Half-Face arranged pictures of Tai Yu, Old Bai Jiao, Yi Ya, and the others into a relationship chart, then tapped Old Bai Jiao's aged face. "This country bumpkin has never left the Red Silicon Star System in his life, and he's not some sentimental type. He might not even know Wei Su Yi, a washed-up singer who's been repeatedly blacklisted. Besides, given his life experience, he shouldn't have reacted like that."
After a brief pause to let his companion on the other side digest this, he continued, "At a time like this, I think we should consider another possibility: when we used the Awakened to release that power, could some information have seeped through and influenced him?"
His companion had even more metal on his face than Half-Face, mainly because he wore a metal visor that exposed only a pair of dark gray eyes. Those gray eyes looked deeply at him now.
"What do you mean?"
Half-Face lowered his voice. "As far as I know, some of the Awakened came from that era... Maybe we can start there."
His companion shook his head. "There's no need to chase every detail over something like this. You call Bai Jiao a country bumpkin, but you've lived in the provinces for too long yourself. Have you forgotten? We aren't pursuing clear, complete answers. What we need is a vague power that can break through boundaries at any time. We do not seek ultimate enlightenment; all we need is an initial awakening, half awake and half asleep... The clearer your mind is, the farther you are from the Awakened."
Half-Face felt ashamed, though nearly all the sweat glands on his face had long since been destroyed. "My mistake."
That was what he said, but Half-Face had heard the answer he wanted: his companion had