Chapter 252: The Mystery of 027's Identity

Chapter 252: The Mystery of 027's Identity

That evening, Lu Heng received the identity information of the original 027, a man named Chen Xuesong, aged 57, and an academician at the Bio-Energy Research Institute of Kyoto University.

According to the records, Chen Xuesong's research direction was bio-energy technology.

The information about Academician Chen Xuesong was quite detailed.

However, as this was provided by the Creator Organization, it was uncertain if it was entirely accurate.

After reviewing the information, Lu Heng opened his laptop and used a proxy server to search for Chen Xuesong's name.

He found several people with the same name, including a lawyer and a board member of a listed company, but none were academicians at a bio-energy research institute.

It seemed that Academician Chen Xuesong's identity was well-protected.

Such situations often occurred when an individual's research project had a high-security classification.

In highly classified research projects, even the cleaning staff had to adhere to confidentiality regulations and could not disclose any information until declassified.

If Chen Xuesong's research project had a high-security classification, it was understandable that no information could be found.

It was not a matter that could easily involve official channels, especially considering the sensitive nature of the Creator Organization's members.

While the Creator Organization maintained a neutral stance externally, their actions might not always align with this position.

The fact that Chen Xuesong had become a target for recruitment by the Creator Organization indicated their interest in his research project.

For someone in the research field, apart from their project, there was likely nothing else that would attract the attention of the Creator Organization.

As for why Chen Xuesong joined the Creator Organization, it was evident that they had offered him terms he couldn't refuse.

The identity information was detailed, but there was no record of Chen Xuesong's death.

There was no specific time or cause of death mentioned.

Online searches also yielded no results for Chen Xuesong.

This suggested that the Xia Dynasty government had blocked the information.

This was probably why the Creator Organization remained unaware of Chen Xuesong's death for half a year.

If Chen Xuesong's death was concealed by the Xia Dynasty government, then who had assumed his identity as 027?

Was it someone appointed by the government?

If 027 was a government-appointed individual, then the Xia Dynasty government would have known about Lu Heng's identity as a member of the Creator Organization from the very beginning.

Something didn't add up.

If the defected 027 was a government agent, there should have been someone from the national or military authorities contacting Lu Heng, asking him to continue his undercover mission.

The absence of any such contact suggested that the defector was not a government agent.

So, who could this person be? Lu Heng felt the situation was becoming increasingly complex, even involving a highly classified biological research project of the Xia Dynasty government.

Furthermore, considering the Creator Organization's desire to obtain the bio-tech of the Sexes Civilization, it was clear that their current activities were related to bio-technology.

This matter now involved a state-level confidential research project.

Should Lu Heng continue his investigation?

If he didn't get to the bottom of it, would it pose a threat to him in the future?

Even if Lu Heng didn't investigate, someone from the Creator Organization surely would.

Once 027 was captured by the Creator Organization, Lu Heng's submission of technology and the trap he had set might be exposed.

After careful consideration, Lu Heng decided to find 027 personally, no matter what needed to be done with him; he had to be found first, and faster than any other members of the Creator Organization.

...

The next day, Lu Heng and Su Muyu boarded a flight to Kyoto.

According to the information about Professor Chen Xuesong, they were going to investigate his interpersonal relationships.

In the data provided by Raven 013, there was information about Professor Chen Xuesong's relationships, but it wasn't very detailed.

The records showed that Professor Chen Xuesong had no children, but he had a wife, several siblings, and a few nephews.

Among Chen Xuesong's relatives, the siblings and nephews were easier to locate, but none of them were involved in scientific research. A few were metahumans, but their levels were not high.

Obviously, 027 was not among this group; if his identity were this straightforward, the Creator Organization would have found him by now.

Apart from his relatives, the most important person in Chen Xuesong's life was his wife.

The records stated that his wife, Liu Lanying, suffered from Alzheimer's disease, a form of dementia.

She currently resided in one of the best nursing homes in Kyoto.

Lu Heng used the Shapeshifting Pearl to alter his appearance and headed to the guard room to check Liu Lanying's visitation records.

There were a few visits, but not an excessive number. On average, two or three people would come to see her.

