《Brain Control》


 Chapter 1: Xia Nans Disappearance

    "Only music never deceives!"


    The man thought to himself.


    He lowered his eyes, sitting in front of a white lacquered piano, playing emotionally. A trace of melancholy appeared on his thin face, and his dressed-up appearance couldn''t hide the small stubble carelessly left around his lips.


    From the piano keys flowed a hazy world. Moonlight penetrated through a layer of gray mist, pouring down like water, filling the blue hall of the 99th floor of the Nofi Building. The man''s rendition of Debussy''s "Clair de Lune" was exquisite.


    His unparalleled piano skills emitted a captivating charm.


    A warm yellow spotlight shone in the center of the 5000-square-meter hall, enveloping this man dressed in a purple-red velvet suit.


    The pianist is Chen Chen, a neuroscientist from China and the winner of this year''s Nofi Neuroscience Award, only 35 years old.


    The Nofi Neuroscience Award is recognized as the highest honor in the international neuroscience community. Chen Chen, with his groundbreaking research in neuronal communication and control, managed to secure the award over Will Goss, who was highly anticipated by Western media.


    Following the Nofi Award tradition, every winning scientist must perform a talent. Chen Chen chose to play the piano.


    With a barely noticeable movement, the man slightly raised his eyes, glancing at the audience below, and his gaze finally settled on an empty seat. She has been missing for 24 hours since yesterday afternoon.


    -------


    One day earlier, Central Park Hotel, San Francisco, Room 1927.


    "I need to buy a formal dress; this skirt looks too casual." Xia Nan stood in front of the hotel room mirror, adjusting a lake-blue wavy knee-length dress, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. The reflection showed a somewhat weary version of her, with the shadows under her almond-shaped eyes.


    Chen Chen sat at the desk, finally shifting his attention from his laptop screen to Xia Nan. He had been engrossed in handling various emails, undisturbed by Xia Nan''s movements and speech in the room, until she mentioned going out.


    "It''s just an award ceremony, something simple will do," he remarked, his gaze lingering on her, sensing her anxiety, and after a moment''s thought, tried to offer some reassurance.


    "If you say so, don''t wear that ''complicated'' velvet suit tomorrow," Xia Nan said with emphasis on "complicated," a hint of displeasure in her voice.


    That purple-red velvet suit was neatly hung by Xia Nan in the doorway, covered with a dust cover. Chen Chen couldn''t help but smile. The suit was prepared by his assistant, Angela, who said the purple-red was his lucky color. But Chen Chen knew that Xia Nan wouldn''t care about such things. Jealousy had never been an issue between them.


    "It''s too risky outside, San Francisco is currently a hotspot for the Super Brainwave outbreak. Stay in; your outfit looks great!" Chen Chen tried to dissuade her, but he knew Xia Nan''s decisions were firm.


    "Professor Chen, not everyone shares your aesthetic. Have you ever seen someone wear jeans to an award ceremony?" Xia Nan retorted. "Emily can take me to her custom shop to pick out a dress; we''ve scheduled afternoon tea."


    " You sure move fast! Haven''t you two not seen each other for years? In college, you two were inseparable," said Chen Chen, teasingly, "Did you come with me just to see Emily?"


    Just half an hour earlier, they had checked into the hotel. Unexpectedly, Xia Nan had already arranged her afternoon. Originally, Angela was supposed to accompany Chen Chen to the award ceremony. But two nights ago, Xia Nan suddenly told Chen Chen that she had canceled her academic conference and wanted to come with him.


    "I won''t keep chatting with you; I need to go now." Xia Nan quickly touched up her makeup and hurriedly left.


    Watching her leave, Chen Chen shook his head. He found her behavior unusual. The last time she attended the Annual Organic Chemistry banquet with him, he remembered she wore the same jeans. Perhaps the significance of tomorrow''s ceremony made her nervous?


    It''s possible. The Nofi Neuroscience Award is internationally recognized as the pinnacle award in the field. Especially, the American scientist Will Goss, who was highly touted in the media.


    At an international award orchestrated by an American company, having an American identity surely has advantages over a Chinese one. Furthermore, Will Goss is the Chief Scientist for the Nofi Pharmaceuticals, the award''s sponsor. Chen Chen guessed Xia Nan''s primary concern wasn''t about him losing the award but about him and Will encountering each other at the ceremony. The once-close friends from Stanford had now turned foes.


    -------


    When Chen Chen looked up from his laptop again, it was already 6 p.m. The afterglow of the setting sun streamed through the glass window and scattered across the floor. Rubbing his temples, he felt somewhat exhausted after a 13-hour flight and incessantly addressing work emails from the domestic expert group on the Super Brainwave epidemic.


    Chen Chen stood and walked to the window. He looked out onto Third Avenue. Almost no pedestrians were in sight, and even cars were scarce. The Super Brainwave had sapped the vitality from this vital financial hub on the American West Coast. Recent data from home showed that the global epidemic of Super Brainwave was still intensifying.


    "Knock, knock, knock!" came a sound from the door. His assistant, Angela, came to invite him to the buffet dinner arranged by Nofi in the hotel restaurant.


    "Can I skip it?" Chen Chen stood at the door, pointing with his right hand at the computer on his desk. Compared to those formal dinners full of pleasantries, he found work much more interesting.


    "Professor Chen, you are the hot favorite for tomorrow''s award," Angela said, eyeing him up and down without acknowledging his hint about unfinished work. "Now, you have five minutes to clean up that stubble on your face."


    Facial hair seemed to be the most lively part of Chen Chen. Sometimes just the duration of a meeting would be enough for his stubble to fill his jawline. Angela always reminded him to be mindful of his appearance, but Xia Nan thought he looked better with a bit of stubble.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    For some reason, Angela''s words always had a magical effect on Chen Chen. He obediently went to shave his beard, then followed Angela out the door.


    "Hey, where''s Sister Xia Nan?" Walking down the hotel corridor, Angela suddenly realized that someone was missing from their small team.


    "She met up with a friend. I apologize, her last-minute decision means you''ll have to arrange your own schedule for tomorrow," Chen Chen explained. The award ceremony tickets were limited, and Xia Nan''s sudden change of plans had disrupted the original arrangements.


    "Professor Chen, I should thank Sister Xia Nan for giving me a day off!" Angela said.


    Recalling that Xia Nan had been out for 5 hours, Chen Chen tried to call her to ask if she''d be back for dinner, but no one answered. A sense of unease began to gnaw at him. He remembered that Xia Nan hadn''t worn a mask when she left. In these risky times, every extra minute exposed outdoors added to the risk of infection.


    "Don''t worry, Professor Chen. Sister Xia Nan is probably too engrossed in chatting with her friend to answer your call," Angela reassured him, noting his furrowed brows.


    -------


    Nobody expected Angela to become the focus of the buffet dinner attended by top neuroscientists from around the world, surprising even Chen Chen. This attention was due to her foster father, Professor Albert.


    Albert was a leading neuroscientist at Stanford University''s Medical School, and one of the top memory researchers worldwide. When people talked about Professor Albert, their faces automatically expressed admiration. A fifth of active scientists in the field had trained under him, including Chen Chen.


    Albert had started developing a memory extractor to treat Alzheimer''s disease five years ago, causing a sensation in the neuroscience community. Since then, he had secluded himself from the public eye, even rejecting visits from friends and students. The only person who could contact him was his foster daughter, Angela.


    Professor Albert treated this adopted daughter as his own. Since the time Angela started to toddle, Professor Albert took her to every event he attended. The experts in the fields had practically watched Angela grow up, and knew her far better than they did Chen Chen.


    "Angela, please give my regards to your father," said Dr. Egman from Oxford University, who specializes in brain-computer interface research.


    "Angela, I''m so happy for your father. He announced a press conference for next month on his social media to introduce the memory extractor entering clinical trials," said Professor Raymond from the University of London, clinking his champagne glass with hers.


    "Angela, long time no see. How have you been?" Andrea, a professor from Caltech''s Neuroscience Research Institute, gave Angela a warm hug. She was one of Albert''s students and had been studying the reconstruction of human memory.


    "Angela, will Professor Albert be attending the award ceremony tomorrow? We miss him so much!" said Professor Jason, who was approaching from Cambridge University''s Center for Cognitive and Brain Sciences.


    This question immediately piqued the interest of everyone present. Rumors had been circulating that Professor Albert would attend the Nofi Prize award ceremony the next day, given that the memory extractor had been successfully developed and was now in clinical trials. Professor Albert, the honorary chairman of the Nofi Neuroscience Prize jury, used to personally present the award to the winners every year. But five years ago, after announcing his retreat, he missed this event.


    "Maybe, we''ll find out tomorrow," replied Angela ambiguously. She didn''t know if her father would attend the award ceremony in the afternoon, but he had told her he would have dinner with her in the evening.


    Chen Chen watched from a distance as Angela was swarmed by people, finishing the last bite on his plate. He felt a little relieved; he had been concerned about the formalities and niceties, but Angela''s appearance allowed him to finish his dinner in peace.


    He glanced at his watch; it was already 8 pm. Two hours had passed, and Xia Nan hadn''t returned his call. Even if she was meeting a long-lost friend, she shouldn''t neglect her phone. He dialed Xia Nan''s number again, but this time, he received a "the number you dialed is turned off" message.


    Out of battery? Malfunction? Stolen? Or... something worse? A troubling thought flashed in Chen Chen''s mind. He quickly sent Angela a message on WeChat, "I have to go," and hastily left the restaurant.


    -------


    Where did Xia Nan go? Chen Chen paced around the room. She had mentioned meeting Emily for afternoon tea and then shopping for a gown, possibly followed by dinner. That''s all he knew. He didn''t know where they were meeting for tea or where Emily''s boutique was located.


    Suddenly he began to resent smartphones. In this age of information, human relationships relied heavily on these tiny devices. They quickly and conveniently connected people, but once turned off, even close relationships like boyfriends and girlfriends felt lost.


    Chen Chen dialed Xia Nan''s number again: still turned off. It was 9 pm. Normally, he wouldn''t worry. They often gave each other ample personal space, sometimes going days without contact. But now was different.


    Super Brainwave was threatening every individual. Five days ago, Xu Zhe, their mutual friend, collapsed after buying wine from the supermarket and is now in ICU. Three days ago, the cleaning lady from the lab, Aunt Wang, didn''t show up for work. According to her son, she was buying some food but collapsed on her way home from the market.


    How could Chen Chen not worry? Moreover, due to the Super Brainwave outbreak, San Francisco''s public safety was deteriorating. Local police were stationed at hospitals, and vagrants and drug addicts roamed the streets freely. He recalled last week''s shocking news about an elderly Chinese woman assaulted by a homeless man in Los Angeles.


    He had to contact Xia Nan immediately, right away! He couldn''t bear a single moment of this agonizing excessive worry. Emily! Yes, contact Emily! She was the only useful clue Xia Nan left him. But he didn''t have Emily''s contact information.


    Chen Chen remembered that Emily is now one of the Chief Scientists at Nofi Pharmaceuticals. Through his old classmate White, who also works at Nofi, he got Emily''s phone number.


    On the other end of the phone, Emily seemed to have been rudely awakened from her sleep. She had no idea that Xia Nan was in San Francisco and had not received any invitation for afternoon tea. Could Xia Nan have arranged to meet another Emily? The name was just too common; there were three girls named Emily in their class back in college.


    The call, which lasted less than 2 minutes, made Chen Chen feel as if he was being slowly pushed towards the edge of a cliff, plummeting into a bottomless abyss. He knew there couldn''t be another Emily on Xia Nan''s list of close friends. It was this Emily! The moment he hung up the phone, disappointment, sorrow, anger... a series of overwhelming emotions surged towards Chen Chen''s forehead.


    Was Xia Nan deceiving him? Why? Where did she go? Who was she with?


    Once a lie is exposed, its repercussions are exponential. Doubts grew geometrically, leading Chen Chen to question Xia Nan''s true intentions for visiting San Francisco.


    Everything was so abnormal! He had invited Xia Nan to come along before, but she declined, citing an organic chemistry seminar she had to attend. Then, two days ago, she suddenly decided to come along. Considering Xia Nan had many evening dresses, why did she only bring a less formal skirt? Was it just an excuse to go out?


    What was Xia Nan trying to hide? What couldn''t she tell him? Chen Chen racked his brain but couldn''t figure it out. His concern for Xia Nan''s safety slowly subsided, replaced by a burning anger in his chest ignited by her perceived deceit.


    He glanced at Xia Nan''s suitcase, thinking there might be some clues inside. But when he tried to open it, he realized it was securely locked with a combination lock, and he didn''t know the code. How ridiculous! They had been in love for ten years, yet they were still separated by a simple lock!


    Disregarding his dignity as an intellectual, Chen Chen angrily lifted a pair of scissors and attacked the combination lock. Once, twice, thrice... After a brutal assault, the lock finally gave in.


    Inside the suitcase, neatly folded clothes and a toiletry bag were all that met his eyes. In a side pocket, Chen Chen found the engagement ring he had given to Xia Nan. She had said she would wear it on their wedding day.


    Why did she bring the ring to the US? To meet her lover in San Francisco and then return the ring to him? A horrifying thought leapt to the forefront of Chen Chen''s mind.


    -------


    At a globally televised award ceremony, Chen Chen''s thoughts raced like wild horses. There was a roaring voice inside him. His piano-playing hands were sweaty, and he feared that all his suspicions might be true.


    As more time passed since Xia Nan''s disappearance, this terrifying notion grew uncontrollably in his mind.

 Chapter 2: An Unexpected Turn at the Awards Ceremony

    "What a genius pianist, wasted by a career in scientific research!" In the audience, the world''s top neuroscientists were immersed in this tranquil and harmonious music.


    However, there were some murmurs about Chen Chen''s award. A total of 8 scientists, including Chen Chen, were nominated for the Nofi Prize in Neuroscience. Each one had outstanding research achievements, especially Will Goss''s neuronal regeneration gene therapy, which was considered a breakthrough treatment for depression.


    "Why didn''t Will come?" Whispers began to circulate among the audience. The strong favorite to win the award was surprisingly absent. Did he anticipate not winning?


    "Did Will purposely stay away because he heard Professor Albert was attending?"


    Some speculated that Will''s omission might be related to the judging panel. Professor Albert was the honorary chairman of the Nofi Prize in Neuroscience committee. He had once personally expelled Will from his guidance, while Chen Chen was his proud prot¨¦g¨¦, even allowing his daughter, Angela, to study under Chen in China.


    "But Professor Albert also didn''t attend! He hasn''t been involved in the selection process for five years."


    The whispers among the audience gradually subsided as the music reached its climax. Chen Chen closed his eyes, the rhythm of the piano temporarily soothing his emotions. The notes flowing from his agile fingers bloomed like flowers in parched soil, bringing hope to a bleak horizon.


    Had it not been for his father, Chen Chen''s dream was to be a concert pianist. He loved the purity of notes and was enchanted by the wonders of the musical world. After countless tedious scientific experiments, he used music to soothe his brain. In his not-so-spacious office, he even managed to fit a piano. This piece by Debussy, "Clair de Lune", was his favorite.


    Influenced by the narrative poem "The Moonlight of Biero" by the poet Jiro, "Clair de Lune" tells the story of a young man named Biero in Bergamo, Italy, who, intoxicated by the moonlight symbolizing idealism, is killed by it due to his indulgence in material life. In the end, having recognized his mistakes, he is forgiven by the moonlight and returns to the world.


    For three months, with no leads, a pandemic has left scientists worldwide feeling helpless. Society is spiraling out of control. Just like Biero, humanity is suffering severe punishment.


    A deadly disease, called Super Brainwave, has swept through Europe, America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. Almost everywhere humans reside is being ravaged by this ruthless epidemic. Cities like Washington, Paris, and Tokyo have declared emergencies. The WHO''s office in the Americas announced alarming results - the incidence rate in the American continent reached the highest in a century. In the Middle East, the healthcare system has collapsed, and the death rate from Super Brainwave is at an all-time high.


    However, scientists have yet to identify the bacteria or virus causing Super Brainwave .


    If this was the moonlight''s punishment for humanity, he hoped for forgiveness.


    Chen Chen found it absurd that he would entertain such thoughts. As a top international neuroscientist, he was pinning hopes on something as elusive as moonlight.


    Yet, in times of desperation, it''s these intangible beliefs that bring solace and hope to one''s heart.


    Chen Chen glanced down. That seat was still empty. Xia Nan had not appeared. The seat next to his was also vacant - Will''s spot. Will''s absence was a relief to Chen Chen. Ever since that incident, Will had seen him as the leak, turning from friends to foes, often publicly challenging and attacking Chen.


    That incident still baffled Chen. Only he and Will were present that day; how could a third party have known? Wait, Xia Nan visited him that day. In his excitement, he might have mentioned a few things to her. He never suspected her. But her disappearance, her deceit, and the ring in her suitcase made Xia Nan feel like a stranger to him.


    In a sudden fit of rage, Chen Chen''s hands violently slammed down on the piano keys, creating a jarring echo throughout the hall.


    Realizing his outburst, Chen quickly stood and bowed to the audience.


    ------


    "If humanity loses hope, there is still science and music." As the last note fell, Ulysses, the founder of the Nofi Award, stood up from the VIP seats in the front row, swiftly walked onto the stage, and livened up the atmosphere with his English spoken in an Ohio accent.


    Wrapped in a dark gray plaid vest over a white flannel shirt, his slightly plump figure was evident. Underneath his shiny bald head, a pair of eyes sparkled like emeralds, exuding wisdom and shrewdness. He walked over to Chen Chen, who stood at the center of the stage, warmly embraced him and whispered into his ear, "Your father would be proud of you."Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Ulysses clearly remembered the first time he met Chen Chen. It was on a stiflingly hot and humid afternoon. He was in his office with two other students, Albert and Chen Tianbai, analyzing experimental data from a mouse water maze, when a burst of piano music from outside interrupted them. An Asian boy of about seven or eight sat on the lawn, playing an electronic keyboard. The piece he was playing was "Moonlight".


    The boy poured his heart and soul into the keys, every note full of emotion. Just as Ulysses was marveling at the boy''s musical talent, he saw Chen Tianbai walk out angrily and snatch away the electronic keyboard. A woman in a white dress sitting next to the boy argued with Chen Tianbai. Ulysses guessed she must be Chen Tianbai''s wife, and the boy was Chen Chen, Chen Tianbai''s son.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, the most exciting moment is upon us! We are about to witness the youngest neuroscientist in history receive the Nofi Stellar Award!"


    The hall''s lights dimmed. Everyone held their breath, looking up at the 10-meter-high semi-spherical crystal dome. In the darkness, blue lights illuminated a complex matrix on the dome ¡ª a 3D model of brain neuron connections. This is what the scientists present have been exploring their whole lives. Yet, what''s on display is just the tip of the iceberg of the brain.


    If life is a miracle in the universe, then the brain is the miracle within the miracle. This squishy organ weighing about 1.4 kg contains 100 billion neurons and over a quadrillion neuron connections. It bestows magical abilities upon humans. Every human action is processed and controlled by the brain. It is the source of cognition, thought, feeling, emotion, and planning. Yet, our understanding of the brain is still more limited than our understanding of the vast universe.


    Chen Chen stared at the neural network. This most complex object in the universe remains the greatest mystery in life sciences. What a puzzle! What was she thinking? He couldn''t help but think of Xia Nan. The challenge of neuroscience is that behind every simple action lies infinite combinations. Even a simple finger snap involves 300 neurons. Yet, these 300 neurons have 20,000 possible combinations when performing this action, let alone human thoughts, which are even more elusive.


    A star-shaped trophy began to descend, the most ceremonial moment of the Nofi Award ceremony and the shot every media outlet hoped to capture. This trophy was designed by Ulysses himself, inspired by the structure of neurons. The top is star-shaped, connected to the base by a slender rod resembling a dendrite. But that''s not the only genius behind its design.


    As the trophy hung in mid-air, the dome opened with a swish, revealing the brain models of all past Nofi Neuroscience Award winners. Chen Chen immediately recognized a familiar name ¡ª Chen Tianbai, his father, a legendary Chinese scientist known as the "Einstein" of the neuroscience field and the first recipient of the Nofi Neuroscience Award. But 20 years ago, his father''s mental health deteriorated, transforming from a legendary scientist to a mental patient, residing in a sanitarium for years.


    Ulysses patted Chen Chen''s shoulder, guiding him to a transparent glass room on the left side of the stage. Every Nofi Neuroscience Award recipient must leave a model of their brain there. Sitting in a customized chair, a helmet-like device enclosed Chen Chen''s head, making him somewhat breathless.


    Chen Chen''s brain data started to flicker on the hall''s circular LED screen. On the twenty-second pedestal, a brain model began to form. Brainstem, cerebellum, cerebrum, occipital lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, frontal lobe, prefrontal cortex... a complete brain model was produced in just two minutes.


    The hovering trophy began to emit a soft green glow, with its star-shaped top becoming clearer. Every Nofi Neuroscience Award trophy is unique, shaped after the recipient''s own neuron structure. It''s chosen by big data analytics, which determines the most aesthetically pleasing neuron shape.


    The audience watched in silence, anticipating the unforgettable moment. Ulysses stepped forward, reaching for the slowly descending star-shaped trophy. At this point, Chen Chen had returned to the center of the stage. Reporters eagerly raised their cameras, ready to capture this historical moment that would soon be breaking news.


    "Professor Raymond?" A piercing female voice broke the still and tense atmosphere of the conference room, diverting everyone''s attention from the center stage.


    "It''s¡ªSuper Brainwave ! Professor Raymond is infected with Super Brainwave !" Another somber and anxious male voice added, heating up the entire room as if it were engulfed in flames. Just for a moment, the phrase "Super Brainwave " made the seated scientists become extremely restless, with feelings of terror and anxiety swirling in the room.


    Chen Chen followed the commotion to see, in the third row of the audience seats, Professor Raymond, a neuroscientist from the University of London, crumpling to the floor like a boiled shrimp, foaming at the mouth and convulsing.


    Serious cases of Super Brainwave manifested these symptoms! The scientists seated around Professor Raymond nearly leapt from their chairs, scattering in all directions. It was unfortunate for Professor Raymond; before the award ceremony began, many people eagerly conversed with him, but at this moment, no one offered a helping hand.


    "Please return to your seats, medical staff will be here shortly!" Ulysses tried to calm everyone with his Ohio accent, but it was ineffective. He frowned, giving a signal to his assistant Walker, who was on the right side of the stage.


    Fully equipped medical personnel rushed into the hall, efficiently strapping Professor Raymond onto a stretcher and quickly departing. From the moment Professor Raymond was found to be ill until he was carried out, it took less than five minutes.


    With Professor Raymond''s departure, many scientists also left. These mere five minutes felt like a century to them. Every breath made them feel as if their lungs were filled with the ÎÖ¿Ëvirus. Perhaps they could be the next to fall! Even now, there was no evidence to suggest that ÎÖ¿Ëspread through the air.


    The award ceremony was set to continue, but no one was in the mood to watch. Already, some had hurriedly left when Professor Raymond fell. Those who remained did so out of respect for Ulysses, as most of them had collaborations with Nofi. At the moment, they felt on edge, hoping the event would end quickly.


    "Mr. Ulysses, in the face of such a catastrophe, do you think it''s inappropriate for Nofi to host such an event? Nofi claimed to ensure the safety of every expert attending. This clearly seems to have been a hollow promise," a journalist from the Washington Post, losing patience with the award presentation, stepped out of the media zone and yelled his question.


    Before the Nofi Award ceremony, there was strong media skepticism. All gatherings were banned by the government. However, Nofi Pharmaceuticals, using connections, secured special permission to summon neuroscientists globally to San Francisco, a Super Brainwave hotspot, clearly prioritizing their reputation over the safety of the scientists.


    Facing media condemnation, Nofi Pharmaceuticals claimed it could ensure the safety of all attending scientists. Ulysses had full confidence in this. However, the sudden onset of Super Brainwave in Professor Raymond put both Nofi and Ulysses in a very passive position.


    Two burly security personnel moved to restrain the journalist, but Ulysses stopped them.


    "This is not just an award ceremony. Nofi''s main purpose is to provide a platform for neuroscientists around the world to communicate and control the Super Brainwave outbreak as quickly as possible," Ulysses calmly responded to the media. "I am deeply sorry for Professor Raymond''s sudden illness, but there''s no definitive conclusion that it''s Super Brainwave. Nofi will do its utmost to treat Professor Raymond and will promptly inform the media about his condition. I also have good news to share with the media. Nofi has found a drug that can treat Super Brainwave, and we are actively applying to the World Health Organization for a special route, hoping that the drug can be used for clinical treatment as soon as possible."


    "Nofi will not let everyone down! Today''s event ends here. Thank you to the scientists who work hard for our brain endeavors, and thank you to the media present today! Lastly, congratulations to the young and talented scientist Chen Chen from China for winning this year''s Nofi Award!"


    Ulysses quickly left the venue with Chen Chen, avoiding the eager journalists. He noticed Chen Chen''s unusual state upon entering the hall - a pale face filled with gloom and resentment. But he had more pressing matters to attend to.

 Chapter 3: Chen Chens Illusion

    San Francisco in May, under the influence of the Pacific California cold current, carried a thick chill in the moist air. The usually bustling streets were now almost devoid of pedestrians. Occasionally, one or two people, wrapped up so tightly that no wind could penetrate, would dart across the road. They would walk briskly, not daring to linger for even a moment. They even hesitated to take deep breaths, as the pervasive scent of disinfectant in the air induced feelings of nausea, fear, and despair. No one knew if they might be the next to inexplicably fall in the streets.


    Shops lining the streets remained shut. This pivotal financial center of the American West was barely showing signs of life, kept alive by a few convenience stores and pharmacies with half-open doors. San Francisco was a hotspot for the "Super Brainwave ", and many of its residents had fled. But truly, there was nowhere to run; Super Brainwave had spread to every corner of the globe where humans resided.


    After exiting the Nofi building, Chen Chen followed Ulysses into his Maybach. Ulysses invited Chen Chen to visit the Nofi Medical Center to see their latest research results.


    "Has Nofi identified the pathogen of Super Brainwave ?" Chen Chen asked anxiously as soon as he got in the car. What Ulysses had said at the award ceremony momentarily distracted Chen from the anxiety over Xia Nan''s disappearance. The previously despondent look on Chen''s face had been replaced by a glimmer of hope.


    "Unfortunately, the scientific team at Nofi has not detected it yet," Ulysses replied, spreading his hands and shrugging helplessly.


    "Then the drug you mentioned that treats Super Brainwave is ¡ª" Chen Chen asked, genuinely surprised.


    "It was an accidental discovery!" Ulysses said with a slight smirk.


    "You accidentally found a drug that can treat Super Brainwave ?" Chen Chen turned to look at him with a puzzled expression.


    "Exactly. Accidents in research aren''t always a bad thing," Ulysses said as he took a cigar from a delicate case, smelled it, and continued, "Chen Chen, you should know this well."


    Ulysses was right. Chen Chen nodded thoughtfully, recalling that scientific research is indeed full of surprises. For instance, Viagra was originally a drug meant for heart diseases. However, clinical trials revealed it had little effect on the heart but could rapidly dilate blood vessels. This accidental discovery resulted in a globally popular erectile dysfunction drug. Another thrilling discovery for Chen Chen ¡ª a substance temporarily named MTX ¡ª also came about by accident.


