Mr. Liangs face, his entire body emitted a faint glow. Then, he levitated from the ground and shot into the sky. There was no engine ignition, no fuel jet, and no preparation for take-off. It looked as if Mr. Liang had simply jumped up using his own leg strengthbut observing his altitude, it was clear that was impossible. Everyone on the ground, including Old He, Mijoe, Zhou Rui, and every researcher, looked up at the sky in astonishment. Chapter 656 - Chapter 656: Chapter 656: Relieving to Think About Chapter 656: Chapter 656: Relieving to Think About Before Mr. Liang met Xiang Kun, he had already possessed the ability to fly. In the Biological Components system he created, there were specific components used to assist with flying. These had been iterated many times and were very mature, capable of maintaining flight at high speeds for a long duration. However, the essential principle of flight in that system was not much different from ordinary fixed-wing aircraft. It had some inherent structural limitations and was influenced by many objective factors. Now, this system is fundamentally still connected to him according to Mr. Liangs original Biological Components system. This layer, which covers the surface of his body, forms an armor-like substance that can also be deemed as a part of his body, communicating with his own consciousness through the high-dimensional factors he controls. However, the specific composition and principles of flight of this system have undergone fundamental changes. There has been a significant breakthrough, and after integrating with Mr. Liang, it really feels like another layer of his skin, which can also cast characteristics such as invisibility without hindrance. Moreover, besides the Biological Components system, it also builds upon the Super sensory Item System and is based on the now ubiquitous Super-connected Object Matrix there is no exception even in Chongyun Mountain, where Xiao Luobos arranged sub-plants are already scattered all around, with lots of Super-connected Objects placed underground. This set of materials, arranged for him by Xia Libing and Alice, was not only his Biological Components, but also possessed certain Super-connected Object characteristics. Coupled with his direct connection with the Xiao Luobo platform and his position as the secondary network connector of the Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving, it can, therefore, be used to pack himself into an entity with Super-connected Object characteristics, utilizing the Super-connected Object Matrix in the environment for free movement. The freedom of this movement is as unrestrained and smooth as the coin controlled flexibly in Xiang Kuns hand, and it can carry out ultra-high-speed flight within the physical limits, even reaching several times the speed of sound in a short time. Of course, he had once considered letting Alice and Xia Libing directly take part in the research and manufacturing of his Biological Components and pack himself into an entity with Super-connected Object characteristics. This would be equivalent to completely handing over the control of the Biological Components to Alice, Xiang Kun, and even Xia Libing, with the control authority far above his own. If they were willing, they could manipulate him as easily as those coins and steel beads. He tends to trust Xiang Kun. After all, he has investigated Xiang Kun and is aware of many of Xiang Kuns experiences before and after mutation. Although he later found out that it was Xiang Kun who deliberately let him investigate, everything checked out to be real. But now that Xiang Kun is not here, the entire Super sensory Item System is controlled by Alice and Xia Libing. As for these two people, he does not have the same level of trust. However, he soon realized that there was no need to worry about these things. Regardless of whether he is willing to cooperate, Alice actually has the ability to control his life and death, and even the lives and deaths of most creatures in this world. Moreover, he himself is multi-dimensionally tied to the Super sensory Item System, which makes him more controlled and less able to resist. The more he understands the Super sensory Item System, Super-connected Objects, and the entire ability system created by Xiang Kun, the more he realizes the power and terror of Alice and Xia Libing, who now control everything on behalf of Xiang Kun. Even if what he sees and understands is just the tip of the iceberg, he has already realized that with the enhancement of the Super sensory Item System, Alice is now an invincible existence that can control everything. Super-connected Objects are now everywhere, everything can be a Super-connected Object, and even oneself can become a Super-connected Object. How can one escape? When Super-connected Objects pervade the whole world, the quantitative change has already caused a qualitative change. What Alice can do and the power that the Super connection System can exert cant be measured by individual strength or in traditional ways. When he and Academician Shen initially discovered and deduced the existence of the Ultimate Predator, Mr. Liang always felt that it was a fearsome existence that was nearly impossible to defeat, a powerful creature far beyond the traditional life system of this world. However, when the Ultimate Predator was completely resolved by Xiang Kun, and when Alice and Xia Libing demonstrated part of the application of the Super sensory Item System in front of him, and when he himself also obtained part of the abilities through this system, he only then realised that The Ultimate Predator, in front of the power system created by Xiang Kun and now steered by Alice and Xia Libing, was like a crude raft against a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, not worth mentioning at all. Even now, in Xiang Kuns absence, Alices skills are far stronger, richer, and smarter than those of the Ultimate Predator, and she is nearly omniscient and almost omnipotent. Against such an existence, caution and vigilance have no meaning. It is better to completely trust in Xiang Kuns judgementif he trusts Alice and Xia Libing, it means they are indeed trustworthy, or he has a way to check and balance their power. Mr. Liang freely soared in the sky, making various swift acceleration and sudden stop movements, appearing very relaxed and at ease, as if he was born to live in the air. But in reality, this was his second time flight testing with this Biological Components having Super-connected Object characteristics. During the first flight, he had already gained control with such ease. After all, these biological components that felt like armor yet also felt like skin, were consciously connected parts of his body, not just simple equipment or tools. This kind of flight was indeed exhilarating, far more thrilling than when he flew with his original fixed-wing flight components. However, for some reason, while Mr. Liang was flying in the sky, he always thought of the first time he saw Xiang Kun rise up with his electrical control ability on Chongyun Mountain. Compared with Mr. Liangs current flight situation, which was under clear sky, with the black armor surface slightly glowing, this flight ability supposed to be an upgrade or improvement. But he always felt, for some reason, that his flight seemed inferior and lackluster compared with Xiang Kuns earth-shattering and thunderous flightit felt like a knock-off version. Compared to Mr. Liang, people like Zhou Rui, Mijoe, and Old He who witnessed all this from the ground, were even more shocked. For Zhou Rui and Mijoe, this did not seem like testing a suit of equipment or a so-called biological component, but more like witnessing a superhumans power of flightthey couldnt see how the thing Mr. Liang was wearing supported such complex aerial movements. Even if they could record Mr. Liangs aerial trajectory, speed, thermal imaging map, the wind direction, wind force, temperature, humidity, and environmental magnetic field changes through the pre-set equipment, they still couldnt understand how the black armor enabled Mr. Liang to fly. They couldnt even understand how the armor went from a box, changing bit by bit into pieces of armor accessories, and then flew onto Mr. Liang by itself. Completely unable to comprehend, they could only try to explain it as superpowers. However, in the post-Antarctica crisis era, as a handful of individuals privy to Xiang Kuns sole trip across the entire Pacific, aboard a lightning storm to solve the issue of the Ultimate Predator spanning hundreds of thousands of square kilometers in Antarctica, they have been exposed to quite a bit of information related to mutants in the research base for the past few years. Having even seen several mutants in person, they dont find these phenomena, which overturn their understanding of the world, too difficult to accept mentally. As Dr. Xia had once explained the characteristics of mutants to them: When you witness some specific experimental phenomena which contradict your existing knowledge, rendering you incapable of understanding and instinctively causing you to deny their validity, do not rush to conclusions. Just like how a primitive person would be alarmed when facing an airplane, television, smartphone, and computer, once you acquire the relevant cognitive abilities and master the corresponding cognitive systems, youll naturally understand that these phenomena are quite reasonable. Everything has a reason. If anyone else had compared them to primitive people, they would undoubtedly be upset. But when it was Dr. Xia who uttered these words, right after he showed them a mutant and its unique mutation characteristics leaving them flabbergasted, this statement became an enduring piece of wisdom they remembered. Unfortunately, even after five years, they had yet to fully leave their primitive understanding. As they watched Mr. Liang return to the ground, the black armor he wore fell off automatically as if it was pre-programmed. Then it recombined, transformed into the previously seen black box around half a meter tall. Zhou Rui couldnt help but mutter in admiration: That was amazing Its just like the Cloth from Saint Seiya! Mijoe was also a bit excited: Feels like a gear that wouldnt even show up in a sci-fi novel, this needs to be in a Cultivation novel. Its just so enviable. Old He sighed as well: I thought after Ah Liang turned back into a normal human, those abilities would weaken, but I didnt expect Mr. Liang walked over quickly, glanced at the devices recording various data, and laughed: No need to be envious. You all may have the chance to wear something like this in the future. Well, Old He, you probably wont be able to. Mijoe wondered: We also have a chance? Zhou Rui reacted immediately, blurting out, Is it Dr. Xias Spirit Control Theory?'' Ever since he heard rumors two years ago about Dr. Xia developing a Spirit Control Theory that could equip ordinary people with the characteristics of mutants, Zhou Rui had been closely following its progress. Among the people he knew, Li Shibao, Yang Zhuo, and Liu Zhengyi had all been included in the training program for the Spirit Control Theory, and he himself had undergone basic theoretical training for the Spirit Control Theory and subsequent spiritual tests last year. The regrettable part was that although he passed the spiritual tests at the time, so did everyone else who participated in the test with him. As a result, when they divided them into different batches for training, he was put in the last batch, and up until now, had not been able to join the official Spirit Control Theory training group. Nevertheless, after attending a few lessons taught by Dr. Xia, he gained a basic understanding of the Spirit Control Theory. Dr. Xias theory claimed that the consciousness of all living beings, or rather specifically humans, could establish deep connections with surrounding matter on a microscopic level via some factor. Typically, ordinary people cannot actively sense this connection. However, the research base employs some special techniques to stimulate peoples inspiration, allowing