Chapter 24
"This world is truly amazing. Just the day before yesterday, there were people criticizing Nannan online, but today many people are praising her."
Today is Saturday, and Chen Nan finally has a rare day off. On her first real holiday, she naturally returned home.
Not long after she went upstairs, Xue Qiaoqiao sat on the sofa and brought her a plate of grapes, and said this.
"Are you talking about the post on the internet yesterday about Nan Nan strangling that domestic abuser?"
It was 10 a.m., the time when the girls had just gotten up. Xue Qiaoqiao had just finished speaking when Liu Lan, who had just come out of another bedroom, quickly chimed in.
"No! It's—"
Xue Qiaoqiao immediately shook her head in denial, but before she could finish speaking, Zhu Ling, who came out of another bedroom in her pajamas, quickly said, "Sister Qiao, are you talking about Nannan rescuing the little girls yesterday? Those little girls posted about it online after they got back. Then the story went viral online, and this time everyone saw how amazing Nannan is, so everyone is praising her online."
"These people are just bored and have nothing better to do. There are so many superhumans in the country, yet they only focus on Nan Nan. But to be honest, Nan Nan, don't you have a bit of a media magnet quality? Otherwise, how come your story attracts so much attention when it's posted online? If we had that kind of magnet quality, we would have made a fortune long ago."
Chen Dong not only takes care of the girls' accommodation and safety, but also their three meals a day.
Most of the time, he would order takeout for everyone. But occasionally, he would cook for them himself, and sometimes he would even ask a familiar part-time housekeeper to come and cook for them.
Chen Nan came over today; she had called ahead of time. So now, it's become Chen Dong making brunch for everyone again, which is quite rare for him.
He was on the sofa talking about how Chen Nan might have a natural ability to attract attention, and Chen Nan's immediate reaction was to shake her head: "No, right now it's just that my identity is a bit sensitive, and people have seen a lot of reports about me, so naturally they remember me. The more people remember me, the more people search for me online and criticize me, and then you feel like I have a little bit of an ability to attract attention. But actually, it's just an illusion. In the future, when a particularly handsome police officer with superpowers appears online or some novel case comes up, people will naturally stop paying attention to me."
"That's true. There was a female traffic police officer from another province who was exceptionally beautiful, and she was the subject of much discussion and attention."
"There was also a male detective, the one who picked up a girl and fled during a mission. He seemed to become quite famous back then."
"Sigh, now that you mention it, it seems like there are a lot of famous traffic police, criminal police, and police officers in our country these days. I even think there was a particularly good-looking firefighter last year."
"That's right, that's right, it seems like it was popular for a while, whether they were ordinary police officers or police officers with superpowers."
As soon as Chen Nan finished speaking, the girls sitting on the sofa couldn't help but start talking about the famous police officers from these countries.
"These are all things the country deliberately promotes. If their heroic figures weren't showcased online, would so many young people join the army? You only see that their initial fame might have been accidental, but after they became famous, their information was immediately deleted, and the public wasn't allowed to continue discussing them. They also let things develop, allowing the public to learn about and continue discussing them. Ultimately, these decisions are made by the country. If the country feels that you might be a good example, and you're willing, you might become their living advertisement for recruiting soldiers and military academy students."
While the group was discussing, Chen Dong, who was in charge of cooking, brought over a lot of food. As the only one among them who had actually worked at a legitimate influencer company, he immediately cleared up all of Chen Nan's doubts with just a few words.
"That seems to be the case, bro, you're amazing!"
Seeing that he had started serving the food, everyone got up and went to the kitchen to fetch plates and bowls. Chen Nan didn't hesitate at all and immediately praised him.
"Of course, that's what I studied. You might find these things a little confusing and uncertain, but for me, a professional, they're crystal clear. Anyway, if our Nannan seizes this opportunity, she might become a big celebrity or a future big shot."
Everyone present was considered one of their own, so when the last plate of braised prawns was brought over, Chen Dong didn't hold back and said casually.
"Yeah, maybe Nannan can take this opportunity to become a great online celebrity police officer!"
"Yes, that way Nannan will truly have both fame and fortune."
"Yes, yes, Nannan, our future depends on you. You don't know, ever since you came here, the number of people harassing us in the neighborhood has decreased significantly. Even the police who used to come and check our ID cards are noticeably more polite to us now. Anyway, no matter what, Nannan, you have to do a good job."
The deeper meaning behind Chen Dong's words was not truly understood by the young girls, whose average age was no more than twenty-three.
Chen Nan nodded, pretending not to notice his expectation. But deep down, Chen Nan was actually enjoying her current life very much. At least for now, she genuinely felt that this job, where she could help people every day, was really good.