    During his PhD, he was studying communication between neural cells in a petri dish using fluorescent dyes. One day, he observed that the communication among the neural cells was much stronger than usual, emitting an intense glow. After repeated analysis, he realized he had made a mistake in the experiment by adding an excess amount of magnesium ions. This accidental discovery led to significant findings, showing that magnesium ions greatly enhance communication between neural networks, leading to the development of MTX.


    "How was it discovered? Which drug is it?" Unsatisfied with the given answer, Chen Chen probed further.


    Ulysses took his time, expertly cutting the cap off his cigar. The commotion at the award ceremony didn''t seem to have affected his mood. Holding the cigar over the flame of a lighter, he began, "About half a month ago, a patient undergoing clinical trials for Antamin was found to be infected with the Super Brainwave. His symptoms were effectively controlled. After a small-scale trial, we believe Antamin is very effective for Super Brainwave patients."


    "Antamin? The drug Nofi developed to treat Alzheimer''s disease? The one that was approved by the FDA for clinical trials just last month?" Chen Chen emphasized the word "Antamin" as if to ensure he''d heard correctly.


    "Yes," Ulysses confirmed, focusing on lighting his cigar.


    "But you won''t disclose the chemical formula of Antamin," Chen Chen blurted out, immediately regretting the unprofessional remark.


    "Nofi spent 6 years and 2 billion dollars developing Antamin," Ulysses said solemnly, pausing for a moment before continuing, "But Nofi might consider offering it for free. This is a disaster for all of humanity."


    Chen Chen looked at Ulysses in amazement. He hadn''t expected Nofi to contemplate giving up such a lucrative opportunity. What Chen Chen admired most about Ulysses was his dedication to Alzheimer''s drug research. This showed Chen that Ulysses was not just a businessman. His background in neuroscience made him stand out from other pharmaceutical manufacturers, giving him a deeper passion for exploring the brain.


    The rate of failure in Alzheimer''s drug development is alarmingly high, earning it the moniker "the graveyard of developers." Many of the world''s largest pharmaceutical companies have met with defeat in this field. Over the past 20 years, 146 Alzheimer''s drug development attempts have failed, with only four making it to the market. These marketed drugs have not been very effective. Alzheimer''s drug development had seen no significant advancements in 17 years.


    Many pharmaceutical giants have lost faith in this domain, stopping their exploration. Some even began doubting if the amyloid-beta plaques, which are hypothesized to cause Alzheimer''s, were leading them in the wrong direction. This could be why there hasn''t been a breakthrough in Alzheimer''s drug research for decades.


    Nofi had faced two failures in the past six years, and Antamin was their third attempt. It was just entering phase one of clinical trials, and its efficacy against Alzheimer''s remained uncertain. If the trials failed, the six years and 2 billion dollars would go down the drain. But now, if they can prove that Antamin effectively treats the Super Brainwave, Nofi can recoup their investment early, perhaps even making a significant profit.


    "History will remember this noble act of yours," Chen Chen said, looking at Ulysses with admiration.


    Ulysses laughed heartily and patted Chen Chen on the shoulder, saying, "History will remember you too."


    ------


    The car raced down the empty road. Not far away, an ambulance was parked, and two medical personnel dressed in thick protective suits were lifting a patient who was barely alive into the vehicle.


    "Another case of Super Brainwave, and he looks quite young," Ulysses glanced out of the window.


    The ambulance parked by the side of the road close to Ulysses went unnoticed by Chen Chen at first. But when he saw the scene, he felt chills running down his spine, as if his heart was about to jump out of his throat!


    "Stop the car, stop the car!" Chen Chen, gripping the back of the co-driver''s seat, shouted in English at the driver.


    The driver, seemingly startled, stomped on the brakes before even processing the situation. "Sssshh¡ª" An emergency brake.


    Before the car even came to a complete stop, Chen Chen hastily opened the door and dashed towards the ambulance. He distinctly felt his legs shaking, his body unstable. When he reached the middle of the road and saw the patient''s anguished and twisted facial expression, he suddenly stopped. It wasn''t Xia Nan! Bending over with his hands on his knees, he took a long breath, realizing that besides a similar white top, this patient looked nothing like Xia Nan.


    "Sorry, I mistook the person!" Back in the car, Chen Chen apologized to Ulysses and the driver for his behavior.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Having not slept all night, his eyes were bloodshot. Perhaps due to stress and lack of oxygen, he was hallucinating. These days, he had seen too many victims of the Super Brainwave and witnessed terrifying deaths, leaving him somewhat numb. Chen Chen gazed out of the window, lost in thought.


    One, two, three... he imagined himself in a morgue, slowly cutting open the skin of a Super Brainwave victim with a scalpel. Blood slowly seeped out, then gushed from the arteries, splashing all over the morgue. He smelled the strong scent of blood, and felt as if he was being choked and dragged into a bloody abyss. It''s an illusion! Dead people don''t bleed like that!


    Chen Chen pinched his thigh to break the terrifying train of thought, finding it strange that he had such hallucinations.


    "Is something bothering you? Just let me know if you need help." Ulysses had noticed Chen Chen''s distraction from the moment he first saw him at the award ceremony. He had always been concerned about this young scientist, not only because Chen Chen''s father had been his friend, but also due to Chen Chen''s ongoing research¡ªMTX.


    "I''m just tired," Chen Chen brushed it off. He couldn''t tell Ulysses about Xia Nan''s deception and sudden disappearance. In front of others, he needed to maintain his dignity, a demand his father had made since he was a child.


    Chen Chen glanced at his phone; it was already 5 pm. The messages he sent to Xia Nan had gone unanswered. He felt fear, growing more and more afraid, angry at Xia Nan''s deceit but even more terrified of losing her. His emotions were in turmoil.


    He suddenly realized that over the past three years, he and Xia Nan had grown apart. Despite the harmonious relationship they seemed to have, they lacked the intimacy typical of couples. Intimacy was a sensitive area in their lives. Even when they shared the same bed, Xia Nan would always have her own blanket.


    "How''s the progress on MTX?" Ulysses tactfully changed the subject, being more interested in MTX than any of Chen Chen''s award-winning research.


    MTX was essential for China''s leading position in the global brain engineering competition, but for Ulysses, MTX had another significant use. Chen Chen had mentioned MTX in a previous academic discussion. Ulysses had heard about MTX''s wonders from Professor Albert, who had casually mentioned it while discussing a memory extractor.


    "It''s still ongoing, and there are some problems," Chen Chen replied seriously.


    "Interested in collaborating with Nofi? No matter how much funding you need, Nofi can provide," Ulysses offered, taking a deep drag from his cigar.


    "It''s not about the money; MTX has encountered some obstacles when crossing the blood-brain barrier."


    "Can you tell me more about it? Maybe I can help," Ulysses suggested, rotating the cigar in his fingers, enjoying the sensation more than the taste.


    "When diluted 10,000 times, MTX loses its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. But if the concentration is increased, its potency becomes too strong."


    "10,000 times?" Ulysses pressed.


    "Yes, it has to be diluted at least 10,000 times to be used in humans."


    "What''s the main ingredient?"


    "Magnesium¡ª" Chen Chen stopped abruptly, realizing he almost revealed too much.


    Ulysses smirked, "Not ready to share?"


    "It would be better to speak of it after it''s successful," Chen Chen tried hard to restrain himself. For some reason, he felt an urge to spill the secret, but his rationale told him he mustn''t. He raised his right hand to his lips, rubbing them back and forth, reminding himself through this gesture to keep the secret.


    The two fell silent, only to be interrupted by an excited voice from the car radio broadcasting the news rapidly.


    "Dr. Edith, Director-General of the World Health Organization, stated on the 25th while summarizing the global battle against the ''Super Brainwave '' over the past three months that it''s the most serious infectious disease of this century. However, it''s just one of over 50 serious cross-border infectious diseases faced by the WHO and various countries. Super Brainwave has caught the attention of the global medical, scientific, political, and public communities, helping the world understand the severity of this infectious disease and the importance of international cooperation in facing this threat.


    Edith pointed out that to effectively deal with the outbreak of Super Brainwave, individual countries'' efforts alone are not enough; cooperation between countries, regions, and institutions needs to be strengthened.


    At the WHO Global Super Brainwave Conference held in London, Edith stated that openly sharing information and resources can save more lives; the world''s best scientists and clinicians should abandon competition and selflessly cooperate to overcome potential common threats."


    Is that really the case? Chen Chen wondered. Glancing at Ulysses, he saw the man engrossed in his cigar, a hint of disdain on his lips.


    "The WHO named this deadly disease ''Super Brainwave '' based merely on its high fever, nausea, skin bruises, signs of meningeal irritation, increased intracranial pressure, and acute adrenal insufficiency," Chen Chen remarked.


    "It''s a desperate measure. The cerebrospinal fluid test for antigens is negative, and no pathogens can be found. The disease is categorized based on its symptoms," Ulysses responded.


    "I feel like we''re in 15th-century Europe, trying to find a cure for the Black Death without knowing about the existence of microbes. It seems impossible," Ulysses continued, finishing his cigar. In his half-closed eyes, a mist seemed to linger, obscuring his gaze.


    ------


    Half an hour later, the iconic sky-blue buildings of the Nofi Medical Center were clearly visible. Located about 35 miles south of San Francisco in Palo Alto and adjacent to Stanford University, it''s one of the largest medical research centers in the US. It''s the main teaching hospital for Stanford University School of Medicine, globally leading in areas like cancer treatment and neurosurgery. In the latest "World''s Best Hospitals" ranking, Nofi Medical Center ranked in the top ten. Notably, it''s the youngest hospital on the list, having been established just 20 years ago.


    The outpatient center''s entrance was filled with police cars, much to Ulysses'' displeasure. Such disturbances were not uncommon since the outbreak of Super Brainwave . Restive relatives of patients often created chaos in the hospital, further pressuring the already overloaded medical staff. The medical center had previously requested support from the local police, but they were declined due to a lack of available forces.


    "These foolish citizens always think that if a patient can''t be saved, it''s the doctor''s or the hospital''s fault!" Ulysses said, a hint of anger in his tone. He gestured for the driver to head to the main hospital building.


    The car stopped in front of the Nofi Medical Center''s main building. After the outbreak in San Francisco, there was a shortage of 30,000 hospital beds. Many diagnosed Super Brainwave patients had to stay in outpatient rooms. Nofi Medical Center had allocated Ward 2 specifically for critically ill Super Brainwave patients to prevent hospital-acquired infections.


    Ulysses headed straight to Ward 2, with Chen Chen following closely. After passing through the protective area of Ward 2, the staff helped them into full protective gear. The Director of Clinical Epidemiology, Nathan, had been waiting there. The efficacy of Antamin in treating Super Brainwave was his discovery.


    "Currently, the first batch of 8 Super Brainwave patients treated with Antamin have been discharged after recovery! The condition of another 20 has been effectively controlled!" Nathan reported to Ulysses as they stepped into the elevator.


    The elevator stopped at the 15th floor. This floor was dedicated to clinical trials of antamin for Super Brainwave, and only Nofi''s staff were allowed in. Chen Chen was the first non-Nofi employee to enter, and Ulysses'' exceptional trust in him was surprising.


    In the bright and spacious ward, Chen Chen witnessed a scene completely different from other hospitals treating Super Brainwave. The patients looked spirited, with hardly any signs of distress on their faces.


    These were critically ill Super Brainwave patients. Based on previous treatment experiences, they seemed to be on a one-way path to death. As Chen Chen reviewed the treatment records hanging beside the patients'' beds, the words seemed like the most heartening thing he''d seen in three months. His eyes darted over the English characters on the case paper, occasionally taking deep breaths, finding the information astonishing.


    "Chen Chen, the reason I invited you here today is to hear your thoughts. We''ve just submitted an application to the WHO to initiate compassionate drug use worldwide. The WHO is reviewing it and planning to hold a special research meeting on Antamin," Ulysses said with fervor, "You are the head of the Super Brainwave Expert Group in China."


    "We believe it''s already extremely urgent." Nathan, standing on Ulysses'' right side, added with a grave expression.


    "Yes, every second counts." Chen Chen heaved a sigh. Just as he was about to continue, he paused, realizing his identity as the head of China''s Super Brainwave expert group. "Apart from Antamins, no other drugs have been used?"


    With a puzzled look, Chen Chen glanced at Nathan. In the treatment record, he found no mention of the use of any other medication, not even anti-inflammatory drugs or antibiotics.


    "No, after using Antamins, these patients stopped all other medications," Nathan raised his eyebrows, "This is the best proof. It''s the Antamin that cured them."


    "What about side effects? Were there any adverse reactions in the patients?" Chen Chen inquired further. Clinical trials not only test the efficacy but also the toxicity of a drug.


    "There were no adverse reactions whatsoever!" Nathan handed over a stack of patient reports. "Whether it''s the early Alzheimer''s clinical trial participants or the Super Brainwave patients, all test results are within normal range."


    "The earliest group of Alzheimer''s testers took the drug for a month, all tests were normal; Super Brainwave patients took it for half a month, tests were also normal. But looking at the timeline, the safety of the drug is far from being confirmed. Based on the therapeutic effects..." Chen Chen quickly scanned the reports, murmuring rapidly to himself. This was a habit of his, which he used to accelerate his thinking process.


    It''s plausible that an Antamin, which affects the nervous system, could be effective against Super Brainwave. The current evidence was compelling. Nofi, the drug company, has always been at the forefront of international new drug research and is known for its rigor...


    Chen Chen''s mind was racing. In the situation he was in, he didn''t have much time to think thoroughly. He felt he was missing something. What was it? Right, the dosage!


    "Just one Antamin pill¡ª" Chen Chen was interrupted mid-sentence by an urgent female voice.


    "Dr. Nathan, a Super Brainwave patient on the 28th floor is critically ill. The family agrees to try the new drug, they are bringing him now!" A stout female nurse rushed in.


    Nathan immediately followed the nurse out. Ulysses motioned for Chen Chen to follow, "You can come and see."


    The patient had lapsed into a deep coma. By this stage, Chen Chen knew the situation was nearly hopeless. After a quick check, Nathan gave a simple instruction to the nurse, "Administer Antamin nasally."


    The nurse acted promptly. Chen Chen watched the patient closely. About fifteen minutes after the administration, the patient''s vital signs significantly improved. If he hadn''t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn''t have believed the efficacy of the Antamin. Perhaps humanity was granted a miracle, an unexpected chance at survival.


    "Throughout the treatment process, only one Antamin pill is required?" Chen Chen continued his earlier interrupted question.


    "Exactly, Professor Chen, you are very observant. This is the best protocol we have determined after many trials. The lower the dose before clinical trials conclude, the safer it is for the patient," Nathan said, rather smugly.


    Chen Chen agreed. All toxins are dose-related. Curing Super Brainwave with just one pill was exhilarating news.


    "I have a favor to ask. A friend of mine has been infected with Super Brainwave, and his condition is quite serious. Could you provide me with one Antamin pill?" Remembering Xu Zhe, his colleague and friend who was now critically ill in the ICU, Chen Chen felt a pang of emotion.


    "Chen Chen, it seems you recognize the value of the Antamin. While this is not standard procedure, I have no reason to deny your request in the face of life''s urgency," Ulysses said in a very deep voice after being silent for a while.


    At that moment, Chen Chen''s phone rang, interrupting their conversation. Hoping it might be Xia Nan, he hastily took out his phone but saw Angela''s name, feeling a slight disappointment.


    Just as he was about to decline the call, Ulysses signaled for him to answer. The distressed cry from Angela on the other end made Chen Chen''s heart sink.


    "What did you say? Professor Albert has been murdered!"

 Chapter 4: The Death of Albert

    When Angela heard the news of her father Albert''s death, she was visiting her friend Katrina at the San Francisco Sandy Deaf School. The two were chatting about rock singer Andy Bogard''s latest album, "The Curse of Biero," in Katrina''s office. "The Curse of Biero" is Andy Bogard''s most ambitious and adventurous endeavor, and every song in the album is filled with a sense of threat and despair.


    Angela met Katrina at one of Andy Bogard''s concerts. Their shared interests bonded them immediately, and they quickly became close friends. When Angela was in San Francisco, they would often go to rock bars together, drinking and listening to music.


    "I''ve been so busy lately that I, a superfan, haven''t listened to this album yet," Katrina said, pressing the button on the American coffee machine. "I heard that after the Super Brainwave outbreak, the digital sales of ''The Curse of Biero'' soared threefold."


    "Music is the solace in human despair!" Angela closed her eyes, listening to Andy Bogard''s heavy metal voice, "We live joyfully, even if we die tonight."


    "Thankfully, my children are safe and sound," Katrina handed a steaming cup of coffee to Angela.


    "None of the kids at the Sandy Deaf School contracted the Super Brainwave ?" Angela asked, surprised, as she took the coffee.


    "Not a single one!" Katrina''s brown eyes softened with gratitude.


    It was surprising for Angela to hear this since the school was located in a hotspot of the Super Brainwave outbreak.


    "And the teachers?"


    "The situation with the teachers is worse. Seven have been confirmed to have it," Katrina said, her face slightly frowning but her voice still gentle. "The school has been notified and will suspend classes starting next week."


    "How come the teachers got infected, but the students didn''t? What preventive measures did you take for the children?" Angela felt foolish asking the question, given she was at the forefront of Super Brainwave research.


    "Does a mask count?" Katrina turned down the music volume, hoping to ask Angela more about the Super Brainwave .


    "At least it offers some peace of mind¡­" Angela replied with a bitter smile. But before she could continue, a phone ring interrupted their conversation.


    On the line was a man introducing himself as Officer Coleman from the San Francisco Homicide Division, informing her he was investigating the murder of her father, Professor Albert, and needed her cooperation.


    ------


    When Angela arrived at the San Francisco Police Department, Officer Coleman and a man named Chen Chen were already waiting for her. After receiving Angela''s call, Chen Chen had immediately rushed over. His flamboyant purple flannel suit looked particularly out of place. The news of Professor Albert''s death had deeply affected him. If it was his own father who had pushed him into scientific research, then Professor Albert had been his beacon in the field. Chen Chen tried to calm his emotions.


    Chen Chen was sensitive, which often drew criticism from his father when he was young. However, Professor Albert believed that while Chen Chen was rational, he also had keen perceptual abilities and a rich emotional world, which would be beneficial in exploring the mysteries of science, as emotions could offer boundless creativity.


    Angela was dressed simply in a light blue shirt paired with skinny jeans. Her youthful make-up was playful, but her face was now incredibly pale. Her sparkling blue eyes were filled with tears, but her youthful energy still shone through.


    "Professor Chen! This can''t be real! It can''t!" When Angela saw Chen Chen, she couldn''t hold back her tears.


    She couldn''t believe the news. On her way there, Katrina''s car radio had been repeatedly broadcasting the news: "Renowned neuroscientist Professor Albert was found dead at Stanford University''s laboratory at 5 pm today!"


    The news was brief, only mentioning Professor Albert''s death. But the media was quick to flood the internet and radio with details about his life, achievements, and anecdotes. As Albert''s adopted daughter, Angela couldn''t escape the media''s attention either.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "My father couldn''t have been murdered!" Angela looked into Chen Chen''s eyes, struggling to control her emotions. She desperately hoped he would tell her they were mistaken and it wasn''t her father who had died. But all Chen Chen could do was gently pat her back, as if urging her to accept reality.


    Though not her biological father, the bond between Angela and Albert was genuine and deep.


    "Miss Angela, I''m Officer Coleman, who called you," Coleman''s emotionless voice intervened. "As per procedure, you''ll need to identify the deceased."


    Coleman didn''t like dealing with the families of the deceased. He had become numb to their grief but still had to offer sympathy and consolation. He was relieved that Chen Chen, the calm man beside him, was here, so he didn''t have to console Angela.


    "Let''s go, Angela. Maybe they made a mistake," Chen Chen said, offering the only comforting words he could think of, even if he himself didn''t believe them.


    ------


    When they entered the morgue, Angela tightly held onto Katrina''s hand, hiding behind Chen Chen. She had never been afraid of corpses. The first time she attended a dissection class with Chen Chen, she was the best-performing student. At this moment, she felt scared; she was afraid of seeing that familiar face, afraid that the last sliver of hope would be shattered.


    The morgue was so silent that they could hear each other''s heartbeat. Angela leaned her head on Chen Chen''s back. She distinctly felt Chen Chen''s back heaving more and more heavily, his breathing becoming increasingly labored¡ªa torrent of suppressed emotions bursting out¡ªgrief. Suddenly, Chen Chen turned around and held Angela tightly.


    All their remaining hope was shattered. Angela slowly freed herself from Chen Chen''s embrace and saw that the usually stern Professor Chen was now tearful. Angela raised her hand to wipe away the tears from his eyes. Now, she had to face the reality of losing her father.


    She dragged her stiff legs, her feet heavy yet feeling numb, almost powerless. Her father lay straight on the morgue table. The light gray cashmere cardigan on him was a birthday gift Angela gave to her father two years ago, but now it was soaked with a large stain of blood.


    Her father''s face still looked gentle. Angela stretched out her right hand to gently touch her father''s face. The coldness under her fingertips reminded her that her father was gone. She bent down and kissed her father''s forehead. Her father liked to play games with her. She always lost to him, but a single kiss on his forehead, and he would give her another chance.


    How she wished this was just another game her father played with her. She''d kiss his forehead, and he''d open his eyes, telling her, "Angela, I''ll give you another chance!" With this thought, overwhelming sorrow surged again, and Angela hugged her father''s head, crying bitterly.


    "Miss Angela, it''s about time. We still need to take your statement," Officer Coleman''s cold voice rang out inappropriately again.


    Chen Chen took several deep breaths, and finally, his heartbeat began to stabilize, and his mind started functioning. It was an essential quality a scientist must possess¡ªto maintain a calm and rational mind at all times. He walked over to help Angela up, and the moment Angela let go of Professor Albert''s head, he noticed a thin suture line on Professor Albert''s lower jaw. From the way the skin was pulled, it looked like it had been stitched postmortem.


    Why was there a suture line here?! Chen Chen''s heart trembled. This was too unusual!


    ------


    The interrogation took place in a small room no larger than 5 square meters. Chen Chen and Katrina were arranged to wait in a reception room.


    Angela leaned back in her chair, her body limp. Officer Coleman handed her a cup of hot coffee as a small gesture of compassion for the girl who had just lost her father.


    "Miss Angela, we deeply regret the loss of Professor Albert. To quickly find the perpetrator, we need your cooperation," Officer Coleman said, opening a notebook with a heavily worn cover.


    "Just ask," Angela said, eager to know who had killed her father. She straightened up, held the coffee cup with both hands, and drank half of it in one gulp. The caffeine could somewhat alleviate her pain.


    "Did Professor Albert have any enemies?"


    "No!"


    "Miss Angela, please think carefully."


    "No! My father has been in seclusion for 5 years and has hardly had any social interactions during that time."


    "What about 5 years ago?"


    "He was a teacher greatly respected by his students!"


    "What about his relationships with colleagues?"


    "Very harmonious!"


    "Were there any conflicts of interest?"


    "No!"


    "Why are you so certain?"


    "My father never conducted research for profit!"


    "How was your relationship with your father?"


    "Very good!"


    "When was the last time you saw him?"


    "Last Christmas!"


    "You haven''t seen him in half a year?"


    "I''ve been studying in China. We are usually very busy."


    "Where were you between 4 and 6 pm yesterday?"


    "The Central Park Hotel in San Francisco! Do you suspect me?"


    "It''s routine questioning. Please understand. Do you have an alibi?"


    "Professor Chen Chen! He''s outside."


    "How was your father''s relationship with Ulysses?"


    "They were friends!"


    "Two days ago, Professor Albert announced on his personal social media account that the Memory Extractor would soon enter the clinical phase, causing the stock price of Nofi to plummet!"


    Coleman, a black police officer in his early 40s, had always been keenly interested in the development of Alzheimer''s disease treatments. His wife was diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer''s a year ago, plunging his life into chaos. No drug could cure or reverse the disease. Over the year, he followed every report related to Alzheimer''s treatments, anxiously awaiting a medical breakthrough.


    Coleman pinned his hopes on Professor Albert''s Memory Extractor, deemed by the authoritative neuroscience journal "Neuron" as the most likely medical breakthrough to save Alzheimer''s patients. However, he also knew that Nofi Pharma''s Antamin was the only AD drug currently undergoing clinical trials.


    Two days ago, Albert''s lab announced a major breakthrough in the development of the Memory Extractor and would hold a press conference in a month. The news resulted in a drop in Nofi''s stock price. People seemed to have lost faith in drug development, turning their hopes to medical devices. The impact on Nofi Pharma was undoubtedly significant.


    At this time, Professor Albert''s murder, given Coleman''s years of investigative experience, might have been motivated by business interests. In places where business interests run rampant, often only demons are seen, not human figures.


    "Ulysses funded the development of the Memory Extractor."


    "So you''re saying that the Memory Extractor''s development also received funding from Ulysses?"


    "Yes..."


    Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. A tall, young officer came looking for Coleman. Two minutes later, when Officer Coleman returned to his seat, he had a photograph in hand.


    "Do you know Professor Albert''s female friend?"


    "Who are you referring to?"


    Angela was puzzled by the sudden change of topic. "Did Professor Albert have a girlfriend?"


    "No!"


    "Miss Angela, please think carefully again."


    "He was devoted to research and had no time for a girlfriend."


    "Is it possible there were relationships you didn''t know about since you haven''t seen him in six months?"


    "My father never hid anything from me!"


    "We saw a woman visiting Professor Albert on the CCTV footage outside his lab!" "That''s impossible, my father hasn''t accepted any visitors for 5 years!"


    "In the footage, Professor Albert opened the door for her. However, the camera malfunctioned, and no footage was captured after 3 pm."


    "So, you suspect she killed my father?" "From the crime scene analysis, it looks like someone familiar did it."


    "Why do you say that?"


    "There were no signs of a struggle at the scene."


    "Who is she?"


    "Do you know her?"


    Coleman handed over the photo. Although the image was blurry, Angela recognized her instantly:


    "It''s Xia Nan!"

 Chapter 5: The Brain Gets Stolen

    "You must be mistaken!" When Chen Chen heard from Officer Coleman that Xia Nan was the prime suspect in Professor Albert''s murder, he found it utterly ridiculous.


    "Mr. Chen, she is just a suspect at the moment. We need to know where Xia Nan is. Please cooperate." Officer Coleman maintained his cold demeanor.


    Equally cold was the glaring white incandescent light on the ceiling of the interrogation room, its brightness blinding. Chen Chen subconsciously undid the top button of his shirt. The custom-made collar, tailored to fit the contours of his neck, felt so tight he could hardly breathe.


    "After leaving the hotel yesterday afternoon, I haven''t been able to contact her," Chen Chen tried to control his emotions, but his voice quivered noticeably. "Are you sure she went to see Professor Albert?"


    "Yes, Mr. Chen, we saw Xia Nan enter Professor Albert''s lab in the security footage at his door. This was found at the crime scene."


    Coleman handed over a transparent bag containing a phone with a blue casing. Chen Chen instantly recognized it as Xia Nan''s. On the inner side of the custom blue case was a photo of the two of them at Stanford Library. No wonder he couldn''t get a hold of her, but Xia Nan wasn''t one to be so careless.


    "What''s the relationship between Xia Nan and Professor Albert?" Coleman continued his questioning.


