A meteor crater without a meteor is like a brothel without prostitutes; no one, not even yourself, would believe it. To confirm the news, Steven circled the crater, then unhesitatingly threw the hot potato to headquarters, issuing strict orders to his subordinates that no leaks were allowed.
Unfortunately, three minutes earlier, a police officer burdened by debt had sold the information to a local TV station for a hundred thousand dollars.
And so, all the media in Coast City knew.
For ratings, major TV stations invited "renowned experts" to interpret the disappearing meteor event, and the internet was abuzz with heated discussions. Some said it was the work of a demon, others claimed it was Russian stealth missile technology, and some even suggested Chinese metahumans were secretly meddling... The endless conspiracy theories made the already tense citizens of Coast City even more anxious, their apprehension deepening and gradually turning into fear.
As the atmosphere of fear spread over the city, Hector Hammond suddenly found the world to be so fresh and delicious.
Ever since he came into contact with the alien corpse, his pupils had changed from their original brown to yellow, and his mindset had also shifted. Before, he hated going out, hated walking on the streets, and hated how people on the street pointed and commented on his appearance. Now, it was different; he loved taking walks, especially in secluded, dark alleyways.
Dark places always held surprises, just like now: a girl was being dragged into an alley by two young Black men. The girl's face was filled with terror, and she struggled fiercely, but a rag stuffed in her mouth prevented her from screaming. The dreadlocked youth was pulling down her pants, about to commit an unspeakable act, when Hector appeared, a wide smile on his face, looking very curious.
The other youth noticed this sudden intruder and coldly reprimanded, "Fuck you, freak, get lost."
Upon hearing the word "freak," the smile vanished from Hector's face. He stared at him expressionlessly, his amber eyes flickering with an eerie light, a light that seemed to pierce the soul, planting seeds of fear in the mind.
The youth inexplicably began to tremble, his legs giving out, and he fell to his knees, foam bubbling from his mouth, like a frightened goat. His companion, seeing the danger, quickly pulled out a pistol and fired.
The bullet shot out of the barrel but strangely stopped in front of Hector, just like a scene from a popular movie.
The youth's eyes widened. He turned and ran without hesitation, looking like it wasn't his first time.
Hector beckoned, and the fleeing youth was lifted into the air, flying backward, rolling like a basketball to Hector's feet. He bent down, grabbed the youth by the collar, pressed his large forehead against the youth's sternum, and asked sincerely and earnestly, "Tell me, are you afraid?"
An hour later, police responding to the report arrived in the alley and, upon seeing the three mummified corpses in the trash can, their faces turned as pale as snow in early winter... Being a police officer in the DC universe is a laborious, dangerous, and unpopular job, whether in a small town or a big city.
To mend their traumatized minds, Luke would distribute special allowances to his police friends every few months, sometimes even helping with tricky cases.
Over the years, he became the most popular person among the police, even as close as "brothers" with the police chief.
Therefore, when a series of mummified body cases occurred, and the police were at a loss, Police Chief Tom unhesitatingly called his "brother."
Luke was currently troubled by the metal sphere and had no time for him, so he casually brushed him off and hung up.
Carol asked curiously, "Who called?"
"Tom Hugo."
"The police chief?"
"Who else but him."
Carol's tone was a little tense, "Why did he call you? Did he discover something?"
Luke chuckled, "Don't overthink it, it's not about us. It's about other cases. Coast City has had multiple mummified body cases.
He's clueless, so he wants me to use the power of the Young Master's Gang to help him catch the culprit."
"You're a gang leader! The police chief actually asked you to track down a murderer!"
When she said this, the girl's expression was very strange, almost incredulous.
"What's there to be surprised about?"
Luke shrugged, saying indifferently, "I've helped him solve too many cases over the years. Last August's smuggling case, the explosion case in March the year before, the dismemberment case in May, and the terrorist attack three years ago, etc., I helped uncover all of them. Our Chief Hugo has no other advantage besides being greedy for money."
Carol: "..."
"Alright, don't worry about this. Dealing with the metal sphere is more important."
"Ava, what are the test results?"
A series of tables were projected into the air, recording all aspects of the metal sphere's information: composition, structure, function, and so on. Luke read them carefully several times but was still puzzled.
"What about the internal situation?"
"Unable to penetrate."
Luke found it strange, "Can't penetrate even in standby mode?"
"Yes, the metal sphere's control core is a different mode, fundamentally different from artificial intelligence. I cannot penetrate its internal system through existing methods, nor can I obtain data."
Luke's brows furrowed into a frown.
A different mode!
Fundamentally different!
What the hell? Is the metal sphere's core not a computer?
Ava continued, "According to my deductions, the metal sphere has a mind-driven system installed internally. The Kryptonian database has records that the Zamaronians are far ahead in psychotechnology. The metal sphere is very likely a product of psychotechnology."
Carol asked, puzzled, "Psychotechnology? What is that?"
"Psychotechnology is another type of intelligent brain created using the brain of an organic life form as a carrier and brainwaves as a signal source. Psychotechnology is closely related to the spirit. To skillfully use psychotechnology, the individual needs to possess a considerably high spiritual talent."
Carol was still confused, her gaze turning to Luke, who was rubbing his temples, his expression somewhat troubled.
"Can it be cracked?"
"I'm sorry, this is beyond my capabilities. My intrusion methods have no effect on it."
Luke was helpless. He paced back and forth in the base, hands on his hips. He knew nothing about psychotechnology. What could he do? The Kryptonian database also had no records, which was normal. Kryptonians, like Earthlings, were not a race known for their psychic abilities.
Carol hesitated, "I can try."
"You?"
"Yes."
The girl said in a deep voice, "The Violet Lantern Ring can grant the user the ability to manipulate emotions. Emotions are a type of psychic power. Perhaps I can communicate with it."
Luke didn't hesitate, shaking his head directly,
"No, it's too dangerous."
"We have to try."
Carol's expression was serious, even with a hint of stubbornness, "After this battle, Villon has become our mortal enemy. She will stop at nothing to deal with us, even our families. The metal sphere is the only way to find her. There is no other choice."
Luke remained silent. The girl was right. After this setback, Villon would definitely hide and not dare to show her face easily. This was not a good thing for the two of them. As the saying goes: it's easy to be a thief for a thousand days, but impossible to guard against one for a thousand days.
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
The girl nodded vigorously.
"Alright then, just one try."
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