Chapter 12
Before Qi Yu could even enter the Anomaly Management Bureau, he was intercepted by Lin Zhi.
While officially of equal rank, espers were under the jurisdiction of the Esper Monitoring Department. Therefore, in official matters, he was subordinate to Lin Zhi and sometimes had to comply with his arrangements.
Armed with evidence from an anonymous source, Lin Zhi claimed Qi Yu was involved in the Zheng Xin case, compelling him to cooperate with the investigation.
Lin Zhi couldn’t even defeat a mid-level captain. The Esper Monitoring Department didn’t require strong combatants, only those with special abilities.
To put it bluntly, the Anomaly Management Bureau did the dirty work, while the Esper Monitoring Department reaped the rewards.
Qi Yu wanted to add: and occasionally nitpicked their work.
And now, he was the one being nitpicked.
Qi Yu was impatient. From the moment he got into the car, he argued with Lin Zhi. Their conversation was far from pleasant, both arriving at the Esper Monitoring Department with scowls.
The Esper Monitoring Department was twice the size of the Anomaly Management Bureau, but with a similar decor. The first time Qi Yu visited, he thought he had mistakenly returned to the bureau.
It was still early in the workday, the first floor mostly empty. Qi Yu didn’t bother with pleasantries, entering the interrogation room with a frown.
“No one would take that seriously. It was obviously a joke. Vice-Captain Lin, don’t you ever make sarcastic comments with your friends?” Qi Yu’s demeanor was relaxed, showing no sign of anxiety, as if he were simply there for tea and a chat.
Lin Zhi: “I’m a serious person.”
“The fact that you said that proves you’re not.” Qi Yu chuckled, then waved dismissively under Lin Zhi’s warning glare, composing himself. “I see now, Vice-Captain Lin probably has no friends.”
Their animosity stemmed from Shi Xu. After getting to know each other, they simply disliked each other.
Lin Zhi ignored the provocation, getting down to business. “Vice-Captain Qi, your ability is restoration, correct?”
Qi Yu said impatiently, “Get to the point.”
Lin Zhi asked, “Besides restoring objects, can you also restore life?”
The question was absurd. Qi Yu knew his own limitations. Restoring life was beyond his abilities.
“You overestimate me.”
Lin Zhi continued as if he hadn’t heard, “You handled the cleanup in 1402, didn’t you? After Captain Shi and I left, you used your ability to revive the Variant.”
Qi Yu’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Are you crazy, or am I?”
How could Lin Zhi utter such nonsense?
Lin Zhi smiled. “Since you can’t do that, then explain how that dead Variant managed to attack again after you submitted your report.”
Qi Yu: “How would I know?!”
Lin Zhi: “Isn’t that your job?”
It was the bureau’s job, but even with esper abilities, they couldn’t be perfect. Abilities were just tools.
Lin Zhi was clearly trying to provoke him.
Years ago, Qi Yu would have exploded, ranting about how the Esper Monitoring Department did nothing but collect higher salaries and create trouble for them, suggesting they disband for everyone’s benefit.
Suppressing his anger, Qi Yu said coldly, “There are always unforeseen circumstances.”
Lin Zhi smiled. “So you’re saying the Variant’s revival was Captain Shi’s mistake?”
Qi Yu frowned. “I didn’t say that.”
Lin Zhi: “Captain Shi killed the Variant. Only he and you, who handled the cleanup, were in contact with it. Since you claim you didn’t revive it, then Captain Shi must have spared it. Everyone knows Captain Shi never makes mistakes. So why did he let it live?”
Lin Zhi smirked, a provocative glint in his eyes. “Perhaps Captain Shi agrees with you. He also thought the Variant should kill the child’s father, so he let it live.”
Qi Yu had been fuming since arriving. Now, after this exchange, his anger intensified.
He slammed his hand on the table, shouting, “That’s just your speculation! Show me some real evidence before making such accusations! Otherwise, I’ll report your words to your captain.”
“Do I need evidence?” Lin Zhi said confidently. “I’ve made myself clear. My words are the evidence.”
It was true that only Shi Xu and Qi Yu had contact with the Variant, but there were other ways to revive a Variant without direct contact.
Lin Zhi was simply framing them because they hadn’t found the reason for the Variant’s revival.
“Vice-Captain Qi, I know you’re close to Captain Shi, and you always obey him. But I hope you won’t cover for him…”
“Bullshit! I’m not covering for Shi Xu! We didn’t do this!” Qi Yu’s breathing grew ragged, his eyes bloodshot. He grabbed Lin Zhi’s collar. “Do you know the consequences of making baseless accusations?!”
