Chapter 44: WTF

"Liu Tianyou is one of 'them'?"

Xia An exclaimed.

Zhou Mo thought to himself: As expected.

Sun Zhongwen had seemed about to reveal this exact information before he was attacked, only to be silenced before he could speak out.

Of course, Zhou Mo had actually suspected this possibility for a long time.

During his earlier conversation with Sun Zhongwen, although the man had not explicitly brought it up, he had vaguely given Zhou Mo that impression.

Chen Xiu nodded. "That's right. Rather than saying Liu Tianyou's brain was targeted by someone, it's more accurate to say that 'they' were eliminating a traitor."

"The headquarters actually received an anonymous tip quite early on, stating that someone was secretly controlling the scientific community and asking the City Guard to investigate."

"Unfortunately, because it was an anonymous tip and due to some inexplicable reasons, that report was shelved, and the matter was dropped."

"It wasn't until the headquarters took over the brain-eater case that it was finally confirmed the person who sent that anonymous letter was Dr. Liu Tianyou."

Xia An wore a look of disbelief. "Someone controlling the scientific community? How is that even possible!"

Chen Xiu took a cigarette from Xia An's drawer and lit it. "Just listen to this as if it's a story, don't worry about whether it's reasonable or possible."

"Zhou Mo, you must have heard what Sun Zhongwen said right before he died, right?"

"He mentioned humanity's blank history."

Zhou Mo was stunned, not expecting Chen Xiu's ears to be so sharp. "I did hear it."

Chen Xiu nodded. "He wasn't talking about a blank history; the complete version of that phrase is 'the historical processes that humanity has skipped since its birth.' Of course, he phrased it that way just to make it easier for you to understand."

"Three years ago, a biologist named Du Ling died in Heyuan City. Before her death, she used every ounce of her strength to leave behind those words. She didn't write down the killer's name or any clues, leaving only that thought-provoking sentence."

"And later, her brain went missing as well. The City Guard spent a tremendous amount of effort to suppress that news."

Chen Xiu's tone carried a hint of helplessness, while Xia An beside her had trembling eyes.

So the assassination of scientists had started that long ago!

"Doesn't this mean that what Sun Zhongwen said might actually be true..."

Chen Xiu shook her head. "Unknown, but the City Guard has been investigating in secret all these years, though unfortunately with little progress."

Saying this, Chen Xiu looked at Zhou Mo again. "I think you might be able to uncover some clues. In the process of investigating, it might even awaken your lost memories. Do you still remember what your brother told you?"

Zhou Mo awkwardly twitched the corner of his mouth. "You probably have no idea how shocked I was when I heard this news. I don't have a single memory of it..."

Chen Xiu nodded.

Indeed.

If Zhou Mo had those memories, it wouldn't have caused Xia An to make such a huge misunderstanding.

In truth, Chen Xiu was under immense pressure herself, because the higher-ups had completely dumped this messy situation into her lap.

The brain-eater case had to be closed; after all, several prominent figures had died in succession, and the City Guard was facing considerable pressure.

Yet the problem was that anyone could see a much larger conspiracy hidden behind this case.

The brain-eater wasn't just one or two individuals, but an entire organization.

To speak somewhat irreverently, in the eyes of the higher-ups, whether the culprit was caught was a minor matter—the face and reputation of the department were what truly mattered.

Even though the City Guard could now pretend the brain-eater case was concluded to appease the victims' families, what about the future?

Who could guarantee that after closing the case now, the brain-eater wouldn't kill again to harvest brains?

The City Guard's competence in solving cases had long been criticized. If the City Guard were actually useful, things like detective licenses wouldn't have come into existence.

Now, Zhou Mo's appearance solved this problem perfectly.

Zhou Mo belonged to the external personnel, and he was sufficiently obsessed with the brain-eater case.

Sending him to investigate wouldn't attract attention, and since he possessed somewhat bizarre abilities and had already become a Deep Diver early on, having Xia An cooperate with his work would preserve both the dignity and reputation of the City Guard.

Even if they couldn't find the brain-eater, at the very least, Zhou Mo's freakish luck could make the City Guard's performance record look a bit better, couldn't it?

Heh.

The City Guard was born for order, never for justice.

Shaking her head to cast aside these chaotic thoughts, Chen Xiu glanced at her watch. "Time's almost up, I still need to report the situation to the superiors. Xia An, show Zhou Mo that video and see if it jogs any of his memories."

"There's no rush with the brain-eater case. Zhou Mo, you can try helping Xia An investigate the data case; you might achieve a breakthrough from another angle."

With that, Chen Xiu left the City Guard, making Xia An finally heave a sigh of relief.

She looked at Zhou Mo with a complex gaze. "I'm really sorry about earlier."

Only now did Xia An offer a truly heartfelt apology to Zhou Mo.

Since Zhou Mo was Liu Tianyou's younger brother, all the mysteries surrounding him suddenly had answers.

Whether it was his obsession with the lost items or his extraordinary first deep dive, everything could be explained through Liu Tianyou.

Zhou Mo waved his hand indifferently. "It's fine, just pay attention next time."

Xia An twitched the corner of her mouth. "There's a lot happening today. Once everything here is settled, I'll apply for a bonus and authorship credit for you. Would you like to watch the video first?"

Zhou Mo nodded with a serious expression. "Please do."

To be honest, Zhou Mo himself found it hard to believe that he could be Liu Tianyou's younger brother; the gap between the two of them was simply too vast.

Xia An took a hard drive from her drawer, plugged it into the computer, and said very solemnly to Zhou Mo, "There are quite a few questionable points in the video. Unfortunately, you have amnesia right now; see if you can remember anything at all."

Xia An grabbed a cigarette and walked over to sit at a distance, leaving Zhou Mo with enough personal space.

Zhou Mo clicked on the video, skipping the blank content at the beginning to jump straight to the scene where he appeared. The two of them had just entered the laboratory when an argument broke out.

Liu Tianyou and Zhou Mo had just stepped into the laboratory when Zhou Mo asked impatiently, "Why did you call me here?"

Liu Tianyou sighed. "I know you're dissatisfied with me right now, but you should understand that Father didn't mean to leave you behind. It took me years to finally find you..."

Zhou Mo gave a cold chuckle. "Is that so? But do you think I needed you to find me? What I pursue in this life is the truth, not some ridiculous family and relatives!"

Liu Tianyou's expression was pained. "The truth you're pursuing is all false. I can give you everything you want, you don't have to..."

Zhou Mo slammed his hand furiously on the table. "Shut up! That is everything I strive for! What I want, I can get with my own hands, not through your pitiful charity!"

"Everything you possess right now... does it truly belong to you?"

Liu Tianyou's body trembled. "I... I, you have to believe me..."

Zhou Mo sneered, shoved his hands into his pockets, and walked out of the laboratory, leaving Liu Tianyou leaning weakly against the table with his head lowered.

The footage ended abruptly right there.

At that exact moment, the entity residing within Zhou Mo's mind trembled gently.

Boom!

Memories began flooding into his brain...

"Xiao Mo, stop this."

"You can no longer be a lapdog for those people. The Primordial Truth's demand for brains is endless..."