Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

Chapter 201 – Deep-seated Fear (1)

“Big Brother, will Big Sisters be going for classes…every Saturday from now on?”

“What?” Smiling, Chen Yu patted Chen Sanke’s little head and asked, “Will you feel lonely with your sisters gone?”

“No.” Chen Sanke shook her head. “If they’re gone, my snacks won’t disappear anymore.”

“…You really are a wonderful little sister.”

“Mhm.”

Leading Chen Sanke by the hand, Chen Yu crossed three traffic lights and arrived before Jinzhou City’s largest shopping mall. They then took the escalator straight to the mall’s second floor.

Unlike other people, Chen Sanke would always have one foot raised when using the escalator. Only after the escalator had carried her to the next floor would she complete her stride, evading the gap between the elevator step and landing plate by a large margin.

She looked both dumb and cute.

“Just take whatever you want. Don’t mind about money,” Chen Yu said as he generously waved his hand across the rows of snacks before them.

“Are…Are we very rich now?”

“Of course. Your brother has pulled our family out of poverty. Although we still can’t be considered rich, buying you snacks is a trivial matter.”

“Wow! Big Brother is amazing!” Chen Sanke’s eyes were shining. She then stood on her toes and pointed at the shelves before her, “Is it trivial if we buy all of these?”

“Buying everything is a little…” Rubbing his chin, Chen Yu continued, “We can’t call that trivial. That seems a little too cra-moderate.”

Chen Sanke: “⊙０⊙!”

Passersby: “…”

After buying a large bag of snacks, Chen Yu took Chen Sanke to the indoor amusement park and let her have fun there for an hour. Only afterward did they leave the shopping mall.

…

At the same time, inside the special situation team’s office in Beijing…

The middle-aged team leader received over 300 encrypted photos. After printing them out, he started carefully observing them.

These photos were a record of Chen Yu and his three little sisters leaving home, registering for classes, and visiting the mall.

As the field team was ordered not to approach Chen Yu, the photos were taken from a great distance. Fortunately, the cameras used were of high quality, so the pictures were still relatively clear.

After flipping through the photos, the middle-aged team leader revealed a somber expression. Picking up his communicator and putting it by his ear, he said, “Little Wu, find three experts on facial expressions and body movement from our team and bring them to my office.”

After disconnecting the call, the middle-aged team leader carefully stacked up the photos and kept them in his desk drawer. He then visited Transdimensional Review’s homepage on Bilibili and repeatedly read the words written in the latest announcement.

“Human Civilization’s Judgment Day.

“Just what is this about…”

Ten minutes later, a knock came from the office door. Big Sis Wu then brought in three middle-aged men and said, “Leader, I’ve brought them.”

“Mhm. You may go.”

“Okay.”

Big Sis Wu left and closed the door behind her.

“Leader, do you need us for something?”

“Mhm.” The middle-aged team leader nodded. “Sit.”

After waiting for the three experts to take their seats, the team leader pulled out three sets of agreements from his drawer and handed them out. “‘Please sign this document.”

The three experts briefly exchanged looks with each other before accepting the documents. Upon seeing the document title, however, a chill crawled down their spines.

This was a confidentiality agreement.

Once they signed it, they would temporarily lose their freedom, and even their family would come under observation…

“If you don’t wish to sign, you may leave now,” the team leader said indifferently.

After a moment of silence, all three experts placed their signatures on the agreement.

“Thank you for your sacrifice.”

After recollecting the three agreements, the middle-aged team leader went straight into the topic and pulled out the photos in his drawer. He then split them into three sets and handed them to the three experts. “Take a look at these and analyze his micro-expressions. Although I’ve studied micro-expressions as well, you guys are more specialized.”

The three experts reached out and grabbed the photos. When they saw Chen Yu’s face in the picture, however, their hearts momentarily stopped.

If they factored in the confidentiality agreement they just signed, there was almost no need to explain this youth’s identity.

