Chapter 132: Peeling Back Layers to Reveal the Heart

After identifying the true form of the culprit, tracking it down became much easier. 

Ratio quickly wrote an algorithm that could better trace the tracks left behind by the criminal. 

"This way!" Ratio took the lead and rushed forward. 

Gu Tang calmly followed behind him. 

The two chatted along the way. 

"So, you also like to work out in your spare time…" Ratio said with a slight smile. He seemed pleased to have found another commonality between them. 

"Training is, in a sense, a form of meditation. Silent dumbbells are the best listeners," Gu Tang responded slowly. 

"True…" Ratio thought for a moment. "You should come check out the gym at the First Truth University sometime. It's quite impressive."

[You could work out with me. I'll spot you for squats, and you can help me with the bench press. I can even make workout meals.]

Gu Tang could easily read between the lines. 

He replied to Ratio, "Sure, we can work out together. I've got quite a few training tips to share."

Ratio turned his head, his expression still blank: "I'm pretty busy at the university, so I may not have the time." 

[Hmph, don't get the wrong idea. It's not like I *want* to work out with you or anything (I'm actually looking forward to hearing your training insights).]

Double-layered tsundere! 

Anyone other than Gu Tang would surely have missed it. 

…

The two arrived at a door. 

Based on the traces that Ratio had detected, the Ghostly Flame was inside this room. 

However, they were stopped by a security guard. 

"Sorry, but this is one of Lady Herta's storage rooms. Unauthorized personnel are not allowed entry," the guard said.

Ratio frowned. "You don't even know what we're after, do you?"

"Hmph, I know you're from the company, but the space station belongs to Lady Herta," the guard said dismissively, looking at Ratio with disdain.

Clearly, this guard was not too fond of the company's personnel.

This was exactly why Ratio kept training diligently—never slacking off. 

Sometimes, knowledge and eloquence were useless. What you needed was to argue with your body.

Ratio raised the heavy book in his hand. The thing was no different from a blunt weapon. One swing could easily smash bricks.

But Gu Tang stopped Ratio, who was already prepared to make a move.

He patted Ratio's shoulder and said, "Let me handle this. My plaster head has a hypnotic function, making people follow my orders."

"Is it really that powerful?" Ratio raised an eyebrow.

Gu Tang approached the security guard and said, "Let us in."

"Sure, understood." The guard nodded and moved aside.

"Your plaster head really has a lot of functions (I'd love to chat all night about the wonders of your plaster head)," Ratio said, looking at Gu Tang calmly.

Of course, the plaster head had no hypnotic abilities at all.

The guard simply recognized Gu Tang. 

After all, in this space station, no one dared to go against him.

After all, he was adored by both Herta and Asta. From this perspective, Gu Tang might actually hold the most authority in the entire space station.

The two stepped into the storage room.

It was quiet inside. Aside from various strange collectibles, only a few researchers were present, recording and maintaining the items.

Ratio scanned the surroundings. "Strange, the data shows the Ghostly Flame is here, but I can't see it…"

Then, his gaze locked onto a few inconspicuous researchers.

"Right, it's hidden inside one of these researchers. After all, as a formless energy being, it's only natural that it could do something like this," Ratio said confidently.

Gu Tang immediately activated the X-ray mode of his plaster head.

This time, it was indeed a special function of the plaster head.

The clothing of the researchers vanished from Gu Tang's sight.

Whoops, this is inappropriate. Gu Tang adjusted the X-ray intensity further.

Now he could see the researchers' internal organs. One of them seemed to have a bad liver.

But still no sign of the Ghostly Flame, so Gu Tang pushed the X-ray vision even further.

The researchers had turned into moving skeletons, like undead creatures from a fantasy novel.

Then, within the ribs of one researcher, he saw a flickering blue flame.

"The second one from the left, wearing blue pants," Gu Tang immediately said.

Ratio picked up a piece of chalk and hurled it fiercely: "Get out of there!"

The chalk hit the researcher squarely in the chest.

The impact sent the researcher stumbling back, revealing a semi-transparent triangular entity that shattered instantly within a series of formulas.

A blue flame drilled out of the researcher's body and began fleeing into the distance.

"Chase it!" Gu Tang and Ratio immediately pursued.

The researcher, clutching his chest, looked bewildered.

The two chased the Ghostly Flame, racing through the complex hallways and rooms of the space station.

Then, they stopped in a research room.

"Hmph, hiding inside a researcher again, huh." Ratio looked at the few researchers ahead with disdain.

He turned to Gu Tang and said, "I need your assistance, now (I'm counting on you. Thankfully I had you join me, otherwise, things wouldn't have gone this smoothly. I have to say, this was my lucky move)."

Gu Tang activated his X-ray vision once more.

But this time, he encountered an obstacle.

Because one of the researchers was wearing a T-shirt.

And under the T-shirt, there was another T-shirt.

And beneath that, yet another T-shirt.

Each T-shirt was inscribed with different texts: [My sole loyalty is to Lord Gu Tang][Lady Herta is my goddess][Big Bro Alain is too cool][My one true love, General Jingyuan].

It has to be said—some people are like onions; you have to peel them layer by layer to truly see what's inside.

"I think, in the case of fanatic fans, the fewer, the better…" Gu Tang couldn't help but comment.

"I agree with you on that point (So true! We really have so much in common, it's like the universe is urging us to be friends!)" Ratio said, crossing his arms in approval.

Ratio despised incompetence, but what he hated more than incompetence was blind faith in geniuses.

The path of the Erudition is neither rational nor logical. Geniuses stroll among the stars, while the mundane cannot even follow a single footprint.

Yet, not seeking, not thinking, only blindly venerating everything about the genius, and then blaming everything on a lack of talent—loathing oneself for not having an extraordinary brain—such people are worse than mundane.

Ratio despised this phenomenon, which is why he called himself the "Doctor of Truth."

He believed that wisdom and creativity were not exclusive to geniuses. Knowledge should be disseminated and circulated throughout the universe, curing the affliction known as ignorance.

Even if they couldn't match the pace of geniuses by one ten-thousandth, the mundane must still learn to take their own steps.

"I feel the same… the mundane," Ratio murmured to himself.