Chapter Summaries

Lu Xin and the investigation team narrowed their search for the Pollution Source to four likely gathering places near Cui Wang’s connection to the abandoned industrial zone. At the final site, a wild lake, Sister spotted something she called fun, and Lu Xin hurried to investigate.

• Lu Xin asked Han Bing for a faster way to find where the Avengers had crossed paths, worried that more people would be infected after midnight.
• Chen Jing prioritized eliminating the Pollution Source and directed the team to investigate likely gathering places near the abandoned industrial zone.
• Han Bing identified four suspicious locations, and the investigation team received their map markings and began checking them.
• Lu Xin and the team reached the last site, an abandoned construction area where rainwater had formed a lake.
• Sister appeared beside the lake, stared into the water, and excitedly told Lu Xin there was something fun there.

Lu Xin and the Information Analysis Team found no mental residue around the last suspicious location, leaving the lake as the likely place where the Pollution Source was hidden. As Lu Xin prepared to enter the water, Chen Jing ordered the Special Support Team to pump the lake dry instead.

• Sister sensed something in the lake that excited her, while the Information Analysis Team found no mental residue along the path or nearby weeds.
• Lu Xin asked whether the team's instruments and protective suits could be used underwater, then offered to inspect the lake himself.
• Cheng Hui and the other team members watched Lu Xin volunteer to take the risk, and he confirmed over the channel that the lake was the only suspicious location left.
• Chen Jing ordered the team to call the Special Support Team and pump the lake dry rather than let Lu Xin enter it.

Lu Xin and the investigation team entered the drained lakebed to locate the Pollution Source. They found that the fish were speaking in unison, accusing Qin Ran of killing them.

• Chen Jing ordered the lake drained and explained that armed personnel would watch the team in case the Pollution Source was highly contagious.
• Lu Xin and the investigation team entered the exposed lakebed with a monitoring device while Sister searched ahead.
• Sister pointed Lu Xin toward a puddle near the center of the lake, and the monitoring device turned red as they approached.
• A fish in the mud accused Qin Ran of causing its death, and more fish joined in, chanting that Qin Ran had harmed them and murderers must pay with their lives.

Lu Xin confronted a mental shock that controlled three investigation team soldiers and made them fire on their comrades. Though Chen Jing ordered him to retreat, Lu Xin chose to rescue the soldiers and charged at them with Sister’s hand in his.

• A red tide swept across the lakebed, and red shadows seized the three investigation team soldiers while Sister pulled Lu Xin out of the way.
• Han Bing identified a Super Level 1 Mental Monster and reported that a Mental Plague was breaking out.
• The possessed soldiers turned their guns on the nearby guards, and Chen Jing ordered Lu Xin and the others to withdraw.
• Lu Xin refused to leave the soldiers behind and decided to deal with the threat himself.
• Lu Xin charged toward the soldiers as Sister clasped his hand, and he blurred into a ghostlike figure while bullets flew toward him.

Lu Xin rescued three investigation team members from the shadows controlling them, then charged toward the central puddle. A tree covered in vines and human-shaped fruit burst from the mud and reached for him.

• Lu Xin dodged gunfire and tore the shadows off three airborne investigation team members, freeing them from control.
• Chen Jing and Han Bing watched the rescue on camera, and Chen Jing ordered the team to withdraw.
• Lu Xin stayed behind because Sister rushed toward the puddle at the center of the lakebed.
• A tree with twisted branches, coiling vines, and human-shaped fruit erupted from the mud and pounced toward Lu Xin.

Lu Xin fought the Super Level 1 Mental Monster at the wild lake while Sister controlled his movements. As Chen Jing and Han Bing analyzed the threat, they considered whether Cui Wang’s corpse or Lu Xin’s own method could resolve the incident.

• Lu Xin dodged the monster’s humanoid shadows and tore one apart while Sister controlled the fight.
• The monster’s vines and humanlike figures attacked Lu Xin as onlookers watched him fight barehanded.
• Han Bing identified the shadows as fused mental bodies of people who had pursued Qin Ran for revenge.
• Chen Jing ordered the team to continue analyzing and concluded that Cui Wang might be key to resolving the pollution incident.
• Han Bing wondered whether Lu Xin’s method could resolve the incident directly.

