Chapter 14
"Captain, these are the investigation results."
Ye Ting frowned as he looked at the documents in his hand. Xinyuan Company was originally an unknown small company, but in recent years it has developed rapidly and become a well-known enterprise in S City. The turning point came three years ago, and it is very likely that it had already begun cooperating with the Rose Church at that time.
They had initially thought the church was just a mob, but now it seemed the organization was far more powerful than they had imagined.
If he's not mistaken, the church is cultivating pollutants within the factory, and the factory workers are unknowingly being contaminated. Unfortunately, they don't yet know the true purpose of these people.
The good news is that Xiao Shengyun has finally awakened his talent, and a member who cannot be corrupted is exactly what we need right now.
With pollutant outbreaks becoming increasingly frequent lately, the officers in the operations department are doing the work of two people at once, conducting on-site investigations, fighting on the front lines, and writing reports after completing cases, resulting in widespread complaints and lamentations.
With one more person, he could sleep a few more minutes. Ye Ting clenched his fist inwardly. This time, he would never give the person to Zhou Zhi again, no matter what.
The man was still wearing that white lab coat, his face cold. He would glance at the data on the instruments from time to time and then write it down in his notebook.
Every time an Awakened One is born, the research institute will conduct a detailed examination on them. This is a trivial matter that Zhou Zhi shouldn't have to do, but for some reason, he still came in person.
It's truly rare to see someone still using such an "ancient" way of keeping track of things in this paperless era.
Xiao Shengyun sighed inwardly, and when he unexpectedly met Zhou Zhi's eyes, he hurriedly looked away.
Perhaps it was the lab coat that made the gaze, though seemingly devoid of emotion, feel like a thorn in one's back, as if one were about to be dragged onto the operating table at any moment.
"Congratulations on becoming an Awakened One. Now you need to register information related to your awakened talent, including its name, type, and effects. Currently, awakened talents are divided into different types, such as elemental, mental, physical enhancement, and mimicry, etc. However, these only apply to most Awakened Ones. There are some talents that cannot be categorized, and these will be listed separately in the system. If you are unsure, you can show your talent, and I will record it." Zhou Zhi explained briefly.
Oh no, Xiao Shengyun hadn't expected this step at all. He usually just kneaded and flattened his own source essence into the shape of a weapon and then attacked the opponent directly. He didn't have so many fancy skills.
After thinking for a moment, he opened his palm, and a thin thread appeared in his hand. The black thread then split open and became a fine net.
It was transformed from a dumpling; its body can transform into different forms. Xiao Shengyun only needs to feed it a small amount of source essence, and this little thing can hit wherever it's pointed.
What do you call his fighting style? Summoning style?
"This is my talent: I can directly attack enemies or trap them. Which category should I categorize it into?"
The dumpling sensed the scent of food and quietly moved towards Zhou Zhi's direction.
A shameful and conspicuous thing.
Just as Xiao Shengyun was about to put the thing away, Zhou Zhi gently touched it, and the black thread immediately wrapped around the other's wrist.
Xiao Shengyun: "..."
return.
The black line pretends to be dead and doesn't move.
Zhou Zhi stared suspiciously at the unidentified object on his wrist. Could this thing really be used for combat? Nevertheless, he made detailed notes.
[Combat Style: Can form an unidentified black substance that can transform into different forms for combat.]
Upload.
A red warning popped up: "Insufficient characters. Enter at least 300 characters."
Zhou Zhi: "..."
What a terrible system.
Then he remembered that he seemed to have helped design the system, and the word limit was to allow for a detailed understanding of various talents.
"Ahem, record the battle process here." Zhou Zhi deleted the line and handed over the computer.
Xiao Shengyun painfully grabbed his hair and finished writing 300 words. He opened the homepage and found that it was a database containing all the talents discovered so far.
"Isn't data entry something that shouldn't be within the research institute's management scope?"
"Because there is currently a research topic—whether the human capacity for awakening is related to the types of pollutants they are exposed to—this system was jointly developed by the General Administration and the Research Institute," Zhou Zhi explained.