them to sense objects that are easy to connect with and establish a connection with them. Once a sufficiently stable and clear connection is established with the corresponding object, it would be termed an Attached Spirit, and the application of abilities can begin in a predetermined manner. The impact of the abilities varies depending on the individual, but all mirror the characteristics of some of the mutants they have come in contact with. The relevant theory does not elaborate on what the so-called factor establishing the connection is or how it relates to the High-Dimensional Factors of mutants. They didnt explain how this connection functions, but accustomed to taking Dr. Xias words as gospel, none of them questioned it. They all tried in their own way to understand and experience years of witnessing Dr. Xias infallibility taught them his words were always trustworthy. Zhou Rui excitedly looked at the black box. Could this black autonomous assembly armor also be an Attached Spirit that could form inspirational connections? But isnt this armor Mr. Liangs Biological Component? Strictly speaking, isnt it a part of his body? Mr. Liang, however, affirmed Zhou Ruis guess, stating: Thats right, its Dr. Xias Spirit Control Theory. In the future, if possible, not only this flight suit, but all my Biological Components will have mass-produced versions. They will no longer be my exclusive components but high-level Attached Spirits that all official Spirit Controllers will have the chance and potential to use. Mr. Liangs tone was complex, admiring Alice and Xia Libings extremely strong integration of various mutant characteristics and abilities, yet gloomy that these biological components that were once his own were about to become mass-produced equipment used by many people. But theres no need to be tangled up, if not to enhance the combat power of Spirit Controllers, Alice probably wouldnt go to the trouble of making these perfect biological components for him. Upon hearing the explosive news suddenly revealed by Mr. Liang, not only Zhou Rui and Mijoe, who could potentially become Spirit Controllers, were excited, but also Old He, as the director of the Non-Research Center, was extremely interested. He had the same understanding of the Spirit Control Theory and Attached Spirits. If the powerful flight armor demonstrated by Mr. Liang could indeed become an Attached Spirit that Spirit Controllers can use, then the combat efficacy of the entire fieldwork and investigation unit would undergo a revolutionary change. Some people made jokes that the Investigation Unit was a circus, training a group of magicians, acrobats. If Spirit Controllers could use flight armor and other Biological Components of Mr. Liang, those people might change their tune. When introducing the elite investigation team of the Non-Research Center, he could clap his hands and a dozen or so members in black armor would fly out from behind him, neatly hovering in the air. The thought of that scene was truly exhilarating! However, Mr. Liang didnt stick around to say much more. He set off for Yangcheng immediately because Dr. Xia called for an urgent mission. Chapter 657 - Chapter 657: Chapter 657: Invader (Part 1) Chapter 657: Chapter 657: Invader (Part 1) Yangcheng. On the last day of July, the outdoor temperature at noon had already hit 38. As usual, Zhongshan Hospital in Yangcheng City was bustling with cars and people. However, the hospitals original main medical building was practically deserted because it was undergoing construction and work had been halted for the day. Two hospital staff members were pushing a cart into the main building, taking the elevator straight down into the basement. In the elevator, the taller of the two glanced at the silhouette covered by a cloth on the cart and wondered, Usually, arent bodies supposed to be sent to the funeral parlor? Indeed, what they were pushing on the cart was a body. Although the main building was under construction, many facilities had long been moved to the new building, or replaced if they were inconvenient to relocate or too costly to move. However, some facilities did not exist in the new building. For example, the morgue. Due to new regulations, they generally took bodies straight to the funeral parlor, so no morgue was built in the new building. Only the old main building still had a morgue which was kept operational for special reasons during the refurbishment of the old structure. The other staff member in the elevator shook his head, made a sniffing gesture and said, This one overdosed, couldnt contact any family or friends. The taller staff member was puzzled, Shouldnt it be sent to the Medical University for autopsy then? Where are the police? I dont know, all we were told is to bring it here by the dean. Once the elevator reached the basement, the two stopped chatting and pushed the cart through a long corridor to reach the morgue. Unexpectedly, the two people guarding the morgue were unfamiliar facesone of them a foreigner. Who are you? The two staff members were confused, Wheres Old Xie and Old He? Oh, theyve been reassigned. Were in temporary charge here, said the man in his twenties. He glanced at the cart they were pushing and opened the door for them, You can place it anywhere inside, except in the very back. Without questioning any further, the two hospital staff members instinctively thought that the area had been outsourced to a funeral home. But since when did funeral homes hire foreigners to guard the door? When they walked through a passage and into the morgue, the two became astonished. The interior of the morgue had been completely transformed into something much larger, perhaps two or three times its original size. There was even a large, bank-vault-like metal door at the end. When did this happen? Inside the morgue was bit chilly and something felt off. Feeling uneasy, they quickly placed the body and made their way out. Watching as the hospital staff disappeared down the corridor and exited via the elevator, the foreigner with brown hair and grey eyes whispered to his companion, Old Qian, wont there be a problem with them bringing bodies in? You know whats in there His companion was nonchalant, Its all arranged by our superiors. Whats there to worry about? We have Mr. Liang and Dr. Xia leading the team on this operation. All the elites from the research base are involved. If it werent for us transporting that thing from Slovakia, we wouldnt have been stationed here today. These were Korowin and his companion Old Qian, who had been tasked with cleanup and transporting the captured Old Vampire as part of the mission led by Tang Baona, Yang Zhen Er, and Xiao Pingguo in Bratislava. Originally, they were responsible only for transporting the Old Vampire. Once outside of Europe, it was supposed to be out of their hands. However, their superiors abruptly changed the plan. They were made to escort the Old Vampire back to their homeland, where at the local airport, to their surprise, they were met by Mr. Liang from the Research Center and Divine Technology hub. Naturally, their five-man team joined the special mission led by Mr. Liang. For the next two months, they were tasked with keeping an eye on the Old Vampire. Initially, the Old Vampire was sent to a research centre affiliated to Divine Technology in Yangcheng City. After a month of being studied by research personnel, it was secretly transferred to Zhongshan Hospital. Using the construction of the main building as a cover, the hospital had secretly repurposed the morgue to imprison the Old Vampire. At that point, they learned that the mission was led not only by Mr. Liang but also included the top personnel of the Research BaseDr. Xia and Director He from the Non-Research Centeras well as the formidable Miss Tang, whom they had previously encountered. It was undoubtedly the highest-ranked mission of the Research Base in the post-Antarctic Crisis Era. Being able to participate in such a mission was undoubtedly of great benefit to them. After the body was delivered, they were both a bit anxious because Mr. Liang had told them to be extremely vigilant whenever a new body was brought in. Could that body be a mutant? Korowin quietly speculated. As they spoke, Korowin was subconsciously fiddling with his wristwatchthis was given to them by the base after their team confirmed to take part in the mission. The base provided a plethora of accessories for them to choose from, all supposed to be tools for the spiritual test. He chose a stylish sports watch, while Old Qian picked out a ring. No idea. Old Qian shook his head, his hand instinctively reaching for the ring on his left thumb. At first, neither of them felt anything special about the spiritual test items given to them. They thought that they probably wouldnt pass the spiritual test, making them unable to study Spirit Control Theory established by Dr. Xia, or become powerful Spirit Controllers. They were quite dejected. Unexpectedly, after being in the hospitals morgue for a week, they began to feel a peculiar connection with the environment through the watch on their wrists and the rings on their fingers. It was an odd sense of connection. This feeling was very hard to describe explicitly. It had no direct sensory perception, yet it undeniably existed, getting Korowin and Old Qian quite excited about the mission. Seeing that Korowin still looked worried and apprehensive, Old Qian reassured him, Dont worry, the base always puts safety first in all its operations. For many years, there has never been an accident. Despite the constant danger, no field investigators have ever died in the line of duty. Not even a single instance of serious injury during a mission. If theres danger, the strongest will always be at the front. At this, Korowins mind was drawn back to Bratislava two months prior. The giant, menacing Old Vampire sitting in front of the stone coffin, and the sight of him shrinking himself down unbelievably to fit into a box under the threats from Miss Tang. Although he had not seen Miss Tang in action, from that point forward, whenever mutant was mentioned, his thoughts would drift to the Old Vampire; and whenever anyone mentioned the strongest one among the base, it was invariably Miss Tang with her black-rimmed glasses and a warm smile on her face that came to mind. The fact that she could incite such fear in the Old Vampire towards himself was conclusive evidence that Miss Tang possessed a power and terror far exceeding anyone elses. If Miss Tang, who had no formal codename or organization and held no direct titles in the base, was this formidable, then Mr. Liang, and Dr. Xia were all the more intimidating. Upon recalling that the current mission was under their jurisdiction, Korowin no longer felt the need to worry. All at once, the lights overhead started dimming, and some noise seemed to be stirring from within the morgue. Old Qian and Korowin exchanged a look, promptly getting in touch with the team leader through the walkie-talkie. However, the voice that resonated from the device was that of Dr. Xia: Understood. Keep an eye on the door. As soon as her words ceased, the locks on the morgue door automatically engaged from the outside. The very next instant, the sound of something heavy falling echoed from within the morgue. Inside the morgue, a middle-aged man with a gaunt face and bare upper body was lying on the ground. He was twitching convulsively, eyes rolled back, mouth wide open expelling short gasps of breath. This was the corpse that had just been placed in the morgue. At that very moment, however, he seemed to have been revived by something, on the brink of resurrection. After a minute or so, the middle-aged man finally ceased twitching. His torso contorted strangely, and he slowly rose to his feet, leaning on the metal table beside him. Head tilted, he looked around the morgue. He peered down at his hands, his body, his legs, his feet. Then he opened his mouth to speak, making odd and slurred sounds, as if his tongue was constantly knotting up on itself: ThisishumankindIHelloheehee As time elapsed, his physical posture gradually