Lu Xin and Sister drove the Mental Monster back into the lakebed, allowing the team to excavate its Pollution Source. The corpse they uncovered was Qin Ran, raising the question of who had been accompanying the team on shore.

• Lu Xin tore apart the Human-shaped Fruit Tree’s human-shaped vines while Sister bit into the vines themselves.
• The Mental Monster withdrew into the puddle, and Sister said it had chickened out.
• Chen Jing ordered the investigation team to excavate the Pollution Source while Lu Xin stood guard.
• The team dug up an intact corpse in camouflage, and Lu Xin helped pull it from the lakebed.
• Lu Xin identified the corpse as Qin Ran and wondered who the Qin Ran on shore was.

Lu Xin confronted Qin Ran with the discovery that Qin Ran’s corpse had been buried as the Pollution Source, and Qin Ran fled after questioning his identity. After soldiers shot him, his body changed into Cui Wang, leaving the team with a new mystery.

• Lu Xin asked Qin Ran who he was after revealing that the corpse excavated from the lakebed looked exactly like him.
• Sister said the shadows from the strange tree resembled Qin Ran in different shapes and sizes.
• Qin Ran panicked, ran to the corpse, called the discovery fake, and charged toward the city wall.
• Chen Jing ordered the team to capture Qin Ran alive, but soldiers on the wall shot him before he could escape.
• Lu Xin and the team saw Qin Ran’s corpse shrivel and transform into another person, whom Corporal Han Bing identified as Cui Wang.

After the lake’s Pollution Source 041 was contained and declared cleared, Chen Jing reviewed the operation with Lu Xin and questioned how he had defeated such a powerful source without finding its logic chain or core key. The chapter left Lu Xin facing Chen Jing’s suspicion that he had a hidden ability.

• The support team sealed Qin Ran’s and Cui Wang’s bodies in separate glass coffins and examined the lake while Cheng Hui and his teammates underwent assessments.
• Chen Jing told Lu Xin the cleanup mission was complete and proposed that the fish’s cries about Qin Ran could provide a clue to the incident’s logic.
• Chen Jing took Lu Xin to the Satellite City Guard Department, where he waited in a conference room and Sister ate the chocolate and candy.
• Chen Jing ordered the coffins sent to the Special Research Institute, Sifang Company’s staff detained, and records about Qin Ran and Cui Wang collected.
• A tissue test confirmed that the remains from Cui Wang’s dumping site matched Qin Ran, and Chen Jing reported that no residual mental power remained in the lake.
• Chen Jing explained that the team had found neither the logic chain nor the core key, then asked Lu Xin whether he had a hidden ability that let him defeat Pollution Source 041.

Chen Jing questioned Lu Xin about how he had handled the pollution incidents and explained mental levels, Pollution Sources, and their logic chains and core keys. Lu Xin said his sister had resolved the threats and explained that he charged in because he could see the three investigation team members had not been polluted.

• Chen Jing explained mental levels and the difference between Pollution Sources and Mental Monsters.
• Chen Jing questioned why Lu Xin had faced the No. 036 and No. 041 pollution incidents directly instead of finding their logic chains and core keys.
• Lu Xin said his sister had resolved the Pollution Sources, and that she was above Chen Jing's head, though Chen Jing could not see her.
• Chen Jing asked why Lu Xin had disobeyed her order to retreat and charged toward the Pollution Source.
• Lu Xin said he acted because the three investigation team members had not been polluted, and explained that he had seen it directly.

After Lu Xin explained that he could see Mental Monsters, Chen Jing questioned him about his abilities and promised to arrange his payment. Back at the Guard Department, Chen Jing and her colleagues discussed his unusual perception and estimated that his mental level might exceed three hundred.

• Lu Xin told Chen Jing that he could see Mental Monsters and distinguish whether people caught by them had been restrained or polluted.
• Chen Jing asked Lu Xin about his investigation and fight, then sketched the Human-shaped Fruit Tree from his description.
• Lu Xin asked about his payment, and Chen Jing said it would soon be deposited into his account.
• After sending Lu Xin home, Chen Jing returned to the conference room and reviewed the implications of his abilities with her colleagues.
• A man in a white coat estimated that Lu Xin's mental level might be three hundred or higher.

