“I am Yue Shi.”
Yue Shi’s voice was calm and steady. He still didn’t fully understand the current situation, but from Ling Xun’s questions, he vaguely sensed a pattern.
Ling Xun looked down at the test paper in his hand. The first question was a basic identity confirmation, followed by a second: “What is your Investigation Bureau employee ID?”
“X-012,” Yue Shi answered without hesitation.
“What is the name of the teammate you went on field missions with?” This was a verification of recent memory and interpersonal relationships.
“Bai Wanyang.”
“Please provide the answer to the following math problem within one minute: Find the traveling wave solution for u_t + uu_x = vu_xx, where v > 0 is a constant.” This was a non-linear partial differential equation.
Yue Shi’s eyes widened instantly. After a moment of bewilderment, he uttered two words: “I can’t.”
“One last question.” Ling Xun’s voice grew slightly heavier. “What is an investigator’s primary code of conduct when facing a supernatural incident?”
“Remain calm, assess the threat, prioritize self-preservation, report in a timely manner, and attempt to neutralize or contain the threat within one’s capabilities.” Yue Shi fluently recited the first article of the 《Investigator’s Handbook》.
The questioning ended.
Ling Xun nodded to a technician holding a tablet next to him. The technician performed a few operations, and an inconspicuous hole opened on the isolation gate, extending a shimmering probe.
The probe scanned Yue Shi’s entire body inside the gate. A few seconds later, the technician looked at the green indicator light on the supernatural detector and gave Ling Xun an “OK” gesture.
Ling Xun’s tense shoulders finally relaxed. He spoke into his communicator to give the order: “Lift the A-rank lockdown on the staff dormitory building.”
The heavy alloy gate slowly rose to the hiss of hydraulic systems, and Yue Shi stepped out from within.
Ling Xun immediately noticed Yue Shi’s long hair, but he didn’t say much, his face carrying an apologetic look. “Sorry about that. That whole process was a direct order from Director Tang. I was just following instructions. As for why... she didn’t tell me.”
He shrugged, indicating he was completely in the dark, though he could sense that this matter was likely very serious.
Ling Xun continued, “The Director instructed that if you passed the test, you were to go to her office immediately. She has something to say to you.”
Yue Shi nodded, the wariness in his eyes receding slightly. He had considered the worst-case scenario and had been prepared to force his way out. Now it seemed the isolation wasn’t a malicious act targeting him, but rather for a deeper reason.
“By the way, the fourth math question you asked... I didn’t answer it. Will that have any impact?”
“Oh, not being able to answer it is what makes you qualified,” Ling Xun said with a hint of amusement.
“With no paper, pen, or calculation tools, if you could solve a high-level math problem in a minute using only mental arithmetic, you would be far too abnormal.”
“I see.” Yue Shi understood.
A normal person suddenly becoming insane or stupid was a problem;
A normal person suddenly becoming a super-brain was also a problem.
The gate rose completely, and the isolation was fully lifted.
As Yue Shi stepped out of the staff dormitory’s restricted zone, a figure quickly hurried toward him.
“Brother, are you okay? What happened here?” Bai Wanyang’s face was full of curiosity and concern, his gaze then landing on the long hair fluttering behind Yue Shi’s back.
When the alarm sounded, Bai Wanyang had been sitting at his desk looking through case files. Realizing the alarm was coming from the direction of the staff dormitory, he had rushed over to check, only to be stopped at the perimeter by security personnel.
Seeing Yue Shi unharmed now, he breathed a sigh of relief, but his mind was full of questions.
Yue Shi shook his head, equally puzzled. “I’m not sure. I was locked in as soon as I woke up. It should be fine now.”
He patted Bai Wanyang on the shoulder. “The Director wants to see me, so I have to go. We’ll talk later.”
“Oh... okay. Go ahead then, don’t keep her waiting,” Bai Wanyang said quickly.
Yue Shi said no more and turned toward the Director's Office. Surely Director Tang would be able to answer some of the questions regarding today’s strange events.
Standing before the office door, Yue Shi raised his hand and knocked three times.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
“Come in,” Director Tang’s voice came from inside, gentle yet carrying an undeniable authority.
The moment he pushed the door open, an almost imperceptible golden vertical mark flickered on Yue Shi’s brow as Insight stood ready.
He really wanted to see Tang Zhuhe’s true colors. This director had always been very mysterious, and so far, no one knew what kind of supernatural power she possessed.
Even darker thoughts sprouted in the depths of Yue Shi’s heart. He considered using Feedback to turn the director into his mystical scion. If he succeeded, the entire Amber City Investigation Bureau would be in the palm of his hand.
However, all such delusions vanished in the vision of Anticipation.
In the future one second from now, there was no combat and no death—only a soul-shaking, extreme sense of crisis that surged toward him. And that was merely the consequence of using Insight to observe Director Tang.
He couldn’t imagine what kind of backlash he would face if he used Feedback to provoke such a powerhouse!
The golden vertical mark on his brow flickered once and was instantly extinguished. Yue Shi stepped into the office with a normal expression, as if those dark thoughts had never existed.
“Have a seat.” Director Tang sat behind her large desk, her finger tapping the sofa opposite her. She was as intellectual and elegant as when they first met, her entire being radiating the calm of someone who held absolute power.
Yue Shi sat down directly, his gaze meeting hers calmly. But before he could speak, Director Tang spoke first.
“I’m sure you have many questions. You may ask whatever you like now.”
“Why was I isolated in the staff dormitory?” Yue Shi asked bluntly.
“Precautionary measure.” Tang Zhuhe crossed her fingers on the desk, her voice as steady as if they were discussing the weather. “Transcendents who fail their Rank 3 advancement have two outcomes—becoming a supernatural creature or falling into madness. In either case, pre-emptive isolation minimizes the harm.”
“Rank 3...” Yue Shi repeated in a low voice, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the armrest of the sofa. “So my previous strange state was...?”
“The advancement process,” Tang Zhuhe nodded. “You succeeded. Now, you are a standard Rank 3 transcendent.”
The office fell into a brief silence. Outside the window, a crow flew past the treetops and quickly vanished.
Yue Shi suddenly leaned forward, his expression serious. “Why do transcendents who fail to break through to Rank 3 go mad or mutate instead of reverting to Rank 2? And why does the Investigation Bureau publicize the standards for Rank 1 and Rank 2, while keeping information about Rank 3 and above secret?”
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