The Strongest Brain in the Interstellar

So, what’s going on with Jiang Hui right now… did she pass out?
No, not exactly—she just “shut down” a bit early.

Exhausted physically and mentally, and having overused her mental energy, she didn’t even have to wait to fall asleep or until midnight to find herself slipping directly into her mental space.

Jiang Hui stood in the living room within her mental space, feeling the unmistakable, grounding sensation beneath her feet. In the end, she had no choice but to accept the fact that, midway through the competition, she had somehow been teleported back here.

This really wasn’t the right time, for a number of reasons—

Firstly, she had been in the middle of a fight, right at a critical moment. Yet, with just one blink of her eyes, she was suddenly in a different place. Wasn’t this just like being forcibly logged out? Even though it happened in the blink of an eye, that brief moment of disorientation could prove fatal. And given the opportunity, her opponent would hardly waste such a golden chance.

It was like pouring water on a fire, extinguishing everything, and killing her motivation. After all, she’d have to wait a full twenty-four hours to find out what happened next. Twenty-four hours… not only had her enthusiasm cooled, but by the time she could refocus, she might be in serious trouble.

Jiang Hui mentally prepared herself for the likelihood that, as soon as she woke up, she might be immediately eliminated from the competition.

Her spirits deflated, her whole body relaxed, and she began to feel hungry—really hungry.

How Jiang spent her time idling, eating, and drinking in her mental space was something no one outside could know, nor could they possibly find out.

To those watching her, it merely looked as if Jiang Hui had momentarily spaced out.

However, their attention was soon drawn to a more urgent matter.

It turned out that the last member of their trio had finally managed to drag his feet over, as if weighted down by a thousand pounds—arriving just in time, with one teammate already eliminated and the other down to only 5% energy.

The person who had been locked in combat with Huan Xian was both furious and relieved: furious that their dimwitted companion had wandered off who knows where, only now deciding to show up; but relieved that, at this critical moment, help had finally arrived.

Although the newcomer was the least resilient fighter in their trio, his arrival would surely turn the tide of their current disadvantage.

In the blink of an eye, he had already considered many things, even how he would deal with these two who had caused him such trouble.

However, he hadn’t expected that while someone had indeed arrived, it wasn’t his teammate.

A tall, imposing young man appeared, a serious expression on his face, with a trace of worry as he looked toward the girl at the center of the chaos.

Zhou Xiuwen quickly assessed the situation, striking the opponent with a critical blow from behind, instantly eliminating him from the match, and then moved in Jiang Hui’s direction.

“What are you doing?” Huan Xian propped himself up halfway, giving the newcomer a wary look.

It was clear he was already exhausted, with little strength left to fight. And though his attention had clearly been on Jiang Hui, he still stepped forward to block the path.

If Jiang Hui had seen this, she would probably have been touched by his sense of loyalty. After all, their short-lived teamwork had indeed fostered some camaraderie.

But the young man who suddenly appeared, neither friend nor foe, reacted strangely. Instead of answering the question directly, he replied, “Aren’t you going to grab the resources? That one over there looks like it’s about to expire.”

Huan Xian’s expression didn’t change, but he seemed to size up the young man carefully.

“I’m in a temporary team with Jiang Hui,” Zhou Xiuwen explained reluctantly. “You’d better go and grab the resources. I’ll just help her up.”

Clearly, this guy was extremely guarded. Zhou Xiuwen wondered if he’d attack him. If so, should he retaliate for points, or should he hold back…? And what if he accidentally knocked him out—how would he explain that to Jiang Hui? Zhou Xiuwen hesitated.

Fine, no more worrying. Go collect the resources.

Though Huan Xian looked at him with increasing suspicion, he seemed reluctant to leave the hard-earned resources lying around. With swift movements, he gathered the items.

Then the two regrouped around Jiang Hui.

Zhou Xiuwen reached out to help her up. She seemed momentarily dazed, but instinctively followed his lead and sat up.

After a moment, she blinked, her eyes regaining focus.

Seeing the familiar yet unexpected face before her, a mix of confusion and surprise flashed across her face. “You…why are you here?”

—

While only a moment had passed outside, Jiang Hui had already spent a full twenty-four hours indulging herself in her mental space.

After clearing out the kitchen twice, taking a nap, and reading half a book, Jiang Hui’s inner fire had been thoroughly extinguished by the time she finished her whole routine. Now, she waited numbly for the “verdict” to be announced.

She thought to herself that she definitely needed to learn from this experience. Next time there was any kind of event, it would be better to enter her mental space in advance and use up her twenty-four-hour quota. Otherwise, the sudden shifts mid-event not only risked unexpected disruptions but also left her feeling a bit guilty.

After all, if everyone else was putting their full effort into the competition, but she was in her mental space comfortably burning time—even if it was forced—it naturally made her feel guilty.

Then, as she opened her eyes, she didn’t receive the blow she’d been bracing for. Instead, she realized someone was gently helping her sit up.

Jiang Hui knew that her time in the mental space didn’t overlap with real-world time; typically, when she went in, she would come out at nearly the same moment she’d entered. Since she’d stayed awake rather than sleeping in the mental space, she could assume not much time had passed since she went in.

Just a moment ago, someone had been grabbing her by the neck, trying to take her out—how could they now be calmly helping her sit up? Did this mean that Huan Xian had already taken down the other person, and then somehow managed to handle her opponent as well? If that was the case, he was ridiculously strong!

Jiang Hui had completely forgotten that they’d originally encountered a three-person team. Apart from the two she’d fought, there was still a third member who would eventually show up.

But as she sat up and looked around, the face she saw was not at all what she’d expected.

She blinked hard, her usually calm face showing a hint of surprise and doubt. “You… why are you here?”

“…I’m your temporary teammate.” Zhou Xiuwen paused, sounding a bit aggrieved. Why did she make it sound as though he had no business being there? Could it be that now that she’d found stronger teammates, she didn’t want to drag him along?

No way! It was hard enough to get a skilled teammate; he wanted to stay in the training arena and enjoy it for a while longer. “Father… Father must be watching. He’d definitely be pleased.”

With her energy fully restored after spending time in her mental space, Jiang Hui’s mind was now completely clear and alert.

Zhou Xiuwen had finally arrived, and it was definitely a good thing. In this space, firearms were useless, and resources had to be fought for with bare hands—having more people who could fight was a real advantage, so Zhou Xiuwen’s addition was perfectly timed.

Jiang Hui glanced at Huan Xian, who was standing to the side with his arms crossed, clutching his gear bag, then looked at Zhou Xiuwen beside her. In an instant, she managed to piece together most of the “missing plot” from earlier.