Chapter 30: There Is Definitely Something Wrong!

Zhou Mo had not been particularly interested in the title of "investigator," as he always felt the term sounded somewhat ominous.

However, upon hearing Xia An mention Liu Tianyou’s research materials, his interest was instantly piqued. He had been wondering how to investigate his attacker, and here Xia An was, delivering the perfect opportunity right to him.

Now, Zhou Mo dared not be too obvious in front of Xia An. He merely frowned slightly and asked, "What about the Brain-Eater case? Does this mean that matter will no longer be investigated?"

Xia An sighed. "There is no way to continue. The person who attacked you last night was found dead, and it was the work of the Brain-Eater."

"I assume he killed him to silence him after failing the mission, just to prevent us from capturing him."

Zhou Mo’s heart couldn't help but shudder; after all, the one who had actually done the deed was still residing inside his own head. It was unexpected that the Brain-Eater would end up taking the fall for it. Regardless, this was good news—at least the City Guard would not be tracking it back to him.

"That is a pity. I wonder when I’ll ever be able to recover what I lost," Zhou Mo sighed, his tone a mix of genuine feeling and performance.

Xia An picked up her glass and took a sip of juice, looking slightly annoyed. "The Brain-Eater case has been taken over by the headquarters anyway, so you probably won't get your lost items back anytime soon."

As for what exactly Zhou Mo had lost, Xia An couldn't be bothered to ask. It was now essentially confirmed that Zhou Mo had indeed lost a portion of his memory. Since being slapped, she had realized that her own line of thinking had been flawed. Although there were many suspicious aspects to Zhou Mo, the Brain-Eater’s desperate attempt to eliminate him proved that Zhou Mo was certainly not an accomplice. And if Zhou Mo were truly a victim who remembered the identity of the killer, he wouldn't have kept himself in such danger for so long.

Xia An was not the type of woman to dwell on failure; after a night of feeling dejected, she had quickly adjusted her mindset.

"You can now be considered one of our own, so there's no harm in telling you a few things." Xia An thought for a moment before continuing, "The Brain-Eater case is likely no longer a simple criminal matter; it probably involves certain interest groups. Otherwise, given the City Guard's capabilities, it shouldn't have remained unsolved until now."

"But don't worry. Although headquarters revoked my authority over the Brain-Eater case, they granted me the right to investigate Liu Tianyou. Investigating those missing research materials belonging to Dr. Liu Tianyou is a great opportunity."

"Perhaps by following this trail, we can uncover the true identity of the Brain-Eater, and it wouldn't be impossible to find your lost items then."

"It's fine if you don't understand; I have plenty of experience in this field and can teach you."

***

Although Xia An was composed, she showed great sincerity. She didn't question whether Zhou Mo had the capability to be an investigator, but rather did her utmost to ensure he could hold the position.

Zhou Mo could sense her sincerity and asked with a touch of embarrassment, "I have no issues with that, of course. I just want to retrieve what I lost as soon as possible. I just wanted to ask—what exactly does an investigator do? Could you explain it to me?"

Xia An’s face twitched. "You’ve forgotten even that?"

Zhou Mo sighed. "I’ve forgotten everything except basic life knowledge. This world is completely foreign to me."

*There’s such a thing as this kind of amnesia?*

Xia An helplessly scratched her hair. "Fine. Then let me give you a primer on the job of an investigator."

"Essentially, you can think of an investigator as a detective, though 'detective' is just the beginner stage. Strictly speaking, if you agree to my compensation plan and sign off on three cases, you will be a licensed probationary detective."

"You will enjoy the same investigative rights as the City Guard. To use an imperfect analogy: if the City Guard are the brawlers tasked with dealing with subconscious monsters, then detectives and investigators are our scouts."

"Subconscious monsters cannot be proven through technological means. If we relied solely on reports from ordinary citizens, the City Guard would spend far too much time chasing leads."

"Detectives are the channels through which we confirm the existence of these monsters. For example, if there are urban legends, you would need to verify them to determine if a subconscious monster is actually present."

Zhou Mo clicked his tongue. After hearing her explanation, he felt Xia An was being a bit too polite. This so-called detective wasn't so much a scout as he was a hound—cannon fodder specifically meant to clear mines and sound the alarm for the City Guard.

But for the current Zhou Mo, there was no better job. First and foremost, the right to independent investigation was exactly what he needed. The killer had been able to spend 800,000 to buy his life, which meant the person wasn't short on money and likely held a high position. For an ordinary person like him to investigate such an individual would be difficult, but with this status, things would be much easier.

Zhou Mo smiled immediately. "No problem. I'm in."

Xia An rolled her eyes elegantly. "Don't say it like it's a marriage vow. I’ll warn you in advance: this job carries a certain level of danger. Since you are actively searching for subconscious monsters, if you aren't a 'Deep Diver,' one careless mistake could cost you your life."

"But don't worry, once you receive your credentials and pass the review, you can become—"

"I already am one."

***

Zhou Mo nodded with a smile.

*Clang.*

Sun Yue, who had been silently stuffing his face for a while, suddenly looked up, dropping a palm-sized crab claw onto his plate.

Xia An’s eyes widened, her face full of disbelief. "What did you say?"

Zhou Mo made a swimming motion. "I said I am already a Deep Diver."

"Impossible! No one can become a Deep Diver without guidance, it’s not something you just succeed at!"

Xia An frowned, skeptical. Generally, becoming a Deep Diver required a guide, and it was impossible for Zhou Mo to have one, either before or after his amnesia.

Of course, there were rare cases where people entered the collective subconscious sea, but that usually required an extremely intense emotion to resonate with a memory in the subconscious. And people who entered passively like that were almost always devoured by the monsters within.

Xia An looked at Zhou Mo’s smile and frowned. "What did you see inside?"

"Glaciers, the ocean, and figures floating in the water illuminated by unknown lights."

"Most importantly, there were many fish. I assume those were the subconscious monsters."

*Many?*

Xia An’s eyelids twitched violently. Suppressing the urge to curse, she asked again, "And how deep did you dive?"

Zhou Mo rubbed his chin. "About... fifty meters or so. The area beyond that was too dark, so I didn't dare go in."

Sun Yue’s expression went blank, and he reached for a device on his waistband.

*No vibration?*

*Is this even human?*

Sun Yue began frantically winking and gesturing at Xia An. *This guy is definitely trouble!*