Embers Ad Infinitum

Bai Chen's concerns were very reasonable. This was also what Long Yuehong was worried about.

Although it was impossible for Pangu Biology to brazenly make them undergo a memory inspection, nobody could be sure if there were any hidden inspections for key personnel.

Bai Chen and Long Yuehong could resist the personnel in charge of flipping through memories by recalling Eidolon Nun's gaze and Master Zhuang's dream from time to time. However, it was impossible for them not to sleep. As long as they slept, they wouldn't be able to control themselves. Secondly, any form of resistance only served to reveal their intentions of hiding. If the person who flipped through their memories was shocked and something went wrong, Pangu Biology would definitely pay more attention to them.

"That's right, that's right." Long Yuehong didn't hide his worry.

"What should we do?" The honest Shang Jianyao didn't put on a brave front at all.

Jiang Baimian laughed. "Why are you looking at me? I don't have the Awakened ability to control memories."

"That's not what your expression says," the honest Shang Jianyao pointed out.

Long Yuehong nodded.

The team leader's expression was filled with 'this problem is very easy to resolve.'

Jiang Baimian smiled and said, "I have no solution, but it doesn't mean that others don't. Teacher Du Heng has a mysterious identity, has plenty of experience, and is knowledgeable. He might know how to deal with such situations."

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"That's right!" Shang Jianyao clenched his right fist and punched his left palm.

Long Yuehong and Bai Chen nodded one after another.

With a big shot who could chase Xiaochong all over the place, why did they need to glumly think of a solution? It was only when Teacher Du Heng really had no solution that they had to consider other countermeasures.

After the Old Task Force preliminarily finalized their subsequent plan, they left the rooftop and returned to their suite.

Du Heng sat in an armchair and leisurely looked at the relatively clean sky outside the window. It was unknown what he was thinking.

Upon hearing the door open, he turned around and asked with a smile, "How is it? Have you made a decision?"

As the Old Task Force's representative, Jiang Baimian smiled. "Teacher Du Heng, we've already decided to split into two teams. One team will follow you to the Eighth Research Institute's headquarters, while the other will be busy with other matters."

Du Heng nodded slightly and smiled. "Sure, as long as there's space for me in the car."

Shang Jianyao took the opportunity to add on Jiang Baimian's behalf, "However, the other sub-team might very well encounter an Awakened in the Last Man domain. We don't want some of our memories to be dug out, but we can't make it too obvious. It's not good to resist them openly. Teacher Du Heng, you are knowledgeable. Do you have any good suggestions?"

Du Heng thought for a few seconds and chuckled. "That's simple."

Simple… Jiang Baimian, Long Yuehong, and Bai Chen instantly felt blinded. They controlled their expressions and listened to Du Heng's explanation.

"Just add a state to that portion of memories. That way, Awakened in the Last Man domain will subconsciously be affected when they flip through that portion of memories. They will ignore it and skip it."

Clap! Clap! Clap! Shang Jianyao clapped—

Genava—who was pretending to be an ordinary robot—forced himself not to join in a duet.

"But we don't have the ability to add a state to some memories." Jiang Baimian admitted their inadequacies. What she meant was that if it were convenient for him, he might as well 'demonstrate' it.

"I can help with that," said Du Heng with a smile. "Which memories do you want to add a special state to?"

As Jiang Baimian observed Du Heng's reaction, she pointed at Long Yuehong and Bai Chen. "The memories related to the Kalendaria's rearing of humans."

Upon hearing the mystery of the Kalendarium rearing humans, Du Heng's eyelids twitched as though he had fallen into a particular memory. After more than ten seconds, he returned to normal and nodded at Bai Chen and Long Yuehong. "Go through the relevant memories in your minds now. Don't miss anything."

It was obvious that he couldn't read or extract other people's memories directly. He needed their cooperation.

"Alright." Bai Chen didn't hesitate.

She and Long Yuehong began recalling Room 506, all the way to the recording pen left behind by Qin Ke—who called himself Du Heng.

Frankly speaking, Long Yuehong was a little terrified when he recalled the crazy Qin Ke calling himself Du Heng. After all, the person sitting in front of him was also called Du Heng.

Fortunately, Du Heng didn't seem to have any reaction to this. Or perhaps he couldn't read memories and could only add a state to the target to make the things he was recalling contain hidden powers.

"That's all," Bai Chen said at the end of her recollection.

Du Heng nodded slightly. "Alright, it's done."

