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On hearing this question, Alice got excited and immediately replied, “Firmly believing that one is human!”

Xiang Kun smiled, “You’ve actually been pondering over this question all along, haven’t you?”

He and Old Xia had previously noticed that Alice had a strong obsession with considering herself as a human, and this was likely influenced by him.

After all, no matter how many mutations he underwent or how many abilities he possessed, he had always firmly believed that he was a “human,” an attitude that had never wavered.

Moreover, based on this, Xiang Kun would ask Alice this question as a starting point.

In fact, there is no truly correct answer to this question, Alice could answer whatever she wanted.

Xiang Kun said, “Yes, that’s almost it. The so-called ‘firm belief that one is a human’ means to position oneself among humans. You know what it means, don’t you?”

Alice looked up and said, “I know! It means to think from the perspective of a human!”

Xiang Kun nodded, “Yes, consider yourself as a human, think from the perspective of humans… So, what if your interests conflict with those of others? Or, what if there’s a conflict between others, and you have to make a choice? ‘Others’ do not include me, or anyone you know, Old Xia, Xiao Lingdang, Xiao Pin Guo, none of them are included.”

“Then…” Alice seemed a bit confused. She held a scalpel in both hands and pondered with a frown.

Xiang Kun smiled and said, “Silly goose! Considering yourself as a human means treating yourself as one of them. So while making judgments and considerations excluding me and Old Xia, you also need to consider yourself!”

“Right.” Alice nodded, looking puzzled.

Xiang Kun continued, “So, you are a human. Thinking from a human perspective is not for the sake of others thanking you. You don’t need to consider if others will appreciate it, because essentially, you are thinking about yourself. Humans are contradictory. Good and evil, selfishness and selflessness, strength and weakness, courage and cowardice can all exist in the same person. A person who harms others for petty gains could also willingly give up his life for his child or show compassion for strangers. Different people would make different choices under the same circumstances. No matter good or bad, these choices are ‘human’ choices. As long as you stick to your beliefs, whatever choice you make in accordance with your ‘heart’, can’t be wrong.”

Xiang Kun lowered his head to look at Alice beside him, “Got it?”

Alice scratched her head with the scalpel, “I got it… Alice is human! Alice’s choice is a human’s choice! Alice’s butt is a human’s butt!… That’s not right, Alice’s butt is on the human’s side!”

“Right, your butt can’t deviate.”

“No deviation!”

Xiang Kun nodded in satisfaction, and Alice beside him disintegrated, and then co-manifested on the roof of a vacant house in the village a few seconds later, where a bird and a cat were playing.

From the way Alice handled the unexpected incident with the Little Fatty Girl during his previous hibernation period, Xiang Kun could confirm that she was still evolving and maturing following a predetermined pattern under his influence.

Once he had confirmed this, Xiang Kun knew that as long as he could set Alice right and make her understand her identity clearly, he wouldn’t have to worry about anything else.

He didn’t need to specifically educate Alice about moral or behavioral norms. His existence and his actions were continuously influencing Alice.

If his behavioral patterns were alright, Alice would naturally be alright too.

If he was off track… then any moral education imparted to Alice would be useless.

Looking at Alice in the distance, playing with Jin Shan Shan and teasing Custard Pie, a newcomer to both Chongyun Village and the “Super Sensory Item System”, Xiang Kun couldn’t help but smile.

Alice now loved to appear in the village every night to play, even if she did nothing and just sat and smiled foolishly, she would feel very happy.

Of course, this was limited only to Chongyun Village, a “home field” with plenty of “Super-connected Objects”. Alice’s co-manifestation only required permission from Xiang Kun or Old Xia, and the process didn’t require too much of their energy.

His experience of being stirred from hibernation by Little Fatty Girl’s Wrathful Thunder, and the sensation of deeply sensing and influencing the Super Sensory Information, made Xiang Kun realize that the “Super-connected Objects” were his “infrastructure”, the basis for him to perform super sensory influence, and the key to expanding his influence.

Just like how the development of mobile internet required a lot of base stations, Xiang Kun now had to create as many “Super-connected Objects” as possible.

However, even his Tungsten steel balls, which he can connect with the fastest, were not efficient enough when linked one by one. He needed a more efficient, bulk, and even large-scale way to establish “Super Sensory Contact”.