Chen Nan spent the entire day at her brother's small house. They enjoyed the delicious food and fruit her brother had prepared, chatted about their lives, and then had a hot pot early in the afternoon, which finished off all the various hot pot ingredients and meatballs that Chen Nan had brought. Finally, Chen Nan said goodbye to them.
When Chen Nan left, it was close to 5 p.m., and soon it would be time for the girls to do their live stream that night. So Chen Dong and the others didn't try to keep Chen Nan any longer.
As for letting Chen Nan, a girl, leave, since it wasn't completely dark yet, and Chen Nan was now a person with superpowers, her physical abilities were completely different from theirs, so no one was worried at all.
The truth is, just as everyone suspected, because of the clothes she was wearing and her identity as a superhuman, Chen Nan didn't feel the fear she used to have when she left their old neighborhood.
Chen Dong's location is within the city's fourth ring road, while Chen Nan's workplace is near the third ring road.
This distance meant that she couldn't possibly walk back directly.
As Chen Nan left the residential area, pondering whether she should take a taxi or a bus, she suddenly heard a long car horn sound from the left side of the area.
Chen Nan subconsciously turned her head and immediately saw the familiar car and the familiar person sitting in the driver's seat.
"Master, what brings you here?"
Upon seeing the other person, Chen Nan was initially surprised, but then smiled and immediately ran over.
“You haven’t come back all day, and I’m a little worried.”
The real reason was that Chen Nan hadn't been around all day, and Tang Ke had been in a state of anxiety and depression. A few days ago, even without Chen Nan, Tang Ke could still play ball and chat with others during training. But back then, he could see Chen Nan at least twice a day and have a meal or two with her.
But from today onwards, he has not seen Chen Nan since he opened his eyes.
When Chen Nan was out of sight, all his senses seemed to return to their previous state.
He didn't want to have contact with any other superhumans, or even ordinary police officers; he felt uncomfortable being around them.
The inexplicable physical rejection experienced by those with superpowers often baffled Tang Ke. But no matter how he resisted, he couldn't defy his body's instincts. The stronger his superpower, the more intense his physical reaction became.
So at this moment, when Chen Nan opened the car door and got in, Tang Ke's reaction was different from usual. He gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands, leaned his head down on it, and gasped for breath. It was like a fish out of oxygen finally getting some, or a person about to suffocate getting some air.
Is it really that exaggerated?
Having become a superhuman, Chen Nan gradually learns about things that are not found in books or online through contact with other superhuman police officers, as well as snippets of conversation and internal documents from everyone in the new system.
Chen Nan, for example, is already aware of this peculiar genetic rejection within the world of superpowered individuals. She also knows that after a period of carefree enjoyment, most superpowered individuals eventually develop psychological problems, are assigned to the headquarters of the Superpower Institute, or apply for a transfer to the headquarters themselves to handle frontline tasks, and eventually find a superpowered partner they don't reject.
An anonymous forum among newcomers stated that if a person with superpowers develops psychological problems, it's similar to a normal person suffering from severe depression. They might experience insomnia, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, social withdrawal, and aversion to contact with others. In severe cases, they might even feel they can't bear it anymore and choose to end their own life.
Chen Nan has always maintained a skeptical attitude towards those contents.
Because in her eyes, Tang Ke had always been rational and normal. Sometimes, he even seemed a little distant and indifferent towards her, not at all as serious as the anonymous forum had described.
As for herself, she felt nothing unusual at all, whether she was dealing with other superhumans at the institute or ordinary people like her brother.
Therefore, Chen Nan believed that the claims circulating online were somewhat alarmist. They might be using the guise of teaching children with superpowers to pursue some unspeakable, sordid motives.
But at this moment, Chen Nan could clearly see Tang Ke slumped over the steering wheel, gripping it tightly, breathing heavily and panting.
Even through the afterglow of the setting sun, Chen Nan could see the obvious beads of sweat trickling down his buzz cut.
The forum says that the inexplicable physical reactions that superhumans develop in the later stages are likely post-traumatic stress disorder.
Some say this is an unfortunate gift God bestows upon every person with superpowers. God gives them enviable superpowers, and naturally, He also bestows upon them a minor flaw.
Some people on that forum said that the so-called genetic rejection was actually just that the superhuman soldiers who came down from the battlefield and the front lines were all depressed. After all, these people were out killing cockroach monsters and newly mutated ordinary people every day, dealing with those special cases that drove them crazy. How could they not be depressed after seeing so much of that? How could they not be repulsed by other superhumans or ordinary people?
The so-called theory of genetic exclusion of superhumans is a theory that gradually emerged almost 30 or 40 years after the existence of superhumans in this world.
