Chapter 17: Like a Virus Spreading

Beside him, another veteran detective responsible for outer perimeter security also saw his face change instantly.

He suddenly ripped off his earpiece, cocked his ear to listen, his pupils filled with disbelief.

You heard it too?

Hmm. The young police officer's Adam's apple rolled up and down as he nodded with difficulty, "Heartbeat."

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

That dull, oppressive, rhythmic throbbing, like some unknown plague, spread silently among these armed police.

At first, only a few individuals could hear it.

But soon, more and more people stopped what they were doing, their faces showing doubt.

What's going on? I can hear it too!

What kind of noise is this? Where is it coming from?

Inside the villa, the atmosphere that had slightly steadied after the police arrived turned weird again.

Banshou's smile froze on his face.

He had just been mocking Xiao Zhang for his timidity, but now that dull, oppressive throbbing, seeming to come from the depths of hell, precisely drilled into his ears!

That wasn't an auditory hallucination!

It was a real throbbing!

The color drained from Banshou's face in a swoop; he sprang up from his chair and barked:

All personnel, be on alert! Something's up!

That roar was like pulling the trigger on the highest-level alarm.

The nerves of every police officer in the villa instantly snapped to tautness; muscle memory made them instinctively seek cover, draw their sidearms, and point the black muzzles warily in all directions.

The atmosphere froze to a freezing point.

Command Center.

Zhou Weiguo and the other logistics personnel, via the audio fed back from the scene, also heard Banshou's warning full of panic.

What's happening at the scene?! Zhou Weiguo bellowed into the microphone.

Something's happened! That heartbeat sound... we all heard it! Xiao Zhang's voice came through the line, trembling uncontrollably.

Zhou Weiguo's face instantly turned deathly pale.

He made a snap decision, immediately issuing the most urgent order via another encrypted channel to Qin Zhixia:

Zhixia! Watch Chu Che closely! See what he's doing now! Any abnormal behavior!

He might be remotely controlling all of this!

If he's operating a phone or any other electronic device, report it immediately!

Jiang Hai City Grand Theatre.

The symphony was entering its coda, the soaring melody gradually fading.

Qin Zhixia's inner self had already been churned by towering waves, yet her face retained perfect calm and focus.

She glanced at the man beside her.

Chu Che sat with his eyes slightly closed, his long fingers lightly tapping his knees to the music's beat, his posture elegant as a true prince.

His face even bore a tranquil smile of enjoying the music.

He made no extraneous movements.

He wasn't handling a phone, nor touching any suspicious electronic device.

He simply sat there quietly.

Half Mountain Villa.

The throbbing of the heartbeat grew clearer and louder!

Thud! Thud! Thud!

It was no longer just an auditory sensation, but a physical oppression!

It was as if an invisible giant were drumming beside everyone's ears, heavy sound waves striking each chest, forcing their hearts to involuntarily follow that weird rhythm, racing wildly.

I... I can't catch my breath... a young officer said, his face paling as he clutched his chest.

Me too, my palpitations are terrible!

The elite members of the Project Team also felt unprecedented pressure, each as if facing a formidable foe.

Xiao Zhang's legs went weak from fright, but he forced himself to stand, gripping his gun tightly, his back pressed hard against Banshou's computer desk, as if that could give him a sliver of safety.

Brother Banshou... what... what on earth is this thing?

Don't panic!

Banshou, as a steadfast materialist tech otaku, unexpectedly became the backbone.

Fear likewise gripped his heart, but stronger still was the anger at being provoked by unknown technology!

He forced himself to calm down, his brain racing.

It could be some kind of undetectable sonic weapon!

Banshou gritted his teeth and offered the explanation most consistent with scientific logic.

It might be a new frequency our current equipment can't detect! It affects our heart rate via resonance, causing both physiological and psychological oppression!

That explanation gave the panicking police around him a comprehensible 'enemy' to grasp.

Banshou, eyes red, began frantically pounding the keyboard, issuing orders to the temporarily assigned subordinates.

Turn all signal spectrum analyzers and sonic detectors up to maximum power! At the same time, carpet-search the entire villa!

I just don't believe it—I can't find that bastard who's making the 'sound'!

The members of the technical team sprang into action, various high-tech pieces of equipment were rapidly deployed, and invisible detection waves began scanning every corner of the villa.

Meanwhile, in the music hall,

Qin Zhixia had already completed her observation of Chu Che without showing any reaction.

She turned her head, spoke into the earpiece in a voice barely audible, and reported the situation.

"Report to Captain Zhou: the target shows no abnormal behavior whatsoever; from start to finish, he hasn't changed his posture at all, completely immersed in the music."

This result made Zhou Weiguo, on the other end of the communication, feel his heart sink suddenly.

A perfect alibi.

"Zhixia," Professor Chen spoke over the channel at that moment.

His voice carried an unprecedented gravity: "You now, continue to probe using my, uh, lines."

"I want you to determine whether he is completely familiar with everything on the scene, enjoying his own masterpiece, or... whether all of this truly has nothing to do with him."

Qin Zhixia adjusted her sitting posture to appear more relaxed.

Soon after, she turned her head to look at Chu Che, her face showing inquisitive curiosity.

"Dr. Chu, I suddenly thought of an interesting question."

"Huh?" Chu Che turned his head and looked at her gently.

"This music makes me think of 'judgment'."

Qin Zhixia continued: "You say, is there a kind of 'judgment' where the judge never appears in person yet can carry it out perfectly?"

Qin Zhixia's gaze was sharp, locked firmly on his eyes.

She turned Professor Chen's guidance, in her own words, into a sharper dagger, stabbing straight at Chu Che's heart.

Upon hearing that, Chu Che pushed up the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose.

The lenses reflected the splendid lights of the theater ceiling, making it impossible to see the emotion in his eyes.

He smiled.

That smile was warm, yet carried an air of knowing everything.

"Officer Qin, do you know how a virus destroys a healthy human body?"

He didn't answer, but instead threw out a completely unrelated question.

Qin Zhixia froze.

All that could be heard was Chu Che continuing in his unique, steady, magnetic voice.

"A virus doesn't need to personally 'attack' every cell."

"It only needs to insert its own 'code' into the host's body; then the host's own immune system becomes the sharpest knife, attacking itself while clearing the virus, ultimately causing the entire system to collapse completely."

"This principle, when scaled up to the macroscopic world, is the same."

A playful curve rose at the corner of his mouth.

"The most efficient, and requiring no further intervention, 'judgment'... is to release a virus into this world aimed at those being judged."

"Do you think what I'm saying is right?"

On the other end of the earpiece, Professor Chen fell silent.

Chu Che's words made him feel a chill, yet he still couldn't determine whether Chu Che was aware of the situation on site.

Qin Zhixia couldn't hear the response from the other end of the earpiece; her heart tightened, and waves of helplessness welled up.