Among the visitors were Chen Xuesong's nephews and relatives from Liu Lanying's side of the family.

These people didn't seem suspicious; if there were any issues with their identities, they wouldn't have waited for Lu Heng to investigate.

Additionally, there were a few names of Chen Xuesong's students.

Chen Xuesong was an academician and a professor at Kyoto University, and before taking on the role of project leader at the Bio-Energy Research Institute, he had supervised several graduate students.

This made Liu Lanying the students' stepmother.

When these students visited, their names were recorded on the same day, indicating that they were from the same graduating class and had arranged to come together.

After reviewing the visitation records and confirming there were no visits for the day, Lu Heng returned the records.

To avoid leaving their names, Lu Heng and Su Muyu used their skills to enter and find Liu Lanying.

Liu Lanying had silver streaks in her hair and appeared rather thin. She sat on a bench in the courtyard, staring at an apple in her hand, lost in thought.

Lu Heng and Su Muyu approached her, standing before Liu Lanying with a smile. "Stepmother, we've come to see you," they greeted her.

Liu Lanying looked up at Lu Heng and smiled, calling out, "Xuesong..."

But her expression quickly turned to one of disappointment. "You're not Xuesong."

Seeing Liu Lanying's reaction, Lu Heng could guess why Chen Xuesong had joined the Creator Organization.

According to Liu Lanying's medical records, her Alzheimer's disease had shown improvement for a period, but recently, it had worsened again.

If the Creator Organization used curing his wife's Alzheimer's as a condition, Chen Xuesong was very likely to agree to join them.

Lu Heng continued, "Master, we are the professor's students, and we came to see you today."

Liu Lanying examined the two in front of her, furrowed her brows in deep thought for a while, then pointed to her head and apologized, "I'm sorry, I can't remember you."

"It's okay, Master," Lu Heng tried to ask, "Do you remember anything about the professor?"

"Xuesong is at work. He can only come and see me when he's on vacation," Liu Lanying replied.

"When was the last time the professor came to see you?" Lu Heng asked further.

Liu Lanying furrowed her brows, deep in thought for a while, before answering, "He came yesterday."

Lu Heng and Su Muyu exchanged a glance, both wearing expressions of helplessness.

For an Alzheimer's patient, memories were like fragmented pieces that randomly connected.

She might think that something that happened decades ago occurred just yesterday.

Lu Heng and Su Muyu sat on the long chair and continued, "Master, do you know what research the professor was working on?"

Liu Lanying shook her head, "Xuesong never talks about work with me."

She suddenly stood up and apologized, "You've been here for a while, and I haven't even served you tea. I'm so rude."

She took a few steps, intending to find a place to brew tea, but she looked around in confusion, realizing this wasn't her home.

She turned around, her face showing a complex expression, then she looked at Lu Heng and the others, furrowing her brows in puzzlement, "You are..."

The situation was getting serious.

Lu Heng and the others reached out to help her sit down, repeating, "We are the professor's students, and we came to see you today."

Only then did Liu Lanying show a hint of a smile, saying, "You sit, I'll cut some fruit."

She stood up again, repeating her previous state, and once more realized this wasn't her home. She turned back, her face showing confusion once more.

At that moment, a caregiver approached and said, "Aunt Liu, it's time to go back to your room."

The caregiver noticed Lu Heng and the others and asked, "Are you the professor's students?"

"Yes," Lu Heng and the others quickly stood up.

"It's time for your medication. Please wait a moment," the caregiver said as she led Liu Lanying away.

As they walked, Liu Lanying spoke to the caregiver, Little Sister, you're not young anymore. Hurry and find someone to marry, have a child. Don't delay any longer."

"Okay, I understand. I'll find someone right away. Let's go back to take your medicine, and then we'll have some fruit," the caregiver readily agreed, clearly accustomed to Liu Lanying's state.

...

Lu Heng and Su Muyu exchanged a glance, both feeling that this visit to the nursing home hadn't been very fruitful.

On the way back, Lu Heng drove the rented car while Su Muyu sat in the passenger seat.