Chen Jing argued against keeping Lu Xin under strict surveillance or refusing to guide him, but Professor Bai revealed that Lu Xin’s risk of losing control might exceed 80 percent. He linked Lu Xin to a mysterious explosion at the Crimson Moon Orphanage ten years earlier, suggesting Lu Xin had caused a devastating Telekinesis incident as a child.

• Minister Shen argued that Lu Xin’s unstable condition and high risk of losing control made him too dangerous to recruit or guide.
• Chen Jing argued that refusing to guide Lu Xin could itself provoke a loss of control, and that he had just prevented a disaster without casualties.
• Corporal Han Bing announced a signal from Professor Bai, who confirmed Lu Xin’s risk of losing control was high and his mental magnitude might be greater than they had assumed.
• Professor Bai presented a report about the Crimson Moon Orphanage explosion ten years earlier, in which Lu Xin and Zeng Xiaolu were the only survivors.
• Professor Bai said the orphanage’s destruction was likely caused by a loss-of-control Telekinesis incident, leaving the meeting stunned by the possibility of Lu Xin’s power.

Professor Bai argued that the unusually powerful Mental Mutant should be recruited and guided rather than rejected, while Minister Shen insisted on strict safeguards. The meeting ended with plans for further testing in the Satellite City, prompted by Professor Bai’s unease about No. 041.

• Minister Shen called for comprehensive monitoring of the young man, but Professor Bai supported recruiting and guiding him because he had worked to control himself.
• Professor Bai warned that other High Wall Cities and organizations had discovered S-class Mental Mutants and might use them militarily, making it dangerous to fall behind.
• Minister Shen agreed to recruitment but demanded stronger supervision and barred the young man from entering the Main City until his mental stability was confirmed.
• Professor Bai told Chen Jing that the young man’s long-standing disorder and high Mental Mutation level could demonstrate self-control, and said guiding him was their responsibility.
• Professor Bai arranged for staff to test and evaluate the young man in the Satellite City as soon as possible because No. 041 special pollution source troubled him.

Lu Xin returned to routine office work after the Sifang Transportation Company incident, while his coworkers grew wary of him. Han Bing called to explain how Special Pollution Source - 041 had been contained and began describing how the incident started.

• Lu Xin’s Director nervously asked about his gunfight at Sifang Transportation Company, and Lu Xin said he had visited the Guard Department and returned after drinking coffee.
• Lu Xin resumed managing the glass-fiber filter cloth order, recruiting Sister Sun and Brother Zhang to help.
• Lu Cheng quit the project after a gun fell from Lu Xin’s bag and he became frightened by Lu Xin’s strange glances.
• Han Bing told Lu Xin that Qin Ran and Cui Wang’s corpses had been sealed at the Qinggang City Special Pollution Source Containment Center and that the investigation team had shown no signs of contamination.
• Lu Xin asked Han Bing whether the pollution source had been destroyed and then asked how the incident had begun.

Han Bing explained the research department’s uncertain hypotheses about Special Pollution Source—041 and Qin Ran’s connection to Cui Wang. Lu Xin learned he would receive a reward and undergo an assessment before possible formal recruitment, then returned to the office pleased about the money and prospect of a full-time position.

• Han Bing told Lu Xin that DNA evidence linked the bodies and samples associated with Qin Ran and Cui Wang, while witness testimony suggested Qin Ran’s appetite had grown unusually large.
• Han Bing outlined the hypothesis that Cui Wang had been deeply polluted into believing he was Qin Ran, while Special Pollution Source—041 could capture, devour, and assimilate mental entities.
• Han Bing gave possible explanations for why the polluted entities had sought revenge and why Qin Ran’s behavior might have differed from the source’s, including that he could have been a juvenile form.
• Han Bing said the investigation was ongoing and that Lu Xin would be notified of further findings from other cases.
• Han Bing told Lu Xin his thirty-thousand-yuan reward and an extra six thousand yuan had been transferred, and that Colonel Chen Jing had arranged an assessment before formal recruitment.
• Lu Xin celebrated the thirty-six-thousand-yuan reward and his chance to become a full-time employee, then returned to the office.

