Chapter 473

"Of course it's controlled by Zuo Bai." Feng Yuhuai lifted her chin proudly in her heart. "My boyfriend's taste wouldn't be that twisted."

Yet her face showed a hesitant expression, fingertips twining around the ends of her hair: "It should be Mask, right?"

The eyes behind Feng Mu's lenses narrowed slightly:

"It seems Younger Sister also agrees with the media's conclusion?"

An inexplicable chill rose in Feng Yuhuai's heart, not intense but present.

She frowned anxiously; her nerves were a bit sensitive now, and she cursed inwardly wondering which monster was coveting her again.

She forcibly suppressed her unease and said softly:

"Not agreement, just that when enough people believe a certain claim, it naturally becomes the truth, doesn't it?"

These words were watertight; even Feng Mu couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, wanting to applaud Feng Yuhuai.

One can only say, Feng Yuhuai is indeed the daughter who makes Father proud; the blood of the "Divine Detective" truly flows in her veins too.

Feng Mu sighed in admiration inwardly:

"Terrible, I can't call her the foolish Imouto anymore, I should call her the clever Imouto."

On the TV, the discussion had entered a fever pitch.

The elderly professor's voice was weathered, every tonal pause engraved with the majesty of academic authority:

"When Dr. Zuo Bai won the 'New Star Award' back then, the judging committee specially commended precisely that unconventional scientific courage of his.

As a 'New Star Award' winner, faced with a suddenly appearing unknown monster, Dr. Zuo chose to track and study it — this precisely demonstrates the exploratory instinct a top scientist ought to have.

As for bodily reconstruction."

The old professor suddenly raised his voice:

"Is this not the purest spirit of scientific self-dedication?! If our Lower City wants to catch up to the Upper City's pace, we need more pioneers like Zuo Bai who dare to 'test the law with their own bodies.'"

The old professor slapped the table heavily, his tone abruptly turning impassioned:

"Only thus can our Lower City society achieve higher-speed development, and only thus can Lower City people in the future possess a future as bright as the Upper City's."

The young scholar slammed the table and stood, eyes behind lenses burning with flames of anger:

"Professor, your impassioned speech is very moving, but what science needs is evidence!"

He pulled up a patent document projection:

"There is no empirical evidence proving 【Mask】 can control monsters. But here it clearly records that Eternal Life Technology's subordinate laboratory applied for multiple gene reconstruction patents two years ago!"

The young scholar suddenly stood up, voice carrying suppressed anger:

"Therefore I seriously suspect that Zuo Bai treated the entire No. 8 Middle School as his laboratory, and the 'scientific spirit' you speak of, under conditions lacking oversight, is the breeding ground for creating human monsters!"

The studio lights cast gloomy black shadows on his agitated face:

"Unrestrained science is the monster humanity should fear most!"

The real-time voting data below the screen began to fluctuate violently.

Feng Mu casually turned off the TV; no need to watch further — he and the clever Imoto already each had their final answer in their hearts.

From the kitchen came the dull sound of chopping meat, mechanical and rhythmic.

The greasy fragrance of inferior synthetic oil mixed with the pungent smell of artificial flavoring drifted into the living room; Feng Mu's stomach twitched in a conditioned reflex.

His Adam's apple rolled with difficulty; he no longer ate this kind of exquisite food born from industrial assembly lines.

Feng Mu's brow furrowed slightly, a strong nausea surging in his heart, but he pressed it down with tremendous willpower.

After all, it was the last dinner Mother laboriously prepared; Feng Mu was willing to make an exception for family tonight, would force himself to eat it.

Not that it needs saying, but for this family banquet he truly silently paid a great deal, both openly and secretly.

Feng Mu pursed his dry lips, gaze drifting toward the entryway: "The food's almost ready, how come Father still hasn't returned?"

Feng Yuhuai sniffed, likewise sighing: "Yeah, it's time for dinner, how come Dad still hasn't come back?"

Inside Luo Ji's rental apartment, curtains drawn tight, the only light source came from that old television set.

The blue light of the TV screen reflected on three tense faces.

Cui Cui suddenly sprang up from the sofa like a spring, grabbed the remote from the tea table, and smashed her thumb down hard on the power button.

With a crisp "pa" sound, the room instantly plunged into darkness, leaving only the three people's rising and falling rapid breathing echoing in the cramped space.

"What the hell is going on?"

Cui Cui's voice was forced out from between clenched teeth, the hand gripping the remote trembling slightly from exertion,

"A whole nearly two hours of special report, and there wasn't even a single shot of Feng Yuhuai?!"

Zhang Liyou was not surprised by this result; she said coldly:

"I checked the Guangliang Television Station official website; the explanation is that the live broadcast signal was interrupted at the time."

"Bullshit!"

Cui Cui slammed a fist into the sofa back, her angry voice trembling,

"Since it was live broadcast, that means there were reporters in the well shaft filming secretly; even if the live signal cut out, the cameras should still have been running, right?"

She turned and pointed at the pitch-black TV screen, eye rims already red,

"But now? They'd rather analyze Zuo Bai and that 【Mask】 back and forth than release the full footage — isn't the truth in the complete recording?"

Zhang Liyou was much calmer, saying:

"Either they really didn't film it, or it can't be broadcast."

Zhang Liyou gave two possibilities, but she already had a leaning in her heart, so she sneered:

"Someone is protecting this monster Feng Yuhuai; I remember she mentioned before that her dad is the Captain of the Patrol Bureau."

Cui Cui's face turned ashen, head drooping in dejection, only feeling this world really was too dark.

Luo Ji remained silently seated in the corner, eyes hollowly wide open.

In the dim light, his pupil surfaces were covered in spider-web-like cracks, like a mirror shattered yet not quite shattered, indescribably horrifying.

He rubbed his eye sockets with great anxiety, finally speaking in a hoarse voice: "The Patrol Bureau Captain can indeed shelter his daughter, but."

He lifted his head, his cracked pupils flickering in the shadows,

"Still far from enough to influence the TV station, right?"

Zhang Liyou and Cui Cui pondered for a moment upon hearing this, then nodded together.

Zhang Liyou frowned tightly, looking at Luo Ji and asked: "What do you mean?"

Ever since dropping out, Luo Ji had gained a deeper understanding of the rules governing this world's operation; in this aspect, his understanding was certainly far superior to that of the two Class 1, Grade 10 female students.

He slowly raised one finger: "Someone is protecting Feng Yuhuai, that is certain, but"

A second finger went up: "It is absolutely not as simple as just one Patrol Bureau Captain; behind them must stand an even more formidable figure."

Cui Cui hurriedly pursued the question: "So who would it be? Why does everyone want to shelter a... a man-eating monster wearing human skin?"

(End of Chapter)