At that time, there were too many superhuman soldiers who suddenly committed suicide or collapsed on the front lines. The country had to take this seriously and assign many professional scientists to focus on studying these cases.
The final conclusion was that people with superpowers are naturally sensitive and have an innate gene for rejection.
Regarding this statement, some people in the supernatural abilities community, the military, and the medical community agree. However, others simply feel it's just depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. They think those scientists are just bored and have come to this inexplicable conclusion themselves.
But whatever the reason for their rejection and discomfort, Tang Ke's current appearance—breathing heavily and trembling slightly like a fish thrown on the beach—truly caught Chen Nan's attention.
She didn't have any so-called superpowered attachment to Tang Ke, and Tang Ke's feelings for her were just so-so, something Chen Nan could usually sense herself.
But looking at this man who was suddenly in pain, Chen Nan still felt a little pity.
After a slight hesitation, she slowly reached out her hand.
Almost as soon as she reached out, Tang Ke, who had been lying down next to her, suddenly grabbed her hand.
He didn't look up at that moment, but instead held Chen Nan's right hand tightly with his left hand.
"Tang Ke, tell me about the situation at the border."
After a long silence, seeing that the other person seemed much better, with the slight trembling no longer noticeable, Chen Nan felt a little embarrassed. She withdrew her right hand first and asked the question.
"There, most of the vegetation has been burned down, and many buildings are located in the desert and Gobi. There are illegal immigrants from abroad, infected people from other countries who have been driven out, and other infected animals. No, it's not just cockroach monsters; it seems like all the creatures there are infected. There are extremely large wild dogs and cats, crows and eagles whose bites can be fatal. Sometimes you even have to be careful of spiders and rats. Sunflower Planet has been releasing all sorts of infected animals at its borders. Cockroach monsters, virus-carrying sparrows and rats—they release anything you can think of. Of course, the most numerous are the flying cockroach monsters."
Sometimes, they'll send in air troops too. Anyway, you have to be vigilant at all times in that area. If you notice anything amiss with anyone or any teammate, you have to kill them immediately. Because if you don't kill them quickly, you might be the next one killed. We've tried our best. There's so much complaining online about feeling stifled and miserable, but once you get out here, you'll realize how safe the capital is. Chen Nan, if possible, I hope you never leave here, and stay in the safe zone forever.
Tang Ke, who had never spoken much to Chen Nan before, leaned on the steering wheel and suddenly started talking to Chen Nan at length.
"..."
Chen Nan remained silent and did not respond further. It wasn't that she didn't believe what the other person was saying; she simply didn't know what to say.
When she read the novel, she just felt that all the settings were a mess. At that time, what she was most interested in was the strange and bizarre erotic settings in that particular erotic story.
Who could have imagined that such a world would actually come true?
Sometimes, Chen Nan also wants to treat everything as fake and live her life like a game.
But all her sensations in this world are real. In this world, she feels uncomfortable when she is hungry. She feels scalded when she touches hot water, and she can't help but shiver when she occasionally takes a shower in cold water.
In this world, when her brother looked at her, Chen Nan could feel a magical sensation, a mixture of anticipation, warmth, and reluctance.
And everyone she's met recently, they're all real.
Tang Ke, who was beside her, was calm and rational, but sometimes Chen Nan could also sense his vulnerability and restraint.
And then there are Captain He and Yu Guangyuan, who have been with her every day lately. They are also living, breathing people with families and flesh and blood. Captain He thinks every day about minimizing supernatural events around him, while Yu Guangyuan seems to envy those with supernatural abilities. But like everyone else, considering the terrifyingly high conversion rate of supernatural abilities, he still dutifully puts on his protective suit every time he goes out on a mission. He's afraid that if he's not careful, he might inexplicably get infected.
And then there were the three blond-haired boys she dealt with a few days ago; they were all their parents' precious children. When she spoke with Chen Nan, their parents also expressed their uncertainty about their children's future. Those three young men, who weren't very old, seemed a bit dazed and confused, and appeared to show some embarrassment, awkwardness, and guilt.
Everything here is so real, yet so absurd.
Looking at Tang Ke beside her, quietly describing the situation outside, Chen Nan couldn't tell her that when the so-called safety net and boundaries outside were completely broken, it wouldn't be a matter of whether she wanted to go out or not; rather, reality would force them to leave.
"It's alright, Master. Everything will be alright. Let's take it slow. No matter what, we have to live."
No one wants to die, and in the end, that was all Chen Nan could say to comfort him.
"Yes, I've talked to you too much today. Let's go, I'll take you back to the station now. Two new colleagues transferred here today, and the station chief said he's going to throw them a welcome dinner. One is Team Leader Xie, whom you know, and the other is his new female apprentice. She's about your age, you'll definitely be happy to see her."
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