The Strongest Brain in the Interstellar

Jiang Hui had it all planned out: each person would take a shift. But she overlooked a small, practical detail.

The elevated tent was designed for single occupancy. It could fit two people in a pinch, though it wouldn’t be very comfortable. Setting up an additional tent felt unnecessary and would draw attention.

Zhou Xiuwen and Huan Xian, being men, could manage together if they were willing to tolerate it. But for Jiang Hui, things were different. Regardless of how reliable or capable she seemed, she was still the only woman among them.

She didn’t even have a chance to speak up before the two of them insisted that she take the tent. Both argued they could make do on the ground below, letting Jiang Hui rest alone. After all, they deeply respected her as the hardest-working of the group and felt she deserved the privilege.

Jiang Hui, however, had a different perspective. She didn’t need sleep as badly as they did—in fact, she’d shamelessly admit that her time in the mental space had left her well-rested. She couldn’t control that situation, but it felt almost like cheating, which bothered her. In a high-stakes competition with strict time limits, she didn’t want this unearned advantage.

Meanwhile, their plan to sleep outside seemed rather reckless. With soft, damp ground below, anyone sleeping outside would be far more exposed to danger. At least while keeping watch, they’d stay alert and be able to respond to a threat.

Not to mention, if a skilled opponent decided to launch an attack at night, escape would be almost impossible. The tent, with its excellent concealment and defensibility, was clearly the safest option.

Despite her fatigue, Jiang Hui had already slept in the mental space, unlike her teammates who hadn’t closed their eyes for even a second. There was no way she could accept their overly generous offer.

Realizing they were wasting precious time, they compromised. They would take turns resting in the tent.

One person would keep watch during the first half of the night, and another would cover the second half. The third person wouldn’t need to keep watch but would sleep on a ground mat below.

This was actually Huan Xian’s own suggestion. He absolutely refused to sleep in the tent, mainly because he couldn’t comfortably share the small space with Zhou Xiuwen. It wasn’t a matter of dislike; it was simply that, due to his abilities, having someone close by would interfere with him significantly. Forget about sleeping—he wouldn’t even be able to rest properly with another person nearby.

Although Huan Xian had come to trust Zhou Xiuwen to some extent, his ability was just that intrusive, constantly affecting him like a shadow. It was rare for him to openly explain this to others, but with these two, he felt he could be straightforward. Worried they might think he was being difficult or picky, he even suggested skipping the tent entirely and keeping watch alongside whoever was on duty, resting only when possible. Since it was relatively safe here, only one person needed to stay vigilant at a time, and they could rotate as needed.

Jiang Hui and Zhou Xiuwen didn’t take offense; they understood his situation perfectly. If Huan Xian could sense others’ emotions and energy fields so acutely, close proximity would feel like torture rather than rest.

So, they agreed to his plan. They quickly realized that if they kept discussing it, they’d never get any rest—better to settle down quickly and focus on the competition.

Since Jiang Hui wasn’t as tired, she volunteered to take the first watch, with Zhou Xiuwen taking the second. Meanwhile, Huan Xian set up a small, temporary sleeping area on the ground below and lay down.

Now alone on watch, Jiang Hui knew that, even though darkness naturally restricted human vision, this applied to potential enemies as well. Still, she couldn’t assume they were safe. With two of them asleep, they were at their most vulnerable—an attack at this moment would be disastrous.

To avoid drawing attention with any light, Jiang Hui turned off her lantern and sat down at a cautious distance from the perimeter, adjusting her senses to peak alertness.

Her vision might be limited, but her heightened focus sharpened her hearing and perception. She became attuned to every sound: the soft rustling of the wind, the creaking of branches, the faint roll of pebbles, the distant hum of insects, and even Huan Xian’s steady breathing through her earpiece. Every element seemed to merge into a serene nighttime tableau.

She even had the distinct feeling that within her defined range, nothing could escape her notice. Anything that happened within this perimeter—she would sense it immediately.

Uh, perhaps… she was getting a bit carried away. How could she possibly be that skilled?

Still, Jiang Hui genuinely felt extraordinarily perceptive in this moment. Although her senses and mental energy were heightened to an extreme degree of alertness, it didn’t make her feel particularly fatigued—in fact, she felt a slight thrill.

Reining in her drifting thoughts, Jiang Hui finally settled into a calm, focused state, fully immersing herself in the task of keeping watch.

They were lucky this time; no unexpected events cropped up during her shift, and nothing happened even until Zhou Xiuwen came down to take over.

If there was any issue at all, it might have been Huan Xian. He had seemed to fall asleep only for the first dozen or so star minutes, likely exhausted from staying alert so long. As soon as he lay down, he’d instantly fallen asleep. But about ten star minutes later, he unexpectedly started breathing faster and abruptly woke up.

Although he didn’t say anything to Jiang Hui or try to start a conversation, she could tell from his breathing that he was awake and quietly resting.

In the following hour or so, he didn’t seem to sleep again.

When Zhou Xiuwen came down to switch shifts, Jiang Hui asked Huan Xian if he wanted to use the tent to rest a bit, but he still absolutely refused.

Left with no choice, Jiang Hui climbed into the tent herself and slept soundly until morning.

But… had she slept ‘too’ soundly?! When she woke up, it was already past seven, and the sun had been up for over an hour.

Jiang Hui shot upright in the tent, barely believing her eyes. She checked the time multiple times, only to find that it was indeed past seven in the morning.

Why hadn’t Zhou Xiuwen or Huan Xian woken her up? The sun had been up long enough for other groups to be moving around. Jiang Hui quickly poked her head out to scan the surrounding area before carefully climbing down from the high tent.

Once she got down, she found her two teammates already awake, sitting across from each other, munching on something. The big bundle of firearms they had gathered yesterday was tied up nearby, lying neatly to the side.

Both of them looked completely at ease.