“Vice-Captain Qi, please calm down.” Lin Zhi smiled. “I hope you were the one who let the Variant kill Zheng Xin. As vice-captain of the Anomaly Management Bureau, you’re responsible for your words.”
“Speaking of which, your family situation is quite similar to that child’s, isn’t it? Are you defending him out of sympathy?”
Qi Yu’s pupils constricted, his heart skipping a beat.
He came from a humble background. His parents struggled financially, yet insisted on providing him with the best education.
The words he heard most from them were: “We’re scrimping and saving for you. You have to work hard. When you grow up and become successful, you have to repay us.”
He listened, striving to excel, but the constant pressure eventually took its toll.
Lin Zhi wasn’t entirely accurate. His situation was only slightly similar to that child’s.
The child never escaped his parents’ control, while Qi Yu chose to rebel.
During adolescence, he grew tired of his parents’ suffocating control and moral constraints.
He embraced rebellion, unable to stop.
His parents gradually grew disappointed. Their family had been on the verge of collapse for a while. Qi Yu was the final catalyst.
They divorced, starting new families, abandoning him. He was both heartbroken and relieved.
“Vice-Captain Qi, you must have wished your parents would disappear.” Lin Zhi’s words were like a devil’s whisper, preying on Qi Yu’s vulnerability.
“You must have wished to be parasitized by a pollutant, so a Variant could kill them for you, freeing you from guilt!”
Qi Yu’s eyes were bloodshot. He grabbed Lin Zhi’s collar, shouting, “You fucking…”
“Qi Yu!” The door opened. Shi Xu’s calm voice interrupted Qi Yu’s rage.
Lin Zhi stood up, giving Shi Xu a disapproving look. “Captain Shi, the interrogation isn’t over. You can’t just barge in.”
“I’ve spoken to your superior. Ask them if you have any questions. I’m taking him.” Shi Xu didn’t look at Lin Zhi, pulling the stunned Qi Yu out of the room.
Lin Zhi didn’t stop them, watching them leave with a smirk.
Shi Xu drove, shoving the dazed Qi Yu into the passenger seat. After getting in, Qi Yu remained stunned. Shi Xu fastened his seatbelt and lightly tapped his head.
“Calm down. Lin Zhi was just trying to provoke you. The angrier you get, the happier he is. Do you really want your enemy to see you like this?”
Qi Yu snapped out of it, murmuring, “I know he was doing that, but…”
But he couldn’t control his emotions. He was much more restrained than before, but still couldn’t match Shi Xu’s composure.
Qi Yu clenched his jaw. He regretted his words the moment Shi Xu told him to shut up.
He had been impulsive, saying such things in a place full of informants.
His eyes reddened with guilt. He whispered, “Captain, I’m so…”
Before he could finish apologizing, Shi Xu tapped his head again.
Shi Xu’s expression was serious, but his voice was gentle. “It’s not your fault. Just calm down.”
Qi Yu closed his eyes, silently apologizing.
As the car moved, the scenery outside blurring, Qi Yu suddenly opened his eyes. “I watched the video of you killing the Variant.”
Shi Xu: “Hmm?”
Qi Yu turned, looking at Shi Xu’s profile, his voice hoarse after his outburst. “You could have killed it with one blow, right?”
Shi Xu stared straight ahead, his lips pressed together.
“But you gave it time to crawl into its mother’s stomach before dying.” Qi Yu smiled, his usual demeanor returning. “Captain, you don’t have to hide it from me. I know what you were thinking, why you did that. We’re friends, we tell each other everything. You can tell me. I won’t tell anyone.”
Shi Xu finally spoke. “Why are you bringing this up?”
Qi Yu: “Just thinking about it. You’re quite cruel, Captain.”
Shi Xu: “That’s not cruelty.”
Qi Yu: “Then what is it?”
Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating Shi Xu’s eyes. He replied calmly, “That child wanted closure. I simply fulfilled his wish.”
He suddenly turned, meeting Qi Yu’s gaze.
Qi Yu froze. The scenery outside stopped, then sped up, the car seemingly moving in reverse.
The scene shifted. They were suddenly in an interrogation room.
A table appeared before Qi Yu. Shi Xu sat opposite him, staring intently.
Qi Yu felt dizzy, confused. He tried to move, realizing his limbs were bound. The seatbelt had transformed into ropes, restraining him.
“Captain Shi, do you admit you made a mistake when killing the Variant?” Lin Zhi’s voice, laced with amusement, echoed in the room.
Shi Xu’s expression remained unchanged. “Yes.”
Qi Yu’s heart stopped. His vision blurred, Shi Xu and Lin Zhi’s figures fading, but Lin Zhi’s smirk remained clear.
Despite his confusion, his aching mind understood.
He had been used.
