Out of tune (11)
As the girl looked up, Shi Yu was also watching her, and the two of them laughed at the same time.
Shi Yu knew this was a signal that he didn't want him to ask any more questions, so he didn't continue the conversation.
The tacit understanding between him and Shu Ningmiao lies in the fact that no matter how beautifully words are cloaked, they can understand each other's subconscious meaning.
He leaned over and lifted a stray strand of hair from the side of her face, a smile spreading from the corner of his lips to the depths of his eyes: "Perhaps I should be complaining about our teacher more; your volunteer work hours have increased again lately?"
Shu Ningmiao couldn't refute this; having taken Weston's things, she naturally had to do the work.
Shu Ningmiao gently pushed his chest to signal him not to block the window. Looking out the window again, she saw that Su Ni and Shu's father had already left. It seemed that Shu's father couldn't bear the embarrassment of being in public.
Have you seen this before?
She opened her hand, and in her palm lay the "Life Symbol" she had received from Miss Yang. The small pendant lay in her hand like a thin thread of a huge spider web that had fallen into her palm. She couldn't figure it out for a moment and wanted to hear Shi Yu's thoughts.
Shi Yu's slender fingers pressed against the edge of the window, and he turned his head to the side: "These belong to Miss Yang?"
Shu Ningmiao was wearing a formal dress and didn't carry a bag. He quickly guessed the origin of the object in her hand, without showing any surprise: "The symbol of Prometheus. This organization seems to be getting bolder and bolder."
Prometheus had his own version of events regarding ordinary nobles who did not awaken supernatural abilities.
Although Prometheus's aim was to oppose Pandora, the upper-class individuals who joined him were only concerned with whether Prometheus could change the current privileged treatment of those with superpowers—because they did not enjoy such privileges.
Shu Ningmiao put away the life talisman in her hand: "Isn't the Public Security Bureau going to do anything about them?"
“The police can only turn a blind eye to them.” Shi Yu shrugged. “There are different factions within Prometheus, and some people act more radically, but we can’t arrest everyone for that, as that would infringe on citizens’ rights.”
The United Parliament is essentially controlled by capital and doesn't have that much power. Pinheis's upper echelons are also divided into awakened superpowered individuals and unawakened ordinary people. For example, her and Shi Yu's views would definitely not be the same as those of Miss Yang, who is not awakened.
Moreover, major events in Pines are usually handed over to the military. Prometheus caused such a huge mess, yet he is still under the jurisdiction of the security bureau. Shu Ningmiao guessed that the military had other more important plans recently, such as war.
The police department is inherently less capable than the military, leaning more towards intelligence and less efficient at handling matters.
Rather than waiting for the police to deal with Prometheus and find Achini, she might as well go find him herself.
Her terminal contained a number she had obtained from Miss Yang; it was the group number for a chat group, which consisted of students from Cornunus University who had joined Prometheus.
The arrogant students stirred up emotions inside, insulting the awakened superhumans and complaining about society. The real Prometheus members were mixed in with them, and Shu Ningmiao could not distinguish them from the hundreds of students.
These groups won't reveal crucial information about the organization, so you'll have to look for other leads.
Because the Heart Stone was exceptionally useful, Shu Ningmiao had recently become more attentive to Weston. Weston scoffed at this change in attitude, which was clearly driven by ulterior motives, but did not utter a word of mockery.
Shu Ningmiao's flattery was as frank as if she were making a transaction, requiring almost no buffer time. The day after she got the Heart Stone, she went from avoiding him to greeting him respectfully. When grading papers, she even used Pandora to control the teapot to pour him water.
"...Which restaurant are you planning to work as a waiter at?" Weston looked at the teacup that had inexplicably become full again. "Your new tricks can be used in more meaningful ways. You don't need to show off like a peacock. Go and get the sixth book from the left on the third row of the second bookshelf."
Shu Ningmiao didn't get up. A book floated out of thin air from the bookshelf behind Weston and flew into her hand with a whoosh. She placed the book in front of Weston, paused for a moment, and said, "You're welcome. It's just a little trick."
Weston scoffed dismissively, seemingly too lazy to pay her any attention.
She glanced at the book's cover; the title was a long string of complex code that seemed to be related to genes.
Come to think of it, she seemed to have never seen Weston preparing lessons in his office, nor had she ever seen him look at anything related to the courses he taught.
Every time he stayed in the office, he would look at some brick-sized books covered with book covers, as if he were just a foreman supervising her grading homework.
Seeing the title of the book, Shu Ningmiao guessed that he was actually quite bothered by being fired from the research center and was still thinking about how to return to the research center.
“You’d better stop thinking bad things.” Weston seemed to read her expression and waved his hand impatiently. “Give this to Yelüqi.”
Shu Ningmiao followed his instructions, opened the drawer, and took out an opaque glass bottle. When shaken, a clanging sound could be heard, and it seemed to contain hard, granular objects.
