Chapter 622: Dr. Ratio Taken Down in Three Seconds

Pei Guang remembered the Annihilation Gang: he'd recently dealt with them on the Xianzhou Luofu, and even called in the Belobog crew to scavenge some rewards while he was at it. 

They also followed the Aeon of Destruction, and considering the station had already been invaded by the Legion, it wasn't impossible for the Annihilation Gang to show up and get involved after the fact.

And while they were at it, take the opportunity to mess with him? It all lined up.

Having thought this through, Pei Guang turned to Asta. "I think I know who it is. Either members of the Annihilation Gang or Heliobi. Those are the only two possibilities that make sense to me. I haven't interacted with anyone else capable of pulling this off: if I haven't met them, they'd have no reason to target me."

Asta's eyes lit up at Pei Guang's guess, but before she could say anything, applause rang out behind the three of them.

"Brilliant! Simply brilliant!"

Pei Guang turned toward the voice and saw Veritas Ratio, who had somehow appeared behind them without anyone noticing. Wearing his signature plaster mask, he clapped enthusiastically at the trio.

A bit embarrassed by the praise, Pei Guang scratched his head. "Nothing special, just a deduction based on my experience with plot patterns. Could be wrong."

Veritas looked at Pei Guang proudly puffing out his chest and replied with mild exasperation. "Well, at least you're honest. But here's a thought: what if you're the one behind all this, pointing fingers at others like a thief crying 'stop thief'?"

Pei Guang stroked his chin, thinking aloud. "Hey, I gave you favorability-boosting items too. You still suspect me?"

Veritas removed his plaster mask and looked seriously at Pei Guang. "Based on your personality and past actions, I personally don't believe you did it. But researchers are trained to doubt everything. It's easy to question, hard to believe.

And after all, on the entire space station, only you and your companions have demonstrated the ability to make people disappear in an instant, isn't that right?"

Pei Guang nodded, acknowledging the logic. "You're not wrong. In terms of ability, I could do this. But by that logic, I could say you did it too."

Veritas replied calmly, "Everyone can be questioned. Since you're accusing me, I'll provide proof of my innocence. But as the one being questioned first, I'd also like you to provide proof it wasn't you."

Pei Guang: "Proof? I have an alibi."

Veritas: "You do, but she doesn't."

He pointed to Stelle, not far away, who was rummaging through a pile of items. She had been searching for one of Herta's missing curios since yesterday, and still hadn't found it, which was clearly bothering her.

At that moment, Stelle seemed to sense something and turned around. 

Spotting Pei Guang and the others, her eyes lit up. "Ah Guang? What are you doing here again?"

Pei Guang: "Something came up. So here's the deal: the station's got a bit of a situation. I've got an alibi. Do you?"

Stelle: "Nope!"

She answered boldly. "You're accusing me? Then sure, let's just say I did it."

Pei Guang: "Well said! So, what are you going to do next?"

Stelle looked at Pei Guang. "I dunno. Got any suggestions, Ah Guang?"

Pei Guang thought for a moment. "Then how about we show him what it would look like if we were actually behind this?"

Stelle: "Sounds good to me. Where do we start?"

Pei Guang pointed at Veritas and Arlan. "Let's start with those two."

Arlan: "Hey! Don't look at me, I believe you guys would never do something like this."

Veritas: "?"

Stelle looked at Pei Guang. "But... isn't this kind of bad? What if Herta gets mad...?"

Pei Guang: "What's bad about it?"

He pulled out his phone. "Look! Herta said we can do whatever we want~"

Stelle glanced at the screen. The moment she saw it, her eyes sparkled. 

In the next second, she shared a knowing smile with Pei Guang. The moment after that, a trash can appeared in Pei Guang's hand, and a rope appeared in Stelle's.

Pei Guang: "In the name of the trash can!"

Stelle: "Name? Fate ordained!!"

Pei Guang: "What does that mean?"

Stelle: "No clue. Just felt like yelling it."

Before the third second even passed, the trash can was already slammed down over Veritas' head. Then, with a well-practiced kick from both of them, the unprepared Veritas collapsed to the ground. 

The two of them swiftly tied up the fallen pair, and as they did, Pei Guang began explaining mid-action.

"I'm telling you, if we really went all out, there wouldn't be a single breathing soul left on this space station."

Stelle: "That's right! Today you'll get a taste of what we Trailblazers are capable of!"

A few seconds later, Veritas, now tied up and stuffed into a trash can filled with water, fell completely silent. 

He wasn't one of the Geniuses from the Genius Society, but he considered himself pretty smart. Still, no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't keep up with Pei Guang's tempo.

But one thing he was sure of: no matter how he tried to question it, Pei Guang and Stelle were beyond his ability to interrogate. Because these two… weren't normal.

Despite being violently subdued and unable to resist, Veritas actually smiled. Sure, he'd questioned Pei Guang, but he knew it wasn't him. 

Even without knowing the truth, he was certain of that.

He had just wanted to test what this so-called warrior, this so-called hero, would do to prove himself when placed under suspicion.

 And now, seeing the result, well… it was certainly a unique method.

To him, this was what made things interesting. Pei Guang was neither a mediocrity nor a genius. He shut everyone up using nothing but his own experience and capabilities.

As for getting caught? Veritas felt that was exactly what he deserved.

He didn't just look down on others: he also looked down on himself. Being taken down by someone like Pei Guang, he actually found himself fully accepting it.

Because someone like Pei Guang wasn't a genius, nor was he a fool. He acted with his own logic and thoughts, using his experiences and judgment to deduce and analyze. And most importantly, he'd saved countless lives with his own strength.

Still, different things needed to be treated differently. Trusting someone was one thing. Admiring them was another. Questioning them was yet another. 

Even if time were reversed, he would still have voiced his doubt about Pei Guang to his face.

But Pei Guang's reaction made Veritas decide something: he would no longer get involved in or try to guide the space station's affairs. He wanted to see how far this unusual individual could go on his own.

What? Being stuffed into a water-filled trash can was embarrassing? Not at all! 

On the contrary, now that he was soaking in cold water, he felt mentally crystal-clear. The cool, damp sensation made it seem like even his thinking had improved.

Just being around someone so unfiltered and genuine made him feel like his own "idiocy" had been cured.