Chen Shu returned home and reported his safety to his parents.
Looking at their smiles, Chen Shu's heart also calmed down.
Liu Feng's words had indeed stirred his heart, and his thoughts had changed slightly.
It was a time of chaos, and he did not expect to save the human race or countless lives.
But Teacher Liu was right; he should at least ensure the safety of those around him!
When Chen Shu thought of his parents, Fang Si, Dali, A Liang, and others, a warmth filled his heart, and his resolve gradually strengthened.
With his strength and talent, he could protect a group of people in this chaotic world.
"Dad, Mom, don't worry too much. Things will be resolved soon."
Chen Shu turned and returned to his room, continuing his pursuit of the mastermind.
Hundreds of people had lost their minds, which, while causing some turmoil, also provided more clues.
"I can't possibly investigate high-level beast tamers directly..."
Chen Shu's mind was calm as his brain raced, and he muttered to himself,
"Then I'll start by investigating the victims!"
In the past, he was accustomed to the system's help. Now, having to think for himself felt a bit rusty.
"The victims' social circles..."
Chen Shu was completely focused, beginning to study the profiles and information of each person who had lost their minds.
If he could find a common point among them, there was hope of tracking down the mastermind.
However, this was not a simple task.
The official records contained everyone's social relationships, but if it were friendships, they wouldn't be fully recorded, and there would be omissions.
Half a day passed in a flash.
Chen Shu frowned, still staring intently at the computer, muttering to himself,
"They are basically all Silver-tier geniuses..."
Among those who had lost their minds, there was a commonality: they were not old, but possessed immense talent, truly geniuses of this era.
These individuals all had powerful backgrounds. Their misfortune would indirectly destabilize their respective forces, making China's defense more difficult.
"Many of them are from China Academy, and most are members of my Urea Society."
Chen Shu mused, muttering, "Damn it, my suspicion is growing bigger..."
"Wait! No, Urea Society..."
At this moment, his expression stiffened, and a flash of realization appeared in his eyes.
His brain whirred again, not suspecting himself, but thinking of a way to connect with so many geniuses.
"Could it be something like a club?"
Chen Shu's eyes moved, and he began to re-examine everyone's profiles.
However, while the records did list the clubs and beast taming associations each person had participated in,
What was puzzling was that their clubs were mostly different, with no suspicious connections.
"Did I go in the wrong direction of thinking?"
Chen Shu's brows furrowed, feeling that he was on the verge of piercing the fog but still missing something.
Just then, Ning Bufan sent over another batch of information.
He also informed him that these were the loss-of-mind incidents that had occurred in the last half-day, hundreds more!
"It's getting more chaotic..."
Chen Shu sighed and instinctively clicked on the transmitted data, but the first person stunned him.
"Huh? So familiar..."
He looked at the information below and instantly remembered. It was Yan Haoran!
"The former president of the Beast Taming Association?"
China Academy had always had only one major association, the Beast Taming Association. However, since the rise of Chen Shu's Urea Society, it had gradually been replaced.
As the president of the Beast Taming Association, Yan Haoran had naturally clashed with Chen Shu.
However, the man had an extraordinary demeanor and was a good sport, willingly admitting defeat. They couldn't be considered enemies.
"He was also affected?"
Chen Shu murmured, as if he had found a new clue.
"Besides the Beast Taming Association, what else did he join?"
He looked at the information above, but it did not record any beast taming teams or minor factions.
The data showed that he had always been a lone wolf in the异空间 (Yi Kong Jian - alternate dimension/space). Such a person seemed unremarkable, but Chen Shu did not overlook him.
"No... no..."
Chen Shu's eyes narrowed, repeating, "I remember he joined something..."
He began to recall how he first met Yan Haoran...
"The first time I met him wasn't at school... it was at a restaurant outside of school... at that time, I had a conflict with Bai Yang from the sophomore year... several managers from the Beast Taming Association were there..."
Chen Shu closed his eyes, recalling past memories, scene after scene replaying in his mind...
In an instant,
He suddenly stood up, as if a fog had cleared.
"Ling Chen?!"
His expression shook, and he finally remembered something, grasping the most crucial clue.
"Yan Haoran joined Ling Chen's Genius Club!"
Chen Shu took a deep breath, a hint of disbelief in his eyes, muttering, "Could it be you? The former prodigy of the academy, Ling Chen..."
He clicked on another person's profile, but there was no mention of the Genius Club.
"The data was tampered with?! Or the officials didn't record it?!"
He licked his lips, understanding dawning in his eyes.
No wonder he couldn't find any clues.
The information provided by the officials was flawed; what was the point of searching then!
"There can't be many people with the authority to alter official records!"
Chen Shu once again sent a message to Ning Bufan, asking him to provide a list of individuals who could alter official records, as well as all of Ling Chen's information!
"You suspect him? No way?"
Ning Bufan was slightly stunned, instantly understanding Chen Shu's thoughts.
As a member of the management of the Dragon Guard, Ling Chen had always performed exceptionally well, achieving many merits. He could be considered one of the representative figures of the Dragon Guard.
Could such a person be a traitor?!
"Principal, I am only suspecting..."
Chen Shu also did not dare to jump to conclusions, saying, "I need to investigate further."
"Should I apprehend him for now?"
Ning Bufan asked, although both were peerless geniuses from China Academy, he clearly trusted Chen Shu more.
"Not yet, don't rush."
Chen Shu shook his head and said, "If it is indeed him, his strength must be problematic. How could someone who can control a King-tier two-star be only Gold-tier?!"
"That's true..."
Ning Bufan suppressed the urge in his heart and said, "We must confirm. He is an official hero, and such a person cannot be moved lightly."
"Mm."
Chen Shu hung up the communication and began his verification.
Among those who could alter official records, Ling Chen's name was indeed listed.
Although he was not the head of the Dragon Guard, as one of the representative figures, his authority was quite high, even surpassing that of ordinary branch ministers.
Chen Shu then opened Ling Chen's personal profile, and the first sentence stunned him.
"Ling Chen, a native of Yuan Ning City..."