Fang Tian suddenly leaped, gripping my hand with unexpected speed. He said, "Wes, wait, just wait!"
I scoffed, "Wait for what? For you to spout more absurdities? Even among Saturnians, I believe you're a despicable character, or maybe there are no good people among Saturnians at all. Remember? You once tried to murder me. If you don't let me go, I'll stoop to your level and expose your identity!"
Fang Tian panted, "Just let me speak three sentences, Wes, just three."
I sneered, "Fine, go ahead."
Fang Tian said, "Nelson thinks we've gone for coffee, right?"
I replied, "That's one."
Fang Tian continued, "He doesn't know we're here."
I retorted, "Of course not. How could he know you'd change your mind and come here to spout nonsense to me? That's two."
Fang Tian's chest heaved rapidly. He said, "So, I predicted he would approach the rocket. Ah, there he comes!"
I leaped to the window and looked out.
Sure enough, I saw Nelson!
Nelson looked perfectly fine, not in need of rest at all. He was walking toward the Saturn rocket with a senior security officer I had met before, carrying an unusually large and round briefcase.
I paused for a moment. Fang Tian's voice trembled, "Do you see? He's going... he's going!"
I turned around, hands on Fang Tian's shoulders, shaking him forcefully. "Fang Tian, you have to understand, Nelson is a senior officer in the international police force, my best friend. He's just going to inspect the rocket with that security officer. It's nothing out of the ordinary. I won't tolerate your baseless accusations!"
Fang Tian's face turned indigo. He hurriedly said, "Wes, look carefully at what he's carrying."
Fang Tian's question left me speechless.
Since I had known Nelson, I had never seen him carry a briefcase, especially one so swollen, almost spherical, and conspicuous.
But I still didn't believe Fang Tian's words. I narrowed my eyes and said, "It's just a briefcase!"
Fang Tian almost shouted, "Yes, it's a briefcase he's carrying. But I'm willing to bet my life that the navigation device is inside!"
I clenched my fist, ready to strike Fang Tian again.
However, just as my fist was about to hit Fang Tian's jaw, I looked back out the window. Mr. Nelson and the senior security officer were still walking, and indeed, the briefcase he was carrying could accommodate the navigation device, perfectly matching in size and shape.
I glanced and refrained from hitting Fang Tian again.
Unraveling this mystery was simple. All I had to do was catch up and see what was inside that briefcase. Why bother with suspicions here?
I turned around and headed for the door.
But Fang Tian urgently exclaimed, "Where... where are you going?"
I replied harshly, "I'm going to see if that briefcase contains the navigation device you mentioned!" Fang Tian said anxiously, "You... you can't go!"
I retorted, "Why not?"
Fang Tian said, "If you go, it'll know the jig is up and leave again."
I couldn't remember for a moment and asked, "Who will leave?"
Fang Tian sighed and said, "'huoke' - the invisible flying demon! If you go forward, it will leave Nelson's body. Wes, you have to think. This is one of the world's two major space exploration and missile bases. If 'huoke' enters the mind of a high-ranking official..."
As Fang Tian spoke, my face changed too!
Indeed, if "huoke" entered the mind of someone who could control buttons, pressing one red button could launch a long-range missile toward another hostile country, triggering World War III and the end of the world!
I felt sweat on my palms. After a moment of silence, I said, "So, according to you, what should we do?"
After asking this question, I realized that by doing so, I was admitting to Fang Tian's words, which I didn't believe at all. I couldn't accept that my best friend was already dead, despite walking around at this moment.
Fang Tian said, "Now, 'huoke' doesn't know we've discovered its host. We can try to lure it into a room filled with positrons."
I immediately said, "That won't work. If you set up that positron-filled room, Nelson will know about it. According to you, 'huoke' has already invaded his mind. How can you lure it into that room?"
Fang Tian took a few breaths and said, "On that rocket, I've designed a space capsule. The navigation device must be installed in that capsule. Nelson must be heading there now, and I've made arrangements inside."
He gestured, "The remote control to activate it is right here!" pointing to a green switch on his desk.
I exclaimed, "Then Mr. Nelson is going to die too?"