    "Professor Albert is my mentor, and Xia Nan is my girlfriend. During my PhD studies, they met a few times, and that''s it," Chen Chen wracked his brain, unable to think of any other interactions between Xia Nan and Albert. Yet, why would Professor Albert, who had been in seclusion for 5 years and even refused his visits, open his door to Xia Nan?


    "Why did she seek out Professor Albert?" Coleman''s tone remained steady.


    This question had been haunting Chen Chen since he learned of Xia Nan''s appearance at Professor Albert''s lab. Why did Xia Nan visit him and hide it? When they first started dating, they had agreed to give each other space. Sometimes Xia Nan would disappear for days, and Chen would never pry if she chose not to explain. It was a testament to their trust. Now, however, this trust rendered him incredibly uneasy and even slightly neurotic. After a long pause, he uttered, "I don''t know, she never told me."


    "You''re her boyfriend, how could you not know?" Coleman was visibly unsatisfied with Chen Chen''s response.


    "I respect her privacy immensely. Do you think you know everything about your wife?" Faced with Coleman''s skepticism, Chen Chen''s voice rose. Coleman gestured for him to remain calm.


    "We hope you can provide some clues to help us locate Xia Nan soon," Coleman drew a circle on his notebook. The inquiry seemed to have circled back to the start. "Does she have any friends or usual spots in San Francisco?"


    "She''s been missing for almost 30 hours! I want to find her more desperately than you do, but I genuinely don''t know. Her closest friend in San Francisco is Emily. I called her last night, but she didn''t even know Xia Nan was in the US. I hope you can find her quickly. Can''t the police use street surveillance to trace her movements? I''m sure she didn''t harm Professor Albert. Now, I''m genuinely worried about her safety," Chen Chen said all in one breath, looking gloomy and anxious. A dreadful thought flashed across his mind: What if the murderer found Xia Nan? Chen didn''t dare to think further.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Chen, Xia Nan vanished from the surveillance footage," said Coleman. Seeing he wasn''t getting more useful information about Xia Nan from Chen, Coleman shifted gears, "As Professor Albert''s student, do you know of anyone who might bear a grudge against him?"Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Slumped back in his chair, the news about Xia Nan disappearing from the footage seemed to confirm Chen''s suspicions. He wondered who could bear such a vendetta against Professor Albert to murder him. Chen''s brain was stuck, more complicated than any research he had undertaken. Remembering the stitches he saw on Professor Albert''s jaw in the morgue, a name faintly echoed in his mind ¡ª Will Goss. If Albert had any enemies, Will was the only one Chen could think of. But that was a decade ago.


    Back then, he and Will were pursuing their Ph.D.s under Professor Albert at Stanford University. Will was Chen Chen''s senior. They admired each other''s talents and became close friends. At that time, Will was deeply engrossed in the study of neural control of the human brain. However, Professor Albert rejected this topic, and sternly told Will that he had to cease his research immediately.


    Will believed that the research was significant for the treatment of human mental illnesses, but due to Professor Albert''s authority, he had to stop. Chen Chen accidentally discovered that Will was still working on it secretly, and Will asked him to keep it a secret. Out of curiosity, Chen Chen got involved in Will''s experiment. They implanted a micro-controller in a rat''s brain, successfully controlling its behavior. This made Chen Chen realize why Professor Albert had stopped the research, but Will seemed particularly excited.


    The clandestine research was discovered by Professor Albert, who was furious. He made an inhumane decision to expel Will. Will believed that Chen Chen had betrayed his secret to Professor Albert, and from then on, they became sworn enemies.


    It couldn''t be Will! That was ten years ago, and moreover, Will is now doing well at Nofi Pharmaceuticals. Chen Chen tried hard to suppress this ridiculous thought, but more doubts surfaced.


    Chen Chen remembered that Will didn''t show up at last night''s dinner. Even though Will was the top candidate for the award ceremony today, he was also absent. It was very strange. What''s even more bizarre is that this wasn''t just a simple homicide case. Chen Chen speculated that the killer had stolen Professor Albert''s brain. If it were just a regular killer, why would they want Professor Albert''s brain?


    "Did you think of something?" Seeing Chen Chen lost in thought, the experienced Detective Coleman felt it was time to intervene.


    "No," Chen Chen blurted out. His habit was to remain silent about suspicions until they were confirmed.


    "Keeping secrets won''t benefit Xiannan," Coleman said, leaning forward to look Chen Chen in the eye.


    "Is Professor Albert''s brain missing?" Chen Chen asked in a low voice.


    Taken aback by the sudden question, Coleman paused for a moment. The theft of Professor Albert''s brain was a detail not to be disclosed to the public, and it had already alarmed the FBI. How could he know?


    "Mr. Chen, in this room, you don''t have the right to question," Coleman said coldly.


    "I believe you really should answer my question," Chen Chen pressed. "Am I right?"


    "No!" Coleman''s answer was firm, a result of years of professional training to speak even untruths convincingly.


    "You shouldn''t hide it. To extract a brain from the jaw, not many can do it!"


    "Then who can?"


    "You need to investigate that."


    Chen Chen didn''t want to mention Will''s name. After all, this was just a guess based on a stitch, and mentioning it would seem far-fetched. But he had to find Will immediately. Even if it was just a guess, he couldn''t let it go.


    "Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Chen. But Professor Albert''s brain is not missing! I need to return to the crime scene," Coleman decided to end the conversation, sensing Chen Chen''s intentional concealment.


    Detective Coleman''s emphasis on the fact that Professor Albert''s brain was not missing made Chen Chen even more certain of his suspicions.


    Could the killer''s motive have been Professor Albert''s brain? As a neuroscientist, Chen Chen couldn''t figure out why someone would want to steal a brain. The only similar incident he could think of was when Einstein''s brain was stolen.


    In 1955, 76-year-old Einstein passed away. During the autopsy, the pathologist Harvey took Einstein''s brain. For over two decades, Harvey didn''t contribute any significant research. The brain returned to Princeton 43 years after it was taken.


    "However, Einstein''s brain had 73% more glial cells than the average person''s. Mine has slightly less, but it''s close," Professor Albert had once boasted about his brain, likening it to Einstein''s.


    Could the professor have been killed for brain research, leading to the removal of his brain? This possibility sent chills down Chen Chen''s spine.


    Exiting the interrogation room, Chen Chen checked his phone. He received a message from Angelica saying that Katrina seemed to have contracted the Super Brainwave.


    "Send her to the Nofi Medical Center, they have a treatment!" Chen Chen called Angelica to apologize for not being able to be there.


    Now, he needed to find Will and get answers. If Will was the killer, then Xia Nan might be in his hands.

 Chapter 6: "The Murderer" Xia Nan

    The setting sun streamed in through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, casting its glow on a pale, gaunt face. The woman curled up on the bed weakly opened her eyes, the blurred world around her gradually coming into focus.


    The tall, spacious room felt eerily empty. The overwhelming whiteness seemed to press in on her from all sides, breeding an indescribable terror. Startled, she felt a tightening in her throat, and she forced her eyes wide open.


    She found herself lying naked on the bed, covered only by a pristine white silk blanket. She frantically scanned the room, attempting to find some clue to her whereabouts, but couldn''t make sense of it.


    She tried to pull the blanket up to her neck, wrapping herself tightly, as if it could provide a semblance of security. But the slightest effort caused a sharp pain in her right shoulder, and tears started to well up in her eyes, dripping onto the pillow.


    She recalled everything that had happened since she left the Central Park Hotel in San Francisco the previous afternoon, and was once again overwhelmed by darkness.


    ------


    Outside the Central Park Hotel in San Francisco, Xia Nan hailed a taxi straight to Professor Albert''s lab. The day before, she had received an email from Professor Albert, saying her memory extraction was scheduled. After three years of persistent pleading, Professor Albert had finally agreed to have her as the first clinical trial patient for the memory extractor.


    Xia Nan calculated the time. The journey from the hotel to Professor Albert''s lab was roughly 40 minutes, and the memory extraction would take about two hours. This would allow her to return just in time for dinner. She had the excuse of buying a dress; she could pick one up at the mall on her way back.


    She had to keep this from Chen Chen. He had always opposed her search for her lost memories. Chen Chen believed that amnesia was the brain''s way of protecting itself by fading traumatic events, and he wished Xia Nan would let go of her obsession. And she might have, had she not realized that these memories might be linked to a child.


    Three years ago, during a routine check-up, she was informed that she had once been pregnant and given birth. It took her a week to digest this shocking news. She was convinced there had been a mistake and consulted a renowned gynecologist for a second opinion. However, the conclusion remained the same.


    From conception to birth, it takes ten months. The pain of childbirth is unforgettable for any woman. Yet, her memory of this event was blank. Where was the child? Who was its father? Why couldn''t she remember any of this?


    Her mental state deteriorated rapidly, plagued by nightmares. In her dreams, a disheveled child screamed at her in anguish. Wondering how that child had survived in this world after being separated from its mother, she feared the worst.


    Despite racking her brain for any relevant memories from her past, she came up empty.


    The root of it all was the memory she lost. At fourteen, she had been in a car accident and was in a coma for an extended period. When she woke up, she had no memories of that time. This was what her parents had told her, and she had believed them without question. But the revelation about the child shattered the lie they had spun for her.


    What had truly happened? Driven almost to madness, Xia Nan desperately wanted to recover her lost memories. This memory concerned a life and her past emotions. Professor Albert''s memory extractor was her only hope. She wished to uncover her past before marrying Chen Chen, to confess that she had borne a child. If Chen Chen could accept this, she would wear his engagement ring.


    ------


    The journey seemed smooth. The roads were almost empty, and within half an hour, Xia Nan arrived at Professor Albert''s lab at Stanford University. It was 2:30 in the afternoon.


    Professor Albert, who had been absent from the public eye for five years, looked as kind and genial as ever, though his curly hair was now more gray. He wore a light gray cardigan and the same gold-rimmed glasses Chen Chen had worn during his PhD. Xia Nan used to visit Chen Chen often back then, so she had become quite familiar with Professor Albert.


    After some brief pleasantries, Professor Albert led Xia Nan through the lab to a small room on the west side. She knew this place well; it used to be a storage room but had since been renovated. The walls were now soundproofed, though the lighting remained dim.


    In the middle of the room was a deep brown leather armchair. On a small table beside it lay a shiny silver elliptical device, roughly the size of an infant''s head.


    "Is this the memory extractor?" Xia Nan approached the table, crouching down to get a closer look. So this was the much-talked-about device in the scientific community.


    "I call her Mnemosyne."


    "Mnemosyne..." Xia Nan repeated softly, "The goddess of memory?"Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    "Hahaha, named after the goddess of memory, she''s my other ''daughter''."


    Professor Albert gestured for Xia Nan to sit. As she turned to face the armchair, a sudden wave of anxiety washed over her. For a brief moment, she felt a pang of fear. She slowly stood up and cautiously sat down. The armchair was surprisingly soft, as if it were enveloping her.


    "The process is divided into two stages: memory extraction and memory decoding," Professor Albert explained. "Mnemosyne extracts all memories from your brain and stores them on a memory chip."


    "And then?"


    "Mnemosyne needs to confirm that you are the owner of the chip. Once verified, it matches your brain''s memory decoding mechanism and replays the extracted memories at a speed of a million times the original, completing the re-input of memories."


    "So only I can access these memories?"


    "Of course. Memories are the most private part of a human being. Are you ready?"


    Xia Nan sat stiffly, nodding. For a moment, she considered backing out. Perhaps Chen Chen was right, and her amnesia was a form of self-protection against some horrible event. But if these events had occurred in her life, she needed to piece together the missing fragment of her memory to become whole again.


    Professor Albert placed a mesh cap filled with small metal pieces on Xia Nan''s head and handed her a small 50ml cup of sedative.


    "Your journey of memories is about to begin!" A graceful female voice emanated from Mnemosyne''s body.


    The sedative began to take effect, her eyelids grew heavy, and the figure of Professor Albert standing in front of her became increasingly blurry. She lost consciousness, and by the time she opened her eyes again, it was already five in the afternoon.


    The red indicator light on the memory extractor had lit up. A memory chip protruded from the top of Mnemosyne, indicating that the memory extraction was complete. Now, there was the decoding process. During this process, Mnemosyne would match the memory decoding mechanism of the chip''s owner''s brain, helping the patient unlock their memories.


    But where was Professor Albert? Xia Nan noticed that he wasn''t in the room.


    "Professor Albert! Professor Albert!" Xia Nan called out towards the doorway twice, but no one answered. She had to decode her memories quickly and then rush back to the hotel.


    Xia Nan got up to find Professor Albert. Fortunately, she was familiar with the place. She guessed that Professor Albert must be conducting an experiment in the lab and lost track of time. For scientists like them, it was quite common.


    Strangely, the lab was empty too. "Professor Albert! Professor Albert!" Xia Nan tried calling out to catch the professor''s attention, but still, there was no reply. Could he have gone out? Xia Nan quickly dismissed the idea. Professor Albert wouldn''t forget that he had a participant undergoing the first trial of the memory extractor.


    "Professor Albert!" Xia Nan screamed. She found Professor Albert curled up beside an experiment table.


    "Professor Albert!" Xia Nan cried in terror, quickly approaching him. It was then she clearly saw a dagger plunged into Professor Albert''s chest.


    Xia Nan felt her entire body stiffen instantly. She wanted to check for Professor Albert''s breath but her hands wouldn''t move. After much struggle, she managed to get her right hand close to his nose.


    No breath!


    Professor Albert was dead!


    What should she do now? Xia Nan''s mind was blank. A thought flashed through her subconscious: she needed to leave immediately, or she would be suspected as the murderer!


    At the entrance of Stanford University, there were no taxis in sight. The Super Brainwave really paralyzed the city. Xia Nan didn''t want to stay a second longer. As she bent down to take her phone from her bag to call an Uber, suddenly, a bright blue Ferrari stopped in front of her.


    A striking Western face leaned out from the car window, a beard trailing from his chin up to his temples.


    "Is that really you, Xia Nan?"


    "Will?" Xia Nan was surprised to see an acquaintance here, her worst fear realized.


    "It''s been years. Don''t you recognize me anymore?" The man gave a radiant smile.


    "No, I just didn''t expect to see you here!" Xia Nan replied, her voice shaky, trying to send Will away.


    "It''s hard to get a cab here. Let me give you a ride." Saying this, Will got out and opened the car door for her.


    "I''ve already called a cab. It should be here soon." Xia Nan hesitated to get in, fearing that Will might notice her distress.


    "Dr. Xia, your lying skills haven''t even graduated elementary school. I''ve been watching you for a while. You haven''t even taken out your phone. Get in."


    Caught in her lie, Xia Nan was at a loss for words and reluctantly got into Will''s car.


    "Central Park Hotel in San Francisco?" Will guessed Xia Nan was attending Nofi''s buffet dinner.


    "Yes." Xia Nan nodded, forgetting that she still had to buy a dress.


    Will started the car. Throughout the journey, Xia Nan remained silent. She wasn''t paying attention to what Will was saying. The image of Professor Albert with a knife in his chest kept replaying in her mind.


    "Are you alright? You seem unwell." Noticing Xia Nan''s pale face and lost look, Will pulled over.


    Xia Nan didn''t respond. She didn''t even realize the car had stopped.


    In the silence, Will''s nose was filled with the scent of her perfume, stirring something inside of him. Overwhelmed, he leaned in closer to her.


    Suddenly, Xia Nan came back to her senses.


    "What are you..." Before she could finish, Will, driven by intense emotions, overwhelmed her. She tried to push him away and flee, but in the confined space of the car, and against a physically superior man, she couldn''t escape.


    Xia Nan was filled with despair, looking lifelessly at the car''s ceiling like a fish gasping for breath after being pulled ashore. A deep and powerful force surged against her womb. Each impact felt stronger than the last, shooting directly into her mind. She felt unfamiliar fragments flying in some corner of her brain, creating a d¨¦j¨¤ vu sensation similar to the present moment. However, this fleeting feeling vanished in an instant, leaving her grasping at it, unsure if it was an illusion or something drifting from a corner of her memory.


    Suddenly, a force surged to the top of her head, the pleasure emanating from her womb affecting every pore of her body. It felt as though her blood would burst forth. She convulsed, uncontrollably letting out a soft moan.


    This moan provoked an even more intense assault from Will. Unable to bear such shame, Xia Nan felt betrayed by her own body. She bit down hard on Will''s right shoulder, as if wishing to take him down with her.


    "Ah!" Will cried out like a wounded lone wolf, a chunk of his flesh bitten off by Xia Nan. The pain halted Will''s advances, and he collapsed next to Xia Nan. Overwhelmed by terror, Xia Nan fainted.


    "It was so horrifying!" Recollecting the events, Xia Nan shivered. Then, an even more immediate question struck her: "Where am I?"

 Chapter 7: The Scent of Orange Blossom Perfume

    Footsteps approached from outside, and with a "squeak", the door opened. A man with bare upper body, dressed in white pajamas, stepped in. His well-developed chest muscles, tight abdominal muscles, and the thick beard stretching from his cheeks to his chin seemed to declare his masculine power.


    The man''s left shoulder was wrapped in white bandages, a mark left on him by Xia Nan. In his left hand, he held a bottle of red wine, and between the index finger and ring finger of his right hand, he clutched two tall wine glasses.


    "Did you sleep well?" The man greeted warmly, with a smile in his eyes, as if he had forgotten that he was an aggressor the night before, seemingly not resentful about Xia Nan biting him.


    "Scum!" Xia Nan tried to suppress her anger. Looking at the man before her, she couldn''t relate him to the top scientist in neuroscience she once knew. He seemed so different from the Will she had seen in the lab.


    Closing her eyes, Xia Nan turned her head away, not wanting to see him or be seen by him. Escaping by shutting her eyes, as if everything ceased to exist once they were closed. She tried to steady her emotions, resisting the urge to explode.


    Walking past the foot of the bed, the man set the wine and glasses on the bedside table, bent down to gaze at Xia Nan''s face, and whispered in her ear, "You might need some alcohol; it''ll relax you."


    Alcohol. Since being with Chen Chen, Xia Nan hadn''t drunk it. It was taboo for him. He neither drank nor allowed Xia Nan to. Once, she had a small drink with friends, which Chen Chen found out.


    That day, Chen Chen earnestly advised her, "Alcohol damages women''s brains more than men''s, even in small amounts it can harm the cerebral cortex responsible for processing information and thinking." She promised him to abstain. Remembering Chen Chen stirred overwhelming emotions in Xia Nan, each tiny trigger capable of breaking her. Suddenly, she yearned for alcohol''s numbing embrace.


    She broke her promise. As alcohol entered her body, it surged through her bloodstream, piercing the barrier between her brain and body - the blood-brain barrier. She knew her cerebral cortex was already getting disoriented. Each sip introduced more ethanol molecules into her synapses, dulling her perception of the world. She tilted her head back, finishing her glass in one go. The first drink numbed her senses, so she asked for another, then another. The second round of intoxication spread through her nervous system, making her feel liberated.


    While pouring, the blanket accidentally slid off Xia Nan, revealing her delicate figure, glowing under the sunlight. A perfect body, laid bare before Will.


    Will was entranced by this Eastern woman''s body. The previous night in the dim car, he vividly remembered the unique scent of orange blossom perfume from Xia Nan, which left a powerful impact on him.


    He had smelled this fragrance over twenty years ago, after which no woman could attract him. Later, after delving into brain research, he realized that his brain''s reward system malfunctioned. Precisely, the dopamine production mechanism was disrupted, leaving him numb to pleasures like food and women. Only alcohol gave brief joy.


    Now, just being close to Xia Nan, smelling her unique scent, he could feel dopamine rushing in his brain. Xia Nan activated his reward circuit, and the resulting excitement made Will lose control.


    "Aren''t you afraid I''ll call the police?" Xia Nan, trying to resist, watched Will inch closer.


    "San Francisco police are overwhelmed by the Super Brainwave ; they have no time for such minor issues," Will said disdainfully, nothing could stop him now.


    "Aren''t you neuroscientists clueless about the Super Brainwave ?"


    "Not including me! I''m not like some scientists who research just for awards!"


    "Chen Chen isn''t that kind of scientist!"This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Don''t say another man''s name in my bed! I''ll show you who the real savior of humanity is during this Super Brainwave outbreak! And before that, who truly deserves your love!"


    Looking at Xia Nan, Will felt this trade-off wasn''t bad. Chen Chen got the Nofi Prize, he got Chen Chen''s woman. Right now, the woman in front of him seemed even more precious.


    The alcohol made Xia Nan give in. Waves of pleasure washed over her. She matched Will''s movements, no longer controlling her moans. Their intertwined, naked bodies culminated in exhaustion.


    She collapsed softly into Will''s embrace, a terrifying realization hovered in her blank mind; her body had succumbed to him. Tears rolled down, ashamed of her own flesh.


    Ten years with Chen Chen, she never doubted her love for him but always resisted intimacy. Their first time ended disastrously, and in ten years, they''d been intimate less than ten times. She always used marriage as an excuse to avoid his advances. Not just him, her body would alarm at any male''s proximity. Yet, she didn''t resist Will, even climaxing. She felt ashamed, even perverse.


    Then, the doorbell rang from outside. "Who could it be?" Will frowned. The untimely ringing irritated him, especially as it grew more urgent. "I''ll go check." He kissed Xia Nan on the cheek before locking the bedroom door behind him as he left.


    Xia Nan shuddered at the realization that Will had brought her to his home and was holding her captive. Her thirty-five years of life seemed overturned in a single night. If she had listened to Chen Chen earlier and not sought Professor Albert''s help to retrieve her memories, she wouldn''t have met Will. Worse yet, she might be implicated in Professor Albert''s murder case.


    Thinking of the slain professor made tears swell uncontrollably in her eyes. She was ashamed of having fled the scene without calling the police, paralyzed by her innate distrust of law enforcement.


    "I need to get out of here!" Xia Nan reached for the pile of clothes by the bed. Her inner garments were ripped, and her body was bruised. How could she face Chen Chen now? Her phone was missing too.


    In a frenzy, she emptied her bag but found no phone. The last she remembered, it was at Albert''s lab. Regardless, she needed to leave. The door was locked, and she found that there were no actual windows, just unbroken glass facing the entrance. She was sealed in, with no escape.


    As Will was still answering the door, Xia Nan pounded on her locked bedroom door, hoping the visitor would hear and rescue her.


    ------


    "What are you doing here?" Will was visibly surprised to see Chen Chen at the door, leaning against the door frame with no intention of letting him in. After all, Xia Nan was still upstairs.


    "So you are home, Will," Chen Chen said cautiously, "Why didn''t you come to the award ceremony this afternoon?"


    "Dr. Chen Chen, weren''t your fans enough for you?" Will smirked condescendingly. "You''re not here to show off your trophy, are you?"


    "Your research is more deserving of the Nofi Neuroscience Prize!" Chen Chen stuttered, caught off-guard by Will''s icy tone.


    "A winner preaching to a loser? Funny," Will retorted, his eyes gleaming with unspoken victory. "Just tell me what you want."


    "Professor Albert has been killed in his lab," Chen Chen blurted out, scrutinizing Will''s microexpressions.


    "Your point?" Will recovered quickly, his eyes cold.


    "He was our mentor," Chen Chen faltered, struggling to find his words.


    " No, he was your mentor. I have nothing to do with him. Maybe I should even thank him for giving me better opportunities at Nofi." Having said this, Will prepared to close the door and bid his guest goodbye. He couldn''t afford to engage with Chen Chen any longer; faint sounds of Xia Nan pounding on a door for help could be heard from upstairs.


    "If it''s not Will, then who could it be?" Chen Chen forced a rigid smile. Of course, deep down, he hoped it wasn''t Will. He found himself letting out a sigh of relief. But this realization dawned on him¡ªwouldn''t Xia Nan be in even greater danger now? Moved by this thought, he asked, "There''s one more thing I want to ask you. Have you seen Xia Nan?"


    Chen Chen wasn''t sure why he was asking this question; perhaps he was clinging to a sliver of hope. At least, Will also knew Xia Nan; they might have crossed paths at some point. The hope was faint, but he was desperate.


    "No, I have something I need to do now." Saying this, Will stepped outside and closed the door behind him. Chen Chen had to leave, quickly; the noise upstairs was getting louder.


    Calls for help had proved futile; Xia Nan went to the floor-to-ceiling glass window, awaiting her visitor''s departure. Perhaps she could seize that moment to get their attention.


    Chen Chen! Even from just his silhouette, Xia Nan was a hundred percent certain that the man walking away was Chen Chen. He was still wearing that purple, velvet suit with gold threads. She waved at him desperately, but Chen Chen did not look back; he walked away straight into the distance. Soon after, Will drove off.


    Despair washed over Xia Nan; she collapsed to the ground. Was there any way out of here? She once again checked her bag and was immediately hit with a wave of panic¡ªher memory chip was missing!


    She remembered putting it into her handbag just before she left Professor Albert''s lab yesterday. So, where could it be? In Will''s car or his house? When Will had been violent towards her, she had fought back using her handbag. Could it have fallen out then? Or perhaps it had fallen somewhere in the house as Will was bringing her into the room.

 Chapter 8: The Rape Case 21 Years Ago

    After leaving the Nofi Medical Center, Angela found the sky pitch black, with a light drizzle starting to fall. She took a deep breath, thankful that Katrina''s condition wasn''t severe. A panting sound of a dog reached her ears. She headed towards Stanford University, intending to visit her father''s lab. Angela hadn''t been back to San Francisco for six months, and though not much had changed, she realized she knew very little about her father.


    Two years earlier, she''d been admitted to a graduate program at Southern University and had traveled to China for her studies. Due to her unique talent in neuroscience, Angela became Chen Chen''s laboratory assistant during her first year as a graduate student. Of course, her father''s connections likely played a part. With her busy academic and experimental workload, she had little time to return to the US to visit her father. On the rare occasions they video-called, their conversations revolved mostly around research. She knew her father was even busier than she was, often working tirelessly on the development of a memory extractor.


    Albert was Angela''s only relative, and with his demise, Angela felt the weight of losing the last of her kin in this world. Maybe her biological parents were still alive, but they had chosen to abandon her at birth.


    Walking, Angela''s mind wandered to the memories of her father. On a warm and breezy morning, her father had found her at the entrance to his lab. At that time, she was an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes. Seeing Albert, the baby girl had shown a radiant smile. "An angel! Truly an angel!" Albert had exclaimed, lifting the infant in his arms and naming her Angela, a name he told her about. The paternal love he gave shaped her cheerful and optimistic nature. She hardly ever cried. The only time she remembered crying was at six when, after reading that tears were salty in a fairy tale, she''d squeezed out some tears to taste them for herself.


    Her father had caught her doing this. He gently dabbed her teardrops with his finger and tasted them, remarking with squinted eyes that Angela''s tears were sweet.


    How could they be sweet? Now, she could clearly taste the bitterness of the tears streaming down her face, so bitter it made her want to throw up, but she had to hold it back.


    Suddenly, a sharp brake noise shattered the quiet street''s silence. Before Angela could react, she found herself sprawled on the wet ground. Fortunately, the driver reacted in time, preventing a terrible accident.


    Recounting the close call sent shivers down Angela''s spine. She was lost in thought due to her father''s incident.


    "Are you alright?" A man emerged from the car''s driver''s side.


    "Oh, I''m fine." As Angela looked up, the car''s headlights blinded her. Through the blinding light mixed with the rain, she saw a shadowy figure approaching.


    The rain grew heavier. The man grabbed an umbrella from the back seat and walked towards Angela. As her eyes adjusted to the light, Angela recognized him, "Will?"


