Because the story was somewhat long, Lian Muyun ended up mooching a lunch off Xin Ye. It was Xin Ye’s treat.
After arriving at the research institute, Lian Muyun had been assigned to a dormitory with several other espers who had awakened around the same time. The group was a mix of men, women, the elderly, and children, but they all received the same directive: participate in the esper screening the following morning.
The format of this screening was not unfamiliar to Xin Ye; it was essentially the same as the branch’s preliminary trials, though the venue had been an artificial mutant breeding ground.
"Just like the preliminaries, that final screening shifted from fighting mutants to espers slaughtering one another," Lian Muyun said as he pulled Xin Ye toward a corner of the cafeteria and set down his tray. "I was such a noob back then. Even with a real gun, I was just spraying bullets like it was a water toy. Eventually, I got caught. Guess who saved me?"
Who else could it be?
Xin Ye answered instantly, "Xing Yue."
"Bingo. Our very own Yue-jie," Lian Muyun noted that Xin Ye hadn't picked up his chopsticks yet, so he reached over and dropped a piece of synthetic shrimp—mostly plant-based—onto Xin Ye’s plate. "She didn't save me out of childhood friendship, though. My dad had pulled some strings. The higher-ups figured my ability was too useful to let go to waste, so they instructed Xing Yue to fish me out if things got dire."
"But the way she 'fished' me out was so cool I’ll never forget it."
"The esper who caught me was an old man. His ability was controlling sand and dust. I couldn't aim because the sand was stinging my eyes, and while I was hesitating, he grabbed me by the throat. Man, I really thought I was a goner!"
Lian Muyun smiled and winked at Xin Ye. "But in the end, it wasn't my throat that snapped. It was the old man's."
"Yue-jie’s Endless Silk clean-cut the man’s neck. Then she dragged me back, since I was too terrified to even walk."
Lian Muyun didn't seem to mind discussing his embarrassing past at all. Xin Ye lifted the piece of shrimp to his lips, feeling a bit hesitant about whether it was appropriate to eat during such a conversation.
Then he ate it anyway.
"Once we passed the first screening, the formal training began. I didn't see Yue-jie again until class. She was the teaching assistant for the Ability Mastery course. The instructor said her compatibility with the Endless Silk was off the charts. After class, I originally wanted to ask her about some things I didn't understand, but she pulled me into a corner and whispered for me to run."
At this point, Lian Muyun’s voice dropped to a low murmur.
In the stark white cafeteria, other headquarters employees kept their heads down as they ate. Everyone seemed to be trying to minimize their presence, making the entire space eerily silent.
"Yue-jie said that if I stayed at the institute, I’d become part of the first batch of experimental tools sent out on missions. She said the mortality rate during mutant culling was as high as ninety percent. I was scared, but I was worried about her too, so I asked if she’d come with me."
"She refused. She said she couldn't escape."
"Later, I contacted my parents. They found a way to get me out, but they said they were powerless to help Xing Yue. Eventually, it seems Leng Xianye managed to get her out. We all trained together, ended up at the Seventh Branch, met you, and then Qiuqiu." His story finished, Lian Muyun picked up his bowl and took a sip of soup to clear his throat. "Any other details you want to know?"
Xin Ye sat in silence for a moment, his chopsticks still in his mouth, before asking Xun Yin in his mind: *Why have I never heard the three of them mention this before? Is our team's friendship really that superficial?*
【Sorry, it’s not your fault. This part didn't pass the censorship review back then,】 replied Xun Yin, who was usually prompt but had taken a while to respond this time. 【The main text only mentioned that Leng Xianye rescued Xing Yue from the initial training. After all, if you need a reason for a romance plot between the leads, that's enough.】
"I see... Hm? Your voice sounds weird today. Do you have a cold?"
Even though Xun Yin’s voice always sounded somewhat processed and blurred, Xin Ye still noticed a subtle difference.
【No, you're hearing things.】 Xun Yin cleared his throat. He didn't want to tell Xin Ye about the film rights, nor did he intend to mention that he hadn't slept all night because of his racing thoughts.
Xin Ye didn't need to ask to know that the initial training must have been grueling. Not wanting to dig into Lian Muyun’s old wounds, he finished his meal and took the initiative to suggest they head to the firing range.
