Task One

"Thank you very much for your assistance! The successful completion of this mission is really thanks to you all!" A scene of gratitude was being played out in the office of the Chief of Public Security.

The director felt that he was very lucky. Whether his application for assistance was approved immediately or the content of the report was true, it would undoubtedly add bricks and tiles to his career.

After the task force apprehended their target, they brought Liu Chen and the woman back with them while cleaning up the scene. Although the woman was frantic and incoherent, she was fortunately aided by Lu Quezhi, a tactile sensor. Within ten minutes, all of her basic information was recorded.

However, Liu Chen's information still needed to be transferred to a specialized department for follow-up processing. Lu Quezhi shamelessly said, "I... I'm not good at sensing inanimate objects. Previous tests showed a high error rate." Since Liu Chen's body needed to undergo a specialized autopsy and investigation, Shi Youchen naturally didn't have to contribute.

The Public Security Bureau decided to send these helpers back safely first.

"Then I won't bother you with the follow-up. It was just an unexpected situation and falls within our jurisdiction." The director said this in a nice way, seemingly forgetting the embarrassment of asking for help earlier.

So the three people's bracelets prompted at the same time -

"D-level mission: Assisting with public security in City Z, completed. Reward mission points: 80. —Association Information Management Center"

Several of Shi Youchen's previously grayed-out columns have been unlocked after completing the course, and his personal information now displays "Accumulated Points: 280."

"Let's go." Ying Yungui greeted the two of them and stepped into the cab.

The successful completion of this mission was mainly due to Ying Yungui. He himself was aware of this, but on the way back he always felt that "my previous judgment of Shi Youchen was not comprehensive enough, which was interesting."

"After you go back, you can make your own arrangements first. I have other tasks to do. I will take you with me when I come back." Ying Yungui said to himself in a good mood.

Lu Quezhi fell asleep, and Shi Youchen ignored him and just blinked as if he heard it.

......

The next day, Shi Youchen had just finished his daily exercise when Yan Zhiyuan called him: "Lin Zhouze has something important to tell us. Come to my place later, Building 3, 14th floor." His tone was flat, and it was impossible to tell what was important or unimportant.

"OK."

Dormitory Building 3, 14th Floor.

"This morning, a friend from the District 10 branch sent me a report about the latest incident involving mental intrusion." Lin Zhouze pulled out a document from his room. "Four days ago, another vicious assault occurred there. Energy residue was detected on both the perpetrator and the victim."

Yan Zhiyuan turned on the projector, took out the document and projected it onto the screen.

After the three of them sat side by side on the sofa and read the incident report, Yan Zhiyuan said, "We've completed the sensory evidence collection for the mall attack, confirming that there was no conflict between the two parties involved or their families. In other words, it was a random attack."

Lin Zhouze: "After confirming that it was a random attack, we need to investigate the murderer and all the people the deceased had contact with before. The workload is too huge, and follow-up investigations are still underway because it is impossible to determine whether the invasion was caused by the same psychic or by separate invasions."

Shi Youchen asked, "Is there no way to conduct memory investigation through sensory evidence collection?"

Lin Zhouze shook his head. "From the moment the mind is invaded, the memory of the invaded body will be tampered with and become unclear. Therefore, the only clear information that can be sensed and recorded is usually the clear information before the invasion."

Shi Youchen lowered his eyes and whispered, "If that's the case, wouldn't touch perception be difficult to use on inanimate objects, and wouldn't it be possible to obtain information from living things?"

Yan Zhiyuan was a little confused when he heard his words: "Why do you say that touch perception is difficult to work on inanimate objects?" Lin Zhouze also looked puzzled.

Shi Youchen: "Lu Quezhi told us that his touch perception has a very high error rate for non-living objects. So after the incident during our mission yesterday, he only sensed the living murderer and not the deceased."

"?!" Lin Zhouze was shocked. "Theoretically, this situation shouldn't exist. Previous research on people with touch-sensing abilities has never yielded such a conclusion."

Yan Zhiyuan suddenly remembered something and called up the data, which showed that Lu Quezhi's accuracy in perceiving information about dead test subjects was only 32%.

