Chapter 155: The Truth
Yu Lanfeng carefully read through the report Lin Changyu had submitted.
It was extremely detailed. After reading it, one could more or less understand the entire sequence of events.
Just as Lin Changyu had anticipated, however, although the report appeared rigorous, many parts were highly questionable.
Especially the things Han Lu had described.
Many of them sounded almost unbelievable—things no one had ever encountered before.
Nevertheless, since Han Lu had said them, everything had to be faithfully recorded.
After Yu Lanfeng finished reading, Nan Yu took the report as well.
A slight frown appeared on his face.
"I never expected something like this to really happen."
"And for it to have infiltrated a border military base..."
Nan Yu's words surprised Lin Changyu.
The way he spoke made it sound as though he had encountered something similar before.
Could it be that this wasn't merely speculation...
But something that had actually happened?
Seeing Lin Changyu's expression, Nan Yu explained,
"I've encountered something similar before."
"So if what Han Lu said is true, then the person who controlled him must be found as soon as possible."
"If we can't find them, then at the very least we need to confirm their identity."
"When I removed Han Lu's Mental Contamination earlier, I didn't detect any traces of another Mental Power User's mental power inside his Mental Sea."
"So in my opinion..."
"That person must have contacted Han Lu after controlling him into retrieving those classified files."
"They then dispersed the mental power they had left inside his Mental Sea to erase all evidence before sending him away from the military base with those people."
"In other words..."
"That person is most likely still inside this military base."
"And for a Mental Power User to remain hidden inside the base..."
"...the only possibility is that they're among the Mental Power User unit."
"After all, even the janitors in this base are Ability Users."
Yu Lanfeng nodded.
"Exactly."
"General Lin, go investigate—"
He paused before shaking his head.
"Forget it."
"This concerns every Mental Power User in the entire military base."
"If you're working alone, it won't be enough."
"I'll personally handle it."
"Xiaoyu, you'll come with me."
Nan Yu nodded.
"I understand."
"I'll be responsible for testing everyone's mental power."
"Anyone capable of doing something like this must possess mental power not much weaker than mine."
"It shouldn't be difficult to identify them."
"However..."
There was still one problem.
Even if they found the Mental Power User...
How were they supposed to deal with them?
After all, this investigation was nothing more than a test.
Even if they identified the culprit, they had no evidence.
The mental power left inside Han Lu's Mental Sea had already been erased.
There was no way to use it to prove either the culprit's identity or their crimes.
Still...
That wasn't much of an obstacle.
Yu Lanfeng was the Marshal of the legion.
Keeping one member of his own legion under control wasn't difficult.
Yu Lanfeng turned to Lin Changyu.
"Quietly gather every Mental Power User in the base."
Lin Changyu nodded.
"Yes, Marshal."
After leaving the office, he moved swiftly.
About half an hour later, they received word that everything was ready.
Nan Yu followed Yu Lanfeng into a spacious hall.
Every Mental Power User in the military base was already seated inside.
Without wasting a single word, Yu Lanfeng immediately got to the point.
"From highest military contribution to lowest."
"Come into the office next door one at a time."
He offered no explanation whatsoever.
That was simply how a Marshal operated.
Whatever he ordered...
Everyone obeyed.
Even the highly respected Mental Power Users were no exception.
Ranking them according to military contribution was essentially the same as ranking them by military rank.
Naturally, no one objected.
Everyone quietly followed Yu Lanfeng's arrangements, entering the neighboring office one after another.
The moment Nan Yu saw the first Mental Power User walk in, he couldn't help thinking that military Mental Power Users really were different from those on the Capital Star.
This person carried himself like a true warrior.
Standing before Yu Lanfeng, he saluted.
"Marshal!"
Yu Lanfeng nodded.
"Spar with him using your mental power."
"You don't need to take it seriously."
"A simple exchange will be enough."
Although confused, the man didn't refuse.
Since Mental Power Users still couldn't release their mental power externally, they could only place both hands beside the other person's head before releasing their mental power to conduct a simple contest.
When Yu Lanfeng said "a simple exchange," he meant exactly that.
The instant Nan Yu's mental power brushed against the other's...
Both immediately withdrew.
"Wow."
"Your mental power is incredible."
"I don't know who you are."
"I've never seen you before..."
"Hm?"
"You look a little familiar."
Nan Yu smiled.
"My name is Nan Yu."
"It's our first meeting."
"I hope we can become good friends."
He had already confirmed it.
This wasn't the Mental Power User they were looking for.
The man grinned.
"Of course."
"I hope we can become friends too."