    What a coincidence, the man who''d almost hit her was Will!


    "Angela!" Will recognized her too. He''d seen her in Professor Albert''s lab. Handing her the umbrella, he bent down to check her injuries.


    "I''m fine," Angela assured, trying to stand. But a sharp pain in her knee forced her back down.


    "Don''t move. Let me see if there''s a bone injury," Will inspected briefly. "It seems like a superficial injury. But just to be safe, you should go to a hospital."


    "I don''t think it''s necessary. Such a minor injury will probably heal before I even get to the hospital," Angela emphasized the word ''minor''. Her father''s tragedy was her main concern.


    "Where are you headed? I''ll drive you," Will offered, feeling somewhat responsible.


    "To Stanford University, Albert''s lab!" Angela instantly regretted adding "Albert''s lab". She threw an apprehensive glance at Will.


    "Get in," Will shrugged.


    Inside the car, it was warmer. Angela wiped her wet hair with tissues handed by Will. The car''s interior smelled faintly of orange blossom perfume¡ªpleasant and familiar, though Angela couldn''t place it.


    Her phone rang. It was Chen Chen, informing her about an escalating epidemic in China, necessitating his immediate return. Feeling awkward due to Will''s presence, Angela kept her conversation short. She conversed in Mandarin, which Will didn''t understand.


    "Why''d you choose China for neuroscience studies?" Will was curious, having heard of Angela''s study venture in China, especially after hearing her converse in fluent Mandarin.


    "I have half-Chinese ancestry. I wanted to understand China better," Angela had undergone a gene test revealing significant Han ethnicity in her DNA, marking her as Chinese-American.


    "China''s growth is phenomenal. But the world''s brains are still in the US," Will was surprised by her quest for origins in China.


    "In the two years I''ve studied in China, my perspective on the country has completely shifted. In the future, the world''s ''brain'' will be in China."


    The rain outside grew heavier. The windshield wipers swayed rhythmically, making the view increasingly blurry. The world seemed to distort in the downpour. A momentary silence filled the car.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Will turned on the radio, attempting to lighten the mood. Inappropriately, news of Professor Albert''s death aired. "International leading neuroscientist, Professor Albert, was found dead in his laboratory this afternoon..." The media kept repeating the news tirelessly.


    "Next, breaking news. The police have identified a suspect responsible for Professor Albert''s death: a Chinese woman named Xia Nan. Surveillance footage from near Albert''s lab shows she was the last person to enter. The police are now conducting a citywide manhunt and request anyone with information to come forward."


    Xia Nan! The murderer of Professor Albert? Perhaps out of shock, Will reflexively slammed on the brakes. Unprepared, Angela lurched forward, her phone slipping from her grasp and landing beneath the seat.


    "Angela, are you okay?" Will glanced at Angela, checking if the sudden stop had harmed her.


    "This is the worst day of my two-plus decades. I''m sorry, it seems I''ve dragged you into this," Angela whispered. She felt pain in her ribs, but after feeling around, it seemed nothing was broken.


    "I thought I saw a stray dog darting out," Will lied, trying to mask his reaction. He restarted the car and turned off the radio.


    A weary, blank expression settled on Angela''s face. Overwhelmed by grief, everything felt numb. Reaching under her seat for her phone, she noticed a tiny chip.


    A memory chip! Angela''s heart raced. She recognized it as the special chip her father developed for memory extraction. How could it be in Will''s car?


    Did he...? Silently, Angela picked up the chip, hoping Will hadn''t seen. However, her unease did catch his attention.


    "You should let out your emotions, like venting a dam," Will said, concerned. "Take care, Angela."


    "Thank you. I can handle it," Angela replied with a faint smile. She closed her eyes, hoping her body didn''t betray her or give away any signals.


    Memories of past disagreements between Will and her father flashed before her. Earlier, when Officer Coleman had asked if her father had any enemies, she hadn''t even considered it. That was a decade ago. How could Will possibly have the memory extractor chip, which hadn''t been released to the public?


    Angela leaned back and shut her eyes. She decided not to speak to Will any further, fearing she might impulsively question him about the chip. Emotions could lead to foolish decisions. Silence, at least, meant no mistakes.


    "We''re here," Will whispered. He handed her an umbrella from the trunk. With a brief "thank you," Angela disappeared into the curtain of rain.


    Will watched her go, then slowly drove on the road where he''d met Xia Nan the previous day. Apart from bustling police cars, media vans, and occasional taxis, there wasn''t a single pedestrian.


    Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. The car still held the unique orange blossom scent of Xia Nan. Meeting her had been intriguing; a physiological issue plaguing him for 21 years seemed resolved after their encounter. Fresh memories of their intimacy lingered. She was intoxicating.


    Yet, her scent also took him back to a horrific night 21 years ago. That night held two memories he yearned to forget but were hauntingly persistent.


    He had changed his name, identity, and even removed a tattoo, but couldn''t erase those memories. Driven to change his fate, he studied diligently and earned a PhD from Stanford. Just when he believed he was about to make a significant breakthrough, Professor Albert heartlessly expelled him.


    A police officer, perhaps suspecting something amiss after the recent murder, pulled him over for questioning. Knowing that perpetrators often revisit crime scenes, the officer was wary of any suspicious individuals nearby.


    "My girlfriend is mad at me. I''m waiting for her to come out," Will quickly concocted a believable excuse. After verifying his identity and seeing his decent attire, the officer let him go, even patting his shoulder sympathetically.


    Will parked nearby and decided to check the scene at Professor Albert''s lab. It was still cordoned off with several police cars stationed. The media vied for shots and reports about the renowned neuroscientist''s death at Stanford''s lab.


    Five hours had passed since the murder was discovered. The lab was the crime scene, with police gathering evidence. Will blended in with the reporters, watching the ongoing investigation.


    Minutes ticked by, but the police showed no sign of leaving. Given the case''s prominence, they had to keep up appearances, showcasing their dedication.


    "Breaking news! Breaking news! The police have found fingerprints on the murder weapon. After comparison, they belong to Xia Nan!" A reporter with a mop of brownish-gray curly hair probably has good ties with the San Francisco Police Department, as he managed to get the exclusive information.


    "What''s the motive for the murder? Why kill Professor Albert? Could it be a love triangle issue?"


    "Xia Nan''s boyfriend is Chen Chen, who just won the Nofi Prize. Chen Chen was a student of Professor Albert."


    "Oh my God, it sounds like there''s a lot to this story. There might be even more explosive details."


    "We have a scoop! Ten minutes ago, a gynecologist named Dr. Ray contacted us after seeing the news about Xia Nan. She said that 21 years ago, Xia Nan was raped. Dr. Ray deeply regrets that she accepted the request of Xia Nan''s parents to conceal the rape from the police. She speculates that perhaps the rape led Xia Nan to harbor resentment towards society, pushing her to commit such a heinous act. If they had reported the incident back then, it might have helped the girl get back on a normal life path."


    "Oh my God! That''s unbelievable! Did they catch the man who raped her?"


    "No, Dr. Ray said her parents kept it a secret."


    "What if Xia Nan discovered that the person who raped her years ago was Professor Albert and sought revenge?"


    "We''re getting closer to the truth! Three minutes ago, an obstetrician named Catherine revealed that 20 years ago, she was hired by a couple to secretly deliver a baby girl for Xia Nan in a mansion. The couple paid her a substantial sum to keep this a secret. Based on the timing, that baby girl must be the result of that rape."


    These two revelations made the media waiting outside the crime scene extremely excited. They started speculating and investigating connections between Xia Nan, the baby girl, and Professor Albert. Soon after, a "truth" that the media wholeheartedly believed came to light:


    Professor Albert was the very man who raped Xia Nan! Xia Nan killed Professor Albert as revenge for her past violation! And the girl who is officially known as Professor Albert''s adopted daughter is actually the result of Professor Albert raping Xia Nan, the timeline matches perfectly. Xia Nan gave birth to a baby girl on July 16th, while Albert adopted Angela on July 18th of the same year, only two days apart.


    Will witnessed the birth of an explosive news story. Soon, the media would broadcast it far and wide, and Professor Albert would have never imagined being posthumously portrayed by the media as a rapist. Maybe Professor Albert really did it. Will recalled Angela mentioning earlier in the car that she''s of Chinese-American descent, which seemed too much of a coincidence.


    He saw Angela not far away, surrounded by the media. She must have heard everything. Having just lost her father, and now facing the unbearable reality that her adoptive father might be a rapist, Will felt a pang of sympathy for her.


    Now, he had to go back and ask Xia Nan exactly what she had done in Professor Albert''s laboratory that day.

 Chapter 9: The New World Plan

    Xia Nan knew she had to find the memory chip and get out of there before Will returned. After calming down, she quickly analyzed her situation and came to a conclusion. Her immediate challenge was the locked room she found herself in.


    She pulled a hair tie from her bag, gathering her scattered long hair. Rubbing her cheeks hard, she tried to focus, knowing that being in the right frame of mind would aid her escape. She looked around the room, seeking the right tool to pry open the door lock. On a corner cabinet by the wall, there were several bottles, but none that seemed useful as a tool.


    Then, a small steel bottle labeled "liquid nitrogen" caught her eye. As a chemist, Xia Nan was well aware of the properties of liquid nitrogen. Often used in medicine to quickly freeze biological tissues and prevent damage, she realized Will might have been conducting experiments at home.


    With its extreme cold of nearly -200 degrees Celsius, liquid nitrogen might be the solution! The freezing temperature could make the iron lock brittle. Xia Nan grabbed the bottle and sprayed its contents on the door lock. It should work. After the bottle was empty, she struck the lock hard with it twice. The lock, now brittle from the rapid freezing, was quickly broken.


    The house was a three-story villa, eerily empty. Will didn''t even seem to have a maid, yet everything was immaculate. Perhaps he had regular cleaning help that she hadn''t seen.


    Its pure white minimalist style, with its high ceilings and clean lines, gave the space a boundless energy. Aside from the necessary furniture, there was no clutter. If not for the assortment of foreign liquors filling the wine cabinet, one might think no one lived there.


    The main door was also locked! Xia Nan tried it briefly. The liquid nitrogen was gone, and this lock was sturdy. Breaking it would be futile. She looked around, thinking she might escape through a window. But a cruel realization dawned on her; the windows in this house were voice-controlled.


    She needed to find the memory chip first. After she''d passed out the day before, Will had carried her to a guest room on the third floor. Perhaps during the move, the object slipped from her bag and fell somewhere unnoticed.


    With bare feet on the cold white marble floor, she moved stealthily. Each muscle in her body tensed, an icy sensation rising from the floor, giving her chills. Taking several deep breaths, she tried to calm herself.


    From the front door, through the corridor, up the staircase, and from room to room, Xia Nan examined every nook and cranny like a hunting dog. The minimalist decor made the search easier, but she came up empty-handed. She was certain she hadn''t missed anything.


    Opening the door to the last room on the third floor, Xia Nan found Will''s study. Spanning about 100 square meters, the walls were lined with shelves full of neuroscience publications¡ªa veritable library on the subject.


    In the center stood a desk. Other than a wireless phone charger, there was just a single framed photograph. It clearly meant a lot to Will. In it, a shirtless Will seemed to be proudly showcasing a large grouper fish he''d caught, with water droplets dripping from his wet hair. Xia Nan noted a unique tattoo on his left arm¡ªa half skull face.


    The tattoo¡ªupon seeing it, Xia Nan felt deeply unsettled. She''d seen it somewhere before but couldn''t recall where. Closing her eyes, she tried to retrieve the memory. However, the more she tried, the more uncomfortable she felt, and her mind remained blank.


    Suddenly, there was a sound from downstairs. Will was back. She heard him coming up, calling out for her with a hint of panic in his voice. Xia Nan stayed still, fearing any small movement would give her away. Her heavy breathing and thudding heartbeat echoed her mounting dread.


    Strangely, Will didn''t head to the room where he''d left her but went straight to his study. Hearing his footsteps approach, Xia Nan knew hiding was futile. Resigned, she called out, "I''m here!"


    As Will entered, seeing him made Xia Nan''s face stiffen with fear.


    "What are you looking for?" Will asked, looking directly at her. He wasn''t surprised to see her in his study. Through surveillance, he''d seen her break out of her room and search around the house.


    "My phone''s gone missing. I thought I might have dropped it somewhere." Xia Nan''s nostrils flared slightly, her breathing heavy.


    Will looked at the terrified Xia Nan, a pang of pity rising in his heart. He couldn''t believe that the delicate woman in front of him could be the murderer of Albert.


    "Your phone was in Professor Albert''s lab. Tell me, what happened? Did you kill Professor Albert?" Will reached out, cupping Xia Nan''s face in his hands, finding her skin cold to the touch.


    "What are you talking about? I killed Professor Albert?" Xia Nan stared incredulously at Will, confusion evident in her eyes.


    "Yes. Right outside this house, the police are searching citywide for a Chinese woman named Xia Nan! So please, be honest with me. I can help you," Will''s voice was charged with emotion.


    "I didn''t kill him!" Xia Nan''s eyes widened, her voice chillingly calm.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "But you met with Albert! The police saw you visiting Professor Albert on the surveillance and they found your phone in his lab," Will persisted.


    "That doesn''t prove I killed him!" Xia Nan''s voice grew weak. She took a step back, leaning dejectedly against the wall, her arms wrapped defensively around herself.


    The secret she had so desperately tried to keep was now public knowledge. The whole world knew she had visited Albert, including Chen Chen. He must have guessed that she had gone to retrieve her lost memories. Would Chen Chen be angry? He had repeatedly warned her not to chase after those lost memories.


    "I believe you! From now on, you better stay here and not go out!" Will''s voice was almost commanding, but his gaze was filled with tenderness.


    He bent down and gently kissed Xia Nan''s trembling lips. They were cold, just like the rest of her. He felt an overwhelming responsibility to help her.


    His phone rang inconveniently from his pocket. Ulysses on the other end wanted him to immediately visit the Norphi Building. After comforting Xia Nan and advising her to rest, Will hastily left the villa.


    After he left, Xia Nan collapsed weakly into the study chair. Even if she could escape from the villa, the moment she stepped out into the streets, the police would arrest her. She was innocent; she could explain it to them. But would they believe her?


    She remembered in horror touching the knife that had been plunged into Professor Albert''s chest. Had she left her fingerprints on it? That would only further incriminate her.


    What should she do? Why was she suspected of killing Professor Albert? Her worst fears had come to pass. Her life was already a mess, and everything seemed to be spiraling out of control.


    Voices echoed chaotically in her mind: "You brought this upon yourself", "Why live when life is this cruel?", "I''m innocent, I didn''t kill Albert"... Stumbling over to the liquor cabinet, she grabbed a bottle of whiskey, hoping the alcohol would numb her pain.


    After downing three glasses, her body felt warm, her head dizzy, and her stomach churned with nausea. But at least her brain had ceased its relentless thinking. She took a few more gulps, the room spinning around her, and eventually, she collapsed onto the sofa.


    "Let me go! Please!" From a narrow alley came the desperate screams of a girl. As Xia Nan approached, she saw a sturdy teenager in a blue vest assaulting a young girl, who was wearing a pale yellow dress and appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen. The girl was struggling beneath him.


    Xia Nan hid, not daring to move closer. In the dim light, she recognized the girl''s face and was taken aback. It was her younger self. The yellow dress was a 13th birthday gift from her mother.


    Panicking, she rushed forward, trying to pull the assailant off. But she couldn''t. The assaulter''s arm bore a tattoo of a half-faced skull, which seemed to grin at her.


    The skull grew larger, seeming to consume her, and she ran desperately. Suddenly, the scene shifted. She saw herself on a pristine bed with Will. They were making love, passionately.


    She fought to wake up from the dream, mortified. She was aware this was just a dream, but it felt so real and so shameful. Finally, she woke up, drenched in sweat, the alcohol''s effect having worn off. The clock showed 3 AM, and the oppressive darkness of the night seemed to swallow her whole.


    Her body ached with a tearing pain. She recalled the psychology courses she had taken, realizing that dreams were mirrors to one''s subconscious desires. Deep inside her lurked the desire for Will, even if it was something so shamefully coercive.


    She was torn between rage and despair, thinking, "Why plunge into such a dangerous game, falling into an abyss? Is the truth that important?" As her world seemed to sway, another voice challenged, "Isn''t it?"


    The word ''child'' echoed in her mind. "He''s your child! Is he still alive? Where is he now? Can you pretend nothing ever happened?"


    ------


    In the Nofi Building on the 100th floor. Only two people can enter here, one is Ulysses, and the other is Will.


    "Where have you been these past few days? You didn''t even attend the award ceremony!" Ulysses asked with a stern face when he saw the tardy Will.


    "Just some personal matters." Will shrugged, speaking nonchalantly, "Since you decided to give the Nofi Award to Chen Chen, anything related to the Nofi Award is no longer my concern."


    "Ha! Will, you sound a bit sour." Ulysses laughed heartily, patting Will on the shoulder, "Why care about a mere Nofi Award? Once the New World Paradise is built, you will be the scientist who changed human history. Besides, I gave the Nofi Award to Chen Chen for the sake of our New World Paradise project."


    "How are the two related?" Will looked puzzled. He didn''t really care about the Nofi Award, but losing to Chen Chen was slightly unsettling.


    "When the time is right, I''ll tell you." Ulysses said, walking deeper into the room. He then suddenly turned back and asked, "Has there been any malfunction with the 5.0 Neural Dust so far?"


    "No." Will replied with immense pride, his momentary discontent vanished. "Everything is going smoothly. All tests have been very successful. The 5.0 Neural Dust can be deployed!"


    They stopped in front of a crystal model resembling a human brain. This model, about 20 times the size of a human brain and filled with indistinguishable intertwined neuron-like structures, was the central system for the New World Paradise project.


    This "Crystal Brain" was divided into seven different colored regions: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, cyan, and purple. Each region connected to a super brain, responsible for data computation and command transmission.


    Will lightly tapped a red section with his index finger. A map of the Americas appeared on the curved glass screen in front of them, dense red dots indicating the progress of the New World project. The data was constantly changing, with the infection rate advancing at a speed of a hundred people per second.


    "Everything is proceeding as planned, and we will soon accelerate!" Will said, focusing intently on the data displayed.


    "Excellent!" Ulysses, looking at the red dots on the map, couldn''t hide his sense of triumph.


    "We can start from San Francisco, where the Nofi Medical Center is located, making our operations more convenient." Will began to outline his plan, something he''d just thought of on his way there. It was the only solution he could think of to save Xia Nan, by keeping all the police preoccupied, ensuring they wouldn''t have time to search the entire city for her.


    "Increase the infection rate, raise the mortality rate, intimidate the government, and expedite the market launch for Antamine." Ulysses rubbed his hands together, excitement evident on his face, "Faced with death or survival, humans will choose to take risks!"


    Human nature, as Ulysses had learned in his 65 years of life, was something deeply profound. In this vast, diverse world, one unbroken rule remained ¡ª the human desire to survive was insatiable.


    "Has the World Health Organization set a meeting date?"


    "Those old-fashioned old men just informed me that they need a sample of Antamine!"


    "Don''t worry about it, we''re already prepared!"

 Chapter 10: The Mysterious Passenger on the Flight

    "Ladies and gentlemen: We have a passenger who has suddenly fallen ill. If there are doctors or nurses among the passengers, please contact the flight attendants immediately. Thank you for your cooperation!" At 30,000 feet in the air, the somewhat drowsy Chen Chen heard the voice of the flight attendant over the plane''s intercom, calling for medical assistance.


    Chen Chen glanced at his watch. It read 4:25 in the morning. It had been over four hours since they took off from Los Angeles International Airport, and they should now be flying over the Pacific Ocean. The plane wasn''t fully booked; many passengers were dressed in various protective suits, spread out throughout the cabin, maintaining a distance from others. Some passengers were now sleeping in awkward positions, a few reading lights shining dimly here and there.


    The announcement was repeated, the flight attendant''s usually soft voice now trembling with anxiety, even hinting at tears and despair. Chen Chen craned his neck to survey the cabin and saw two flight attendants pacing anxiously up and down the aisle, waiting for a response.


    Woken up by the announcement, some passengers were stretching, others were craning their necks, trying to find out which passenger was ill or if any medical personnel were stepping forward. There were murmurs in the cabin; some worried the flight might have to make an emergency landing at the nearest airport.


    Chen Chen''s gaze settled on a point ahead to his left. There, a Caucasian woman in a light blue dress, with an eye mask and earplugs, was leaning back in her seat, deep in sleep, undisturbed by the commotion. Soon after, a companion sitting beside the woman in blue gently shook her, removed her earplugs, and whispered something into her ear. Within about ten seconds, she abruptly stood up. Even though she looked slightly groggy, she said to the flight attendants, "I''m a doctor. Where is the patient?" The flight attendant led her quickly to the front. It seemed the patient wasn''t in the economy class.


    "The flight''s in trouble!" murmured the man seated to Chen Chen''s left, hands clasped behind his head as if talking to himself. He appeared to be in his 40s, thin with penetrating eyes that seemed to see everything. Since boarding, he''d been sleeping deeply, snoring loudly to Chen Chen''s annoyance. During check-in, Chen Chen had specifically chosen a secluded corner seat. With so many vacant seats available, why did this lean man choose the one right beside him? Wasn''t he concerned about potential Super Brainwave infectors?


    Chen Chen turned to look at him, curious about the man''s comments, only to find the man was studying him intently as well.


    "Professor Chen, why didn''t you step up?" the lean man asked, slowly closing his eyes, his question catching Chen Chen off guard.


    "I specialize in basic research, not clinical care," Chen Chen responded curtly, unfazed that the man knew of him. Due to the Super Brainwave , Chen Chen had been frequently interviewed by the media. Angela once joked that Professor Chen''s media exposure was rivaling movie stars.


    "Professor Chen, you''re being modest!" the lean man said, yawning and closing his eyes again.


    Chen Chen was unsure if there was a hidden meaning behind the man''s words. He hadn''t intended to respond to the stranger''s inquiries in the first place; his presumptuous and seemingly all-knowing demeanor was quite off-putting.


    To step up or not, Chen Chen was indeed hesitant. Although a neuroscientist, he had vast general medical knowledge and superb surgical skills. This expertise was one of the reasons he led an expert team during the Super Brainwave outbreak. Unless absolutely necessary, he didn''t want to come forward. He knew he wasn''t the only one with medical expertise on this flight. That woman in the blue dress ahead? Chen Chen recognized her from a medical journal; she was a renowned cardiothoracic surgeon.


    At 4:50, twenty minutes after the woman in blue had gone to assist, another announcement came over the intercom. This time, a male voice spoke: "I am the co-pilot, Oli Cole, of American Airlines Flight AA218. Our captain, Richard, has fallen ill and is unable to fly. Is there anyone on board with a pilot''s license? I need your assistance!" Co-pilot Oli Cole''s plea marked the flight''s descent into an emergency.


    Captain Richard of this flight was a star pilot of American Airlines. At 48, he was a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy with 11,746 hours of flying experience. Co-pilot Oli Cole was 35, with 4,278 hours of flying experience.


    It was the captain who had fallen ill! Chen Chen recalled the thin man''s words, "The flight''s in trouble." With the captain incapacitated, the flight was indeed in deep trouble!


    "By flight trouble, you meant...?" Before Chen Chen could finish, about six or seven passengers emerged from the front of the cabin, faces pale with terror. By their attire, it was clear they were from first class, now being relocated to vacant seats in the economy section.


    "Oh my God, it''s the Super Brainwave !" they whispered amongst themselves, trying to keep their voices down. But their anxiety made it loud enough for everyone to hear. The words "Super Brainwave " echoed through the cabin, amplifying fears and casting a shadow of dread over the passengers.


    "Professor Chen, let''s go. Now only you and I can help this flight land safely." The slender man stood up from his seat, adjusted his clothing, grabbed his backpack from the overhead compartment, and quickly made his way to the front of the cabin. Chen Chen followed closely. This time, he could no longer remain indifferent.


    "Hello, this is my pilot''s license. I can assist the co-pilot in flying the plane." The slender man handed a small booklet he pulled out of his bag to the flight attendant. "The man behind me is Chen Chen, a top international neuroscientist."Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Chen Chen frowned. This slender man was really nosy. He noticed that the small booklet in the flight attendant''s hand was an FAA pilot''s license from the United States.


    Captain Richard lay in a first-class seat, his body convulsing, his skin starting to show bruises. A woman in blue was trying to cool him down physically, sweat beads forming on her forehead.


    "What''s his temperature?"


    "107.6 degrees Fahrenheit! Maybe even higher, it''s off the thermometer''s scale," the woman in blue said hastily. "He''s having difficulty breathing!"


    "Hey," Chen Chen shouted to the slender man who was about to enter the cockpit, "If possible, reduce the altitude and cabin pressure to help the captain breathe."


    "Professor Chen, my name is Mo Sijie, not ''hey''!" The slender man didn''t look back but raised his arm high in acknowledgment.


    Chen Chen was surprised that the slender man could still joke in such a critical situation. This calmness made Chen feel that this man was no ordinary person.


    "Based on his symptoms, it''s 99% Super Brainwave ," Chen Chen frowned. "It''s extremely serious! If he can''t get to a hospital for treatment within an hour, maybe¡ª"


    "It''s impossible to land within an hour," said a flight attendant assisting the woman in blue, looking at Chen Chen with pleading eyes. "Professor Chen, can you save Captain Richard?"


    Chen Chen briefly averted his gaze, likely to avoid the awkwardness. To be honest, given Richard''s current condition, even in a hospital, Chen couldn''t guarantee the captain''s safety.


    "How much time is left until we land?" Chen asked.


    "7 hours and 28 minutes."


    Captain Richard won''t last 5 hours, Chen was sure of that. If they didn''t take any action now, the captain''s fate was sealed.


    Antamin! The word "Antamin" popped into Chen''s mind. Right now, he had a pill in his suitcase that he''d obtained for his friend Xu Zhe from Ulysses. Before boarding, he had called to check on Xu Zhe''s condition and was informed that Xu Zhe was in critical condition. But now, Captain Richard was also in grave danger.


    With only one Antamin pill, what should he do? On one side was his good friend, and on the other, a stranger in the sky whose life was rapidly deteriorating. Chen clenched his fists. The most uncertain situation now was whether he could reach Xu Zhe in time. The flight might make an emergency landing to get Richard to a hospital. The only thing he was sure of was that giving Richard the Antamin might save his life.


    "Prepare a cup of warm water!" Chen rushed back to his seat, took out the Antamin from a small medicine box in his bag. He hesitated for a moment. Administering a drug that''s still in clinical trials to Captain Richard could have severe side effects, potentially ending his research career. But this was the only thing he could do now. It was a gamble, not just for his career but perhaps for the fate of humanity.


    "Professor Chen, it''s bad! Captain Richard''s vital signs are getting weaker!" A flight attendant from first-class ran over.


    "Research serves life!" Chen remembered what Professor Albert often said in lectures. Disrespect for life is a scientist''s fatal flaw. Trying might still offer a chance! Clutching the Antamin, Chen sprinted to first-class.


    "Lift him up!" Chen directed the flight attendant, taking out the pill.


    "Captain Richard has lost his swallowing reflex. He can''t take the medicine by himself!" The woman in blue looked at Chen in despair.


    "Is there a way to administer the medicine to the captain?" A flight attendant, who had been helping care for the captain, was almost in tears.


