Chapter 4

### Chapter 4: Hidden Dangers (Part 1)

Wang Yue's gaze was focused. Once he calmed down, his mind was filled only with the porcelain body in front of him. He had always had a natural talent for this, feeling a deep connection to the style of Eastern painting. Now, with a new body and unprecedented mental strength, he naturally immersed himself in his work the moment he started.

Stroke by stroke, he outlined, painted, wrinkled, and shaded. His wrist moved flexibly, his fingers steady and relaxed. The colors and shades he applied matched the original painting perfectly, without the slightest discrepancy.

Used brushes were placed on a rack to his left, and he continuously dipped and diluted the thirty-six colors on his palette. Whether using a large brush for broad strokes or a fine brush for detailed work, his speed and movements today felt especially different. It was as if everything flowed naturally, each step leading to the next, from top to bottom, his mind and hands in perfect harmony, giving him a sense of unparalleled satisfaction.

This greatly increased his efficiency. Normally, it would take at least one to two hours to complete each of the seven porcelain bodies, and the entire process would take a whole day. But now, after finishing the last porcelain body and applying a layer of transparent glaze, he checked his watch and found that it hadn't even been half a day.

"Hmm? Not bad at all!"

Wu Bo had entered the workshop at some point and was standing behind Wang Yue, looking at the work on the table. "Your hands are steady, and your mind is calm. Really impressive. If you return to China, you won't starve with this skill alone."

Wang Yue stood up, stretched his back. Unconsciously, several hours had passed. As he returned from his highly focused state, he felt a long-lost sense of ease. The pervasive loneliness he had felt before gradually faded, and he seemed to be adapting to his new role and identity. His mood lightened considerably.

However, painting and coloring porcelain bodies was just a minor skill. Although he was starting over, he certainly wouldn't be reduced to making a living this way. So, when Wu Bo praised him, Wang Yue simply nodded and smiled, then carefully moved the porcelain bodies to a specially designed shockproof cart. He and Wu Bo left the workshop together.

The porcelain bodies still needed to go through a final high-temperature firing process. After cooling in the kiln, they would become genuine "enamel porcelain."

"Wang Yue, your speed has improved a lot! I haven't seen you in days!"

At the front of the shop, a girl about his age was working. She was nearly 1.7 meters tall, with golden curly hair, fair skin, and a few freckles on her cheeks. She spoke with a playful wrinkle of her nose.

This girl was named Mi Xue, seventeen years old, and a classmate of Wang Yue's at the National Medical University of York. They had a good relationship. From what he remembered, her family wasn't well-off, so during the summer, he had introduced her to work at Wu Bo's shop.

"Hi, Mi Xue." Wang Yue greeted her, pushed the porcelain bodies into the kiln, and said a word to Wu Bo. After washing his hands, he was about to leave but stopped at the door, turned back, and walked to Mi Xue. "It's lunchtime. Let's eat together."

"Sure, I know a new fried chicken place on this street. Their fries and burgers are really good." Mi Xue was delighted, waved to Wu Bo from a distance, and then gathered her things to leave with Wang Yue.

"Be careful with your wallet; the street isn't safe these days..." Wu Bo's warning was drowned out by the girl's cheerful laughter.

"What happened on the street while I was away?" Wang Yue asked casually as they walked.

"Not much, just a few shops were burglarized a few days ago. No one knows where the thieves came from, but it's strange. They didn't just steal things. The stolen shops were all antique stores. Although the doors were broken into at night, after inspection, only a few items were missing, and the places were left in a mess, as if they were looking for something."

Mi Xue was quite lively, shrugging her shoulders to show her confusion.

"The police came a few times, but you know, they can't really solve these cases unless the victim is the police chief's family."

Mi Xue was somewhat cynical, chattering away with comments. Wang Yue listened quietly, his expression thoughtful.

Although he had now integrated with the original body's memories, some things were still lost with the fading consciousness after death. For example, he wanted to know how the Wang Yue in this world had died three days ago.

From his memory, the last clear image was three days ago when he left Wu Bo's shop and went to Old Tom's antique store... and then he remembered nothing.

However, Wang Yue was certain that something had happened in the antique store that day. Otherwise, this Wang Yue wouldn't have died quietly in his bed, giving him this great opportunity.

The difference between possessing a living person and a dead one was significant.

He could still feel the indescribable fear, pain, and helplessness that lingered in this body. Each time he touched this mental imprint, he couldn't help but shiver and feel a chill.

This was precisely what Wang Yue least wanted to experience. As a former high-level mentalist, his understanding and analysis of the mental realm were beyond what most people could imagine. A ten-kilometer-long Yinglong-class starship, with internal space sufficient to accommodate an entire division, had facilities so complex and varied that it was unimaginable. To operate such a military starship and fly it out of the atmosphere to complete a mission, at least three thousand personnel were required to work in sync.

But a ninth-stage mentalist like Wang Yue could replace all of them. His mental power split into independent "thoughts," allowing him to multitask and control the most complex starship with ease, as if it were an extension of his own body.

Exploring the mysteries of the mental realm was like the most devout religious faith of ancient Earth, where the extreme self-focused mental territory allowed no room for anything not under one's control. Therefore, Wang Yue took this matter very seriously, even using the pretext of inviting a girl to lunch to gather information from Mi Xue.

The fried chicken place wasn't far from Wu Bo's shop. A few minutes later, they entered. Wang Yue ordered two meal sets at the counter and an additional chicken cutlet and a small cake for Mi Xue.

After paying, he turned around to see the lively Mi Xue already seated by the window, waving at him.

This fried chicken place was essentially a fast-food restaurant, serving mainly hamburgers, fries, and various drinks and desserts. The fried chicken, seasoned with special spices, was crispy and juicy, making it very popular among young people.

It was lunchtime, and the place was already crowded when the server brought their meals. However, the owner had clearly put effort into the environment. The seats were creatively separated by fences and decorated with green plants, ensuring privacy for diners. The latest materials were used to absorb noise, making the space quite comfortable.

Soft, soothing music played in the background, creating a peaceful atmosphere. Conversations across the table were not drowned out by the noise.

As they ate and chatted, Wang Yue was preoccupied with his thoughts. He occasionally zoned out after learning some information from Mi Xue. Gradually, Mi Xue also noticed something was off. Looking up, she saw Wang Yue deep in thought, his expression showing a mature focus and charm, as if this young man had experienced much more than his years. This made her heart soften.

"Wang Yue, is something bothering you? You seem different from before..."

"Huh?" Wang Yue was startled, then smiled. "Different? I'm still the same me."

Noticing the unusual gentleness in his tone, Mi Xue's face turned red, and she quickly looked down. Facing the young man's question, her heart raced. "I can't really say what's different, but it's just a feeling."

She took a big sip of her iced drink and shrugged. "Who knows, maybe we've all grown up over the summer. By the way, Wang Yue, have you been to the club during the break?"

"I went a couple of times at the beginning of the break, but then I had some things to do and didn't go anymore." Wang Yue didn't pay much attention to the girl's emotional changes, just shaking his head.

The club they were talking about was the amateur martial arts club at the National Medical University of York. Although Mi Xue was a girl, she was naturally active and joined the club at the start of the school year, which is why she and the somewhat introverted Wang Yue became friends so quickly.

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**End of Chapter 4: Hidden Dangers (Part 1)**