Fang Tian said, "Wes, he's already dead!"
I slammed the table hard, "Nonsense! When did he die?"
Fang Tian remained calm in his speech, evidently confident in his thoughts. He said, "I believe it happened back in Tokyo when we were busy inspecting the belongings of Kimura Shin. That's when the invisible flying demon invaded Nelson's body and used him as its host!"
I vigorously shook my head, trying to grasp a clear understanding of this matter, which was incredibly difficult to accept. Imagine, Nelson, who flew with me to this base and remained by my side for days, was actually a dead man!
Seeing me silent, Fang Tian turned to a television set in the corner and pressed a few buttons. The fluorescent screen showed a close-up of the rocket, with Nelson and the senior security officer climbing a steel frame. It appeared that Mr. Nelson indeed intended to enter the rocket.
Fang Tian pressed another button, and the TV screen changed. Eventually, it showed a small space with a seat that could accommodate one person, surrounded by various instruments.
Soon enough, Nelson entered, opened his large round bag, and took something out with both hands.
I had studied the object meticulously in photographs but had never seen it in person. Yet, even on the clear TV screen, I could confirm without a doubt that it was the "Celestial Navigator," the ancestral treasure of the Inoue family, and the crystallization of Saturnian wisdom, the interstellar navigation device!
My breath quickened. Fang Tian said, "Do you see? Do you see?"
My voice trembled slightly, "Well... perhaps he found the navigator and wanted to surprise you."
Though I said so, even to myself, my words sounded weak and unconvincing!
Fang Tian said, "Look at his actions."
I fixed my gaze on the TV screen, hardly blinking. I saw Nelson skillfully open a panel at the back of the navigator and pull out seventeen or eighteen strands of wires from the circular hole.
To me, those wires seemed incomprehensible, but Nelson meticulously connected them one by one.
Fang Tian took a breath and said, "On the whole Earth, only I can connect those wires. Apart from me, it's the 'huoke.'"
I felt dizzy, almost unable to remain seated!
I had faced many shocks in my life, but none as severe as this!
My best friend, my finest companion in adventure, had become... had become a mere host for an inexplicable and powerful brainwave from Saturn!
I clenched my fists tightly, my body trembling incessantly.
Fang Tian shouted, "Press it! Press the button now, it's the best opportunity! Hurry!"
My hands trembled, the green button right in front of me, yet I lacked the strength to press it.
Because I knew what would happen once I pressed it.
The moment I pressed it, a massive surge of positrons would flood the space capsule, and Nelson would immediately perish!
Though according to Fang Tian, Nelson was already dead, and only the "huoke" was eliminated, I was an Earthling. I couldn't accept it!
Seeing me unmoving, Fang Tian leaned over and reached for the green button. But before his hand touched it, I abruptly swung my hand, pushing his hand away!
Fang Tian's face turned blue. "Wes, what are you doing?"
I didn't understand what I was doing either. I had come to believe Fang Tian's words, yet I not only refrained from pressing the green button myself but also prevented Fang Tian from pressing it!
Because I knew pressing it would mean certain death for Nelson!
Although Fang Tian had told me multiple times that Nelson was already dead, I could clearly see on the TV screen that Nelson was busy working!
Fang Tian shouted and tried to press the green button again, but I blocked his hand once more.
Fang Tian's face grew even bluer. Suddenly, he yelled and punched toward me!
I never expected Fang Tian to throw a punch at me!
And at that moment, my mind was in extreme chaos, standing dumbfounded, only knowing that I wouldn't let Fang Tian press the green button.
Thus, as Fang Tian's fist came toward my chest, I couldn't dodge in time, and his punch was indeed strong, staggering me backward.
As I staggered backward, Fang Tian swiftly extended his hand and pressed the green button before I could stop him!
I froze in front of the table, while Fang Tian struggled to get up, pointing at the television and shouting.
He was shouting in Saturnian, a language I couldn't understand. I tried to focus and looked at the TV screen.
Nelson suddenly stopped working, displaying a panic I had never seen before. And the door to the space capsule had tightly closed by now!
