Chapter 114: Assistant
That evening, Bai Mo sat before his computer, watching the news.
"Special Announcement: Today, in the heart of Tianqing City, a case involving domestic and foreign dark forces plotting a terrorist attack was uncovered. Through the combined efforts of the military and police, all individuals involved have now been neutralized. The police hereby remind the public that should you discover any similar incidents, please report them to the police immediately by calling the emergency number."
"The cleanup operation was handled remarkably well. And incidentally, they've also leveraged my name to thoroughly intimidate anyone else harboring ill intentions," Bai Mo remarked, a smile playing on his lips as he leisurely crossed his legs.
"They've made use of me this time. What should I demand in return as compensation?" He mused for a moment, but unfortunately, no clear idea surfaced. So, he simply pulled a book from the shelf and resumed reading.
The following day, Bai Mo returned to the Contribution Point Center Building. This time, his reception upon entering was entirely different. Given the clear instructions from higher-ups, he was recognized by the staff even before reaching the entrance and was then very enthusiastically escorted by the supervisor to the underground master control center.
"Mr. Bai," the supervisor began, meticulously detailing the facilities, "here you'll find ten computers, all linked to the core database. Historically, most of the appraisal work was conducted right here. Adjacent to this area are laboratories available for the verification of various data. Access permissions are authenticated via pupil scans, fingerprints, and passwords. For any submissions requiring verification at headquarters, the author must have paid at least a B-grade appraisal fee, which means the daily volume isn't particularly high. C-grade and lower submissions, due to their sheer quantity, are processed at our various regional branches."
"So, from here, I can also appraise C-grade submissions?"
"Indeed. This station holds the highest authority; theoretically, you can appraise all uploaded data."
"Excellent. Is there anything else I should be aware of?"
"I see her. Thank you for the reminder," Bai Mo replied, his gaze still fixed on the screen as he meticulously set his password.
"I'll take my leave now if there's nothing further," the supervisor said, extending a business card to Bai Mo. "Here's my card; if you have any questions, you can reach me at this number." At that moment, the card abruptly slipped from his grasp and drifted straight into Bai Mo's pocket.
"I've memorized the number," Bai Mo replied, without so much as a single glance in the supervisor's direction.
"He truly is as eccentric as the higher-ups described," the supervisor muttered to himself after departing.
"Do not speak ill of others without cause." A voice suddenly materialized in his mind, startling him so profoundly that he hastily exited the underground area.
"Come in. I've noticed you standing outside the door for quite a while now," Bai Mo said, opening the encrypted door to the server room.
"Mr. Bai, we meet again," Chen Xi said, approaching Bai Mo from behind.
"I hadn't anticipated they would dispatch you. Are you aware of the nature of the experiment we're about to undertake?"
"Yes, my grandfather informed me last night. They also took into account my previous interactions with you..."
"Whatever. I have no interest in the reasons; as long as you can be of assistance, that's enough." Bai Mo disregarded her explanation. "There's nothing for you to assist with at the moment. First, go secure yourself access permission to this area. It's quite inconvenient for me to open the door every time."
"This... is that permissible? Isn't this a highly confidential area?"
"Currently, the only individuals with access permission to this area are myself and the supervisor upstairs. I have no time to be opening the door for you constantly, and he certainly has even less desire to come down here."
"Understood. Thank you for your trust."
Bai Mo offered no further reply. Simultaneously, he observed the data across ten screens with his divine sense, controlling all ten computers with his psychic power. This intense focus left him with little attention to spare for anything else. He incessantly scrolled through historical records, clicking to view any information that piqued his interest, regardless of its classification. While most of it proved to be lacking substance, merely impractical fantasies, he could occasionally discern a fleeting spark of genuine insight.
"Chen Xi!"
"Yes!"
"Go to my residence and retrieve these books for me. Additionally, there are samples bearing these labels in the kitchen freezer." Bai Mo scribbled the names of over a dozen books and several strings of numbers onto a piece of paper. He then placed a key on top of it, and both items floated through the air to land before her.
"Mr. Bai, your residence is located at...?"
Then she watched as a pen flew over, dancing across the paper inscribed with the book titles, scribbling wildly.
"The address is also on it. Go swiftly and return promptly."
"Understood."
Following the address written on the paper, she drove to the apartment building allocated to Bai Mo.
Though she had a premonition that the residence of someone capable of conceiving so many human experiments wouldn't be particularly ordinary, Chen Xi was nonetheless startled upon opening the door.
The entire living room had been transformed into a laboratory. Three forms, very likely corpses, lay casually to one side, surrounded by several books with bookmarks. Laboratory equipment, however, was meticulously arranged on the opposite side.
Gently stepping past the three 'corpses,' Chen Xi entered the bedroom. A glance revealed that, apart from a computer, the room was almost entirely filled with books. She began her search, following the provided list, and it took a considerable effort to locate all the required volumes.
After completing the task of locating the books, she proceeded to find the kitchen. Upon stepping inside, her attention was immediately drawn to a colossal refrigeration unit.
"If it were merely for food, a single person couldn't possibly require a refrigerator of such immense proportions. Therefore, what it contains must be..." She was abruptly reminded of a horror film where the protagonist, upon entering a friend's house, opened the fridge only to discover it brimming with individual organs... Then, turning around, he found his friend standing there, knife in hand, a smile playing on his lips...
Chen Xi thus spiraled into a strange loop of self-inflicted terror. Her hand, poised on the refrigeration unit door, repeatedly recoiled and extended, as if the moment she pulled it open, Bai Mo, knife in hand, would materialize directly behind her.
She repeatedly glanced over her shoulder, confirming no one was there. Still, she steeled her resolve and finally pushed open the refrigeration unit door, only to find it filled entirely with unfamiliar biological tissues...
"Thank goodness. At least I didn't open it to find eyes floating in formalin, or wine steeped with human skulls." She rapidly swiveled her head to check, confirming once more that she was alone before proceeding to locate the corresponding bottles and jars within.
Having retrieved several of the required bottles, she slowly closed the door, then swiftly departed from the apartment, which continued to exude an unsettling aura.
"A hassle." The books from Chen Xi's grasp flew, one after another, directly to Bai Mo, who had long since grown accustomed to using his psychic power in lieu of his hands. "Why do you seem a little frightened?"
"Those three... in your home... aren't you concerned they'll be discovered if they're not refrigerated?"
"They aren't deceased. They're merely in hibernation; they'll awaken next month. I'll call upon you again if anything else is required. For now, simply find a place to sit."
"And these unfamiliar tissues are...?" she inquired, her curiosity piqued.
"They are Spirit Energy Organs I collected. It's perfectly normal that you haven't encountered them before; their deviation from ordinary organs is already quite significant."
Upon hearing the term "Spirit Energy Organs," Chen Xi was suddenly overcome by a wave of revulsion.
"You remain too fixated on trivialities. If I were to tell you these were merely pig offal, you would likely feel nothing at all; perhaps you'd even ponder familiar home-cooked dishes like stir-fried pork heart with bean sprouts or leek and pig liver soup."
Chen Xi was left speechless, yet she felt a sudden dread that these two dishes would forever be tainted for her.
"For most ordinary people, the revulsion towards the corpses and even organs of their own kind largely stems from an instinctive association with their own mortality; in essence, it's a fear of death. However, consider it from a doctor's perspective: imagine he is performing an organ transplant, bestowing the hope of life upon a patient."
"You will encounter much more of this sort in the future. Since you have chosen to serve as my assistant, it would be wise to cultivate a more open mindset."
"I'm reminded once more of your words to me from before: "The world we perceive is different.""
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