"I can't believe you're actually Nan Yu."
"My memory really is terrible."
"I should've recognized you immediately."
Nan Yu merely smiled without saying anything.
After completing the test, the man left the office.
He returned to the waiting area while the next person soon entered.
One after another...
Nan Yu continued testing every Mental Power User.
After examining nearly half of them, however, he began to feel puzzled.
"What's going on?"
"Someone with mental power that strong shouldn't have accumulated so little military merit."
"Their rank shouldn't be so low either."
"Could they be deliberately hiding their true strength to conceal their identity?"
"In a place like this..."
"Wouldn't a stronger Mental Power User naturally gain higher status and greater authority?"
"Wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?"
"They might not even need someone else to steal classified information."
"They could probably access it themselves."
Yu Lanfeng shook his head.
"No."
"Mental Power Users don't have the authority to manage an entire military base."
"They may have opportunities to encounter certain information..."
"...but they don't have permission to retrieve classified files."
"I see."
So the spy had relied on mental control to manipulate someone with proper authorization.
If Nan Yu's guess was correct...
The classified files Han Lu had retrieved probably hadn't been passed on yet.
They were likely still in the Mental Power User's possession, waiting for this incident to fade before being delivered.
Although the value of the files would decrease somewhat—because the base would inevitably alter many security procedures after such a major leak—
Many other classified details would remain unchanged.
Especially information unrelated to base defenses.
Things such as personnel composition...
Individual strengths...
Areas of specialization...
And countless other confidential details.
Those were still incredibly valuable.
Even if Yu Lanfeng dispersed everyone throughout other military bases before replacing them with new personnel...
The newcomers would still suffer.
After all, they wouldn't yet understand the local Ability Beasts...
Nor would they be familiar with the terrain.
That was exactly what Yu Lanfeng wanted to avoid.
Looking at Nan Yu, he asked,
"There are still over thirty people left."
"Can you keep going?"
"If not..."
"We'll continue tomorrow."
Nan Yu immediately shook his head.
"I'm fine."
"I haven't used much mental power yet."
"Let's finish everyone in one go."
"If we wait until tomorrow..."
"Something unexpected could happen."
"They might catch us completely off guard."
"This isn't a game."
"No one understands how terrifying a Mental Power User capable of this is better than I do."
"What do you think, Brother?"
Yu Lanfeng looked at him seriously.
"You're not forcing yourself?"
"Of course not."
"I know exactly what I'm doing."
"I've maintained continuous purification for Ability Users for more than ten hours before."
"It's only been half an hour now."
"How much mental power do you think I've actually used?"
"Don't underestimate me."
"Hurry and let the next person in."
"Until we've found that person, we can't waste a single minute."
After thinking it over, Yu Lanfeng chose not to stop him.
"If you start feeling uncomfortable..."
"Tell me immediately."
"Don't push yourself."
Nan Yu smiled.
"Of course I will."
"Isn't that what I've always done?"
Yu Lanfeng thought about it.
That really was true.
Soon, he called in the next Mental Power User.
Nan Yu froze slightly when he saw the newcomer.
The person was remarkably small.
In modern society, they would easily pass for a middle school student.
However, their bearing was excellent.
Yu Lanfeng repeated the same instructions as before.
The newcomer frowned faintly but did not refuse.
"Very well."
"Let's give it a try."
"I hope Mr. Nan defeats me effortlessly."
"I certainly won't waste your time."
The moment he addressed him as "Mr. Nan," it was obvious he already knew who Nan Yu was.
Nan Yu blinked.
"You know who I am?"
"Everyone before either didn't recognize me..."
"Or only found me vaguely familiar before eventually figuring it out."
"You're the first one who's recognized me immediately."
"Some of the others never recognized me at all."
The young man smiled.
"You can't blame them."
"They usually don't pay much attention to the news."
"But you were extremely famous recently."
"Most of us watched those videos and reports."
"Later we learned you were coming to our legion."
"Everyone got excited and kept saying they absolutely had to meet you."
"I never expected we'd actually meet today."
"They're probably just too excited."
Nan Yu asked curiously,
"What about you?"
The other man paused briefly.
"What?"
"Are you happy?"
"You don't look very happy."
"So..."
"You don't like me?"
"If you do like someone else..."
"Could you tell me who?"
Despite Nan Yu's rather tricky question, the young man didn't get angry.
Instead, he smiled warmly.
"Of course I admire those senior High-Tier Mental Power Users."
"I wonder when I'll ever get the chance to meet someone like them."
"Even seeing them once would be enough."
Yu Lanfeng interrupted them.
