Chapter 108: The Sea of Wandering 1
Early morning. The sunlight, wrapped in summer warmth, was blocked out by heavy curtains. The hour hand on the wall clock already pointed to the number “8,” yet the bedroom remained perfectly quiet. The fluffy goose-down duvet was piled messily on the large bed. Zhuang Ningyu lay curled on his side, fast asleep. The side effects of the sedatives had disrupted his biological clock that had been consistent for years. Although the report from the Management Center stated that he “theoretically” still only needed two hours of sleep a day, who cared? He didn’t have to work right now anyway.
The air was silent, save for the intermittent sound of rushing water drifting into his dreams. Yi Ke turned off the shower, wearing only a pair of lounge pants. Skipping the hair dryer, he towel-dried his hair as he walked out of the bathroom, only to see Zhuang Ningyu had already pushed aside the duvet and sat up, half-opening his eyes and giving a lazy wave that served as a “good morning.”
“Morning, baby.” Yi Ke walked over, bent down to kiss his forehead, then casually grabbed the mineral water on the bedside table and unscrewed it for him. The cool, refreshing liquid effectively dispelled the dizziness caused by oversleeping. Zhuang Ningyu gulped down more than half the bottle in one go. His eyelids finally went from half-open to fully open. Looking at Yi Ke’s still-pumped chest muscles, he reached out and gave them a soft pat, wondering if he should also start working out. But before he could even get out of bed, Yi Ke pressed him back into the duvet.
The morning kiss carried the scent of mint and lemon. Yi Ke held the person in his arms, his palm kneading the warm, soft skin of his lower back rhythmically. Saturday, early morning, lingering kisses, and possessive caresses—if it were any other time, Zhuang Ningyu would already be considering whether he could eat lunch on time today. But under the current circumstances, he could only calmly pat Yi Ke’s bare, slightly damp back, reminding him: If we’re not doing it, then stop teasing.
Yi Ke gave a wronged hmph, withdrew his hand from Zhuang’s pajamas, hugged him tight again, and rested his chin on his shoulder, acting shamelessly: “Don’t move, let me hold you a bit longer.”
Zhuang Ningyu relaxed his body and hugged him back, emptying his mind and staring idly at the light on the ceiling. It was rare for both of them to have such a long holiday, and they were unexpectedly unaccustomed to it. They lay in bed for another half hour before getting up. Yi Ke made him a luxurious grilled cheese and beef sandwich for brunch. Zhuang Ningyu pulled out a dining chair and casually picked up a stack of forms on the table to flip through.
“Oh, those are from the Management Center. I just printed them this morning,” Yi Ke said, bringing out two plates. “They’ve been rushing me to do the assessment and grading.”
Logically speaking, this kind of thing shouldn’t require urging. It was roughly equivalent to someone getting into the top-ranked university but delaying picking up the admission letter. Moreover, regarding salary and benefits, S-Class Evolvers were significantly higher than A-Class ones. But Yi Ke wasn’t short of money. And Zhuang Ningyu, apart from once using Yi Ke’s salary card to buy an old-fashioned popsicle and getting caught, hadn’t used it since. That card was currently like a Pixiu—only money going in, none coming out. Seeing that material temptation was hopeless, the staff at the Management Center had to use their killer move—
“Dear, if you come to process it now, your internal serial number for the Evolver S-Class card will be S01A98521!”
Yi Ke was baffled. What’s wrong with S01A98521?
“Captain Zhuang’s number is S01A98520.” The person on the other end lowered their voice, revealing this shocking insider information like a spy exchanging codes. “Although S-Class Evolvers are rare, this numbering system is global. We had a hard time randomly drawing S01A98521. If you don’t certify it soon, this precious couple number might be taken by another new S-Class Evolver at any moment.”
Yi Ke immediately said: “Keep it for me!”
Zhuang Ningyu put down the filled-out form, took the hot black tea from Yi Ke, and lowered his head to sip carefully. Yi Ke tidied up the table, pulled out a chair opposite him, and probed, “If you have nothing to do, shall we go to the Management Center after eating? They said on the phone that grading can be done on weekends too.”
