Chen Gu lay on the small bed in the lounge. A great beauty was sleeping next door, yet he had no romantic thoughts; he couldn't see through her, and moreover, she held the power of life and death over him.

He was still thinking about Liu Shichan and the Liu Family's affairs, somewhat troubled about how to handle them. Suddenly, a thought entered his mind: If transplanting the mechanical innards of the Energy Gathering Mechanical Species into humans could be successful, then what sin would such a technology hold? If humans with transplants possessed physical abilities comparable to Professionals, why should it be prohibited? Merely because it's "illegal"?

Once this thought appeared, it grew wildly like weeds.

If transplantation is considered a sin—the very premise is flawed—then regardless of whether Liu Shichan is aware or not, she really hasn't committed any sin!

Chen Gu was very pleased. I seem to have found a solution to the difficult problem I'm facing!

BOOM—

The wooden door between him and Qing Ruyan exploded. A figure rushed in swiftly from the bedroom, its five fingers spreading like a vast net, swooping down towards Chen Gu.

Chen Gu's vision blurred; he wasn't sure if it was because she was too fast for him to see clearly, but he could tell from her form that it was Qing Ruyan.

But a surge of rage suddenly rose in Chen Gu's heart: So what if she's from the headquarters? Am I just supposed to be oppressed by you for no reason?!

He roared, activating the Radiation Missionary Profession, and his whole body began to flicker with an incredibly bright light.

However, Qing Ruyan's hand pressed down with overwhelming force, as if imbued with some mysterious power.

There was something odd about Chen Gu himself too; he distinctly felt he might have the ability to avoid the attack, or even confront it head-on.

But what was that ability? I can't remember!

Five streams of restraining power descended, and Chen Gu THUDDED back onto the bed.

If anyone had been in the room at that moment, they would certainly have had a nosebleed.

Qing Ruyan, from her bed next door, had sensed something unusual with Chen Gu and immediately blasted through the door to attack. Great Actor Chen, unfortunately, didn't have the habit of wearing pajamas.

Now Qing Ruyan was straddling Chen Gu's waist, one hand pressing down on his face—indeed, a position quite suited for a female President and a male trophy.

Chen Gu struggled fiercely, veins bulging like earthworms from his forehead to his neck. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared angrily at her through the gaps between Qing Ruyan's fingers.

Qing Ruyan locked eyes with him; something seemed to be happening between them...

Gradually, Chen Gu's state calmed, and the bloodshot in his eyes receded layer by layer.

Chen Gu blinked, completely recovered. He suddenly felt puzzled. Did I just... enter a berserk state? That makes no sense at all. Where did my reason go? And why would I feel such strong anger towards Qing Ruyan? That's completely uncalled for...

Qing Ruyan's fingers were still tightly gripping his face as she asked in a cold voice, "Are you okay now?"

"I'm okay now," Chen Gu replied, feeling somewhat guilty, as he didn't understand what had just happened to him.

"Hmph." Qing Ruyan withdrew her hand but not before twisting his face hard, making Chen Gu's tears nearly stream out. This is definitely punishment, not some insincere flirting!

"Do you know what happened?" Qing Ruyan asked.

Chen Gu shook his head in bewilderment, recalling, "I was just lost in thought when suddenly you barged in. I thought perhaps you couldn't bear the lonely, desolate night and were about to force yourself on innocent little me..."

Instead of getting angry, Qing Ruyan laughed. She suddenly reached out and poked the swollen spot on Chen Gu's face where she had twisted it. This time, Chen Gu really did tear up.

That really hurt!

"You," Qing Ruyan shook her head, "just can't stand to lose. If you can't beat me, you have to strike back with your words."

Chen Gu thought to himself: You call yourself magnanimous? Then why did you poke me! For a young lady, you're always thinking about poking people. Is that what girls are supposed to do?

Qing Ruyan suddenly became serious and said, "You were on the verge of losing control. The next step would have been your fall!"

Chen Gu was startled. "Losing control?!"

He certainly knew what losing control meant, and what falling entailed. In other words, he had been a hair's breadth away from becoming a Professional Mutant!

Would I then cooperate effortlessly with the Evil Gods in the Endless Realm, working closely and intimately with them?!

Chen Gu's initial reaction was disbelief. Those who lost control and fell—whether Professionals or ordinary people—were mostly seduced by some mysterious voice or vision.

But when Chen Gu reflected on his state just moments ago, there was indeed no other explanation for it than losing control.

A wave of intense fear washed over his heart.

"But how could I lose control just by thinking?" Chen Gu asked in confusion.

Qing Ruyan said, "What were you thinking about just now?"

Chen Gu slowly recalled and began to recount his thoughts. Qing Ruyan understood when she heard about the mechanical organ transplants. She shook her head helplessly and said, "Your convictions were shaken, that's why you experienced a state of losing control."

She added, "It's also my fault for not explaining in detail the dangers of illegal body modification using mechanical organs."

"Take a look at this first," Qing Ruyan said, sharing a collection of images with Chen Gu.

Chen Gu nearly vomited on the spot when he opened the images. The photos showed piles of corpses! Disemboweled, or cut into various shapes.

What was most disgusting were not the corpses themselves, but the prolific growths on them. Some had dense tumors like bunches of grapes; others had large blisters; some had bamboo shoot-like fleshy growths; and still others had long, thin, dense fleshy tendrils...

"Do you think these illegal body modifications are easy to succeed at? No. Based on one operating room we raided, their success rate is less than 1%."

"And those who fail suffer severe rejection by their bodies, ultimately ending up like what you see here. All who underwent the modification died in unspeakable agony."

"Furthermore, the vast majority of these people did not volunteer for the modification."

"Their main sources are twofold: death row inmates from prisons, and kidnapped vagrants."

"The masterminds behind this couldn't care less if these people live or die. Once someone successfully undergoes the modification, nano-mines are implanted in their body. They must do everything according to the masterminds' demands; any defiance means being blown to smithereens."

Qing Ruyan asked calmly, "Now, do you still think that such 'surgery' isn't evil, and that those who conduct such 'surgeries' are not sinful?"

Chen Gu was left speechless by her question. Although it was somewhat embarrassing, Qing Ruyan's words had undoubtedly reinforced his convictions. For Chen Gu, who had just been on the verge of losing control, this was a good thing.

But the awkwardness lingered. Having lived two lives, I have a clever trick to resolve such awkwardness! The only way to perfectly dissolve one awkward situation is with another.

Chen Gu's gaze shifted, lingering on a certain loose neckline. He coughed. "Maybe... you should get off first."

Qing Ruyan, after all, wasn't truly that nonchalant. Her face flushed crimson, and her finger shot out, precisely hitting the sore spot on Chen Gu's face.

"OW—" Chen Gu cried out in pain as Qing Ruyan gracefully floated off him.

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