returned to normal. His expression was not as perverted as before, and his speech became slightly more articulate. He neared the door of the morgue, and tried the handle intending to leave, but found that it was locked. He paused dumbfoundedly, then started tugging, pounding and roaring angrily. On the outside, Old Qian, and Korowin merely watched the morgue door anxiously. One fingering his wristwatch, the other fondling his ring, neither moving. Inside the morgue, after pounding at the door for a while and realizing it wouldnt open, the middle-aged man slowly pivoted and his gaze landed on the large metal door. He seemed to sense something, his eyes widened, and then, stumbling slightly, he sauntered towards the metal door. But before he could reach it, the door opened automatically. The temperature in the morgue dropped instantaneously as a cloud of white mist slowly spilled out. The middle-aged man burst through the metal door, only to meet the sight of a humanoid creature fastened to the metal wall with chains wrapped around its neck and limbs. It was the Old Vampire Gerald that Old Qian and Korowin had extradited back to their country. Gerald, who had taken at least a thousand lives, had the extraordinary star diet sleep that significantly extended his age and periodic limit times, and was a low-transition, low-mutation creature. He was sent from Slovakia all this way for one sole purpose: to participate in this mission. He was also kept alive to provide some basic creature data for the researchers to study. But with his body still embedded with a vast amount of super-connected objects, he was still able to hear that judgement voice, and he could still see the Minion Lv Bu standing beside him. Seeing a human suddenly enter the room, he was scared out of his wits, and his big mouth on the belly closed tightly in response, believing another scientist was about to experiment on him. However, the very next second, the super-connected object chains embedded in his body shattered, and dozens of tungsten steel balls flew out of his ear cavities. In the blink of an eye, all the super-connected objects stuck to his body left. The judgement voice he had been hearing for two months vanished, the minion Lv Bu disappeared instantly. He felt as if he was a prisoner who had his shackles removed, and had regained his freedom. In front of him, the middle-aged man tipped his head back, eyes glazed, mouth slightly open as he began to drool. Itsgoodinsideheehee Gerald, slightly afraid, glanced at the chains that were once attached to him and the tungsten steel balls that were now scattered about, then at the seemingly weak middle-aged man. His gaze then turned to the open metal door not far behind the man. He didnt know who this person was, nor if his chains were intentionally removed. But he did know that this might be his only chance to escape, and he didnt want to stay as a lab rat for the researchers anymore. Giving a low growl, he raised his towering arms high and shoved the middle-aged man aside with full force. While the middle-aged man didnt even put up a fight. He was knocked to the side, flying seven or eight meters away before he hit the metal wall, splashing blood all around. Gerald, originally headed for the metal door, abruptly stopped in his tracks, looked back in surprise at the figure rising from the pool of blood, bodies twisting strangely. Gerald sensed from his unique fashion that the middle-aged man was part of the Blood Clan! Are you here to save me? Gerald couldnt help asking in English. However, the middle-aged man was now halfway off the ground, with half of his head smashed. Staggering towards Gerald, his mouth opened wide, uttering some strange sounds. Gerald realized that something was off. This thing didnt seem to be a normal human converted into a Blood Clan member. A Blood Beast or a Blood Worm, perhaps, that was parasitic or controlled by another host? That couldnt be it either! But thinking of the three girls in different glasses, the voice of punishment, and the ugly giant, he did not dare to linger. He raised his arm to strike at the middle-aged man again, intending to knock him away. But this time, the middle-aged man was not knocked away. Instead, like a piece of sticky toffee, he was attached to Geralds arm. Chapter 658 - Chapter 658: Chapter 658 Invader (Middle) Chapter 658: Chapter 658 Invader (Middle) The middle-aged mans body, already like that of a rag doll, seemed to dissolve all at once, clinging to Geralds arm as if it were melting onto it. Gerald sensed something was wrong. Instinctively, he tore off his own arm and threw it aside. He didnt dare to look at the detached arm hed thrown into a corner. Instead, he hunched his back and squeezed through the metal door. Though the door was much smaller than his size, it felt as large as a basketball court compared to the box he had squeezed through in Bratislava. The exertion was, in a strange sense, relaxing. However, as he just managed to contort half of his body through, he found his detached arm undergoing a bizarre transformation. His muscle fibers were writhing, extending, and merging like a myriad of fish thrown ashore. Although he was capable of regenerating his mutilated limbs and healing his wounds within a short span, what was happening now was too fast. The fluttering muscle fibers on his arm gave him a strange sense of detachment as if they no longer belonged to him. Gerald glanced subconsciously at the corner of the room where his arm had fallen and was shocked to find nothing there but the remnants of the middle-aged mans pants! Knowing that his limbs and blood, once detached from his body, would eventually disintegrate into dust after a certain time, Gerald was baffled. His dismembered arm had been entangled by the mans peculiar body, and the sudden disappearance of both, coupled with the strange changes and sensations on his arm stump, could not be unrelated. Gerald hesitated, wondering whether to deal with his abnormal arm first or force his way out and find a safe place to stay. Suddenly, the regenerating tissues on his right arm converged into a large lump. Then, two holes ripped open on the lump, and two eyeballs popped out, eerily rolling around. Gerald was taken aback. Even though his current appearance was already horrifying, encountering this terror on his own body, something he could not control, filled him with panic and fear. Gerald abandoned his initial plan to escape immediately, retracting back to the metallic enclosed space where he was trapped, intending to handle his right arm first. Having broken his left arm in half to fit through the metal door, the arm hadnt healed yet. Gerald stretched the increasingly strange lump on his right arm, now resembling a human face, into the gaping mouth on his belly, attempting to bite off and chew up the now alien-feeling right arm. Amid the crunching sounds, the abnormal lump that grew from his arm stump was chewed up without resistance, but strangely, no remnants or blood seeped out of his belly mouth. Gerald quickly pulled out his right arm to discover it was gone, but his belly mouth was now filled with odd lumps of flesh. Panic began to set in for Gerald as he realized that this thing was far more formidable than it first appeared. Moreover, those who trapped him here possessed terrifying and inconceivable abilities. Ordinary Blood Beasts or Blood Clan members couldnt possibly break in. In that case, either it was deliberately let in, or it possessed formidable powers that allowed it to deceive his captors, silently dispose of the Short Fat Giant that kept him imprisoned, unlock the unique chains on his body, and shield the discordant magical sounds that seemed to play endlessly. Gerald knew neither of these options was good news. Just as he was hesitating about how to handle the lumps of flesh filling his mouth, another bizarre transformation occurred. A head grew out of his mouth, followed by a body, and two thin arms clawed at his upper and lower jaws, like a man trapped in a mouth trying to crawl his way out. But in reality, the lower half of this human was directly connected to the tongue and lower jaw in the mouth; its body parts seemed to be getting their nutrients from Geralds gigantic mouth. With tremendous shock, Gerald discovered that the person crawling out of his mouth was as long and flat as his head, and had the same two black beady eyes as him, two holes for a nose, no mouth on its head, and extremely slender arms it was merely a mini-copy of him! Gerald wanted to shut his mouth, to chew it into pieces, yet he found his mouth was no longer under control, and he could not close it! He frantically tried to pull the person out of his mouth using his restored left arm, but as soon as his hand reached out, it was tightly wound by the persons two slender arms, and then pulled towards the waist and abdomen which were rapidly growing and stretching from his massive mouth. Next, Gerald, in disbelief, discovered that the person who had grown from his own gigantic mouth had also grown a vast mouth similar to his own on its waist! His hand was dragged into the mouth on the persons stomach, where it was chewed and swallowed. Gerald fell into a state of madness, and he aggressively pushed his stomach against the surrounding metal walls, attempting to smash the person growing out of his mouth, but even with a broken and bleeding head and a twisted neck, the person quickly recovered, continued growing from his mouth, and kept gnawing at his body. Gerald had lived for two hundred years. He had killed many people, drunk a lot of blood, witnessed various blood clan and Blood Beasts, experiencing many terrifying and bloody scenes most of these scenes were created by him, and he himself was synonymous with blood and terror. But the current feeling of losing control of his body bit by bit, palpably being devoured and replaced bit by bit, yet being helpless the fear and despair brought by this feeling were indescribable. Two months ago, he had just awoken from a deep slumber, had just left his sarcophagus, had just planned to demonstrate his power to the world, when he was helpless against that yellow dwarf giant who fell from the sky carrying a strange weapon. At that time, he thought he was facing an absolute, insurmountable force; the strange weapon that pulverized limbs was his worst nightmare. But by now, he would rather have been ground into powder by that strange weapon two months ago. Gerald again tried to squeeze through the metal door, but this time, he was not trying to escape the place that confined him, but instead, he was hoping to get help from the people who detained him. His mouth was blocked and filled by the person replicating him, and he could no longer control it or make any sound. Now he no longer hoped for freedom, he didnt even hope to survive, he merely wanted a quick end to this torment. Regrettably, the person growing frantically on his body didnt intend to give him this mercy. His body could not squeeze through the metal door because most of his limbs and body parts had lost control; in contrast, he was stuck at the door, and could only watch, wide-eyed, as the person kept growing from his body and devouring him. Twenty minutes or so, neither too long nor too short. After Geralds consciousness was wiped out completely, a human figure that was a few sizes smaller than the previous Gerald appeared in the mortuary. Of course, the size was smaller only in comparison to Geralds large body. This now human figure was still nearly two meters tall. It looked extremely similar to Gerald, with an elongated head, with only two pitch-black eyes and two nostrils, and a mouth located on its stomach. Its hands and feet were exceptionally long. It idly stood in the morgue for a while before slightly inclining its body and opening its belly-mouth, letting out a deep roar. It then spewed out a series of Latin words, followed by English, then turned into Chinese: Goodhehegood Sohehehethis place a good hunting ground. Its two glossy black eyes were directed at the morgues door as it casually walked towards it and kicked it open with one foot. A