On this day, Lucas truly gained a new perspective. <br>He just stood there, watching as in less than half an hour, rumbling trucks drove into the desolate factory area, one after another. Some set up temporary lighting, some brought in pumps, and others hauled bundles of plastic piping. Teams of individuals in protective suits quickly disembarked, set up the pumps, and extended the pipes into the lake. <br>Simultaneously, on the other side, seven or eight teams wielded shovels, digging ditches and channels to redirect the water. They had evidently calculated everything to direct the lake’s water to a nearby lowland. <br>Meanwhile, military vehicles arrived from further away, forming a barricade. Armed soldiers used the vehicles as cover to seal off the entire area. The previously desolate factory area quickly became a hive of activity. <br>“Thump thump thump” <br>Dozens of pumps operated simultaneously, causing the water level in the little lake to fall rapidly. <br>Seeing this spectacle, Lucas and Ryan Quinn couldn't help but swallow hard, “Impressive!” <br>“Handling a psychic disturbance is inherently perilous,” Jane Chen explained calmly to Lucas through the channel. “Not only could it put us in danger, but if mishandled, it could also trigger an immeasurable disaster. So, in our work, we always adhere to two principles.” <br>“First, if it can be resolved with material means, resolve it with material means.” <br>“Second, use a weapons barrage whenever possible!” <br>“……” <br>Listening to her, Lucas took a moment before replying with admiration, “The power of the collective…” <br>“……” <br>“That should be sufficient; support teams withdraw, detective squad commence operations, be ready for a weapons barrage at any time!” <br>As the water level dropped to more than halfway, Jane Chen issued her command again. <br>All support personnel retreated at once, leaving their vehicles behind, some even leaving their shovels. <br>The whole area quickly reverted to only having Lucas, Ryan Quinn, three detective squad members, and his sister present. <br>The difference was the armed blockade in the distance, along with curious and wary eyes watching them. <br>“After the lake water has been drained, it’s still up to you few to conduct the investigation.” <br>Jane Chen’s voice came through the earpiece, “We have yet to truly determine whether this source of mental pollution is highly contagious or not.” <br>“Although current data suggests a lower contagion potential, these bizarre incidents often have unpredictable changes. We must remain cautious. If it is indeed low in contamination, that’s fine, but should we encounter a high-contamination pollution source, sending too many people close could inadvertently provide it with hosts for contamination, resulting in a greater disaster.” <br>Listening to her, Lucas suddenly understood. <br>Those armed personnel outside were not only on guard against potential Spectral Fiends at the lake bottom. <br>They were also wary of himself and the detective squad members. <br>If he and the detective squad members got contaminated, they wouldn’t hesitate to open fire. <br>“Now I understand why the pay is so high…” <br>He muttered softly. <br>Jane Chen, listening in through the channel, suddenly chuckled, “Your work attitude is commendable. I’ll help you apply for extra rewards.” <br>Lucas felt much better instantly. <br>“……” <br>Quickly, the lake drained to almost nothing. Under the stark white lights, the lakebed’s silt and scattered small puddles became visible. Many fish and shrimp, struggling for air, flopped energetically in the mud under the lights. <br>“All set!” <br>The detective squad members donned their helmets and glanced at Lucas for guidance. <br>“I don’t need one.” <br>Lucas waved. <br>Jane Chen had previously told him one benefit of being a Mind Shifter is a reduced susceptibility to contamination. Besides that reason, he realized he could seemingly see the true forms of the Spectral Fiends. Wearing a helmet might obstruct his vision, making it harder to see them or dodge their attacks. <br>Of course, that was his reasoning, but to the detective squad, his behavior seemed all the more enigmatic. <br>“Is this what it means to be a Mutator?” <br>They wondered internally. <br>Long ago, especially before the recruitment of Mind Shifters, investigating psychic disturbances often meant risking their lives. <br>“……” <br>With the monitoring device set up and firearms at the ready, Lucas and the detective squad members slowly advanced into the muddy lakebed. <br>The silver monitoring device emitted a stable, reassuring green glow under the lights. <br>They cautiously probed forward, appearing to advance steadily, but Lucas could see his sister sprinting across the mud. She moved quickly, inspecting here and there. In the moonlight, her small figure cast a faint, blurry shadow, and wherever she passed, no matter how soft the mud, left no trace. <br>Eventually, as if confirming something, she stopped, raising her small hand to point toward a spot at the lake’s center. <br>Lucas pretended not to see his sister but subtly guided the detective squad members toward the center of the lake. <br>From afar, they could see a small puddle at the lake's center. <br>His sister was now about seven or eight meters away from the puddle, pointing at it. <br>Lucas approached cautiously with the detective squad members. Suddenly, the monitoring device's light turned red. <br>Simultaneously, an extremely faint voice whispered, “Ryan Quinn, you killed me…” <br>“What is that sound?” <br>Lucas and the three detective squad members halted abruptly. <br>For a moment, a chill ran through them. <br>The faint voice continued, “Ryan Quinn, you killed me. I want you to pay…” <br>“It’s… it’s… it’s him…” <br>As the voice echoed, a detective squad member trembled and pointed to a spot. <br>Everyone followed his gaze to see a palm-sized carp lying on the wet silt at the lakebed, gasping desperately and opening its mouth, from which the faint voice came. <br>“Ryan Quinn, you killed me…” <br>The spotlight at the lakeside illuminated the fish, painting it in ghostly, eerie white. <br>Its pitch-black eyes stared unblinkingly at Ryan Quinn on the shore, shouting mightily. <br>Whether an illusion or reality, the red moon in the sky seemed especially bright at that moment. <br>Its dark red light bathed everyone’s head. <br>Suddenly, another voice joined in, shouting, “Ryan Quinn killed me, I want you to pay…” <br>Lucas and the others quickly scanned around and saw another fish struggling in the silt. <br>“Ryan Quinn, you killed me…” <br>“I had no grudge against you, why did you kill me…” <br>Soon a third voice echoed, blending with the others. <br>Then a fourth, a fifth, a sixth… <br>More fish began to open their mouths, their voices layering together, growing louder. <br>At last, the cacophony was deafening, increasingly uniform, as if driving Lucas and the others towards delusion. <br>Under the red moon, all the fish desperately screamed, emitting that piercing, head-splitting shriek. <br>“Ryan Quinn wronged me, pay with your life…” <br>“Ryan Quinn wronged me, pay with your life…” <br>“Ryan Quinn wronged me, pay with your life…”)
