Office.
One-Eyed Man smoked a cigarette, staring at the form in his hand. He wondered if recruiting mental patients as members was a mistake, but there was one thing he needed to figure out.
"Shadow, I have a task for you. Follow those two and record everything they do."
Whoosh!
A figure appeared in the office, clad entirely in black, face concealed by a dark cloth. The visible skin suggested a young man.
"Yes."
"I'll give serious consideration to the secret skills passed down through your family. Establishing a higher academy isn't easy, but I'll push for it when the opportunity arises." One-Eyed Man stopped Shadow as he was about to leave, offering an empty promise.
Shadow nodded and vanished from the office.
It wasn't entirely an empty promise. Establishing a higher academy was indeed difficult. He was also genuinely interested in the Shadow family's secret skills. The way Shadow disappeared, with the door closed and the window intact, as if passing through solid objects, fascinated him.
Truly amazing.
Downstairs at the Special Department.
Lin Fan and Old Zhang, looking refreshed in their new clothes, walked their peculiar pet, smiles beaming on their faces.
"We have jobs now."
"We have to work hard."
The Evil Chicken held its head high, feeling like a handsome infiltrator, successfully embedded within human society. What a magnificent feat! If other evil creatures were here, they would surely applaud and shout…
"Awesome!"
But for now, this joy had to remain hidden, buried deep within, waiting for the right moment to be shared.
Liu Ying approached, chatting with a group of colleagues. He was in a good mood lately. The dentist had done a fantastic job on his new teeth. Since it was expensable, he'd naturally opted for the most expensive option.
Even his girlfriend complimented his new teeth, saying they made his tongue stronger.
One-Eyed Man had winced at the expense report.
He'd subtly asked Liu Ying if dental work was really that expensive these days. Liu Ying had insisted it was, citing rising prices and the rarity of the materials used, along with other dental jargon that left One-Eyed Man bewildered and ultimately signing the approval.
"Huh?"
Liu Ying stopped, staring at Lin Fan and Old Zhang.
"Haven't we met before?" he asked, puzzled. He felt a sense of familiarity.
"Have we?" Lin Fan asked.
"I don't think so," Old Zhang replied.
Liu Ying frowned. He was sure he'd seen them somewhere, but the memory was hazy. And they weren't wearing the same clothes.
"Maybe I'm mistaken. Are you new members?" Liu Ying asked.
"Yes," Lin Fan replied.
"Me too," Old Zhang added.
Liu Ying smiled and extended his hand. "I'm Liu Ying. Nice to meet you, future colleagues."
"Lin Fan."
"Old Zhang."
They shook hands with Liu Ying. Lin Fan grasped Liu Ying's left hand, and when Liu Ying tried to pull back, Lin Fan held on. With Old Zhang's hand still outstretched, in a brief, awkward moment, Liu Ying found himself shaking hands with both of them simultaneously, his hands crossed.
"Nice to meet you both."
They released his hands.
Lin Fan and Old Zhang walked towards the exit.
Liu Ying watched them go, scratching his head. He felt something was odd about them, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Just a strange feeling of something not being quite right.
"Liu Ying, do you know them?" someone asked, clapping him on the shoulder.
Liu Ying shook his head. "I must have mistaken them for someone else."
He watched their retreating figures, muttering to himself. It was strange. He was sure he'd seen them, but he just couldn't remember where.
On the Street.
Having changed out of their mental hospital clothes, Lin Fan and Old Zhang no longer attracted the attention of passersby.
"This is the first time no one's looking at us strangely," Lin Fan remarked.
"What should we do now?" Old Zhang asked.
"I don't know."
Shadow, tailing them from the shadows, observed them impassively. He couldn't discern anything unusual about them and wondered why One-Eyed Man was interested in this pair.
"Let's go find Little Bao," Lin Fan suggested, remembering the joy he and Old Zhang felt when they were with the child. Interacting with others felt more difficult.
They stood on the bustling street, watching the crowds flow past.
Old Zhang gripped Lin Fan's sleeve, a little nervous, feeling apprehensive about the dense crowd.
"Don't be afraid," Lin Fan said softly, putting an arm around his shoulder.
In a nearby alley.
The air shimmered, and a figure materialized as if stepping out of thin air.
The energy radiating from the figure in that instant was astonishing.
The Special Department immediately detected the surge of energy.
Alarmed staff exclaimed, "What was that energy spike?"
"Is another terrifying evil creature appearing in Yanhai City?"
Jin He Li stared gravely at the data analysis. This energy reading was the most dramatic she had ever seen.
Back in the office.
The moment the energy surge occurred, One-Eyed Man shot to his feet, sweat beading on his forehead. While it might not faze ordinary strong individuals, for someone of his power, this energy fluctuation was alarming.
Jin He Li burst into the office without knocking, data sheets clutched in her hand.
"Something's happened!"
One-Eyed Man took the data sheets, studied them for a long moment, and slowly placed them down. "This energy signature… it appeared ten years ago, didn't it?"
Jin He Li replied, "Yes, it's identical to the energy surge detected in Cang City ten years ago. And the result…"
"Cang City was reduced to ruins," One-Eyed Man finished, uttering the terrifying truth.
"Exactly," Jin He Li confirmed.
One-Eyed Man continued, "There's a theory that this energy surge is a Demon God waking up, finding things a bit dull, and playing a little game. If you guess right, you're spared. If you guess wrong… you vanish. But it's just speculation. The truth remains a mystery."
"Can we pinpoint the source of the energy fluctuation?"
Jin He Li shook her head. "Impossible. It's too difficult. The moment the surge occurred, energy ripples spread throughout Yanhai City, making it nearly impossible to isolate the source."
One-Eyed Man stroked his newly growing stubble, feeling troubled. This was a headache.
"So, you're saying we're all going to die?"
Jin He Li replied, "Not everyone. Some will survive. You, for example, won't die."
"Oh, good. That's a relief. I was almost scared to death. This is the first time I've encountered something like this. Glad I won't die," One-Eyed Man said, patting his chest with an expression of relief that made Jin He Li want to roll her eyes.
The head of the Special Department saying something like that? Was he even human?
One-Eyed Man gave an awkward laugh. "Just kidding. Don't take it seriously. Now, immediately dispatch all members to search for the individual causing the energy fluctuation. And have the data team pinpoint the area in Yanhai City with the strongest energy reading."
"The lives of everyone in Yanhai City, excluding myself, are in your hands."
Jin He Li stared at him, then turned and left the office.
Once she was gone, One-Eyed Man's expression turned somber.
Damn it!
Did it have to be this dramatic?