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Chapter 28
At that moment, all supervisors had the same thought in their minds: Eastern mysticism.
The next day, at the Shenhai City Supervision Office.
“—Good heavens,” Bai Sheng sighed deeply as he scrutinized the utterly tragic report card, expressing a profound lamentation after a prolonged examination.
The Chief Supervisor of Shenhai City sat behind his desk, clad in a black suit and white shirt. He had left only one button undone on his shirt, revealing a slender and graceful neck. His profile resembled white porcelain, emitting an aura that was aloof and hard to approach.
Yang Xiaodao sat cross-legged on the office sofa, his face carrying the characteristic rebelliousness of a teenager in his adolescent phase. After silently observing Shen Zhuo for a while, he couldn’t resist asking Bai Sheng:
“Dad, what’s your relationship with him?”
Bai Sheng’s tone carried an indescribable sense of world-weariness and exhaustion, “I ranked first in every subject in high school; I even served as the student council president in college. I’m not worthy to be your father.”
Yang Xiaodao was expressionless: “You were the one who pressed my head down and forced me to call you dad back then, threatening to beat me if I didn’t.”
Bai Sheng asked, “Have you called me dad in all these years?”
Yang Xiaodao: “Isn’t this because I’m finding someone to attend the parent-teacher meeting?”
Bai Sheng took a deep breath.
No matter how influential and powerful you are outside, when your son finishes an exam and asks you to attend a parent-teacher meeting at the school, you have to go and embarrass yourself.
In the early years, when Bai Sheng had just adopted Yang Xiaodao, he indeed had grand ambitions to fulfill his role as the alpha wolf. However, after being surrounded and scolded by various teachers in the elementary school office for two hours, all his ambitions crumbled. Tears of shame of an S-class fell on the math paper with a score of 17. Since then, whenever he heard about school midterms or finals, he quickly blacklisted Yang Xiaodao. The plastic-like father-son relationship turned on and off like a switch. He even once pretended to be a doctor and sent a text message to the school, solemnly claiming that he had suffered a heart attack and died.
“My dear Chief Supervisor, please don’t misunderstand my genes. He is really not my son. My excellent genes can’t produce a son like this.” Bai Sheng turned to Shen Zhuo and said heavily, “Once we have our own child, you’ll understand.”
Yang Xiaodao: “…”
Yang Xiaodao’s vacant gaze moved back and forth between Shen Zhuo’s Adam’s apple and chest, wearing an expression as if he had just opened the door to a new world.
Shen Zhuo had learned to selectively filter out all of Bai Sheng’s abnormal words and actions. His expression remained unchanged as he closed the computer and lifted his head. His cold, deep-set eyes squinted slightly as he assessed Yang Xiaodao.
“…”
The gaze of the Shenhai City Supervisor carried a subtle and overwhelming power. The young man instinctively moved backward but then straightened up uncomfortably, his expression defiant: “What are you looking at?”
Shen Zhuo’s gaze fell on Yang Xiaodao’s left hand, devoid of any special markings. After a momentary pause, he stood up and walked to the hostile teenager, pointing at his left lapel.
“?”
Before Yang Xiaodao could react, the fierce guards outside the door had already pounced on him. One held his hand, and two held his feet, while another swiftly pulled down Yang Xiaodao’s T-shirt.
There was no indication of any power level under the left collarbone
“!!!” The teenager’s defense instantly crumbled. His face turned red, with steam coming out of his seven orifices. He leaped backward, staring at Shen Zhuo. “What-what are you doing?!”
“The smell of evolution on his body is clearly noticeable within an 800-mile radius, but there is no class indication on his left hand or heart position, indicating that he has been concealing his identity as an evolutionist and has never registered with the government.” Shen Zhuo glanced at Bai Sheng from the corner of his eyes: “Why?”
Bai Sheng chuckled, “Ah, five years ago, he was just a kid playing with mud. Is it really that important to register or not? Let’s be a bit lenient…”
“Only criminals like Zhang Wenyong would escape registration because they are either planning a crime or have already committed one. Which type is this kid?” Shen Zhuo asked.
The air froze for a moment.
Bai Sheng, rubbing his chin, contemplated for a moment and finally made a decision, motioning for Shen Zhuo to come over.
Shen Zhuo remained unmoved.