The three of them looked at each other, not understanding why this happened.

But this was just a small episode, and the topic immediately returned to the mental invasion incident itself...

The three of them discussed for over two hours. If Shi Youchen hadn't intervened, Lin Zhouze and Yan Zhiyuan would have been arguing again. Suddenly, Shi Youchen's wristband lit up, and the screen flashed, indicating an incoming call from the "Association's District 8 Branch Task Management Center."

But the general task management center will not take the initiative to contact the special ability person, unless -

"No. 8463, Shi Youchen, residual energy from an unknown psychic was detected during the D-level mission 'Assisting Public Security in Z City' that you, No. 8461, and No. 7000 completed together. This mission has now been upgraded to a C-level 'Follow-up of Assisting Public Security in Z City'. You will continue to be responsible for following up. Mission points: 150." The mechanical female voice hung up after she finished speaking, and then sent a related mission reminder message.

"!!!" Lin Zhouze looked at Shi Youchen and the message he received in shock, saying in disbelief, "The energy of an unknown psychic remains. Isn't that a fugitive? And the mission has been upgraded. How could you encounter such a situation?"

"I don't know whether to say you are lucky or unlucky." Yan Zhiyuan couldn't believe it either.

"Of course not. I don't want this kind of luck." Shi Youchen stood up, checked the task prompts, and said goodbye to the two of them. "It seems that our discussion will have to be put off until next time. I'm leaving now."

After Shi Youchen left, he contacted Lu Quezhi on the way and learned that the other party had just received news of the mission upgrade, so the two agreed to meet after lunch and rush to City Z together.

As soon as Lu Quezhi hung up the call with Shi Youchen, his private intercom received another call.

"Your mission has not been completed yet. You know what to do next. Do your best." said the person on the other end.

Lu Quezhi lowered his head and said, "I will do my best."

...

After Shi Youchen left, Yan Zhiyuan hesitated for a long time before speaking to Lin Zhouze, "After Lu Quezhi's first test last time, we discussed the direction of his supernatural powers. Do you remember?"

"Of course I remember. You also asked me for his personal development direction document." Lin Zhouze blinked, not knowing why he suddenly asked this.

"I suspect his test results are wrong." Yan Zhiyuan pursed his lips and expressed his suspicion. "Theoretically, touch perception does not distinguish between the presence or absence of vital signs. His error rate is obviously abnormal."

"You mean he's not actually a tactile-sensing psychic." Lin Zhouze's tone didn't seem very surprised.

"Yes, there is a possibility, he..." Yan Zhiyuan hesitated to speak.

Lin Zhouze suddenly stood up and ran into the room, taking out a folder with a few pages of manuscripts inside.

After handing the manuscript to Yan Zhiyuan, he said proudly, "Last time we discussed this, I raised my doubts, but you insisted I was overthinking it. So, it seems I'm still better. Luckily, I already made another plan."

Yan Zhiyuan flipped through it, and when he saw the last sentence "Suspected direction of supernatural power: mind language", he felt that Lin Zhouze was indeed a genius in this area.

"Mind language? Are you talking about that rare and high-level perception ability?" He folded the manuscript and placed it on the coffee table.

"I have discussed this with experts from several other districts. The judgment of this ability is very strict. The person with the ability obtains absolutely correct information through contact with body parts, but the price is to forcibly transmit his own information back to the contacted person, so the contacted person must be alive." Lin Zhouze pointed his fingers one by one.

Yan Zhiyuan: "It's like the fusion of touch perception and advanced hearing."

Lin Zhouze: "Yes, from every aspect of analysis, he is closer to the heart language, rather than simple touch perception."

After a moment's thought, Yan Zhiyuan said, "When he returns from this mission, I will submit a request to modify his ability direction."

Lin Zhouze felt that his abilities were recognized once again and he was beaming with joy.

...

In Z City, Shi Youchen and Lu Quezhi came to the Public Security Bureau again. On the way, they received news that Ying Yungui was on a mission in another area and would take a day or two to come back.

