107: Chapter 107 Is my mental strength really that high?

At first glance, the attribute panel didn't look any different from before, but Chen Mo quickly noticed a new attribute bar had appeared below his Blood Qi.

[ Mental Strength: 103 ]

"Is my Mental Strength this high?"

Chen Mo was taken aback, but he quickly accepted the fact.

It made sense, actually. His physical strength was already very high, and apart from Intelligence and Agility, which weren't affected by his body, wasn't it normal for his Mental Strength to be a bit higher?

It was just a pity he didn't know if his Intelligence would increase a little as his Mental Strength got higher in the future.

"Sigh..."

Although an Intelligence of eight was enough to keep him from sitting at the same table as a Border Collie, the fact that he easily lost his cool and started going berserk whenever he got into a fight made Chen Mo feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Taking out his phone, Chen Mo opened the 'Pain Entanglement' folder.

A few minutes later, Chen Mo rubbed his brow. Why was this thing so complicated?

It really wasn't as fast as just smashing his opponent with his fists...

But if he wanted to maximize the efficiency of his Pain Reversal, he needed this exotic technique, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and give it a try.

Next door, Shen Zhou's mouth twitched, and he wrapped his head tightly with a pillow.

He had been so tired every day during the National Joint Examination that he hadn't noticed Lin Ye's snoring was this loud.

Just as he was planning to hit Lin Ye's head with a Time Dilation, a piercing, heart-wrenching pain struck him.

Shen Zhou rolled his eyes back and fainted from the pain, while Lin Ye, who was beside him, was jolted awake by the intense pain, only to quickly go into shock from it as well.

"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts..."

Chen Mo twisted and turned on the floor; the feeling just now was like having trigeminal neuralgia all over his body.

But he knew clearly that he hadn't even used thirty percent of the power of Pain Entanglement just now, and it was hard to imagine how painful it would be if this thing were unleashed at full power.

"Should I... try it?"

After recovering, Chen Mo's desire to court death burned brightly, and he completely failed to notice that his Mental Strength was about to hit rock bottom.

Unlike other values that wouldn't change, both Blood Qi and Mental Strength were consumables.

The reason Governor Sun Jingan hadn't told Chen Mo the details before was because he believed that at Chen Mo's current stage, he wouldn't even be able to sense the existence of Mental Strength.

Let alone use it.

So...

"Gah!"

Accompanied by a burst of intense pain and a strong sense of dizziness, Chen Mo rolled his eyes back and fainted.

The night deepened, and the entire Orphanage fell into silence; only the police post set up next to the Orphanage still had its lights on.

...

The next morning, Chen Mo's door was knocked on.

"Brother Mo, Brother Mo! Get up and have breakfast!"

"I've already squeezed the toothpaste for you, and I've also prepared hot water for you to wash your face."

"The sun is going to shine on your butt, Brother Mo, don't stay in bed!"

The door was opened, and a little brat, looking only five or six years old, walked over to Chen Mo, who was lying on the floor, and gently poked his face.

"Hmm?"

Feeling someone touching him, Chen Mo finally opened his eyes slowly.

"What's going on? Why is it already daylight?"

Rubbing his throbbing brow, Chen Mo was dazed for a good while before he managed to sit back up.

"What was I doing earlier?"

After pondering for a good while, he finally remembered that he had been trying to practice Pain Entanglement last night.

Chen Mo felt like his brain had rusted; he hurriedly opened his attribute panel to see what had happened.

Looking at the Mental Strength that was down to just over a dozen points, Chen Mo realized that he seemed to have overdrawn his Mental Strength.

"Sigh..."

Sighing, Chen Mo got up and stretched his somewhat stiff body.

Picking up the little brother beside him, Chen Mo walked towards the washroom.

There was nothing special about breakfast; it was just a regular carb-heavy meal.

Director Gu Sanding, that old geezer, didn't understand anything about nutritional balance; he only knew that eating this would fill you up.

Strangely, Lin Ye, who was usually chattering away, was unusually quiet today, and even Shen Zhou sat at the dining table with a dazed expression, mechanically eating the porridge in his bowl.

"Maybe they didn't sleep well?"

Chen Mo scratched his face. He had only tried Pain Entanglement for the first time; it shouldn't be his fault.

"Chen Mo!"

Wen Wan's somewhat flustered voice rang out behind Chen Mo. Chen Mo put down his bowl and turned to look.

"Someone outside is looking for you."

"They're wearing the Border Army uniform, and they look like someone you shouldn't mess with."

Chen Mo nodded. Governor Sun Jingan had mentioned this yesterday; he wasn't completely unprepared.

"I know, you go eat first."

Soon, Chen Mo walked into the director's office with a middle-aged man wearing a Border Army uniform.

After closing the door and confirming that there was no one else around, the officer in front of Chen Mo officially began his self-introduction.

