Chapter 39: Oh, You Foolish Little Brother!

The sunset today was exceptionally beautiful, casting a bloody hue over the scenic coastal road. In this villa district filled with luxury cars, the pink electric scooter Zhou Mo was riding stood out conspicuously.

It had to be said that the certificate Xia An had provided for Zhou Mo was incredibly effective; at the very least, the security guard at the gate didn't utter a word of nonsense after seeing it. Villa 137 was easy to find, and Zhou Mo encountered no obstacles along the way. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he didn't need to look to know it was a call from Xia An. He casually hung up and powered it off.

After parking the scooter, taking off his helmet, and taking a few deep breaths at the entrance, he rang the doorbell.

*Ding-dong!*

No one knew how excited Zhou Mo felt as he pressed that button. The door opened to reveal a plump middle-aged woman in an apron, who frowned and asked, "Who might you be?"

Zhou Mo offered a polite smile. "Hello, I am a detective. I’d like to speak with Mr. Sun Zhongwen regarding some matters at the television station."

The woman was startled for a moment before dawning realization set in. "Is this about what happened at the station this afternoon?"

Zhou Mo was curious. "Has it spread that quickly?"

The woman laughed. "Of course! They’ve already replaced the noon news broadcast with commercials." She added, "Oh! Come in, come in. Mr. Sun had to step out for something, but he should be back in a little while."

Hearing how she referred to him, Zhou Mo asked curiously, "So he'll be back soon? And what is your relationship with Mr. Sun?"

The woman waved a hand, stepping aside to let him in. "I’m just the housekeeper, responsible for Mr. Sun’s meals and the house cleaning."

Zhou Mo nodded apologetically. "Sorry to bother you."

The woman smiled brightly. "It’s no trouble at all. Mr. Sun often has students visiting him; otherwise, living alone in such a large house would be quite lonely for him."

As soon as he entered, Zhou Mo noticed that everything in the house was in perfect order. However, the decor and layout exuded a sense of rigor. Despite being a voice actor, the house was filled with items related to scientific research. Seeming to notice the surprise in Zhou Mo's eyes, the housekeeper said enthusiastically, "Don't let his job as a voice actor fool you—Mr. Sun used to be a scientist!"

"A scientist?"

Zhou Mo looked bewildered. He simply couldn't associate a voice actor with a scientist.

At this, the housekeeper sighed slightly. "Voice acting was just a hobby for Mr. Sun. Over five years ago, he was a scientist specializing in the field of the soul. But then, a Dr. Yan Zixiao proved the existence of the soul, and ever since then, Mr. Sun has been disillusioned and stopped his research."

Yan Zixiao—a name Zhou Mo remembered hearing when Li Ya was having his mental breakdown.

Another scientist...

Zhou Mo frowned slightly, feeling an ominous premonition he couldn't quite place. Since this was someone else's home, he didn't feel it was right to wander around. He sat on the sofa, watching the housekeeper pour him a cup of hot tea. It was then that he noticed a photo hanging on the wall containing two very familiar faces: Li Ya and Liao Feng!

Although the people in the photo were much younger, their features were quite easy to recognize. A smile tugged at the corner of Zhou Mo’s mouth; all signs indicated he hadn't come to the wrong place.

He reached out to take the tea and pointed curiously at the photo on the wall. "Thank you. This photo looks quite old. About when was it taken?"

The housekeeper frowned. "Why do you ask? You aren't suspecting Mr. Sun, are you? Mr. Sun hasn't been to the television station for a long time, and hasn't the matter at the station already ended?"

Zhou Mo waved his hands with a chuckle. "Not at all. Mr. Sun has nothing to do with those cases; I just have some other matters I'd like to consult him about."

The housekeeper let out a long sigh of relief. "I thought so. Such a good man as Mr. Sun, how could he ever commit a crime?" She continued, "This was from a scientific seminar Mr. Sun attended in his youth. Don't let his age fool you now; he was quite remarkable back then. Everyone in this photo was a young talent in the scientific field at the time. You have to understand, these were events that only geniuses on the level of Dr. Liu Tianyou could attend."

"Even though Mr. Sun doesn't do research anymore, he still misses those glorious days."

Liu Tianyou, Li Ya, Liao Feng, and now this Sun Zhongwen—they were all researchers...

Previously, Zhou Mo had found it strange that Li Ya, a doctor at a private clinic, would inexplicably want to conduct experiments on brains. How could a doctor be so obsessed with the human brain? At first, Zhou Mo just assumed the "Brain-Eaters" were a group of lunatics. But after encountering Liao Feng and hearing that giant bat shout, "All traitors must die," Zhou Mo gradually realized that the Brain-Eaters were not so simple.

Now, the appearance of this photograph seemed to make the whole affair even more complex.

*But it doesn't matter; I will see the killer soon.*
*I hope he doesn't run away because of this.*

Zhou Mo knew that his sudden arrival might alert the enemy, but he truly wanted to have a proper conversation with this killer. He wanted to understand what on earth was going on.

Zhou Mo didn't have to wait long before the front door opened. A middle-aged man in a suit walked in. The housekeeper hurried forward to take his briefcase and said, "Mr. Sun, a detective is here; he says he wants to have a word with you."

Sun Zhongwen frowned. "A detective?"

But when Sun Zhongwen looked up, he caught sight of Zhou Mo’s smiling face. He nodded politely.

"Mr. Sun, hello. I'm here to retrieve my brain."

The housekeeper looked at Zhou Mo with a strange expression.

Sun Zhongwen, however, merely shuddered. He let out a long sigh and said to the housekeeper, "Sister Wang, go back and rest. I have something to discuss with him in private."

The housekeeper, confused, nodded. "Then... what about dinner?"

Sun Zhongwen smiled faintly, his magnetic voice calm. "No need. I don't think I can eat today."

Once the housekeeper had left, Sun Zhongwen took off his suit jacket, changed into slippers, and sat down in front of Zhou Mo.

Zhou Mo looked at him intently. "You are even calmer than I imagined."

Sun Zhongwen shook his head, looking weary. "If I'm not calm, should I run? I'm not Li Ya or Liao Feng; my heart isn't as fragile as theirs."

"Besides, ever since we prepared to kill and harvest brains, I was ready to die at any moment."

"But before I die, there is one question I want to ask you."

Zhou Mo raised an eyebrow. "What question?"

Sun Zhongwen chuckled. "Can you tell me..."

"What exactly is your brother, Liu Tianyou, planning?"

Zhou Mo: !!!!!!