Su Muyu didn't know the whole story, but she sensed that things were getting complicated. She couldn't help but ask, "What are you trying to investigate? Can you tell me?"

Lu Heng had been considering whether to tell her everything.

The more one knew about the Creator Organization, the more dangerous it became.

But now, things were getting more complex, and he needed her help.

After careful consideration, Lu Heng said, "I joined an organization called the Creator, or 'Creator' in English. It's an international organization, very mysterious, and powerful."

"Do you remember the last time I asked you to get fake data from Xavier Matrix of the Sexes Civilization?"

Su Muyu nodded, "I remember. Was that data for this Creator Organization?"

"Yes, it was for them," Lu Heng nodded.

Su Muyu didn't ask why he joined the organization; it was unnecessary to ask. If he had joined, there must be a reason.

Since the technological data Lu Heng provided was fake, it meant he wasn't genuinely working for the organization.

Many things didn't need to be said, and Su Muyu could guess them.

"So, what are we investigating about Professor Xuesong this time?"

"This matter is even more complex. My code in the Creator Organization is 028, and Chen Xuesong's code is 027. I was invited to join the Creator Organization by 027, but the one who invited me wasn't Chen Xuesong. The real 027 died half a year ago. The authorities concealed his death, and no information about Chen Xuesong can be found online." Lu Heng briefly explained the situation.

Su Muyu listened carefully and summarized, "So, what we're actually investigating is the identity of the fake 027. And the fake 027 has defected from the Creator Organization and also stole a sacred artifact."

Lu Heng nodded, "Yes, you understood quickly."

Su Muyu continued, "You mentioned that the dark werewolf named Derek Wolfe is also looking for 027."

Lu Heng nodded again, "Yes."

Su Muyu pointed behind her, "That Derek Wolfe is right behind us."

Lu Heng glanced at the rearview mirror and saw Derek Wolfe riding a motorcycle, following them.

It wasn't surprising that he had been tailing them.

Derek Wolfe's sense of smell wasn't just targeted at 027; anyone whose scent he remembered would be tracked by him.

"Turn on the invisible field and shake him off," Lu Heng said as he floored the accelerator.

Su Muyu activated the invisible field, enveloping the entire car, simultaneously blocking scents.

After a turn, Derek Wolfe was left behind.

Lu Heng continued, "Lower the skill's intensity to only block scents. Don't go invisible; it's a bit dangerous to drive an invisible car on the road."

Su Muyu nodded and began to try lowering the intensity of the invisible field.

She wasn't sure how much to reduce the intensity to block scents without entering invisibility. After a few tests, she finally found the right balance.

"Who should we investigate next?" Su Muyu asked, using the Celestial Phoenix to confirm that Derek Wolfe wasn't pursuing them.

"Let's look into Chen Xuesong's students," Lu Heng suggested.

Following the information on the student records, Lu Heng arrived at Kyoto University.

Chen Xuesong's most recent batch of graduate students included several who were still pursuing their doctoral studies.

Lu Heng and his companion headed to the graduate dormitory and located a doctoral student named He Mingsheng.

He Mingsheng was working on his thesis in the dormitory when he heard the door open. Assuming it was his roommate, he didn't even bother to turn around.

If they interrogated He Mingsheng about Professor Chen Xuesong, the investigation into Chen Xuesong's affairs would become known.

Chen Xuesong's file was classified, and if the Daxia government found out that someone was investigating him, it would cause significant trouble.

Therefore, Lu Heng directly used Mental Control to control He Mingsheng and began asking questions: "Do you know where Professor Chen Xuesong is now?"

He Mingsheng's expression became somewhat dazed, and he mechanically replied, "I don't know. I haven't seen Professor Chen in a long time."

Lu Heng: "When was the last time you saw Professor Chen?"

He Mingsheng: "It's been about a year."

Lu Heng: "Does Professor Chen have any children?"

He Mingsheng: "I've never seen any, and he's never mentioned them. If Professor Chen had children, he would probably visit his wife. We've never met."

Lu Heng: "Do you know what research topic Professor Chen is working on?"

He Mingsheng: "It's related to biological energy technology, and it's classified. Professor Chen never disclosed the details of his work."

