Around 9 p.m., a black SUV drove over and stopped by the side of the road at the entrance to Xia Ping'an's neighborhood.
The street lamps were like will-o-wisps, shining on the slightly old streets and the parasol trees along the street. The shade of the parasol trees flickered under the light, dancing and waving as though a monster was about to pounce out from the ground.
This time in the past, there would be many pedestrians and hawkers out on the neighborhood streets. However, today, it was exceptionally quiet. Although the city folk had all received a status report informing them that all four escaped demonic rats had already been killed an hour ago, the remnant shock of yesterday's dimensional invasion had yet to completely disappear.
Many citizens were afraid that there were still escaped invaders lurking around. They were also worried that criminals might take advantage of the current situation. Therefore, the city streets were exceptionally quiet tonight.
There were indeed previous incidents where the invaders were not fully eradicated. It was because it was very difficult for every creature of the dimensional invasion to be accounted for 100% of the time. Besides, some small-scale dimensional invasions, like those that were Level G and below, might not be detected by the satellite.
The security of the city was also an issue whenever there was a dimensional invasion.
Sorrow silently permeated in the city under the dark night. A tint of fear was mixed in with the gloom.
In the car, Xia Ping'an unbuckled his seat belt.
Mo Yanshao handed a heavy document case to Xia Ping'an. "There is 40,000 dollars of bounty inside, as we agreed upon. It's rare for Big Tu to compliment someone. He acknowledges you, which means that you have done a great job in assisting the mission this time."
Xia Ping'an merely pinched the bulky document case once, and he knew that all 40,000 dollars were in it. He said, "Do I need to return this attire to you?"
After they returned from the cave, they went to a military hospital to conduct anti-epidemic medical checkups, and they were assigned some anti-epidemic pills to consume. Since Xia Ping'an's clothes were completely wet, Mo Yanshao prepared a new pair of sportswear and shoes for him. They were all branded items. The sizes of the sportswear and the shoes were exactly the same as those he was wearing.
After changing into a new set of clothes, Xia Ping'an looked more energetic.
Mo Yanshao narrowed his eyes and looked at Xia Ping'an. "You can keep them. Consider them an extra bonus. Alright, I am informing you on behalf of the National Order Council now. Since the council has discovered your awakened power, we ask for your cooperation to officially report yourself to the Xianghe City branch at 9 a.m. next Monday."
Xia Ping'an nodded. He opened the door and was about to get out of the car. Before he got out, he asked curiously, "Is the bald guy a summoner? He carried a machete, and I didn't see him unleashing any powers."
"Of course, Big Tu is a summoner. It is just that he has gone on two missions recently. He has exhausted his divine power and has finished the pills that are used to replenish his divine power. Therefore, he can only fight with weapons for now," Mo Yanshao explained.
"Oh, so that is why," Xia Ping'an remarked as he finally got out of the car. With a loud bang, he closed the door of the SUV and walked towards the neighborhood.
Mo Yanshao stared at Xia Ping'an as he entered the gate of the neighborhood. Mo Yanshao chuckled softly and mumbled to himself, "Don't worry. We'll meet again soon!"
After Mo Yanshao said this, he picked up his phone and dialed a number.
A laid-back male voice sounded from the other side of the phone. "Head, what's up?"
"I want all the information related to Xia Ping'an. The more detailed, the better."
"Xia Ping'an? Is he the one with clairvoyance that Big Tu mentioned today?"
"Yup."
"Head, he's just an ordinary Awakened. Is he even worth my time? Every second of mine costs more than a hundred thousand."
"Cut the crap. I will give you 24 hours."
Mo Yanshao hung up.
…
The taillights of the black SUV left behind two streaks of long red lines in the dark when it made a turn and disappeared from sight. Xia Ping'an turned his head and took a glance. Then, he walked towards his apartment.
This 40,000 was no small sum for him. He needed to work at least three months in the car shop to obtain the same amount. However, he earned it within a day today. A powerful organization like the National Order Council was indeed rich.
Even though the money was good, he had revealed his clairvoyance, which he had kept hidden for so long. Yesterday, he couldn't resist checking things out using his clairvoyance. A split-second decision of his had actually brought forth a huge ripple effect that quickly affected his life. He was uncertain whether he had invited fortune or disaster upon himself.
Xia Ping'an was contemplating. If he went to register himself at the National Order Council, they would surely conduct a background check on him. He was not sure whether they would discover anything.
Such was life. Tomorrow or accident, nobody could tell which would arrive first.
The 40,000 in the case weighed down in his hand. The heavy weight was similar to Xia Ping'an's current mood. Even though he had earned a fortune, he didn't feel more relaxed. Instead, he felt a little burdened.
Xia Ping'an arrived at the entrance of his block. He entered the passcode and unlocked the entrance to the lobby.
The security guard was watching television in the mailroom at a corner of the lobby. When the guard saw Xia Ping'an enter the building, he poked his head out from the window and asked curiously, "Xia Ping'an, what happened today? Even helicopters came to our neighborhood."