"I'm sorry to bother you all again." The director felt a sudden relief when he saw that the aesthetic expert wasn't here this time. "As for follow-up matters, we've arranged for the leader of the previous action team and an investigation specialist to assist. Of course, the work will still be centered around you two."

Then a man and a woman walked in, and the man was the team leader I had met last time.

"Let me introduce you two first. This is the operations team leader Chen Yishen, and this is our agency's investigation specialist Zhao Si." As they said this, they bowed to Shi Youchen and Lu Quezhi to express their respect and gratitude to the people with special abilities.

"Next, the two of them will explain in detail the progress of yesterday's follow-up investigation." The director threw the words aside and became a hands-off boss.

Inside the Public Security Bureau's discussion room, Lu Quezhi and Chen Yishen sat on the same side, Shi Youchen across from them. Zhao Si had turned on the screen and was explaining what he had found.

"Based on the information Mr. Lu previously obtained, we investigated the social connections of Jiang E, the murderer of the previous incident.

Jiang E's social relationships were simple, with no close friends. Her workplace was the bar, and her phone contacts were all guests and colleagues. Her family included her adoptive father, Jiang Zhiwen, and her adoptive mother, Xu Li. Xu Li died of illness fifteen years ago, when Jiang E was four years old...

——

In the autumn of the 153rd year of the Chinese calendar, Jiang Zhiwen and Xu Li had just bought food for the next month at the market and were preparing to return home. As they turned down a small alley, they saw a box leaning against the wall. From within came the sound of a baby crying. Xu Li quickly put down her rice bag and walked over. Inside the box lay a baby wrapped in a small blanket, its face flushed red from the cold wind.

"Oh! Who left the child here? How heartless!" Xu Li immediately rubbed her hands, trying to warm her palms, then picked up the child and coaxed him.

The baby's crying became weaker as Xu Li held and comforted it.

At night, Xu Li pleaded with her husband: "Old Jiang, this baby is so pitiful. We picked her up and it was a good deed for us to pick her up, so just keep her." She was 31 years old and unable to have children. She had been wanting a child for so many years.

"If it were a boy, we could just raise him, but this is a girl. Raising her would be a waste of money!" Jiang Zhiwen disagreed. He and Xu Li had a relatively harmonious relationship, and even without children, they had always supported each other.

Xu Li couldn't bear it and shed tears: "I am in poor health and can't give birth to a child. We picked her up today. If we throw her away again, it will be a sin and we will go to hell." She was born weak and estimated that she would not live long. She also wanted someone to take care of her husband in the future.

Jiang Zhiwen watched his wife wipe away her tears, tilted his head, and sighed heavily. He thought for a long time and finally compromised: "Okay, then let's keep her."

The family of three lived a harmonious life, though not rich. However, fate played a trick on them. In the year 157 of the new calendar, Xu Li's health completely broke down and she did not survive that winter.

Since his wife's death, Jiang Zhiwen became more and more decadent. At first, he could still remember his adopted daughter Jiang E, and would occasionally tease her or take her out for a walk. Later, for some reason, he gradually became addicted to gambling. Not only did he spend all the family savings, but he also owed a lot of debts.

Jiang Zhiwen was caught red-handed by debt collectors who broke his leg and left him paralyzed at home. Jiang E was eight years old that year, and from then on, she spent her days washing clothes and cleaning for other people's homes, or running errands for them, hoping to earn a little rice and flour to feed her father and herself.

The days passed in agony. When Jiang E was 15, she became more and more beautiful. One night, Jiang Zhiwen called her to his bedside and asked her, "Xiao E, do you want your father to stand up?"

Jiang E nodded quickly when she heard this. "Then you have to make a lot of money and then hire a healing person to treat Dad, okay?" Jiang Zhiwen coaxed the girl.

Afterwards, Jiang E went to a street of entertainment venues. Before she came of age, she helped out in the shops. After she came of age, she started serving wine and making jokes...

——

After Zhao Si helped Jiang E wash off the heavy makeup on her face and put on a long coat, he heard her say in despair.

"That street is so bright at night, but my world is so dark."