“A little at first, maybe. But later I realized there was nothing to fear,” Lin Juan paused, then continued. “Fear is perfectly normal. But no matter what we face, we should know that fear changes nothing. Will weird phenomena not appear just because you’re afraid? No. The more afraid you are, the more excited they get. We hold abilities ordinary people don’t. What we should do is shift that fear onto the weird phenomena.”
“The ones who should be afraid have always been them, not us.”
Those words banished the confusion in Shi Haochen’s eyes. They grew brighter and brighter. “You’re right, Mr. Lin. Why should I fear things that haven’t happened? Weird phenomena exist in the world—that’s unchangeable. Avoiding it does nothing. What I need to do is get stronger.”
Only by becoming strong could he, in this world overrun by weird phenomena, protect the people he cared about.
When they met Shi Haochen again, the adolescent boy looked completely transformed in spirit and appearance. He had changed into combat gear and joined the Anomalous Affairs Bureau. After finishing the training camp, he would become an official staff member.
Seeing Lin Juan, Shi Haochen said a few quiet words to his companion and ran over. “Brother Lin.”
During this time, Lin Juan had come to the Anomalous Affairs Bureau frequently because of the missing students. Whenever Shi Haochen saw him, he would come over to chat, and Lin Juan occasionally sparred with the ability users in his group.
They had grown familiar with each other. Calling him “Mr. Lin” felt too distant, and it just so happened that the others training with Shi Haochen were all young, full of enthusiasm, and they called him “Brother Lin” left and right.
“How’s the training going?” Lin Juan asked, seeing the sweat pouring off him.
“Not bad. I can adapt.”
Lin Juan chatted with him for a few moments before a swarm of young ability users surrounded him, sharing some practical skills. He finally broke free.
Zhuang Yufeng, who had come to pick him up, teased, “Mr. Lin, you’re really popular.”
“Has Shi Haochen’s supernatural ability rank been tested yet?” After all, he was the first ability user to depend on Lin Juan so much, so Lin Juan naturally paid extra attention to him.
He still remembered that the first day Shi Haochen was discharged from the hospital, he invited Lin Juan to dinner. Afterward, he told him that he had decided to join the Anomalous Affairs Bureau.
The weather had been excellent that day—too excellent. The blazing sun hung high, its rays scorching anyone exposed to them.
The adolescent boy’s gaze matched the sun outside: dazzling and brilliant.
“I’ve made up my mind, Mr. Lin. I want to join the Anomalous Affairs Bureau. You’re right. Since I’ve awakened my supernatural ability, avoiding it won’t help at all. I’ll seize every moment to grow stronger and never let you down.”
In Shi Haochen’s heart, Lin Juan was different from everyone else. His appearance had shown him that the monsters who could tear him apart so easily weren’t truly frightening. He had shattered his nightmare and brought him new life.
After accepting his identity as an ability user, those nightmare-like experiences no longer scared him. Because he knew he now had the power to fight the monsters from his nightmares.
Before true strength, no weird phenomena could be feared.
Shi Haochen looked up to Lin Juan. To him, Lin Juan was a lighthouse in the vast sea, guiding him clearly along the path he had set for himself.
Speaking of Shi Haochen’s supernatural ability, Zhuang Yufeng couldn’t hide his excitement. “Mr. Lin, we really have to thank you. You’ve brought us such a promising talent.”
Lin Juan raised an eyebrow. “So, his ability rank is high?”
“Indeed.” Zhuang Yufeng pulled up the data. “He just awakened, but all his stats have already reached A-rank, and there’s still room for growth. He currently possesses the A-rank supernatural ability 【Shadow】. We predict that if he fully matures, it could reach S-rank!”
This was undoubtedly the best news for the Anomalous Affairs Bureau.
Shi Haochen wasn’t even twenty yet. His future road stretched long before him, representing immeasurable potential.