Seeing the bewildered look in the eyes of the newcomer beside him, he patiently explained, "Currently, humanity has discovered the physical structures of different pollutants. The pollutant is a substance called Source Matter. This substance is incompatible with the human body. When Source Matter acts on the body's tissues and organs, the human mind and body will undergo mutations, turning them into mindless monsters. But some people are lucky; they have stronger resistance to Source Matter. Their bodies, which should have become deformed, undergo benign mutations, giving them various talents, or rather, superpowers. These people are called Awakened Ones."
“Using your talent and being exposed to pollutants can both cause an increase in the level of pollution in your body, so you need to inject antagonists and have regular check-ups every month. Once the level of pollution in your body exceeds 300, you have to report it.”
After Zhou Zhi finished speaking, he took out a box containing ten tubes of blue medicine and a disposable syringe.
"This medicine is too effective, too good," Xiao Shengyun thought sadly.
The amount of source energy absorbed from the venomous snake yesterday dropped rapidly, like someone who had been starving for a long time finally enjoying a delicious meal, only to be forced to vomit it all out the next second.
He clutched his stomach, looking pale, even though it wasn't a place where source matter was stored.
At the same time, Xiao Shengyun sadly discovered that due to the reduction of source essence, the fragrance of the person in front of him was even stronger.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" His reaction made Zhou Zhi a little flustered. Although the person in front of him had a zero contamination level, there was no guarantee that it would remain so in the future. So he wanted someone to try the medicine first, just in case any unexpected situations arose later.
His slightly raised tone gave him a touch of human life. Although Dean Zhou was like an emotionless machine most of the time, he would occasionally show some human expressions and gestures.
"No," Xiao Shengyun squeezed out two words through his teeth, "maybe my body hasn't fully recovered yet."
"That's good. If you experience any adverse reactions to the antagonist, you don't have to use it, as long as your body's levels remain within the normal range."
Next, work locations were assigned. Zhou Zhi gave a brief introduction to the basic information of the Action Department, the Research Institute, and the "Hospital".
"So, have you decided which team to join? Do you want to join at all—"
"Should we join the Operations Division?"
The door was pushed open with a powerful force, creaking and groaning. The sound was surprisingly strong, but once inside, the two people noticed Ye Ting's panda eyes, which looked exactly like a panda's, indicating that he had a sleepless night.
Xiao Shengyun sat on the hospital bed, watching the two men who were at loggerheads, and fell into deep thought.
"What, you want to steal people from the research institute?" Zhou Zhi said with a forced smile.
Currently, the government has established three agencies to handle contamination incidents: the Supernatural Abilities Bureau, the Research Institute, and the Hospital. The Bureau is responsible for on-the-ground investigation and handling of contamination incidents, the Hospital is responsible for monitoring and treating those affected by the contamination, and the Research Institute is responsible for researching the contamination incidents and providing drugs and weapons.
Of the three institutions, the Research Institute has the fewest Awakened individuals; after all, a brilliant mind and superhuman strength are hard to coexist. "Although there's no relevant literature to prove it, you can infer it by looking at the simple-minded, muscle-bound bunch in the Action Department," Director Zhou said.
Ye Ting almost got into another fight with him after he said that.
What Zhou Zhi valued wasn't Xiao Shengyun's abilities, but rather his special constitution that resisted pollution. Research work requires facing pollutants every day, which is like facing a radioactive nuclear reactor. Researchers simply cannot resist pollution, and many may experience mental derangement or physical mutations within just a few days.
Xiao Shengyun's physique is practically a natural-born genius for research.
This kid's talent is simply a powerful weapon in the fight against pollutants.
The two people standing by the bed stared intently at each other, neither willing to yield.
Which one do you want to choose?
Zhou Zhi and Ye Ting spoke in unison.
Can we choose neither?
Xiao Shengyun glanced at the one on the left, then at the one on the right. Very well, he couldn't afford to offend either of them.