Yelüqi's office was right next door, separated from Weston's office only by the former principal's office door that couldn't be opened. When Shu Ningmiao passed by, she wanted to try opening that door, but there were teachers all around, and she couldn't cause trouble in front of others, so she had to give up in frustration.
Before she even knocked, she heard a muffled cough that seemed to travel through the air and through the heavy door, making it clear how loud it was. The sound was so loud, as if the lungs were about to be coughed out of the throat, that it sent chills down her spine.
Shu Ningmiao paused before knocking, waiting for the coughing inside to subside before knocking. Yeluqi quickly replied, "Come in."
Yeluqi sat upright in her office, showing no trace of the agony she had just experienced from coughing. She placed the small bottle Weston had given her on her desk and explained her purpose.
His expression changed slightly for a moment, then returned to normal, and he put the bottle into the drawer.
Shu Ningmiao pretended not to see anything, said a few words to him casually, and then left, but she kept thinking about this matter.
What exactly is wrong with Yelüqi's body...? What did Weston give him?
No one could answer this question for her. Shu Changyan's explanation was vague, and even among the operatives, it was unclear; Weston wouldn't answer her even if he asked; and the others in the school couldn't tell at all, given how robust Yelüqi's body appeared.
She guessed at some related illnesses, but eventually ruled out all possibilities, until the day Yelüqi actually collapsed in front of her.
Without any warning, just a second ago Yelüqi was urging them to train to control the water sphere through the iron ring using Pandora.
You An was punished by Ye Luqi to run eight laps for smashing eight water balloons. The boy didn't care and ran while making faces and calling on others to run with him.
More than half of the semester had passed, and the students in the class had gradually become familiar with each other. You An's lively personality made him very popular in the class, and many classmates stood at the edge of the training field cheering him on.
The relaxed atmosphere was largely due to Yelüqi's good temper; they wouldn't dare to act like this in Weston's class.
Yelü Qi had a stern face, but a faint smile appeared in his eyes. Shu Ningmiao finished stretching and took the water that Shi Yu handed her. Ever since the first physical education class, Shi Yu had bought her water for every class. Perhaps he had gotten new inspiration from You An to perfect his image.
“Next day off I…” Shu Ningmiao turned her head, the words she wanted to say stopped abruptly. Her gaze went through Shi Yu’s back and she watched as Yelü Qi’s body swayed and gradually tilted.
Before anyone else noticed, Shu Ningmiao's heart suddenly skipped a beat at this almost imperceptible sign.
She casually shoved the water into Shi Yu's hand and strode towards Yelü Qi. Before she even got close, she saw the man kneel down with a "thud" and collapse like a giant mountain.
Yelü Qi pressed his hand to the ground, trying to stand up. After barely managing to stand, he couldn't support his weight and his body slumped to the ground. Shu Ningmiao's mind wandered for a moment, then she put on an angry state and quickly helped Yelü Qi up.
Yelü Qi stared blankly at her, his eyes seemingly clouded, making it impossible to see clearly. Several classmates had already noticed the commotion and gathered around with concern.
"Is the teacher too tired?" You An had already run eight laps and came over without being out of breath or red in the face, asking curiously.
"Why don't you help the teacher back to the dormitory first?" someone suggested to You An. "Or take the teacher to the infirmary."
You An nodded obediently and reached out to Shu Ningmiao: "Let me help you, teacher?"
Shu Ningmiao grabbed Yeluqi's arm and shook her head slightly. Yeluqi's entire weight was pressing on her hand, which was greater than the weight of several adults stacked together. You An was not a strength-enhancing ability user, so she couldn't lift him at all.
Is it because Yelüqi no longer has any strength to control his body?
She had a growing sense that Yelüqi's condition might be far more serious than she had imagined.
"No need, you guys go first, get out of class is over." Yelü Qi struggled to open his eyes, uttering the words with difficulty. Everything in his vision was shaking violently and turning black.
He pushed Shu Ningmiao's hand away, gasped for breath, staggered forward a few steps, and then his knees thudded heavily to the ground. You An hurriedly reached out to help him up, but couldn't.
Shu Ningmiao grabbed his arm again. Yelü Qi looked up at her, his pupils rapidly contracting and then dilating. His throat tightened, and he suddenly spat out a large amount of blood. Then, he lost his strength and drooped his head.
Blood splattered on her arm, and Shu Ningmiao's mind went blank, all her thoughts becoming a jumbled mess.
Bright red, pungent blood seeped into the white sand on the ground, accompanied by a pungent odor. Yet Yelüqi coughed again, the liquid in his mouth not stopping, but gradually becoming turbid.
Her expression was blank, her hands supporting his kneeling body without moving, watching as the red blood foam in his nose and throat turned into large gushes of thick black liquid.
The pool of thick, black liquid spilled into a shallow pit on the ground with a splat, covering the original bloodstains.
The cold, fishy liquid soaked her hands, giving her a dizzying, unreal feeling.
Shu Ningmiao's mind went blank for a moment, and her voice seemed to come from someone else's mouth: "...Contact the medical center."
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