Lian Muyun happily agreed. Opportunities for pure target practice were becoming rare; most of the time, he was firing his gun during life-or-death missions.
Unlike the simple joy of hitting a bullseye during practice, a mistake on a mission meant injury or death.
The two of them had nothing better to do, so they held a small competition. During the match, Lian Muyun shared some news he had heard from Yi Ting.
"Supposedly, 'Symbolic Experience' type abilities are more prone to losing control than 'Personal Need' types," Lian Muyun said, firing a shot that hit the center of a moving target. He signaled for Xin Ye to take his turn. "Xing Yue and Leng Xianye are classic examples of the former. I'm the latter. Not sure about Qiuqiu. What about you, Cap?"
Lian Muyun's ability hadn't manifested from anything special; he had simply loved shooting since he was a kid, so he awakened the ability to manifest firearms.
Xin Ye thought about it as he raised his gun and aimed. "'Cap'? That's a new one. Qiuqiu is Symbolic. I'm a Need type."
"Oh? What do you need? Someone to keep you company?"
Xin Ye timed his shot, but it still drifted slightly away from the bullseye. Lian Muyun won the match.
"Yes, exactly. I'm terrified of being lonely," Xin Ye said. "That's why the first thing I do every morning is pray for everyone's safety and health."
It was a very "old man" thing to say.
Lian Muyun laughed and bumped Xin Ye’s shoulder. "Stop talking nonsense."
"It's not nonsense. It's the truth." Xin Ye lowered his gun with a composed expression. "Let's go. Meeting in Sister Ting's office."
Yi Ting’s office was on the third basement level. A private office was a rare luxury in the Research Department; only project leads or higher enjoyed such treatment.
The office was twice the size of a single dorm and filled with various bizarre potted plants. Xin Ye and Lian Muyun were the first to arrive. Just as they sat down on the sofa in the guest area, a silver-edged spider plant behind them extended a stalk. Its new leaves and tiny white flowers tickled the side of Lian Muyun’s face.
It literally tickled him.
Lian Muyun glanced at Xin Ye, who was calmly sipping tea. "The flower is touching me."
Xin Ye pretended not to see the leafy vine draped over his own shoulder. "It means it likes you."
Leng Xianye was the third to arrive. He sat next to Lian Muyun, his chilling "aloof protagonist" aura forcing the vines to stop exactly fifteen centimeters away. Xing Yue and Tang Qiuqiu arrived last and sat on the opposite sofa, where they were promptly patted on the head by a gold-edged spider plant.
It was hard to imagine how Yi Ting managed to keep a straight face when she walked in with her coffee and saw four out of the five people covered in flowers.
"I won't beat around the bush. Let's talk schedule." She dragged her swivel chair from behind the desk to the space between the two sofas and placed a small projector on the glass coffee table. A clear schedule was projected onto the center of the blank wall. "You have three days of prep time—essentially a short vacation. You can use your ID cards to attend lectures, go to the training rooms, or go anywhere you like. You can even sleep for three days straight if you want."
"But in three days, you must gather at the Mission Hall. This time, the missions won't have a rank. They are true headquarters-level assignments."
The previous air of casual indifference vanished instantly. All five focused their full attention on the chart on the wall.
"The ranking of mission completion will serve as the results for the second round of the competition. The headquarters will directly eliminate any teams outside the top five and send them back to their branches."
Xin Ye rubbed the tactical gloves he had just put on that morning.
The material was much better than the branch-issued ones. He didn't want to lose them. He couldn't let the gloves be taken away.
"Of course, considering this is a cross-tier challenge, each team will be assigned a formal headquarters employee as a mission guide. This employee will accompany the team throughout. After all, you are already talents who stand above ninety percent of all espers. It would be a waste for you to die in a place like this."
Yi Ting’s tone made it sound as if she truly viewed these kids as precious laboratory reagents—it would be a shame if they broke, but only a shame.
"Don't worry, it definitely won't be me. I'd kick the bucket faster than you out there. As for who it is, I'm not sure yet." The briefing concluded, she switched off the projector and sent a copy of the schedule to everyone’s multi-function watches. "Any questions?"
