Chapter 35: As Expected, Only the Brain Is Abnormal

Intense pain caused Zhou Mo’s eyelids to twitch, as if his "dog brain" were on the verge of trying to escape his skull!

What was going on here? Could a dog’s brain actually count as a subconscious monster?

There was no time to dwell on such chaotic thoughts. Feeling as though his eyeballs were about to be pulled out at any moment, Zhou Mo endured the stabbing pain, pressed his hand firmly against his skull, and then carefully removed the metal ring from his arm.

The moment the ring was taken off, the rebellious dog brain inside his head finally quieted down.

Wincing through the lingering discomfort in his head, Zhou Mo held the metal ring and asked, "Are you sure? Is it really appropriate for you to give this thing to me?"

Although he spoke with a casual tone, he had felt as if his dog brain were about to burst out of his skull just a moment ago. If he hadn't pressed down on it in time, the brain might have actually flown out.

Sun Yue waved her hand dismissively. "It’s fine, just consider it a loan. As long as you don't lose it, it’s not a big deal. Besides, as a consultant for our office, you’re entitled to carry one during missions anyway."

Zhou Mo nodded and tucked the metal ring into his pocket, though his hand remained trembling slightly. Even though the ring was gone, his head felt as if it were being scorched by fire, and his entire body was running a light fever.

Fortunately, as a consultant for the office, and given that it was already late at night, Zhou Mo simply finished the deposition, signed the case file, and hurried to hail a taxi home.

Leaning against the window and holding her cheek, Sun Yue watched Zhou Mo’s departing figure. "He really didn't react at all..."

Xia An rolled her eyes from beside her. "Did you actually expect him to reveal his true form? I’ve never heard of a subconscious monster that takes the shape of a human. I’ve already guaranteed to the Chief that we won't bother him anymore. This kind of testing is only allowed once, do you understand?"

Sun Yue stuck out her tongue. "Can you blame me? He was able to dive 50 meters deep on his first attempt. Anyone with even a little bit of knowledge would be curious, right?"

Xia An replied without looking up from the documents she was reviewing. "If he didn't transform, it only means his innate talent is exceptional, or he has visited the Sea of Subconsciousness before."

"My guess that he was a brain-eating demon was clearly way off base, but you still think he’s a subconscious monster?"

"If he were a subconscious monster, our detectors would have started wailing the moment he walked in."

Sun Yue curled her lip. "Maybe he’s something even higher-level than a subconscious monster..."

Xia An’s eyelid twitched. "Get out of here and go treat that female prisoner! We need to finish the interrogation and close this case immediately!"

***

The moment Zhou Mo opened his door and stepped inside, his skull cap flew off. The dog brain scurried around the room like a headless fly before diving into the bathroom and turning on the faucet to douse itself in cold water.

With the dog brain gone, the agonizing headache finally vanished. Zhou Mo let out a long sigh. "I suppose it’s true—my head doesn't hurt when there's no brain inside. Come to think of it, being brainless isn't so bad."

The commotion woke up Brother Brain, who was slumbering. Drowsily, it lifted its two eyeballs and stared at Zhou Mo, as if asking: *Where did you go? Why are you home so late?*

Zhou Mo sighed, recounted what had happened, and walked into the bathroom to check on the dog brain.

Liao Feng’s brain crawled over slowly, climbed onto the vanity, and poked the shivering dog brain with an eyeball. It was obvious to the naked eye that the dog brain was in poor condition; bloodshot veins covered its surface, and even its two eyeballs appeared to be hemorrhaging.

Zhou Mo reached out to touch it and found the dog brain was running a high temperature. It was clearly feverish.

"No wonder it had to use cold water the moment it got in. It was trying to cool itself down."

Liao Feng’s brain shook the water droplets off its eyes, leaped onto Zhou Mo’s shoulder, and seemed to want to crawl back into his head. Zhou Mo turned his head, understood the silent request, and pried open his skull cap to let Liao Feng’s brain enter.

Once connected to Liao Feng’s brain, Zhou Mo glanced at the dog brain and instantly understood what was happening.

"Is this... an rejection reaction?"

Zhou Mo was surprised—partly because he understood the situation so clearly, and partly because Liao Feng’s brain was granting him such abilities! He had previously assumed that swapping in Liao Feng’s brain was only for physical check-ups; he hadn't expected it to provide this kind of insight.

After a quick inspection, he realized the dog brain’s condition wasn't life-threatening. This rejection reaction would subside once it was away from his body; all it needed was rest and plenty of glucose.

With a new brain in place, Zhou Mo’s thoughts became exceptionally clear. He took the metal ring out of his pocket. "So, it’s highly likely that brains themselves are a type of subconscious monster—just one that possesses a physical form."

Thinking this far, Zhou Mo felt a bit confused. "Then what does that make me?"

After pondering for a moment, Zhou Mo removed Liao Feng’s brain, turned to Brother Brain, and said, "I’m going to test what happens if I wear this thing while I’m brainless. If anything goes wrong, help me take it off."

Brother Brain was stunned: *Are you seriously that reckless? Do you have any idea what you are? Aren't you afraid of dropping dead the moment you put that on without a brain inside you?*

But Zhou Mo was stubborn. "I have to try. I don't think the City Guard will let me off that easily. I might encounter similar situations in the future. Besides, I trust your speed."

Brother Brain scratched its head with an eyeball and ultimately agreed to Zhou Mo’s suicidal plan. It scurried to Zhou Mo’s side, ready to smash the metal ring at any second.

Zhou Mo took a deep breath and fastened the metal ring to his arm. All three brains extended their eyeballs, staring nervously to see if any changes would occur.

Yet, after a few seconds, Zhou Mo only felt a slight itch on his face.

Whether it was the dog brain in the sink or the other two, all six eyeballs were filled with utter shock. Even a slight reaction would have been something, but his complete lack of response was hard for them to accept.

*Why is Zhou Mo perfectly fine? Is this guy even human?*

Zhou Mo breathed a sigh of relief and took off the metal ring. "Looks like I’m still a normal person. Clearly, it’s you brains that are abnormal."

"Always using other people's brains isn't a long-term solution. I really need to put in some effort to find my own brain back."

"Time for sleep. Tomorrow, I have to go to the television station to investigate that case."

"Goodnight, everyone. Remember to turn off the water."

The three brains pondered what Zhou Mo had just said, wanting to curse him out but finding no words to express their frustration. Did he really not understand why they were alive in the first place?