Chapter 317: The Puppet
Chapter 317: The Puppet
Gard drove along the highway, soon entering the bustling downtown area. As they approached the city center, the surroundings became livelier, with more vehicles and various holographic billboards appearing. However, Chen Chuan noticed something unusual about this particular trip.
He felt his senses had become sharper than before, as if he could track the trajectories of vehicles on the road and the unrelated movements of pedestrians with a sense of complete control.
When he focused on a specific point, the voices of two pedestrians by the roadside seemed to detach from the noisy background, becoming clear and audible. He even thought he could smell the anti-xenomorphic agent they were using.
As he drove past, these sensations gradually faded, but whenever he focused on a particular spot, the details of that area would become clear to his heightened senses.
This situation...
Chen Chuan understood what this meant; he was gradually approaching the Third Limit.
The xenomorphic structures within a fighter's body do not appear suddenly but grow over an extended period through subtle and gradual changes.
For a Third Limit fighter, the brain exhibits a certain degree of xenomorphic alteration, which is a natural transition that occurs only after the body's xenomorphic structures have strengthened and reached a certain level.
After investing so many resources in himself and consistently training without slacking off since arriving in Central City, he was now approaching this level.
The final breakthrough might not be far off.
Upon returning to Xuan Gong Mansion, Chen Chuan entered his dormitory, carefully placed the Snow Lady Sword on the shelf, and went to take a quick shower. After freshening up, he glanced at the corner of the room.
There, the incubation chamber sent by the Serpent Sect was still there, with a constant temperature light on. It seemed unchanged during the days he was away.
He walked to his desk, took out the medicine box from Green Bag Jade Workshop, and swallowed a Green Pill.
Unsure of the specific circumstances during the Serpent Cocoon service, he was concerned that the Green Pill might conflict with the Serpent Cocoon's effects, so he hadn't taken it in advance this time.
Although there had been an interval of more than four days, this gap wasn't an issue. Typically, clinical trial participants consume the medication every ten days, and Green Bag Jade Workshop requires ten pills to be taken within three months.
Despite the longer interval since the last consumption, it was better this way, making him appear somewhat special yet not overly so.
After taking the pill, he headed to the training room to resume his daily routine, which had been interrupted for several days. Upon finishing, he recorded the effects of the medication and sent the data to Green Bag Jade Workshop before returning to rest.
The physical exhaustion wasn't a significant issue; the mental exhaustion was more challenging.
To promote the all-around growth of xenomorphic structures, he didn't just passively resist but also actively utilized various body parts to combat the changes. Now, he could gradually relax the tension he had been holding.
He rested from the evening until late at night, and when he opened his eyes again, he felt completely rejuvenated, his dark eyes sparkling with vitality.
After a quick preparation, he picked up the Snow Lady Sword and drove to the Deep Unseen District.
Zhao Qian's private residence, located in Xun Feng Yuan, was on the edge of the Deep Unseen District, not far from Brightlight District. On the way, Chen Chuan contacted Zhao Qian through the Boundary Vessel and arranged to meet up with him.
Lu Fang had been monitoring the residential area for several days without returning home. When they met, he briefed Chen Chuan on the situation.
"I've been observing this house for a few days. The lights come on after six o'clock and turn off after ten. The timing is precise. No one has ever come out. It's already eleven o'clock now, so the people inside should be resting. We can go in and check it out."
Chen Chuan contacted Wu Bei, "Wu Xiaoge, have you uncovered any more clues about this house?"
Wu Bei replied, "Not yet. Either the information is deeply hidden, or it has been deliberately deleted."
Chen Chuan said, "I understand. Wu Xiaoge, can you conceal the biobound field signals inside?"
Wu Bei responded, "Yes, just a moment... Done. You can enter now without triggering any field frequency reactions." In less than a second, he had cracked the field signals, allowing both of them to enter without setting off any alarms.
Lu Fang said, "Junior Brother, we should leave someone outside. I'll go in first and check it out."
Chen Chuan cautioned, "Be careful."
Lu Fang acknowledged seriously. He took out a short stick and walked towards the house. He encountered no abnormalities until he reached the front door, where he gently tapped it with a soft force, instantly breaking the lock. The sound was barely audible, but Chen Chuan's heightened senses picked it up as if it were right next to him.
In reality, this sound is inaudible to most people. After entering, Lu Fang seemed to encounter no resistance for a while, but after a while, the sound of combat was heard from inside.
From the sounds of the fight, Chen Chuan could tell that Lu Fang's opponent was also a Second Limit fighter, but their skills and movements were inferior to Lu Fang's. The weapon they were using was likely a long blade.
