Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Eight

To lift Jingyi's dampened spirits, Baisha decided to treat her friends to a nice meal over the weekend.

She chose hot pot.

Hot pot, a cooking method where fresh ingredients are boiled in a soup pot, is rare on Lanslo Star. Most fresh ingredients, unless treated to remove radiation, are not absorbable by the human body, and only a few can be consumed directly. Synthetic meats are manageable, but vegetables are exorbitantly priced. Baisha and Yaning preferred meat, so it didn't matter much to them, but Jingyi, a vegetarian, had to deal with Zhou Xie, who was particular about nutritional balance—

Zhou Xie's requirements for food were ingrained. It wasn’t about being finicky over quality or class, but about calculating nutrition. He was like a robot in this regard, calculating his daily need for proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and even trace elements. Remarkably, he had a food composition analyzer on his light-brain, which could scan and list all ingredients in a food item, aiding him in his precise dietary planning.

"Don't you find such a lifestyle bothersome?" Baisha would ask him whenever she saw him scrutinizing food for its nutritional content.

"I'm used to it," Zhou Xie explained, "Due to 'Hyper-Sensitivity,' my psychic powers are more susceptible to my physical state. Plus, as a soldier, controlling nutritional intake is an important part of daily training."

Baisha: "Were you this meticulous even in the military?"

Zhou Xie calmly replied: "The military customizes meals for officers with ranks. Even when deployed, the rations are more nutritionally balanced than regular food."

Baisha probed further: "What if there's an emergency, or you're in a special combat zone needing specific nutritional supplements?"

Baisha: "..." She had forgotten this young master was wealthy and influential.

"Just kidding," Zhou Xie suddenly smiled faintly, "I’ve only been to the harsh frontlines of war once. It was then that I earned the rank of captain. When the situation is truly dire, no one remembers what they ate that day."

As Baisha chatted and shopped with him, passing the beverage section, she reached for the liquor cabinet.

"You’re not yet fourteen years old," Zhou Xie said quietly, "You can't buy alcoholic beverages."

"But you definitely are," Baisha said, stuffing two small bottles of fruit wine into his arms, "See, I picked flavors like perfume lemon and lily apple. They're practically kids' drinks."

Zhou Xie disapprovingly returned the fruit wines to the shelf.

Baisha sighed softly, "One day, eventually..."

"There won't be such a day," Zhou Xie said, his eyes gleaming like obsidian. "I'll make sure to keep an eye on you."

"But we'll be going to military school next year," Baisha said, waving her hand dismissively as she continued to push the shopping cart, "The Central Military Academy is on the Imperial Capital Star, far from here."

The delicate-faced young man behind her remained silent for a moment, then picked out a few bottles of juice from the freezer and followed her.

That evening, the four friends gathered in Zhou Xie's attic for a lively hot pot dinner.

Even across the stars, hot pot remained a delightful way to dine.

Naturally, their conversation at dinner turned to Parfen's incident.

"Since that day, Parfen Luqi hasn't shown up at school. I heard she's been confined to her house by her father," Yaning said while cooking meat, "The school wanted to mediate, but the Luqi family didn't pursue the matter at all. Do you think Parfen's father is really that magnanimous?"

They all doubted the Luqi family's reputation for reasonableness and elegance. Otherwise, Parfen wouldn’t have developed such a temperament.

Baisha and Jingyi exchanged glances, then tentatively asked Zhou Xie if he knew anything about Kangheng Life Sciences and their drugs.

"Kangheng Tech is somewhat well-known in the Federation," Zhou Xie said after a few seconds of silence.

"I meant, do you know any inside information about Kangheng Tech?" Baisha inquired, "Like, whether they secretly produce drugs that enhance psychic levels."

"There are such drugs," Zhou Xie frowned, "Kangheng Tech developed a drug that temporarily boosts psychic levels. However, its effects are superficial, offering little real enhancement and diminishing over one or two years. Continuous use burdens the body and erodes the natural psychic powers."

"Is there anything else? Something more advanced," Baisha asked, "A drug that genuinely enhances psychic power and provides a significant boost."

Zhou Xie's gaze dropped, his expression becoming indistinct amidst the steam of the hot pot, conveying a different kind of depth, "Technologies to stimulate psychic power do exist but require prolonged experimentation for success. So far, I haven't heard of anything that can directly boost psychic powers in the short term."

Baisha paused with her juice, thoughtful, and the conversation on the topic ceased.

A week later, Parfen Luqi still had not returned to school.

The elusive Teacher Holman, with dark circles under his eyes, approached Baisha, "It's been uneasy outside these past few days. Stay in the orphanage and don't go out."

Baisha, studying a mecha parts atlas, looked up in surprise, "What happened?"