    "There''s a way, but it''s too dangerous!" The woman in blue paused. "Someone would need to blow air into his mouth, allowing the pill to be pushed down the throat by the force of the air. But this would significantly increase the risk of that person getting infected with the Super Brainwave !"


    "Let me do it. He is my boyfriend, and I love him!" The flight attendant took the pill from Chen Chen''s hand and carefully placed it into Captain Richard''s mouth. She bent down, slowly transferring water from her mouth to his, and blew air into him.


    Everyone held their breath, watching Captain Richard''s throat, as if waiting for the birth of a child, symbolizing the hope for life. 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes... The flight attendant''s face began to turn slightly red. She tilted her head to one side, took several deep breaths, inhaled forcefully, and continued to blow air into Richard''s mouth.


    "It worked, it worked!" The lady in blue who was intently watching Captain Richard''s throat exclaimed with tears of joy, "How long will the medicine take to work?"


    "Approximately fifteen minutes," Chen Chen murmured, basing his judgment on cases he had seen at the Nofi Medical Center.


    "We regret to inform you that there is a critically ill patient on board. Despite our efforts to resuscitate him, his condition remains extremely serious. We have decided to make an emergency landing at Honolulu International Airport. The flight will arrive at Honolulu International Airport in 1 hour and 20 minutes. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope for your understanding and support." The flight''s announcement sounded again.


    Fifteen minutes had passed, and Captain Richard''s condition did not improve. If anything, his convulsions became more intense! Could there be something wrong with the medicine? Was it not as effective against Super Brainwave as Ulysses had claimed?


    Chen Chen nervously observed Captain Richard. He believed the cases that Ulysses had shared and what he had seen at the Nofi Medical Center. His only uncertainty was the side effects of the medicine and whether it could slow down Captain Richard''s condition, or even alleviate symptoms. If they could last this 1 hour and 20 minutes until landing, medical equipment on the ground could help maintain the captain''s life.


    The first-class cabin was eerily quiet. Chen could hear his heart racing. To calm his nerves, he kept rubbing his hands together, which were sweaty.


    "His temperature has dropped!" exclaimed the lady in blue, who had been monitoring Captain Richard''s temperature.


    "He squeezed my hand! Look, he knows who I am, he''s conscious! My love!" The flight attendant girlfriend holding Richard''s hand said, tears shining in her eyes.


    Vital signs began to stabilize, the intense convulsions had subsided, and Captain Richard slowly opened his eyes. Cheers erupted in the first-class cabin.


    "Professor Chen, you are amazing!" The lady in blue looked at Chen Chen with admiration. "To my knowledge, there isn''t a medicine internationally that can treat Super Brainwave . What did you give him?"


    "I''d rather not disclose at this time," Chen Chen felt it would be more appropriate for Nofi to address the situation.


    "Super Brainwave is a disaster for humanity. If China has developed a cure, I hope you can share it with the world," the lady in blue said, clearly dissatisfied with Chen''s answer.


    Her remarks made Chen uncomfortable. He hoped he could develop a cure for Super Brainwave and share it with humanity. But the real developer was Nofi Pharmaceuticals. He didn''t want to explain further. He was unaware of what awaited him upon landing.


    Media waiting for the plane''s landing were informed right away. Captain Richard, afflicted with Super Brainwave , showed improvement after taking Professor Chen''s medicine. The treatment of Super Brainwave seemed promising. Even before any official interviews, the news had spread across the internet globally.


    "You can tell the media that it''s Nofi'' Antamin,"read an email from Ulysses on Chen''s phone after the plane landed in Hawaii.

 Chapter 11: The Past is Not Like Smoke

    Hawaii''s DeSor Resort Hotel. Chen Chen and the thin man shared a room. This wasn''t by chance; it was forcefully arranged by the thin man.


    An hour earlier, the plane had made an emergency landing at the Honolulu International Airport in Hawaii. Captain Richard was immediately taken to the hospital for treatment. The 57 passengers and 16 crew members on board were taken to the DeSor Resort Hotel, 7 kilometers away from the airport, by about seven or eight people in protective gear. According to the regulations of Hawaii''s emergency epidemic management, all passengers need to undergo 14 days of quarantine observation upon landing.


    An episode during the room allocation made Chen Chen feel that the thin man seemed to be deliberately getting close to him. Amidst the chaotic crowd, the thin man grabbed Chen Chen''s arm and forcibly arranged for the two of them to share a room at the front desk. He even declined an invitation from the co-pilot, Olikol, to share a suite, clearly showing that Olikol had great respect for the thin man.


    In the quiet room, they stared at each other. The situation was awkward for Chen Chen, having to share a space with a stranger. The thin man looked relaxed and immediately looked for beer in the fridge upon entering the room. He tossed a can to Chen Chen, which was declined.


    "I don''t drink," Chen Chen said coldly, placing the beer on the coffee table.


    "Professor Chen, alcohol reliefs sorrow," the man said, opening the beer and taking a big gulp, appearing very pleased. It seemed the incident on the plane hadn''t affected his mood at all.


    "Alcohol reliefs sorrow", Chen Chen felt more than just sorrow at this moment. This roommate might not say much, but he often spoke with a hidden meaning, yet Chen Chen wasn''t in the mood to delve into it.


    Upon turning on his phone after landing, the news that popped up made him wish he could fly back to San Francisco immediately. The San Francisco police were looking for Xia Nan; her fingerprints were found on a weapon. Chen Chen became even more convinced that Xia Nan''s disappearance was linked to the killer. Whether she had already met with misfortune or was about to was uncertain.


    "You''re worried about Dr. Xia Nan, aren''t you?" the thin man said when Chen Chen stayed silent.


    "Mr. Mo, have we met before?" Chen Chen wondered if he had any past interactions with this man who introduced himself as Mo Sijie. Yet, Chen Chen couldn''t recall ever meeting him.


    "Chen Chen, the newest Nofi Prize winner; I''ve seen you on the news. Dr. Xia Nan is now also very well-known in the US. Of course, you don''t know me."


    The thin man finished his beer and casually grabbed the one meant for Chen Chen. "You really aren''t drinking?" Seeing Chen Chen''s refusal, he smoothly opened another beer.


    Chen Chen thought the man was really a heavy drinker. He didn''t want to engage with his roommate anymore. It was always tiring for him to interact with strangers. Right now, finding Xia Nan was the priority.


    "Professor Chen, don''t be so distant," the thin man seemed to see through Chen Chen, "Regarding Professor Albert''s murder, I might be able to help."


    "You?" Chen Chen was shocked.


    "I was the one who reported Professor Albert''s murder, though the police aren''t aware of this."


    "Why are you telling me this?"


    "You''re the one who would be most worried about anything happening to Xia Nan."


    "Do you know Xia Nan?"


    Before the thin man could answer, a news notification on Chen Chen''s phone made him gasp.


    "Insider reveals Xia Nan''s past: Was raped as a minor and gave birth to a daughter."


    "Neuroscience authority rapes a minor, she seeks revenge 20 years later!"


    "Unraveling the mystery of Professor Albert''s murder."


    ...


    Reading the sensational headlines, Chen Chen couldn''t believe the Xia Nan in the media was the one he had known for over a decade. The notion that Xia Nan was raped by Professor Albert, and that their daughter was Angela, was outrageous. It angered Chen Chen how the media could be so irresponsible with their fabrications. Yet, amidst his anger, he felt fear. What if there was some truth in these news articles?


    "I know her! 21 years ago, Xia Nan''s parents hired me to investigate that rape case."


    "What are you saying?" Chen Chen couldn''t believe his ears, "So these reports are true?"


    "At least half of them are."


    "Which half?"


    "Xia Nan was raped and gave birth to a daughter."


    "Angela?"


    "Yes."


    "What about Professor Albert?"If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "I''m not sure."


    "What do you mean you''re not sure?"


    "I haven''t found the rapist yet."


    "What else do you know?"


    "Professor Chen, Dr. Xia Nan should have been the one to tell you this. But now that the media has exposed it, I might as well speak."


    ------


    21 years ago, on a hot and dry afternoon, his friend Coleman came to him with a Chinese couple. That couple is also a friend of Coleman.


    The man looks very excited. Before discussing the case, it is very normal for Mo Sijie to require him to keep it confidential.


    The case is very simple. The couple''s daughter was raped on the way out of school. They didn''t want to report to the police, which made everyone aware, but their father didn''t want to let the bad guy go, so he entrusted Coleman to find Mo Sijie. The daughter of this couple is Xia Nan.


    Mo Sijie usually doesn''t handle such cases. At the time, he was working at the FBI and had an important case to investigate, which was really lacking in skills. Under the man''s bitter plea, Mo Sijie finally agreed, and he could see that the man was really at a loss. With his ability, rape cases like this can be closed within three days.


    Mo Sijie met Xia Nan in the single room of Theresa Hospital. The girl''s spirit was strongly stimulated, resulting in a brief period of aphasia. He checked Xia Nan''s examination records and found that there was a severe tear in the lower body, accompanied by a slight concussion.


    Xia Nan, who was delirious in the ward, occasionally screamed in panic. She couldn''t talk to anyone. When Mo Sijie, a stranger, stood in front of her, she was so scared that she covered her head with a blanket. Through the blanket, Mo Sijie saw her trembling.


    What a beast! The fire of anger burned within Mo Sijie''s body, and raping underage girls was the thing he hated the most. Looking at Xia Nan in front of him, he thought of his sister Mo Sijia. Five years ago, his 15 year old sister couldn''t escape the shadow of being raped by thugs and jumped off a building to commit suicide. At the time, he was working on a case in Icca, located in the Middle East, but he didn''t even see her last face.


    Mo Sijie secretly swore in his heart that he must find this heinous rapist. However, a real problem lies ahead, without any valuable clues! The only hint is on Xia Nan''s way home from school, and I don''t know where it is. Twenty one years ago, there was no surveillance on the street, so how can we check.


    He spent a whole ten days investigating along the road from Xia Nan''s School to his home. Excluding each section one by one, only an alley less than a kilometer away from the Heaven slum remained. On the night before the rape incident, a brutal massacre occurred in the Heaven slum. The people living in the slums were cursed and killed each other, but none of them were spared.


    When Mo Sijie said this, he stopped and let out a long breath. Chen Chen noticed a subtle change in his face. After a pause, we continued our conversation.


    There are almost no valuable clues found at the scene of the crime, after all, it has been more than ten days since the incident occurred. He found a sharpened stick in a corner, with an R engraved on it. He recognized the stick and had seen it on the night of the Heaven Slum Massacre. The owner of the stick was named Ryan.


    It shouldn''t be here! The police reported that all residents of the Heaven slum died tragically on the night of the incident. Didn''t he die? Is it Ryan who raped Xia Nan? He thinks the possibility is very high.


    "Professor Chen, do you believe in intuition?" Mo Sijie suddenly asked Chen Chen.


    "In the field of scientific research, intuition has certain inspiration," Chen Chen replied, maintaining his usual rigor.


    "I do! My intuition tells me that the person who raped Xia Nan is 99% Ryan." Mo Sijie''s can in his hand had been crushed out of shape.


    "But you haven''t found this Ryan?" Chen Chen asked impatiently.


    "No. I''ve never given up on looking for him, but unfortunately, I haven''t found him," Mo Sijie said with a hint of dejection.


    "How has Xia Nan been since then?"


    "I didn''t complete the task, and Xia Nan''s parents refused to let me get close to their daughter."


    "How did you know that Angela is Xia Nan''s daughter?"


    "That matter was kept extremely secret by Xia Nan''s parents. They really went to great lengths for their daughter''s future. But I work for the FBI; nothing can be hidden from me if I want to know."


    "You continued to track Xia Nan? Don''t you know this might disturb her life?"


    "Xia Nan doesn''t know about me. She''s even forgotten everything that happened."


    Suddenly, Chen Chen recalled that Xia Nan had lost that segment of her memory. He was glad he had stopped Xia Nan from seeking that memory. Otherwise, she would have had to go through the pain again.


    In an instant, Chen Chen realized why Xia Nan went to find Professor Albert. She must have asked Professor Albert to use a memory extractor to retrieve her lost memories. Xia Nan had never given up on finding her memories. A bold guess popped into his prefrontal cortex, and he was afraid of his own speculation.


    "Could your intuition be wrong?"


    "Professor Chen, are you suspecting Professor Albert?"


    "No!"


    "Professor Chen, I guess you''re thinking that Xia Nan went to Professor Albert to extract memories, and in those memories, she saw the person who raped her years ago. That person was none other than Professor Albert, who was helping her with the memory extraction. Therefore, Xia Nan killed Professor Albert."


    People from the FBI are really sharp! Chen Chen thought. Just with a simple question, Mo Sijie had seen right through him. Before Chen Chen could respond, Mo Sijie continued:


    "The evidence and motive for the murder all point to Xia Nan, but I trust my intuition. Professor Albert wasn''t the one who raped her back then."


    "Mr. Mo, after all this, you came to me today for something else, right? If it weren''t for the media exposure, you wouldn''t have even told me this."


    "You got me," the slender man chuckled. "You professors are a bit lacking in observation skills."


    "Mr. Mo, no need to beat around the bush."


    "I suspect Professor Albert''s death is related to the Super Brainwave!"


    Chen Chen''s head buzzed. It seemed impossible. How could Professor Albert''s death and the Super Brainwave be related?


    "Let me reintroduce myself. Mo Sijie, Chinese-American, former FBI agent. I came specifically to find you because I need your help. The Super Brainwave is likely a terrorist act, and maybe Professor Albert was killed because he discovered its secret."


    In just a few sentences, the information was overwhelming. The Super Brainwave, terrorist activities, Albert, and Xia Nan were all implicated in the murder of Professor Albert.


    "How can I assist you?"


    "We need to find out who''s behind the Super Brainwave."


    "Why do you think I''ll help you?"


    "Because of Xia Nan and also Professor Albert. If we find the real culprit, Xia Nan will be safe, and Professor Albert can rest in peace."


    Chen Chen looked at the slender man in front of him with suspicion. He had never considered that the Super Brainwave could be a terrorist act.


    "Do you have evidence that the Super Brainwave is a terrorist act?"


    "I might have had some if Professor Albert hadn''t died."


    "You knew Professor Albert?"


    "Five years ago, the professor secretly hired me through the dark web to investigate someone."


    "Professor Albert hired you to investigate?"


    "Yes, he realized the person I was investigating was the same person he wanted to look into."


    "Who?"


    "Ulysses!"


    "Why were you investigating Ulysses?"


    "This goes back 21 years."

 Chapter 12: The Slum Tragedy (1)

    The dim light flickered on and off, a pungent smell accompanied by a wave of heat hit the face. Trash was scattered everywhere on the streets¡ªfood remnants, worn-out clothes, and here and there, used syringes. Makeshift tents lined both sides of the streets, filled with clutter. Some people didn''t even have these basic shelters and slept directly on the ground, using newspapers as pillows.


    This is a slum area in downtown San Francisco known as "Heaven"¡ªa paradise for the poor. Just a few streets away, the scenery couldn''t be more different, but that prosperity had nothing to do with them. The people here couldn''t afford rent, and the population was mostly made up of those suffering from mental illnesses, alcoholics, drug addicts, and violent criminals.


    The person Mo Sijie was looking for lived in the third dark-gray tent after turning left at the intersection.


    Music started to play again. Mo Sijie glanced at his wristwatch¡ª11:00 PM. He had been staking out here for three nights. Around this time, rock music would blare from an unknown tent. Such music would be the background sound for a party in a high-end community, but here, it felt out of place.


    He had learned the person''s daily habits and had also observed the surrounding environment. At this moment, the person should be preparing for sleep. Alertness drops right before sleep, making it the most opportune time for Mo Sijie to question him. Also, he would be less likely to be exposed.


    Mo Sijie knocked symbolically twice on the "door," which was, in reality, just a tattered curtain that barely protected the tent owner''s property and privacy.


    "Who is it?" A hoarse voice came from inside the tent.


    Before the owner could open the "door," Mo Sijie lifted the curtain and stepped in. He was leaner now than in his youth; standing at 1.8 meters tall with a muscular build, he was quite sturdy even among Caucasians.


    The tent had no proper furniture. A ripped mattress occupied half the space, messy but relatively clean clothes scattered on it. On a small wooden table near the corner, an old laptop flickered. Mo Sijie caught a glimpse of information about Eka on the computer screen.


    "You''re trespassing. I could point a gun at you!" The man inside was shirtless, a noticeable bullet wound on his right upper chest, eyeing Mo Sijie cautiously.


    "Let''s see who''s faster then," Mo Sijie replied, pulling out a gun and aiming it at the man''s forehead.


    "FBI Agent Moss. What brings you here so late?" The man provocatively lifted Mo Sijie''s ID. Moss was his English name. The man had swiftly snatched it from his right pocket while Mo Sijie was drawing his gun. Mo Sijie hadn''t noticed it at all.


    "Jimmy, Harper is missing!" Mo Sijie lowered his gun and voice, getting straight to the point. Harper was Mo Sijie''s mentor at the FBI, and Jimmy was Harper''s informant.


    "What happened? Are you sure you''re not mistaken?" Jimmy stared incredulously.


    "No!" Mo Sijie looked distressed, his face somewhat pale.


    "When did it happen?" Jimmy''s eyes widened, showing a surprised expression.


    "Ten days ago!" Mo Sijie answered in a hushed tone.


    "Where did he go missing?" Jimmy forced himself to calm down before asking.


    "Eka," Mo Sijie replied softly, hearing footsteps outside the tent.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Jimmy loosened his guard upon hearing the news about Harper. Although he couldn''t yet verify the truth, he wasn''t sure if Mo Sijie had other motives for seeking him out.


    Jimmy had been a technical officer for the CIA, analyzing intelligence in the Middle East. Five years ago, he was forced to leave due to drug addiction. Back in San Francisco, broke and alone, he quickly ran out of savings due to drugs and ended up on the streets. Harper recognized his intelligence talent and not only financially supported him but also recruited him as an informant.


    "What is the FBI doing about this?" Jimmy finally asked after a moment of contemplation.


    "They''re angry at Harper for his unilateral actions, but so far, there''s no sign of them taking any measures. For the FBI, a person who doesn''t obey the organization is expendable," Mo Sijie replied, looking grave.


    Jimmy gave a bitter smile. It was the same with the CIA; he was one of the expendables. "Why do you think so?"


    "He hasn''t replied to my emails!" Mo Sijie said with utter certainty.


    "Is that so unusual?" Jimmy asked, looking puzzled.


    Mo Sijie knew how unconvincing his reason sounded, so he elaborated, "It has never happened before! Since I joined the FBI until his disappearance, we had maintained daily email contact without a single day''s break. He must be in danger, and the best time for rescue has already passed."


    "What''s your plan?" Jimmy asked solemnly after a moment of thought.


    "We have to find him, no matter the cost!" Mo Sijie replied, locking eyes with Jimmy as if trying to draw strength from him. Right now, he needed a teammate, and Jimmy, with a similar background, was the ideal choice.


    "So, you want me to join you?" Jimmy guessed.


    "I need the information that Harper had you investigating. I suspect his disappearance is related to that. Of course, if you''d like to join, you''re more than welcome!" Mo Sijie smiled faintly and said directly.


    After a long silence, Jimmy squeezed out his doubts from his throat, "Do you think that your words alone can earn my trust?"


    The implication in Jimmy''s words couldn''t be clearer, but Mo Sijie couldn''t provide more evidence to prove the matter''s authenticity. "Harper should have mentioned me to you, based on his trust in me."


    Jimmy shook his head, "No, but I do know he has a favored pupil." At the same time, a decision had already formed in his mind, "Give me one day."


    "Tomorrow night at eleven, I''ll come to you," Mo Sijie understood immediately. He took his identification back from Jimmy''s hands and left the tent. He had been investigating Jimmy for three days, and the first contact was still unfavorable. Jimmy remained tight-lipped even after hearing Harper''s disappearance, maintaining the high standards his mentor had always set. Mo Sijie knew that in these 24 hours, Jimmy would do everything to verify the news of Harper''s disappearance.


    Mo Sijie found an important clue on Jimmy''s computer¡ªEka. His teacher and his ongoing mission had nothing to do with Eka. Harper suddenly appeared in Eka ten days ago and then mysteriously disappeared. Mo Sijie deduced that Harper must be conducting some private investigation related to Eka.


    Mo Sijie was very confident in his analytical skills. He could sift through mountains of files and disjointed data to identify useful information. Harper once praised him, saying he was his best agent.


    Recalling his past with Harper made Mo Sijie somewhat melancholic. If he hadn''t met Harper, he might still be struggling with PTSD. At 19, he joined the U.S. Air Force and was deployed to the Middle East multiple times. Shortly after his 25th birthday, he was sent on a combat mission to Eka. His F-16 was unfortunately struck by a missile. He ejected in time, but the crash resulted in the deaths of seven local children.


    From then on, he was plagued by nightmares. Finally, he lost 10 kilograms in a week and returned to San Francisco for treatment, retiring from the Air Force. However, when he got home, his wife Anna''s first words to him were, "Let''s get a divorce."


    That''s when he met Harper at Cielo Bar. The two men started bonding over drinks. Mo Sijie was grateful that Harper had invited him to join the FBI. He did not disappoint his mentor.


    This time, Harper was conducting a secret investigation in Eka without him. Mo Sijie suspected it had to do with his past experiences in Eka, experiences that had triggered his PTSD.


    After leaving Jimmy''s tent, Mo Sijie was deep in thought as he walked along the road. Suddenly, a strong urge to urinate interrupted his thoughts. While meeting with Jimmy, he had suppressed this urge with sheer willpower. ''Where''s the bathroom?'' he thought. There was one about fifty meters ahead, but he loathed the idea of going there because of its foul smell. Eventually, he couldn''t hold it any longer and relieved himself in a dark corner.


    Just as he sighed in relief, he saw three figures approaching him from the road. It was Ulysses, Harper''s adopted son. What was he doing here? Mo Sijie turned his back immediately, not wanting to be recognized.

 Chapter 13: The Slum Tragedy (2)

    The next night at 10:45, Mo Sijie hurriedly arrived at Jimmy''s tent after finishing his work, 15 minutes before the time they had agreed upon the previous day. He wasn''t one to be late, but he also didn''t like to be early, so he decided to wait outside the tent until 11:00 before entering.


    A boy around ten years old in a white short-sleeved shirt ran towards him, shouting, "Murder! Murder!" Perhaps due to extreme fear, the boy''s voice quivered. Mo Sijie watched the boy run past him, unfazed. Fights and brawls were as common in this area as eating a meal every day; as long as no one was killed, the police turned a blind eye. There were noticeable blood stains on the back of the boy''s shirt; Mo Sijie assumed he had lost a fight and was running away. Mo Sijie chuckled ruefully. In his younger, more impetuous days, he had often resorted to violence as well.


    However, it was unusual for things to be this hectic at this hour. On his way here, Mo Sijie had encountered four fights. In one of them, an elderly man in his sixties or seventies was arguing loudly with a young man; probably fighting by now.


    "Hey, you''re here!" Jimmy called to him from about three meters away, wiping some blood from the corner of his mouth with his thumb.


    "Exactly 11:00. Very punctual," Mo Sijie glanced at his watch and frowned. "Did you get into a fight?"


    "Damned thug Ryan. He''s attacking everyone like a madman," Jimmy exclaimed angrily, but with a hint of pride. "I had to step in! Only rushed back because of our appointment!"


    "What have you decided about yesterday''s matter?" Mo Sijie got straight to the point, as was his habit.


    "I''ll cooperate with you to find Harper." After Mo Sijie had left last night, Jimmy had tried various means to contact Harper but to no avail. Nothing was more important to him right now than finding Harper.


    "Give me all the information you have, no holding back," Mo Sijie said as he followed Jimmy into the tent.


    "I only do what he tells me to do; Harper doesn''t tell me anything else, and it''s not my place to ask. Those are the rules," Jimmy retrieved a laptop from under his mattress and placed it on a small wooden table. "I''m investigating the fund flows of Tuomei Investment. I''ve found 186 transactions that eventually ended up in a mysterious account in Eka."


    "A mysterious account?" Mo Sijie pondered for a moment. "Have you found out whose it is?"


    "If I knew, it wouldn''t be mysterious. But it should be soon. I have quite a bit of information already and just need some time to sort it out."


    "Do you think there''s a connection between Tuomei Investment and Eka?"


    "That depends on who is behind this mysterious account. It could be related to a terrorist organization."


    "You think Tuomei Investment is secretly connected to Eka''s terrorist groups?"


    "I suspect so. Occupational hazard from my time with the CIA."


    Investigations are like puzzles; you must patiently fit together the available pieces, finding their most suitable positions. Both Mo Sijie and Jimmy understood this well.


    As Mo Sijie scrolled through the computer screen displaying Tuomei Investment''s bank data for the last three years, he was impressed by Jimmy''s investigative skills. The flow of funds appeared normal, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.


    "Does Harper know?"


    "He knows. I promised to give him information on the mysterious account this week! Didn''t expect... Do you think his disappearance has anything to do with this?"


    "It''s likely. If Harper was investigating this case and then suddenly disappeared in Eka, the most probable reason is that he found some clues and alarmed the other party."


    Mo Sijie''s eyes stopped at a line of small text: "President of Tuomei Investment: Ulysses." It surprised him. Was Harper investigating his own foster son?


    As Mo Sijie was about to ask Jimmy, a teenager wearing a blue tank top suddenly burst in, anger splattered across his face, holding a wooden stick about a meter long with an "L" carved at one end. Before Mo Sijie could react, the teen swung the stick heavily towards Jimmy, who was closer to the door.


    "Ugh¡ª" Jimmy let out a long, painful cry as he collapsed, curled and twisted on the ground. Although agile, Jimmy was caught off guard while engrossed in conversation with Mo Sijie.


    Mo Sijie lunged at the teenager, his right hand gripping the boy''s wrist holding the stick, and his left hand tightly choking his throat. The boy instantly lost the ability to counter-attack.


    Having had professional combat training, Mo Sijie easily subdued the teenager in less than five seconds. Jimmy slowly got up from the ground; the blow had felt like it was going to shatter his internal organs. The boy in the blue tank top didn''t show any signs of surrendering and continued to struggle, increasing his force.


    "Ah!" The boy screamed, breaking free from Mo Sijie''s grip. He swung his stick at Mo Sijie''s neck and shoulder, then turned and ran. The fierce and malevolent look in the boy''s eyes seemed as if he had a deep-rooted grudge against the two men.


    "Is he insane?" Mo Sijie asked as he and Jimmy ran out of the tent. But what they saw outside shocked them. The entire street had erupted into a massive brawl involving hundreds of people wielding various weapons. Men and women, young and old, some already bloodied, fought with the last of their willpower. It looked like a large-scale gang fight, with dozens of corpses lying helter-skelter on the ground.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "They''ve gone mad, all mad!" Jimmy exclaimed, terrified.


    Suddenly, it began to pour. The rain washed away the blood stains on the ground, turning the street into rivers of blood. As Jimmy stood dazed, staring at the flowing blood on the ground, Mo Sijie pulled him and they ran frantically away.


    ------


    Memories from 21 years ago are vivid in Mo Sijie''s mind as he tells Chen Chen about the events of that year. His thoughts drift, and his throat clenches, recalling the horrifying scenes he''d witnessed. Despite the years, the fate of his old mentor, Harper, remains unknown, and the slum disaster was branded one of the "Top Ten Mysterious Events in AmerEka."