Okay. Zhuang Ningyu had slept too much and wanted to go out for some fresh air. He remembered there was a newly opened bookstore in that area; they could browse it while they were there.
The headquarters of the Jincheng Evolver Management Center was located in the south of the city. Under the blue sky and white clouds, the thirty-story skyscraper looked like a steel giant. Most departments didn’t work on Saturdays, so the building was quiet, with lights only on in the Assessment and Grading Center on the eighth floor. The elevator doors opened with a ding, and the three people sitting in the reception hall looked up simultaneously. One was a man in a peaked cap, one was a delicate-looking woman, and as for the last one… Zhuang Ningyu was surprised. Xiao Tian?
“Captain Zhuang, Brother Yi.” Tian Luxin clearly hadn’t expected to see them either and immediately ran over excitedly. She held a stack of documents similar to Yi Ke’s—an assessment form for B-Class Evolvers.
“Congratulations.” Yi Ke handed her a bottle of drink. “Here alone?”
“My mom is downstairs. She thought the air conditioning here was too strong and just went out.” Tian Luxin noticed Zhuang Ningyu’s gaze lingering behind her, understood immediately, pulled the two into the emergency stairwell next to the elevator, and whispered, “That man is a bit strange. I just peeked at the form he filled out; it’s S-Class.”
Zhuang Ningyu frowned. S-Class?
The number of S-Class Evolvers wasn’t large; globally, there were only about a hundred thousand so far, and the vast majority evolved later in life. The law required all Evolvers to undergo regular physical examinations at the Management Center. Generally, moving from A to S involved a relatively obvious period of data fluctuation, just like Yi Ke experienced. Once data fluctuation was detected, the person’s name would be immediately reported to the local Order Maintenance Department, mainly to prevent social disturbances caused by potential loss of control during the evolution process. But this man… Zhuang Ningyu turned his head and peered through the crack in the safety door again. The man was tightly covered with a hat, mask, long sleeves, and long pants, revealing only a pair of narrow eyes.
Zhuang Ningyu logged into his work backend and searched the files. There were no recent reports regarding a new S-Class Evolver.
“It’s also possible he just thinks he has successfully evolved,” Yi Ke said. There had been similar cases before. A B-Class Evolver once accidentally contracted a food virus. After vomiting and having diarrhea for several days, perhaps delirious from fever, he claimed to “feel a surging power flowing in his blood.”
At the time, reporters had interviewed him with great joy, making the scene both comical and festive. That B-Class Evolver took the opportunity to start livestreaming sales and reportedly made a fortune in just a few months. Consequently, many imitators appeared afterward. But the one before them… Zhuang Ningyu still felt it was unlikely. He returned to the hall and deliberately found a seat behind the man. Just as he sat down, the service desk called a number: “Number five.”
The man stood up. Zhuang Ningyu quickly scanned the information form. Name: Zhao Kai.
Never heard of this person before.
The Management Center’s S-Class Evolution Assessment Room sometimes wasn’t used even once a year, so only one was established. Yi Ke arrived a step late and had to wait. Tian Luxin and another A-Class Evolver were called in quickly. Only two people remained in the hall. Zhuang Ningyu walked to the service desk and showed his work ID—actually, he didn’t need to, because the intern at the front desk flashed a standard, brilliant smile the moment she saw him: “Hello, Captain Zhuang!”
Zhuang Ningyu pointed to his throat, then to the documents she had just collected. Yi Ke spoke for him: “Can we look at this file?”
“Of course.” The intern swiped his work ID. After confirming Zhuang Ningyu’s clearance, she handed the documents over with both hands.
Zhao Kai, male, 21 years old, currently studying in the Biology Department of Jincheng University. The evolution level previously recorded at the Evolver Management Center was… B-Class.
