"Trash, how dare you bite me."

A woman in a white lab coat and black-rimmed glasses angrily wiped her hands as she left the laboratory.

Feeling unwell and somewhat tired, Number Ten tilted her head as she looked at her. "What are you doing in my room?"

"Sigh! Sigh... Number 10, what happened to you..."

The woman stood at the doorway, startled, and took two steps back, looking a little flustered. But then she suddenly remembered something and calmed down, saying in a steady tone, "The doctor asked me to get a report."

"Um."

Upon hearing the word "Doctor," the dissatisfaction in Number Ten's eyes lessened slightly. He walked past the woman and went inside, standing at the door: "Next time I'm not here, don't come to my room without my permission. I hate the smell of strangers."

"Um."

The woman with her back to her gritted her teeth upon hearing the word "stranger," her eyes filled with resentment. Sure enough, a monster is a monster. After four years of living together, she actually called me a stranger.

If it weren't for her, I would have been promoted long ago.

Why should I be a menial assistant?

The woman was filled with anger, but dared not show it on her face. She could only smile ingratiatingly at Number Ten and then leave.

Number 10 rubbed his temples as he entered the room.

Why do I always have a headache after going out with my parents?

A hint of confusion flashed in his eyes.

Number 10 turned on the laboratory lights.

He saw Ye Qiuling huddled in a corner, trembling.

He walked over to her and stood in front of Ye Qiuling, tilting his head to look at her, seemingly somewhat puzzled.

"What’s wrong with you?"

Ye Qiuling was surrounded by piercing sounds, and all she could see was a white blur.

Why does it feel so familiar, like she's experienced something similar before...?

It's so noisy. It's like my hearing has been amplified a hundred times. All I can hear is the noise of things rubbing against each other.

Seeing her like this, Number Ten seemed to have thought of something, walked into her locked cabinet and took out an earmuff.

He gently put it on Ye Qiuling, then squatted down in front of her, blinking his eyes to see her reaction.

The sound was cut off for a moment. Ye Qiuling closed her eyes and squinted for a while. When her vision gradually cleared, she could see Number Ten looking at her curiously. She asked in a hoarse voice, "You..."

Number Ten shrugged and stood up nonchalantly:

"Wearing this for two days should be fine. I also had tinnitus before."

Ye Qiuling touched her earmuffs and could hear people talking clearly without any background noise.

That's amazing.

"Were you also injected with the drug?"

"What injectable medication?"

Number 10 asked blankly.

Ye Qiuling frowned slightly, shook her head and smiled: "It's nothing, I was just asking out of curiosity."

She started experiencing tinnitus after that woman injected her with medication using a syringe.

Wait a minute...

She suddenly realized that the entire laboratory was very quiet, and even the machines were barely making a sound, but Number Ten could always accurately detect which machine was completed and then proceed to the next step in time.

Last time, she was reading and pondering a problem when Number Ten quietly approached and watched her: "You haven't moved for ten minutes. Why aren't you turning the page? Is there something you don't understand?"

"So you can hear distant sounds now?"

Number Ten nodded and took a small hook-like object out of his ear. "This is something I invented. It can isolate external interference. I'll make one for you later."

Ye Qiuling swallowed and nodded, then noticed that Number Ten seemed very tired. "Why do you look so tired?"

"Yeah, a little."

Number Ten remained expressionless, staring intently at the instrument in his hand.

Ye Qiuling, who had been observing her every day, immediately noticed something was wrong.

Number 10's emotional fluctuations have decreased significantly. He used to show some lively expressions, but now he's becoming more and more like a robot.

She's been here for three months, and every month she's been taken away. What are they doing to her?

"Do you go every time the doctor and the others call you?"

"..."

After a moment of silence, Number Ten didn't speak, but simply nodded.

"Then why did I call you out?"

Number 10's mind suddenly went a little sluggish. Yeah.

Wasn't the plan to take her to monitor some equipment?

Why doesn't she have any memories?

A blank expression appeared on Number Ten's face. He seemed unsure how to answer and simply stared at Ye Qiuling with his eyes open.

Ye Qiuling could only change the subject, "Then do you know about memory-altering drugs?"

Number Ten's confusion deepened: "Then what is that?"

"Where's the 'awakening potion'?"

"...?"

Number 10 was still confused.

She frowned slightly. "I seem to remember something, but it's so strange, my mind is all foggy."

Number 10's memories have been altered.

Ye Qiuling clenched her fist. The memory-altering potion was not something she had developed; it was the work of those two doctors.

"Don't think about it too much, you need to rest."

"But my parents want me to build a flying machine."

"What kind of aircraft?"

"It's similar to a balance skateboard, but the aircraft can be used while hovering in the air."

"This thing must be difficult, right?"

Ye Qiuling asked.

Number Ten nodded, a rare look of disappointment on his face. "Actually, I've been working on this, but I just can't seem to get it right."

Because the era and this technology are clearly incompatible; this is something that only exists in interstellar space.

Ye Qiuling didn't say anything, she just patted her head.

Number 10 squatted on the ground like a puppy, letting Ye Qiuling pat his head without getting angry.

After a while, she asked, "Can you continue telling me the story of interstellar travel?"

Ye Qiuling smiled slightly, a slight upturn at the corners of her lips: "Of course."

…………

A few minutes later.

Number 10 lay down on the tatami and fell asleep. Ye Qiuling stood to the side with her arms crossed, a hint of doubt in her eyes.

Why did I just use the mental connection...?

It actually feels like it's connected to number ten?

Ye Qiuling mobilized her mental energy once again.

There was no reaction whatsoever; the transfer failed.

She chuckled and covered her face, realizing she had indeed been overthinking things.

If she could use her mental powers, she reckoned she could take Number Ten out with her.

After seeing that the person had fallen asleep, Ye Qiuling pulled up her shirt, revealing her bruised and purple abdomen from being pinched.

He winced in pain; he had just been given a drug, and the perpetrator had been too rough in order to keep him conscious.

He was even hit on the leg with a stick by that woman.

Lifting up his pants revealed a grotesque bluish-purple patch.

Ye Qiuling clicked her tongue impatiently.

When will this end?

Even if you exercise every day, it will take at least ten years before you are able to go out.

Given these people's methods, it would be a miracle if she survived even a year.

We need to find a way to make Number Ten realize something is wrong and become alert.

The only device with internet access in this room is the tablet number 10. The tablet's content has also been set so that it can only display information related to machines and herbs; nothing else can be found.

Oh, right!

Ye Qiuling's eyes suddenly lit up.

She came up with a solution.