"There's been a circulation of mysterious drugs in the black market recently," Homan sighed, his presence enveloped in the scents of tobacco, alcohol, and engine oil, "At first, everyone thought they were just ordinary stimulants—like those that activate cell vitality or anesthetize brain nerves. Some gang members used them and saw a significant increase in strength, fighting wildly and recklessly, considering it a good thing. But in the past two days, several of them suddenly went mad, causing multiple attacks... They were taken away by the security officers and then mysteriously disappeared. Anyway, the security officers have urgently banned the drugs, and everyone involved has vanished without a trace."

Homan concluded, "Jingyi and Yanning are still hanging out in the underground boxing rings? Tell them to come back."

"It's too late, they left two hours ago. Freeman gave them some tickets to the G1 arena, and they went to watch the excitement." Freeman—the boxer who had previously asked Baisha to design equipment and had since become a regular customer of her business, had advanced to a G1-level star boxer a year ago, "I'll send them a message right now."

But whether it was text messages or cyber-brain communication requests, all went unanswered.

Jingyi and Yanning didn't return until late at night.

In the meantime, Baisha tried to track Jingyi and Yanning’s cyber-brain locations, but to no avail. Either their cyber-brains were destroyed, or they were in an area where signals were deliberately blocked.

"Like the underground prison at the Security Office."

After inquiring around the backstreets all night, Homan concluded that an accident had occurred at the central venue of the underground boxing ring the day before, resulting in many casualties. Numerous witnesses were taken away by the security officers for investigation and imprisonment.

Although Yaning and Jingyi were merely passersby last night, they often frequented the underground boxing ring and were well-known there.

"I heard a boxer secretly used... that thing. You know what I mean," an informant lurking in the backstreet corners mentioned, "The Chief Security Officer of Lanslo Star was furious. Not only backstreet folks were present at the match but also many dignitaries. They were all taken away, no discussions. They'll probably be released in a few days. But the boxers, agents, bookmakers, and bouncers associated with the underground ring are in deep trouble. The Security Officer intends to 'rectify backstreet discipline and eradicate the poison of the underground ring,' likely holding them accountable."

Homan paid the informant to forget their conversation that night, then stood silently for a while before returning to the orphanage.

"What should we do now?" Baisha asked in surprise after hearing the whole story, "Should we prepare a ransom or...?"

Jingyi and Yaning were both under fourteen, typically treated with an educational approach. Usually, a security deposit was enough to bail someone out.

The underground ring, reportedly having good relations with the Security Officer, operated smoothly until now, even forming a complete underground industrial chain with tendencies to spread to other planets. Its abrupt closure was shocking.

"The boss of the underground ring has fallen," Homan inhaled deeply, speaking with a not-so-optimistic tone, "Now, those completely unrelated to the incident have been released in batches. I tried to redeem them at the Security Office, but was refused. It seems not because they were involved in the incident, but because—"

Homan pointed to his eyes: "Because they 'saw it'."

Baisha froze for a second, then was startled.

"Were those drugs from Kangheng Pharmaceuticals?" she asked instinctively.

Homan looked up at her: "How did you know?"

The Chief Security Officer traced the source and found that the mutant-causing drugs indeed originated from Kangheng Tech. They were mixed in various batches and types of contraband, circulating silently in the backstreets. Occasionally, when discovered by certain individuals, these drugs were regarded as a godsend treasure.

Baisha took a deep breath and recounted her observations at school and the conversation between the Luqi family father and daughter.

"Here's a thought, Teacher Holman. Try and find another way. Maybe ask Teacher Liao; he has many connections and might know how to handle this situation," Baisha hesitated before adding, "Zhou Xie and I will visit the Luqi family and talk to Parfen."

If the drugs causing mutations came from the Luqi family, then they were undoubtedly at the root of the entire issue.

Parfen had been their schoolmate after all, and Baisha hoped she wouldn't just stand by and watch Yaning and Jingyi remain incarcerated.

At worst, Baisha held the Luqi family's 'secret,' which she could use as leverage to exert some pressure on them.

Holman and Baisha split up to pursue different leads. After messaging Zhou Xie, he soon arrived at the orphanage in a hovercar.

The vehicle was a streamlined hovercar, painted in black and gold, accommodating about eight people. The interior was equipped with entertainment and relaxation facilities, complete with an ice bucket and red wine on the table, clearly a car owned by the wealthy.

The hovercar featured an autopilot function, allowing Zhou Xie and Baisha to converse without worrying about driving, sitting upfront.

"The Luqi family is in the First District," Zhou Xie said, pointing at the map, "Without driving a hovercar like this, the guards won't let us enter. I've arranged an identity that can get you in."

Zhou Xie handed Baisha a small, ear-clip-like device. She was already familiar with it, clipped it to her earlobe, and her face soon shimmered, changing to a different appearance.

