Since all these rules and superstitions are outdated, what's wrong with me indulging in some me

"They called it a 'gene extractor,' saying that although my emotions are unstable, my 'self' is very strong and not easily influenced, and they want to study this."

Lu Changsheng's pupils suddenly contracted!

No! That's not right!

A madman like Chen Jingming would never perform such a complicated operation on a "sensitive person" and then, contrary to his usual behavior, let her go.

Then consider his almost pathological greed for Aokiji.

All the clues instantly connected, forming a cold and terrifying conclusion in Lu Changsheng's mind!

Chen Jingming wanted Aokiji not just for research purposes.

He wanted to possess Aokiji—this stable, powerful, and self-aware high-level emotional entity!

It's very likely that he wanted Aokiji to be grafted into his own extremely aged body!

This explains why he was so determined to get Aokiji, even going so far as to personally launch a sneak attack!

However, Aokiji's self-awareness is too strong. How could a powerful and stable emotional entity that retains a complete self-awareness be easily merged or controlled by another consciousness?

The result of forced fusion is likely to be a conflict of consciousness, or even a backlash!

So... he needs "balance".

We need a method that can reconcile and tame powerful external consciousness.

Zhang Ping, a highly sensitive individual whose emotions are on the verge of collapse yet can occasionally achieve a delicate balance with "it," is likely the "mediator" that Chen Jingming is looking for!

He repeatedly locked Zhang Ping in the inpatient department and then released her after erasing parts of her memory, which was a long, cruel, and repetitive training exercise!

He was using this extreme method to temper Zhang Ping's self-awareness, so that she could maintain a certain degree of "anchoring" under extreme pressure and emotional impact.

The chip implanted in Zhang Ping's heart is probably a tool that can forcibly extract this "special trait" from Zhang Ping!

Zhang Ping, from beginning to end, was a carefully selected auxiliary tool by Chen Jingming in order to ultimately absorb Aokiji!

No wonder Chen Jingming was willing to let them leave from the rooftop.

Because his entire plan had already been perfectly arranged.

Lu Changsheng clearly repeated his cold and terrifying deduction to Zhang Ping, word by word.

Every word was like a poisoned ice pick, viciously chiseling into Zhang Ping's already crumbling world.

The color drained from her face, her lips trembled, and her wide eyes were filled with utter shock, absurdity, and despair.

The live stream chat was already in an uproar when she heard the truth about the chip, and now it's exploded:

[Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap! What kind of devilish plan is this?!]

[Has Chen Jingming gone mad with a thirst for immortality?! Using a pheasant as a tonic?! Using Zhang Ping as a medicinal ingredient?!]

No wonder she kept getting locked up and released, and her memories were erased! This is basically a domestication experiment!

[The chip is inside the heart! How do we remove it?! Open chest surgery?! Do they have the medical facilities to do it?]

A few seconds passed in the suffocating silence. Zhang Ping finally found her voice, hoarse like a broken bellows:

"So that's how it is... So the meaning of my life is to become a stepping stone on someone else's path to immortality."

Her voice was hollow, carrying a sense of utter despair and death.

Lu Changsheng felt a pang of pity, but reality was harsh. He asked in a deep voice, "Ms. Zhang, is it possible to safely remove that chip without endangering your life?"

Zhang Ping slowly raised her hand and pressed it against her left chest, where the lingering pain and cold sensation from the implanted foreign object seemed to remain. She smiled bitterly and shook her head.

"Dr. Lu, they performed the surgery in front of me. Although I was mostly unconscious, I remember them saying that the chip was deeply embedded with the myocardial nerves and major blood vessels."

The last glimmer of hope has been extinguished.

Lu Changsheng's heart sank to the bottom.

"Am I... beyond saving?" Zhang Ping asked softly, looking at Lu Changsheng's solemn face. Her tone carried a strange calmness, as if she had already accepted the worst possible outcome.

Lu Changsheng did not answer directly. He looked at the gap in the dilapidated wall, then at the cold, flickering lights of Jinghu City in the distance, his mind racing as he weighed the options.

Although the chip is here, Chen Jingming's goal is not to kill Zhang Ping, but only to preserve her independent consciousness.

Therefore, as long as Zhang Ping leaves this city and seeks help from a qualified psychologist, given the current level of technology, both "its" problem and the "chip" problem can be properly resolved.

Therefore, getting Zhang Ping to leave this city must be one of the ways to pass the checkpoint.

However, this method won't result in a high pass rating, and it can't guarantee that Zhang Ping's future life won't be affected.

However, since Aokiji is currently captured, clearing the dungeon and leaving as soon as possible is undoubtedly the best option.

"Ms. Zhang, listen to me." His voice became unusually calm and powerful. "Now, your only way to survive is to leave."

Zhang Ping was stunned: "Leave? But the chip..."

"Yes, leave." Lu Changsheng interrupted her. "I know it's risky. But it's the only option you can control. Chen Jingming's power is mainly concentrated here. Once he leaves this city, his influence will be greatly reduced."

"Your safety is the most important thing. Remember, once you're outside, don't trust anyone! Seek medical attention and treatment from a qualified doctor!"

"Okay! I'm leaving!"

Zhang Ping nodded vigorously, tears streaming down her face.

She turned and rushed toward the gap in the rusty, vine-covered metal wall. The darkness outside was like the maw of a beast—cold, unknown, yet the only way out.

Lu Changsheng breathed a sigh of relief; this dungeon was finally about to be completed.

Just as Zhang Ping's toes were about to step over the rusted metal that symbolized the boundary, she suddenly stopped.

It felt like being nailed to the spot by an invisible force.

With her back to Lu Changsheng, her shoulders began to tremble violently, not with fear, but with a deeper tremor mixed with pain, realization, and some terrible resolve.

"Ms. Zhang?"

Lu Changsheng's heart tightened.

Zhang Ping slowly, extremely slowly, turned around.

Under the moonlight, her face was as pale as paper, streaked with tears, but her eyes shone with a terrifying brightness, burning with a clarity and resolve that Lu Changsheng had never seen in her before, almost destructive.

"But... Dr. Lu..."

Zhang Ping's eyes shone, and a smile played on her lips.

"What should the citizens of Jinghu City do?"

"But in this city, there are countless people like me, deceived. And those 'it' that are being contained and studied. I'm gone, but Chen Jingming is still alive. His plan has been thwarted, and he will exploit this city even more ruthlessly..."

"So, Dr. Lu—"

Zhang Ping walked back step by step, her resolve unwavering.

"I want to go back."

A smile that was both sacred and incredibly sorrowful appeared on Zhang Ping's face.

"Not as a survivor who escaped, but as a nail—a nail driven into Chen Jingming's beautiful dream."