"Enough."
"Begin."
"If you want to chat, do it later."
"There are still many people waiting."
The two exchanged a knowing glance.
Then they lightly tested each other's mental power.
The instant their mental powers made contact...
Both of them froze.
Clearly...
Both had been shocked.
Nan Yu stared straight at him without blinking.
What was this person's name again?
Right...
Zhou Ziyu.
"Zhou Ziyu?"
The young man tilted his head.
"Hm?"
"Is there something wrong with my mental power?"
Nan Yu smiled.
"Nothing at all."
"You can go now."
"Please ask the next person to come in."
"I was only surprised because I never expected another Mental Power User with mental power roughly equal to mine."
"With your strength..."
"You'd easily qualify as captain of the Mental Power User unit."
Zhou Ziyu smiled modestly.
"I suppose that's true."
"But I don't really enjoy competing with others."
"I'm perfectly satisfied with how things are now."
Nan Yu looked at him.
"So you're content watching patients suffer without helping them..."
"...simply because you dislike competing?"
"Honestly..."
"Once you've joined the legion..."
"Isn't striving to improve perfectly natural?"
"Only by competing can you gain more."
After all...
Everyone who joined the legion carried not only the duty of defending the Empire...
But also the honor and burden of their entire family.
Nan Yu exchanged another glance with Yu Lanfeng.
He still wasn't completely certain.
But Zhou Ziyu's mental power unquestionably met the required standard.
To be safe...
He had to remain under observation until every remaining Mental Power User had been tested.
The legion would never falsely accuse anyone.
Yu Lanfeng said calmly,
"This isn't the time for conversation."
"Go wait in the lounge next door."
"I'll speak with you later."
"I hope you'll still be there when I arrive."
After Zhou Ziyu left under the escort of two soldiers, Yu Lanfeng looked toward Nan Yu.
Nan Yu sighed.
"I'm still not completely certain."
"Let's finish examining everyone else first."
"If there aren't any others..."
"Then there's a ninety percent chance it's Zhou Ziyu."
Soon afterward...
Nan Yu completed the examination of every remaining Mental Power User.
No one else showed any abnormalities.
That immediately made Zhou Ziyu the primary suspect.
Still...
Nan Yu didn't want to suspect someone he'd only just met.
Unfortunately...
The facts were right in front of him.
Together with Yu Lanfeng, he walked into the lounge.
Zhou Ziyu sat quietly in his chair.
He appeared completely relaxed, as though he were genuinely resting.
The two soldiers who had escorted him stood silently in opposite corners of the room.
At first glance, it looked like they were protecting him.
In reality...
They were watching him.
Standing so far apart also ensured that if Zhou Ziyu suddenly attacked one of them, the other would have ample time to react.
Once Yu Lanfeng and Nan Yu entered, both soldiers quietly stepped outside, closed the door behind them, and stood guard.
Nan Yu looked directly at Zhou Ziyu.
"I'll be direct."
"It's you, isn't it?"
"Zhou Ziyu?"
"Or perhaps..."
"Your name isn't Zhou Ziyu at all."
"We don't know what your real name is."
"We only want to know..."
"Why did you do this?"
"And before this incident..."
"How long had you been doing it?"
Perhaps because Nan Yu's tone remained so calm...
Zhou Ziyu simply smiled back without saying a word.
Yu Lanfeng narrowed his eyes but likewise remained silent.
Only after shifting his gaze from Nan Yu to Yu Lanfeng did Zhou Ziyu finally speak.
"As expected of you, Nan Yu."
"You're truly remarkable."
"With only one encounter..."
"And one simple test..."
"You identified me."
"But..."
"So what if you've found me?"
"Do you have any evidence?"
Nan Yu twitched the corner of his mouth.
"No."
"I don't."
Was this man an idiot?
Even without evidence...
Did he really think it mattered?
Had he forgotten that this entire legion belonged to Yu Lanfeng?
Inside his own fleet...
Yu Lanfeng could do whatever he deemed necessary.
Earlier, they had already investigated Zhou Ziyu's background.
According to official records, he was an orphan.
He had no living parents.
More importantly...
His identity information appeared to be fabricated.
Because of that, Yu Lanfeng had already dispatched people to verify Zhou Ziyu's past.
Identity documents could be forged.
But an entire lifetime of experiences could not simply appear out of thin air.
As long as investigators checked the places where he supposedly grew up...
They would quickly determine whether someone named Zhou Ziyu had truly existed.
Fortunately...
Such an investigation wouldn't take long.
The local police and military garrison would immediately begin searching after receiving orders from higher command.