Lu Xin struggled to resist buying a chicken drumstick before visiting Teacher Lu at Crimson Moon Elementary School. After she caught him trying to leave, he explained that his new job was legitimate and promised not to do anything bad, then pushed her back into the school.

• Lu Xin bought a chicken drumstick to eat with his vegetable noodles, then took a bus to Crimson Moon Elementary School.
• Lu Xin left money and flowers in the school mailbox and tried to slip away before Teacher Lu could see him.
• Teacher Lu pretended her wheelchair had crashed to make Lu Xin turn back, then confronted him about avoiding her.
• Teacher Lu asked whether Lu Xin had done something bad to earn so much money, and he said he had a legitimate, well-paying part-time job.
• Teacher Lu accepted Lu Xin's reassurance and asked him to push her back inside the school.

Lu Xin gave Teacher Lu money to support Crimson Moon Elementary School, but she worried about his safety and urged him to take care of himself. After leaving, he wondered about the orphanage’s past, then returned home to find Father and Sister arguing in the hallway.

• Lu Xin gave Teacher Lu a large amount of money, and she accepted some while telling him to keep the rest and eat better.
• Teacher Lu avoided Lu Xin’s questions about the events at Crimson Moon Orphanage and invited him over for dumplings.
• Lu Xin left the school still wondering what had happened at the orphanage and reflected on how earning money let him help rebuild it.
• Lu Xin bought groceries at a street market and returned to his apartment building after dark.
• Lu Xin found Father shouting at Sister, who crawled across the hallway ceiling and taunted him.

Lu Xin tried to bring peace to his family with a quiet dinner, then exercised outside after the meal. His workout was interrupted when Gecko arrived to test him, and Lu Xin led him away from the apartment before his family could attack.

• Lu Xin returned with groceries and liquor, and his request for a quiet meal stopped Father from continuing his tantrum.
• Mom prepared dinner after learning Lu Xin had visited the orphanage, and the family ate in rare silence while exchanging strange glances.
• After dinner, Lu Xin went downstairs to exercise because he wanted to improve his fitness for his Pollution Source cleanup work.
• A dagger flew at Lu Xin, but Sister caught it before it could hurt him.
• Gecko introduced himself as a Spider-type sent by Colonel Chen and admitted he had attacked Lu Xin to test his reactions.
• Lu Xin warned Gecko that he was the dangerous one and led him away from the building.

Lu Xin learned that the Six Monsters of Qinggang had come to Satellite City No. 2 to examine him before he officially joined the organization. He arrived at Qingzhuo Building with Gecko and met Chen Jing, who explained that passing the examination would earn him a codename and access to guidance.

• Lu Xin asked Gecko why Colonel Chen had sent him and learned that the Six Monsters of Qinggang had come to examine him.
• Lu Xin told Gecko that his sister wanted to tear off Gecko’s neck, unsettling Gecko, and learned that people considered Lu Xin dangerous.
• Gecko received the examination location and time, then raced Lu Xin toward Qingzhuo Building by climbing across rooftops while Lu Xin took the subway.
• Lu Xin and Gecko reached the heavily guarded building and went with Chen Jing to the nineteenth floor.
• Chen Jing told Lu Xin that the examination was routine and that passing would give him a codename and the opportunity to receive guidance.

Chen Jing brought Lu Xin to meet the six experts who would examine him and create a guidance plan for his abilities. As they began explaining Mental Mutation and its branches, Lu Xin asked what guidance meant, while Gecko complained that researchers expected too much of him.

• Chen Jing led Lu Xin into an office and introduced the researchers and security personnel waiting there.
• The old man surnamed Chen introduced himself as the director of Qinggang City's Special Pollution Research Center and said the six experts would lead Lu Xin's examination and guidance plan.
• Chen Jing explained that Gecko had volunteered to attend as a reference because his abilities were similar to Lu Xin's.
• The experts took Lu Xin to the examination site and explained that they would measure his mental level to guide his abilities and reduce the risk of losing control.
• Chen Jing described several branches of Mental Mutation and said ability users needed formal guidance, while Gecko complained that researchers wrongly assumed he could perform abilities such as turning into liquid.
• The old man surnamed Chen told Lu Xin that researchers understood abilities better than mutants who had merely undergone mental mutation.