Lu Heng: "Among Professor Chen's students, who has the closest relationship with him?"

He Mingsheng: "Probably Zhao Hongfei, the senior. I've seen him meet with Professor Chen the most."

...

He Mingsheng hadn't seen Chen Xuesong in a year, which meant that after Chen Xuesong started his research project at the Biological Energy Research Institute, he hadn't seen him again.

This indicated that their relationship wasn't particularly close.

After leaving the graduate dormitory, Lu Heng went to find Zhao Hongfei.

Zhao Hongfei had graduated with a doctoral degree a few years ago and stayed on as a lecturer at Kyoto University.

Lu Heng located Zhao Hongfei's home address and, using the same method, continued to question him with his skills.

After the interrogation, they still had little to show for it.

However, one thing was confirmed: Chen Xuesong indeed had no children, and Zhao Hongfei's answer was quite certain.

Subsequently, Lu Heng and his companion investigated all the graduate students under Chen Xuesong's supervision, and some of them were Metahumans, but their levels were not high.

With 027's elusive abilities, it was impossible for his level to be low.

In other words, none of Chen Xuesong's students could be 027.

...

They left Kyoto University.

Lu Heng realized that the situation was more challenging than expected. They had already investigated Chen Xuesong's students and relatives, but none of them were 027.

Su Muyu pondered and asked, "Is it possible that 027 isn't close to Chen Xuesong?"

Lu Heng shook his head as he thought, "It's unlikely. If the fake 027 is trying to impersonate Chen Xuesong's Creator Organization member, then he must know that Chen Xuesong joined the Creator Organization.

"The Creator Organization is a secret that every member must keep; it's impossible for outsiders to know about it."

Su Muyu took the file and reviewed it again, "We've checked all the interpersonal relationships. If we want to continue investigating the people around him, we'll have to start with his colleagues and neighbors, and that's a lot of people."

Lu Heng closed his eyes and replayed the information he had gathered today in his mind.

As he reviewed the events at the nursing home, Lu Heng suddenly opened his eyes and exclaimed, "That's not right!"

Su Muyu blinked in surprise.

Lu Heng took a deep breath and said, "Today, when we went to the nursing home, Liu Lanying was holding an apple. At the time, I thought it was the fruit served after meals at the nursing home.

"But when the caregiver took Liu Lanying away, they mentioned eating some fruit after taking the medicine.

"So, the apple in her hand probably wasn't the fruit served after meals at the nursing home."

Su Muyu also recalled their visit to the nursing home and nodded, "Yes, I saw that the other elderly residents were eating grapes. The nursing home's standard fruit served after meals should be grapes."

Lu Heng continued, "I checked the visitation records, and there was no record of anyone visiting Liu Lanying on the day we went. So, where did that apple come from?

"If someone visited her and gave her an apple, but they weren't registered in the visitation records, there's definitely something suspicious going on."

After clarifying this detail, Lu Heng and Su Muyu immediately got into their car and rushed to the nursing home.

By now, it was already evening, and the nursing home would be closed.

However, Lu Heng didn't need the door to be open to enter.

The two of them arrived outside the nursing home.

Before they could even get out of the car, Su Muyu spoke up, "Derek Wolfe is here, and there's another person who looks like the 013 Black Crow you mentioned."

Could these two be here to investigate Liu Lanying as well?

Something was amiss.

Logically, the Creator Organization should have investigated Liu Lanying beforehand.

Why were they at the nursing home again?

"They're going inside. The Black Crow looked up at the sky; he might have spotted the Celestial Phoenix." Su Muyu clenched her fist, feeling a bit tense.

She realized that during the perception confrontation within the invisible field, this 013 Black Crow's perception ability was exceptionally strong, unlike anything she had ever encountered.

At that moment, Derek Wolfe suddenly roared, "There!"

Then, he transformed into a Dark Werewolf and charged towards the south side of the nursing home.

Lu Heng and Su Muyu watched from the car as Derek Wolfe rushed past them from twenty meters away.

Following the direction of his pursuit, they saw a figure in a black cloak appear at the end of the road. Under the hood, a pair of colorful eyes stood out vividly in the darkness.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end