"Hello, Student Chen Mo. I am Cui Shaoqiu, an administrator at the Southwest Military Archives, holding the rank of Major."

"You can call me Brother Cui or Major Cui; no need to be nervous."

Cui Shaoqiu flashed a friendly smile at Chen Mo, but his tone was so flat it carried a hint of coldness.

"Hmm, is there something you need, Major Cui?"

Chen Mo didn't take the bait and just nodded calmly.

"Yes, the matter I've come to discuss with you today is actually quite simple: I want to ask you about what the martyr Old Zhang did during the National Joint Examination."

Cui Shaoqiu nodded, openly taking out a voice recorder and a notebook.

"Or rather, are you aware of the martyr Old Zhang's other identity?"

"A middle-level member of the Poachers organization, Black Dog."

Chen Mo didn't speak, just staring straight at Cui Shaoqiu.

After a few seconds, Chen Mo slowly spoke.

"I don't know. I only know that Old Man Zhang loved eating the stir-fried pork and braised pork I made."

"He usually liked to drink some low-quality rice wine, the kind that would give him methanol poisoning."

"And then he'd smoke some dry tobacco. You wouldn't believe that god-awful smell..."

Chen Mo talked incessantly for about ten minutes, most of which was spent complaining about Old Man Zhang's terrible living habits.

Things like spitting everywhere, or smoking regardless of the occasion...

Cui Shaoqiu narrowed his eyes, his mouth curling up unconsciously.

"Very good. It seems Black Dog really has no connection to the martyr Old Zhang."

"Thank you for your cooperation, Student Chen. We are currently tracking the traces of the Poachers organization. If you have any clues, you can contact me at any time."

After saying this, Cui Shaoqiu put away the voice recorder and popped out the battery inside.

He also put away his notebook and pulled a weathered file folder from his bosom.

"Chen Mo, you are very smart."

"The person who was talking to you just now was Major Cui, who is on a mission to investigate. Now, it's Brother Cui having a casual chat with you."

Chen Mo breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed he had guessed right.

"Take a look at this file."

Cui Shaoqiu handed the weathered file to Chen Mo, and Chen Mo didn't stand on ceremony, opening it to read through it.

The names on the file had all been erased, but through some details, Chen Mo could still recognize that this was the combat record of the Scout Squad that Old Man Zhang had once been part of.

"The martyr Old Zhang's memories were tampered with by the medical department; otherwise, he wouldn't have lived until now."

"At that time, the battle resulted in the six-man squad that the martyr Old Zhang belonged to suffering heavy losses. Four people sacrificed their lives, the martyr Old Zhang himself was near death, and Commander Shen suffered a severe head injury."

"He blamed all of this on his own cowardice."

"After being rescued, the martyr Old Zhang attempted suicide several times. To prevent tragedy, a Talent-based Martial Artist from the medical department sealed away part of his memories regarding this operation."

"But twenty years ago, that Talent-based Martial Artist who had sealed the memories died on the battlefield, which led to the restoration of his memories."

"He disappeared for a long time, but eventually returned to the nursing home."

"As for what happened in between, I presume you have already guessed."

Cui Shaoqiu took a pack of cigarettes from the inner pocket of his uniform and pulled one out to offer to Chen Mo.

"Sorry, I don't smoke."

Chen Mo waved his hand and continued looking at the sealed combat record.

Cui Shaoqiu didn't say anything, just put the cigarette away.

Soon, Chen Mo finished reading the combat record that had been sealed for who knows how many years.

"The members of the Poachers organization are simple."

"Veterans who have lost their combat capability but are unwilling to enjoy a comfortable life in a nursing home."

"And then, those who harbor a deep hatred for the Abyss Warrior."

"Although the authorities have defined the Poachers as a terrorist organization and have cut ties with them, they have always maintained an attitude of turning a blind eye."

"I have made myself very clear; Student Chen should understand what I mean."

"Old Zhang and Black Dog are two different people; one is a war hero, and the other is a member of a terrorist organization who needs to be judged by the law."

"Not everyone is aware of this; there are very few people who know about this matter."

"You just need to remember that the Poachers have never been here."

A long silence followed; the two just sat quietly in the director's office, neither speaking.

"I understand, of course I understand."

"Except for me, no one will know the true identity of Old Man Zhang."

Chen Mo took a deep breath. He had actually had some guesses before, but now it had been confirmed.

"Good, then I won't disturb Student Chen's rest any longer."

Cui Shaoqiu showed a brilliant smile; dealing with such smart people was comfortable.

"I wish Student Chen success in carving out his own path at the National Martial Arts University."

After saying this, Cui Shaoqiu left the Orphanage decisively.

That recording was an explanation for the higher-ups, while the conversation between him and Chen Mo was his own intention.