Lin Xiao sat in the car next to Li Jing, who was engrossed in some files. She had her legs crossed, a look of concentration on her face.
After a few moments of silence, she glanced at him and asked, "Did you really create 10 years of memories in just one day?"
Lin Xiao nodded. "Yes, I did."
Li Jing's eyes widened slightly in admiration. "You are much more talented than me. It usually takes me two to three days to create 10 years worth of memories."
As Lin Xiao processed this compliment, he noticed the files Li Jing was browsing.
He caught glimpses of terms like "balloon kidnappers" and "Dream Desire Palace." Curiosity piqued, he asked, "What is the Dream Desire Palace? And what happened to the kidnappers?"
Li Jing sighed, a hint of weariness in her expression. "You'll know sooner or later," she began. "Dream Desire Palace is a terrorist organization that has existed for more than 300 years. Their goal is to find the true origin of supernatural powers. To achieve this, they hired the balloon kidnappers to abduct people who have the potential to develop superpowers based on their ancestry. These victims are then experimented on."
Lin Xiao felt a chill run down his spine.
The thought of such an organization existing for so long and conducting such heinous acts was unsettling. "And what happened to the kidnappers?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
"We managed to apprehend some of them," Li Jing replied, "but others are still at large. The Dream Desire Palace is a well-organized and elusive group that has existed for 100 of years. They have deep connections and resources, making them difficult to dismantle completely."
Lin Xiao nodded, absorbing the gravity of the situation.
As the car neared Zhang Wei's house, Li Jing turned to Lin Xiao. "I need to see the memories you created for Zhang Wei," she said.
Lin Xiao hesitated. "I don't know how to share them."
Li Jing gave a small smile. "It's simple. Just focus on the memories you want to share and touch my hand. I'll guide you through the rest."
Lin Xiao nodded and did as she instructed. He focused on the memories he had created for Zhang Wei, recalling every detail.
When he touched Li Jing's hand, he felt a strange connection form between them. He could sense her mind sifting through the memories, evaluating them.
After a few moments, Li Jing nodded approvingly. "Looks good enough," she said.
They arrived at Zhang Wei's house, and Li Jing handed Lin Xiao a mask and a doctor's gown. "Put these on. We need to be discreet," she instructed.
Lin Xiao donned the mask and gown, feeling a rush of nervous energy. They walked up to the front door, and Li Jing knocked. Zhang Wei's mother answered, her eyes red from crying.
"Mrs. Zhang, this is Dr. Wang. He specializes in cases like your son's and can help him," Li Jing said reassuringly.
Mrs. Zhang's eyes filled with hope. "Please, come in. He's upstairs."
Lin Xiao followed Li Jing up the stairs to Zhang Wei's room. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. "Okay, I'll do it," he murmured to himself.
He approached Zhang Wei's bed and focused on instilling the memories he had prepared. It took a few minutes, and he worked quickly, knowing he had to leave before Zhang Wei woke up. Once he was done, he quietly slipped out of the room.
As Lin Xiao and Li Jing were heading downstairs, they heard the sound of Zhang Wei's parents crying. "He's recognizing us! He remembers!" Mrs. Zhang sobbed in relief and joy.
Outside, Lin Xiao removed the mask and gown, feeling a sense of accomplishment mixed with the lingering unease of the situation. "Thank you," he said to Li Jing, trying to mask his conflicted emotions.
"You did well," Li Jing replied. "Welcome to the Cleaning Bureau, Lin Xiao. This is just the beginning."
As Lin Xiao sat in the car, heading back to the military base, he suddenly received a system notification:
[Capture one member of the supernatural association - Completed - Reward: +2 Intelligence, +500 Exp, Key to unlock Hell Difficulty Missions]
"What the heck?" Lin Xiao muttered under his breath, confused and concerned.
...
Back at Lin Xiao's house, the scene was entirely different.
A man named Zhao Ming, a member of the supernatural association, had been sent to investigate Lin Xiao's background.
He entered the house quietly, looking around with a professional air.
Inside the house, Xiao Bai and Lil' Blackie were lounging near the window, keeping a casual eye on their surroundings.
Zhao Ming noticed the cats and, despite his mission, couldn't resist their cuteness. He approached them, extending his hand to pet Xiao Bai.
"Hello there, little one," Zhao Ming cooed, reaching out.
Xiao Bai immediately recoiled and, with a swift swipe of his paw, slapped Zhao Ming's hand away.
Zhao Ming staggered back, clutching his mouth as he felt a tooth break from the impact.
"Filthy human, don't touch me," Xiao Bai hissed, his eyes narrowed in disdain.
Lil' Blackie, the white cat, looked anxiously at Xiao Bai. "Xiao Bai, why did you do that? Xiao Xiao told us not to make trouble!"
Xiao Bai stuck out his tongue sheepishly. "Sorry, I couldn't help it."
Zhao Ming, still in shock from the talking cats, tried to regain his composure. "Did... did you just talk?"
"Yes, we did," Lil' Blackie replied calmly. "Now, why are you here?"
Zhao Ming stammered, "I'm... I'm investigating Lin Xiao. I need to make sure he's not connected to any terrorist organizations."
The cats exchanged glances, realizing the potential threat. Xiao Bai nodded to Lil' Blackie, who sighed. "Alright, we'll have to keep you here for now," Lil' Blackie said.
With a flick of her tail, Lil' Blackie activated her time control ability.
Zhao Ming's legs began to tingle, and he looked down in horror as his legs started to age backward, rapidly becoming those of a twelve-year-old.
The transformation was both fascinating and terrifying to witness.
"What... what are you doing to me?!" Zhao Ming screamed, panic flooding his voice as he felt the strength in his legs dwindling.
"You won't be able to run or cause any trouble now," Lil' Blackie said calmly, her eyes glowing slightly as she controlled the temporal change.
Zhao Ming staggered, his balance thrown off by his now-childlike legs. He tried to move but stumbled and fell to the floor, his legs unable to support his adult weight properly.
"How... how is this possible?" Zhao Ming muttered, staring at his legs in disbelief.
Xiao Bai, the black cat, moved next. With a flick of his tail, he activated his space control powers.
The air around Zhao Ming seemed to warp and twist, creating an invisible barrier that muffled his screams.
No sound escaped the room, and Zhao Ming's terrified cries were reduced to silent gasps.
"You're making too much noise," Xiao Bai said calmly, his eyes glowing with a deep, purple light. "We can't have that."
Zhao Ming, now subdued and unable to scream for help, tried to crawl away, but his regressed legs made it impossible. He was trapped, both physically and spatially.
Lil' Blackie stepped closer, her expression softer but still firm. "We told you, we're not going to hurt you more than necessary. Just cooperate, and this will be over soon."
"You can't do this!" Zhao Ming protested, panic creeping into his voice. "I'm with the supernatural association!"
"And we're protecting our home," Xiao Bai retorted, his voice cold and unwavering.
"You... you're just cats," Zhao Ming said, his voice a mix of disbelief and fear. "How can you talk and use powers?"
"We're not just any cats," Lil' Blackie replied, her voice soothing but firm.
"You'll stay here until Xiao Xiao returns," Lil' Blackie added, her tone gentle but authoritative. "He'll decide what to do with you."
Zhao Ming nodded again, too terrified to resist. He slumped against the wall.