Bai Sheng always thought that his greatest strength was being easygoing and having a good temper. If the mountain didn’t come to me, he’d go to the mountain. So, he reached out, forcibly hooked Shen Zhuo’s shoulder, and pulled him a few steps aside, adopting an open and sincere posture. He whispered:
“Let me tell you the truth. Don’t look at Yang Xiaodao as silly, but he is a… a poor orphan.”
Shen Zhuo raised an eyebrow slightly, indicating that Bai Sheng should continue his act.
“What’s with that expression on your face? Don’t you believe that I have such noble sentiments?” Bai Sheng shook his index finger. “Five years ago, while I was traveling, I happened to encounter Yang Xiaodao, who was a homeless child in the county. At that time, he was pitifully begging along the street, emaciated, bullied, short, and small…”
Shen Zhuo wordlessly looked at Yang Xiaodao.
The sixteen-year-old teenager had shot up to a height of 1.8 meters, already towering at the same level as Shen Zhuo. With a robust and agile physique, he resembled a sturdy and powerful little wolf.
Bai Sheng held Shen Zhuo’s chin, forcibly turning his face toward him, signaling for him to pay attention to him and not Yang Xiaodao.
“I later found out that his parents died when he was young; he never went to school, endured hunger, and suffered from bullying… It’s really a pitiful little bitter melon seed in an eighteen-acre field. Helpless, I had no choice but to take him in and support him in his education…”
Shen Zhuo pinched the bright red report card with two fingers, as if holding something dirty. “To conceal his identity as an evolutionist from the supervision office, you went to great lengths to arrange for him to go to school in a remote county, right?”
“We’re all so familiar now; don’t say such hurtful words.” Bai Sheng looked sincere: “If I had known that you, Chief Supervisor, are so beautiful and kind-hearted, I would have gladly sent him to Shenhai and handed over full guardianship to you. If there was scolding, tutoring, or enrolling in supplementary classes, it would’ve been all up to you. Where would’ve this embarrassing 15-point chemistry test paper come from then?”
Shen Zhuo assessed Bai Sheng up and down, and Bai Sheng responded with the demeanor of a true gentleman, open and honest.
“—’Bai Sheng, 27 years old, evolved to S-level five years ago, immediately displaying typical alpha wolf instincts. He is keen on seeking out those of the same kind who are not accepted by society, bringing them into his territory, and providing shelter. In the central area of Shenhai City, he has a gathering place for evolutionists called the ‘Abandoned Building.'”
Shen Zhuo was expressionless as he recited the initial investigation report on Bai Sheng by the supervision office. Then he patted the S-class’s shoulder, not concealing his mockery. “Wanting me to believe that you picked up an evolved child of 11 years old by the roadside during your travels, wouldn’t it be more believable if you said that you once picked up a lottery ticket while walking and won a jackpot?”
Bai Sheng, modest and self-satisfied, rubbed his chin. “Ah, speaking of which, I do have the constitution to frequently win the lottery…”
“I don’t care how you took him in back then, and I don’t care if this child has a criminal record. Article 10, Section 1 of the Supervisor’s Handbook states that the supervisor has a duty of guardianship over underage evolutionists in the jurisdiction.”
With a smack, Shen Zhuo slapped the parent-teacher meeting notice on Bai Sheng’s chest, saying, “Transfer his student status to Shenhai within three days, and arrange for him to come to the Supervision Office for registration. I want to know his abilities and evolution level. Chen Miao!”
The chief steward, who had been waiting respectfully outside the door, immediately stepped in with an arrow-like pace. “Here!”
“I have a meeting to attend; these two precious gems can leave my office.”
“Yes!”
Shen Zhuo picked up the documents on the desk, brushed past them, and left the office without looking back.
The office fell silent behind him. Chen Miao gestured outside with a “please” gesture while desperately using his eyes to signal Bai-ge to surrender and not resist.
“… ” Yang Xiaodao sneakily glanced at Shen Zhuo’s departing figure with a face full of suppressed anger and couldn’t help but ask Bai Sheng in a low voice, “What’s so great about this person, besides his face?”
Bai Sheng, holding the parent-teacher meeting notice on his chest, slowly humiliated him: “He already has a Ph.D. at your age…”
***
With a snap, the lights went out, leaving only Shen Zhuo in the empty meeting room. The faint daylight outlined his slender silhouette at the end of the long table.
The next moment, three-dimensional holographic lights rapidly dispersed from the void, creating a lifelike virtual scene.
Surroundings were no longer a real scene but a vast, dark conference hall, illuminated only by a faint white light on the oval-shaped conference table.
