Chapter 51 Part 1

The car was so quiet that even a single hair falling to the floor would have been audible.

Xue Hengfu desperately wished he could go back one minute and slap himself across the face.

But now, facing that adorable, silly shark head, he could only force a smile.

“Hahaha, sure thing.”

It was over.

Lu Jingshan closed his eyes, unable to bear looking at Xue Hengfu’s foolish face any longer.

Fortunately, after a long stretch of awkward chatter, the car was finally approaching the Resurgence Management Office.

As a covert organization, the office building bore no markings and looked like any ordinary high-rise.

At most, its security measures were a bit more robust.

After entering, Bo Ting passed under the cameras, somewhat worried that the machines might scan his unusual body structure. Fortunately, he got through smoothly without triggering any alarms.

He breathed a subtle sigh of relief and glanced around the sparsely populated lobby.

Hm, not many people handling business today.

Without needing a reminder from Captain Lu, Bo Ting spotted the “Federation ID Replacement” window and walked over.

Lu Jingshan and Wang Dong exchanged a glance and hurried after him.

But when they looked up, they nearly choked.

Sitting primly at the window was none other than their own captain.

Zheng Shangyun sat inside, trying to keep his expression relaxed.

From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Lu Jingshan and the kid from the Third Esper Squad.

The situation had arisen so suddenly that there was no time to coordinate further. Then, a shadow fell over the newly set-up window.

A faint rose fragrance lingered in the air. A pale, slender hand tapped on the glass.

“Hello, is this where I get a replacement ID?”

A clear, youthful male voice sounded. Lu Jingshan and Wang Dong frantically signaled with their eyes.

Zheng Shangyun glanced at them and forced himself to speak in character:

“Ahem, yes, this is the place.”

“For ID replacement, have a seat and register your information.”

“Then turn left to get your photo taken.”

Bo Ting nodded obediently, pulled out a chair, and sat down. In his mind, he anxiously awaited the questions.

Hmm.

What info did they usually ask for with an ID?

Home address?

Place of origin?

Household registry?

He didn’t have any of that.

Bo Ting’s heart pounded. He suddenly felt that coming in so directly had been too rash.

But surrounded by a bunch of towering men over six feet tall, he couldn’t run now. He could only steel himself and prepare to make things up.

However, after a few minutes of silence, the man on the other side flipped through some forms and simply lifted his pen.

“Name?”

Bo Ting: Uh.

“Bo Ting.”

Zheng Shangyun eyed the sensitive documents in his hand, suspecting that asking anything more might cause an incident on the spot.

After locking eyes with the shark head across from him, he feigned professionalism: “Current address?”

Bo Ting answered nervously: “Yunhe Convenience Store?”

He couldn’t very well say Taiping Luxury Garden.

That neighborhood had crossed over entirely; it didn’t exist here.

In a flash, Bo Ting shamelessly borrowed the name of the convenience store he’d reported multiple times.

Zheng Shangyun’s mouth twitched. He wanted to ask how a 24-hour unmanned store could be a home address, but he didn’t dare.

He skipped it quickly.

“Place of origin?”

“Mengjia City?”

Bo Ting replied tentatively.

Zheng Shangyun: …

“Did you bring your household registry?”

Bo Ting: “Lost it.”

The black ballpoint pen paused, then scratched out a few lines on the form.

Zheng Shangyun signed with a complicated expression.

“All set. Go get your photo next door.”

That was it?

Bo Ting’s eyes widened in bewilderment.

Was replacing an ID in Mengjia City this easy?

Bo Ting struggled for a while before finding the right word.

He stood up subconsciously and walked to the self-service photo booth nearby, still feeling a bit embarrassed.

Suddenly remembering something, he turned back.

Zheng Shangyun had just frowned, about to ask Lu Jingshan what was going on.

Before he could open his mouth, that familiar shark head poked back into view.

He nearly choked on his breath.

“What is it?”

Bo Ting scratched his head.

“Um, can I keep the plush head on for the photo?”

Bo Ting racked his brains and came up with an excuse.

“I have allergies on my face.”

“Taking it off might scare people.”

Zheng Shangyun: …

“Sure.”

He had never handled such an absurd ID before.

A Federation ID photo with a shark head on.

He couldn’t even imagine how to explain this to others later.

But an entity beyond SSS-level was right in front of him.

To avoid chaos in Mengjia City, Zheng Shangyun could only keep things steady and accommodate whatever the other party requested for now.

It was just a photo, after all.

He had filled out the forms with his eyes closed anyway.

What was there to fear?

“Pull the curtain once you’re inside, face the screen, and press the button.”