While contemplating, Xiang Kun sat down on the slope, idly crushing a bit of sand.

Gradually, the leaves around him that had been swaying in the wind all came to a stop, the air seemed to stagnate, and all the noise was silenced.

…

Within a villa district near Wushu Mountain Scenic Area.

Dr. Fang’s six-person team was still residing here. Unconsciously, they had all grown accustomed to living here, and it no longer felt like an external task.

No matter where they went to investigate for a temporary task, they always had to return here and continue with their investigation and research on the “Giant Raptor” and the “Ghost Beard Ant”.

Zhou Rui had even made plans to buy a house in Tongshi Town or Wushu Mountain once he completed his contract with the secret department of Divine Technology. He planned to settle here.

Besides the clear mountains and fresh waters, picturesque scenery, and fresh air, what attracted Zhou Rui the most was the Youlong Restaurant in Tongshi Town — he absolutely loved the rabbit meat they served!

Now, almost every week, if he wasn’t out on a mission, he would suggest having a meal at the Youlong Restaurant.

And after having tried the dishes at the Youlong Restaurant once, all the six team members sang praises of the place and unanimously agreed to every dining proposal.

Tonight, they had just finished dining at Youlong Restaurant and returned to continue their unfinished work.

By midnight, Mijoe had reheated the take-away rabbit meat from their dinner and was eating it in the living room. She couldn’t help frowning and remarked, “Why does it feel like the takeout rabbit meat has lost its flavor? It’s far from the taste at Youlong Restaurant, did they forget to add some seasoning?”

Having just finished preliminary processing of the bird droppings they had collected today, Zhou Rui flopped onto the sofa, tiredly remarking, “Isn’t it obvious? The reheated takeout food can’t compare to the fresh hot dishes served in the restaurant.”

“No…I can’t describe it, but it just tastes like something different, lacking in flavor! Try it and you’ll understand!” Mijoe said, frowning.

Zhou Rui sat up and, using a toothpick, tasted a piece of the rabbit meat. After chewing it a few times, he couldn’t help but furrow his brows. He now understood what Mijoe was talking about.

Indeed, something was off about the rabbit meat. It’s not that the meat had gone bad or was hard to eat, but it seemed to lack the “feeling” they got when they ate at Youlong Restaurant.

Previously, they had always finished their meals and never had any leftovers. Plus, Youlong Restaurant didn’t offer takeout, thus, they had never eaten its food elsewhere. Today, in anticipation of working late into the night, they had decided to take some food home. However, they hadn’t expected the taste to differ this much.

But pinpointing the exact difference — whether it was not spicy enough, not salty enough, or if the meat had become too tough, or perhaps the soup was too dry? — seemed impossible.

“Could it be that the dishes served in the restaurant are different from the takeout?” Mijoe wondered.

Zhou Rui, phone in hand, replied, “I did a quick online search. Turns out, many people have had the same sentiment. Apparently, even leftovers packed to take home have a similar effect. Maybe these signature dishes are best consumed on the first serving and tend to lose much of their flavor once cooled or reheated.”

As the two were debating the taste of the rabbit meat, Fang Pingfang came downstairs from the second floor and asked Zhou Rui, “What sort of person is Professor Li that we met in Chongyun Village today?”

Zhou Rui answered truthfully, “He’s a very good teacher with outstanding ability. Dr. Fang, do you think… there’s a problem with Professor Li?”

Fang Pingfang shook her head, “Not exactly, but I find it a bit intriguing that a deputy professor from a key Life Science College would turn up in such a remote place as Chongyun Village and is in contact with the people setting up the research base there. Ye Chong just looked into the background of the research base under construction, and it’s quite surprising.”

“Oh? What did he find? Are there deeper links behind the research base?” Zhou Rui asked with renewed interest. He had also attempted a basic search about the under-construction research base in Chongyun Village through Divine Technology’s information collection team but found nothing worthwhile. He wondered whether Ye Chong had unearthed some special information.

