This machine had been upgraded countless times through the combined efforts of her, Ruan Mei, and Screwllum.
Yet every time it examined Lin Nai, it was completely fucking useless.
It was truly strange.
Where exactly was the problem?
"How would I know..."
Lin Nai leaned back in his chair, absentmindedly scrolling through his phone.
He was clearly in no mood.
Listless and weak.
Herta gave Lin Nai a surprised look. "What's with you? Why are you so low-energy? How could someone your age be in such a state?"
Apart from not getting enough sleep, this kid usually had plenty of energy every day, didn't he?
According to the information sent back by the puppet—
Lin Nai had slept well last night and hadn't had any nightmares.
"For some reason, Asta has been looking at me strangely lately." Lin Nai sighed. "I don't think I've ever offended her..."
It seemed to have started after he left the medical department three days ago.
Could that staff member have gone to complain to Asta?
Probably not, right?
Even when Asta misunderstood him for disturbing Black Silk, she hadn't looked at him like that. Though her gaze had been pretty subtle when OMO was involved before.
It really was strange.
"Maybe you did something weird again."
Herta didn't think much of it.
Lin Nai had done plenty of bizarre things.
Like driving a jeep around the training grounds while chasing the Security Department trainees, telling them to ram the car.
Or making Arlan sing a song called Qiuqiu Ballad and having Peppy perform a backflip...
Most importantly, Peppy could actually do backflips!
Lin Nai: The little guy can even put on a spacesuit by himself. What's so strange about backflips?
In short, Lin Nai's actions were often completely pointless.
Oh, except for Peppy's backflips. Quite a few staff members had gone to watch that day.
Herta's verdict had been: no animal performances.
So it was perfectly normal for Asta to look at Lin Nai with complicated eyes.
"Not that kind of subtle... How should I describe it..."
How exactly should that look be described?
Thirty percent desolation, thirty percent anger, thirty percent dissatisfaction, and ten percent disbelief.
It was just...
Really weird.
It wasn't as though he had never seen that expression before.
The last time he saw it was the last time...
Pah. It was when Asta had dragged him into watching a melodramatic romance drama, and the heroine had looked like that.
"So you really haven't done anything weird lately?"
"Of course not! What kind of person do you think I am?!"
"A heartless little bastard."
"?"
A question mark appeared over Lin Nai's head. "How am I heartless?!"
"Last week, you wouldn't even let me test you!"
"You motherf—"
Lin Nai's blood pressure spiked, but it quickly dropped again as he slumped back in his chair.
He still couldn't figure out what that look from Asta meant.
Angry?
That shouldn't be it.
Asta had too good a temper.
Over all these years, Lin Nai had hardly ever seen Asta get angry.
At the very least, she had rarely gotten mad at him.
The only time was when he had run away from the Space Station and gone to some planet whose name he didn't even know.
After the Express happened to find him, Miss Kizuna sent him back to the Space Station. Asta had immediately come over and given him a fierce scolding.
At the time, Asta had practically been ready to hit him.
"If you're curious, why not just ask her directly?"
Herta lowered her head and repeatedly reviewed the report, speaking without looking up.
She truly couldn't understand why he was hesitating like this.
Hadn't he told that Stellaron Hunters brat in his room before that no matter what difficulties they encountered, they should face them with a smile?
Yet when it came to himself, he started hesitating.
Don't misunderstand.
Herta had no intention of monitoring Lin Nai.
She had merely happened to see it!
Mm.
By coincidence.
Lin Nai's mouth twitched. "How am I supposed to ask? I don't even have an opening..."
He couldn't exactly walk up to her and say—
Hey, Asta, lately you've been looking at me every day like a fan chart, and I'm curious.
Something like that, right?
"Then why not ask Arlan? Maybe he knows something?"
"Arlan..." Lin Nai put both hands behind his head. Peppy spent more time around Arlan than Asta did.
It seemed that ever since he and Asta had become close—
Arlan had dumped a whole pile of Asta-care duties onto him.
"But there's no other way. I'll go ask him now."
As he spoke, Lin Nai stood up and left.
He really was curious.
What could possibly make Asta look at him with eyes like a fan chart?
"Mm... Wait, I know you're in a hurry, but just—hey! Wait!"
The moment Herta raised her head, she discovered that Lin Nai had already run out of the office and headed straight for the Security Department.
Only the true master of the Space Station remained in the office, one hand stretched out like Erkang.
"Tch..."
Herta curled her lips and withdrew her hand.
"That guy is really impatient... Forget it. I'll make the next physical examination a little harder for him."
Shaking her head, Herta sorted Lin Nai's recent medical reports into her suitcase and rose to leave.
Next, she needed to find Ruan Mei and the others.
They needed to solve this matter.
And so—
The geniuses were about to fall into an unsolved mystery.
Something Was Ninety Percent—No, One Hundred Percent Wrong!
By now, Lin Nai had left Herta's office and arrived at the Security Department under Arlan's charge.
But the moment he stepped inside—
Lin Nai saw three people sleeping with their heads on their desks. Looking at everyone else, he found that they all seemed exhausted as well.
What was going on?
"Oi! Wake up! It's working hours." Lin Nai patted one groggy person on the face. "Waste too much time, and you won't finish your work."
"Mm..."
The person raised his head and rubbed his eyes. "Ah... It's Brother Lin Nai."
"Abraham? What's going on with you guys? And since when have you been so blatant about slacking off? Arlan didn't stop you?"
"Sorry, Brother Lin Nai. I don't know why, but I just can't seem to muster any strength today..."
"Did none of you sleep well last night? No, does the Security Department need overtime too? Don't you have shifts?"
The Herta Space Station's security measures were quite comprehensive.
And under Arlan's leadership, the entire Security Department shouldn't have ended up unable to wake up like this...
The shifts were all arranged properly too.
"No... I actually had a nightmare." Abraham shook his head. "No... It wasn't really a nightmare, but the dream was strange."
"Strange?"
"Yeah. I think I saw Peppy fighting robots in my dream, Peach Blossom Man fighting Chrysanthemum Monster... It was just ridiculously absurd."
"Uh..."
Hearing Abraham say that, Lin Nai couldn't help thinking of the dream he had had before.
That one had been pretty strange too.
"What about them?" Lin Nai pointed at the others.
Abraham shook his head. "I don't know. They were already like this when they came in. Maybe it's the same for them?"
"Is that so... Wait a second. I'll find something to perk you guys up."
As Lin Nai spoke, he pulled a bottle of medicine marked with a black skull from his pocket.
Abraham stared at it blankly.
Abraham: A... four-dimensional pocket?!
Lin Nai: No, it's System Space.
"Here, drink it."
"What is this?"
Abraham took the potion without suspicion, unscrewed the cap, and drank it.
Before you continue