Starting with dissecting ghost stories

Chapter 137 Low Cognition

Shen Xing hung up on Chen Liming's call.

The penthouse suite at Longting International Hotel...

Shen Xing knew this place; it was the largest four-star hotel in the small city, one of only two landmark buildings in the city besides the TV tower. He had heard that it was invested in by a port city boss.

Correspondingly, the security situation there is better, mainly because there are more surveillance cameras.

The cost of staying in a penthouse suite for one night is equivalent to one or two months' salary for an average person... not to mention the security inside, there are definitely surveillance cameras everywhere.

Shen Xing originally wanted to have a heart-to-heart talk with the other party, but now it seems that it is basically impossible to get close to the other party without being discovered.

At the very least, he couldn't just go directly into the hotel, because he got the address from Chen Liming. If something happened to Wen Yan inside, he would definitely be the first suspect.

Shen Xing also inquired with Chen Liming about the progress of apprehending the copycat criminal.

They have now identified the copycat and obtained his information, and have issued a warrant for his arrest. He is currently hiding in the chaotic old town.

The bridges connecting the new and old city areas are also under special surveillance, making it virtually impossible for the other party to sneak into the new city area; they are already trapped.

Just as Shen Xing was pondering how to deal with Wen Yan, he didn't expect that less than an hour later, Wen Yan would call him directly.

As Shen Xing pondered his plan in his room, a hint of doubt appeared in his eyes when he looked at the number displayed on his phone.

He had previously spoken with Wen Yan on the phone, and Shen Xing had clearly expressed that he had no doubts about Wen Yan... What was the other party's intention in calling again now?

Shen Xing's first thought was that Chen Liming had betrayed him, and he told Wen Yan that he had come to inquire about the other party's address.

Without keeping the other party waiting too long, Shen Xing took a deep breath and answered the phone.

"Feed? Professor Wen?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone before Wen Yan's voice finally came through the receiver.

But the sound was hollow and indistinct, as if it came from a small, echoing space.

"Ah Xing, would you like to talk?"

The other person's voice was muffled, and Shen Xing couldn't discern their tone or expression. He was completely unable to analyze the other person's emotions and intentions from that single sentence.

"What would you like to talk about?" Shen Xing asked, leaning back in his wooden chair.

Wen Yan: "What are your thoughts on the Ninth Team?"

What are your thoughts on the Ninth Team?

Wen Yan had previously discussed the issue of the Ninth Detachment with Shen Xing, but it was mostly Wen Yan expressing his views alone, without asking Shen Xing anything.

This time, Wen Yan seemed to have no intention of pretending anymore... Without needing to change his tone or expression, Shen Xingguang could sense the confidence that was practically overflowing from his voice just from his question.

Just now, Wu Xiaoting inexplicably fell into a dream and forcibly resonated with it; it's probably Wen Yan's doing.

Where does this seemingly fearless confidence in the Ninth Detachment come from?

He also entered some kind of dream, or perhaps a precognitive dream? Did he learn something about the future?

"It's an official organization, created to combat the supernatural and protect civilians," Shen Xing replied.

"Hehe... Ah Xing, don't be shy. Just say what you're thinking. I can guarantee that no one else will know about this call."

"Uh... I don't understand what you mean." Shen Xing continued to play dumb.

"You are very smart, Shen Xing... I would say that among all the young people I have met, your ability ranks in the top three. But if you put your abilities in the Ninth Detachment, it would be a waste."

"I don't think protecting civilians is a waste of resources."

"Oh? You seem very righteous?"

Wen Yan's words were full of mockery.

For a moment, Shen Xing did not give an answer, as he was unsure of what Wen Yan was trying to express.

"You're very clever. The fact that you had Chen Liming check my address means you've already guessed what I might have taken..."

"...What's your next step? Call Lu Lingyun and report me to him?"

"You can give it a try."

At this point, Wen Yan paused slightly, his voice carrying a hint of amusement.

"But whether he will reply to you is uncertain."

Shen Xing feigned nervousness, his tone slightly hurried as he questioned, "What are you trying to say?"

"What am I trying to say? I just want to say that I've seen a lot of things you can't see, and I've learned a lot of things you don't know... The Ninth Squad has abandoned this place."

Wen Yan's voice became clearer, and there was a hint of laughter in his tone: "We are expendable pawns, Shen Xing... The impact of the Wang Xinran incident is not over yet. The official code name [03 - Hive] is still raging. The Ninth Detachment has already noticed this and is preparing to seal off the city."

"In less than three days, this place will be in chaos. It could be tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow... or even the next second."

"You and I are both infected, but guess what? Like that little girl, I've cleared the source of infection from my brain."

"The Ninth Detachment can no longer be relied upon, Shen Xing."

"Join me, let's create a new world right here."

Wen Yan's tone was filled with unparalleled confidence, and the source of his confidence seemed to be the same abnormal dream ability as Wu Xiaoting.

Wu Xiaoting, who has had bizarre dreams for many years, is almost driven mad by them, but Wen Yan seems to be in his element.

Shen Xing remained silent, offering no response.

Shen Xing wasn't particularly interested in either the Ninth Detachment or Wen Yan, who seemed to have a lot of outside information.

He felt that Wen Yan seemed to have been driven mad by the anomaly.

And... the official codename is [03—Honeycomb]?

That was the code name Shen Xing used...

The other party also experienced cognitive dissonance related to the dream, completely confusing official information with Shen Xing's research, as Wen Yan had misunderstood it.

Shen Xing's silence seemed to be taken as a rejection by Wen Yan.

"Oh."

A cold laugh came from the receiver.

"Shen Xing, you can never imagine what kind of abilities I've gained."

"What takes me a few minutes in reality, I can stay in my dreams for months. I can retain all the thoughts, research, and information in my dreams."

"I can hypnotize myself and accurately re-enter the same dream once. I can not only dream about the future, but also about the past... other people's past, and it's basically accurate."

"Shen Xing, you never survived any of those dreams that foretold the future... I'm saving you."

"You're talented, but don't let your low cognitive abilities ruin you."

After listening, Shen Xing simply smiled and asked, "Professor, have you heard of something?"

"What is it?" Wen Yan's puzzled voice came from behind.

"Humans cannot dream of things beyond their own perception," Shen Xing said calmly.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Wen Yan's laughter.

Hahahaha...

'

Even over the phone, Shen Xing could almost feel the other person laughing so hard they couldn't stand up straight.

6

"Just don't come begging me afterwards," Wen Yan said, throwing out his final words.

Then came a busy signal.

Wen Yan hung up the phone.