Full-Time Public Enemy

"Some were literally scared to death. It was as if they were cornered by something terrifying, trying to claw a path through concrete walls. Their fingers were worn raw, and bloodstains covered the walls. Then, they were simply scared to death."

"Others were found huddled together, clawing and biting at each other, literally tearing out each other’s tracheas..." 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Chen Gu realized, "Psychological terror!"

Aviloya paused, then said, "Back then, a special task force was formed to investigate this matter—essentially, to destroy all evidence, cover up the truth, and prevent a scandal from breaking out."

"After we noticed Wei Jiangqi’s anomaly, we conducted a thorough investigation. Even though Wei Jiangqi never admitted to anything during the interrogations, we believe he was the only successful test subject from that horrific experiment."

Chen Gu was not surprised; or rather, he was mentally prepared. Aviloya wouldn’t bring up this matter without reason.

He took a deep breath and asked, "So, you’re saying Wei Jiangqi has lived for over a thousand years?"

Aviloya replied, "We have no idea how he managed to do that." She then added, "There’s something else you need to know. Those mad experimenters were able to gain the politician’s trust because they had found a special brain, one that could even be described as a ’pure brain organism.’"

"That thing was discovered inside a crashed spaceship. It was originally a small exploration vessel. In that era, many small teams, upon securing investment, would purchase such a ship. They would then bravely navigate the vast Star Sea, hoping to chance upon resource planets in unknown locations."

"A few lucky ones succeeded, but most disappeared into the complex interstellar environment."

"This particular ship encountered something unknown. All its electronic devices were rendered completely useless, and the crew members were annihilated, leaving only dark, human-shaped imprints in the wreckage."

"But an atypical brain survived. How they managed to subdue this terrifying brain is now beyond our knowledge."

"It’s even hard to say whether this brain was human, because the crew had also brought a pet dog, a pair of pet lizards, and a tank of ornamental fish on board."

Finally, Aviloya said, "That’s all I know. The investigation team responsible for eradicating all traces back then supposedly just sealed off the base and didn’t deal with the brain. This was because the vault containing the brain was embedded with a massive bomb, theoretically impossible to disarm."

"It’s been over a thousand years. By rights, that brain should have died long ago, but you still need to be careful."

「...」

Because Aviloya had pointed out Tianluo Star, Chen Gu ultimately decided to personally station himself there.

When the preservation vault door opened, he had already caught a glimpse of the brain from the shadows.

In that instant, he was seventy percent certain the brain was still alive.

Wei Jiangqi was clearly aware that this thing wouldn’t die, which is why, for over a thousand years, he had never come to "disturb" it. Wei Jiangqi knew the vault’s code; theoretically, he could have taken it at any time. So why wait until now? Probably because he previously felt he lacked the strength to protect it.

But now, things were different.

Inside the vault, unopened for a thousand years, Chen Gu maintained a somewhat flippant exterior, but inwardly, he was on high alert!

His primary vigilance was not directed at Wei Jiangqi, but at the brain beside him.

Wei Jiangqi seemed struck by Chen Gu’s "killing the soul" remark and curled his lip unhappily; Chen Gu managing to find this place had genuinely surprised him.

But he paid Chen Gu no further mind. After all, no matter how many people came today, they were destined to become mere test subjects, just like those motorcycle thugs Big Bear brought.

He turned to the crown-like brain, his eyes revealing a peculiar emotion—a silent, tender, and unfathomably deep affection, as he said, "I’m back."

The brain, which was beside Chen Gu and within his reach, had been utterly still ever since the vault door opened. But at Wei Jiangqi’s words, it suddenly "came to life," showing great excitement.

Its black, slender threads, like strands of hair or tentacles, all suddenly billowed upwards!

This movement startled everyone, including Big Bear, because the black, slender threads had filled the entire vault in an instant!

They hadn’t appeared to possess such volume before. The current scene sent a shiver of scalp-numbing danger through them—the situation had instantly transformed. Moments ago, Chen Gu could have taken the brain at any time; now, the brain could trap him at any moment.

Wei Jiangqi revealed a rare smile and said gently to the brain, "I know you’ve waited long and arduously, so you’re in a terrible mood. However, the little guy beside you is still useful to me. I need his Bureau of Mystic Security identity to play a game with an important figure. Don’t kill him."

The black, slender threads surrounding Chen Gu quietly drifted back a little, yet they still twitched twice, as if conveying some message.