At this moment, Hill’s mind went completely blank. It wasn't just because Feng Zhixi’s words had pierced through his lies, but because a shrill, ear-splitting scream suddenly erupted within his brain.
The sound was so sharp and grating, like a razor-sharp stylus frantically scratching across a glass surface, producing a sound that set one's teeth on edge.
Accompanying the shriek was a wave of agonizing pain, as if something terrifying was trying to forcibly rip his soul from his body.
The immense pain caused Hill’s face to warp. He couldn't help but let out a scream as veins bulged across his forehead. His once sweet and delicate features were ruined by the twisted expression, making him look ghastly and terrifying.
To the onlookers, however, this was merely the ugly display of a shameless academic charlatan showing his true colors after being exposed.
Feng Zhixi’s words had revealed two points, both of which were incredibly easy to verify. Without needing Feng Zhixi to say another word, the Institute’s higher-ups—all of whom possessed their own high-level clearances—began verifying the truth. It took almost no effort at all.
When they entered all the research derivations and results Hill had presented into the Lanli Research Institute’s patent database for comparison, it didn't take long for the mainframe AI to return a series of identical judgments: Overlap. Overlap. Overlap!
Every single one of the so-called "X’s" research achievements, including the report on the "Application of Curvature Recirculation in Mecha Energy," was an exact match for the backups Feng Zhixi had stored in the patent library.
The primary derivation processes were identical; the data logic chains were identical; the practical applications of the research results were identical. They were merely secondary-optimized, simplified, and upgraded versions—non-original, practical-application-class results derived from an existing foundation.
If those results weren't enough to settle the matter, the Old Dean then input the two fixed marker codes hidden within the formulas into the computer. The massive mainframe of the Lanli Research Institute hummed to life, eventually pulling up a set of access logs and final comparison results.
Just as Feng Zhixi had said, this rare cipher compilation method was recorded within the Lanli Research Institute’s vast database. According to the mainframe’s decryption, these two codes—which appeared worlds apart—actually represented the same meaning, or rather, the same name: "Feng Zhixi."
Even more interestingly, according to the mainframe’s source tracking, this specific codebook was only stored in the Lanli Research Institute’s database. In the last hundred years, only one person had ever accessed it: Feng Zhixi. And that record was from ten years ago.
With the irrefutable evidence laid bare before them, the higher-ups who had previously considered siding with Hill turned away, their gazes filled with disdain for the golden-haired, hideously contorted Omega.
They were now certain: this shameless thief had taken advantage of Feng Zhixi’s absence from the Institute to steal his results through illegal means. He had even been insidious enough to release them publicly for free. If their Chief hadn't happened to attend this meeting, they would have been utterly deceived.
How malicious! How utterly shameless! The Institute’s leaders, feeling they had been played for fools by this young Omega, were livid. In their eyes, this person was no longer fit to remain within the Federation’s scientific community.
While the group of deceived officials glared at Hill, the "yarn ball" Feng Zhixi had been playing with finally underwent a new change.
The thread wrapped around the black-gold cufflink pulled tighter and tighter. On Feng Zhixi’s personal optical computer, the numbers representing energy flow spiked frantically, and the energy string data displayed on his small toolkit fluctuated to a terrifying level.
A bizarre, pitch-black mist began to rise from the black thread. Along with the mist came a revolting stench, as foul as a clogged sewer—a sticky, nauseating odor a hundred times worse than rotten eggs.
"??!" Reeling from the stench, Feng Zhixi instinctively yanked the cufflink hard. His green plum pheromones, usually blended with the scent of strong liquor, surged forth to form a protective barrier in front of him. In the next moment, Feng Zhixi finally saw clearly what was attached to the other end of that seemingly infinite black thread.
It was a spider the size of a fist. Half of its body was embedded within the back of Hill’s head, its eight long limbs struggling desperately against the pull from the other end. The foul, black mist seemed to emanate from this hideous creature as it tried to burrow back into Hill’s skull.
The moment this disgusting spider—which no one but Feng Zhixi could see—revealed itself, Hill fell into a state of total madness.
To the others, the Omega had simply begun screaming in panic for no apparent reason. His eyes were bloodshot, and he began frantically clawing and pounding at his own head like a lunatic. His hysterical ferocity was so intense that even Ji Wei, who was standing nearby, took a large step back in shock.
"Aaaaaahhh!" Hill shrieked in agony. The pain made him feel as though his head was about to explode, especially that terrifyingly sharp sound. It felt as if something inside his mind was struggling wildly, trying to bore deeper into his brain.
Hill felt a wave of primal horror. He had a premonition that if that thing succeeded in burrowing back in, he would be finished.
What is it? What is that thing?! Terror robbed Hill of his voice as he let out a strangled cry. Only now did he feel true fear. He pounded his head with his fists, attempting to drive the horrific thing out, but it was useless. He could feel that terrifying sensation of being consumed drawing closer and closer.
The higher-ups had never expected to witness such a scene. This academic fraud, his true face exposed, was screaming with a distorted face, violently self-mutilating by striking his temples, all while howling something incoherent. The sound didn't even resemble human language.
Seeing the spider struggling frantically to re-enter Hill’s brain, a memory flashed through Feng Zhixi’s mind. Subconsciously, he reached out with his other hand. A light flickered across his black-gold bracelet, and Feng Zhixi instinctively made a grasping motion.
There was a loud *thud*. To the astonishment of everyone present, the golden-haired Omega suddenly went into convulsions and collapsed face-first onto the floor.
And floating before Feng Zhixi was a spider, tightly bound by black threads.