Jumping directly from B to S—there were fewer than a hundred cases globally so far, and 100% of such evolutions occurred under ultra-emergency conditions where immense pressure forced individuals to break through human limits. But what pressure could Zhao Kai, a student who hadn’t entered a Rule Zone, face that would be sufficient to reshape his life? Zhuang Ningyu returned the file, thanked her, and went back to the emergency stairwell with Yi Ke. Fine hairs stood up on his arms; he didn’t know if it was due to the overly strong air conditioning in the reception hall or a vague unease in his heart.
“Results will be out in two hours,” Yi Ke checked the time. “It’s fine, we can wait.”
The bookstore was right across from this skyscraper, but Zhao Kai’s appearance clearly disrupted Zhuang Ningyu’s weekend plans. He didn’t go read books but returned to the hall. Time passed minute by minute. No new Evolvers came to report. The air was filled only with the sound of the front desk intern stapling documents.
Beep—Beep—Beep—
After three long warning tones, the door to the S-Class Evolution Assessment Room opened. Zhao Kai walked out, hat in hand, mask not yet put on, revealing a slightly pale face. He was indeed very young. Seeing Zhuang Ningyu and Yi Ke looking at him, he smiled politely, then reached out to press the elevator button. He pressed twice; missed the first time.
He was nervous, and his steps into the elevator were hurried.
“Number eight.”
“Xiao Yi.”
As the number calling machine sounded, a staff member personally came out to receive him. The numbers on the elevator display were gradually decreasing. Yi Ke asked, “Was that person just now also an S-Class Evolver?”
“Yes. Although some individual data points were a bit odd, based on my experience, he has indeed reached S-Class overall. The detailed report will be out tomorrow.”
The elevator had stopped at the first floor.
“Come in with me,” the staff member called him.
“Another day.” Yi Ke pressed the button for another elevator, pulling Zhuang Ningyu in while turning back to instruct the staff member, “Remember to save the couple serial number for me!”
Zhuang Ningyu was bewildered. What couple serial number? Did the Global Evolver Management Center come up with some new gimmick to cheat rich love-struck brains like you? I thought the exclusive auspicious numbers like 998, 168, and 888 they created specifically for China last time were shameless enough.
“I’ll explain later,” Yi Ke said. “I’ve already reported what happened just now to Grandpa Huang. Colleagues will keep an eye on Zhao Kai. If you’re really worried about him, we can follow and take a look too. But agreed beforehand: we only watch from afar, you are not allowed to act.”
Zhuang Ningyu nodded. You’re the boss.
The Order Maintenance Department was highly efficient. Before the taxi Zhao Kai took had even left the street, another black sedan was silently following it. This area was mostly office buildings, so traffic on weekends wasn’t as congested as usual. The taxi driver asked, “Where to?”
“Yuanbao Building,” Zhao Kai answered.
Yuanbao Building—the most notoriously dirty, chaotic, and poor area in Jincheng. It was surrounded by dilapidated old buildings, the roads were narrow, pedestrians jaywalked without looking at lights relying purely on guts, and drunks smashed cars in broad daylight. Hearing this destination, the taxi driver immediately frowned. As if sensing his hesitation, Zhao Kai leaned back in the seat, covered his face with his peaked cap, and said in a muffled voice, “Drive. I’ll add fifty.”
“Alright, thanks!” The driver’s tone became cheerful again. He glanced at the passenger in the back through the rearview mirror. Wearing somewhat worn sportswear, he didn’t expect the guy to be so generous. Fifty yuan could buy a lot of food in the university town.
The vehicle crossed through the city, driving all the way from the bustling high-rise district to the urban village. Yi Ke didn’t drive his own car because the car he used to ferry his wife was too high-profile and unsuitable for tailing. So right now, the two could only squeeze into a beat-up seven-seater minivan a colleague had procured from somewhere. No air conditioning, broken seatbelts. As the road became bumpier, Zhuang Ningyu was finally bounced into the air when they hit a pothole.
Yi Ke reached out in time to shield the top of his head.
The colleague in the back seat: Learned something new!
