13: An unexpected encounter and "her" gaze

Excellence was left with lingering fear from Morpheus Li's seemingly gentle yet abyss-like gaze; cold sweat nearly soaked the lining of his ill-fitting suit. His only thought now was to find the target auction item that might save him from this predicament as quickly as possible, then immediately, right away, leave this luxurious cage—where every cell in his body was screaming "danger"—without looking back. He suppressed the panic in his heart, kept his head down to minimize his presence, and like a cautious fish, wove through the gaps in the crowd of people clinking glasses and chatting gaily, struggling toward the relatively quiet auction preview area on one side of the exhibition hall.

His eyes eagerly scanned the curiosities displayed on velvet tables: futuristic concept product models, donated precious artworks, and symbolic shares of certain high-tech companies. Finally, in the most inconspicuous corner, where even the spotlights were reluctant to linger, he saw it—the remnant of a mid-last-century experimental EEG research device mentioned by the system prompt.

It lay there quietly, out of place with the surrounding glitz and glamour. It was a metal box about the size of two shoeboxes, its surface covered in a matte grayish-green paint that had now peeled away in patches, revealing the dark primer and some rust underneath. The panel was densely packed with round knobs, each with blurred scales engraved on its edges, along with rows of old-fashioned banana jack interfaces and toggle switches; several vacuum tube sockets were empty, like eyes that had lost their eyeballs. Beside it lay several matching headsets made of coarse leather, metal mesh, and large earmuffs, with thick connection cables whose rubber casing had aged and cracked. A small tag simply read: "Circa 1950s, remnant of a non-standard experimental device from early Cognitive Science research at a university in the Free Confederacy. Specific functions and historical background lost; suitable for nostalgic tech collection." A sense of being forgotten by time and a feeling of loneliness washed over him.

This was it! Excellence's heart skipped a beat, and a warm current of excitement mixed with hope temporarily dispelled the chill from before. He could almost imagine the researchers of that era wearing it, exploring the mysteries of the human brain in a laboratory filled with paper tapes and the glow of oscilloscopes.

"Are you... interested in this?" A female voice, soft as a feather yet possessing a strange, ethereal quality, sounded unexpectedly close to him.

Excellence nearly jumped in fright and whipped his head around, his heart racing again. A young woman in a champagne-colored, one-shoulder long evening gown stood less than a meter away, having appeared silently like a ghost at some unknown moment. She looked to be in her early twenties, with a slender and upright posture, and skin so pale it almost lacked color, glowing with an ivory luster under the soft lights of the banquet hall. Her features were as exquisite as a doll meticulously carved by the most skilled craftsman; every stroke was perfect, yet together they created a sense of near-unreal perfection. Especially striking were her large eyes, their color an extremely rare light gray, like glass shrouded in London fog. At this moment, she was staring unblinkingly at the worn-out device on the display stand with pure and intense curiosity before slowly shifting her gaze to Excellence.

Her beauty carried a fragile and aloof atmosphere, causing Excellence to lose himself for a moment. But what made his heart tighten even more was her unique temperament—a blend of innate nobility, an indescribable melancholy, and... an imperceptible, profound sense of loneliness that seemed out of place with the surrounding bustle.

"Ah... yes, yeah," Excellence stammered, instinctively not wanting to reveal his true purpose and only able to find the most mediocre excuse. "I think it's quite... ancient. It looks very... historical." He tried to make his tone sound like that of a simple nostalgic tech enthusiast.

"Ancient things often hide forgotten fragments of wisdom covered by the dust of time, don't they?" The woman tilted her head slightly and gave him a faint smile. The smile was beautiful and perfectly curved, yet it seemed to lack sufficient emotional warmth, appearing more like a polite expression. "My father... he has always had a preference for collecting these silent old objects." Her voice was soft, and when she mentioned "father," her tone didn't carry much intimacy, sounding more like a plain statement.

Her gaze fell back onto Excellence's face. Those light gray pupils were clear yet deep, as if they possessed some kind of penetrative power, making Excellence feel for no reason that his little thoughts were laid bare. Cold sweat began to bead on his back again. "You're a new face; you don't seem to be a common guest on The Foundation's contact list." Her words were direct, but her tone wasn't offensive, just inquisitive. "Are you a student?"

"Ye... yes," Excellence felt his throat go dry. "A student from Polytechnic University."

"Polytechnic University..." the woman repeated the name softly, a tiny ripple seemingly flashing through her light gray eyes, like a small pebble dropped into a calm lake. "Are you studying physics? Or electronic engineering?" she pressed, appearing particularly interested in these two fields.

"Uh... a bit of... both, I guess." Excellence answered even more vaguely, his heart rate accelerating for fear that she would continue to probe deeper.