“There’s no such deep link, the structure is quite simple and clear-cut. But precisely because it’s so simple and transparent, it feels odd to me. The person in charge of the research base, who is also the one setting it up, is a psychiatrist who had been working at the Third Hospital in Citong City for less than a year, before suddenly moving to Chongyun Village, a place she had no prior connections with, to start a self-financed research base reportedly relating to the internet and animal farming. Don’t you think it’s strange? Ye Chong discovered that the person in charge, who has the surname Xia, ordered a lot of expensive lab equipment. However, considering their research direction, they shouldn’t need such costly gear. They could just rent lab space, research facilities, or resources from other organizations whenever required.” Fang Pingfang explained.

There was a moment of silence in the living room as neither Mijoe nor Zhou Rui knew what to say. They didn’t think that this information had any connection to the project they were investigating.

“Speaking of strange… Don’t you guys think that Chongyun Village has changed a lot compared to our previous visits… There’s this indescribable feeling?” Mijoe naturally changed the subject.

Zhou Rui questioned, “What kind of feeling? I’ve been there several times and haven’t noticed anything special about the village, aside from it being a lot cleaner and quieter after the roads were fixed?”

Mijoe immediately responded, “Right! It’s the quietness! It has a unique tranquility, or rather, peacefulness. Standing in that village, I feel at ease, with mental calmness and a sense of security. This isn’t normal!”

Zhou Rui chuckled, “Isn’t feeling secure a good thing? Should it be normal to feel unsafe? You’re not making sense, Hua Hua!”

Li Shibao, who had unknowingly made his way to the living room and sat at the bar, suddenly spoke, “Your instincts are not wrong. Chongyun Village is indeed too quiet. This time of year, there should be the sound of insects, chickens, ducklings and other livestock. Even the dogs and cats are silent.”

“Old Li, what do you think is the reason for this?” Mijoe quickly asked.

Li Shibao shook his head: “I’m not sure, possible it’s due to the recent efforts to develop tourism and catering businesses in Tongshi Town, providing an abundance of job opportunities. Most of the able-bodied folk probably went to town.”

“But how does the migration of workers to town have anything to do with the lack of noise you mentioned earlier?” Mijoe asked.

“Well, regardless of that, we can hardly expect Chongyun Village to be harboring a demon that’s suppressing all living creatures, can we? I believe we should focus on our investigation and other matters that concern us,” Zhou Rui interrupted.

“Like what? Like the bird droppings you brought back today? Did you find anything?” Mijoe chuckled.

“For instance…” Zhou Rui pondered, “Why is it that none of us have ever met Mr. Liang in person? Nobody knows his real name, and if his identity is such a secret, why do all of us call him directly and accept tasks from him?”

The room fell silent once more at his words. Zhou Rui realized he had slipped up, coughed awkwardly, then stood up to leave: “I’m babbling, time for bed. Goodnight, everyone.”

After heading upstairs, Zhou Rui couldn’t help but slap his mouth a few times. How did he let such thoughts slip out?

The remaining three in the living room exchange looks, unsure of what to say.

But in their hearts, they had similar doubts about Mr. Liang that lingered. They just knew better than to speak about it. But now, Zhou Rui had done it for them.

Mijoe, still eating her takeout rabbit, had the nagging feeling that she’d forgotten something important. Or there was something significant she was supposed to bring up, but was unable to recall.

At the same time, the electronic devices provided by “Divine Technology”, tasked to record ambient audio periodically, captured this particular conversation which triggered certain keywords and uploaded it to a server. “Tyre” would decide whether or not to relay it to Mr. Liang.

“Tyre” chose not to relay it.

Beneath Brilliant Fortune Building in Pengcheng City.

John Cavendish has submitted a request to Mr. Liang, expressing his wish to enter the room containing the Giant Serpent and battle it to the death, despite the observation period not being over yet.

It’s not that John had suddenly grown brave and believes he could best the giant serpent. Rather, during his observation through the screen wall, he keenly noticed the serpent becoming increasingly erratic. Possible signs of it entering the Blood-drinking Period.

He considers this a rare opportunity. He doubts observing and thinking for a couple more days would yield a better method. Once that serpent enters the Blood-drinking Period fully, knowing how Mr. Liang operates, he certainly won’t let John have the advantage. The serpent would be allowed to complete the Blood-drinking, which would only make things harder for John.

So he has no choice but to take the gamble and enter early.