In that instant, I knew that the thing I feared most had finally happened! Although I knew that Nelson had become a host for the "invisible flying demon," my subconscious still hoped for a miracle, hoping that Fang Tian was just talking nonsense!
But now, even that last shred of hope was shattered!
The reality was so cruel!
I saw Nelson standing up, his expression increasingly panicked, and after Fang Tian pressed a switch on the TV, I heard Nelson gasping for breath.
Fang Tian spoke into a communicator, and suddenly, Nelson's voice came through the TV's audio system.
However, what Nelson said was not the language of Earth but Saturnian!
"Fang Tian's words about the parasite using the host's vocal system to speak" came true!
I ignored what they were saying; I only felt my legs go weak!
I lost my best friend, and I lost him in such a way!
Though I pride myself on being stronger than the average person, I still found it difficult to bear. I almost collapsed into the chair, my gaze still fixed on the TV.
On the TV screen, Nelson appeared like a trapped beast, struggling in the confined space of the spacecraft. Meanwhile, his voice came through the TV's audio system in Earth's language, a voice I was very familiar with, shouting, "Wes, stop Fang Tian's madness! What is this? This is murder!"
I jumped up and exclaimed, "Quick, shut off the power!" Fang Tian hurriedly said, "We can't, he's no longer..." I understood what Fang Tian meant, but seeing Nelson's situation, I couldn't help but gasp. Just then, a senior security officer rushed in, shouting about an accident.
I quickly asked, "What accident?"
The senior security officer said, "He insisted on entering the secret chamber suddenly."
He paused as he reached us and looked behind me.
I turned around to see Fang Tian had also rushed behind me. His face was pale as he said, "I'll explain to the Space Development Commission about the chamber!"
The senior security officer knew Fang Tian held a high position at this base. Despite being under investigation, Fang Tian had not been found to engage in any destructive activities so far; his contributions were outstanding.
Therefore, upon hearing Fang Tian's explanation, the senior security officer quickly said, "But shortly after Mr. Nelson entered, the chamber's door suddenly closed by itself. I heard him shouting, 'This is murder!'"
At this point, not only medical personnel but also technicians had arrived near the huge rocket.
Fang Tian, the senior security officer, and I ran toward the rocket. At the foot of the rocket, the power was cut off, and we couldn't use the lift, so we climbed up the steel frame.
Following us were four medical personnel. After climbing more than eighty steps, we found ourselves inside the rocket. The rocket was like a small animal, with every instrument meticulously wrapped. As soon as we entered the rocket, there was a kind of conveyor belt.
We carefully walked along the belt until we reached a steel plate with a slightly open door in front of it – the door to the space capsule!
I crossed the senior security officer and opened the door.
I saw Nelson!
Just as I saw on TV, Nelson lay in the chair, and in front of him on the ground was the solar system navigation device.
Seven or eight wires from the navigation device had already been connected to the spacecraft's wires, but there were still seven or eight wires left unconnected.
The space capsule was very small, only accommodating one person. Since Mr. Nelson was already inside, I could only squeeze in half of my body, and the rest couldn't come in.
The medical personnel behind me shouted, "Please step aside and let us in first."
I grabbed Mr. Nelson's wrist. His pulse had stopped, and his wrist was already cold.
He was dead, truly dead.
I pulled back and said, "No need for you all, he's already dead!"
The senior security officer was surprised and said, "Dead? This is murder!" Fang Tian said solemnly, "Your Excellency, don't make hasty judgments. We need to investigate before drawing conclusions!"
The senior security officer fell silent and stepped back. As he left the rocket, Fang Tian pulled me aside and said, "Let's go, it's no longer your concern!"
I said in a low voice, "It is my concern. My best friend is dead. How can I not be concerned?"
Fang Tian said softly, "Don't forget, he died at the hands of the 'huoke,' which no Earthling could prevent, and we have avenged him!"
I shook my head and said, "No, you do what you have to do to clean up. I will stay with his body."
As I spoke, I went back in and pulled out Nelson's body.
As I pulled out Nelson's body, tears gushed out like a spring, falling on his somewhat disheveled, somewhat graying hair.
I lost such a friend!
