The Strongest Brain in the Interstellar

Frey likely had no idea that during the brief moment he stepped away to prepare things, Jiang Hui had already thought through countless scenarios. He fiddled with something resembling a blood pressure cuff, then pulled her hand over to put it on. Although he apologized first and was quite respectful in how he touched her hand, Jiang Hui had already run through several escape and counterattack plans in her head.

But in the end, she forcefully suppressed all those thoughts. Because… it wasn’t the right time. The situation was still unclear. If things were truly as she feared, making a rash move could alert the enemy and put her at a disadvantage.

So, she decided to endure for now. After all, she was already in this situation—she might as well see what these people had in store for her.

Sure enough, as the blood pressure cuff-like device wrapped around her arm, Jiang Hui immediately felt a sensation different from the usual. The cool, metallic texture penetrated her skin. What made her even more uneasy was that the metal surface didn’t feel completely smooth—it had a faint, prickling sensation to it.

Could there be a needle hidden inside?!

Jiang Hui had always been someone with a vivid imagination. While she hadn’t exactly used that imagination to advance her career or acquire new skills, it was certainly handy in her daily life and for entertainment. As her anxiety grew, she kept speculating about the device’s purpose, trying her best to convince herself to endure it, thinking that it likely wouldn’t cripple her arm. But the more she thought about it, the more terrified she became. Though she managed to control herself from reacting too strongly, her face turned pale in an instant. In her mind, she became even more convinced that this was some shady lab conducting human experiments under a legitimate cover.

The man was still unaware of her growing fear, calmly advising, “Relax. If you’re too tense, the sample won’t be collected properly. If the results aren’t thorough, we’ll have to do it again, and that would be quite troublesome.”

In the end, Jiang Hui barely managed to convince herself to stay calm and go through with the so-called “test,” thinking she should at least see what would happen. Given her physical disadvantage and lack of information, she was clearly outmatched. For now, her best course of action was to “endure.”

“Yes, yes, just like that. Miss Jiang, there’s no need to be overly anxious. The equipment here at our district hospital is procured through higher-level bids. Most of it is produced by top interstellar medical device manufacturers, fully registered and certified, so there’s absolutely nothing to worry about,” Frey reassured her as the ultrasound analyzer finally managed to collect her blood sample and other data, breathing a sigh of relief.

However, he could understand why the girl was feeling anxious. He had reviewed the publicly available information on her case with the lead doctor in charge of the emergency treatment.

This was a child in unfortunate circumstances: both parents had passed away, and she couldn’t rely on more distant relatives either. While her family wasn’t entirely heartless and provided her with some resources and general currency, they had made it clear that she shouldn’t expect much support by registering her under a collective user account.

Although she was referred to as “Miss Jiang,” she was actually just a teenager, still at school age. Being suddenly thrown into this unfamiliar place with no one she knew and experiencing such a terrifying incident on her first night here, it was no wonder she was so scared.

While Frey felt sympathy for Jiang Hui, his hands kept working efficiently on the device, tapping away at the controls. Data quickly scrolled down in front of him, and then a progress bar appeared on the screen.

“Alright, the hydraulic wristband doesn’t need to be removed just yet. This process requires monitoring some of your body’s changing data, and it will take about another half a star hour,” Frey explained gently to Jiang Hui, noticing her staring at the wristband.

Assuming she was uncomfortable with it, he adjusted the strap for her.

But Jiang Hui wasn’t thinking about that. She had realized that this so-called “hydraulic wristband” wasn’t as dangerous as she had imagined. Although she felt a brief sting at the start, it didn’t last long—like being bitten by an ant.

Her attention was no longer on the wristband, but rather on the series of strange feelings that had been nagging at her since earlier.

It all started with her inexplicable arrival in this odd room, followed by the collection of samples and fluctuating data, the unfamiliar instruments she had never seen before, the different styles of objects surrounding her compared to what she was used to, and an overwhelming sense of cultural disconnection. And then there were terms like “interstellar medical equipment manufacturer” and “star hour”… Oh God, could she have fallen into a trap?!

Since she woke up, Jiang Hui had felt something was off. She sensed a chill running through her body but still held onto a glimmer of hope.

“Ms. Jiang… Ms. Jiang?” Frey asked, then couldn’t help but feel worried for this girl who hadn’t even reached adulthood yet.

She was brought in because of a brain injury, and since he assisted the lead doctor in her treatment, he was acutely aware that her condition was serious. Although they found no functional damage during the brain function tests—besides some chaotic brainwaves—it was hard to believe that such a severe injury would have no impact on her at all.

Now that she was awake and her consciousness appeared to be clear, she still spaced out repeatedly, seemingly unable to process things, which undoubtedly indicated she was affected more than expected.

Frey decided to wait a while longer before taking the deep brainwave detector and other advanced medical devices to check for any underlying issues that might have been missed earlier.

“Are you tired? Wait until the test results come back. If there’s nothing wrong, I’ll take you back to your ward to rest. It won’t take long, probably just ten or so star minutes. This ultrasound-type medical device, while technically quite old and a relic from the ancient era, is the gentlest one available and has the least impact on the mental state of unawakened individuals. Just bear with it a bit longer…” He wanted to say more, but the girl across from him interrupted him.

“I hope it’s not too rude to ask, but who am I?” The girl’s gaze suddenly shifted from somewhat dull and vacant to lively and alert, as if she had just been awakened, her whole demeanor transforming from the weak and ethereal state he had just seen.

However, her question seemed… a bit too strange.

The therapist named Frey paused.

“Could you please tell me which planet I’m on right now? What year is it? How exactly… did I get here?”

Jiang Hui’s questions tumbled out like firecrackers, a whole series exploding forth. Her expression was a mix of confusion and urgency, disbelief and suspicion intertwining into a bizarre and disjointed look.

Frey didn’t say another word. The previously relaxed atmosphere between them shattered, growing tense and rigid. They exchanged silent glances. Then…

“Chief Medical Officer! Chief Medical Officer! It seems there’s an issue with Ms. Jiang Hui’s brain function in Room KY8047. Please send a team of medical personnel immediately…” Frey hurriedly called into the small communication device attached to his chest.

Jiang Hui: …