Star Rail: I, a Researcher, Joined the Chat Group — Chapter 22

Chen Mu looked at Kafka and said the same.

"Oh my, I never expected Young Master Chen Mu to have heard of me. I'm truly honored."

Kafka replied with a smiling expression.

Chen Mu was an unparalleled genius acknowledged by all the major top-tier forces in the universe, while Kafka was a Stellaron Hunter infamous throughout the universe. Saying she felt honored was not an exaggeration.

"As for what I want, Silver Wolf, get this straight. This is the Space Station. Shouldn't it be you who should be explaining what you want?"

Chen Mu nodded at Kafka, then complained to Silver Wolf.

Silver Wolf: "..."

"If you wanted to come to the Space Station, couldn't you have just come properly? Did you really have to make such a mess?"

Chen Mu said with a headache.

"Oh my~ Coming to the Space Station openly probably wouldn't work, Young Master Chen Mu. After all, we're Stellaron Hunters, and that person over there also has some old grudges with your Herta."

Kafka gave a soft laugh and took the initiative to speak.

"That's true enough. But if you wanted to come, there would always have been a way. It would've been better than turning the Space Station into such a mess, wouldn't it?"

Chen Mu replied.

Silver Wolf said, "We didn't do this. The Anti-Matter Legion did."

"I know. Otherwise, did you think you'd still be standing here talking to me? I would've tied you up long ago, okay? I'm a member of the Space Station too, you know?"

Chen Mu said speechlessly.

"Heh, you really are confident, Young Master Chen Mu." Kafka chuckled.

"Chen Mu, just say it. What will it take for you to let us pass?" Silver Wolf took a deep breath and asked with a serious expression.

Chen Mu said, "Let you pass? Your purpose this time should be to awaken the Stellaron's vessel, Stelle, right?"

Kafka: "!!!"

Silver Wolf: "!!!"

At Chen Mu's words, Kafka and Silver Wolf both froze.

They exchanged a glance, each seeing the shock in the other's eyes. Their hearts were anything but calm.

How did he know?!!

Don't Trust Elio Too Much

"Oh my, it seems Young Master Chen Mu really does know quite a lot."

Although Kafka was shocked inwardly, none of it showed on her face as she continued smiling.

"Of course I know. Awaken the Stellaron's vessel, then, under Elio's guidance, reach the future you believe to be the best—that is the Stellaron Hunters' goal, isn't it?"

Chen Mu nodded and said without reservation.

"Isn't that a little too much knowledge?"

Silver Wolf felt somewhat embarrassed and could not help complaining.

She did not understand why Chen Mu even knew about this.

After all, this was basically an internal matter of the Stellaron Hunters, especially the matter of the Stellaron's vessel.

Logically speaking, no one else should have known about it.

"I naturally have my own channels."

Chen Mu chuckled and continued, "Rather than that, I'm more curious—do you really believe Elio can lead you toward the best possible future?"

Kafka paused. "What do you mean by that?"

"The future is filled with uncertainty. It has endless possibilities. Even Elio can't possibly foresee every future, can he?"

Chen Mu replied, "For example, this time, Elio may have calculated that I would leave the Space Station today—but did he calculate that I would return so soon? Did he calculate my strength, or the situation you're currently in?"

Kafka and Silver Wolf both fell silent at his words.

"No one can see through every future. Not me, and not Elio either," Chen Mu said calmly.

Kafka and Silver Wolf fell even more silent.

It was not until Silver Wolf spoke that she said, "So, are you trying to stop us, Chen Mu?"

As soon as she said that.

The atmosphere at the scene immediately grew tense again.

"Stop us? No, no, no."

Chen Mu shook his head and said, "I just want to tell you not to put too much trust in Elio. Even the future he foretells may not all be accurate."

"As for the Stellaron vessel, honestly, I'm quite curious about it too. If you can pull it off, then naturally, I have no reason to stop you."

