Chapter 11: A Long Night—A Late Night Visitor

There, that was the Huanggang Science and Trade Company.

The three got into the car and sped toward the company. At the entrance, Zhou Mei flashed her police badge, the barrier lifted, and they proceeded straight to the main office building without pause, taking no unnecessary detours, and arrived directly at the chairman’s office door.

A stunningly attractive woman with a striking shade of lipstick approached gracefully. “May I ask—”

She had barely spoken two words when Changye reached out her hand in a swift motion, striking the woman’s neck. The beauty’s eyes widened in confusion, and she slowly collapsed.

The door to the chairman’s office was pushed open.

Sitting in the large armchair was a man—Ding Haichun, whom they had seen in the video footage.

Ding Haichun’s brow furrowed. “Who are you—”

“Ding Haichun, your plot to assassinate Qu Taiqing at Qingyuan Temple has been exposed. You are under arrest!” Changye stepped forward, standing before him.

Ding Haichun’s face changed dramatically. He raised his hand, and a needle appeared out of nowhere—whizzing toward Changye.

At the same time, he retreated to the window, his hand moving—crash! The window shattered.

Lin Xiaosu’s heart leapt. This… this was definitely not something a normal person could do!

Zhou Mei’s expression shifted as well—he’s a genetic human!

The man before them was clearly another genetic human!

Genetic humans—rare in the world, ordinary people never encounter even one, yet yesterday she’d met one, and today, another!

Was this luck? No, it was disastrous!

As a police officer, encountering a suspect who suddenly reveals themselves as a genetic human and resists arrest—what could be more dangerous?

Yesterday, she’d only escaped thanks to Li Diandian (Tiger Girl). And today?

In Lin Xiaosu’s divine vision, he saw clearly the hair-thin needle, only three inches from Changye’s head, but he was powerless—he could see it, but couldn’t react…

In that instant, Changye’s finger moved.

Her fingernail flicked lightly, striking the needle and sending it flying to the ceiling.

The next moment, her finger accelerated, tapping the back of Ding Haichun’s head. Ding Haichun had half his body out of the window, but Changye’s finger hooked his collar—crash! Ding Haichun was pulled back, slammed onto the desk, his eyes vacant, already unconscious.

Zhou Mei stood petrified…

Lin Xiaosu’s heart was pounding wildly…

Of all the women he’d met in his life, Tiger Girl was the fiercest.

But today, his long-held beliefs were overturned—this woman called Changye was even fiercer.

Even though her movements appeared refined, the results were truly astonishing…

“Changye, I—we’ll send people over right away,” Zhou Mei took a deep breath, regaining composure.

“No need. My people will arrive soon. You two… head back first.”

When Lin Xiaosu and Zhou Mei left the building, a maglev car appeared in the sky…

Sitting in Zhou Mei’s car, Lin Xiaosu watched the maglev soar through the clouds and vanish, then slowly turned toward Zhou Mei, who was also looking at him.

“Officer Zhou… who exactly is she?” Lin Xiaosu asked.

“Captain Zhang said she’s from the provincial department, but suddenly I feel… that can’t be right,” Zhou Mei said. “At the very least, the provincial department doesn’t have that sort of system, and no one like her has ever won any awards in the provincial skills competitions.”

“So you don’t really know her, either…”

“Understanding a person isn’t easy. I don’t really know you, either!” Zhou Mei said. “Today’s murder case is even more bizarre than yesterday’s. Why were you able to break through?”

“May I boast a little?” Lin Xiaosu blinked.

Zhou Mei rolled her eyes. “Just say what you want—don’t beat around the bush!”

“The world of genius is unknown to ordinary folk!”

Zhou Mei stared at his irritating face, speechless for a long time, finally letting out a sigh. “If we encounter another mysterious case, can we call on you, genius?”

“Of course! Didn’t your provincial leaders set an example today? Ten thousand yuan per consultation!” Lin Xiaosu said.

“Ten thousand? Are you robbing us?”

“Nonsense! It’s faster than robbing, more advanced, and not illegal.”

Zhou Mei lost interest in talking to him.

She floored the accelerator, dropped him off at Old Tower Mountain Village, and left without looking back…

The days that followed were calm and uneventful.

Lin Xiaosu reviewed his coursework at home, occasionally chatting with Tiger Girl about the life of a C-egg. Time flew by.

One day, two days, three days—before he knew it, it was April 12th, a month later.

The civil service exam was only a week away.

His mother had gone to Qingyuan Temple again, this time seeking a patron even more powerful than Guanyin—the Buddha himself.

Whether such patronage would help remained to be seen, but Lin Xiaosu himself was wavering.

