The Super Brain(Part 1)  

Two hours earlier, on the third floor.

Mingyoo snapped his fingers at the young man sprawled on the couch. Zeeshow's fine eyelashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes and sat up.

As Jian's son, he was a marvel of evolution. His skin was fair and delicate, his features were beautifully drawn, and he bore no resemblance to his fierce-looking father. He sat there, like a piece of exquisite porcelain.

He looked around in confusion, finally settling his gaze on Mingyoo's face. "Where am I? Who are you?" he asked, puzzled.

"My place," Mingyoo replied, pushing a bowl of chicken noodle soup from the coffee table towards him. "Hungry? Have something to eat."

Zeeshow glanced at the noodles but didn't move. "Why am I here? I remember encountering that lunatic on the road, and he beat me up... Did I pass out? Did you save me?"

Mingyoo nodded, picked up a clump of noodles from his bowl with chopsticks, and swallowed it in two bites. "See, it's not poisoned. Eat."

"Um, thank you..." Zeeshow watched him anxiously for a moment before picking up his chopsticks and starting to eat.

Mingyoo finished his meal quickly, put down his chopsticks, and a hint of satisfaction, typical of a food lover, appeared on his face.

Zeeshow seemed a bit restless. He put down his chopsticks halfway through his meal and asked, "What's your name?"

Mingyoo tapped his temples with two fingers. "What, can't you read it?"

"I don't understand what you're saying," Zeeshow's expression shifted slightly, and he stood up. "I should go now. Thank you for saving me. I'll have my father repay you. Do you want money?"

Mingyoo shook his head. "No need. But I'd like to ask you for a small favor."

Zeeshow didn't move. Mingyoo gestured to the couch. "Please, sit."

Zeeshow hesitated for a moment before sitting down. Mingyoo picked up a stack of photos, pulled one out, and placed it on the coffee table. "Do you recognize this person?"

The photo showed a tall, robust young man with a radiant smile, holding a basketball. Zeeshow stared at the photo, his expression shifting. After a long moment, he nodded.

Mingyoo pulled out another photo and placed it next to the first one. "How about now? Do you still recognize him?"

The young man in the photo had become a cold corpse lying on the coroner's table. His bare skin was a lifeless gray, and his chest and limbs were covered in horrific wounds. It was the first victim of the Xiyuan City serial murders!

Sweat beads formed on Zeeshow's forehead. Mingyoo pulled out another photo and placed it next to the others. "And now?"

The photo showed the body just after it had been dug up from the ground, wrapped in white cotton cloth, revealing half of a distorted face. Zeeshow couldn't help but tremble, slowly closing his eyes.

Mingyoo didn't press him further, silently pulling out photo after photo and placing them next to the first three, until there were twelve in total.

Four boys, twelve photos. On the left, they were full of life.

In the middle, they had become mutilated corpses. On the right, they were wrapped in white cotton cloth.

"Do you have anything to say?" Mingyoo asked Zeeshow.

Zeeshow's throat bobbed, and after a moment, he opened his eyes and said, "I'm very sad."

Mingyoo nodded in agreement. "I'm also very sad. They were all your classmates, right? From middle school, high school, university... Seeing so many classmates die one after another, and in such a gruesome way, it must be hard for you, isn't it?"

A large tear rolled down from Zeeshow's eye, hanging on his chiseled jawline. Mingyoo pulled a tissue from the box and handed it to him, saying softly, "My condolences."

Zeeshow didn't move, letting the tear fall. He wiped his eyes with his finger, his dark eyes carrying a hint of the innocence typical of a young man. He sincerely said to Mingyoo, "Thank you. If it weren't for you, I would be just like them tonight."

Mingyoo's face suddenly turned cold, his eyes narrowing dangerously. He nodded, "That's true. Then I'll accept your thanks, Zeeshow." He paused, a playful smirk playing on his lips. "In return, could you do me a small favor?"

"Please, go ahead."

"Do you believe in the existence of a super brain in this world?"

Zeeshow was puzzled. "Super brain?"

"A super brain that can stimulate others' brains, change their personalities, and even control their actions."

Zeeshow thought for a moment, then asked, "Are you talking about science fiction? Like Professor X? Jean Grey? Telekinesis?"

"No, I'm not talking about fictional heroes. I'm talking about real people around us." Mingyoo's gaze became distant. "I once had a friend who had this ability. At first, she only used it to fulfill some of her own desires. But later, the feeling was too intoxicating, too powerful, and so addictive that she couldn't stop..."

He paused for a moment, then said, "In the end, she killed herself."

Zeeshow shivered in a corner where Mingyoo couldn't see.

Mingyoo asked, "Zeeshow, are you scared?"

Zeeshow looked down at his hands, which were slender and pale, without a single flaw. "I don't understand what you're saying."

With a soft click, Mingyoo lit a cigarette, took a deep puff, and suddenly changed the subject. "Let's talk about your father. He used to be a thief, in and out of jail three times. He was a notorious repeat offender. You must be aware of this, right?"

Zeeshow countered, "Are you a cop?"

Mingyoo didn't answer, continuing, "He has a bad temper. He drove your mother to drink pesticide long ago. You were raised by your grandparents until they passed away ten years ago, and only then did he take you in. He probably wanted to treat you well, otherwise he wouldn't have given up his life of crime for you and started a small business in Xiyuan City. But a person's nature is hard to change. He can't control his innate violence. No matter how much he regrets it afterward, he can't help but lash out at you when he gets angry."

Zeeshow's mouth twitched in what looked like a bitter smile. Mingyoo continued, "You suffered from selective mutism as a child. Because you couldn't speak normally in public, you were alienated from the world around you, ignored by teachers, bullied by classmates... Your heart must have been in great pain, with no friends to confide in, no relatives to rely on... Do you blame the world?"

Zeeshow's dark pupils held a hollow, distant look. He shook his head. "No, the world is just like this, cruel, indifferent, mechanical. But it's fair to everyone, equally cruel, indifferent, and mechanical. Everything I've endured is not imposed by the world, but stems from myself. Because I am who I am, I encounter such a world... So I've never blamed anyone. Everyone has their fate, or rather, everyone's circumstances at birth are different. This has nothing to do with fairness, it's pure mathematical probability."

Mingyoo stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and continued, "After you went to university, your condition suddenly improved. Your mutism gradually healed, you made friends, and your grades were good."

Zeeshow said, "My grades have always been good. You see, probability is fair. It won't give you a hundred percent disadvantage. There will always be some compensation."

Mingyoo suddenly asked, "How did you cure your mutism?"

Zeeshow thought for a moment, then said, "It just naturally got better, I guess. Or maybe psychological counseling helped a bit. And I grew up. In this world, people often judge by appearances. The more attractive you are, the more kindness you tend to receive."

It was undeniable that Zeeshow was very handsome, delicate yet masculine, exactly the type of handsome young man that was popular these days. It was easy to imagine that the ridicule and prejudice he faced as a child turned into envy and admiration as he grew up.

Mingyoo seemed convinced by his words, nodding in agreement. "You're quite a conversationalist, Zeeshow. It's hard to imagine you were once a selective mute. Whoever cured you is a genius."

Zeeshow squinted his eyes and remained silent. Mingyoo observed his expression for a moment, then suddenly said, "Let's talk about last night. Why did you return to Maplewood Town?"

"My uncle passed away, and my father took me back for the funeral."

Mingyoo asked, "Why were you in Chicken Frame Village last night? It's miles away from Maplewood Town, a one-hour walk."