Xin Ye raised his hand. "Is there a mission briefing? I want to prepare in advance."
"There is, but the specific missions haven't been assigned to the teams yet. I'll send them to you in two days." Teacher Yi was pleased with Student Xin’s question. She looked at the other four. "Anything else?"
Silence.
After a long pause, Tang Qiuqiu timidly raised his hand.
"Researcher Yi... can I have another power assessment? I feel like... I might be showing signs of my ability losing control, too."
Xing Yue gently patted Tang Qiuqiu’s head. Xin Ye looked at Tang Qiuqiu nervously.
Only then did he notice that a faint silver glint still lingered in Qiuqiu’s eyes.
***
Xing Yue had her own scheduled treatment for her instability, and Tang Qiuqiu’s test results seemed fine—a few stabilizing injections would do the trick. Consequently, the team spent their free time together, going through two mock combat sessions and several rounds of target practice.
Lian Muyun took first place in every competition. He particularly enjoyed group activities, putting a hundred percent of his focus into every shot he fired.
During those three days, Xin Ye and his Mirror Image replenished the resources in the pocket dimension and prepared two extra sets of uniforms.
He naturally saw the star on the brooch. Xun Yin asked eagerly, 【Does it look good?】
Xin Ye’s response was somewhat blunt. "The 'Xin' in my name and the 'Star' in 'Starry Night' aren't even the same sound. They aren't the same thing."
Xun Yin: 【...】
Talking to this guy was exhausting.
During this time, Xin Ye also tried to find Fu Shu. He wanted to ask more about the headquarters' modified espers. If possible, he hoped this "if" timeline could help Fu Shu escape his fate of death. However, the man had vanished since the day Yi Ting took him away.
When he asked Yi Ting, her answer was: "That is not your concern."
Xin Ye hadn't forgotten the metal spheres carved out of the mutants' bodies. After some hesitation, he showed them to Yi Ting.
To which her answer was: "That is also not your concern."
Low clearance was truly frustrating.
Thus, he could only turn his attention to the newly arrived mission briefing.
The mission location was an abandoned shopping mall. It wasn't too far from the headquarters, just on the edge of the security perimeter. The mutants nesting inside had been identified as a variation of the Surinam toad. In addition to the mother toad, there were many newly hatched juveniles.
"What a disgusting creature," Xin Ye said, already feeling despair. He had just changed into a new uniform; cleaning it afterward would be a nightmare. "It looks like it'll be hard to deal with. I hope the guide they send is reliable."
Xun Yin had already picked the person: 【Oh, they're reliable.】
Xin Ye: 【Really? Tell me about them.】
Xun Yin: 【I lied. And I'm not telling you.】
Xin Ye: "..."
What was the point of having a "Golden Finger" like this?
Verbal descriptions were never as impactful as a face-to-face meeting. Three days later, the champion teams from the branches gathered in the Mission Hall. Each team’s assembly area had its own sign to help the guides find them.
In the assembly area for "You're Gonna Lose, Right?", a beautiful, petite girl clung to the arm of a young man, staring at the team name for a long time.
Xin Ye and the other four had agreed to arrive together. When he saw the girl, he had a hunch she was their guide. As the captain, he stepped forward to inquire. "Hello. Are you our team's guide?"
The girl finally looked away from the nameplate and stared at Xin Ye. Her overly sweet smile combined with her intense gaze made Xin Ye’s skin crawl.
Behind him, Leng Xianye, Lian Muyun, and Xing Yue wore strange expressions, exchanging looks. Tang Qiuqiu also sensed something was off with this guide and shrunk back slightly.
"I am," the girl finally spoke. Her voice was as sweet as her looks. "My name is Jian Weiwei. You can just call me Weiwei. I won't do a long self-introduction, since three of you probably saw me during initial training or at headquarters, right? Miss Xing and I were even colleagues once."
Xing Yue didn't seem to like Jian Weiwei; she frowned and leaned closer to Leng Xianye and Lian Muyun.
"So, I'll focus on introducing my ability! Ah, I should say, my boyfriend!"
She clung even tighter to the young man beside her. "His name is Number 237. He is my 237th boyfriend."
***