???

The tense atmosphere instantly dissipated.

Kafka and Silver Wolf were both clearly stunned by his words.

When Chen Mu had belittled Elio, they had thought negotiations had already broken down.

After all, Chen Mu's every word showed that he did not think highly of Elio, naturally giving the impression that he would obstruct Elio's plan.

Though Chen Mu's overwhelming strength

had turned what might have been armed coercion into negotiations, if they truly failed to reach an agreement, they would still have to take a gamble.

Even if the odds of success were minuscule.

Yet unexpectedly, there had been such a turn of events.

"However, since I'm letting you off the hook, how about you two each owe me a favor?"

Chen Mu asked with a smiling expression.

Since he was already here, he naturally intended to maximize the benefits.

A favor was the sort of thing

that could be valuable or worthless, depending on who owed it.

But coming from Kafka and Silver Wolf, it was undoubtedly valuable.

Kafka: "..."

Silver Wolf: "..."

Both of them were somewhat speechless.

After thinking it over, Silver Wolf said, "Fine. I don't have a problem with that. I'll owe you a favor, then."

Seeing Silver Wolf say that, Kafka could only smile helplessly. "In that case, I'll owe little brother Chen Mu a favor as well."

Since they could come to an agreement, that was naturally for the best.

Kafka had no reason to refuse.

"Alright. Make yourselves at home. I'll go deal with the Anti-Matter Legion first."

Chen Mu nodded in satisfaction. After bidding them farewell, he vanished from the spot.

Though he had said he would not stop them, Chen Mu would not help them either.

They would have to solve Herta's obstacle on their own.

Of course, Chen Mu also knew that Silver Wolf would definitely be able to crack it.

As Kafka and Silver Wolf watched Chen Mu vanish from where he stood, they looked at each other, both falling silent.

"Silver Wolf, what exactly is going on with that power?" Kafka asked, her tone unusually serious and puzzled.

After all, Chen Mu was widely acknowledged to be weak in combat, but now...

"Elio never mentioned it, so how would I know? Still, maybe it's not that strange? I'm a hacker, but don't I also have the ability to modify reality's data?" Silver Wolf replied.

"How is that the same? You have the power of an Aeon! Little brother Chen Mu doesn't!" Kafka said irritably.

Possessing such strength without the power of an Aeon was even more shocking than possessing it with one.

Silver Wolf said helplessly, "Then I know even less. Could it really be, like he said, the power of science...? I may be a genius in hacking, but I don't understand cutting-edge technology in other fields. A freak as absurdly all-around as Chen Mu is probably one of a kind."

Kafka could only sigh helplessly at that.

No matter what, the universe's impression of Chen Mu would likely have to be rewritten from now on.

"We've already wasted quite a bit of time. In any case, let's hurry up and complete the mission first, Kafka. Even if Chen Mu doesn't stop us, the people from the Astral Express are still troublesome," Silver Wolf said.

"Alright."

Kafka nodded. Naturally, she understood the importance of the matter.

It was just that, while they were on the way...

Kafka couldn't help teasing Silver Wolf again:

"By the way, Silver Wolf, what game were you playing with Chen Mu? You actually told him you were cute?"

"Ahhh! Kafka! What are you talking about?!"

Silver Wolf staggered, her little face flushing crimson as she shouted in exasperation.

Neither of them mentioned Elio's failed prophecy that Chen Mu had brought up.

After all, so many years had passed.

How could it be so easily shaken?

For Kafka and Silver Wolf, the fact that Chen Mu had agreed to let them awaken the Stellaron vessel was rather strange in itself.

What they had assumed would be a smooth and easy mission now had far too many oddities.

But clearly, Kafka and Silver Wolf no longer had time to investigate further.

After moving without the slightest delay, the two finally arrived at the place where Herta stored her curios.

"Not a single person here. The evacuation was incredibly thorough. Was this an order Chen Mu gave after he came back?"