Ceningmis, under the seemingly eternally dark sky.
Genava and Shang Jianyao—who were wearing military exoskeletons—were walking toward the ‘post’ where the Eighth Research Institute’s guards were stationed.
Jiang Baimian, Long Yuehong, and Bai Chen hid on a nearby mountain and watched them through binoculars.
At present, the Old Task Force could only determine that the Life Angel necklace could help the owner avoid the Heartless virus that filled Ceningmis. They didn’t know if the small jade Buddha and the Six Senses Beads could.
They couldn’t test them via elimination because it would mean that a member would become a Heartless once it didn’t work. Therefore, they got Shang Jianyao to bring the Life Angel necklace and enter Ceningmis with the smart bot, Genava, to complete the exploration mission like last time.
Before entering the main city, the Old Task Force planned on confirming the situation regarding the Eighth Research Institute members they had previously encountered to prevent any sudden attacks.
After arriving at the abandoned building that served as a sentry post, Shang Jianyao stood at the door ‘with nothing to do’ and allowed Genava to walk around and check.
“There are no traces of humans recently.” After a while, Genava concluded, “Those people and the large feline creature probably didn’t return.”
His heart pained, Shang Jianyao said, “Can’t they come back to confirm the situation? How unprofessional!”
He looked angrier than if it was one of his own making such a mistake.
“You gotta ask them about that,” Genava replied truthfully.
“Maybe they encountered something in the main city area, or maybe they directly retreated to the Eighth Research Institute…” Shang Jianyao muttered to himself.
He wanted to raise his left hand to stroke his chin, but with the Life Angel necklace wrapped around it, his entire arm had lost its strength.
They didn’t stay any longer. They climbed up the green buildings and walked toward Ceningmis at a normal speed along the fractured road.
Shang Jianyao barked from time to time, but Genava pretended not to hear him.
“Old Ge, what do you think is hidden deep in the Eighth Research Institute?” Shang Jianyao always deviated from the topic randomly.
Genava—who was wearing the Chameleon bionic artificial intelligence armor—moved his metal neck from side to side. “I don’t know.”
“I’m trying to get you to make bold assumptions and carefully verify them.” Shang Jianyao refused to give up. He had always been patient and persistent.
Regarding this question, the Old Task Force had actually discussed it a few times and raised many guesses. At present, they had zero evidence for their theories.
They were currently more inclined to three answers: The first was the real reason why the Eighth Research Institute’s Awakening success rate was so high.
The second was the secret of the ‘darkness’—this was inferred from the saying that the Eighth Research Institute had become the darkness’s lackey after the Old World was destroyed.
The third was related to the New World. As for what it was related to, there were no clues to determine.
Genava didn’t want to discuss such a topic that had nothing to do with this operation when they were close to Ceningmis’s central area. Furthermore, this was no different from the few brainstorms they previously had unless new information was obtained.
He pulled up Jiang Baimian’s behavior database and simulated his team leader’s response to such a situation. He then chose the option—threat of violence being one of them—that suited him best. He turned his head slightly and pointed in a direction. “What’s that?”
“What is it?” Shang Jianyao looked over excitedly.
The next second, he frowned behind his visor. “Why didn’t I notice anything?”
“I misjudged.” Genava quickly apologized.
Shang Jianyao retracted his gaze in disappointment.
He continued walking toward Ceningmis’s central area and fell silent for a few minutes.
Upon seeing the silent land with increasingly dark buildings in the sky, Shang Jianyao suddenly said, “I keep having the feeling that I neglected some important information in Professor Qin’s Sea of Origins.”
“It’s very normal. Destiny Connection only helps you mobilize all your memories. You still have to filter and examine them yourself, but you have limited manpower.” Genava believed that there was no problem.
“You smart bots don’t.” Shang Jianyao had an envious expression. He then said, “But I didn’t feel like I neglected important information a few days ago. I only realized this when I entered Ceningmis.”
He described it strangely, but Genava could understand what he meant. “You think you suffered some hidden interference back then, causing you to ignore some important information?”
“Yes,” Shang Jianyao guessed excitedly. “It might be a hint that makes me skip the corresponding memories.”
