A Scientific Urban Detective

“My affairs…” Lin Wuming asked, “What's there to ask about that?”

Tiger Honeybee also said, “You can just search online. Whether it's news reports or urban legends, there are countless reports about Wuming.”

She was right. After all, Lin Wuming had been the focus of news and public opinion for the past two months, with all sorts of news, rumors, gossip, and urban legends filling every corner of the internet.

If you really wanted to find out information about Lin Wuming, searching online was the quickest and most effective way.

“So, they're probably just joining in the fun and aren't really interested in Wuming,” Tiger Honeybee commented.

“I can't say that. The seniors still value you,” Kofuku Miwei defended her seniors. “Besides, it seems too late to search online now—reports about Wuming-san have been pushed to the back, and they're mixed with a lot of confusing and false information, making them hard to find.”

Lin Wuming took out his phone and personally tried searching for his name.

Sure enough, the search results were all ambiguous content, and advertisements for “Xiao Lin Fruit Industry” popped up quite a bit.

Entering some forums that were enthusiastic about discussing his deeds, Lin Wuming found that the current hot topic of public opinion had become the newly promoted Level 5 Misaki Shokuhou.

And not only Misaki Shokuhou, but also Mikoto Misaka, who was confirmed as a Level 5 a few months earlier. These two girls of the same age became Level 5 in the same year, directly increasing the number of Level 5 espers in Academy City by forty percent—this was the hottest topic of concern for Academy City and all espers.

In comparison, it was not surprising that Lin Wuming, a hero who had publicly announced his “retirement,” was quickly abandoned by the hot topics of public opinion.

Seeing Lin Wuming's silence, Kofuku Miwei thought he was feeling lost and quickly comforted him, “Don't feel discouraged. After all, it's normal for new Level 5s to be born and attract everyone's attention. After a while…”

“No, no, I'm not feeling discouraged,” Lin Wuming shook his head and said, “This development is good. It would be even better if the public completely forgot about me.”

Lin Wuming had expected this development. Or rather, this was his arrangement.

People fear fame like pigs fear getting fat. Lin Wuming really didn't like becoming the focus of public opinion and becoming a well-known “hero” in Academy City.

Because he knew very well that his virtue did not match his position. Without enough strength to support him, he still wanted to be a hero… Did he really think that those hidden big shots in Academy City couldn't deal with him?

Lin Wuming had no choice before. He destroyed “Black Moon Technology” to protect himself.

Then he had to cooperate with the Anti-Skill, and he also wanted to save those characters who suffered misfortune in the original story, so he continued to manage the persona of a “hero.”

Now, the illegal experiment part mentioned in the original story has been almost completely explored. As a time-traveler, Lin Wuming doesn't know which other illegal experimental institutions can be destroyed, and the job of “hero” is destined to be unsustainable.

Therefore, he decisively retreated bravely, announced his “retirement,” and then joined—or rather, hid in—the large group of Judgment, preparing to start his life of lying flat according to the original plan.

To cooperate with this goal, Lin Wuming and Misaki Shokuhou agreed to use high-profile publicity of the news of the newly promoted Level 5 to cover up Lin Wuming's “hero” rumors.

After all, this is Academy City, and esper abilities are the eternal theme. Level 5 is above everything!

However, what Lin Wuming didn't expect was that there was more than just him who wanted to limit his influence!

Judgment, Anti-Skill, the dark side, and many experimental institutions whose specific identities were unclear were all working together to suppress news reports involving Lin Wuming for their own different purposes.

The result is what it is now. In just two days, Lin Wuming seemed to have been forgotten by this world, and almost no effective information about him could be found online.

It is believed that in another month or two, the name Lin Wuming and the short-lived title of “hero” will only be circulated in urban legends.

In a hyper-modern city where information is refreshed faster and faster, manipulating public opinion, or rather, people's collective cognition, is actually not difficult.

Misaki Shokuhou originally planned to use the “Exterior Brain” a little, but found that before she could act, the situation had already changed in the direction she wanted.

Because Mikoto Misaka—the electromaster who had been confirmed to be promoted to Level 5 before her—Tokiwadai Middle School released news while the iron was hot that Mikoto Misaka and Misaki Shokuhou, two Level 5s, would enter Tokiwadai Middle School next semester!

This news really detonated the public opinion field. Tokiwadai Middle School was already one of the five famous prestigious schools, and this time it was even more powerful. The addition of the two Level 5s was enough to make up for all their shortcomings and challenge Nagatenjouki Academy for the top spot.

Unlike other Level 5s, Mikoto Misaka's study life is completely natural and undisturbed; except for being a little stronger, Mikoto Misaka's living environment is no different from that of other ordinary girls, and she is almost completely isolated from the dark side of Academy City.

Also, because of the most modern type of esper ability, “electromaster,” Mikoto Misaka is also the best candidate for Academy City to conduct public promotion.

Moderate exposure of her has been going on, and this time it just happened to be the right time to make a splash with Misaki Shokuhou.

However, Mikoto Misaka herself has not yet noticed what is happening in the public opinion field.

The latest novels are first published on Liu Jiu Shu Ba!

Misaki Shokuhou was very dissatisfied with this.

“Why! Why is that Mikoto Misaka suddenly so famous? This is clearly蹭流量!” In the hospital room, Misaki Shokuhou was working hard to complain.

The object of her complaint was naturally Mikoto Misaka…'s number one clone—Dolly.

Dolly, wearing a hospital gown and leaning on the bed, listened patiently with a gentle smile on her face.

Gekota Doctor had already revealed Dolly's life experience, and she quickly accepted the fact that she was a clone, or rather, she already knew the truth.

Dolly didn't have any special feelings about this. She hadn't even seen her gene original, Mikoto Misaka, and just felt that she was a somewhat distant object.

Therefore, when listening to Misaki Shokuhou's complaints, Dolly only felt that her friend was complaining about an unfamiliar stranger, and even wanted to join in and complain with Misaki Shokuhou.

“Okay, Shokuhou-chan, stop staring at Dolly's face and complaining about that Mikoto Misaka, you're scaring her!”

A tentacle shining with metallic luster suddenly stretched out from the side and handed a peeled apple to Misaki Shokuhou.