All they could do now was hope the investigation proceeded quickly.
Fortunately...
It did.
The investigators first confirmed that household registration records for Zhou Ziyu did indeed exist.
The photograph and personal information matched the man sitting before them perfectly.
However...
When investigators visited the small town where Zhou Ziyu had supposedly grown up...
Almost no one had ever heard of him.
And if a Mental Power User had truly come from such a small town...
The entire town would have considered it an immense honor.
How could nobody know him?
The moment Yu Lanfeng received this information, he immediately ordered Zhou Ziyu imprisoned.
Lin Changyu personally locked him inside a secret detention facility.
The news was kept completely confidential.
Officially...
It was simply announced that Zhou Ziyu had been transferred to another military district.
Everyone was bewildered.
Someone as unremarkable as Zhou Ziyu had suddenly received a new assignment?
If nothing unexpected happened...
Wouldn't that count as a promotion?
After all...
Yu Lanfeng himself had personally selected the candidates this time.
Anyone chosen by the Marshal would naturally be transferred to Border Region One.
That was where Yu Lanfeng spent most of every year directing the overall strategy and operational planning of the entire legion.
Although each military base still had to adapt those strategies to its own local circumstances...
The overall direction always came from him.
The differences between regions made it impossible for him to explain every detail perfectly.
Still...
Every year he successfully kept every military base under his legion moving in the proper direction.
Only Nan Yu and Yu Lanfeng remained inside the lounge.
Nan Yu spoke with some concern.
"Can we really uncover the truth?"
"Even if we prove his identity is fake..."
"We still can't necessarily do anything to him."
"Many people from garbage planets buy forged identities just to live normal lives."
"Their fake identities are incredibly convincing."
Yu Lanfeng nodded.
"I know."
"But aside from him..."
"There are no other suspects."
"No matter what..."
"We have to detain him and investigate."
Nan Yu sighed.
That was true.
Although he'd found Zhou Ziyu surprisingly likable during their brief conversation...
Appearances alone meant nothing.
Deep down...
Nan Yu still hoped Zhou Ziyu would simply tell the truth.
The preliminary investigation had already arrived.
Now they only needed the complete report before making a final decision.
If they wrongly imprisoned such an outstanding Mental Power User...
It would truly be a terrible waste.
Someone with power like his shouldn't spend life locked inside a prison.
Fortunately...
The Mental Power User unit at the military base continued functioning perfectly well despite losing one member.
That alone showed how thoroughly Zhou Ziyu had concealed the true extent of his abilities.
Without him...
Nothing had changed.
Nan Yu wandered through the medical department.
Finding nothing that required his assistance, he quietly left again.
Being unnecessary wasn't a bad thing.
It meant he could relax a little.
The soldiers here had developed an excellent habit.
The moment they suffered severe injuries or their Mental Contamination approached the critical threshold...
They immediately retreated instead of stubbornly continuing to fight.
Unlike other military bases...
This one consistently maintained the lowest casualty rate...
While simultaneously achieving the highest efficiency.
Returning to the office, Nan Yu asked,
"Brother."
"Has the complete investigation report arrived?"
"Does Zhou Ziyu really not exist?"
Yu Lanfeng nodded.
"Come see for yourself."
Nan Yu stepped forward and began reading.
Soon...
His expression changed.
The contents were completely different from what he had imagined.
The real Zhou Ziyu was an extremely violent person.
Whether dealing with people or situations...
Violence was always his first instinct.
If someone repeatedly failed to satisfy him...
After only two or three attempts, he would simply resort to physical force.
Nan Yu stared at the report.
The cheerful man who had chatted and laughed with him earlier...
Was nothing like the description before him.
He had never imagined the real Zhou Ziyu could be such a Mental Power User.
As someone capable of calmly watching others die without offering treatment...
His heart was utterly cold.
Nan Yu exchanged another glance with Yu Lanfeng before setting the report down.
"I don't need to read every detail."
"I've already seen enough."
"Brother..."
"How do you plan to deal with him?"
"Although this investigation paints him in an extremely unfavorable light..."
Yu Lanfeng interrupted calmly.
"I know what to do."
"We've dealt with situations like this before."
"I'll simply follow procedure."
"If anything goes wrong afterward..."
"I won't be held responsible."
Nan Yu blinked.
"Seriously?"
Yu Lanfeng smiled faintly.
"I'm the Marshal."
"Do you really think I'd lie to you?"
Nan Yu grinned.
"Fair point."
"So..."
"Can I come along this time?"
"I won't appear in front of him."
"I'll just stay nearby."