    Intrigued, Chen Chen questions, "Mysterious? Was there no investigation?"


    "None," Mo Sijie rubs his face vigorously with both hands. "The U.S. government sent a team of top experts in various fields, but to no avail. Fearing an infectious disease, they burned down the entire slum overnight. Thankfully, no similar incidents occurred elsewhere."


    "Any survivors? What about Jimmy? Did he go mad too?" Chen Chen probes.


    "Mad!" Mo Sijie closes his eyes momentarily. "He let go of my hand when he saw the pool of blood on the ground and then..." He doesn''t continue, but Chen Chen guesses the outcome.


    "By the way, your father Chen Tianbai, mentor Albert, and Ulysses from Nofi were all members of that expert team," Mo Sijie whispers. "Soon after that event, the ''Stanford Neuroscience Trio'' parted ways. Your father developed a mental disorder."


    "Do you think there''s a connection between that event 21 years ago and this current Brainwave outbreak?" Chen Chen fails to see a link.


    "After that incident, all leads to find Harper went cold. I had left in such a hurry that I didn''t take Jimmy''s computer with me. By the time I returned, the police had already cordoned off the scene. The only leads I had were Eka, Tokumei Investments, and Ulysses. In order to focus on the investigation, I soon resigned from the FBI and made a trip to Eka." Mo Sijie continues. "I found the same horror there."


    "People losing control and killing each other?" Chen Chen is in disbelief.


    "Exactly, but this time, I found something," Mo Sijie furrows his brow. "That incident in Eka happened in a village called Wasi, where Harper disappeared. A month before the disaster, villagers contracted a strange illness resembling the Super Brainwave we''re facing now."


    "You think the medication was the issue?" Chen Chen asks, intrigued.


    Mo Sijie scoffs, "Just like the slums, they were buried and burned. I suspect someone is conducting human experiments. Similar phenomena occurred in war-torn areas over the years."


    "International Red Cross is involved in human experimentation?"


    "I doubt they know. The real culprit is likely the provider of the medicine," Mo Sijie says, "I found syringes with ''Nofi'' written on them in a dump near Wasi."


    "So, you think this Super Brainwave is related to Nofi?"


    "Not just me, Professor Albert likely thought so too."


    "How so?"


    "He was killed the morning after he asked me to visit him for something crucial. I never got to know what he found."


    Chen Chen ponders, then Mo Sijie concludes, "Your endorsement of Nofi, given your authority in neuroscience, has now turned them into media darlings amid this Super Brainwave crisis."


    Chen Chen is startled. Mo Sijie explains, "It wouldn''t be hard for anyone to find out that you''d be on this flight. Including me."


    "But the pilot''s sudden illness couldn''t have been known."


    "If this is a terrorist act, arranging these things becomes easier," Mo Sijie asserts.


    "But the drug, Antamin, worked effectively. We saw its effects on Captain Richard."


    "If Nofi orchestrated both the outbreak and the cure, it would be no coincidence," Mo Sijie argues.


    A chill runs down Chen Chen''s spine. If Mo Sijie is right, then the real plot isn''t just about Super Brainwave but about Antamin itself. Chen Chen''s rescue of Captain Richard would certainly tip the scale in favor of approving Antamin in the WHO''s special conference, turning it into a mass-prescribed drug.


    "What else did you find out, about Ulysses?"


    "Anything that can be found, I have found¡ªfamily, work, relationships, health, etc. He is a potential Alzheimer''s patient and is currently showing symptoms."


    "How do you know?"


    "Medical reports! These rich people value their lives more than anything, they get a medical check-up every month."


    "Does Professor Albert know?"


    "Of course, he''s the one who asked me to look into it. I have no interest in Ulysses'' health."


    "When?"


    "When Professor Albert approached me 5 years ago."


    "So, it was discovered then that he had a potential risk of developing Alzheimer''s?"


    Mo Sijie nodded.


    "Nofi has been heavily investing in Alzheimer''s drug development over these years; it seems to be connected to Ulysses himself."


    "I think Professor Albert''s development of a memory extractor is also related to Ulysses."


    "He asked you to investigate Ulysses and is also developing a memory extractor to treat him? Does this explanation make sense?"


    "Professor Albert announced the development of the memory extractor a month after I told him about this. I think it''s very likely."


    Indeed, Professor Albert''s sudden announcement to develop a memory extractor for Alzheimer''s treatment caught everyone off guard. The purpose of the memory extractor was to treat Alzheimer''s patients, helping them to store memories in advance.


    Professor Albert claimed that according to his research on Alzheimer''s, the missing memories are not truly lost. All the information is stored in the brain, it''s just that the mechanism for memory retrieval has malfunctioned. The memory extractor could reactivate the dormant memory imprints, allowing Alzheimer''s patients to regain lost memories.


    Angela mentioned that this research was privately funded by Ulysses. But why would Professor Albert want to investigate Ulysses? Weren''t they good friends?


    "What else did you find?"


    "Over the years, Ulysses has been flying out of the U.S. to Eka on his private jet every month."


    "Nofi has a Life Science Research Center in Eka. Is there a problem?"


    "The frequency is a bit high. Nofi has three research centers worldwide; Ulysses only visits the other two once a year on average."


    "What did Professor Albert say?"


    "He asked me to investigate the Eka Life Science Research Center, but I found nothing wrong. Everything seems normal."


    "What is Professor Albert trying to find out?"


    "I don''t know. For the past three years, he has asked me to halt all other investigations and only follow up on Ulysses'' medical reports, sending them to him regularly."


    Unfortunately, Professor Albert is gone, and perhaps this mystery will forever remain unsolved. Chen Chen sighed.


    "Mr. Mo, what do you think I can do?"


    "It''s your father, Chen Tianbai! Also, you must stop Antamin from going to market! Chairman Mao once said: ''Whatever the enemy opposes, we should support; whatever the enemy supports, we should oppose.'' Since Ulysses is bent on quickly pushing Antamin to the market, there must be a conspiracy. So, we must find a way to stop it."


    Before Chen Chen could react, a knock at the door interrupted their conversation.


    "Professor Chen, we''ve arranged a special flight for you, and you need to return to China immediately." The Chinese Consulate staff in Honolulu had already brought a car to the hotel entrance to pick him up.

 Chapter 14: Professor Wangs Doubts

    A member of China''s Super Brainwave Epidemic Expert Group, senior virologist Professor Wang Hongtao, isolated a strain of virus from the cerebrospinal fluid of a critically ill patient. This discovery needed immediate verification within the expert group. If confirmed, it could be a breakthrough in the treatment of Super Brainwave. Chen Chen is the leader of this expert group.


    "Is it confirmed to be a virus?" Sitting in the car, Chen Chen frowned as he questioned his assistant Jiang Fei who had come to pick him up from the airport.


    "It should be correct. Professor Wang and the others are very excited," Jiang Fei replied, a broad smile on his face as he handed a stack of case files to Chen Chen. "Is there a problem, Professor Chen?"


    Finding a virus should be exhilarating since it meant they had found the causative agent of Super Brainwave. But what worried Chen Chen was that previous antigen tests on the cerebrospinal fluid of Super Brainwave patients had always been negative. Could this one positive result be a fluke? Or had the virus mutated?


    Chen Chen didn''t answer; he perused the patient''s medical records. Until he had seen the virus for himself, he couldn''t answer any questions. Words from Mo Sijie yesterday made him believe that things might not be so simple.


    Closing the case file, he changed the subject: "Did you bring the data from the MTX mouse water maze experiment?"


    Jiang Fei swiftly pulled a stack of papers from his backpack and handed it to Chen Chen. This was something he had specifically asked for before boarding his flight.


    During his Ph.D. at Stanford, Chen Chen made groundbreaking discoveries regarding the relationship between magnesium ions and brain memory functions. His paper, published in the journal ''Neurons'', had caused quite a stir in the neuroscience community. It suggested that supplementing magnesium ions could remarkably improve brain memory and perhaps offer a new approach to preventing and treating brain aging diseases. With the help of Xia Nan, a prodigy in the field of chemistry, they had screened over 10,000 compounds and selected MTX to enhance memory.


    The experiment results were promising; MTX indeed had an astonishing effect on memory. Now, the bigger challenge for Chen Chen was how to get the compound past the blood-brain barrier.


    The blood-brain barrier is a natural protection mechanism that limits the passage of substances between blood and brain tissue, protecting the central nervous system. But it also makes it difficult for many medications to reach the brain, rendering some diseases untreatable.


    Chen Chen took a deep breath. The blood-brain barrier, which obstructed his research, seemed useless against the pathogen inducing Brainwave. Brainwave occurs when pathogens cross the blood-brain barrier, causing inflammation in the meninges and damaging the normal functioning of the central nervous system.


    ------


    The research center for China''s Super Brainwave Epidemic was located in a hospital affiliated with Southern University, as per Chen Chen''s request. It was essential to closely collaborate with frontline clinicians to understand patient responses and medications.


    Chen Chen pushed open the door to the eighth-floor conference room. Nine members of the expert group were sitting around a long conference table. Projected on the screen was an image of a light pink, spherical virus with crown-like spikes. Chen Chen was immediately drawn to the image.


    "A coronavirus?" Chen Chen blurted out without any pleasantries.


    "We are currently calling it the ''Super R-virus''," Professor Wang Hongtao chuckled. He was the one who discovered this virus and an authoritative expert in virology in China. "It''s an atypical coronavirus."


    "How did you discover it? Did the cerebrospinal fluid test positive for antigens?" Chen Chen inquired, his tone devoid of any diplomatic niceties. This wasn''t arrogance, but rather his consistent rigorous approach to science.


    "Professor Chen, are you doubting my results?" Professor Wang''s smile froze on his face. "I have 100% confidence in my field. The cerebrospinal fluid test is positive. The virus has a strong affinity for the nervous system. We think the virus is mutating, which is why we discovered it. We can infer that this is the causative agent of Super Brainwave ."


    "Antiviral drugs against coronaviruses have been tried in clinical treatments, and they were completely ineffective. If it''s truly a coronavirus, it should be sensitive to drugs. Could there be a procedural error affecting the detection results? I want to re-extract cerebrospinal fluid from the patient and isolate the virus again."


    "Unfortunately, the patient passed away an hour ago."


    "Have similar viruses been isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of other patients in the same group?"


    "Professor Chen, the immediate priority now is to find a treatment drug and develop a vaccine based on the discovered pathogen."


    "Professor Wang, based on this patient''s medical history, I believe their symptoms are all atypical. There could be a misdiagnosis. He may not be a patient with ''Super Brainwave .''"You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    "Professor Chen, you''ve returned with honors, promoting Nofi Pharmaceuticals and the miraculous effects of Antamins in treating Super Brainwave, yet here you are obstructing our nation''s scientific discovery. I suspect your allegiance lies with Nofi. You are no longer suitable to lead the Super Brainwave expert group!" Professor Wang Hongtao glances disdainfully at Chen Chen, creating a subtle tension. "I''ve heard that Nofi Pharmaceuticals'' founder Ulysses privately sponsors your lab at Southern University."


    Chen Chen was at a loss for words. He wanted to object, to say something, but he didn''t even know what to say. A scientific discussion had escalated to personal attacks¡ªthe greatest insult to a scientist is not academic mediocrity, but harboring ulterior motives against the nation. If Professor Wang''s words were publicized in the media, embellished with sensationalism, Chen Chen would be labeled a scientific spy.


    In fact, ever since Chen Chen was appointed as the leader of the Super Brainwave expert group, there had always been different voices within the team. Too young! There were many in the group with more experience, significant contributions to epidemiological research, and more importantly, Super Brainwave was an epidemiological issue. Chen Chen might be authoritative in neuroscience, but in epidemiology, he was still inexperienced. In this system where both qualifications and capability were important, the role of the team leader often made Chen Chen feel uncomfortable.


    ------


    The meeting ended on an unhappy note. Leaving Southern University Hospital, Chen Chen decided to visit Anhe Sanatorium. His conversation with Mo Sijie was interrupted when his father Chen Tianbai''s name came up. Professor Albert''s death, Super Brainwave ¡ªcould his father help in any way?


    His father, Professor Albert, and Ulysses were once the "Three Musketeers" of Stanford Neuroscience. Professor Albert once told Chen Chen that his father was far more talented than him in the field of neuroscience. However, no one had anticipated that Chen Tianbai would suffer from mental instability 20 years ago.


    Chen Chen couldn''t believe that his father''s mental state would unravel due to a failed experiment. When he was young, his father told him that "science starts with failure."


    Something must have happened 20 years ago, but now his father was not capable of communicating normally. By the time Chen Chen arrived at the ward, a "riot" had just been controlled. The nurse told him that his father''s emotional state had been unstable recently, indicating a worsening condition.


    His father, bound in white straps, was still struggling. Despite good care from the nurses, his haggard appearance couldn''t be hidden. After continued raspy shouting, his voice gradually weakened¡ªthe sedative began to take effect.


    Chen Chen suspected that his father was agitated by the news of Professor Albert''s death. The murder of authoritative neuroscientist Professor Albert in his lab had hit the headlines. His father and Professor Albert had been best friends; before Albert''s isolation, he would fly to China every year to visit him.


    Chen Chen didn''t want to go home. With wide-open eyes, he lay on the sofa in the hospital room. A sliver of moonlight slipped through the curtain gap, illuminating his father''s gaunt face. There was an indescribable emotion in Chen Chen''s heart towards his father. The intense love had imposed immense pressure on him.


    When he was young, he found his father to be the most terrifying person in the world, forcing him to study neuroscience, which was incomprehensible to a six- or seven-year-old. He disliked it but didn''t dare to resist. Even now, the feeling remained deeply rooted, his life firmly controlled by his father.


    After his father''s incident, doctors were clueless about his condition. One regretfully told him that they had hoped for a breakthrough from Professor Chen on neuronal communication for this kind of disease. Back then, not only had his father mapped out the "god-level connections" in the human brain, but he had also discovered the principle behind neural impulses in his experiments, representing significant advances in researching brain diseases.


    Even now, when Chen Chen reads his father''s academic papers, he still senses his father''s extraordinary talent in neuroscience. Being referred to as the "Einstein of neuroscience" was not an exaggeration for Chen Tianbai. Chen Chen''s own achievements, like receiving the Nofi award, merely stood on his father''s shoulders.


    For Chen Chen, his research on neuronal communication and control was not only a continuation of his father''s scientific career but also a means to find a treatment for him. Perhaps there were hidden secrets behind his father''s sudden mental disorder. Chen Chen vaguely recalled the lean man''s words from the night before last.


    Just then, the door to the hospital room cracked open, and a shadow slipped in. Startled, Chen Chen leapt up from the sofa.


    "It''s me!" The other man switched on the overhead light. "Don''t worry, Professor Chen."


    Automatically, Chen Chen glanced at his father lying on the bed. He had been sedated and wouldn''t wake up for a while.


    "How did you find this place?" The sudden appearance of Mo Sijie stunned Chen Chen for a moment. "Aren''t you still under quarantine?"


    "Since Professor Chen has people to save him due to his status in neuroscience, I had to rely on my own little tricks to escape. I told Captain O''Rourke that if he could get me to China, I would teach him the best flight techniques when we get back to the United States. The guy actually pulled it off," Mo Sijie joked. "Been waiting for you for half a day!"


    "Waiting for me?" Chen Chen looked puzzled.


    "Professor Chen, you''ve forgotten? We agreed yesterday to ask your father to recall something from 21 years ago!"


    "He''s not in a condition to talk right now."


    "No worries, I''ve come prepared." Mo Sijie took an apparatus out of his ever-present black backpack.


    "A memory extractor?" Chen Chen was astonished.


    "I asked Professor Albert for one," Mo Sijie began fiddling with the device and started to frown. "But it seems he didn''t teach me how to use it!"


    "Don''t bother, the memory extracted by this device can only be read by the memory''s owner," Chen Chen looked suspiciously at the lean man before him. "Did Professor Albert really give this to you?"


    "Professor Chen, you''re quite persistent," Mo Sijie gently touched the memory extractor. "Truth be told, I took this from his lab after discovering he was dead. I thought it would come in handy someday."


    Ever since he heard what this man, who appeared out of nowhere, had said yesterday, he had been skeptical. Taking advantage of work breaks, he searched for "San Francisco Paranormal Incident" online but found almost no information. Did it really exist? Or had Mo Sijie killed Professor Albert to get the memory extractor, only to find out he couldn''t use it? Had he made up stories to get close and find out how to use the device?


    "Come find me at Yi Jia Hospital at 9 pm tomorrow night."

 Chapter 15: The Test for Mo Sijie

    A frantic ringtone woke up Chen Chen from his sleep. It was a call from Chen, a staff member of the Super Brainwave Expert Group, notifying him to be present at the third-floor conference room of the administration building at Nanfang University by 10 a.m. for questioning.


    It was just 6:15 a.m. The early call made Chen Chen suspect that something serious was afoot. Yet, the caller would not divulge any details, only emphasizing that he must not be late.


    Sleepiness banished by this seemingly grave message, Chen Chen got up from his sofa, drove to the lab at his school, where he had spare clothes and could check on the progress of the ongoing experiments. Before leaving, he glanced at his father, still deep in sleep.


    Precisely at 10 a.m., Chen Chen walked into the third-floor conference room. Five pairs of eyes on the opposite side of the table were waiting for him. A bespectacled man in the center gestured for him to sit down.


    It turns out that after yesterday''s meeting, Professor Wang Hongtao and two other experts from the Super Brainwave Expert Group had collectively suggested Chen Chen''s removal as the group leader. They accused him of acting arbitrarily and hindering the progress of Super Brainwave research. They also questioned his upcoming participation in a special WHO conference on "Antamin," suspecting ties between Chen Chen and Ulysses that could be considered conflicts of interest.


    As a result, an investigative group had been hastily formed, consisting of the five people present.


    "This is a misunderstanding. I have never hindered the progress of the research," Chen Chen said after digesting the information, adding that, "Human understanding of science and disease evolves; what we think we know may sometimes aid us but may also mislead us."


    Chen Chen had never cared for titles, but he now needed his role to counteract Professor Wang Hongtao''s arbitrary conclusions and to participate in the "Antamin Special Research Meeting."


    "So, Professor Chen, please state your reasons for dismissing the ''Super R-virus'' as the causative agent of Super Brainwave !" the bespectacled man asked emotionlessly.


    "I have not dismissed it; I merely called for further verification!" Chen Chen frowned.


    Six grueling hours later, both sides were visibly tired. Chen Chen''s arguments had some merit, and the investigative group could not easily label him as obstructing the research.


    Then, a staff member brought in a stack of materials. After reading them, the investigators sighed and shook their heads. The leader threw the materials in Chen Chen''s direction. "So, Professor Chen, could you please explain what this is all about? We have reasons to suspect that you''re deliberately hiding information about the ''Super R-virus.''"


    It was a printout of the latest online media reports. "First Case of Super Brainwave Found in the Lab of Renowned Neuroscientist Chen Chen," read the headline. An insider had tipped off that this might be related to a chemical leak in Chen Chen''s lab.


    Looking at the shocking words, Chen Chen''s chest heaved, and an inexplicable sense of dread filled him. This was absurd. Who was trying to sabotage him? Was it his turn now after Professor Albert and Xia Nan?


    The investigation group immediately decided to suspend Chen Chen from his role as the leader of the Super Brainwave Expert Group. Professor Wang Hongtao would represent China at the "Antamin Special Research Meeting" in Geneva. They also demanded that Chen Chen submit the substances his lab was currently developing within five days.


    ------


    After leaving the affiliated hospital of Southern University, Chen Chen slowly drove along the welcoming avenue. A few scattered, fashionably dressed young people aimlessly wandered on the sidewalk. There were still over three hours left before his 9 o''clock meeting with Mo Sijie at Yi Jia Hospital.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Having just experienced an intense interrogation, he was exhausted. A pile of thick press releases felt like a ghostly old tree, its long vines trapping him, putting him in a very passive position in the midst of this Super Brainwave pandemic.


    Mo Sijie. Can he be trusted? At this point, it seemed like the only option. He replayed every word Mo Sijie had said to him in his mind, meticulously listing the credible information. This was crucial because only thorough preparation could make his upcoming test on this mysterious man closer to the truth. For Xia Nan, for Professor Albert, for the Super Brainwave , and even for himself, he had to try.


    "Do you have a way to help your father remember?" Mo Sijie got straight to the point as soon as he met Chen Chen at Yi Jia Hospital.


    "Perhaps, but I need your help," Chen Chen said, leading Mo Sijie into a lab where a white, chubby machine resembling a loaf of bread stood. It was the most advanced MRI scanner available internationally. With great effort, Chen Chen managed to borrow it for a night from Dr. Zhang, who was in charge of the machine.


    "This machine is far from Professor Albert''s memory extractor, but it''s the best I can come up with right now. However, I need you to help me test it first."


    Mo Sijie fully understood and did not hesitate to ask, "What do you need me to do?"


    "It''s very simple; you just have to lie down. I''ll ask you a few questions. You don''t have to answer verbally. I can deduce your responses from the activated regions of your brain, as well as signals like electric currents, waves, and magnetic fields during the thinking process. After questioning, we''ll cross-check the answers to see if this method works," explained Chen Chen, deliberately using a lot of neuroscience jargon to make the process sound more convincing to laymen.


    As simple as that, thought Mo Sijie, neuroscientists always have a way. Without a second thought, he lay down on the scanner bed. The machine started and pushed him into the large, spherical chamber. His entire body was inside, only his feet sticking out. At this moment, he began to feel tense, as if he were laid bare before Chen Chen.


    More shameful than physical nudity was the mental exposure. The scanner could clearly read his thoughts, making Mo Sijie a little fearful of this technology. Thoughts should be private, invulnerable to intrusion. At this moment, he deeply admired Professor Albert''s principle that only the involved parties should be able to access memories, even though he had criticized this design just yesterday.


    After a series of beeps and clicks to calibrate the scanner, Chen Chen''s voice came through the headphones. Every 10 seconds, he asked Mo Sijie a question. For example, he asked if Mo Sijie could fly a plane. Mo Sijie didn''t answer verbally but thought of the answer in his mind. Then, there was a 20-second break before the next question. This cycle repeated for about ten questions, all related to things Mo Sijie had previously told him.


    Analyzing the images and data on the display, Chen Chen noticed that Mo Sijie was becoming increasingly relaxed. Then, he asked the question he had summoned Mo Sijie for: "Did you kill Professor Albert?"


    Initially, Mo Sijie didn''t notice anything unusual. He considered the question silently, just as he had the previous ones, but quickly realized he''d been tricked. Chen Chen had brought him here today just to verify whether he was the one who had killed Professor Albert. And at this point, Chen Chen had already gotten the answer he sought.


    "Professor Chen, are you satisfied with the answer?" Mo Sijie asked coldly, lying in the scanner, knowing that Chen Chen could hear him.


    "Mr. Mo, since you didn''t kill Professor Albert, please answer the following questions directly. Of course, I can also determine through the machine whether you are telling the truth or lying."


    "Did you find any special clues at the crime scene?"


    "I think the person who killed Professor Albert must be someone very familiar to him."


    "Why do you think so?"


    "The memory extractor was conspicuously placed. Such an important scientific achievement wasn''t hidden when the murderer arrived."


    "So you just took it."


    "I thought it might be helpful, so I took it."


    "Why can''t I find any information about the San Francisco paranormal event online?"


    "The U.S. government is very sensitive about it. They''ve devoted significant resources to burying the event rather than investigating it. It''s as if they''re afraid of what might be uncovered."


    "Do you have any other evidence?"


    "Professor Chen, if you don''t believe me, I can show you the emails between Professor Albert and me. Let''s not waste time on this."


    Clearly agitated, Mo Sijie began tapping on the machine, signaling for Chen Chen to release him. Even if he had signed a confidentiality agreement with Professor Albert, forbidding him from disclosing any confidential material, what mattered now was to convince Chen Chen. Only then would he have a chance to thoroughly investigate the matter and find the murderer.


    Chen Chen looked at the emails opened on Mo Sijie''s laptop. Though they used a pseudonym, the punctuation habits were unmistakable¡ªcommas throughout, with a period only at the end.


    "Mr. Mo, from now on, we should trust each other!"


    The hands of the two men met in a firm grip.

 Chapter 16: Wills Embrace

    Will''s Villa, Pacific Highlands


    Xia Nan stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling glass window, watching the darkness slowly fade away, revealing a white underbelly of the sky in the distance. A new day, yet still one filled with despair. What was happening outside? Had the police found the real murderer? Or did they still suspect her of killing Professor Albert?


    Confined in this bleak, sterile villa for five days now, Xia Nan had no idea what was going on in the outside world. There were no computers, TVs, or phones¡ªno devices that could bring news from the outside world. Although Will had allowed her to move freely around the villa after she broke the door lock, it made no difference to Xia Nan. She could be found easily by Will, who had installed surveillance cameras in every room of the villa.


    Will had imprisoned her, but treated her very well. He took meticulous care of her, from personal items to clothing. He even surprised her. This tall, strong man was gentle as a lamb in her presence, forever capturing her image with his adoring gaze. He rarely left, only when work matters became urgent would he reluctantly leave the villa.


    Will was in love with her. A love that was suffocating for Xia Nan. The more he loved her, the more imprisoned she felt. "I''ll never let you leave," "From now on, you''re only my woman," Will often whispered such things into her ear.


    Last night Will didn''t come back, and Xia Nan felt a sense of relief. For three days she hadn''t slept well, tightly held in Will''s embrace. Every muscle in her body was taut with tension, and she had no room to resist. Nightmares usually woke her up.


    In her dreams, she was assaulted at fourteen or fifteen. She struggled, resisted, but no one came to her rescue. Each time, she woke up to her own terrible scream. Each time, Will would hold her tight. Just now, she was awakened by this nightmare again. This time, Will was not there, and she felt empty. This emptiness frightened her. Her heart was yearning for Will''s embrace.


    It was Will, not Chen Chen! She heard her inner voice very clearly, which drove her mad. She suspected she was suffering from Stockholm syndrome, longing for the man who had assaulted her. She often fantasized about Will''s soft tongue, strong body, and the pleasure he brought her. She even believed that Will could help her out of this predicament. This was terrifying. She must leave Will immediately, or she would sink deeper.


    Warm tears slid down her cheeks. She could no longer support herself, she leaned against the glass window and slowly slid down, falling to the floor. Her crimson silk robe covered her frail body as she buried her head in her knees and began to sob.


    "What''s wrong? Woken up by nightmares again?" After an unknown period, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her.


    Xia Nan had not noticed Will''s entry. His warm, strong embrace soothed her emotions. She lifted her head, saw Will, and instinctively reached out, hugging his neck.


    "I brought breakfast back, let''s eat first," Will whispered in Xia Nan''s ear, and, finishing his sentence, picked her up from the floor and headed to the dining room. His steps were light; this was the first time Xia Nan had initiated a hug.


    Two large servings of truffle scrambled eggs, crispy bacon-wrapped beef, a pot of black coffee, even preserved egg and lean meat porridge with fried dough sticks¡ªa mix of Chinese and Western cuisine filled the air with an intoxicating aroma.


    "I had Nofi''s chefs prepare this; it''s a bit hot," Will tasted the preserved egg porridge, "Nofi Pharmaceuticals has quite a few Chinese employees, so the cafeteria hired two Chinese chefs."


    "I grew up in San Francisco; I also had Western breakfasts in China," Xia Nan poured herself a cup of coffee, unwilling to accept this kindness, feeling she had been very undignified just now.