The International Supervision General Administration, Council of Ten Permanent Supervisors.
Seated at the head of the table in Seat I was a Nordic man with silver-gray hair and ice-blue eyes, the Director-General Nielsen. In front of him, the table was lit with a blue, glowing S emblem. Eight other seats were arranged on both sides of the long table, with Seats II and III marked with red S, Seat IV with a blue S, Seat V with a red A, Seat VI with a blue A, Seat VII with a red A, and Seats VIII and IX marked with red B and blue B, respectively.
At the other end of the long table, directly facing Nielsen’s seat, there was a seat with no letters, only marked by a faint blue Roman numeral X.
The only seat reserved for humans.
Shen Zhuo put on translation earphones, sat gracefully, and spoke with a hint of disdain, “Good evening, everyone.”
There were no real people on the eight seats on both sides of the long table, only lights on, indicating they were on a call. Only Nielsen was physically present, leaning back in his chair and casually tapping his forehead with a pen, seeming a bit perplexed:
“Good evening, Supervisor Shen. Ah, let me think. You all suddenly pulled me into this meeting. What was the agenda for today again…”
A mature female voice from Seat II, marked with a red S, spoke with subtle mockery, “Not surprising at all, Director-General Nielsen. You always go to great lengths to distance yourself from anything that offends Supervisor Shen.”
“Because this interrogation is really not my intention.” Nielsen smiled, shrugging with a hint of helplessness. “Well, Supervisor Shen, I apologize for bringing you in suddenly. The General Administration has received requests from supervisors worldwide these past few days. The Law of Causality of the S-class Evolutionist Bai Sheng seems to pose a significant threat, so they want you to immediately disclose detailed data on it, including the attack range, probability of losing control, control radius, and most importantly… um…”
Nielsen strategically paused, evidently reluctant to utter the sentence that would offend Shen Zhuo the most.
Everyone remained silent with complex emotions. In that moment, all supervisors had the same thought in their minds: Eastern mysticism.
“A method of restraint,” a male voice from Seat IX with evident frustration said, “Supervisor Shen, according to the International Supervision General Administration’s safety agreement, we need to know the methods to restrain the Law of Causality!”
Shen Zhuo laughed.
He seemed entirely unsurprised by all the inquiries before him, even sitting in a relaxed manner. “Do we need to disclose restraint methods for any S-class ability with significant danger?”
Seat IX sounded somewhat irritable, “Of course! Overly powerful abilities inevitably pose threats. Shouldn’t we maintain the most crucial balance of power between jurisdictions?”
Shen Zhuo nodded with a hint of realization but remained silent. Then, with a questioning expression, he asked, “Do you know the method to restrain Director-General Nielsen’s ability, ‘Tyrant’?”
Nielsen’s smile immediately faded, and Seat IX’s voice choked, “Mr. Nielsen was elected as the most neutral representative of evolutionists…”
“Do you know about Lady Amatullah?” Shen Zhuo gestured slightly toward Seat II. “—the method to restrain her ability, ‘Wheel of the Almighty’?”
“The International Supervision General Administration has regulations that allow the top ten supervisors to retain certain details about their own abilities…”
“What about Ms. Harpa, the Icelandic S-class who, at the age of 91, declined the position of one of the top ten supervisors? Do you know the restraint method for her ability, ‘Insight’?”
“Insight is a predictive-type ability; naturally, there is no restraint method!” Seat IX retorted angrily. “Forgive me for being blunt, but what are you doing? These examples are just sophistry!”
“Unfortunately,” Shen Zhuo replied regretfully, “there is no restraint method for the Law of Causality.”
Silence abruptly fell on both sides of the long table.
No one spoke again, and the vast, dark hall sank into an unsettling silence.
“The only advantage of the law of causality is its rude, absolute, and inexplicable power. Aside from that, it has nothing but flaws. Of course, due to the unique nature of philosophical ability itself, these flaws are also challenging to test in the earthly environment.”
Shen Zhuo stood up, hands ceremoniously clasped in front of him, overlooking the long table. The words that flowed from his graceful lips were clear and gentle:
“So, if you insist on knowing, there are only two ways: first, I can have Mr. Bai personally go to each of your jurisdictions and demonstrate it live for everyone, though I suspect most jurisdictions can only endure such a demonstration once; second, all of you come to my jurisdiction and try every means to snatch Mr. Bai away from me…”
“Billions of dollars in salary, luxury cars, peerless beauties—any top-tier temptation is welcome to try. By then, you’ll be curious why this S-class is so loyal to me. But I believe everyone already knows the answer.”