After pulling out Nelson's body, the doctor quickly came up to examine him. The doctor's face showed a very strange expression. He ordered the paramedics to put Nelson on a stretcher and take him away.
I followed behind, and after a while, the doctor turned back to me and asked, "Did this just happen?"
I nodded silently.
The doctor's face again displayed a strange expression.
I asked, "Doctor, if a person is in a room filled with positrons, what would happen to them?"
The doctor lowered his head, walking as he spoke, "Positrons have both positive and negative ions. Negative ions elevate mood and make the mind clear, while positive ions cause extreme restlessness. If there's an excessive amount of positive ions, a person can die in a state close to madness." After he finished, he turned to me and asked, "Why do you ask about this?"
Instead of directly answering the doctor, I further inquired, "Can autopsies reveal death due to extreme restlessness, close to madness?"
The doctor nodded and said, "The latest autopsy techniques can examine the mental state of the deceased in their final moments, so if someone died in that manner, it can be detected."
Taking a deep breath, I said, "I'm Nelson's best friend, and I request an autopsy on his body."
Before the doctor could speak, a heavy voice came from behind me, "This unfortunate incident, we have informed his family. After they arrive, we can decide whether to autopsy his body."
I quickly turned around to see a man in his sixties speaking.
Almost everyone on this base wore uniforms, and even guests like us, visiting the space base, had to wear designated clothing during their stay. So, seeing someone in civilian clothes immediately suggested they held a very high position.
And his demeanor confirmed it.
His face was quite thin, which made him appear very dignified, and his sharp eyes were fixed on me.
As I turned, he paused and continued, "Mr. Wesley, why do you request an autopsy on his body?"
I hesitated for a moment and said, "Your Excellency is..."
The senior security officer stepped forward and announced his identity, "General Qifeir."
I was stunned. I replaced the general's real name with "Qifeir" because his name was known worldwide. He was the high-ranking official of the country's military department and also the administrative head of this space base.
This was the first time I had met him since arriving at this base.
His sharp question left me momentarily speechless!
Before I could speak, General Qifeir said, "We will investigate!"
I forced a smile and said, "Mr. Nelson was my best friend. His death has brought me immense grief. Am I also under investigation?"
General Qifeir's expression was stern as he said, "We must investigate everything. So, Mr. Wesley, you cannot leave here for the time being." I looked at Nelson lying silently with closed eyes on the stretcher and said, "I won't leave because I want to know his true cause of death too."
Without saying anything further, General Qifeir got into a car with his aide and drove away.
The senior security officer knew about my special international police force credentials. After General Qifeir left, he approached me and said, "Nelson has been dead for less than half an hour, but the president has ordered General Qifeir to thoroughly investigate this matter."
I couldn't help but admire the efficiency of the country's administration, but at that moment, I had absolutely no interest in understanding why the work was proceeding so quickly because my best friend had died!
I followed the medical staff to the hospital, where Nelson was placed in the autopsy room. I paced back and forth outside the door.
I didn't know how long I had been pacing or what I was thinking during that time.
Until I heard a very firm but also very sorrowful voice, I was suddenly startled.
When I looked up, I found the room was brightly lit, indicating it was already nighttime. That meant I had been pacing outside the autopsy room for hours!
I sighed inwardly. In that instant, I felt like I had aged a lot!
As the voice sounded again in my mind, it was still the same sentence, "Is this Mr. Wesley?"
I turned around, almost doubting my own eyes, because I saw Mr. Nelson standing right in front of me! But I immediately realized it wasn't Nelson standing before me; it was a young man who bore a striking resemblance to Nelson.
He was about the same age as me, with golden hair, deep blue eyes, a composed demeanor, yet his face still showed extreme intelligence and bravery.
Initially, my emotions were indescribably sorrowful, but upon seeing this young man, my mood brightened considerably.
In that moment, I suddenly felt that all my sadness and grief were unnecessary.
Because regardless of how or when Nelson died, he would have died eventually. The end of his life was certain.
But life itself never ends.
Nelson may have died, but in this young man, I saw all of Nelson's qualities, and perhaps even more than Nelson himself!
