161: Handling of witnesses

[Shen Mingyuan's Apartment]

Morning light filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting a faint band of light onto Shen Mingyuan's tightly closed eyelids.

He hadn't woken naturally; instead, he was dragged from his heavy slumber by a deep-seated, cellular-level emptiness and palpitation, coupled with a burning, parched thirst in his throat.

"Cough... ugh..." He let out a hoarse groan, struggling to sit up from the sofa.

His head felt heavy as if filled with lead. The ringing in his ears, though much fainter than last night, persisted as an annoying background noise.

The worst was his throat—dry, stinging, as if every inch of the mucous membrane had cracked.

With blurred vision, he scanned the coffee table and spotted the few tubes of deep blue energy supplements Zhou Zihui had given him. Without hesitation, he reached for one, twisted off the seal, and downed it in one go.

The liquid was cold, carrying a strong, head-rushing minty flavor that instantly suppressed the burning pain in his throat. As it slid down his esophagus, it brought a soothing sense of moisture.

Immediately after, a gentle but distinct warmth spread from his stomach, quickly flowing to his limbs and throughout his body.

The bone-gnawing weakness and sharp hunger began to recede like a tide, and the tinnitus seemed to be muffled another layer.

Though far from feeling refreshed and clear-headed, he had at least moved from "on the verge of collapse" to "bearable."

Shen Mingyuan let out a long sigh, tossed the empty tube into the trash, picked up the remaining tubes of medicine, and staggered to the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator door and stuffed them into the cold storage.

Then, dragging his still-heavy body, he collapsed back onto the sofa.

The cool mint sensation lingered in his mouth and throat, and the warmth in his body made his lingering drowsiness surge again. He lay there with his eyes closed, in a half-conscious state, for nearly another hour.

When he fully woke again, the daylight outside had brightened considerably.

He carefully assessed himself: the tinnitus was gone, and the world had returned to clear silence; the discomfort in his throat had mostly subsided.

Only some muscle soreness from overexertion remained, along with a faint sense of weakness from not being fully re-energized. But overall, he was "fine."

He glanced at the clock on the wall—it was still early. The energy from the medicine seemed to suppress his physiological hunger, but out of habit, he went into the kitchen and boiled an egg in plain water. He peeled the shell, ate it slowly, completing his breakfast ritual.

With nothing left to do and no sleepiness for the moment, Shen Mingyuan tidied the sofa, picked up the remote, turned on the rarely used TV in the living room, and grabbed his phone. He sank into the sofa, beginning aimless scrolling.

The TV emitted the precise, articulate voice of the morning news anchor, broadcasting trivial daily happenings from around the city.

On his phone screen, social media feeds scrolled with various news, gossip, and ads. His gaze drifted slightly, his fingers mechanically swiping.

Just then, the sound from the TV abruptly changed.

An intense, powerful electronic rock intro suddenly blared, instantly drowning out the news broadcast. Shen Mingyuan instinctively looked up.

On the TV screen, the scene had switched. Against a backdrop of dynamic cityscape editing, a figure clad in silver-white armor, with a sharp design, leaped between buildings and battled exaggerated monsters.

The footage interspersed with quick close-ups of characters and tense slogan subtitles.

In one corner of the screen, the show's information was displayed: "silver skeleton"—Episode 1.

Shen Mingyuan's fingers holding the phone paused. His gaze fixed on the TV screen, watching the "silver skeleton" fighting amidst special effects and light. His face showed no expression as he quietly watched the opening sequence flash by with the melody.

The theme song was passionate and stirring, with rapid cuts showcasing the spectacular battles between the armor and monsters, occasionally interspersed with shots of the actor portraying "Lu Jianchuan" switching between daily life and transformed states. The production wasn't particularly refined, but the atmosphere of Passion and heroism was well-crafted.

"Official 'cognitive groundwork'..." Shen Mingyuan silently muttered to himself, recalling The Forger's earlier explanation.