Joining the Operations Division might guarantee a comfortable life with meals every day, but there's also the possibility of unexpected setbacks. Joining the Research Institute—well, that's the institution with the most thorough understanding of pollutants in all of humanity; what's the difference between that and throwing yourself to the wolves?
"I think I've heard of an institution related to pollutants called a 'hospital.' What kind of place is that?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the two big shots in front of them contorted their features and looked strange, as if they were recalling some unspeakable past events.
"Why would you go there? Even going to that godforsaken place like the research institute would be better than going to the hospital," Ye Ting slapped his thigh, heartbroken, and the next second he took an elbow strike from Dean Zhou.
"If you don't want to be subjected to mental pollution that is even more advanced than physical pollutants, it's best not to go."
Zhou Zhi's words were concise, but he offered no rebuttal.
Perhaps sensing Xiao Shengyun's hesitation, neither of them said anything more.
"We're a legitimate organization; we don't do things like forcing people into prostitution. If you join, be prepared to die. You know, leaving with a whole corpse in the operations department is a pretty good ending. Afterwards, our people will take over this case. Congratulations, you can go back to being an ordinary person." Ye Ting glossed over the matter casually.
"Wait, there's still one suspicious point about this."
Xiao Shengyun had always had a question: their journey into the third workshop was too smooth.
It was originally just an investigation, but judging from the reaction of the church members, the pool of pollutants was undoubtedly very important to them.
Who just leaves their precious items lying around without even locking the door?
The fact that no one stopped them along the way, and that they entered the building without any hindrance, was rather strange.
“And look,” Xiao Shengyun opened his phone, which displayed a text message from the company, as he hadn’t called Carter to inquire about it today.
After all that commotion last night, they actually cared that he didn't come to work. What kind of benevolent capitalist is this?
“Although Lao Yu and I hand over shifts privately, there are surveillance cameras in the office, so it would be easy to find out who broke into the warehouse last night. Also, the access control system at the entrance malfunctioned last night, which means…”
"Someone is luring you into a trap."
This speculation sent chills down everyone's spines.
Just when they thought the investigation was finally showing promise, they discovered that another pair of eyes were watching them from behind, and that the entire investigation process was being orchestrated.
"Could it be someone from the church?" Ye Ting wondered.
“Not necessarily,” Zhou Zhi shook his head. “That’s short-sighted. You have to understand that the forces formed by the polluters are not limited to just one.”
In recent years, pollution incidents have occurred frequently. Dealing with these alone has taken up almost 70% of the Bureau's combat power. In addition, they are also responsible for dealing with polluters, comforting their families, evacuating the masses, etc. The other two units only care about their own work, leaving the Bureau to handle everything related to "pollution".
This means that the General Administration can only do the work in the open, and has no time to deal with the rats in the shadows.
"Perhaps they are enemies of the Rose Church, wanting us to discover their clandestine work so they can use the Supernatural Abode to eliminate them," Xiao Shengyun speculated.
“That’s possible.” Ye Ting nodded. “Since they’ve already told you to go back, why don’t you stay a few more days and gather some intelligence while you’re at it?”
Xiao Shengyun's eyes widened. This is what a capitalist is!
"No, is this appropriate? Your rule is to protect the people with all your might, so why are you pushing me out one after another? Aren't I just an ordinary citizen who needs protection?" He pointed to himself; he was just a kid who had just turned twenty.
Because it works well for you.
"Cough," Ye Ting covered his lips with his hand. "I'm sorry, but you are now no longer an ordinary citizen and have officially become a registered Awakened One. With great power comes great responsibility."
Although many awakened individuals did not join the Bureau of Supernatural Abilities, each one can be considered a reserve candidate. When a shadow looms over all of humanity, no one can remain unaffected.
After discussing the follow-up work, the two got up to say goodbye. Before leaving, Zhou Zhi left a message saying, "If you change your mind, you can contact me anytime."
Dean Zhou continued his relentless efforts to poach talent.
The ward fell silent, save for the howling wind outside the window. Darkness had fallen, foreshadowing an impending downpour.
"There's no escaping it."
Xiao Shengyun looked out the window, his mind a jumble of emotions.
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