"If things get out of hand and unsolvable, I'll protect you as a Federal Captain — as long as they haven't revoked my military status," Zhou Xie said calmly, "If absolutely necessary, I'll seek help from my uncle."

— There it was, the "My Military General Uncle" card.

Normally, Baisha didn't feel much about the descendants of influential families, but at this critical moment, she couldn't help but feel a faint sense of jealousy.

That feeling of always having someone to back you up must be really nice.

The hovercar passed through the security checkpoint smoothly and entered the First District.

The architecture here was grand and exquisite, dominated by white and transparent colors. Each house was spaced just right, ensuring personal space while facilitating the patrolling guards.

It took them five minutes to reach the Luqi family's mansion.

The layout of the Luqi's estate was similar to that of other wealthy families, consisting of a main building and two adjacent smaller buildings. However, the vast estate was eerily dark, with no lights on in any of the rooms, only the dim glow from the sensor lights at the entrance.

It was too quiet.

Zhou Wei and Baisha exchanged glances; Baisha stepped forward and pressed the doorbell.

There was no response, and the normally operational security system seemed to be powered down.

Zhou Wei fiddled with his wristband, releasing two mosquito-sized micro-drones. The drones flew effortlessly over the wall and into the mansion to scout ahead.

Zhou Wei controlled the drones' cameras, rapidly exploring the grounds.

The estate's garden appeared normal, with precious plants and bushes lining the second-floor balcony of the mansion. However, amid the neatly trimmed vegetation, they discovered a disheveled bush with broken branches. The red berries it bore were scattered on the ground, along with several disordered footprints.

Peering deeper into the bush, the micro-drone revealed the body of a middle-aged man dressed like a butler, with a slashed abdomen, blood oozing from his seven orifices, a tragic death.

Baisha: "......"

Through another micro-drone's camera, a faint sound of flowing water could be heard.

Baisha took a closer look and saw that the swimming pool was stained an ominous deep red. A woman in a silk gown floated face up in the water, her neck adorned with a lustrous pearl necklace, contrasting starkly with her bloated, pale throat.

A murder had occurred at the Luqi residence, and not just one.

The priority now was to find any survivors in the mansion.

The micro-drones quietly approached the main building, but with doors and windows tightly shut, they struggled to find an entrance. They could only observe the dim interior through the transparent windows—

A faint, strange noise came from one of the rooms.

The micro-drone moved closer to the window, focusing on a shadow moving in the darkness. Its thermal imaging and light-sensitive processors worked rapidly, transforming into the clearest image before Baisha and Zhou Wei:

It was a man in a white shirt, disheveled, with specks of blood on his chest. He wandered aimlessly in a confined room like a lost soul, his pure black eyes, devoid of pupils, wide open. His skin and muscles on his face had shriveled, leaving a pale layer stretched over his bones. His jaw hung open unnaturally, as he continuously chewed the air, his stark white teeth clicking lightly.

Baisha: "......" This thing looks somewhat like a zombie?

On closer inspection, the lustrous blond hair and facial features seemed somewhat similar to Palfen's.

Just then, another micro-drone finally entered the mansion through a ventilation gap, detecting signs of life and heading straight to a location. In a cluttered space resembling a study, it found a living Palfen Luqi.

She was in a white nightgown, her forehead soaked with sweat, cowering and sobbing under a desk.

Outside the study, there seemed to be another wandering black shadow.

"There are two mutated creatures here," Zhou Wei said, his voice laced with a chilling severity, "They must be eliminated immediately."

"First, we rescue," Baisha said.

Zhou Wei activated the kinetic gun and aimed at the lock of the Luqi residence's door. The door, once adorned with classic ornate metalwork, lost all its protective measures. With a gentle push, Baisha opened the grand entrance.

The pair entered the courtyard, one after the other. They needed to first rescue Palfen from the second-floor study, as one "mutant" was locked in another small building.

Without its intelligent security system, the house resembled an empty, ornate tomb. Baisha and Zhou Wei moved freely inside, meeting no resistance. The only functioning security was the password lock on a ground floor door. Zhou Wei prepared to forcibly break the lock with his gun, but Baisha stopped him. She took a small metal rod from her pocket, chose a window, and pressed the rod against it. A flash of white light later, the window was covered in web-like cracks.

Baisha kicked the window, easily breaking an opening large enough for one person.

They climbed through the window, landing amidst scattered objects on the floor.

Just as they steadied themselves, a figure in a white lab coat slowly descended the spiral staircase from the second floor.

Click, click.

It looked up, catching sight of Baisha and Zhou Wei. Its mouth twisted into a terrifying smile. The pure black eyes suddenly narrowed, and it opened its mouth wide, unleashing a silent wave of energy from its center, sending scattered debris flying.

Zhou Wei fired a kinetic bullet, but it deviated in the invisible blast, sparking as it embedded into the white wall.

It was using psychic power.