“That’s right.” The middle-aged team leader nodded. “He is Transdimensional Review’s host. The information you are in contact with now is a Level 1 Top Secret. I’m sure I don’t need to elaborate further.”

Pausing slightly, the team leader flipped his tablet around and picked up a document. He then displayed both objects to the three experts. “Human Civilization’s Judgment Day. Referring to this sentence and this personality portrait, analyze his expressions and body movements.”

“Yes…”

To avoid mutual interference, the three experts split up and started analyzing their respective photos.

Meanwhile, the middle-aged team leader shut his eyes and fell into thought as he waited for the experts’ results.

Personally, the conclusion he wanted to hear from the three experts’ mouth was that Chen Yu was only trying to mystify a simple topic to attract attention. However, he knew that this was almost impossible…

A dozen minutes later, the three experts had finished going through the photos. After combining their analysis with Chen Yu’s personality portrait, they all came to their own conclusions.

“Let me hear it.” Opening his eyes, the middle-aged team leader let out a tired sigh as he asked, “Which one of you will go first?”

After exchanging a few glances with each other, the eldest of the three experts raised his hand and said, “I’ll go first.”

“Go on.”

The eldest expert opened his notebook and sorted out the words in his mind. He then said, “Of the photos in my hand, 32 of them show the target discretely creasing his brows while walking, with one-third of his inner brows twisted upwards. The upper eyelids are also lifted, exposing the upper edge of the iris.

“The target’s lip muscles are also contracted slightly, and his upper lip is lifted to a point where it slightly exposes his upper teeth. The most crucial point is the platysma muscles’ contraction, which causes the target to subconsciously stretch his mouth, making the horizontal width of his mouth larger than its relaxed state.

“These micro-expressions indicate that the target is in a state of fear.”

After saying so, the eldest expert flipped to the next page of his notebook and continued, “Another 16 photos show the target’s corrugator supercilii muscle forming slight wrinkles. After communicating with other people, the target’s irises enlarge slightly when he starts walking again. The opening of his eyes also increases, though the lifting of the upper eyelids is subdued.

“This shows that he will feel uneasy when falling into a state of thought.

“As for the last 40 or so pictures, they show the target closing his lips, concealing a small portion of it. In addition, the corners of his mouth are closed to the extent that they caused his cheeks to bulge. This proves that there exists a lot of pressure.

“He, is worried.

“Fear, anxiety, and worry.” The eldest expert wiped off the cold sweat on his forehead. “The above is my analysis. Combined with the text announcement the target made, something terrible might happen soon…”

The middle-aged team leader subconsciously clenched his fists upon hearing the expert’s analysis.

He had heard the conclusion he was most reluctant to hear.

For a moment, he felt a puff of cold air trailing down his spine.

Chen Yu was a high school student who wielded future technology, possessed an unconstrained imagination and a carefree personality, and lacked in-depth knowledge about society. The middle-aged team leader simply couldn’t imagine what kind of crisis could cause such an individual to panic to such an extent.

“Hu…”

After taking a deep breath, the middle-aged team leader looked toward the two other experts and asked, “What about your conclusions?”

“The same.”

“The same.”

“…”

Suddenly, the depressing silence enveloped the office.

Nobody said anything as their brains struggled with guesswork and panic.

After a while, the middle-aged team leader hoarsely said, “You guys…step down for now. Leave the photos and notebooks.”

“Yes, sir.”

The three experts were also a little absent-minded at the moment. After putting away the photos and notebooks, they promptly left the office in a line.

Meanwhile, the team leader reached to grab the photos and gave them another look. He then silently inserted the photos and notebooks into the shredder.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap…

At this moment, even the sound of his finger tapping on the table caused his scalp to turn numb.

After some time, he picked up his communicator and ordered, “Little Wu, notify the higher-up’s network supervision department and have them raise the blocking level to maximum. Afterward, notify all main team members who are still in the capital to come to my place for a meeting.”

“Yes, sir.”

…

Perhaps, Chen Yu had known that with the influence he presently held, just what kind of storm he would create in the world if he published such an announcement…