massive force erupted, causing the locks on the morgue door to burst open immediately. The door clashed against the walls on both sides as the human-shaped creature strode outwards. These twenty odd minutes were equally excruciating for Old Qian and Korowin as they waited outside. Especially after the sound of heavy object hitting the floor and strange human sounds, the two were constantly on alert for any noise, immediately reporting it to the team leader through the walkie-talkie. However, the responses they received were similar to what Dr. Xia had said earlier, telling them to continue to monitor, raise their vigilance and keep an eye on the door. As the morgue filled with an increasing number of clashes and shrieks, the two became increasingly tense. Further, they noticed that they were obtaining more and more intuition from the environment around them through their spiritual test tools the watches and rings on their bodies. They couldnt see the scene inside the morgue and could only hear a limited range of sounds, but via the spiritual test tools, they were able to know that two creatures were fighting fiercely inside. This type of perception was very mysterious and gave them the clearest and strongest feedback since they received their individual spiritual test tools. One of them, naturally, was the Old Vampire they had personally extradited back from Slovakia, and the other, unsurprisingly, should be the corpse that was just brought in. It turned out that the target of this mission was indeed that body. Upon sensing that only one creature remained in the morgue, both of them started to feel nervous and scared as they realized that the remaining creature might be about to come out. They also had an intuition that the remaining creature wasnt that Old Vampire. Albeit their instinctive urge to flee, Old Qian and Korowin were instructed to continue guarding the door after their request. Hence, they could only muster their courage and stay. Apart from their respective spiritual test tools, they didnt have any weapons. Of course, if they were dealing with a mutant of the Old Vampires caliber, ordinary weapons wouldnt mean much anyway. They could only hope that the creature inside the morgue wouldnt come rushing out, or that Dr. Xia and team would arrive in time. However, their first hope was dashed as the door to the morgue was kicked open. The sight of the human-shaped creature, an Old Vampire that appeared somewhat shrunken in size, striding out of the morgue, gave Old Qian and Korowin an intuitive feeling this thing was far more terrifying than a genuine Old Vampire. Captain! Dr. Xia! Its come out! Its kicked the door open! Old Qian shouted loudly into the walkie-talkie. What do we do? What do we do?! Korowin also yelled in heavily accented Chinese. Focus your attention, go to feel. The voice from the walkie-talkie was again Dr. Xias. Her voice sounded very calm and composed, giving them a very certain feeling, but her words were somewhat exasperating. Go to feel must have referred to the spiritual test tools they had on them. They indeed felt a stark threat and had set up a deep connection with the environment through the spiritual test tools, as if a fish in water sensitive to any changes in its surroundings. However, this deep connection and strong perception, for now, had only one purpose the premature detection of threats. But what use was detecting threats if they could not flee? When the human-shaped creature started charging at them with its gaping belly-mouth open, they could no longer handle the tension and turned to flee. No sooner had they both started running than a powerful gust of wind emerged from behind them. They tripped and fell, their walkie-talkies flying out of their hands. Turning around, they saw the human-shaped creature had pounced near and was reaching out its long hands towards them, filling both with sheer despair. But the creatures long hands didnt manage to touch them. A black figure unexpectedly appeared in front of them, as if it had teleported. Youve done well, said the figure dressed in black armor covering its entire body, firmly grabbing the humanoid creatures long arms. The voice, tinged with a bit of laughter, continued, Leave the rest to me. The next moment, the Black Armor was hurled onto the ceiling by the humanoid creature, causing the entire ceiling to collapse. However, Black Armor immediately shot down from mid-air, emitting a white light all over his body. He hugged the human-shaped creature and rammed it into the corridor wall, then stepping back two meters in mid-air and continuing to collide, taking the humanoid creature through the wall. Watching the Black Armor and the human-shaped creature disappear into the big hole in the wall, Old Qian stammered, That seems to be Mr. Liang? Korowin also recognized Mr. Liangs voice and mumbled, That black armor could it actually be the legendary Attached Spirit? The two looked at each other, seeing the excitement in each others eyes. The fear they had felt in that life-or-death moment seemed to have disappeared. At the hospital parking lot, Tang Baona, Yang Zhen Er and Xiao Pingguo jumped excitedly off a black modified truck and bolted towards the main building, which had been segregated from other areas due to renovation, upon receiving Dr. Xias notification. In that main hospital building, Li Shibao, Yang Zhuo and Liu Zhengyi, who had been on standby on the third floor half an hour ago, also received the notification. They opened the box next to them and began to mount their equipment. Chapter 659 - Chapter 659: Chapter 659: Invader (Final Mid-Low) Chapter 659: Chapter 659: Invader (Final Mid-Low) Li Shibao, Yang Zhuo, Liu Zhengyi, and others were among the first to study Xia Libings Spirit Control Theory. In fact, before studying Xia Libings Spirit Control Theory, all of them had sensed more or less the overall changes brought about by the surrounding Super-connected Object Matrix. Yang Zhuo and Liu Zhengyi could be described as gifted with ideas, those who truly have echoes with their persistent thinking. As for Li Shibao, he is the connector of the Foodie Wood Sculpture, an emotion-infused object connected to the secondary network in the Youlong Restaurant. He was innately advantageous in sensing the Super-connected Object Matrix as he himself is an outer terminal of the Super Sensory Item System. Once they heard Xia Libing expound on the Spirit Control Theory, it was indeed like receiving a head-clearing dose of reality, like a martial arts enthusiast who struggled to understand martial arts suddenly being taken under the wing of a master to be taught the secrets of inner strength; they all learned with great enthusiasm. Before long, all three of them found their corresponding Attached Spirit, and established their own Spiritual Application Way. They actually had some ideas before, but they didnt systematically know. Upon learning Xia Libings Spirit Control Theory, they immediately got started. However, even with the Attached Spirit, even after they had a start, their abilities still were more peculiar than powerful. When it comes to real missions, especially when dealing with mutants or other threats, equipment provided by the base, like electricity guns, anesthetic guns and other weapons, are still more efficient than their Attached Spirit. For this reason, after the proposal of Spirit Control Theory, some higher-ups who have not seen Xia Libing, Tang Baona, and others in action but only knew about the Spirit Control Theory through the Non-Research Center and watched some of the members who just became Spirit Controllers demonstrate, would jokingly call the Spirit Control Theory a training for magicians and acrobats. While their remarks might not have too much malice in themselves, it still extremely annoyed Old He, which is why he was so excited to know that Mr. Liangs Biological Components might become High-level Attached Spiritual Objects for Spirit Controllers. And this time, Li Shibao, Yang Zhuo, and Liu Zhengyi are going to load High-level Attached Spiritual Objects that Alice made according to their Spiritual Characteristics. The High-level Attached Spiritual Object that Li Shibao is loading into is a large glove. Once worn on the left hand, it can cause a sudden drop in the water temperature within a certain distance. For example, when inserted into a basin filled with water, it can freeze the water at the edges of the basin without affecting the water around the glove, and it can also make water vapor freeze anywhere within twenty metersincluding inside the body; The High-level Attached Spiritual Object that Yang Zhuo is loading into is a very thick pair of glasses which look somewhat similar to Xiao Pingguos, but is much bulkier. It allows Yang Zhuo to acquire various visual modes and quickly detect hiding enemies, no matter whether they use optical camouflage or terrain cover. It can even somewhat predict the direction of movement of fast-moving creatures, achieving some kind of enhanced Dynamic Vision. With these glasses on, he can easily aim at targets with weapons, but the accuracy of his shooting still depends on his physical control abilities and are not particularly good; The High-level Attached Spiritual Object that Liu Zhengyi is loading into is also a pair of gloves. However, these gloves are different from Li Shibaos. They not only come in pairs that extend to the upper arm, almost reaching the shoulder, but theyre also not as large or heavy as Li Shibaos gloves. Instead, they stick closely and feel like a layer of skin when worn. Besides the gloves, he has a bar that looks much like a baseball bat, which seems small but is very heavy. It can provide a huge boost to Liu Zhengyis strength, enabling him to exert ten times his original strength. With that bat, he can deliver even greater damage. The High-level Attached Spiritual Objects of the three are actually only beggar version of Mr. Liangs Alices Improved Biological Component. Each was customized based on a small part of some functions from Mr. Liangs Biological Components, combined with the direction of their own Inspiration. However, even such beggar versions have been very powerful and terrifying. Moreover, they are not something that the three of them can use anywhere, anytime. Aside from a test site especially set up by Alice and Xia Libing at Chongyun Village, this hospital main building under renovation is the second place where they could use these High-level Attached Spiritual Objects. Because this main building is now filled with a variety of Super-connected Objects, with a large part of it having been transformed into Super-connected Objects, there are even Super coins set up in advance in various directions. The so-called building renovation is, in fact, the arrangement of an enhanced Super-connected Object Matrix. Indeed, it was within this environment that the three of them could use the three High-level Attached Spiritual Objects relatively easily. They had memorized the plan of action and detailed tasks well beforehand, so upon receiving the signal, they immediately began to load the High-level Attached Spiritual Objects, made preparations for battle, and Li Shibao filled his prepared water gun from various places. Several minutes later, a black figure and large mass of flesh broke through the underground chamber and appeared in front of them Mr. Liang had brought the humanoid creature all the way up to the third floor. Seeing the large mass of flesh being smashed by Mr. Liang to blast against the wall and quickly stretching out to reveal the terrifying human form, Li Shibao, Yang Zhuo, and Liu Zhengyi joined the battle according to the plan. Li Shibao used his freezing gloves to restrain the humanoid creature, while Liu Zhengyi brandished a heavy stick and hit hard. But the skin of the humanoid creature suddenly tensed up; the layer of ice on its body surface burst open, and a series of bumps erupted on the skin. As Liu Zhengyis stick smashed onto it, it rebounded like hitting a highly elastic rubber, narrowly missing himself. When the humanoid creature was about to counterattack, it was once again intercepted