The lighting in the house was never great, whether during the day or in the dark of night.
At night, when the lights were on, the dim yellow glow could at least create a somewhat cozy atmosphere. But during the day, the place felt rather gloomy.
Even so, Lu Xin was in a great mood.
His elegant and gentle mother had already set the breakfast table. Three bowls of white porridge sat in front of them, with a plate holding a single salted egg, sliced open. His mother only ate a small portion of the egg white, leaving the rich, oily yolk for Lu Xin and his sister. Lu Xin, in turn, gave most of his share to his sister. Their father did not eat with them—he rarely left the kitchen.
Whenever he did, it always turned into chaos.
"Are you planning to start that new job today?"
His mother asked casually, her tone soft, as if she were simply making conversation.
"Are you ready?"
Though Lu Xin and his sister had not mentioned anything about it since returning home, their mother always seemed to know everything. It had always been like this.
Lu Xin nodded and answered, "I'm ready!"
"Little Lu has really grown up!"
His mother gazed at him with deep satisfaction and picked up a piece of egg white, placing it in his bowl. "Working two jobs will be tough. Eat more!"
"Damn it. Useless. Just useless. You know they're taking advantage of you, and you still run to them like a fool!"
A resentful curse came from the kitchen, but no one at the table reacted.
"You're the most worthless of all—being deceived and not even realizing it…"
His father's voice grew louder, his anger more intense.
Still, no one at the table acknowledged him. They simply ate in silence.
"If you ask me, you should just kill them all!"
With a loud crash, the kitchen door was yanked open.
Their father stormed into the living room, his eyes locked onto Lu Xin with a furious glare.
"Do you even realize they nearly got you killed yesterday? They never saw your life as anything more than a tool. From the start, they planned to send you to your death! They even prepared to kill you themselves!"
"If it weren't for that damn girl, you'd be dead already!"
"They nearly got you killed, and yet you still want to work for them?!"
As he spoke, he stomped toward Lu Xin, eyes bloodshot, nearly bulging out of their sockets, veins popping with rage.
"The café incident… What they did was wrong," Lu Xin muttered while eating his porridge. Unable to avoid it any longer, he quietly added, "But they're paying me…"
His father froze at that response.
"Useless. How can you be this useless?"
His shock quickly turned to greater fury, and he lashed out, suddenly reaching to grab Lu Xin.
Splash!
Just before his hand could seize Lu Xin's shoulder, a bowl of hot porridge splattered across his face.
"You dare—!"
His father turned his rage toward his mother, furiously wiping the steaming porridge off his skin.
"The real useless one is you!"
Their mother sat gracefully in her chair, exuding a chilling elegance. She looked at him with scorn.
"If you weren't so incompetent, so violent, we wouldn't be trapped here like this."
"You…!"
"You bitch! Do you want to die?!"
Their father had clearly been struck where it hurt most. He roared and lunged toward her.
But this time, their mother didn't move. She simply watched him coldly, then raised two fingers.
The enraged man halted as if struck by lightning.
His voice dropped, trembling with suppressed fear. "What… What do you mean by that?"
"You know exactly what I mean," their mother replied with a soft chuckle. "So if you're scared, go back to the kitchen where you belong."
"Useless! Useless! You're all damn useless!"
His father's fury surged, on the brink of losing all reason. His entire body tensed as if he would snap at any moment.
But their mother remained composed, holding up those two fingers, watching him in silence.
In the end, despite his boiling rage, their father held back.
Instead, he flew into a rampage—shouting curses, flipping the dining table, ripping down the ceiling fan, smashing a cabinet, shattering a glass cup in his hand. Bloodshot eyes swept over Lu Xin, his mother, and his sister, filled with hatred.
Then, still cursing, he retreated back into the kitchen.
"It's fine now."
His mother stood up gracefully, straightening Lu Xin's collar. Her voice was soft and soothing. "Just focus on what you need to do. It's important."
"I understand."
Lu Xin hesitated, then quietly said, "Thank you."
"Silly child, we're family—why thank me?"
His mother gently tapped his head, smiling. "But remember, no matter who you meet, always be polite and reasonable."
Then, with a soft brush of her hair, she smiled again. "Of course, when we talk reason with people, they should be reasonable in return. You're so honest—you'd never harm anyone. But if someone tries to bully you…"
Lu Xin looked at her warily.
She smiled even more warmly, her tone affectionate and doting.
"Then our whole family will pay them a visit together."
Lu Xin felt a chill run down his spine.
He sighed softly.
For the sake of others' safety… he really couldn't let himself be bullied.
…
…
As usual, Lu Xin arrived at the office forty minutes before work officially began.
Throughout the day, he diligently handled every report and document assigned to him, making sure nothing was left unfinished.
But unconsciously, he worked faster than usual. He even skipped lunch, focused solely on completing everything.
By the time evening rolled around and work ended, he had already finished all his tasks. He was the first to sling on his backpack and leave his desk.
Unlike usual, he didn't stay to work overtime.
Because now, he had something else to do.
Last night, he had carefully reviewed the files Chen Jing left for him. He now had a clear understanding of his new job.
Most importantly, he had examined the salary and allowances.
He understood that the moment Chen Jing called, he would have to drop everything and rush to the designated location, following their orders to handle contamination events. But even if nothing happened for an entire month, he would still get paid.
The real money, however, came from the bonuses for resolving contamination events—ranging from ten thousand to thirty thousand, with some marked as high as one hundred thousand.
That was the real incentive.
With this motivation, Lu Xin decided to take this job seriously.
He would find opportunities, work hard, and prove himself.
He had brought his identification, packed his satellite phone and gun into his bag, and stepped out onto the street.
With his sister by his side, he went out on patrol.