Before awakening his divine abilities, he’d thought having a stable, guaranteed government job was pretty good.

The pay wasn’t high, but it was secure.

And civil servants held status—his mother never stopped reminding him that, with a civil service title, he could easily find a bride in the countryside, and they wouldn’t even ask for a dowry, car, or house—lest they scare away this golden bachelor…

Yet, with his newfound powers, Lin Xiaosu kept asking himself:

With the Heavenly Insight, am I really going to work as a meteorologist?

A watcher of the heavens, reduced to forecasting the weather?

Surely not?

These abilities could be monetized—he’d already earned ten thousand in half a day…

But these thoughts remained in his mind; he dared not discuss them with his mother. She was reasonable about most things, but on this matter, any hint of hesitation would bring the wrath of her wooden paddle…

As the sun set, Lin Xiaosu took a stroll outside and returned to his room.

He pushed open the door—and was startled.

Someone was inside.

A beautiful woman sat quietly by his desk, smiling at him as she turned.

Changye!

Changye, unseen for a month, had arrived silently in his room.

“The civil service exam is near. You’ve applied for the meteorological bureau,” Changye gently closed the open book.

“Yes!” Lin Xiaosu raised his hand and closed the door.

“Are you content to be a meteorological observer?”

“Sometimes life isn’t about contentment or discontentment, but compromise with fate.” Lin Xiaosu poured her a cup of tea. “When I applied, that post was less popular, so the competition might be less fierce.”

“May I offer you some advice?” Changye asked.

“What is it?”

“Don’t take the exam.”

Lin Xiaosu’s heart gave a slight jolt…

“You could have a more suitable job.”

“What do you mean? You’re offering me a job?”

“If you’re willing, there’s a unique position for you,” Changye’s eyes flickered.

“Unique? How so?”

“To outsiders, it’ll seem like you work for a private company.”

“And in reality?”

“In reality, you’ll be serving the nation—a sacred, solemn duty, with excellent compensation!” Changye said.

Lin Xiaosu slowly raised his gaze. “What exactly would I do?”

“It depends. Sometimes you’ll investigate cases, sometimes go undercover, sometimes assume different identities…”

“Are you inviting me on behalf of the provincial department?”

“No, not the provincial department—that’s not high enough.”

Lin Xiaosu stared into her eyes. “Who are you really?”

“Have you heard of Hidden Dragons?” Changye asked him five words.

Lin Xiaosu was shaken to his core, waves crashing in his heart…

Hidden Dragons—a name every man with a touch of heroism knows.

Hidden Dragons, the covert guardians of the republic.

The kings among police, the elite of the military.

They dwell in darkness, yet bring light to the nation.

Each one is a legend.

Ordinary people never meet any of them; if you do, it means something earth-shaking has happened.

“Why me?” Lin Xiaosu licked his lips.

“You’d never guess, but thanks to you, Hidden Dragons cracked a major case. Because of that, the leadership saw the immense value a criminal investigation genius can bring, and decided to recruit you outside the usual process. Over the past month, the approvals have all gone through, so I rushed here tonight to ask your opinion.”

“Which case?”

“The murder of Qu Taiqing at Qingyuan Temple. Through Ding Haichun’s interrogation, we uncovered a criminal organization hidden within the country and made significant progress with the ‘Qingping Project’…”

Qingping Project—targeting sabotage by foreign organizations.

The project’s scope is vast; one main branch is the infiltration and sabotage of genetic programs by foreign groups.

Genetic research—a major field this century, with scientific consensus that the next century belongs to genetics. Whoever leads in genetic research will dominate the future.

Thus, genetic projects are a national priority, and also the battleground for fierce international competition.

Qu Taiqing was a Hidden Dragon, number 2198. He wasn’t a genetic human, but a top genetic researcher. He lived in Tower Mountain for eight years, achieving significant progress. If his research continued, it might solve the century’s biggest issue—genetic rejection.

So, the enemy plotted his assassination, hoping to disrupt the country’s genetic research…

“Such complex international games, at the level of nations… can a little ant like me really make waves in that arena?” Lin Xiaosu murmured.

“In these circumstances, everyone is an ant. No one can do it all, but remember—you’re not fighting alone. Thousands of unseen heroes are fighting alongside you…”

Lin Xiaosu slowly stood, walked to the window, and smiled. “My mother’s heart is set on me becoming a civil servant. If I take this step, does it count?”

“That depends on how you define civil servant, and what you hope to achieve. If you want fame, this position can’t give you that. If you want comfort, even less. If you want money, no problem—it can provide. But if you truly want to serve your country, this is your best choice.”