Xia Ping'an smiled and replied, "It was nothing serious. When I came back from work earlier, I accidentally passed by an affected area that had not been sealed off nor had undergone anti-epidemic and sanitary disinfecting treatment. The authority noticed it in the CCTV, so they chased after me all the way back to our neighborhood. Someone from the National Order Council brought me to the hospital for a medical checkup. Uncle Wu, as you can see, they even changed my clothes." As Xia Ping'an spoke, he opened his arms and showed the guard the new clothes he had on him.
"Are you alright?"
"Of course, I'm fine. If I showed any abnormalities, they wouldn't have let me come back."
"That's good," the security guard mumbled. Then, his head went back inside the window, and he focused on his television show again, not bothering with Xia Ping'an's business.
Xia Ping'an slowly made his way up the stairs. He reflected on the recent events. Most likely the entire neighborhood would soon know about the incident of two helicopters coming to get him today. His explanation just now could reduce some nonsensical speculation from the older generation, but it would most likely not be able to fool everyone.
He would cross that bridge when he came to it. If worse came to worst, he would move to another place. He and Xia Ning could move to a place that was nearer to her school.
Xia Ping'an arrived at his apartment. Just when he was about to pull out his keys, the door sprang open.
"Elder Brother, you're back!" All smiles, Xia Ning appeared in front of Xia Ping'an.
Xia Ning, who was a sophomore now, had delicate facial features. She was wearing ordinary sportswear, and her hair was tied into a ponytail. Her face was slightly round, and her chin was pointy. When she smiled, her eyes looked like a crescent moon. She was full of gusto.
Xia Ping'an patted Xia Ning's head with a smile. Then, he entered the house.
"Elder Brother, you're wearing a new set of clothes. Both your clothes and your shoes are branded. They cost more than 2,000 dollars. Where did you go?" As soon as Xia Ping'an entered the house, Xia Ning, with her keen eyes, noticed that he was wearing different clothes than usual. His new outfit could be considered luxurious. Usually, it was rare for Xia Ping'an to own any outfits that were above 200 dollars. Xia Ping'an had never splurged on branded stuff before.
"I'll tell you later." Xia Ping'an casually tossed the case with money in it on the sofa.
"Alright. Let's eat first!"
Seeing that Xia Ping'an was back, Xia Ning went into the kitchen and took out the cutlery and dishes that were kept warm in the steamer.
When Xia Ping'an saw Xia Ning take out two sets of bowls and chopsticks, he shook his head in disapproval. "Didn't I ask you not to wait for me and eat first? Why did you wait until now?"
"I'm willing to wait. I wasn't hungry anyway." Xia Ning made a funny face at Xia Ping'an. Then, she scooped some rice for him. When she was scooping, her stomach growled.
"What's growling?" Xia Ping'an asked.
Xia Ning replied, "I'm not hungry, but the toad in my belly is!"
The siblings laughed and began their dinner. The little house was full of love.
Xia Ning made stir-fried tomatoes with eggs, stir-fried pork with bamboo shoots, and seaweed soup.
The simple dishes were ready on the table. They were colorful and pleasing to the eyes.
Xia Ning knew how to cook since middle school. The dishes she had just prepared were all delicious.
After dinner and cleaning up together, Xia Ping'an sat on the sofa. He had the habit of making himself some black tea. As he sipped on his tea, he called Xia Ning over and handed her the case. "Put it in the bank tomorrow."
Xia Ning opened the case and saw the four stacks of hundred dollar notes. She was shocked. She was bewildered as she exclaimed, "Forty thousand dollars! Elder Brother, where did you get so much money? Did your shop give you a bonus? It's not yearend yet. Besides, your boss is stingy. It is impossible for him to be so generous with you!"
Xia Ping'an smiled and replied, "I earned it today of course."
Xia Ning looked at Xia Ping'an and, once again, examined the new clothes and shoes he was wearing. She suddenly put on a complicated look. She even sighed softly. Her brows were tightly knitted together. She appeared troubled.
She said, "Elder Brother, I know guys at your age are depressed and restless. Even more so for you since you don't have a girlfriend. Even though we're short on money, you don't have to do so. The auntie we met last time is indeed rich, and she likes hunks like you. But the auntie is old. How could you sell your body for money? Actually, I am already looking for suitable girls for you in college. A few seniors in my class are quite good. They have good looks, fair skin, and legs for days. You rejected me last time when I invited you to be a nude model in my school. If you had gone last time, with your body, it would be an easy task for you to get a girlfriend as soon as you took off your clothes and showed your muscles in the class."
Xia Ping'an, who had just drunk a mouthful of tea, almost choked. He glared at Xia Ning as he couldn't help but flick her forehead. He complained, "What nonsense are you thinking about?"
Xia Ning, this silly girl, actually wanted to recommend him to become a nude model in her school. According to her, he could get both money and women with this job.
Xia Ning rubbed her forehead and pouted her lips. Headstrong, she stared at Xia Ping'an and said, "Did I say anything wrong? Elder Brother, you don't need to be shy about it. I know guys like you are fond of those rich and mature ladies."
