Chapter 209: Invasive Brain-Computer Interface?

Chapter 209: Invasive Brain‑Machine?

Following Zhang Tao’s guidance, the archbishop of Zhuolu City cleared a multitude of vacant rooms for the Huaxia military convoy to lodge.

It was not a simple task, yet after the recent raid on Huadu, vacant rooms were the one thing Zhuolu City did not lack.

Thus a party of a dozen‑plus men settled in, even with room to spare.

Sitting in the tidy hall—still stained with blood that had not been fully washed away—Chen Jian furrowed his brow.

He stared intently at the PDA before him, which displayed the covert footage captured by the Hummingbird drone.

“What is this person doing?”

Chen Jian drew a deep breath, his voice trembling with a hint of dread as he asked.

Beside him, Lei Jie shook his head and replied:

“It looks like some kind of brain‑machine interface, but what exactly is this? A spinal‑invasive brain‑machine?”

“Why, when Nezha already has an EEG brain‑machine, do they still resort to a spinal‑invasive one?”

“I don’t understand.

Chen Jian slid his finger, enlarging the image slightly.

In the frame, the monitor attendant was linking the tentacle‑like connectors segment by segment, then thrusting several probe‑like tips deep into the spinal cord of his back.

Blood streamed freely, yet the attendant’s movements were deft and practiced.

It was evident this was not his first time performing the procedure.

“Doesn’t this person risk paralyzing himself?”

Chen Jian inhaled a sharp gasp of cold air, and at that very moment the network‑linked Fuxi finally retrieved the footage sent back by the Hummingbird drone.

Then its voice rang in the ears of everyone present.

“This is a fully invasive brain‑machine interface device, first conceived in the year 2040.”

“From its outward form, it appears to be a joint venture of the Institute of Intelligence and the Institute of Biology.”

“It is a highly controversial project; its original aim was to reactivate the function of patients suffering from motor‑neuron paralysis, but as research deepened, scientists gradually discovered that the secondary brain‑wave signals harvested from the spinal cord hold great significance for filtering complex neural activity.”

“Later, after borrowing computational power from the ‘Great Sage’ quantum‑computing project, the brain‑machine program made a major breakthrough.”

“At first, this device was hailed as a boon for patients.”

“But over time, researchers found that it inflicted irreversible damage and destruction upon the human psyche.”

“More extreme still, artificially injected electrical signals could act directly upon the brain, permanently altering the way neurons operate within it.”

“At this stage, the scientific‑ethical crisis confronting the project had become severe.”

“Some even regard it as a real‑world ‘thought seal.’”

“In truth, the device cannot truly achieve ‘thought control’ in any genuine sense.”

“True thought control belongs to another piece of equipment, born in 2044, though to my knowledge that gear has never been employed since its inception.”

As Fuxi’s words fell, everyone in the room felt a sudden, involuntary jolt in their hearts.

Thought seal?

Thought control?

Or a thought plague??

Chen Jian turned his furrowed gaze toward Ji Xing and asked:

“Do the thought plagues spread by the mimetic heretics travel in this form?”

“No, absolutely not!”

Ji Xing answered with resolve:

“I have never heard such a claim; every legend makes it clear that the plague they spread is intangible.”

“It is like a kind of thought virus that never needs a machine of this sort!”

“Comrade Ji Xing makes a sound point.”

Fuxi’s voice sounded again:

“The fully invasive brain‑machine apparatus does possess, to a limited extent, the capacity to ‘control thoughts,’ yet its efficiency is exceedingly low.”

“It requires months, even years, coupled with numerous systematic ‘treatment protocols,’ to complete the transformation of an individual.”

“That clearly conflicts with the intelligence I previously received concerning the ‘mimetic heretics.’”

“Indeed.”

Chen Jian exhaled softly, realizing faintly that this contraption must be linked to the mimetic heretics.

Yet how exactly it was connected remained a mystery beyond his grasp.

“Regardless, let’s capture the principal and see for ourselves.” “Ji Xing, Xie Liu, can the two of you handle him?”

“Hard to say.”

Ji Xing frowned, shook his head, and replied:

“Anyone capable of attaining the monitor attendant’s rank must already be a powerful source‑blood wielder.”

“If the goal is merely to kill him, that would be easy, …”

“Otherwise, shall we go straight to question him?”

“It does not seem impossible.”

Chen Jian nodded slowly, reached for the explosive rifle lying nearby.

Then he rose and issued his orders:

“All units, prepare yourselves.”

“Team One, establish a perimeter around the target building and block any escape routes.”

“Lei Jie, mount the tank cannon and aim at the house.”

“Xie Liu, Ji Xing, follow me inside.”

“No matter how that thing came into his hands, I must ask him what he intends to do with it!”

“Understood!”

At that very moment, elsewhere,

The monitor attendant, already linked to the brain‑machine, sat motionless on the ground before suddenly stirring.

Sensing the imminent turn of events, he promptly severed the brain‑machine’s connection, then, with deliberate calm, removed the probe interface and slipped it into a metal case that had clearly been preserved with great care.

He then lifted a damp cloth and gently wiped away the blood staining his back.

As he did so, a hoarse, nonsensical melody escaped his lips.

He dressed himself and took a seat upon the sofa.

In his hand he toyed with a smooth stone, though a close look revealed that the so‑called “stone” was in fact a segment of human vertebra.

His gaze was fixed intently on the doorway.

In a certain instant, he suddenly spoke:

“Come in, gentlemen of the Huaxia army.”

“I had long guessed you would arrive; I could even foresee the questions you intend to ask.”

“Tsk tsk tsk, you truly are curious.”

“Do you know? Your curiosity may be the very thing that kills you.”

As the words fell, Chen Jian pushed the door open.

The barrel of his grenade launcher was already aimed at the monitor’s head, and the weapon rack behind Chen Jian had been fully unfolded.

“Originally I intended to go straight to you, but you said I was not allowed to approach.”

“This is truly a dilemma—prohibiting me from seeking you, yet you come seeking me; isn’t that a deadlock on both ends?”

“Sir, you really make me—”

“Stop the idle chatter.”

Chen Jian lifted the barrel slightly higher, then said:

“Take the contents out of the chest.”

“The contents of the chest?”

The monitor, knowingly, asked:

“Do you refer to the relics of the mimetic heresy?”

“Or, to put it another way.”

“Do you mean the relics of the genetic primitives?”

(End of Chapter)