by a Black Armor-covered Mr. Liang and they tangled together. After some fighting, Liu Zhengyi finally got an opportunity. Before the skin of the humanoid creature tensed up, he smashed its head with a heavy stick and then one after another, he smashed its body into pieces. Just when he thought the battle was over and wanted to stop, the mashed flesh and blood converged into groups of independently thinking masses of meat, then ran off in all directions, crawling out from the windows. Yang Zhuo raised his head and saw the locations where those flesh masses converged through his spirit-attached glasses, he loudly commanded, It has run to the fifth floor! Without hesitation, Mr. Liang immediately took off, smashed the ceiling and continued to rush upwards, breaking through two floors to chase it on the fifth floor. Li Shibao and the others looked at the big hole in the ceiling that had been smashed; they looked at each other with a bitter smile and followed up the staircase. Outside the basement morgue, Old Qian and Korowin had regained their strength and asked through the communicator what they should do next. Their captain gave them two choices: either stay put and wait for the mission to end, or go up to the first floor via the staircase, then go to the parking lot to meet them. Both of them still wanted to witness the battle between Mr. Liang and the humanoid creature, so they promptly climbed the stairs to the first floor. When they came out of the first-floor lobby, they happened to see Tang Baona, Yang Zhen Er, and little apple who were coming from the parking lot. Both parties entered and exited through two different doors. When they saw each other from a distance, they nodded acknowledging each other without any halting. Old Qian and Korowin looked at each other, both feeling somewhat excited, The elite squad is moving out! This battle, is definitely going to be a grand one. They just wondered if Dr. Xia would make a move? They realized that when they were on the basement and first floors, the sounds of the battle above were thunderous, as if hundreds of demolition workers were wreaking havoc. But the moment they stepped out of the main building, the noise vanished. The entire building was eerily quiet, and distant chatter within the other hospital buildings and car horns from outside the hospital were clearly audible. Although surprised, they didnt linger at the entrance and hurriedly followed their captains instructions to the parking lot. Several black modified trucks, bearing the logo of a transport company sat in the parking lot, but they immediately recognized them as research base vehicles. Over here. The back door of one of the trucks opened and the captain jumped out waving at them. They quickly rushed over, and as soon as they entered the vehicle, they found multiple screens inside. Each had a multitude of CCTV feeds showing every floor of the main building, including shots from the morgue. It was clear that their earlier situation in the morgue was under constant watch. They immediately settled down in the vehicle, staring anxiously at a screen in the top right corner showcasing the current battle situation on the fifth floor. Even though they couldnt directly take part in this battle stage of the heavyweight mission they had been preparing for over two months; as witnesses and members, Old Qian and Korowin felt proud and excited. Especially knowing they could witness the performance of the Elite Trio. Ever since they returned from Slovakia, their teams speculations about the Elites wearing glasses and how they mightve subdued the massive and terrifying Old Vampire were the hot topic. Contrary to what Old Qian and Korowin might think, this mission had not transitioned from the preparation phase to the battle phase only today. Before today, elsewhere, the mission participants had already interacted with the creature from the morgue. Over two months ago, when Liu Shiling was having fun in Pengcheng City with Da Lu and Xiao Mei, when Tang Baona, Yang Zhener, and Xiao Pingguo headed to Slovakia prepared to tackle Old Vampire Gerald, when Xia Libing rushed to the airport after a meal of bread and co-manifested Crispy Pigs Elbow, when Mrs. Xiang and Mr. Xiang proudly introduced their baby granddaughter Xiang Shinran while strolling in a park with their baby carriage in Citong City, when Mr. Liang, Old He, Mijoe, and others headed to Chongyun Mountain for demonstrating and testing the new Biological Components, a minuscule change occurred somewhere in the southwest hills. This minuscule change was actually extremely tiny, being a highly microscopic variation with virtually no noticeable impact at its inception. But the moment this change occurred, a sleeping consciousness deep beneath the South Pole keenly detected it. Although this change was so small it was nearly undetectable and its impact on the surroundings negligible, it originated from another world. When Xiang Kun transformed the Ultimate Predators High-Dimensional Factors and absorbed its inherent capabilities, he initially relied on his physical instincts and gradually became conscious, attempting to control and manipulate the High-Dimensional Factors. Then, he inadvertently discovered another way the High-Dimensional Factors could exist C existence outside of this world. Xiang Kun always understood that High-Dimensional Factors existed in all things. Due to reasons unknown, they would activate, forming an association with consciousness, and started to demarcate a control region on the individual where consciousness would arise, resulting in renovations that transcended the normal functioning of the world. However, what were the conditions under which the High-Dimensional Factors chose to activate? What exactly were their modes of operation? How do they migrate between individual units? How do they specifically connect with consciousness? Even with the restraints removed from the Ultimate Predator project, and assistance from Old Xia, Dr. Fang, Mr. Liang, numerous research personnel, advanced equipment, including the unbeatable Alice, he still could not completely answer these questions. Only when High-Dimensional Factors were activated, could Xiang Kun somewhat clearly perceive their existence. He tried to trace the dissipating High-Dimensional Factors after a mutant creature died and indeed managed to locate some of the dissipating High-Dimensional Factors to some extent. This enabled the birth of Xiao Luobo, this unique semi-mutant being or Xiangs Mutative Creature. But strictly speaking, his control and tracking were still focused on the activated or deactivated but not completed High-Dimensional Factors. As for the fully deactivated High-Dimensional Factors that completely dissipated, Xiang Kun still couldnt find their whereabouts. This time, after the transformation of the Ultimate Predators High-Dimensional Factors was completed and he gradually regained consciousness, he started attempting to probe the transformational and activation modes of the High-Dimensional Factors thanks to his conscious connection with them. In this process, Xiang Kun accidentally discovered a method to open another dimension, discovering a type of special alternative activated state of High-Dimensional Factors. This, alternative activated state of High-Dimensional Factors significantly differed from the normally perceived High-Dimensional Factors. They were of the same origin but born under different rules C like grilled chicken wings and marinated chicken wings. He realized that these alternative activated state High-Dimensional Factors might belong to the consciousness of living beings from another world. Now, it seemed that the consciousness of this otherworldly being was trying to explore Xiang Kuns world, controlling its High-Dimensional Factors. The moment he realized this, Xiang Kuns first reaction was to stop it. However, he soon thought that any attempt to stop it would send a clear signal to the creature, like a battleship sailing directionless through a fog being shot at, confirming its course. Moreover, Xiang Kun realized that his dimension and knowledge greatly outweighed that of the foreign consciousness C because he discovered it, but it had not discovered him. Thus, Xiang Kun began to try and explore the world of its consciousness through these alternative High-Dimensional Factors. It was his obsession with the perception and discovery of this alternative dimension that prolonged his sleep phase for this long compared to the preset maximum sleep phase of three years. He then discovered that his control over High-Dimensional Factors was far superior to the consciousness that manipulated High-Dimensional Factors in the alternative world. If subservient to the Ultimate Predator was akin to pitting a small fishing boat against an aircraft carrier, then the existence of the alternative world was like a carriage compared to an aircraft carrier the gap was vast, yet they belonged to different domains. Thus, Xiang Kun began to prepare a plan. The minor incident in the southwest was the result of this plan. Chapter 660 - Chapter 660: Chapter 660: Invader (Part 2) Chapter 660: Chapter 660: Invader (Part 2) Following these hetero-dimensional activated high-dimensional factors, along with the consciousness that those high-dimensional factors belonged to, Xiang Kuns consciousness was also able to seep in bit by bit. It was able to enter that hetero-dimensional world by making its way through his high-dimensional factors, a world where the underlying rules and the composition of the space were slightly different. The difference between these two worlds was not the terrain, the landforms, or the biological forms, but a difference in the way space exists and in the basic form of energy. The hetero-dimensional world and the normal world in which Xiang Kun and his others lived were usually not aware of each other. They did not affect each other and each had its own laws of operation. But they were not entirely different, either. If the form of spatial existence and underlying rules of the normal world is in the sequence of 1234, then the hetero-dimensional world was in the sequence of 3456. Despite the overlaps, as long as they were not completely identical, they were not the same world to the biological consciousness. For an ordinary person, it was impossible to perceive this world, or even if they could perceive this world, they could not understand the information they perceived. However, Xiang Kun was different. Due to his unique evolutionary path, the existence of the Super Sensory State, his ability to compile Super Sensory Information, and Alices continuous computational and modeling assistance to him on the basis of the Super sensory Item System, he had a rapid ability to adapt to and analyse any new type of perceived information. Normally, biological consciousness can only exist in a world with a single kind of spatial structure. The entire material composition of the organism itself, including the carrier of consciousness, is even less likely to exist in two different spatial structures. But high-dimensional factors were unique. They could travel across different spatial structures C or more accurately, they simultaneously existed in different forms of spatial structure. When they reacted with biological consciousness in a certain spatial structure or in a certain world, it represented their dominant projection in that spatial structure, but they also possessed the properties of the world rules of all different spatial structures. Because of these characteristics, some stronger entities of consciousness were able to use them to explore other worlds with different spatial structures. However, this was difficult and required time and luck, much like an exhaustive approach. But Xiang Kun was different. He captured high-dimensional factors from the hetero-dimensional world, and he had the analysis tool of Super Sensory Information. He could use the distinct features exhibited by these hetero-dimensionally activated high-dimensional factors to find a way into the hetero-dimensional world. However, finding a way to enter and being able to