Their only option was to use the method reserved for killing star beasts.

As Zhou Wei readied his dagger, Baisha said, "Wait, he looks like… Palfen's father?"

Palfen's father, the chief pharmacist at Kangheng Technology, wouldn't likely transform himself into such a ghastly figure, especially being an expert in pharmaceuticals. If this chaos, like the underground boxing ring incident, was caused by some "drug," how could he end up like this?

"You said it's a mutant. Is there a way to restore a mutant's sanity?" Baisha asked, frowning.

"No. The Federation's policy for dealing with mutants is immediate termination upon discovery," Zhou Wei softly explained, without taking further action. He briefly clarified for Baisha, "Mutants possess psychic abilities, but these are different from humans. They have become no different from wild beasts, driven solely by the desire to destroy and kill humans to seize more psychic power."

At that moment, the elegance and dignity once present on Palfen's father's face were completely gone. He stared intently at Baisha and Zhou Wei, like a dog eyeing two bones.

Baisha paused momentarily, then suggested, "How about we tie him up first?"

Zhou Wei, after a brief consideration, nodded. He dashed forward, effortlessly breaking the psychic barrier and slashed twice at the man's throat, damaging his vocal cords. The psychic barrier shattered, and Baisha quickly bound him with an electrical cable she found behind some furniture.

"This won't hold him for long," Baisha remarked. "You stay here and watch him. I'll go get Palfen down from upstairs."

She climbed the spiral staircase to the second floor and made her way to the study, finding the door tightly locked.

Not wanting to expend energy on breaking the door, Baisha knocked and called out, "Palfen Luqi, are you there? Come out quickly!"

After a moment of silence from inside the study, a clear sob followed by hurried footsteps approached the door. Palfen, with disheveled hair and red eyes, opened the door, staring blankly at Baisha in a brief shock.

"Why is it you?" she asked.

"Who else should it be?" Baisha frowned. "What on earth happened to your family?"

Palfen's expression changed. She grabbed Baisha's hand, pulling her into the study hastily.

"My father's experiment went wrong—he and my brother, they've both turned into..." Palfen couldn't continue, bowing her head and sobbing. "I didn't dare to call the patrol officers; they'd be useless. But if security officers came, they'd surely kill my father on sight—"

"Get to the point. Are the drugs causing chaos in the black market developed by your father?" Baisha demanded coldly.

"No, no!" Palfen screamed. "Why would my father do that? He was developing a drug to enhance psychic levels and was almost successful. Why would he release it now?"

"You said 'almost'," Baisha seized on her words. "So, the drug wasn't completely successful and had flaws? Did your father turn into a mutant because of these fatal flaws?"

"Don't use that word!" Palfen retorted fiercely. "My father can be saved, as long as he's injected with the antidote in time—"

Baisha interjected, "So there's an antidote."

"Yes, Kangheng Technology headquarters has plenty of antidotes. As long as my father gets it in time, he'll recover. Did you run into him when you came in?" Palfen suddenly became alert.

"Your father's downstairs, alright but mute," Baisha replied. "Listen, Luqi, I need your help with something. My friends are caught up in the security department because of your family's damn drug. The security officers are losing it with all these incidents. If Kangheng has the antidote, why not just distribute it to calm things down instead of detaining so many witnesses?"

"…I've been trapped here for so long, I don't know what changes have occurred outside," Parfen's face was pale, her voice weak and timid, "They can't directly distribute the antidote. Because the antidote is an anti-radiation drug that hasn't been made public yet!"

Baisha was startled, but then saw Parfen raise her head, grabbing Baisha's hand like a drowning person clutching a lifeline, pleading continuously, "Please take me to Kangheng Life Sciences Company! I have my father's ID card, I can get the antidote. I promise you, once my father regains consciousness, I'll definitely have him go to the security bureau and release your friends!"

Baisha pondered for a moment and then helped the weakened Parfen downstairs. As soon as Parfen saw Zhou Xie pointing a gun at an alien species, she lost her voice in shock: "What are you doing?"

Zhou Xie looked up at him, his elegant, moonlike features emotionless as he replied, "According to military regulations, eliminate alien species."

Baisha waved at Zhou Xie, "Wait a minute, they've become like this due to human intervention, and there's a glimmer of hope—the antidote. We need to go to Kangheng Technology first, and I might need you to wait here for a while."

Zhou Xie's combat abilities were more than sufficient to deal with the monsters here, and even if security officers came knocking, his background ensured he could walk away unscathed, making him the best candidate to stay behind.

Zhou Xie expressed disapproval of Baisha's decision: "Go to Kangheng Technology? That place is dangerous."

Kangheng Technology was undoubtedly the epicenter of all the chaos.

"Let me go," Baisha said, massaging her forehead, giving Zhou Xie a convincing reason, "I don’t want to bother my uncle unless absolutely necessary."