“【Shadow】 focuses on offense. We’ve tailored a training plan just for him. Mr. Lin, if you’re interested, you can come watch.”
Not just Shi Haochen—all ability users who joined the Anomalous Affairs Bureau received personalized training plans for their supernatural abilities, allowing them to grow in the shortest time possible.
Zhuang Yufeng especially, with his memories of the future, could help Huaguo avoid many detours in this world.
Using those future memories, Zhuang Yufeng had recruited quite a few ability users to the Anomalous Affairs Bureau during this period. Some had joined in his previous life, while others hadn’t for various reasons. He found ways to bring them in early.
Now, the Anomalous Affairs Bureau was much larger in scale than when Lin Juan had first made contact. The number of ability users inside had increased several times over. Everything was developing in a positive direction.
Lin Juan had come this time to participate in the Anomalous Affairs Bureau’s student rescue plan.
The weird phenomena projection that Lin Juan had eliminated at the school last time was merely an attachment to the school itself. The Anomalous Affairs Bureau had spent a great deal of time and effort to identify five possible locations where the true weird phenomena might be hiding.
Lin Juan scanned them one by one, his gaze landing on one address.
Clear River Ditch. Five years ago, it had been a private clinic. Later, the clinic owner was hacked to death by furious family members of a patient, and the clinic was abandoned.
Lin Juan tapped the address with his fingertip. “Cherish Clinic. We should check here first.”
“Back in the school infirmary, I saw some scenes: a adolescent boy trapped on an operating table, gutted open, his organs removed one by one. I don’t think those images appeared for no reason. The boy on the operating table must be connected to the weird phenomena.”
“That’s what we thought too.” Director Liu and the others had discussed it in meetings and leaned toward this location as well.
“We’ve debated for a long time, but we still can’t figure out why the weird phenomena captured over thirty kids and kept them in school, making them study.” This was completely different from the weird phenomena they had encountered before.
To weird phenomena, humans were food, nutrients, something to harvest at will. Just like humans—if you raised a flock of chickens or ducks, would you care about their grades?
The answer was no.
But this weird phenomena cared a great deal.
After Shi Haochen joined the Anomalous Affairs Bureau, Director Liu and the others had specifically questioned him about the details of what happened while he was trapped in the school.
They studied those details over and over, discovering something shocking.
That weird phenomena seemed to just want the students to study hard and get good grades. Even if they failed and got kicked out of class, it only turned them into monsters at midnight to be chased by other monsters. Come daytime, it restored them to human form to continue studying until the next exam.
Pass well, and the punishment was lifted. They continued learning inside, with no memory of the hellish ordeals.
“To say something I shouldn’t, if the punishment methods weren’t so cruel, I’d almost understand what this weird phenomena was doing. Of course, assuming it wasn’t weird phenomena but a teacher hating iron for not becoming steel.”
“But those students all had good grades to begin with,” Lin Juan said. He couldn’t understand the weird phenomena’s behavior either. “Once we catch it, I’ll ask what it’s really up to.”
Only Lin Juan dared say things like that. Director Liu and the others were used to it. If anyone else had said it, they might have reminded them that weird phenomena couldn’t be reasoned with. But coming from Lin Juan, it was different.
Countless precedents proved that before absolute strength, all impossibilities were illusions.
For the rescue operation, Lin Juan teamed up with the ability users dispatched by the Anomalous Affairs Bureau.
Captain Sheng led the team again this time.
Lin Juan considered him an old partner. Sheng Tianzong was a sensible collaborator who never questioned Lin Juan’s decisions or restricted his actions. Lin Juan was quite satisfied with him.
“Captain Sheng, looking forward to working together.” Lin Juan extended his hand.
The tall, imposing man in combat gear shook it. “Mr. Lin, we’ll have to trouble you again this time.”
“I’m coming too!” Shi Haochen ran up in big strides.
Sheng Tianzong was one of his instructors. When he learned that Sheng Tianzong was leading this rescue mission, Shi Haochen pestered him to join.