enter were two different things, just like knowing how to drive but having no car to drive. Given the deep connection between high-dimensional factors and consciousness, Xiang Kun could even directly know what the hetero-dimensional consciousness wanted to do C it was instinctively driven by high-dimensional factors to try to seize the opportunity to engulf other high-dimensional factors from multiple avenues. It wanted to invade Xiang Kuns normal world, but like Xiang Kun, it didnt have a car. If Xiang Kun was still completely clueless about it or about the hetero-dimensional world from which it came, then undoubtedly, the first reaction would be to prevent such a potential invasion. But after gaining a basic understanding of the spatial structure and the form of energy of the hetero-dimensional world, and the hetero-dimensional consciousness he came into contact with, Xiang Kun changed his mind. After awakening his consciousness, he had learned many things from Alice and had deduced many potential future occurrences. The lifting of the ban on the study of mutants led to rapid technological advancement of humanity. The Super Sensory Item System also underwent explosive and revolutionary enhancement and expansion due to the improvement of his abilities and the collective efforts of Alice and all the connected operators in the system. Currently, he could easily allow people like Xia Libing, Liu Shiling, Tang Baona, Yang Zhener, Xiao Pingguo, and others who had established a deep connection with the Super sensory Item System to achieve improvements in system capabilities and fundamental qualities. For example, immortality, rapid bodily repair, eternal existence of consciousness and physical form with the Super Sensory Item System, etc. In the case of ordinary people who had mild connections with the Super Sensory Item System or formed secondary links with emotion-infused objects, such as Li Shibao, Yang Zhuo, Liu Zhengyi, or even his parents, or Chang Bin, Zi Cheng and other ordinary people who had not established any connection with the Super Sensory Item System, he also had ways to help them transcend their inherent limitations of birth, aging, sickness and death, and the restrictions of the original earthly biological system, to a certain extent. As time went by, more and more people would form relationships with him, such as the parents and loved ones of Old Xia, the parents and loved ones of Tang Baona, the friends and family of his friends and family. When he could easily do something, it was impossible for him to sit by and watch them vanish naturally C and he definitely had the capability to prevent that from happening easily. But everything came with a price, and every existence consumed resources. The breakthroughs brought by mutant research, leading the fourth industrial revolution, such as controlled nuclear fusion, can temporarily ignore the dependence on basic resources. For Xiang Kun, however, more crucial is the high-dimensional factors. This is the foundation of his abilities as well as the foundation for the existence and development of the Super Sensory Item System. As far as the current situation is concerned, because of his unique control, guidance, and development skills with high-dimensional factors, and because of the unique form of the Super Sensory Item System, the stage limit, the expansion and swallowing instinct of high-dimensional factors can all be well regulated. All mutants within all systems and their high-dimensional factors can comply with the dispatch. In the foreseeable future, all high-dimensional factors on the entire earth that have been activated, all that might be activated, will be incorporated into the Super Sensory Item System, leaving no room for choice. This will bring a constant growth and enhancement to Xiang Kuns system operation, complemented by the super-connected object matrix built all over the planet, allowing the high-dimensional factors to transform and construct on a individual unit scale of the entire planet. His stage limit is not visible for the time being. However, without considering the future, there must be immediate worries. Constantly devouring and strengthening oneself are inherent characteristics and instincts of high-dimensional factors, which cannot be changed no matter how profoundly Xiang Kun develops them. Its like humans having to eat, drink, and sleep regardless of how educated they are. This is why after he personally defeated the Ultimate Predator, even if he was unwilling, he had to engage in this long-lasting swallowing and transformation. So, Xiang Kun and Alices original plan was to develop the super-connected object matrix throughout the earth, essentially ensuring that all future mutants on earth are accounted for, and then using the burgeoning human aerospace technology to advance into space. But now, the discovery of the hetero-dimensional world has given Xiang Kun a new and more reliable way to simultaneously expand and improve the future. Therefore, Xiang Kun formulated a plan to lead the wolf into the room, helping the hetero-dimensional consciousness come to the real world. If we continue the analogy with the construction team, expanding from earth to other planets and galaxies in the real world (this universe) is like a construction team looking for skilled builders in other cities. But the problem now is that Xiang Kun has no idea where those cities are, how far away they are, whether there are skilled construction workers, or how many there are. The appearance of the hetero-dimensional world and the hetero-dimensionally activated high-dimensional factors made him realize that, in this original city, ordinary people with no special performance actually have a special circle. They have their own entertainment companies, where they sing and dance. Under the rules of their circle, singing and dancing bring development to their units just as well. So, Xiang Kun sent his workers to follow the singing and dancing youth into their circle and gather information. Xiang Kun can communicate directly with his workers, but the youths boss doesnt communicate with them. Therefore, Xiang Kun discovered them, understood their operating mode, and kept their boss in the dark. After weighting the comparison between the two sides, when the entertainment company boss wanted to develop into the construction industry, the building companys boss Xiang deliberately sold a flaw, let the singing and rapping guys come to the company to perform, and then let his workers take the opportunity to learn to sing and rap, understanding the operation mode of the entertainment circle. Then, Boss Xiang of the construction company and his mighty construction team will march into the entertainment circle singing and rapping from the excavators and Gundam suits. Under such circumstances, although there are no new construction projects, no new construction companies to merge, no new cities discovered, they still achieved a significant increase in operations. They entered a new industry, and all the workers learned to sing and rap, further reducing the possibility of project downtime, increasing their competitive power, and further widening the gap between them and the ordinary construction team. When the hetero-dimensional consciousness began to gradually appear in the real world under the guidance of Xiang Kun. Xiang Kun also told Little Fatty Girl about the general situation through her dreams and then letting her and Alice communicate it to Old Xia, Nana and others to cooperate with the implementation of the plan. Although he has basically completed the transmutation of the high-dimensional factors of the Ultimate Predator, and his consciousness has fully awoken, in order to gather information about the hetero-dimensional world, he still must maintain this extremely unique state. First, inside a gramineous plant in the northwest mountainous area, some atoms that should have been very stable showed abnormal nuclear reactions, causing a small range of radiation mutations. Then, after the plants death from mutation, the hetero-dimensional consciousness found a foothold. The projection of the hetero-dimensional high-dimensional factors in this world began to be semi-activated. It mutated a little at a time, constantly transferring the consciousness repository, and gradually becoming familiar with and mastering the spatial structure and energy system of the real world in this process, understanding the form of life existence in this world. When it became a reptile, Xia Libing led the field investigation action team of the base, along with elites like Tang Baona, to start containing and attacking it. Xiang Kun came up with a code for this hetero-dimensional consciousness, called Hetero-dimensional One. But, Liu Shiling, who was listening to Xiang Kuns assignment in her dreams, heard it as Exotic Pig No.1. When she woke up and reported to Old Xia and the others, Alice didnt correct it. So, the first-ever high-level task involving cooperation from all the secret departments, field investigation departments from the research base, the non-research center, Qiankun Technology, and Divine Technology was named: The Exotic Pig Hunting Operation. Mr. Liang and Old He, upon first hearing this operation name, kept assuming that what they were up against was a mutated pig. Xiang Kun, of course, didnt expect them to come to hunt Hetero-dimensional One, but through their hunt, to force Hetero-dimensional One to gather information faster and better, perfecting its cognitive system. At the same time, this opportunity would allow Xia Libing and the others to better understand their own abilities and find inspiration for developing new ones. After all, in this process, the Super Sensory Item System and Xiang Kuns consciousness, along with his ability system, would undergo intense usage, creating conditions for them to exercise their abilities. He knew about the Spirit Control Theory that Xia Libing was promoting within the base. With this operation, those candidates undergoing testing would be presented with the strongest perceptive conditions and would develop some connection to the Super-connected Object Matrix, as long as they werent disliked by Xiang Kun or Alice. Thats also why, even though there was no need for Old Qian and Korowin and the others to do anything, he still allowed them to stay until the Hetero-dimensional One broke out of the door. The aim was to enable them to deepen their understanding of the Spirit Control Theory and to establish their unique spiritual contact. For those like Li Shibao, Yang Zhuo, and Liu Zhengyi, who have already established a certain connection, it could help them clarify their sense of perception, contact types, adapt better the use of High-Level Attached Spiritual Objects, and possibly come up with more and better applications. The participation of Tang Baona, Yang Zhen Er, and Sister Xiao Pingguo was to let them gain more combat experience, familiarize themselves with the application of powers in battle scenarios, and see if new ideas can be inspired, allowing them to develop new abilities based on the existing system. However, in the beginning, there was no direct participation in the mission by actual mutants like Mr. Liang and Jiang Chun. Even Xiao Luobo, a Semi-Mutated Being, wasnt involved, because when the Hetero-dimensional High-Dimensional Factors are semi-activated, they possess a strong capture and devouring ability towards the high-dimensional factors of this world. If ones power is not on par with it, they could easily be restrained and put in danger. Only when it devoured the Old Vampire Gerald, did the Hetero-dimensional One obtain a stable carrier in this world. At this stage, its confrontation with the mutants of this world would require real hard combat. After Tang Baona, Yang Zhen Er, and Sister Xiao Pingguo jumped off the black modified car in the parking lot and ran into the main building for the battle, there were still three people left in the car. One of them was Director He of the Non-Research Center, who was the deputy commander of this operation. Old He couldnt help but glance again at Xia Libing, next