"That's nice," she sighed softly upon hearing this, her gaze drifting toward the guests in the distance who were talking loudly about investment trends and future markets. Her tone was quietly tinged with a faint, almost imperceptible mockery and a deep weariness. "To be able to relatively freely explore the frontiers of knowledge, immersed in pure logic and phenomena. Unlike here, where everyone seems only interested in talking about return on investment, market valuations, and those... ethereal, meticulously packaged visions of the future." Her words were like a fine needle, gently piercing through the essence beneath the banquet hall's magnificent facade.

Excellence had no idea how to respond to this. He felt as if he had touched upon a level he shouldn't have reached, and could only laugh awkwardly, not knowing where to put his hands and feet.

"Evelyn, so this is where you are." A gentle and familiar voice broke the delicate atmosphere at just the right moment. Morpheus Li had approached at some point, naturally placing his hand lightly on the shoulder of the woman called Evelyn. His eyes were lowered, looking at her with fatherly affection (though beneath that affection, Excellence seemed to sense an unquestionable sense of control). "Looking at these old antiques covered in historical dust again? It's not good for your health. This is..." His gaze then turned to Excellence, still wearing that impeccable, refined smile, as if the chilling eye contact from earlier had never happened.

"Father, this is..." Evelyn Li looked at Excellence, signaling him to introduce himself.

"Ex... Excellence." Excellence hurried to introduce himself, feeling the palms that had just dried start to sweat again. In front of Morpheus Li, he felt like a piece of transparent paper; any concealment was futile.

"Student Excellence," Morpheus Li nodded with a smile, his tone calm. "A very good name with profound meaning. It seems that among young people, there are still those interested in the history of technological development and these heavy physical objects; that is rare. I hope you enjoy yourself at the banquet tonight." His attitude was polite and impeccable, but Excellence could clearly feel an invisible, massive sense of distance and a top-down pressure, as if the other man was merely performing a polite procedure while he was an insignificant object.

Morpheus Li did not stay long. He simply whispered a few more words to Evelyn and then naturally led her away, as if Excellence were just an accidental interlude not worth further attention. Before leaving, Evelyn paused slightly and looked back once more, her light gray eyes giving Excellence a deep look. That gaze was complex and hard to decipher, seemingly containing curiosity, a trace of faint sympathy, and perhaps something else even deeper, making Excellence's heart skip a beat for no reason.

It wasn't until the figures of the father and daughter disappeared into the crowd that Excellence breathed a long, complete sigh of relief. He felt as if he had just stepped out of a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, or as if he had been dancing back and forth at death's door; his whole body felt somewhat exhausted.

[Target 'Evelyn Li' identity confirmed: Only daughter of Morpheus Li. Physiological State Scan shows abnormal fluctuations (insufficient permissions, detailed information unavailable). Emotional Fluctuation Analysis: Curiosity and initial attention toward the Host are significantly higher than background levels. Motivation unknown, potential intentions cannot be modeled. It is recommended that the Host maintain high vigilance and avoid deep contact.] The system's report sounded in a timely manner, its cold voice carrying an unprecedented level of caution.

Excellence could only smile bitterly in his heart. Vigilance? Of course he wanted to be vigilant! Right now, he just wanted to dig a hole and get as far away from this father and daughter as possible! Although that Evelyn didn't seem to have the direct pressure of her father, her inhuman sense of refinement and those light gray eyes that seemed to see through one's heart also made him feel inexplicably uneasy.

The subsequent auction process was surprisingly smooth. The old, clunky remnant of the EEG device seemed so out of place and unappealing in this place chasing cutting-edge technology and flashy concepts. Almost no one bid against Excellence, and in the end, he successfully won the heavy metal box at a price so low it was practically a steal. He clutched this cold "treasure," which smelled of old metal and dust, and almost fled the banquet hall, leaving behind the glitz and the undercurrents. He took a deep breath of the cool, free outdoor air, feeling as if he had been reborn.

He didn't know that shortly after he left, almost stumbling, Evelyn Li had returned to a quiet, curved floor-to-ceiling window on the second floor of the banquet hall, standing there silently. Her champagne-colored gown shimmered against the backdrop of the city's neon lights outside, and her light gray eyes were fixed unblinkingly on the young figure below, who was clutching the heavy metal box and awkwardly climbing into a taxi, until the car's taillights completely merged into the city's traffic and disappeared into the vast night.

There was no expression on her exquisite face, like a perfect doll. Only in the depths of those rare light gray eyes did a complex and subtle light flicker—one entirely different from her father Morpheus Li's all-controlling depth, even carrying a hint of strange longing, as if she were seeing a faint but distinctly different flame in the darkness.