Life doesn't stop with an individual's death; on the contrary, it not only continues but also evolves and progresses!
Looking at the young man, I could confidently affirm that he was Nelson's son. I said, "Yes, I am Wesley. Are you here because of your father's death?"
The young man said, "Yes, I just arrived."
I said, "Mr. Nelson—"
He waved his hand, "You can call me Little Nelson. Mr. Wesley, I heard you requested an autopsy on my father's body?" I replied, "Yes, because he was my best friend, and his death has been the heaviest blow in my life. I need to understand his true cause of death."
Little Nelson said proudly, "You lost a good friend, and I lost a good father. I also want to know his cause of death."
At that moment, several doctors in work clothes approached, and a nurse wheeled a cart filled with various autopsy tools into the autopsy room. Little Nelson and I waited outside.
Time had slipped by mysteriously a few hours earlier, but now it seemed to pass incredibly slowly.
Little Nelson was not much of a talker, and he didn't ask me any questions. An hour passed before the doctors conducting the autopsy began to emerge from the room one by one.
As they removed their masks, their expressions were all filled with surprise. Little Nelson and I asked in unison, "What's the result?"
The doctors all forced a smile, and one of them said, "We haven't decided how to write the report yet because we simply can't determine his cause of death."
Little Nelson was stunned. He asked, "How is that possible?"
The doctor explained, "Furthermore, we found that some of his tissues had been inactive for a long time. If tissues stop functioning, a person cannot survive for more than half an hour. Yet he lived until today, which is truly a scientific miracle!"
After hearing the doctor's words, my tense nerves relaxed.
I sat on a white bench, knowing full well that I hadn't mentioned to the doctors that Mr. Nelson had already died. It would take too much explanation and would be nearly impossible to clarify.
The reason for my relaxed nerves was that I knew Fang Tian's speculation was not wrong. The strange electromagnetic wave group on the Saturn satellite had indeed infiltrated Mr. Nelson's brain.
And at that moment, Mr. Nelson had already "died."
What collapsed in the spacecraft wasn't Mr. Nelson but the infiltrating electromagnetic group!
I sat for a long time until I heard Little Nelson say, "Thank you all for your efforts."
The doctors, clearly perplexed by their inability to determine Mr. Nelson's cause of death, were too preoccupied to hear Little Nelson's words as they continued to converse and walk away.
Little Nelson said nothing and sat beside me.
After a while, he suddenly said, "Mr. Wesley, can you tell me the cause of my father's death?"
I hadn't expected Little Nelson to ask so directly, which proved my suspicion that his judgment was as high as, if not higher than, his father Nelson's.
Of course, I had no reason to hide Mr. Nelson's cause of death from Little Nelson, but at that moment, I found it difficult to articulate.
As I remained silent, Little Nelson pressed, "You know, don't you? You know the cause of his death, but because of doubts, you wanted to autopsy his body to confirm. But now, have you confirmed it?"
I looked up and said, "Yes."
Little Nelson said, "You were my father's best friend. Please tell me his cause of death."
I sighed and stood up, patting his shoulder. "Little Nelson, this matter might be very difficult for you to understand."
Little Nelson replied, "I'm prepared to understand the most difficult things."
As I organized the sequence of events in my mind, before I could speak, hurried footsteps echoed down the hospital corridor.
I looked up to see five or six people rushing past. At the forefront was a tall man in military uniform, robust and energetic. He practically rushed in front of me and immediately extended his large hand, shaking mine, and introduced himself, "Major Steve, military lawyer, representing Dr. Fang Tian."
I was surprised. Why did Fang Tian need a lawyer? What had happened?
Before I could ask, Major Steve said, "Dr. Fang Tian has been detained. He is charged with murder, the murder of Mr. Nelson!"
I exclaimed, "That's impossible!"
Major Steve placed his hand on my shoulder. "But it has happened. Fang Tian is your good friend, isn't he?"
I nodded and said, "Yes."
Major Steve's expression turned very serious. "My client, Fang Tian, told me that the only person who can save him is you. So, for Fang Tian's sake, you shouldn't say much to others. Fang Tian wants you to prove his innocence!"
I smiled bitterly but said nothing.