Worried the entity might not know how to use the machine, Zheng Shangyun reminded him again.

Bo Ting nodded, a brilliant smile spreading across his face.

He sincerely thanked the weathered middle-aged staffer in the window.

And incidentally scanned the name tag on the man’s shirt.

He planned to leave a good review after the ID was done.

Mengjia City was so inclusive and friendly. Their earlier worries had been overblown.

Inside the photo booth, Bo Ting drew the curtain. Thinking about soon having his first otherworldly ID, he felt a thrill of excitement.

He placed one hand on the red button on the control panel, waiting for his fluffy blue shark head to enter the frame.

He straightened his back instinctively and clicked confirm.

A few seconds later, the photo locked in with the shark head sitting primly.

Bo Ting looked left and right, thoroughly satisfied, submitted it successfully, and pulled back the curtain to exit.

The lobby was as deserted as when he’d arrived.

As soon as he stepped out, he saw Captain Lu with half his body leaning toward the window, along with the staffer inside.

Everyone froze for a moment.

“Hahaha, all done?”

Lu Jingshan stood up and greeted him naturally.

Bo Ting nodded and couldn’t help praising:

“Very convenient.”

“I just submitted the photo.”

“Please send it to Yunhe Convenience Store.”

Bo Ting casually gave the address. Seeing confirmation from the other side, he grew expectant.

“So, can I go now?”

Was the census over just like that?

Lu Jingshan recalled his recent exchange with Captain Zheng, quickly sent a message to Xue Hengfu as a reminder, and flashed a hearty smile.

“Of course.”

“I’ll have Xue Hengfu pull the car around.”

Bo Ting felt a bit embarrassed hearing that.

Huh?

They were really giving him a ride.

“Will it be too much trouble?”

It wasn’t trouble, but it was quite the heart test.

Still, the guy had volunteered. And they did need to track this one’s “movements.”

Posing as a driver-guide was more natural.

Lu Jingshan shook his head.

“He’s heading that way anyway.”

“It’s on the way, on the way.”

Bo Ting didn’t refuse further upon hearing this.

After all, he’d just checked the time—it was already 12:10. Walking would make him late; a ride was more convenient.

Speaking of which, he wondered about car prices in Mengjia City. When could he afford one?

Only his first day out, and Bo Ting was already daydreaming about buying a car.

He shook the heavy thoughts from his mind. Then he saw the staffer who had escorted him in return.

This time, after a nod, the man sat in the back seat.

What?

Xue Hengfu, who had thought the front passenger seat was safer and more reassuring: …

His mouth opened subconsciously, but upon seeing Captain Lu’s look, Xue Hengfu swallowed it down.

“Hahaha, then we’re off?”

Lu Jingshan closed the car door, his words loaded with meaning.

“Drive safe.”

Xue Hengfu nodded and sneaked a glance at the rearview mirror.

The shark head in the mirror seemed to agree, responding in kind.

Xue Hengfu’s throat tightened. He buckled up, turned the car around.

The moment the black sedan pulled away from the Resurgence Management Office, Lu Jingshan quickly got into another vehicle with the Third Esper Squad and tailed it.

“Stay low-key. Don’t let them spot the tail,” he instructed swiftly.

Wang Dong took a deep breath: “Don’t worry, Captain.”

“Once we’re out of the block, there’s so much traffic—no one will notice.”

Sure enough, as Wang Dong said, traffic surged as soon as they hit the street.

The low-profile SUV blended into the flow, traceless.

Bo Ting leaned back in his seat, completely unaware of the driver’s trepidation.

He was still pondering what milk tea to get later.

He had searched the map earlier—there were several shops right by Tianxin Cinema.

Old brown sugar milk tea, maybe.

The sweet flavor flooded his mouth at the mere thought.

Bo Ting couldn’t help pressing his stomach.

The driver up front suddenly flinched.

“Something wrong?”

Xue Hengfu forced a laugh: “N-no, nothing.”

Why press his stomach out of nowhere? Was he hungry?

A sense of danger welled up, making Xue Hengfu floor the accelerator.

He drove like he was sprinting.

Wang Dong, tailing behind, gripped the wheel relaxed at first. But then the sedan ahead suddenly sped up.

He was stunned.

“What the hell is Xue Hengfu doing?”

He inexplicably floored it to keep up.

They raced all the way to the Anhua Road area before the car finally slowed.

Bo Ting checked the time with a sigh. It was twenty minutes earlier than expected—all thanks to this staffer.

“Thanks.”

“This should be the spot.”

Tianxin Cinema was just across the next intersection. Considering parking at the mall entrance would be tricky, Bo Ting thoughtfully had him stop early.

“I’ll get off here.”