Shen Zhuo slightly lowered his body, surveying both sides of the long table. His long lashes fluttered like butterfly wings, and a beautiful curve appeared at the corner of his lips—a heart-stirring arc that even those with a heart of stone would find irresistible.
“It’s all because of… Eastern mysticism.”
A suffocating silence engulfed the surroundings.
Shen Zhuo smiled and rose to his feet, his gaze mocking. He reached for the exit button, and his figure vanished at the end of the colossal conference table.
***
Like the ebbing tide, the virtual scene retreated, and the surroundings reverted to the familiar sight of the Shenhai City Supervision Office. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the daylight was gradually tilting westward.
The spacious room was empty, and the invitation key for the virtual meeting continued its silent rotation. Shen Zhuo’s gaze fell upon it, and he couldn’t help but chuckle lightly, “…How did he manage to have an IQ lower than Yang Xiaodao?”
“Achoo!”
At the same time, in the back seat of the car, Yang Xiaodao unexpectedly let out a massive sneeze. He rubbed his nose inexplicably and turned to ask Bai Sheng, who was at the driver’s seat, “Why are you cursing me?”
Bai Sheng: “???”
***
As the daylight gradually faded, the city lights began to shimmer, and the night traffic flowed like a river.
In City B, in the central district.
The night breeze, carrying the urban scent of colorful lights and nightlife, swept over the top of the hospital building.
Rong Qi stood on the edge of the rooftop, looking down at the bustling night scene below. No one could see the faint, unusual glow in the depths of his pupils.
“Mr. Rong.” Several figures stood solemnly behind him, and the one with short green hair at the forefront was none other than the concerned Yoko Noda. “Is this really feasible?”
Rong Qi looked up at the horizon at the end of the night sky, squinting his eyes without giving a clear answer. After a moment, he shook his head amidst the anticipatory gaze of the others, “The Law of Causality itself is unbreakable.”
“…”
“A complete Law of Causality weapon can even separate parallel universes, distort the evolution of the time line, and carry out literally destructive attacks on low-dimensional civilizations. Of course, a complete Law of Causality weapon cannot be wielded by individual humans. The upper limit of what human genetics can achieve is only one-thousandth of the full power of the Law of Causality, known as ‘Existence Erasure.'”
“But even so, it remains unbreakable. After all, it’s a cosmic-level bug. There’s only one way to temporarily restrain it…”
Rong Qi sighed silently: “Perhaps the answer is right here.”
He took a half-step forward, and in the next instant, he leaped off the top of the building—
He seemed to descend from the night sky without a sound, and the moonlight cast the characters on the rooftop sign into relief behind him.
Evolutionist Specialized Hospital in the central district.
In front of the ward door at the end of the corridor, two duty officers who were dozing off abruptly woke up, alert and startled, “Who’s there?”
Under the hospital’s bright white lights, several evolutionists seemed to appear out of thin air. The young man at the forefront looked to be in his twenties, with fair skin and a tall stature, dressed in a black shirt and pants. There was a subdued elegance in his demeanor as he casually glanced at the two duty officers.
In an instant, an instinctual fear permeated their bones and lungs. The duty officers simultaneously jolted, reaching for the walkie-talkie from their pockets: “Attention all departments, Ward 1 has been invaded—”
Snap.
With a gentle snap of Rong Qi’s fingers, the walkie-talkie slipped from their hands. Both duty officers froze simultaneously, their gazes blank and unaware, as if turned into puppets in a somnambulant state.
The clock on the wall happened to strike eight o’clock, and in that moment when the hour, minute, and second hands converged, the hospital elevator opened.
Yoko Noda and the others turned around simultaneously, only to see a girl in a blue dress. She looked around fifteen or sixteen, with a pale complexion but a calm expression. Her gaze swept over the unfamiliar evolutionists in the corridor, accurately landing on Rong Qi:
“…Are you Mr. Rong?”
“Very punctual,” Rong Qi praised, looking at his watch with a smile and extending his hand, “Come.”
“…”
“Don’t be afraid. I promised to help you borrow a tool for revenge, and you won’t have to pay any price.”
Every second seemed to stretch into a long and quiet moment. After a while, the girl’s throat gently rolled, and she finally made a certain decision. She walked through the crowd toward Rong Qi, following him as he pushed open the door in front of him—
The door had the patient’s name posted on it: Su Jiqiao.
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