With the chameleon head over him, the red glow in Genava’s eyes flickered twice. “There were other Awakened back then. He hid in the dark and exerted his influence on you?”
This wasn’t impossible. The assassin might’ve also watched the scene for a while or was sitting in the dark-red SUV with Gitis’s male body.
Shang Jianyao shook his head. “I think it’s a problem with that portion of memories. They alone hint at something.”
“Just the memory fragments of certain matters can undetectably plant thoughts in you?” The Awakened-related model Genava had established didn’t support such a situation.
“Yes,” Shang Jianyao said with yearning. “This is probably power at the Kalendaria level.”
“There are other explanations,” Genava analyzed. “It’s also possible that Professor Qin was affected before this and that the corresponding memories were disguised to avoid your screening. You sensed something strange or incongruous back then, but you didn’t mind. You only suddenly recalled it today.”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Shang Jianyao slapped the armor on his chest with his metal skeleton-covered right palm. “So that’s how it is!”
He acted as if he weren’t the one who had used Destiny Connection to evoke Professor Qin’s memories.
Without waiting for Genava’s response, he excitedly said, “What are the hidden memories about?”
“Darkness or the President.” Genava quickly established a model and came to a conclusion. “The Eighth Research Institute’s strength is definitely not limited to those New World powerhouses. As a quasi-high-ranking member, Professor Qin shouldn’t be unaware of his faction’s greatest reliance. However, you didn’t obtain such information when you used Destiny Connection to check his memories.”
Bang! Bang! Bang! Shang Jianyao thumped in the same way again.
The honest him was good at nitpicking. He quickly raised another question: “Then, why aren’t the memories related to the Eighth Research Institute’s exact location hidden?”
“Maybe Professor Qin won’t know how to return if it’s hidden,” Shang Jianyao replied to himself.
Genava raised more possibilities. “Either only that portion of memories has the power to hide itself by influencing with hints, or the person who affected Professor Qin before this isn’t from the Eighth Research Institute. He wants us to find the Eighth Research Institute, but he doesn’t want us to know certain things…”
As they conversed, they officially entered Ceningmis’s central area.
As he looked at the cars haphazardly piled up on the street in front of him, Shang Jianyao suddenly exclaimed, “How can we discuss Professor Qin’s memories? We have to focus on this mission itself!”
The red glow in Genava’s eyes froze for two seconds.
“My bad.” Shang Jianyao had always been one to criticize himself.
He looked around and said, “Let’s go to the residence of Aester’s mistress and child first.”
This was something they had promised Gitis. They had to keep their promise.
When formulating the plan, Jiang Baimian prioritized this matter before exploring the secret of the Kalendaria’s Son. This was because nobody could predict the subsequent development if they first went to the luxurious apartment where the Kalendaria’s Son lived. Ceningmis might disappear and enter the New World as a whole, preventing the Old Task Force from completing Aester’s last wish.
“Alright.” Even if Shang Jianyao didn’t take the initiative to suggest it, Genava would’ve reminded him.
As a foreigner, Aester’s residence in Ceningmis clearly wasn’t central. Instead, it was located north.
It was also an apartment. The dark-blue building looked very stylish, but the plants and broken glass everywhere made it appear abnormally dilapidated.
“We haven’t reached the place where the New World overlaps with Ceningmis and produces projections…” Shang Jianyao said in disappointment.
“That’s good. After quickly obtaining what Aester wants, we can focus on finding the Kalendaria’s Son’s residence.” The red glow in Genava’s eyes flickered a few times. “If the disaster back then had happened very suddenly, the other Old Task Force might’ve been scattered inside or around the Kalendaria’s Son’s residence.”
Shang Jianyao fell silent for a moment before saying, “It’s also possible that they became Heartless, wandered elsewhere, and died in a corner of the city.”
Upon hearing this, Genava looked around by turning his neck back. “Did you notice anything amiss?”
“What is it?” Shang Jianyao asked excitedly.
Genava replied in a slightly synthetic deep voice, “The last time we came to Ceningmis, we discovered some fresh traces of Heartless along the way. However, there’s none this time.”
They had even previously encountered Heartless with abnormally high strength levels.