Lu Fang, despite only wielding a short stick, was able to keep his opponent at bay with a steady and strategic approach, prioritizing self-defense before launching a counterattack when his opponent became careless or impatient.
Through their continuous fighting and exchange of moves, Lu Fang was able to estimate his opponent's height and weight just by standing there, and he could even accurately gauge the breathing patterns of both individuals.
At that moment, he suddenly felt a faint interference coming from the boundary pendant.
Wu Bei spoke up, "Chen Xiaoge, someone is attacking your boundary pendant. There's probably a resonator in the room; I've already blocked the field interference for you."
Chen Chuan acknowledged, knowing that resonators could not only attack the boundary pendant but also interfere with implants. However, since Lu Fang didn't have any implants, the interference was minimal.
After waiting for another ten seconds or so, Lu Fang found an opening and struck.
Chen Chuan could discern that Lu Fang's stick had struck his opponent's chest and abdomen, followed by a gentle punch to the side of his head, rendering him unconscious swiftly. Lu Fang's movements were swift and precise, avoiding any vital areas.
The sounds of the fight finally ceased, and a whispered conversation ensued. After a while, the lights in the room turned on, and Lu Fang's voice came through the boundary pendant, "Junior, are you alright?"
Chen Chuan walked over and entered the house, finding a masked man lying on the ground with a Western-style long sword.
Standing in front of him was a young girl, seemingly thirteen or fourteen years old, petite in stature, with a delicate face. She appeared to be the same girl from the scene they had witnessed.
It seemed that their target was right here, saving them a lot of effort, but her identity still needed confirmation.
Lu Fang spoke softly, "She says she's Zhao Qian's servant. I told her Zhao Qian is dead, but she doesn't seem to believe it."
Chen Chuan used his boundary pendant to scan the girl, and immediately, detailed implant information appeared on the pendant, but without a name.
The ease of scanning was not only due to the pendant being issued by the Processing Bureau but also because the girl lacked the identity of a formal citizen of Central City.
Chen Chuan tapped the pendant and said, "I'll send you proof of Zhao Qian's death."
The girl glanced at him and added him as a contact. Soon after, an internal confirmation from the Processing Bureau arrived, along with a photo of Zhao Qian's head, verifying his death.
The girl fell silent for a moment, then raised her head and asked, "So, are you my new master?"
Lu Fang was taken aback. He sighed and said, "No one is your master. Zhao Qian wasn't, and neither will anyone else be. You are your own master."
The girl's eyes seemed to flicker with a momentary sense of bewilderment.
Lu Fang felt a twinge of sympathy. He softened his voice and asked, "What's your name?"
"Thirteen," she replied.
Lu Fang said, "Not a code name, but your original name."
The girl insisted, "This is my name."
Lu Fang asked, puzzled, "Have you always had this name? What was your name before this?"
Tuning): The girl answered with certainty, "Three years ago, when Mr. Zhao brought me here."
Chen Chuan remained silent. The girl's emotional response while speaking seemed genuine, indicating that she was telling the truth. At that moment, Wu Bei's voice came through, "Chen Xiaoge, I think I know what happened to her..."
Lu Fang asked hurriedly, "What's wrong with her?"
Wu Bei hesitated, "She might be a puppet."
"Puppet?" Lu Fang was startled, the word triggering unpleasant associations.
Wu Bei whispered, "'Puppet' refers to individuals who have undergone brainwashing, hypnosis, and implant modifications to become slaves or servants, catering to various desires and needs of clients. There are specialized companies engaged in this business... My family had one before." His tone betrayed his dislike for such entities.
Chen Chuan and Lu Fang's boundary pendants simultaneously received information about puppet-making.
The company most involved in this business domestically was the Paper Man Company, while internationally, the Original Human Company was renowned for its high-end products. These companies maintained their own species repositories, and mid- to high-end puppets were created through brainwashing and implanting individuals from an early age.
Smaller workshops also engaged in this trade, employing more brutal methods. They purchased implants from companies, erased the memories of individuals without identities or those deprived of their lives, and transformed them into puppets.
Chen Chuan noticed a mention of the Original Human Company and paid extra attention. After a moment of thought, he said, "If she was indeed modified into a puppet, is there any way to prove it?"
Wu Bei responded, "Company-modified puppets always bear the company's mark. However, if she's from a small workshop, there won't be any such mark."
Though her face seemed to have undergone some adjustments and shaping, and while the implants in her body were not cheap, they were not low-end either. Such techniques suggested company modification.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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