Lu Shen

After leaving Lin Zhouze's treatment room, Ying Yungui took Shi Youchen to the archives of the association base.

In the archive room in the far corner of the third floor, Ying Yungui scanned his ID and obtained fifteen minutes of access. As he searched, he said, "All the documents and materials the association has published can be found in this archive. However, the database is too large, and the information that can be stored on the bracelet is limited, so it's more convenient to come here directly."

Shi Youchen hummed, "There's a time limit. Can't I copy it and take it out?"

Ying Yungui: "Well, you need to submit an application to copy the materials. Here, you only have the right to browse for a limited time." He tutted irritably, "So if anyone keeps saying nonsense like people with special abilities have great social rights, I will tie him up and make him feel the feeling of having his every move restricted."

Shi Youchen lowered his eyes, looking at the electronic screens that were synced with his and Ying Yungui's. Initially, he had been one of those who held similar views, but it wasn't until he himself became a psychic and experienced this series of events that he firsthand understood the constraints that psychics face. It was like the incident in District 10, a dilemma: to obey all the association's rules meant violating some of them, but to obey all the rules meant violating some of them.

Even someone as powerful and influential as Ying Yungui would still have a significant number of points deducted as punishment. This shows that in today's society, while those with special abilities are rare, they don't hold a transcendental position above all others.

But it must be said that the establishment of the association has at least brought a more stable living environment to ordinary people around the world, and the founder of the association, Shen Min, is still regarded as an absolute belief.

Ying Yungui found the target information and clicked on the file - "An Overview of the Lu Family, a Major Family of Superpowers in District 8", and scrolled down to the end, which was a story about the person.

"Lu Shen, LUSHEN, 127-169 New Calendar, touch-sensitive, second son of the fourth patriarch of the Lu family, spouse unknown, offspring unknown...died in an S-rank mission in 169 New Calendar."

Ying Yungui pointed at the name and said, "Although I can't guarantee it, he's the only Lushen I know of who has a connection to superpowers."

Shi Youchen carefully studied the full-face photo, cold sweat breaking out on his back. He glanced at his surroundings and asked softly, "Because this might involve the Lu family, you want me to come back first?"

Ying Yungui's eyes flashed: "Not entirely, let's discuss it outside." He glanced at the display showing "7 minutes and 12 seconds remaining", put away the screen, and took Shi Youchen out of the archive room.

In the dormitory on the 16th floor of Building 7, it started to rain on the way back. It was particularly cold today. Ying Yungui turned on the hot air circulation, trying to take away some of the damp and cold air, but saw that Shi Youchen's lips were still pale.

Ying Yungui was a little worried: "What's wrong? You've been feeling uneasy since just now."

Shi Youchen took a sip of hot tea and glanced at him dimly: "Didn't you notice anything when you were looking through the files just now?"

Ying Yungui: "What? Why are you looking at me like that? Don't scare me."

Shi Youchen was speechless at his straight man behavior: "Don't you notice that Lu Shen's face... looks a lot like the face of the fugitive who had the mental invasion in District 10?"

Ying Yungui recalled carefully after hearing this: "Really? She was covered in blood at the time, and I really didn't pay attention to what her face looked like."

"..." Shi Youchen closed his eyes. "Okay, then please pay more attention to these details in the future. I observed her closely and saw traces of surgery on her face. It's like she deliberately had plastic surgery to look like that."

Ying Yungui opened his eyes wide, completely missing the point: "You were so close to her before, did you have a nightmare afterwards? You should have asked me to help you question her earlier, what happened..."

Shi Youchen quickly brought the topic back: "Stop, then tell me what you think."

Ying Yungui then said slowly, "Oh, didn't we think she was transferring her emotions to someone else before, which led to the incident at the cinema?" Seeing Shi Youchen nod, he continued, "So she was so resentful in the end, and she probably mentioned the person who hurt her feelings."

"I thought of Lu Shen at that time. One reason was because we had the same name, and the other was because..." Ying Yungui paused.

Shi Youchen: "Why?"

Ying Yungui: "Because this Lu Shen was a playboy in his youth, he owed many debts of love outside, and because of this, his relationship with the Lu family was quite unpleasant. I heard from Uncle Lu that his brother would show mercy to any beautiful woman he saw."

Shi Youchen thought of Lu Ming, whom he had met once before: "Then these two brothers don't look much alike."

Ying Yungui sighed, "It's normal that they don't look alike. They have the same father but different mothers. Lu Shen's biological mother is an unrecognized mistress."

Shi Youchen said meaningfully, "You know all this gossip quite well."

Ying Yungui hurriedly explained, "Don't get me wrong! It's just that our family is close to the Lu family. When I was little, I didn't have my parents around, so Uncle Lu and Old Man Lu would take me home and take care of me whenever they had time. Over time, I naturally heard all this."

Shi Youchen couldn't help but say, "When you were... a child... your parents..." He hadn't even considered how to begin, but his mouth had already sprung before his brain. Now he was stuck, unable to continue or withdraw. It was simply because his own family had passed away early, and meeting someone with similar childhood experiences was a natural sympathy.