    "You should stay in the U.S. for your career. If you''re willing, Nofi would be delighted to have you," Will wasn''t bothered by Xia Nan''s cold words. At this moment, he felt ecstatic.


    "Don''t forget, I''m currently a fugitive," Xia Nan sipped her coffee, lifted her eyes, and asked, "Have the police found the real culprit?"


    "No," Will''s deep blue eyes shimmered, "It doesn''t matter, you''ll be free soon."


    "What do you mean by that?" Xia Nan looked puzzled.


    "The police are running out of options. They will forget about this soon," Will said smugly, laughter lines forming at the corners of his eyes as he stuffed a piece of bacon-wrapped beef into his mouth.


    "Is the Super Brainwave getting worse?" Xia Nan stopped sprinkling pepper on her truffle scrambled eggs, turned to Will, and waited for him to continue.


    "Yes, it''s escalating," Will said, chewing. "The number of infections is increasing geometrically. The police department is also seeing widespread infections, reducing available manpower to 60% of the original force."


    "Oh my God!" Shock spread across Xia Nan''s lifeless face. Compared to the suffering of humanity, she felt her own pain was trivial. She was no longer bitter, depressed, or even ashamed. Concern for the future of mankind once again occupied her emotions. "Can we only watch as the epidemic continues to worsen?"This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    "Not necessarily," Will wiped his mouth with a napkin and took a big gulp of black coffee. "Some media have reported that the source of the outbreak is a leak from Chen Chen''s lab."


    "What did you say? The Super Brainwave virus leaked from Chen Chen''s lab?" Xia Nan''s bloodshot eyes widened, and her finely arched eyebrows knitted together.


    "I just heard it too. Some media reported that the first case of Super Brainwave was a researcher from Chen Chen''s lab. The researcher fell ill right after there was a chemical leak in the lab. I don''t think it''s a coincidence. The highly secretive pathogen of Super Brainwave might indeed be related to the lab leak." Seeing Xia Nan''s strong reaction, Will felt somewhat uneasy. He knew well that it had nothing to do with Chen Chen''s lab; he was merely testing Xia Nan, or more precisely, hoping that she would forget Chen Chen sooner.


    "That was just regular viral Brainwave," Xia Nan unconsciously raised her voice, laden with noticeable anger. "The timing of the researcher''s illness and the lab leak were indeed very close, but the researcher recovered quickly after treatment. It wasn''t Super Brainwave! The media not only lack common sense but also professional ethics!"


    "You shouldn''t get so worked up. He has nothing to do with you anymore. Chen Chen left you here and flew back to China; he doesn''t care about your safety at all." Will lost his earlier good mood and paused for a moment to suppress the anger rising in his chest before continuing, "As long as Chen Chen discloses the chemicals used in the lab research and proves they are unrelated to Super Brainwave, you don''t need to worry about him."


    Xia Nan lowered her head, remaining silent.


    The lab led by Chen Chen was researching MTX, the fruits of her and Chen Chen''s labor since college. Professor Albert once joked that when a genius neuroscientist and a genius chemist come together, a unique chemical reaction occurs¡ªMTX was their chemical reaction.


    "It''s as if God is guiding me!" Xia Nan recalled the ecstatic moment when Chen Chen told her about the groundbreaking discovery that magnesium ions have a unique effect on neural network communication.


    MTX couldn''t be disclosed now; it was too risky. Its potent impact on neural networks could alter the natural evolution of the human brain. While it might significantly enhance brain function, it could have disastrous consequences if misused.


    To protect this secret, Chen Chen had implemented very strict lab protocols. The researchers involved only had access to highly diluted MTX. To this day, only she and Chen Chen knew the chemical formula for MTX. She believed that even if it cost Chen Chen his life, he wouldn''t hesitate, and neither would she.


    Xia Nan looked down and fiddled with the scrambled eggs with black truffles on her plate, breaking them into tiny pieces due to her distraction. She felt increasingly uneasy. Was someone with ulterior motives manipulating the media to pressure Chen Chen into disclosing his research?


    "Your most important task now is to protect yourself," Will softened his tone, thinking he had frightened Xia Nan earlier.


    "Can you give me a computer?" Xia Nan suddenly lifted her head and looked at Will. This was the first time she had asked him for something, and in some ways, she felt like she was making a concession to him.


    She had been confined to this villa, losing contact with the outside world. Her only source of information was Will, and if he didn''t tell her, she wouldn''t even know that Chen Chen was also in danger.


    "A computer? What do you need a computer for?" Will hesitated, puzzled by this sudden request.


    "Being cooped up in this airtight house doing nothing, I feel like I''m going insane! I should find something to do. I need a computer to write my paper," Xia Nan pleaded with her eyes.


    She looked like a lost bunny in the forest, seeking help from a hunter. Will''s softest spot was touched by her gaze. He wanted to make her happy. But this request for a computer was one he couldn''t satisfy just yet; he didn''t want her to have any contact with the outside world.


    "Wait until I come back from my Geneva meeting. I have to leave right after breakfast," Will finished the last sip of his coffee. "Feel free to use anything in this house; it should help you pass the time."


    "What about a car? Can I drive out for some fresh air? Just to go out for a bit, buy some feminine products, and come right back. My period is coming soon. You said earlier that the police are too busy to look for me, so it should be safe."


    Xia Nan noticed a softening in Will''s attitude. She saw through his nature of responding better to tenderness than toughness. As long as she made Will feel that she wanted to stay by his side, he would grant her freedom. Having spent time with Chen Chen, Xia Nan had picked up some knowledge in neuroscience. The human brain was quite easy to manipulate. Once emotions were activated, rationality vanished like smoke. Across the dinner table, she took Will''s hand and looked deeply into his eyes, saying, "I love you, Will!"


    Will gripped Xia Nan''s cool hand as if by reflex. The electrifying sensation surged from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. He believed that Xia Nan could fall in love with him. Whenever they were together, he felt intense chemical reactions in his brain, releasing an unceasing flow of special neurotransmitters¡ªdopamine, norepinephrine, phenethylamine¡ªthat filled him with immense pleasure and excitement. He believed Xia Nan felt the same.


    "Me too, my love!" With rationality fleeing him, intense emotions erupted. "The second drawer on the left in my study has spare keys for all the cars. You must be careful."


    Will stood up, walked over to Xia Nan, bent down, and kissed her forehead. Were it not for the New World Plan, nothing at this moment could pull him away from her.


    "I have to go to the airport now. Wait for me to return."


    "Could you set up a voiceprint for me to unlock the door?"


    "I''ll set it up on my phone shortly."


    Will''s right hand caressed Xia Nan''s back. He was incredibly reluctant to leave her. He even considered taking her with him to Geneva. If not for Ulysses'' arrangements for the New World Paradise trip prior to Geneva, he believed he would do so. He could take Xia Nan away from the United States, which might be safer for her.


    "It''s getting late." Xia Nan pointed to the wall clock and walked Will to the door. They hugged goodbye.


    Once Will was gone, Xia Nan felt a weight lift off her. She rushed upstairs to grab the car keys. The first thing she did was search for the memory chip in the Ferrari. She had long discovered where Will kept the car keys, but she couldn''t enter the garage without voice-controlled access.


    She had searched every corner of the villa earlier and hadn''t found it. She suspected it might be in the car. However, her meticulous search inside the car came up empty.


    Now, she needed to plan her escape. But she would wait until darkness fell; the cover of night was the best disguise, making it less likely she''d be recognized.

 Chapter 17: Inspiration for the Memory Extractor

    Five days after Professor Albert''s death, a small memorial ceremony was held for him at Stanford University''s Neuroscience Research Institute. Perhaps influenced by media speculation that Albert had raped Xia Nan before his death, not many people came to pay their respects. Angela comforted herself, attributing the low attendance to the outbreak of a Super Brainwave in San Francisco.


    The flu epidemic was out of control, and the number of infected people had skyrocketed in the past couple of days, according to health department statistics. Originally, six police officers were assigned to attend Albert''s funeral, but due to a surge in infections within the police department, this arrangement was canceled.


    After the memorial, Angela took her father''s ashes to a small town 300 kilometers away from San Francisco. It was Albert''s hometown, where he had lived before going to Stanford for college. In life, Albert had already chosen a burial plot for himself, next to the graves of his deceased parents and brother.


    The funeral was quiet and peaceful. Jazz music, which Albert loved, echoed in the air. A priest gave a eulogy, and two of Albert''s friends shared memories of their time together. After a brief 20-minute ceremony, family and old friends left, and Professor Albert was laid to rest.


    Exhausted from dealing with the media, the police, university officials, and her father''s family and friends, Angela headed straight to her father''s lab, which the police had released as a crime scene. The media''s ridiculous reports had put Angela in a difficult position.


    These reports severely damaged Albert''s reputation. More and more people started believing them. A renowned scientist had been reduced to a despised rapist overnight, and public opinion even began to tilt in favor of Xia Nan, who was suspected to be the murderer.


    Angela didn''t believe it; it sounded preposterous. To clear her father''s name, she decided to find his DNA in the lab and conduct a paternity test to prove that she and her father were not related by blood. This was the last thing she could do for him.


    Years ago, her father had undergone brain surgery. Angela remembered that he had kept a small piece of brain tissue removed during the surgery in a jar in his lab''s glass cabinet. Every morning, her father would check on these tissues, often exclaiming, "They''re just too cute."


    At one in the morning, Angela walks through the empty campus. The police and media have already left, and classes have been suspended due to a Brainwave outbreak. The campus is eerily quiet. The Albert Lab is located in the far northwest corner of Stanford University, about a twenty-minute walk from the main entrance.


    The lab stands alone, separate from the other academic buildings, darkly looming behind a lawn as if discouraging others from approaching. Angela takes out her lab key, about to unlock the door when she hears a noise from inside, like something has been knocked over.


    Someone''s in the lab?


    Angela tenses up immediately and presses her ear against the door to listen. Soft footsteps echo inside. The police have left, so who could be in the lab at this time? Her father hadn''t mentored students during his five years of research, and apart from her and her dad, no one else had the key to the lab. Who could it be?


    The killer! The thought flashes across Angela''s mind. The police suspected Xia Nan based on surveillance footage at the entrance, which, in Angela''s opinion, is quite rash. Xia Nan is not the killer, and the reason her father was murdered couldn''t be as the media claimed. That day in the morgue, she discovered a secret¡ªwhen she held her father''s head, it felt lighter. She suspected that his brain had been stolen. If that''s true, Xia Nan is even less likely to be the killer. There must be a bigger secret, perhaps the killer has returned to find something.


    Angela continues to listen attentively, pondering how to capture the culprit. She imagines the killer, strong enough to plunge a knife into her father''s heart cleanly, must be physically imposing. If she rushes in recklessly, she might not only fail to subdue the person but also put herself at risk.


    Call the police! She sends a message to Officer Coleman who tells her to stay put; he''s nearby and will be there in about 15 minutes.


    Just then, Angela hears footsteps approaching the door from inside. Before she can react, the door swings open, revealing a figure¡ªabout 5 feet 5 inches tall and slender, shrouded in darkness.


    Startled by Angela''s presence, the figure attempts to close the door but is stopped by Angela. Clearly, the person inside is physically weaker than she is. Angela has always focused on fitness; she may not be tall by American standards, but her 5-foot-7-inch frame should be more than enough to handle this individual. After a brief standoff, Angela feels the person''s strength wane and shoves them inside, where they stumble and fall.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Angela swiftly picks up a baseball bat near the door, about to move forward and subdue the intruder when a familiar voice calls out, "Angela, it''s me!"


    "Xia Nan?" Angela turns on the light, recognizing the figure as Xia Nan, who is wearing a black baseball cap, a black jacket, and black gloves.


    "What are you doing here?" Angela asks, confused. She can''t believe Xia Nan, missing for days and wanted by the police, would be in the lab.


    Xia Nan stares at Angela, still recovering from the shock of being discovered, her mouth open but unable to speak.


    "Did you kill my father?" Angela tightens her grip on the baseball bat. She had always doubted that Xia Nan was the killer, but her clandestine appearance here now made her question that belief.


    "It wasn''t me, Angela! You have to believe me!" Xia Nan stands up, her weary eyes filled with tears. "How can I make you believe me?"


    The light illuminates Xia Nan''s face, revealing her to be noticeably thinner after just five days. Her cheekbones, already rather high, now appear more prominent, and her complexion has an unnatural pallor.


    "But you were here that day, what... what were you doing?" Angela involuntarily takes a step back.


    Xia Nan knows her life hangs by a thread over an unavoidable tragedy. Seeing no reason to hide anymore, she explains why she had come to see Professor Albert, how he had extracted her memories that day, and how she had found him dead on the floor when she woke up.


    "I didn''t want Chen Chen to find out about this, but it seems inevitable now," Xia Nan says, her tone tinged with despair.


    Angela had heard about Xia Nan''s memory loss from Chen Chen, but if that were all, why didn''t she just clear things up with the police? What had she been hiding these past five days, evading capture? Angela senses that Xia Nan is still hiding something; her face says it all.


    "What did you come to do tonight?" Angela asks, "How did you get in?"


    "The window was open, so I came in," Xia Nan confesses. She had returned to Professor Albert''s lab hoping to get lucky and retrieve her lost memory chip once again. The lab window was conveniently open, so she easily climbed in.


    "These police are so unreliable!" Angela goes to close the window and turns back to ask, "You still haven''t said what you came to do tonight."


    "I lost the memory chip and wanted to perform the memory extraction again. But I couldn''t find the extractor," Xia Nan says candidly. Angela is smart; any deceit would only complicate matters.


    "The memory extractor was stolen after my father''s death, the police suspect the killer took it," Angela reveals.


    "When I left, the memory extractor was still there. Could the perpetrator have been in the lab at the time?"


    "Do you remember anything unusual about that day?"


    "I don''t know. Professor Albert gave me a sedative. I have no idea what happened until I woke up."


    "Did you touch the murder weapon? Why were your fingerprints on it?"


    "Yes, I accidentally touched it while checking to see if Professor Albert was dead."


    "Where have you been these days? No one could find you."


    "At a friend''s house, I was safe." Xia Nan looked away, clearly ashamed.


    "Was it Will?" Angela blurted out. An unexplained inspiration struck her. She finally remembered the scent of orange blossom perfume in Will''s car¡ªthat was unique to Xia Nan.


    How did she end up with Will? Angela found Xia Nan strange. The composed and stable Professor Xia Nan now seemed a bit jittery, apparently affected by recent events.


    "That''s not important," Xia Nan''s voice was weak.


    "You should go to the police to clear things up; you might have useful information."


    "I''ve told you everything I know; you can tell the police. I have more important things to do."


    "To continue searching for the memory chip?"


    "Yes." Xia Nan hesitated, lying. While the memory chip was important, she had something even more pressing to do. "Can I use your computer?"


    "Sure," Angela nodded, sighed, and continued. "But you should contact Professor Chen first. He is very worried about you; he even called to ask about you."


    Hearing the name Chen Chen, Xia Nan felt a wave of sorrow wash over her. She was running away, avoiding anything connected to Chen Chen, including Angela, his assistant. She didn''t dare to make eye contact.


    "Is he... is he okay? I heard he''s being investigated."


    "Investigated? For what?" Angela had been busy with her father''s funeral and was unaware.


    "Some media reported that the outbreak of a super virus was due to a leak from his lab!"


    "Absurd..."


    Before Angela could finish, her phone buzzed. It was a message from Officer Coleman, who was already at the door of Professor Albert''s lab, asking where she was.


    "You go hide; the police are here. I''ll handle it," said Angela.


    Xia Nan quickly moved towards the innermost room. Angela opened the door and apologized to Officer Coleman, claiming it was a stray cat that had caused the commotion. After a brief exchange, she saw him out.


    When Angela returned, Xia Nan was gone.


    Angela took a deep breath to calm herself. From a compartment in her backpack, she pulled out a memory chip. This was what she had found in Will''s car, and now she suspected it was the chip Xia Nan had lost. Her friend was Will!


    Recalling how strangely Will had acted the other day, she suspected it had something to do with Xia Nan.


    Angela turned on the desk lamp and scrutinized the chip, wondering what secrets it held. Xia Nan seemed anxious and unsettled, heightening Angela''s curiosity.


    Was Xia Nan''s missing memory related to that rape case? Was she really raped back then? Had she given birth to a girl? Was that girl Angela? She had many questions but didn''t know how to ask.


    Unfortunately, the memory extractor was gone. Otherwise, she could help Xia Nan unlock the chip''s memories, revealing the truth.


    Angela sighed, reflecting on the memory extractor¡ªher father''s life work, inspired by her own childhood complaints about her poor memory. Medical ethics aside, her father''s invention only activated memories corresponding to the DNA of the person experiencing them.


    Now the most important thing was Chen Chen. She had a new idea about the super virus that might help clear his name.

 Chapter 18: Desert Paradise

    In the southeastern part of Eka, in the northwest corner of the Elrit Desert, an old, neglected road cuts through the landscape. On both sides of the road, there''s nothing but barren earth stretching to the horizon. The area shows no signs of life; the silence is overwhelming.


    At the end of the road stands a tall stone wall. What lies beyond is unknown to outsiders, although six or seven watchtowers rising above the wall hint at its unusual nature. This used to be an infamous prison, home to many criminals. Years of ongoing military conflicts left the Eka government exhausted, abandoning this prison decades ago. Residents of Eka avoid this land, equating Elrit to Hell.


    Twenty-three years ago, a construction company called Black Mamba acquired the prison and hired 200 local young laborers, offering generous compensation. Under the guidance of American designers, they dismantled the interior walls and renovated the facility.


    No one knows why Black Mamba chose this prison, and the Eka government didn''t care what they''d do inside. After all, the purchase price far exceeded the value of the prison itself. Black Mamba''s only request was to erase it from the map of Eka. Twenty-three years have passed, and this structure in the Elrit Desert is forgotten, even missing from Ica''s map.


    A Sikorsky S-76D helicopter lands softly on the helipad inside the stone walls. Ulysses and Will disembark, detouring to Eka to inspect the latest progress of their New World project before heading to a special Antamin meeting in Geneva. They stand before the experimental base of the New World Project¡ªNew World Paradise.


    Ulysses named it after Aldous Huxley''s "Brave New World." In his view, the New World Paradise he''s building is more realistic than Huxley''s fiction. Over 120 scientists from around the world are here, conducting research that could change human destiny. They agree with Ulysses'' vision: the speed of technological advancement has outpaced human evolution, and AI is becoming humanity''s most dangerous enemy. To save humanity, they must enhance human intelligence through artificial intervention.


    Before this, they need to execute a "lightning operation." Overpopulation is burdening Earth, and they must first eliminate those with IQs below 100. In intelligence assessment, an IQ of 70-80 is dull; 60-70 is mildly intellectually disabled; 50-60 is severely intellectually disabled. While 80-100 is considered normal, these people lack creativity and contribute little to societal progress. Improving their intelligence would be a waste of resources.


    "Survival of the fittest" is the core idea of Darwinian evolution. Over 100 years have passed, and this biological principle has been pushed to its extreme in human society.


    Meyer, the New World Paradise''s executive director, walks Ulysses and Will into Lab 1. Scientists are busy analyzing clinical data from the fifth generation of "neural dust." The New World Project is in its final countdown.


    "Can we launch in 10 days?" Ulysses casts a glance at the bustling scientists, then looks at Will, the chief researcher of Neural Dust.


    "The clinical data is pretty good; the fifth-generation Neural Dust is 80% more stable than the fourth," says Will, his eyes fixed on two screens displaying real-time footage of living spaces and workstations coded "Maya 1728" to "Maya 1734" and "Descartes 92" to "Descartes 99."


    These are clinical test subjects, categorized into different groups¡ªMaya or Descartes¡ªbased on their IQs. Those with IQs below 100 are labeled "Maya," and those above 100 are given the identity of "Descartes," sequentially numbered upon their arrival.


    Will signals a bespectacled staffer to send a "thirst code" to Maya 1728 to 1734. Three seconds later, all seven Mayas synchronously pick up cups and drink. "Consciousness" implanted successfully!


    "Upgrade!" commands Will succinctly. The staff understand; he means to escalate the mission.


    A minute later, a German Shepherd, about 60 centimeters tall, bursts into the living space. The Mayas react differently. Mayas 1728, 1729, 1731, and 1732 become alert and frightened, retreating to corners. Mayas 1730, 1733, and 1734, however, approach the dog with loving eyes. Maya 1730 even reaches out to pet it.


    "Mayas 1728, 1729, 1731, and 1732 had experiences with dogs before entering the Paradise; Mayas 1730, 1733, and 1734 had past encounters of being chased by dogs. Maya 1730 was once bitten badly by a Shepherd. ''Consciousness'' modification successful!"


    Their Neural Dust overrides past experiences, enabling them to act contrary to their memories. The neural dust transmits artificial brainwaves, dictating their reactions rather than their past memories. It''s a complex command, far more advanced than a simple action code.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "The fifth generation of Neural Dust not only can issue simple action commands but also has the capability to alter a subject''s emotional experience. It has passed repeatability tests," Will said, looking at Ulysses with a sense of triumph.


    "Emotions are unnecessary. They hinder human progress. A person without emotions is invincible," Ulysses replied. He thought of his parents¡ªhad they not felt pity for the weak and participated in the International Red Cross mission in the Middle Eastern country of Eka, they would not have lost their lives in an explosion. If his mother had not lost her hearing and had been able to hear her companion''s cries, they might have been able to escape in time.


    Some emotions ruin lives, like stubbornly loving a woman you can''t have. The image of a woman in a white dress, her hair flowing, crossed his mind as he stood on the green field.


    "The future of humanity should be devoid of emotion. Human reproduction is not about love, but about combining the best genes," Ulysses said, crossing his arms and speaking with even more gravity.


    "What''s hardest to change in humans is instinct, an inherited brain ''program.'' It''s easier to delete than to change! The fifth generation of neural dust already has this capability," Will responded with a slight smile, supremely confident in his invention.


    Ulysses nodded satisfactorily and then proceeded to Lab No. 2, where the most crucial part of the New World Plan was being carried out¡ªthe Da Vinci Code, personally overseen by him.


    "Have the results for the 1238th trial come in?" Ulysses walked straight to a short man in a white lab coat.


    "The results are not promising. The drug toxicity hasn''t fallen within a safe range. Five clinical trial subjects began showing signs of poisoning on the 58th day after taking ''Taba''," the short man handed over a file to Ulysses.


    "No new breakthroughs in IQ, still stuck at 198?" Ulysses frowned.


    "We tried increasing the dosage to push the subject''s IQ over 200, but the side effects increased significantly," the short man adjusted his glasses, appearing uneasy.


    "Our target is 230!" Ulysses was firm. "No excuses. Whatever it takes, we must reach this goal. Have Emily come by tomorrow."


    ---


    "Emily!" Xia Nan peeked out from a small bush in front of a French-style row house, softly calling out to the tall woman opening the door. She had been squatting there for almost half a day, and her legs were beginning to go numb.


    The arrival of the police made her abandon the idea of seeking help from Angela. Although Angela was kind, Xia Nan wasn''t sure if she would still genuinely help her without turning her over to the police. Xia Nan slipped out of the room through the window while Angela went to answer the door.


    After leaving Professor Albert''s lab, Xia Nan drove around San Francisco''s main streets for a couple of rounds. She didn''t dare to get out of the car, even though she was disguised with a face mask and sunglasses.


    "How is Chen Chen doing?" The accusation against him of being the originator of the Super Brainwave worried her more than her own suspicion of murdering Professor Albert. She needed to help him clear his name.


    "Who is it?" Emily turned cautiously, spotting a pale and tired face. "Xia Nan! What are you doing here?"


    "Dear, can you tell me what exactly happened? I''ve been worried sick these past days!" Emily broke the silence as she led Xia Nan into the living room.


    "Let''s have a drink first," she poured a glass of bourbon for Xia Nan. Emily was a very attractive woman with tan skin, deep brown hair, and a few freckles near her eyes, which added a touch of sexiness.


    "Emily, I need your help," Xia Nan''s eyes filled with tears, her voice trembling. "Give me a computer that can access the internet! Right now!"


    "Computer? Internet?" Emily looked astonished at Xia Nan''s sudden request, although for her it was an easy task to fulfill.


    "Chen Chen has been framed, and I want to see if I can help him." Facing Emily, Xia Nan did not hide her intentions.


    "Are you two now ''desperate lovers''?" Emily stared into Xia Nan''s eyes seriously. "You should first help yourself. What''s going on with Professor Albert? Is there anything he can do to help you?"


    "I don''t know. Maybe once the police find the real killer, I can be exonerated. I need a computer now, Emily!" Xia Nan reiterated her request.


    "It''s really inconvenient, my computer got water damaged a few days ago and is being repaired. I haven''t had time to pick it up," Emily fibbed, showing a helpless expression.


    "A phone will do, lend me your phone," Xia Nan urged.


    "I worry that Professor Chen''s phone is being monitored by the police. Tell me what you need, and I''ll find a way to convey it," Emily looked at Xia Nan with an extremely sincere gaze, indicating her willingness to help.


    Xia Nan looked troubled. She knew that with Chen Chen''s temperament, even if he was charged with manufacturing a Super Brainwave virus, he would never hand over MTX. She needed to tell Chen Chen that MTX, when processed at 1000¡ãC, could alter its chemical formula while retaining some of its functions. Once this is done, even if it were found by the investigators, they couldn''t determine the real structure of the MTX product.


    Could she trust Emily? They had been best friends, and Emily still seemed as enthusiastic as before. She should trust Emily; she was sitting on Emily''s sofa right now because of that trust. Besides Emily, no one else in San Francisco could help her.


    "Tell him, 1000¡ã high heat, it''s safe, he will understand."


    "MTX? Xia Nan, are you the real developer of MTX?" Emily pressed.


    The question snapped Xia Nan out of her frenzy¡ªEmily was also extremely interested in MTX! Xia Nan remembered she had once mentioned MTX to Emily, but she was sure she had never told her that she was involved in its development.


    She hadn''t seen Emily for two years. Although they had maintained sporadic contact online, distance sometimes created emotional distance as well. Perhaps like those who framed Chen Chen, Emily also wanted to get her hands on the MTX formula. Her words had undoubtedly put herself in another dangerous situation.


    "Of course not, Emily. I just thought of where I can find a computer. I have to go."


    As Xia Nan got up to leave, Emily swiftly raised her right hand and struck the back of Xia Nan''s neck. Xia Nan fainted.

 Chapter 19: Conversations at the Boiling Fish Restaurant

    "Angela, you''re finally back!" Just as she stepped into the Chen Chen lab at Southern University, a raspy male voice immediately wafted over from the southeast corner of the lab. Jiang Fei, overjoyed to see Angela dragging her suitcase into the lab, immediately leapt up from his seat, extending his arms for a hug. However, Angela stopped him with a counter-question: "Where''s Professor Chen? I couldn''t get through on the phone."


    "He''s locked himself in his office and won''t let anyone in," Jiang Fei pouted. "Don''t worry, I''ll call him right now. You have some water and rest first."


    Professor Chen''s office is in another building. When he doesn''t have teaching duties, he generally stays in the lab. Yesterday, he had told everyone in the lab to stop their work, claiming it was a holiday for all, and then locked himself in his office. Jiang Fei, with nowhere else to go, stayed in the lab to work on his thesis so that he could be readily available should Professor Chen need him.


