“The source of pollution is over here. Proceed with caution.”
No sooner had Lin You left than three people entered the museum.
These three were dressed in identical uniforms, which looked somewhat like the tight leather suits of cosplayers, covering their entire bodies, including their heads.
However, in front of their eyes, there was a device similar to goggles. Through this device, they could have normal vision.
“Sun Chuan, have you measured the pollution level?”
“Pfft.”
Hearing the address “Xiao Chuan,” another team member couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
The member called “Xiao Chuan” gave the captain a speechless look.
“Captain, my name is Sun Chuan, not Sun *Chuan.”
“Also, Liang Chao, how dare you laugh?”
“My name is Liang Chao, not Liang *Chao.”
“Alright, Liang Chao.”
Sun Chuan responded casually, then straightened up.
He looked at the data displayed on the instrument in his hand and said with a relaxed tone:
“The pollution here should be caused by one of those two ‘Inert-level’ containment objects. The pollution level is not high, only reaching the threshold of ‘Whisper-level.’ Even if an ordinary person slept with it, nothing would happen.”
“Moreover, from my observation, the containment object that caused the pollution outbreak should be the ‘crying mona lisa.’”
Saying that, Sun Chuan pointed his finger at a portrait in the exhibition hall.
But when he saw the full extent of the painting, he froze.
Noticing the change in Sun Chuan’s expression, the other two frowned and looked over as well.
Incidents caused by containment objects always carry risks, even if the containment object is only Inert-level, the risk still exists.
However, when the two saw the condition of mona lisa in the painting, their faces showed the same expression as Sun Chuan.
In their memories, the “crying mona lisa” had a face where the upper half was extremely Sorrowful, and the lower half was extremely ferocious.
But now?
The mona lisa in the painting looked like a child who had lost something beloved, helplessly slumped in the seat. Even though her upper head was folded backward, making her appear extremely hideous and terrifying.
But putting those two points aside, the mona lisa in the painting actually gave the three of them a… a misconception of “This child is so pitiful.”
“No!”
Wang Wu suddenly jolted and slapped his head hard.
As the captain of the three-person team, his experience in handling pollution incidents was richer than the other two.
He had just felt “sympathy” for a containment object, which was simply…
Too terrifying.
Noticing the three people approaching the hall, the mona lisa, slumped in the chair, merely glanced at them, then made no further movement.
Seeing this, the three were again surprised.
It was hard to imagine what it had gone through to make a containment object’s state so bad.
“Sun Chuan, check the current status of the crying mona lisa.”
Upon reaching the vicinity of the crying mona lisa, Wang Wu instructed Sun Chuan.
Sun Chuan was the technical member of the three-person team, while Liang Chao and Wang Wu were the combat members. As Sun Chuan fiddled with the instrument, the remaining two instinctively guarded him from behind.
After about five minutes, Sun Chuan suddenly stood up. He stared blankly at the data displayed on the instrument in front of him, unable to speak for a long time.
It wasn't until Wang Wu noticed his condition and tapped his shoulder that Sun Chuan reacted.
“What kind of expression is that? It’s just a pollution incident barely reaching Inert-level. It won’t cause us to be completely wiped out, will it?”
Wang Wu smiled and patted Sun Chuan’s shoulder to alleviate Sun Chuan’s emotions, but his eyes were filled with solemnity.
“What did you find on this painting to make you show that expression?”
Liang Chao was also extremely curious about what Sun Chuan had discovered, and at the end, he didn’t forget to mock the other party:
“Your expression right now is like you ate something disgusting.”
Hearing this, Sun Chuan did not respond to Liang Chao’s remark.
He looked into Wang Wu’s eyes and said seriously:
“Captain, I feel that we need to undergo a cognitive pollution test together.”
Seeing Sun Chuan’s serious demeanor, Wang Wu didn’t say a word and immediately sent an application to the Council.
When facing a pollution incident, even the lowest-level one, it’s always better to be cautious.
Moreover, Sun Chuan had clearly discovered something important about mona lisa just now, which was why he requested a cognitive pollution test.
The Council acted quickly, and the test results were soon sent to the three of them.
Wang Wu: Cognitive entropy value 7%, normal.
Sun Chuan: Cognitive entropy value 5%, normal.
Liang Chao: Cognitive entropy value 5%, normal.
Looking at the “all normal” message on his goggles, Sun Chuan breathed a sigh of relief and began to explain to his companions the reason for his caution:
“According to the information provided by the instrument, the 【Sorrow】 characteristic carried by the crying mona lisa has been lost.”
“And through my further observation, I found that the way 【Sorrow】 was lost is somewhat peculiar.”
At this point, Sun Chuan took a deep breath. He glanced at his two companions in front of him and said, word by word:
“【Sorrow】 seems to have been forcibly torn from mona lisa’s body by some existence. The method used by that existence was extremely crude and showed no regard for the consequences.”
“Crack!”
As Sun Chuan’s words fell, a timely bolt of lightning struck in the rainy night.
The lightning illuminated the night sky, and the faint light passed through the museum’s glass dome, falling onto the faces of the three people present, illuminating their extremely grim expressions.
All three were Deep Divers of the Council, and they had handled many pollution incidents, both big and small, but they had never felt as helpless as they did now.
That’s right, helpless.
As members of the Council, the three of them knew very well that within the bounds of rationality, only through a wondrous item could something like what Sun Chuan described be achieved.
After all, no matter how low the crying mona lisa’s level was, 【Sorrow】 was still a rule. To strip a rule, its rank must at least be higher than the rule itself.
And the method of stripping described by Sun Chuan was clearly not a method “within the scope of cognition.”
Thinking this, the three instantly felt that their lives were over.
Even if the cognitive entropy value was still stable now, who could guarantee that the pollution wouldn’t suddenly erupt at some point?
“I’ll contact headquarters and see what they say.”
As the captain, Wang Wu still needed to stabilize morale.
He patted Sun Chuan and Liang Chao on the shoulders, comforted them for a few moments, then took out his phone and began to communicate with headquarters.
After the people at headquarters listened to his words and checked their cognitive pollution levels, and confirmed that Wang Wu and the others’ cognition was all normal, the operator at headquarters was silent for a moment.
Then, a voice, ancient yet tinged with authority, rang out from Wang Wu’s phone.
“You secretly infiltrate the security room and send tonight’s surveillance footage to headquarters.”
“Remember, just send the footage directly. Don’t watch it yourselves.”
“Also, don’t get discovered.”