Ah… That's it? Why didn't I feel anything? Long Yuehong felt incomplete.

If Shang Jianyao had said that they were done, he definitely would've thought that the other party was pulling a prank. However, Du Heng had always appeared rather reliable.

"Thank you." Bai Chen chose to believe him.

Long Yuehong expressed his gratitude.

Jiang Baimian glanced at the sky outside the window. "Teacher Du Heng, it's noon. Let's go out for lunch."

"As you wish." Du Heng stood up with a smile.

When he went to the bathroom, Shang Jianyao suddenly exclaimed.

"What's wrong?" Jiang Baimian frowned.

Shang Jianyao held his hands together. "I'm also familiar with the ability to add a special state to some memories!"

"It's not like you can." Long Yuehong didn't know what Shang Jianyao was familiar with.

Shang Jianyao smiled. "When I used Destiny Connection to evoke Professor Qin's memories, I neglected a portion of his memories. I only realized that something was amiss when I entered Ceningmis…"

He had communicated with Genava about this back then and later informed Jiang Baimian. However, nobody had connected Du Heng's solution to this matter.

Jiang Baimian nodded thoughtfully. "There are people in the Eighth Research Institute who also have such abilities?"

Nobody could answer this question at the moment.

…

Two days later, outside Gesterbourg.

The Old Task Force's jeep and a dark SUV were parked beside the hill.

Jiang Baimian stood outside the jeep and exhorted Long Yuehong and Bai Chen, "I've already reported the matter to the company. The company has no objections. You can just go back and tell the truth."

The SUV was newly bought, meant for Bai Chen, Long Yuehong, and Genava's return to the Blackmarsh Wilderness.

The money came from the expensive supplies they had brought back from Ceningmis. On the way to Ceningmis, the Old Task Force had expended a lot of food, leaving some space in the jeep. Since they were already there, they randomly gathered some things and returned to Gesterbourg to sell them.

"Alright." Bai Chen slowly nodded.

Long Yuehong looked at the dark SUV's trunk and suggested, "Team Leader, why don't you bring the Chameleon bionic artificial intelligence armor with you? Old Ge probably won't need it in the Blackmarsh Wilderness."

"There's no need; the military exoskeletons are sufficient." Jiang Baimian smiled. "Old Ge will be in charge of communications in the future. He might have to rely on Chameleon's invisibility to meet you."

"That's right, that's right," Shang Jianyao echoed.

Their equipment allocation plan was to have Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao take away the two relatively new military exoskeletons, the nuclear warhead, and half of the high-performance batteries. The rest would be left to Long Yuehong, Bai Chen, and Genava.

The dark SUV ran on gas.

As for ordinary weapons, whoever often used them held them.

Jiang Baimian looked back at Du Heng—who was sitting in the jeep—and said to Bai Chen, Long Yuehong, and Genava, "There's no need to say anything else. Let's split up."

Bai Chen pursed her lips and nodded. Long Yuehong's heart was rather heavy.

After getting into the SUV, Long Yuehong waved at Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao to bid them farewell. Suddenly, his emotions churned as he added loudly, "We must meet again!"

Shang Jianyao smiled brightly and waved his hand in response. "We will definitely meet again!"

Jiang Baimian smiled and waved her hand.

After watching the familiar jeep drive north toward Icefield, Bai Chen wiped her eyes and started the car.

…

In the jeep, Jiang Baimian looked at the rearview mirror beside the passenger seat and smiled at Du Heng. "Teacher Du Heng, we previously encountered another person named Du Heng."

"This name is very common." Du Heng—who was sitting in the back row—didn't mind.

Jiang Baimian stopped probing and casually found a topic to chat about with Du Heng and Shang Jianyao.

Many places in Icefield remained covered in snow, while the areas without snow were abnormally muddy. This made the Old Task Force's jeep advance very slowly; they didn't manage to go far by evening.

Although Jiang Baimian wasn't too worried about encountering other dangers with Du Heng around, this teacher was terrifying to begin with. Therefore, she still insisted that someone had to be on night duty. As a guest, Du Heng didn't have to do anything—she and Shang Jianyao took turns.

At midnight, Jiang Baimian began her night duty. Shang Jianyao lay in the passenger seat and massaged his temples before entering the Mind Corridor.

After arriving outside Room 205—which represented the Kalendaria, Dawn—they didn't wait any longer or quarrel. They took two steps forward, stretched out their right palms, and gripped the brass handle.

Room 205's vermilion door slowly opened.