    Angela looked around the empty lab, her heart sinking. This was the scientific research that Professor Chen considered his life''s work. They had once pulled all-nighters here running experiments and correcting data. Now, it was desolate.


    Regarding the Super Brainwave, Angela had organized her thoughts during the flight and had some ideas. If her hypotheses could be verified, it would likely exonerate Professor Chen.


    Sandy Deaf School, Katrina, Biero''s curse, Super Brainwave ... When Chen Chen arrived at the lab, these were the terms Angela was writing on the blackboard.


    Chen Chen was somewhat entranced by this familiar scene, the name "Xia Nan" lingering on his lips. This blackboard was bought by Xia Nan, who said that writing chemical formulas on it could better stimulate inspiration. And the young woman in front of him now was Xia Nan''s daughter, which felt very strange to Chen.


    "What is this?"


    Angela didn''t notice Chen''s entrance until she heard his familiar voice from behind her. Turning around, she frowned at the unkempt Chen, "Professor Chen, how can you look even more disheveled than me?"


    "Been too busy," Chen touched his scruffy chin, making an excuse. Angela seemed in good condition, not like someone who had just been through a traumatic event. That was something he admired about her.


    "Take me to Sichuan Boiling Fish. We can talk while we eat," Angela checked her watch, realizing it was mealtime, and began dragging Chen by his arm.


    ------


    The Sichuan Boiling Fish Restaurant is located on a food street near the northern gate of Southern University and is the number-one trending boiling fish restaurant in Southern City. Before the outbreak of the Super Brainwave , this small 50-square-meter shop would start having a line by 11 am every day. The first time Chen had come here was with Xia Nan.


    Xia Nan loved spicy food, which had a lot to do with her parents being from Sichuan. Although she grew up in the United States, she was a spice aficionado. But for health reasons, she was very restrained and would only allow herself this treat for special occasions. Angela''s love for spice took Chen by surprise. He once jokingly made a "spicy map of China" for Angela, telling her that according to her taste buds, one of her parents must be from Sichuan. Now, he knew the origin of Angela''s spicy gene.


    Today, the Sichuan Boiling Fish Restaurant finally had no line. Business in restaurants plummeted after the Super Brainwave outbreak, and ninety percent of the shops on this food street had closed due to poor business. The boss of this restaurant is from Chengdu and was a bit grouchy when business was good. Now with business down, he became much friendlier. "Hello!" came the enthusiastic greeting from inside the restaurant.


    There were no other customers in the entire restaurant, so Chen and Angela chose a table by the window.


    "Professor Chen, after this meal, my mood will plummet," Angela said, selecting her favorite dishes from the menu.


    "Do you want to turn sorrow into strength?" Chen broke through his recent melancholy and made a joke with Angela. Whenever he was with her, he felt much more relaxed.


    "The first lesson you taught me was about dopamine, and it turns out to be very effective," Angela grinned, hesitating between blackfish and mandarin fish. "Yearning brings more pleasure than having. Once you get what you desire, the level of dopamine decreases."This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    "What really increases the secretion of dopamine is your psychological anticipation of the boiling fish, not the consumption of it," he knew what Angela was trying to express, "Well learned, student Angela. When the dishes arrive, you mustn''t start eating. At that moment, the dopamine secreted by your brain''s limbic system will reach its peak."


    "Professor Chen, you''re wrong again! Consuming boiling fish stimulates the pleasure center in the brain, causing the release of more endorphins, which in turn intensifies my love for boiling fish. In the future, when I think of boiling fish, my brain will release even more dopamine." Angela handed her chosen menu to Chen Chen, asking if anything needed to be added.


    "Indeed, the old Chinese saying is true: ''The student starves the master.''" Chen Chen took the menu, ticked off a stir-fried vegetable dish, and handed it to the waiter. "I can no longer enjoy Sichuan cuisine in this lifetime. Is everything sorted with Professor Albert?"


    "Everything''s settled, the school was very helpful. I couldn''t have done it alone," Angela said, her mood sinking at the mention of her father. "Something feels off."


    Angela looked around the room, which was unnaturally quiet. She leaned in and whispered, "I suspect someone stole my father''s brain."


    "When did you discover this?" Chen Chen looked at Angela, who said, "In the morgue. I was too distraught to notice at the time. But in hindsight, his head felt lighter."


    Angela paused before continuing, "I wanted to confirm after claiming his body from the police, but they notified me that due to the pandemic, they''ve already cremated him."


    "Professor Albert had a stitch line under his jaw, which is abnormal for an autopsy. I questioned the police; they denied it. I guess they don''t want people to know." Chen Chen sighed.


    "So you suspected this too!" Angela exclaimed.


    "Your discovery confirms my 99% suspicion. Now, I am certain someone stole Professor Albert''s brain," Chen Chen said.


    "Why? Why would the murderer steal his brain?" Angela became emotional.


    Chen Chen gestured for her to calm down. "Maybe the brain was the objective. For experiments? Like Einstein''s brain, illegally obtained for research?"


    "If that were the case, it would be easier," sighed Chen Chen.


    A sizzling hot pot was placed between them, disrupting their conversation. Angela straightened up, losing her appetite for the food.


    "Do you believe in my father?" Angela asked, her eyes teary.


    "I do," Chen Chen reassured her, "and you should too."


    He served her a bowl of fish slices, "Eat up. Your dopamine can''t wait."


    Angela smiled. As she was about to eat, she looked at Chen Chen, "Oh, one more thing. I saw Sister Xia Nan in my father''s lab."


    "She was there again? How is she? Why hasn''t she contacted me?" Chen Chen fired off three questions, eagerly waiting for Angela''s reply.


    Angela narrated the incident when she met Xia Nan in her father''s lab. To avoid increasing Chen Chen''s anxiety, she withheld the fact that Xia Nan appeared a bit neurotic and the memory chip that she had hidden; she could not hand it over to Chen Chen.


    "She will do whatever it takes to achieve her goals, whether it''s a scientific experiment or recovering lost memories." Hearing that Xia Nan was safe, Chen Chen sighed in relief.


    He knew that Xia Nan would not give up until she recovered those memories. Just like when she dropped her ongoing research to fully support him, tirelessly looking for magnesium compounds. Finding a magnesium compound that could be effectively absorbed by the human body and was non-toxic was incredibly challenging. It took three years for Xia Nan to sift through over 10,000 compounds and select five magnesium ion compounds for Chen Chen''s experiments. That''s how MTX came to be.


    But he was puzzled as to why Xia Nan hadn''t contacted him. Even if she had lost her phone, there were plenty of ways to reach him. Why did she choose to disappear when she needed him the most? And why wasn''t he by her side when she needed help? Chen Chen felt deeply guilty.


    ------


    Another point he couldn''t understand was Xia Nan''s amnesia. It should be psychogenic amnesia, selectively forgetting the past due to the enormous trauma of being raped and giving birth. Such amnesia can generally be reversed through hypnosis. Her memory loss seemed more complicated than that.


    Chen Chen tried hard to control himself, not wanting Angela to detect any change in his emotions, but he clearly felt his heartbeat accelerating. He picked up a piece of spicy fish and stuffed it into his mouth, then another. The spiciness collided in his mouth, inhibiting the high-speed operation of his brain cells.


    "Professor Chen, why are you eating spicy food?" Angela looked at Chen Chen in astonishment.


    Only then did Chen Chen feel his stomach churning. He can''t eat spicy food; every time he does, his stomach strongly protests. He drank three cups of hot tea to feel a bit better.


    "I think Xia Nan is safe for now. Once the police find the real culprit, she can quickly reunite with you," Angela, knowing the professor''s unusual behavior was due to his concerns for Xia Nan, comforted him.


    "I hope so." Chen Chen closed his eyes wearily, praying for Xia Nan to be safe during this time. He suddenly remembered seeing Angela write something like ''Super Brainwave '' on the blackboard and asked, "What were you writing on the blackboard earlier?"


    "I was organizing my thoughts, Professor Chen. I suspect that the outbreak of Super Brainwave may be related to a certain sound, but I can''t confirm it yet," Angela said very mysteriously.


    "A sound?" Chen Chen found it unbelievable.


    "Possible! Give me two days to prove this," Angela already had a plan in her mind but couldn''t tell Chen Chen. If he knew, he would definitely stop her.

 Chapter 20: Angelas Discovery

    Two days later, at Southern University.


    "Professor Chen, there''s a new discovery. Meet in the lab in half an hour!" When Chen Chen received Angela''s message, he was sitting on the sofa in his office, watching the clock''s minute hand slowly approach the number 10. In just six hours, the investigation team would require him to submit the materials developed in his lab. If he failed to comply, the team would take action and seal off the lab.


    The chemical leak in the lab originated from an experimenter accidentally breaking a bottle of acidic chemicals. At that time, Chen had promptly reported the incident to the school. The leaked chemicals were not toxic, merely emitting a pungent smell. The school had merely categorized it as a routine chemical leak incident. Unexpectedly, the media exaggerated the incident, even linking it to a Super Brainwave.


    Chen glanced at the black folder on the coffee table. It contained all the information Jiang Fei had prepared about the chemical leak. If no other means to prove his innocence emerged, he would take this material to argue his case with the investigation team. In any case, he couldn''t hand over MTX. Currently, the lab was solving the issue of balancing the drug''s efficacy and safety.


    Moreover, only he and Xia Nan knew the formula for MTX. They had not even applied for a patent yet. Generally, once a compound was discovered in the lab, a patent would be filed before testing its efficacy to prevent competitors from stealing the work. But applying for a patent would also mean making one''s research public.


    Chen and Xia Nan had decided not to file for a patent yet, per Professor Albert''s instruction. When they had just discovered MTX, it showed astonishing results in a rat experiment! Whenever he closed his eyes, Chen could vividly remember that night. If he hadn''t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn''t have believed that something out of a sci-fi movie could occur in his lab.


    That night, he was on duty in the animal room. After completing an experiment on neural network chemical signaling around 11 pm, he walked through the animal care area and into the animal room. Albert''s lab had a well-stocked animal room, strictly managed, and Albert himself made a nightly round to ensure the animals were well taken care of.


    As Chen walked into the room, he faintly heard words like "brain," "neuron," "amygdala" coming from inside. But he was sure he was the only one in the room that night! Following the sound, Chen stopped before the third cage in the mouse area. He bent down and found one mouse awake, shaking the cage bars. These were the mice he had requested from Professor Albert to test the effects of MTX on learning and memory.


    He leaned close and listened. The mouse seemed to be whispering to him! Astonished, Chen couldn''t help but exclaim, "Oh my God!" To his greater amazement, the mouse repeated his words back to him! Chen then said, "The weather is nice today," and again, the mouse repeated the sentence. Chen further increased the complexity of the sentences, but the mouse mimicked every word perfectly.


    "MTX?" Professor Albert caught this scene just as Chen was fully engrossed in communicating with the mouse.


    Before Chen could react, the word "MTX" popped out of the mouse''s mouth.


    "I think it should be!" said Chen, looking up at Professor Albert. "Today is the seventh day."


    Albert signaled for Chen to take the two mice to the animal testing area and conducted a water maze experiment on them¡ªa test of a mouse''s memory and learning abilities. However, it was clearly unnecessary; a mouse capable of language learning would find such a test trivial. Professor Albert quickly realized this.


    "Go to the dissection area!" Professor Albert looked solemnly at the two small creatures. "Their neural networks must have undergone significant changes!"


    Chen Chen had euthanized thousands of mice, but he couldn''t forget the look in the eyes of the little black-spotted mouse just before its death. His heart tightened even now, thinking of the sorrow, fear, and pleading he had seen in those eyes.


    With trembling hands, Chen Chen euthanized the mouse by cervical dislocation and then used surgical scissors to cut open the skin on its head. The pinkish flesh was exposed to both him and Professor Albert, who separated the hippocampal tissue from the cerebral cortex and surrounding brain matter.


    "Incredible, it''s all incredibly beautiful!" Professor Albert exclaimed in awe as he examined the neuronal connections in the mouse''s cerebral cortex under the optical microscope. "The neural connections have undergone significant changes, even forming long-distance connections within the cerebral cortex!"


    Professor Albert spent more than half an hour at the microscope before finally giving Chen Chen a turn. What Chen Chen saw were astonishing changes in the mouse''s neural network, with at least four to five times more neural nodes than a regular mouse.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Professor Albert paced the laboratory, finally breaking his silence, "MTX could potentially treat many neuron-related diseases. But it could also contradict the evolutionary process of human neurons."


    Yes, when Chen Chen saw that the black-spotted mouse had the ability to learn language, he felt that MTX had crossed ethical boundaries. "Should we stop, Professor?" Chen Chen was momentarily uncertain.


    "If we can find a balance, this could be a great invention!" Professor Albert paced faster, his eyes shining as he looked at Chen Chen. "The special chemical reaction between a genius neuroscientist and a genius chemist is MTX."


    Currently, animal experiments with MTX diluted 10,000 times were ongoing in the lab. Chen Chen had not yet found the "balance" Professor Albert spoke of, and the ability of MTX to cross the blood-brain barrier had obviously weakened after dilution.


    Rapid footsteps disrupted Chen Chen''s thoughts. Angela burst into the office, out of breath. She threw her backpack onto the sofa, rushed to the water cooler, and guzzled down a large cup of water. She had probably been running around all day without even a sip of water.


    After a loud burp, Angela collected herself and excitedly whispered, "I''ve found the ''pathogen'' for the Super Brainwave !"


    Chen Chen looked at her in surprise. He hadn''t seen her in the lab since their last meal together. He waited for her to continue, sensing she had made a significant discovery.


    "It''s not a virus! There''s no virus at all!" Angela pulled up a chair and sat down opposite Chen Chen. "It''s an audio frequency that interferes with brain neurons, causing symptoms similar to Brainwave !"


    "Audio frequency? What audio frequency?" Chen Chen felt a twinge in his heart. This sounded implausible but wasn''t impossible.


    "It''s the title track of Andy Bogard''s album ''Biero''s Curse,''" Angela signaled for Chen Chen to hand her the backpack from the sofa and took out the album.


    "How could that be? Both you and I have listened to it and nothing happened." Chen Chen looked puzzled.


    "But Katrina got infected! She caught the Super Brainwave ! She fell ill at the police station, but fortunately, the symptoms weren''t too severe," Angela said seriously.


    "And what does that prove?" Chen Chen was there that day; he knew about Katrina''s sudden illness.


    Angela continued, "That day in her office, we did two things: drank American coffee and listened to ''Biero''s Curse.'' She hadn''t listened to it before.


    "I was puzzled why not a single student at the Sandy School for the Deaf had contracted Super Brainwave. Teachers at the school have been infected, yet these kids¡ªpart of a demographic most susceptible to the disease¡ªwere spared.


    "Then it hit me. Students at the deaf school are immune to sound! That''s why their teachers got infected, but the children remained healthy."


    Listening intently, Chen Chen nodded, signaling for her to continue. Angela took a sip of water and changed her sitting position.


    "Then, I had my second question: what exactly was the nature of the sound? I carefully recalled everything we did before Katrina fell ill that day, and the only thing related to sound was ''The Curse of Biero.'' Moreover, she said she had never heard the album before.


    "And I also noticed that the album''s sales were unusually good. Actually, I don''t think it''s Andy Bogard''s best work. However, its sales far exceeded the total sales of all his previous albums, and even multiple times over. Theoretically, such a rock-influenced album should have a limited audience. But it''s being heavily promoted on radio stations, as if it''s everywhere. Is it correct to say, ''ubiquitous''?"


    Angela glanced at Chen Chen, not confident in her usage of idioms but eager to include them in the conversation. Chen Chen nodded, urging her to continue.


    "''Ubiquitous!'' Angela repeated the idiom, "So, I compared the release dates and regions of ''The Curse of Biero'' with the outbreak and spread of the Super Brainwave , and they almost coincide!"


    "To confirm this hypothesis, I conducted an experiment," Angela''s voice softened. She looked earnestly at Chen Chen and paused for a while before continuing, "Professor Chen, please listen calmly. If you''re going to blame me, so be it, but there was no better way."


    Chen Chen had already guessed what Angela had done. He wasn''t in the mood for laughter but managed a strained smile, encouraging her to go on, "I promise."


    "Two days ago, I went to a rural village on the northwest side of Nanfang City. The village only has some elderly people and preschoolers, none of whom have heard ''The Curse of Biero.'' As a volunteer, I visited two elderly people who are terminally ill. I played ''The Curse of Biero'' for them. Three hours later, they both exhibited symptoms of Super Brainwave . So, I believe that ''The Curse of Biero'' and Super Brainwave are directly related!"


    "What happened to those two elderly people afterward?" Chen Chen clenched his fists.


    "Unfortunately, their condition worsened significantly, and they passed away within a day," Angela''s voice grew softer.


    Chen Chen closed his eyes in resignation, tears streaming down his cheeks. He couldn''t blame Angela. Although her method was cruel, it was effective in proving a direct link between ''The Curse of Biero'' and the Super Brainwave . But Angela had overlooked one thing: the results of such an experiment could not be made public. It would provoke a whirlwind of criticism, both ethical and procedural, and the questions raised would far outweigh any agreement.


    He composed himself and looked at Angela, whose blue eyes were staring right back, seemingly waiting for something, yet also fearing something.


    "This is a very significant discovery, Angela. Sound therapy can cure autism and epilepsy, and sound can also induce diseases. High-frequency vibrations can resonate with the deeper parts of the brain, causing changes deep within. But we can''t disclose your experimental process."


    "Professor Chen, I have friends in the United States conducting an audio analysis. We should have the results soon."


    "How soon?" Chen Chen glanced at the clock on the wall; he had only 4 hours left.


    "At least 3 days."


    "It''s too late," Chen Chen sighed and turned on the wall-mounted TV. "The Antamin special research meeting is about to start. Let''s watch it together."

 Chapter 21: The Special Antamin Conference

    Geneva. The World Health Organization''s "Super Brainwave: Special Antamin Conference."


    A total of 921 scientists and public health experts from 138 countries attended the meeting. The significance of the conference was such that all invitees were present; none were absent.


    The meeting focused on three issues: Are the current prevention and treatment measures for Super Brainwave effective? Are the existing early warning and response systems sufficiently robust? Can Antamin be exceptionally used for treating Super Brainwave?


    Ms. Edith, Director-General of the World Health Organization, presided over the meeting personally, marking it as the highest-profile gathering ever. Although she recently suffered the loss of her child, she looked very frail. Just ten days ago, her 19-year-old son died from Super Brainwave.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, humanity is facing its most severe test ever! The Super Brainwave epidemic has exploded on a global scale, taking 23 million lives in just three months. Super Brainwave seems to be outperforming global health agencies," her brief opening remarks made everyone in the room gravely serious. At that moment, over 5 billion people were watching the live broadcast of this conference concerning human destiny. Super Brainwave hung like the Sword of Damocles over humanity, plunging everyone''s lives into endless fear.


    Edith is a very competent person who gets things done. During her tenure, she has successfully controlled many different infectious diseases, no simple task, even offending many interest groups. However, when facing Super Brainwave, her confidence and decisiveness had almost completely vanished.


    "Two months ago, after discussions among experts, the WHO identified Super Brainwave as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and took immediate international action. However, we still cannot identify the source of Super Brainwave transmission or its transmission routes, and we even lack clear diagnostic methods. This leaves humanity helpless in fighting against Super Brainwave, and Super Brainwave ''s attack on humanity is intensifying."


    "In the past week, the number of people infected with Super Brainwave globally increased by 930%, and the number of deaths increased by 367%. Three days ago, China declared full wartime status. Two days ago, the United States declared a state of emergency. One day ago, Russia announced indefinite full wartime status until a vaccine for Super Brainwave is developed."


    "But from the current situation, lack of trust between nations, political instability, and the spread of lies and misinformation are major obstacles in dealing with Super Brainwave ."


    Edith summarized the Super Brainwave epidemic and the global and regional responses coordinated by the WHO in Geneva and its Western Pacific office (Manila).


    Next, health ministers from the United States, China, Russia, South Africa, Australia, and 7 other countries briefly described their countries'' prevention and treatment measures and early warning systems for Super Brainwave. They also proposed plans for how the world could join hands to fight the epidemic, such as enhancing surveillance, tracking cases, increasing financial and human resources, and cross-border consultations on information exchange.


    "The United States has a lot of experience in dealing with infectious diseases and very strict measures for prevention and isolation. However, the control of Super Brainwave is more severe than any other previous epidemics. We have activated emergency operation centers..."


    "Useless!" Chen Chen chuckled coldly. He and Angela sat in front of the TV. Initially, he was supposed to represent China at this conference.


    "Totally wrong direction!" Angela, listening to the endless talks by the health ministers, became increasingly restless. "Professor Chen, we should report our latest findings to the WHO."


    Chen Chen leaned back against the sofa, saying nothing. He is currently suspected by the media as the instigator of the Super Brainwave. What he says would have very little credibility in the eyes of others, and may even backfire, labeling him as defending himself.


    "Unfortunately, we still don''t have solid evidence," Angela said dejectedly, guessing that Chen Chen was troubled by the lack of evidence. Without proof, nobody would believe them.


    Chen Chen stared intently at the TV. Andrea, a leading neuroscientist and a professor at the California Institute of Technology''s Brain Science Institute, was speaking. Due to the unique neurological symptoms shown by Super Brainwave patients, neuroscientists were on the front lines, fighting alongside epidemiologists and virologists.


    "Professor Andrea! Perhaps we could contact Professor Andrea, she would believe me..."


    "Angela, now is not the time," Chen Chen knew that Angela had a very good relationship with Andrea, but the complexity of Super Brainwave goes far beyond the scope of science. He signaled Angela to keep watching the TV.


    The first two agendas of the meeting went very quickly. The next agenda was discussing whether Antamin could be exceptionally used for Super Brainwave treatment. Antamin was still in its Phase I clinical trial. Direct clinical application would not only break through the drug marketing process, but WHO was also more concerned about the drug''s safety.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    "Plagues and infectious diseases are the second greatest enemy of humanity. However, in the past few decades, epidemics have seen a significant decrease in both prevalence and impact. In 1967, smallpox infected 15 million people and took 2 million lives; by 1979, smallpox was eradicated.


    "The reason for such achievements is that 20th-century medicine reached unprecedented heights, providing humanity with vaccines, antibiotics, and improved medical conditions and infrastructure," Ulysses, dressed in a black suit, began his speech. As the head of the pharmaceutical company that developed Antamin, he had ten minutes to speak.


    "Even so, humanity still needs to face epidemics that break out every few decades, and millions of people die from epidemics every year. Scientists had once predicted that a major epidemic would break out globally.


    "In human history, one of the most famous epidemics is the Black Death. Rapidly spreading from somewhere in East or Central Asia in the 1330s to Asia, Europe, and North Africa, it is estimated that between 75 million and 200 million people died from the Black Death."


    "Right now, we''re facing the ''Super Brainwave,'' similar to how our ancestors confronted the Black Death in the 14th and 15th centuries. Without knowing about the existence of microbes, they had no solution for curing the Black Death. To this day, we still haven''t found the pathogen responsible for Super Brainwave. Perhaps it''s beyond the realm of known pathogens, an as-yet-undiscovered substance. Scientists at Nofi estimate that over 100 million people globally are at risk of contracting it.


    "We are fearful, even desperate. But science has an element of luck. In clinical trials of Antamin, we found that it has a significant effect on treating Super Brainwave. Based on this, Nofi conducted clinical trials on severe cases and out of 100 patients treated with Antamin, 62 have been cured and discharged, and 38 have transitioned from severe to mild cases.


    "Scientists at Nofi believe this is a beacon of hope from God. In the face of a major epidemic, humanity needs the courage to try new solutions. More importantly, out of 150 patients in phase-one clinical trials, no significant side effects were observed. This is not a gamble; it is a genuinely effective treatment. Nofi promises to provide Antamin free of charge to any country willing to try it."


    "For the remaining two minutes, we have two patients who have recovered with the treatment of Antamin to share their experience."


    Ulysses made an inviting gesture, a move he had not pre-approved with the WHO, an action that broke with their rigid protocol. He saw that Edith was spreading her hands, looking at him with a ''what are you doing?'' expression. At this point, in front of five billion viewers worldwide, she couldn''t stop him.


    Professor Raymond, who had collapsed at a Nofi award ceremony, strode toward the podium, looking rejuvenated and energetic. Within less than a month, not only had he recovered, but he also looked remarkably revitalized.


    "I was very fortunate to have received effective treatment and recovered quickly!" Professor Raymond said with a genuine London accent, full of energy.


    The professor''s appearance created a significant stir in the crowd. People had vivid memories of him convulsing and collapsing just two weeks ago; everyone thought he wouldn''t last 24 hours.


    "Antamin cured my Super Brainwave without any side effects. The entire process only involved taking Antamin and it was extremely effective. By the second day of medication, my symptoms began to recede. Antamin could save humanity from a massive catastrophe," Raymond said, his glowing endorsement breaking the rational and cautious demeanor typical of scientists. Having survived a near-death experience, he spoke with a feeling of liberation.


    As Raymond concluded his remarks, a tall, handsome man took over the mic. Chen Chen recognized him instantly¡ªit was Captain Richard, whom he had once saved.


    Chen Chen didn''t want to listen anymore; he could predict that the appearances of Professor Raymond and Captain Richard would tip the upcoming vote. At this moment, he looked at the packed audience of scientists on his TV screen, and a question spun in his mind. Out of the 921 attendees, not a single one was absent.


    "Angela, did you notice? All these scientists are here," Chen Chen said.


    "The meeting is too important!" Angela replied. Then realizing the implication, she said, "Professor Chen, it''s strange; none of these scientists have contracted Super Brainwave ."


    "Exactly. Statistically, at least a few should have been absent due to the disease."


    "Do these people have something in common?" Angela scratched her head, then half-jokingly said, "Could it be that reading more and doing more research provide resistance to ''Piero''s Curse''?"


    Angela''s whimsical thought amused Chen Chen, relieving his anxiety. But generally speaking, epidemics don''t discriminate based on education or status. What did these people have in common?


    "Professor Chen, could it be IQ?" Angela''s eyes sparkled. "High-IQ individuals might also be immune to ''Piero''s Curse''!"


    Chen Chen pondered Angela''s hypothesis. Professor Raymond, who was very intelligent, had still fallen ill, but Chen Chen had a strong intuition that Angela might be onto something. However, he couldn''t think of a way to prove it, nor did he understand why Professor Raymond was an exception.


    ------


    "I announce the voting results for the use of Antamin in treating Super Brainwave : 901 votes in favor, 12 against, and 8 abstentions. Antamin will be administered directly to patients, bypassing phase-two and phase-three clinical trials,"


    Edith read calmly. In a bid for fairness, the WHO had temporarily amended the rules to give every attendee the right to vote. "The WHO Expert Committee will draft a memorandum on the application of Antamin in tomorrow''s meeting."


    "Fantastic, this is a great victory for humanity!" the TV host said, his voice brimming with excitement. "Thanks to Nofi Pharmaceuticals, thanks to Ulysses, this is a victory for love over the epidemic!"


    Chen Chen rubbed his face with his hands, drained. The outcome was as expected, but if what Mo Sijie said was true, would another, even more brutal storm be unleashed upon the world?


    He glanced at the clock on the wall; he had only 10 minutes left to submit his research materials to the investigative team.


    "There''s something I need you to do," Chen Chen walked over to his desk, pulled out a box from the drawer, and handed it to Angela. "Take this and leave Southern University immediately."