On one hand, he needed real combat experience to hone himself. On the other, the trapped students were all his classmates he had spent every day with. He wanted to do his part.
Sheng Tianzong also believed that no perfect plan could match real combat for growth. After asking Lin Juan’s opinion, he brought the student along.
By the timeline, less than ten days had passed since the last school incident. When Lu Mingxuan heard Lin Juan was heading out again, he flopped onto the table. “If only I could awaken a supernatural ability too.”
He was especially envious after learning about Shi Haochen’s awakening.
Lu Yanzhou tapped his head with a pen. “Sit up straight.”
Lu Mingxuan straightened his back. “Is Little Uncle going?”
Lu Yanzhou had a rare day off. In the afternoon, he rested in the tearoom with Lin Juan. Lu Mingxuan sneaked over and sat down under Lu Yanzhou’s glare, thick-skinned as ever.
He wasn’t trying to play third wheel on purpose. With the world so unstable lately, Old Master Lu and his eldest brother wouldn’t let him wander outside. He could only stay in Lu Garden.
It was too boring. For the first time, he missed school days.
With nothing to do, whenever Lin Juan was home, Lu Mingxuan came to find him, egging him on to go out and play. Only with Lin Juan would the family let him go.
“Why won’t Grandpa let me go out—”
Lin Juan looked at Lu Yanzhou.
Lu Mingxuan didn’t know the inside story behind why the family kept him homebound.
It was a favor to Lin Juan. Knowing he got along well with the Lu Family, Zhuang Yufeng had used his 【Precognitive Dream】 as an excuse to warn him and Lu Yanzhou that this summer, Lu Mingxuan would encounter a major weird phenomena incident. In the 【Precognitive Dream】, the outcome was very bad.
“Very bad” meant what they all understood without saying.
Lu Yanzhou told his father and eldest brother. After discussing and consulting Lin Juan, they unanimously decided that unless Lin Juan went along, Lu Mingxuan shouldn’t go out.
Staying in Lu Garden was better than losing his life outside.
“If this were ancient times, I’d be some minor lord thrown into the clan court for some unknown offense!”
Lin Juan laughed at that. “You’ve been cooped up in Lu Garden these past few days. Once I’m done, I’ll take you out to play, okay?”
“Like yard time for inmates.” Lu Mingxuan muttered.
He understood his family’s worry for his safety—he’d witnessed the terror of weird phenomena firsthand. He was just griping aloud; he wouldn’t truly resent them.
“Your prison’s pretty comfy, though.” Lin Juan chuckled.
“Little Uncle, your hearing’s too good!”
Lin Juan leaned against Lu Yanzhou. Lu Yanzhou steadied him with an arm. Having sat for a while, Lin Juan was tired, so he adjusted his position and used Lu Yanzhou as a backrest.
In the blink of an eye, the day of the mission arrived.
Anomalous Affairs Bureau personnel came to Lu Garden to pick up Lin Juan for the rendezvous. Lu Yanzhou and Lu Mingxuan saw him off.
“I can’t go this time.” Lu Yanzhou pressed his lips together, a shadow crossing his face.
Being excluded from Lin Juan’s world felt awful.
“Just wait for me at home. You know you’re worried about me.” Lin Juan patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. The place isn’t far, and I’ll be back soon.”
An ability user got out of the car to take Lin Juan’s bag. After a couple steps, Lin Juan turned back and saw Lu Yanzhou still standing there, watching him. He quickly turned around and dashed back, throwing himself into his arms.
Lu Yanzhou’s pupils contracted slightly as he instinctively caught the youth lunging at him.
Lin Juan hugged him briefly before letting go. “Wait for me to come back, okay?”
Seeing this, Lu Mingxuan inexplicably thought of a phrase:
A beauty hidden in a golden house.
Except in this case, his Little Uncle was the beauty being hidden.
