Chapter 22: The Brain's Outlandish Maneuvers

Zhou Mo realized he was getting carried away and hurriedly explained with a sheepish grin, "I didn't mean to wake you. Liao Feng’s brain told me I was being followed on my way back, and through it, I could sense a strong wave of malice."

The brain didn't have time to settle scores with Zhou Mo. It moved to the window in its usual cockroach-like scuttling fashion, carefully extending an eyeball to peek outside.

Soon, it seemed to discover something, scurried back onto Zhou Mo’s shoulder, and used an eyeball to pry open his skull, pulling Liao Feng’s brain out.

*Kid, time to get to work!*

Zhou Mo looked frustrated. "Can’t you be a little gentler? You’re about to pry my seam open. If you keep hammering away like this, I really won’t know how to explain it to that female forensic doctor!"

The brain ignored him entirely. It grabbed Liao Feng’s brain and actually plucked one of its eyeballs right out!

Zhou Mo: "!!!"

Just as Zhou Mo thought the brain was about to commit murder, he saw it pluck out one of its own eyeballs and install it onto the optic nerve of Liao Feng’s brain.

The two brains waved their eyeballs at each other, engaging in an incredibly complex exchange that left Zhou Mo stunned.

Afterward, Liao Feng’s brain gave a military salute to the man and the brain, then scurried toward the kitchen and slipped out through a small window.

"What are you two..."

Zhou Mo looked at the brain, bewildered, but it couldn't be bothered to explain. It climbed back into Zhou Mo’s head, sat down, and covered the skull.

The moment the nerves connected, Zhou Mo was shocked to find that he could see exactly what Liao Feng’s brain was seeing!

"What the..."

"You guys can actually do this?"

Too shocked to dwell on it, Zhou Mo closed his eyes and watched as Liao Feng’s brain crossed the flowerbed of the old residential complex and vaulted over the wall. The feeling was like wearing VR goggles, but far more immersive than any VR device!

Soon, Zhou Mo saw Liao Feng’s brain react as if it had sensed something, identifying the location where the pursuer was hiding—a van parked at the only entrance and exit of the old complex.

Liao Feng’s brain nimbly climbed onto the van, carefully pressing its eyeball against the window, giving Zhou Mo a clear view of the interior.

The pursuer was pressing a pair of binoculars against the glass, staring directly at the windows of Zhou Mo’s apartment. Beside him were crates of mineral water and energy drinks, along with several bags of bread and three or four cold hamburgers.

It was clearly a setup for a long stakeout.

More importantly, on the back seat lay a bundle of hemp rope and a crowbar.

After adjusting to the perspective, Zhou Mo couldn't help but click his tongue.

"Trouble is knocking..."

At that moment, the watcher’s phone lit up, and he quickly answered it.

Zhou Mo grew anxious. He could see the images but couldn't hear the audio, so he tapped his forehead with his finger. "Can you pipe the sound over, too?"

The brain lost its cool, poked an eyeball out of Zhou Mo’s eye socket, and slammed it against his nose before angrily pointing at his ears.

*I’m just a brain! I need an eyeball just to see things. I don’t have ears, what do you expect me to hear with?*

Zhou Mo’s nose took a heavy hit, almost bringing tears to his eyes. He rubbed his nose and muttered, "You want to be scientific now? How come you weren't so reasonable when you were swapping eyeballs..."

The brain waved its eyeball as if it wanted to give Zhou Mo another hammer, but just then, both Zhou Mo and the brain managed to read the man’s lips.

"Boss, I’m watching him... nothing unusual..."

"Just a normal person... Yes, I understand..."

"I need him alive... I’ll make my move in two hours..."

Zhou Mo, who had been engrossed in the thrill of reading lips, felt a shiver run down his spine as he processed those words.

The guy was planning to take him out!

The watcher hung up the phone and went back to sipping his energy drink, eyes glued to Zhou Mo’s window.

There was no point in watching any longer. Liao Feng’s brain scurried back.

Zhou Mo stroked his chin, contemplating the information.

Two hours meant midnight. This old complex was mostly inhabited by the elderly, and by ten o'clock, there was almost no activity. It was the most convenient time to strike.

Liao Feng’s brain returned on its own. The entity inside Zhou Mo’s head pried open the skull as usual, swapped its eye back, and then pulled a new pot and some glucose out of a plastic bag to take a bath.

It had no intention of sharing the burden with Zhou Mo, and Liao Feng’s brain was dragged over to help scrub its back.

Zhou Mo didn't want to watch the absurd spectacle of two brains scrubbing each other, so he sat at the table and began to seriously consider how to deal with the incoming trouble.

Zhou Mo figured that with the brain’s power, he should be able to easily subdue the pursuer. If he thought in terms of pure strength, waiting for the guy to come to him might be the best option; he might even be able to squeeze some information out of him and uncover that "Boss."

However, after a brief thought, Zhou Mo shook his head.

*No, that’s treating the opponent like a fool.*

*Xia An isn't stupid. My few encounters with her proved how difficult she is to handle. Yet, after so long, she hasn't caught the Brain-Eater, while I, the victim, managed to take one out first...*

*This means the Brain-Eater isn't easy to deal with. They must be extremely cautious and wouldn't leave vulnerabilities or clues behind in a matter like this.*

*I’m afraid this watcher is just cannon fodder.*

*If I act recklessly, the worst outcome is that I’ll gain nothing and instead end up being suspected by Xia An of colluding with the enemy.*

*I cannot pin my hopes on the idea that my opponent will make a mistake...*

*Besides, Xia An is watching me right now.*

With that in mind, Zhou Mo decisively picked up his phone and dialed Xia An’s number.

Xia An, who was wearing a face mask in her office, saw Zhou Mo’s name and made a face of disgust, but maintained her professional demeanor and answered. "Xiao Zhou, what is it?"

"Captain Xia, I wanted to ask, has the person you sent to tail me arrived yet?"

Xia An chuckled, looking into a mirror as she used her pinky finger to smooth out a bubble in her mask. "Not yet. The news needs a few days to ferment; there’s no need to send anyone to watch you this early."

In her heart, however, Xia An was thinking that Zhang Huaian had already rented a room next door and was practically ready to shove a camera into his home.

Yet, Zhou Mo’s calm voice came through the phone: "Then there’s a problem, Captain Xia. I noticed someone following me when I went out to buy things earlier."

Xia An paused, then said dismissively, "The news hasn't even hit the papers yet, how could it happen so fast? You must have seen wrong."

Internally, she thought: *Is Zhang Huaian really that incompetent at tailing someone?*

"Oh, but he’s parked his van right at the entrance of the complex."

Xia An’s heart skipped a beat. She asked uncertainly, "That shouldn't be... could it be a paparazzi who caught wind of a rumor?"

While she spoke, she had already switched to speakerphone and was firing off a message to Zhang Huaian.

[Speedy: Are you tailing Zhou Mo?]

[An'an: No, I’m monitoring him via the surveillance feeds along the route. No need to tail him. He hasn't had contact with anyone. Why, Captain?]

Just then, Zhou Mo’s voice came through the receiver: "But when I came home, I saw hemp rope and a crowbar in his car."

Xia An jumped out of her chair with a thud. "Stay in your room! I’m bringing people over right now!"