Speechless, Xia Ping'an stared at the ceiling. His younger sister was perfect in every way, except… How should he put it? She seemed to be too mature for her age. She was still young, yet she knew about all sorts of things and worried unnecessarily.
"This money is a bounty given by the National Order Council!" In order to stop Xia Ning from overthinking, Xia Ping'an was forced to spill the truth in the end.
Xia Ning was momentarily stunned. Then, she thought of something as her facial expression changed. "Ah! Elder Brother, did they find out about your clairvoyance?"
Xia Ning was the only one who knew about Xia Ping'an's clairvoyance. The two of them had lived together for so long. It was impossible for him to hide his ability from Xia Ning.
A few years ago, Xia Ning was napping at home during the holiday. She forgot to switch off the electric stove that was used to cook porridge in the kitchen. Her carelessness almost caused a fire. Xia Ping'an had to call and wake her up to turn off the switch. They successfully evaded a possible fire disaster. In the end, only the power socket was burned.
There were also countless incidents where they successfully avoided danger by taking a detour when going out or when Xia Ping'an arrived just in time to save Xia Ning from being disturbed by delinquents after school.
Under all these circumstances, unless Xia Ning was a fool, otherwise, it was impossible for Xia Ping'an to hide his clairvoyance from her.
Xia Ning wanted to know what happened. Therefore, Xia Ping'an told her how Mo Yanshao discovered that he had clairvoyance and his experience of hunting the demonic rats earlier today.
"Elder Brother, is the short-haired beauty with a cold temperament pretty? Did she talk to you?" After listening to his stories, Xia Ning's first question was actually related to the short-haired beauty.
Xia Ping'an could not understand women's logic at all. He admitted defeat right away, saying, "That's right. She is pretty, but that's none of my business."
"How is that not your business? Just now when you talked about the girl, you referred to her as the short-haired beauty five times. You only mentioned the bald guy four times. This means that she has left a deep impression on you," Xia Ning analyzed with a serious face. She looked at Xia Ping'an while resting her chin on her hand. "If she becomes my sister-in-law, she is naturally related to me."
Xia Ping'an placed his palm on his forehead, saying, "Do you not worry about other stuff? Your elder brother has risked his life to hunt some demonic rats today!"
Xia Ning rolled her eyes at Xia Ping'an. "If there was really any danger, you wouldn't have gone near it. You surely would have stood and observed from afar. I know you well. You're cunning and afraid of dying."
Xia Ping'an stuttered, "I…"
"Oh, yeah. Elder Brother, are you really going to report yourself to the National Order Council next Monday?" A mixture of worry and curiosity appeared on Xia Ning's face.
"I can't run away this time. I have to go. Also, there's a high chance that I will be recruited by the Council."
"Elder Brother, actually I think you should have gone to the council sooner," Xia Ning commented seriously. "Your current job as a mechanic is not befitting of your talents at all. You're surrounded by dudes. You can't even find a girlfriend there!"
"Aren't you worried that after I am recruited by the National Order Council, I will be assigned to some dangerous tasks?"
"I'm sure you'll be fine. I have always felt that even if the apocalypse comes, you will have a way to ensure that both of us survive. Besides, once you are drafted into the National Order Council, you'll have the opportunity to find me a sister-in-law. Oh, yeah, keep 3,000 dollars for this month's rent. Keep another 2,000 as our living expenses for next month…"
Without being asked, Xia Ning began splitting the money into two decks. "We'll bank in the remaining 35,000 tomorrow. We're saving it as the fund for you to buy a house and get married."
Xia Ping'an interrupted, "Keep another 10,000. It's enough to bank in 25,000. With this 10,000, you can join a training class during the holiday and get extra training from a good tutor."
Xia Ning seemed reluctant. After hesitating for a while, she told him, "I'm going to work during the holiday. I've made a promise with my friends."
Xia Ping'an glared at Xia Ning. He put on the stern face of an elder brother as he directly took out 10,000 from the larger stack of money that Xia Ning had distributed and put it beside the 5,000. He said, "I'm still alive. It's not your turn yet to toil yourself over some meager income. Wait until you become a painter before you talk about earning money. By the time each of your paintings cost a few hundred thousand, I won't need to work anymore. It will be your turn to support my living. Be a good girl and go to class during the holiday. Alright, quickly go to bed now. It's been a long day. Yesterday, we also didn't get to rest well. I'm tired too. Tomorrow is a weekend. We'll go set up the booth."
"Even if I go to art class, it won't cost 10,000. Five thousand is more than enough!" Xia Ning retorted.
"During the holiday, are you not going to eat, shop for new clothes, and go to the National Gallery of Art with your friends? Keep the remaining 5,000 as your pocket money. Buy whatever you fancy. That's the final decision. Keep the money and cut the crap!"
After Xia Ping'an had finished speaking, he turned around and went to his attic.
Xia Ning stared at the money on the table, then at Xia Ping'an's worn-out silhouette. She sniffled and forced back the urge to tear up. She mumbled, "Stupid Elder Brother, you always make me cry."