to whom sat a young girl with a face filled with displeasure. He had a batch of questions in his mind but didnt know which to ask. Of course, he recognized this extremely cute, beautiful young girl, who looked to be about ten years old. Back when he was investigating Xiang Kun, he knew that there was a little chubby girl named Liu Shiling who had a very good relationship with Xiang Kun, Xia Libing, and Tang Baona. In the years following the Antarctic Crisis, Old He had seen her several times at the research base in Chongyun Village, and Youlong Restaurant in Tongshi Town. He got to know that Liu Shiling, like Xia Libing and Tang Baona, had exceptional abilities related to electricity, and she might even have abilities similar to Xiang Kun, to control lightning. Its said that if we rank powers based on the destruction they cause, she could possibly rank in the top three. Mr. Liang and Jiang Chun were far behind her. However, this little girl is still in elementary school, and its said that she isnt allowed to participate in any base missions. He just didnt understand why she was allowed to come this time? But maybe it was because of her presence on the car, the combat in the morgue just now could only appear as a cartoon simulation on their car, while members of the action teams on the other modified cars could watch the real-time surveillance footage. After Mr. Liang made his move, there was real-time surveillance footage, but the blood and flesh flying scenes when the monster was smashed were clearly processed. The blood and flesh were like cream and jelly, very springy and even a little ridiculous to look at. On the monitor, Tang Baonas group took the elevator to the seventh floor, and Mr. Liang, Li Shibao and the others also fought with the monster up to the seventh floor. It looked as if they were chasing the monster to the seventh floor, but Old He, who had heard Xia Libing give out phase missions earlier, was well aware that this monster was plainly driven to the seventh floor by them. The whole process was as Xia Libing had expected. Even what the monster would do at what time, where Old Qian and Korowin would fall, she had communicated all this to Mr. Liang beforehand, so he could be more confident while providing invisible protection to the two mission members. While listening to Xia Libing assign tasks, Old He and Mr. Liang had the same thought: Dr. Xia is truly terrifying. Old He watched Tang Baona and Xiao Pingguo blocking the monster on the surveillance screen, the battle on the verge of commencing. He stared wide-eyed, utterly focused. He knew that the three of them, Tang Baona, were very powerful. They had even nonchalantly captured the last of the old vampires, who was formidable, back in Slovakia. However, he had never seen them in action and knew very little about their abilities. Just as he thought he was finally going to witness real superpowers, the surveillance feed disappeared. Old He instinctively whimpered, turning helplessly to Xia Libing and Liu Shiling beside him. He thought this was another case of censoring disturbing footage to protect students. But when he heard the members in the other cars asking about the surveillance feed over the headset, he realized their feeds were gone too. Dr. Xia, is this a surveillance problem or? Old He couldnt help but ask. Some abilities require the surveillance to be blocked. Xia Libing simply replied. As she spoke, she raised her hand to pinch Liu Shilings face, then gently massaged the knot in her furrowed brow with slender fingers. Liu Shiling looked up at Xia Libing. Xia Libing seemingly knew what she was thinking, and gently shook her head. Liu Shiling sighed, lowered her head again, her face still filled with discontent. The rule had been established early on that she could not participate in any base missions before graduating from junior high. Liu Shiling understood this, despite thinking that her magic power was strong and that she could be useful, especially when paired with Sister Old Fairy. But since her sisters made this decision, there was nothing she could do but hope she could get her junior high graduation certificate as soon as possible and earn her combat qualifications. But this time was different! This mission was passed on to her by Bald Uncle! Two months ago, when she assigned the mission in front of Sister Chicken Wing, Pretty Sister, Sister Xiao Pingguo, Old Fairy, Custard Pie, Little Doughnut, Alice, she was full of excitement and enthusiasm, thinking that the first real battle of Great Wizard Liu Shilling was finally upon her. But unexpectedly, after she conveyed Bald Uncles words from the dream and introduced the basic mission, Sister Chicken Wing took over the task assignment, and her title of commander was cruelly stripped away. It was only after Alices advice, crying, clinging, and acting spoiled for a long time, and persuading Pretty Sister, Sister Old Fairy, and Sister Xiao Pingguo to help her do Sister Chicken Wings job, that she finally managed to get the opportunity to observe the mission process. But to her dismay, she was not allowed to observe on-site, and the surveillance feed, due to its graphic scenes, was replaced with cartoon simulation. Liu Shiling felt an inner bitterness, an intense bitterness. She was obviously so capable Gazing at the screen with the severed footage, Liu Shiling was clear that the footage was not cut because of bloody brutality, but because Alice was going to co-manifest and join the battle. Thinking of them using all sorts of abilities to fight against Exotic Pig No.1, which Bald Uncle said came from another world, Liu Shiling felt an itch inside. It was as if she was nurturing a bellyful of untapped power. Chapter 661 - Chapter 661: Chapter 661 Invader (Bottom Bottom) Chapter 661: Chapter 661 Invader (Bottom Bottom) Seventh floor. As Liu Shiling had deduced, Tang Baona, Yang Zhen Er, and Xiao Pingguo no sooner reached the seventh floor than they, due to a positioning error, faced a close-range attack from Hetero-dimensional One. Although in such a situation, Tang Baona could, in her desperation, use a destructive Material Melody to fend it off. However, without precise control, Mr. Liang, Li Shibao, Yang Zhuo, and the others behind Hetero-dimensional One would be affected, and even Yang Zhen Er and Xiao Pingguo could suffer the consequences. So even though Tang Baona was startled by the terrifying large mouth on the stomach of the suddenly approaching Hetero-dimensional One, she still kept her cool and didnt react hastily, because she believed In times of crisis, Alice would appear. Indeed, at the same time the surveillance signal disappeared, Alice in her white princess dress appeared in front of Tang Baona and the others. Her body was still small, but her hands were ridiculously large, one fist was almost half the size of her body. Facing the approaching Hetero-dimensional One, she swung her disproportionately large fist and, with a cute yell, sent it flying. After eliminating the crisis, Alice turned around, tilted her head, blinked her right eye at Tang Baona and the others, grinned triumphantly, and then disappeared. Regaining their senses, the trio of Tang Baona, Yang Zhen Er, and Xiao Pingguo joined the attack. Together with Li Shibao, Yang Zhuo, and Liu Zhengyis High-level Attached Spiritual Object unit, and Mr. Liang in his Black Armor, they launched a siege against Hetero-dimensional One. Originally, Mr. Liang alone could pretty much beat up Hetero-dimensional One. Now, with the added forces of the two three-person units, they had the upper hand. However, Hetero-dimensional Ones body was shattered countless times and reduced to rubble, yet it kept regenerating at an incredible pace, reassembling itself. Moreover, each time it reassembled, its body would exhibit certain differences, unleashing new characteristics. It seemed like each time its body shattered and reassembled, it was obtaining high-dimensional factors from the Old Vampire, which manifested its past abilities and characteristics. Occasionally, its surface would be covered with scales, providing a strong defense; at other times, its skin would become extremely smooth, causing any attacks to possibly slide off; sometimes it would decrease in size, with a height of about one meter, but with extremely long limbs that could extend up to 3 meters, resembling a giant spider, extremely fast, able to easily climb walls; sometimes it could refract light and go semi-invisible, blending into the environment; sometimes it could even attempt to manipulate peoples minds and create illusions. Normally, if these were abilities acquired from devouring other mutants, the transformation of these abilities would require some time. But this Hetero-dimensional One needed neither to hibernate nor any time for its body to undergo transmutation after devouring Gerald. Moreover, it materialized these abilities far more directly than Gerald did, with some characteristics clearly originating from non-humanoid mutants that Gerald devoured. For Mr. Liang, who is a mutant, familiar with the mechanism of mutual devouring and ability transformation among mutants, and who has learned the theory of high-dimensional factors from Xiang Kun, the manifestation of Hetero-dimensional One is very astonishing. No wonder Dr. Xia organized such a huge operation. Of course, what shocked him even more was that most of the mutant characteristics manifested by Hetero-dimensional One had already been accurately described by Dr. Xia during the mission preparation stage. He had even devised specific countermeasures. Just like now, the two squads of Li Shibao and Tang Baona responded perfectly to each eccentric ability exhibited by Hetero-dimensional One after each reassembly, according to the mission plan. When Hetero-dimensional One entered a semi-invisible state, Yang Zhuo and Xiao Pingguo were immediately able to lock onto the target through their glasses and other modes of vision, helping their comrades determine the direction of attack. Yang Zhen Er could even use illusion special effects to directly mark Hetero-dimensional One. When Hetero-dimensional One increased its speed and agility, Li Shibao would use temperature control and freezing to hinder it, and Tang Baona would also change the type of Material Melody to make it difficult for it to move. When Hetero-dimensional One attempted to harm, disrupt, and mentally affect them with sound, Tang Baona would use the Emotional Melody to help everyone avoid damage. They were able to perfectly respond to each sudden change in characteristic, according to Dr. Xias mission plan. Those mutation traits not mentioned in the mission plan posed no significant threat and were dealt with easily. Dr. Xias mission plan was like Zhuge Liangs bag of tricks, simply brilliant. Thats why no matter how undying Hetero-dimensional One seemed to be, and though it gained new abilities every time it regenerated from being smashed into pieces, they didnt panic too much. After all, even with a threat present, the little girl in a white dress with a pair of giant fists would appear in time to bail them out. They were like children playing in a pool under the watchful eyes of their parents. On the other hand, given the information about the Hetero-dimensional Universe and Hetero-dimensional High-Dimensional Factors that they had received, and considering the various tasks set up by Dr. Xia, Mr. Liang was somewhat suspicious that Dr. Xia had slowly cultivated this monster. This caused him a bit of anxiety. Although now Dr. Xia seems to have everything under control, many features of high-dimensional factors are beyond human understanding or comprehension. Who knows if a situation beyond control might occur. However, Mr. Liang couldnt really remind Dr. Xia, he knew that Dr. Xia must be aware of these issues. He could only hope that Xiang Kun would wake up soon, so that everyone could feel at ease under his control. With Xiang Kuns caution, he would definitely be able to minimize the risks, so he hoped that Dr. Xia wouldnt act recklessly. Parking lot. The screens inside the car had restored the surveillance footage from