Fortunately, Ying Yungui was a casual person by nature. He admitted casually, "My mother ran away shortly after giving birth to me and went to District 10 to inherit the family business. I heard that she wanted to take me with her, but the Ying family was too powerful and I was too talented, so there was really no other way, so I had to stay here." There was even a hint of pride in his tone. "As for my father, other than personally guiding me with my supernatural powers, I rarely see him."

"No wonder my mother couldn't get along with him. Who else would be willing to stay with a husband like him who never comes home?" Ying Yungui was very disdainful of this. "After that, I received education from both sides at the same time, which made Lu Zhiqi very envious."

This was the second time Shi Youchen heard him mention the name Lu Zhiqi.

Seeing people looking at him in confusion, Ying Yungui finally realized, "Oh, I didn't tell you. Lu Zhiqi is Uncle Lu's son. He's three years older than me, but he's still at level 5." He said proudly, "The day I reached level 6, he was so angry that he couldn't sleep all night, but he pretended to be calm and collected."

Shi Youchen looked at his smug expression, and his mood actually became better.

Ying Yungui: "Come to think of it, you said that the fugitive looks a lot like Lu Shen. Doesn't that mean they probably had a relationship?"

Shi Youchen: "It's pretty close, but it would be even better if we could get video footage of the five mental invasions from 169 to 170. Previously, those were just textual accounts, and the focus was on the social impact, so they're of little reference value to us."

Ying Yungui suddenly looked serious: "Do you think her timing was a coincidence?"

"What?"

"Lu Shen died in an S-rank mission in 169, and the psychic invasion incident in Area 10 also began in 169."

Shi Youchen hadn't been very sensitive to time before, but when Ying Yungui mentioned this, he suddenly thought of something: "It could be... No way, before she died, she cursed Lu Shen to die a bad death..."

Ying Yungui scratched the back of his head: "This... is hard to explain. Maybe we have to start from the S-level mission that year."

Mentioning the S-level mission, Shi Youchen suddenly realized, "What you just said to Yan Zhiyuan in the treatment room, are you serious?"

Ying Yungui grinned. "Of course I was trying to bluff him. How could I possibly give a district minister approval for something like that, something that wasn't even announced to the entire district? I was trying to restrain him and prevent him from doing anything reckless."

After he finished speaking, his eyes flickered again. "However, if he really does apply for an S-rank mission, 2,000 points is the minimum reward. It wouldn't be a problem for me to go to Area 3 then."

Shi Youchen was about to speak when he was stopped by him: "Although you still owe me a task worth 5,000 points, you don't have to go with me at that time. The S-level task is much more dangerous than you think." I'm afraid I can't protect you.

"Just stay here and wait for me to come back." Ying Yungui grinned.

A week later, Shi Youchen and Ying Yungui received a message from Jiang Yu:

"After a thorough examination, Li Sen has been registered in the 10th District Branch's psychic file. Number: 8488, Level 2 Di Ting Biology Department. As for why the monitoring center missed her energy fluctuations, the association simply stated that it's easy to miss something at the border between the two districts. She'll be attending school starting next week."

When they received the message, they were sitting at the dining table in the dormitory eating together.

Shi Youchen sipped his soup while editing: "Thank you, how are you feeling?"

Since returning to District 8, Ying Yungui had been sticking by his side almost all the time, except for a trip back to City A yesterday. Initially, he'd tried to warn him, but after seeing him meticulously serve him with his culinary skills every day, he hadn't considered kicking him out.

The day after returning from the archives, Ying Yungui even requested to buy a set of bedding for himself. The following conversation occurred while the two were buying food at the supermarket on the first floor of the mall:

Shi Youchen: "Your house is so big, you can have any luxurious room you want. Can't you just go back to your own home?"

Ying Yungui: "Of course not! I am different now than before."

Shi Youchen: "What's the difference?"

Ying Yungui: "We still have so many things to investigate. It's too troublesome for me to keep going back and forth. And you never know when Old Yan will give me the news that I've applied for an S-level mission."

Shi Youchen: "What does that have to do with me? Didn't you say yesterday that even if you really get the application, I won't follow you if you go with him?"

Ying Yungui: "Then the other several thousand points you owe me will not count? Are you not going to investigate Lu Shen's case? Besides, I've already offered to provide three meals in exchange for accommodation rights."

Shi Youchen rubbed his brows and said, "So, may I ask if you have any opinions about the original bedding, Master? I'm not asking you to sleep on a bare bed."

Ying Yungui: "The association's default room is pure white. I tend to have nightmares and imagine myself as Sleeping Beauty in eternal sleep."

Shi Youchen held the handle of the cart and looked up and down at the nearly 1.9-meter-tall man in disbelief, wondering how he could say such a thing.

The incident ultimately ended with Shi Youchen resignedly heading to the furniture store on the third floor, after a certain princess played the emotional card: "I'm alone even when I return home. My mom's far away in District 10, and my dad's been missing all day. Besides, the Ying family hasn't had any servants since I was fourteen. I wake up alone every day and go to sleep alone. Sigh."

Shi Youchen couldn't bear to hear this and dodged Ying Yungui's wet gaze: "Stop talking." He looked at the cart of food and his eyelashes trembled. "What color do you like?"

Ying Yungui quickly changed his expression and said with a smile, "Black or purple is fine, let's have a set of each!"