Using entertainment products to subtly acclimate the public to the concept of "armor heroes." Once the truth had to be revealed in the future, it could minimize panic and even guide public opinion.

Shen Mingyuan instinctively began assessing the risks and loopholes of this strategy.

"But then again," he frowned slightly, shifting his gaze from the screen to the peaceful morning street outside the window, "won't this backfire? When extraordinary battles truly can't be hidden and erupt on some street... might there be people so deeply influenced by such works that instead of running away, they excitedly gather to watch, even live-streaming on their phones?"

He could almost imagine that absurd and dangerous scene.

Pre-embedded "hero narratives" could distort some people's risk assessment when real disaster strikes. It's not just a matter of panic or not; it might lead to new, foolish casualties.

Just as his thoughts drifted, weighing the pros and cons of this propaganda strategy—

"Knock, knock, knock."

Clear, steady knocking suddenly came from the apartment door.

Shen Mingyuan stiffened slightly, instantly snapping out of his thoughts. All his alertness heightened in an instant. At this hour? Who could it be? He hadn't scheduled any guests, and he hardly interacted with neighbors.

He rose silently, moving nimbly to behind the door. He didn't open it immediately or call out, just listened quietly.

There was no further knocking or any other sound from outside, as if the visitor was certain he was home and waiting patiently.

Shen Mingyuan took a deep breath and looked through the peephole.

Outside stood a young man, appearing a few years older than him, with a face marked by weathered, resolute lines. His eyes were steady, even carrying a hint of faint fatigue.

He wore ordinary dark casual clothes, standing tall and straight. Most importantly, this face... Shen Mingyuan had just seen a similar outline on the TV screen—though in reality, he was leaner, with a completely different demeanor.

It was "Lu Jianchuan." Or rather, the prototype of the previous Aptitude Holder, as portrayed in the tokusatsu drama and mentioned by The Forger.

Shen Mingyuan's pupils contracted slightly, countless thoughts flashing through his mind in an instant. GUPA? Unlikely; if it were an official, they wouldn't come alone looking like this. A test? Or something else?

Without further hesitation, he opened the door.

Lu Jianchuan outside, seeing Shen Mingyuan behind the door, showed little surprise on his face. He simply nodded lightly and spoke calmly, his voice not loud but clearly conveying the key message:

"Hello. I believe you should recognize me." He paused, meeting Shen Mingyuan's gaze. "I am your Senior, shadow. I am Lu Jianchuan, also known as 'silver skeleton.'"

Despite already suspecting it, hearing the other directly state his identity still struck Shen Mingyuan with an instant impact. His shock was hard to conceal, but his lawyer's instincts quickly steadied him. He stepped aside to clear the way, responding in a low voice:

"Hello, Senior... I am Shen Mingyuan. Please come in." He closed the door, turned around, and asked the most direct question: "How did you find this place? Is this...?"

Lu Jianchuan entered the simple apartment, his gaze quickly and naturally sweeping over the surroundings before settling back on Shen Mingyuan. His expression remained calm, even carrying a hint of matter-of-fact detachment.

"How to put it," Lu Jianchuan said, entering the simple apartment, his gaze quickly and naturally sweeping over the surroundings before settling back on Shen Mingyuan.

His expression remained calm, but his tone held a barely perceptible, distance-spanning caution.

"I heard a new 'armor' individual appeared here, with an evolution path... that seems somewhat similar to my 'silver skeleton' form, yet clearly different."

He paused, looking at Shen Mingyuan, and explained more clearly: "I applied to my superiors for this cross-regional investigation and assessment mission. The official reason, naturally, is to study similar evolution cases and gather data. So, I came to this city."

His gaze was frank. Lowering his voice, he continued more directly to the core: "And part of the mission includes contacting potential 'witnesses' and handling follow-up—though in my case, first, I had to find the 'witness' himself. That is you, 'shadow.'"