the seventh and eighth floors, but there were still no real-time battle scenes, only the messy aftermath on the ground, indicating the intensity of the recent battle here. From the huge hole visible in the eighth floors ceiling in the surveillance footage and the noises from above, it could be inferred that the battle had moved up another two floors, reaching the ninth floor. Old He couldnt help but look toward the main building from the car windows. Were they really battling their way up floor by floor?! However, he noticed something odd: the surveillance footage showed an entire wall on the eighth floor near the parking lot being smashed, but when he looked out the car window, he saw no debris or any sign of disturbance. Even looking up at the outer wall of the main building, everything appeared intact; there were no signs of a battle that had blasted its way up from the basement to the ninth floor, not even a sound. Although Dr. Xia had informed him beforehand that they would perform sensory shielding on the area of combat, and had cordoned off this area under the guise of renovation, thus ensuring that even during the day, operations would not affect other areas of the hospital and nobody would detect any anomalies, the stark contrast between the scenes of devastation on the surveillance footage and the tranquility outside the buildings made him feel a sense of spatial-temporal dislocation. But it was precisely because Dr. Xia and her team had such miraculous capabilities that Old He dared to let them go on a mission in a large hospital like Yangcheng City Hospital in broad daylight. Despite not being able to see the actual combat footage, Old He remained fairly calm. His trust in Dr. Xias actions was one reason; over the past five years, any research or investigative mission led by the research base had never suffered any mishaps. Secondly, the sounds from Mr. Liang and Li Shibao in his earpiece, as well as the surveillance footage, gave him the impression that everything was going as planned. However, gradually, the voices of Mr. Liang, Li Shibao, and others began to sound anxious, as if the battle was becoming more intense and critical and cries of danger, be careful, and damn began to emerge. Then, Miss Yangs panicked shout came through the earpiece: Old Xia! We need backup! We cant hold on any longer!! Alice, get more aggressive!! Miss Tangs voice followed: Hahaha, Old Xia, we cant win, haha, ouch, run! Miss Li Juns voice: Run, run, run! Alice, cover our retreat! Li Shibaos voice: Director He, Dr. Xia! Exotic Pig No.1 has gone berserk! We cant handle it! Yang Zhuos voice: Help! Help! Help! Save us!! Old He was startled; after glancing at the still composed Dr. Xia, he hurriedly asked through the intercom, Whats going on? What happened? Mr. Liangs voice answered, Dr. Xia! We cant kill this monster, and its growing stronger the more we attack it. Now its displaying multiple traits and abilities simultaneously, and were having trouble controlling it! Its going to escape! When Hetero-dimensional One was continuously reforming itself and exhibiting different mutant creature traits before, Mr. Liang and his team had handled it very steadily, because everything was going according to Dr. Xia Libings plan. But soon, the monster began to show a combination and enhancement of different mutant traits, all designed to counter their abilities, and the situation suddenly flipped. If it werent for Alice persistently co-manifesting herself and putting up a staunch defense with her big fists, they probably wouldnt have been able to hold on. Following the mission plan, at this point, their instruction was to call for backup when they could no longer hold on, so naturally, they started to call for Dr. Xia Libings help on the intercom. Im on my way. After giving a simple reply, Dr. Xia Libing calmly got up, casually ruffled Liu Shilings hair, then got out of the car and walked briskly towards the main hospital building. Just as Old He was about to close the car door, he suddenly saw Dr. Xia throw something on the ground and then step on it. The instant she stepped on it, the object beneath her feet swelled and rose up into the air like a silver wall, rocketing her up to the top of the main building in a blink of an eye. It wasnt until Dr. Xia landed on the roof of the main building and the object that lifted her up disappeared, that Old He realized C it was a scalpel! What just happened?! Did Dr. Xia just climb atop an enlarged scalpel?! He subconsciously looked around. Their parking lot was also isolated due to fear of falling objects from high altitudes, so only their few modified vans were parked here. The hospital main entrance was further away, bustling with people and vehicles going in and out. But no one glanced in their direction. Clearly, nobody outside their isolated zone was able to see the shocking show or the fights happening in the main building. He remembered what Li Shibao and Yang Zhuo had mentioned about the mission in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Dr. Xias scalpel seemed like the Golden Cudgel, capable of growing or shrinking at will. But it was rather ridiculous to see a scalpel that was almost as large as a building with his own eyes. Why are they calling it Research Base? It should be called Cultivation Base instead, Old He couldnt help but mumble to himself. Returning to the car, Old He looked up at the screen in the van. There were still no images of the fighting on it, neither were there any panicked shouts from Li Shibao and Yang Zhuo on the other monitored feeds. Clearly, the situation was quickly stabilized once Dr. Xia went up. But Mr. Liangs words still bothered him, he muttered to himself, What does he mean by this monster cannot be killed? Uncle He, that monster cant be killed in this world. Old He was taken aback, only to find that the speaker was the student Liu Shiling next to him. Itit cant be killed in this world? Old He couldnt help but repeat. He knew that Liu Shiling was no ordinary ten-year-old. Her knowledge of mutants might be even more extensive than Mr. Liangs. Plus, considering her relationship with Dr. Xia and Miss Tang, it was normal for her to know some insider information. Yes, it cant be killed! When we fight, we are helping it evolve! And training ourselves! Liu Shiling nodded. Help it evolve? Old Hes heart skipped a beat and various conspiracy theories suddenly popped into his mind, making him nervous. But just as he wanted to ask further, Liu Shiling suddenly straightened up and pointed to the roof of the van, widening her eyes at Old He, Uncle He! Its thundering! As she finished her sentence, a loud thunder rang out. Even with Liu Shilings predication, Old He was still startled. He instinctively opened the window blinds of the van and looked through the dark one-way window towards the sky. The once bright and sunny sky was now filled with thick clouds flashing with electricity. It looked like a storm was brewing. Is this real? Old He couldnt help but look at the flow of people at the hospital entrance and found that many people were also looking up at the sky or quickening their pace. Obviously, this sudden weather change wasnt only noticeable in their isolated area, it was a genuine, sudden change in weather. He shifted his gaze back to Liu Shiling inside the van. The young girl was on her knees on the van seat, her hands clutching another window, tilting her head to look at the sky. Her eyes were wide open, and her face was full of excitement. Her previous unhappiness seemed to have vanished with the sudden thunderstorm. Did did this little girl cause this? Feeling Old Hes gaze, Liu Shiling turned her head and said in a pleasant tone, Uncle He, have you ever seen a lightning storm? Another thunderclap rumbled outside the van. A little earlier. Antarctica. A blonde researcher stood in a vast open field with a few team members. Stomping on the snow under her feet, she said, William, our instruments detected unusual reading from here about three hours ago. I suggest bringing the machines over to start digging right away. A few of her companions huddled around the thick tablet she handed over, inspecting the data from monitoring instruments, their expressions surprised. Over the years, with the rapid development of technology, research teams, investigation squads, and exploratory groups from various countries in Antarctica have been equipped with advanced equipment, strengthened in all aspects from supplies to detection. Hmm, Ill contact the Chinese research team right now. A man named William said, picking up the satellite phone. The blonde woman researcher interjected, Wait, cant we cant we do it ourselves? Startled, William replied, But the nearest place with portable automatic digging equipment is China. The blonde researcher bit her lip and whispered, I suspect the thing beneath could possibly be a special form of life, maybe related to the monster that caused the Antarctica crisis! In these years, teams visiting Antarctica for whatever reason, more than ninety percent of them, are there to investigate the Antarctic Crisis or more precisely, they are examining the entity that caused and solved the crisis, looking for any traces they might have left behind. William still hesitated, If thats the caseshouldnt we notify them even more? According to the Citong Accord, all related research involving field excavations should be reported to them. We dont even know if it is, and officially, were not involved in mutant-related research! the blonde researcher exclaimed. Yes, I agree that we should do the excavation first, using basic equipment. If that doesnt work, well resort to dynamite, another companion suggested, If it truly is a creature related to the Antarctic Crisis, our discovery could potentially lead to new breakthroughs, breaking the Chinese monopoly on this issue. But William started to argue. It was rumored in the field of Mutant research that anyone who conducts private research in violation of the Citong Accord, especially by capturing or attacking mutants, might face inexplicable supernatural events. Seeing however that there were fewer Chinese representatives in Antarctica than other major nations, he became thoughtful. Perhaps this really was an opportunity and he decided not to say anything else. Just as they climbed onto their snowmobiles, ready to return to the supply station, the ground suddenly began to shake. The snow on the ground seemed to have come to life, knocking over their snowmobiles. As they crawled on the ground, trying to comprehend what had just happened, the area where the blonde researcher had detected abnormalities began to rise. The ice cap beneath the snow seemed to have shifted, causing icicles to grow from the ground, all concentrated in a small area. Simultaneously, the sky darkened with clouds, thunder rumbled, and lightning struck the icicles. Arcs of electricity scattered and fled like earthworms. Subsequent flashes of lightning swept over, like a doomsday punishment. With a loud bang, all the icicles exploded, leaving a big hole from which a figure slowly rose, suspended in the air. Despite the distance, the fallen blonde researcher, William, and the others could faintly see the glowing figure suspended in the sky. The figure seemed to glance at them, a look that caused their breaths to stop and their hair to stand on end, creating a sense of life-threatening danger. By the time they had regained their senses, the figure had already pierced the sky, swiftly shooting off at several times the speed of sound. After the figure disappeared, the dark clouds dispersed and sunlight poured down, restoring a clear sky as if none of the previous events had occurred. However, looking at the snowmobile toppled on the ground and the huge hole in the distance, they all understood that what had just happened was not an illusionit really took place. Did they just witness something important? Do you guys remember, theres an online legend about the Antarctic Crisis. William suddenly said. Others evidently thought of the legend too, an array of emotions coursing through them. That legend It appeared to be true.