Chapter 26: Is There a Possibility

As soon as he ascended the stairs, Qi Chen spotted Fu Ying from a distance. Her expression was cold and forbidding, causing Qi Chen to instinctively shrink his neck and slow his steps, hiding behind the gentleman.

"Hey! Why are you hiding behind me?" the gentleman whispered, tilting his head slightly, trying to coax Qi Chen out in front. But out of the corner of his eye, he saw Fu Ying approaching them of her own accord.

"Gentleman, is this how you mentor the newcomers?"

Fu Ying’s words immediately transformed the gentleman’s face into one of misery. He knew his salary for the month might take another hit, and he could already guess the reason—irresponsible guidance and inadequate instruction of the newcomer.

Alas.

"Qi Chen, come over here with me," Fu Ying, dressed in a light blue denim vest, lifted her chin, instructing Qi Chen to join her.

"The gentleman should have explained it to you: after you complete this probation test, so long as there’s no major issue, you’ll officially be a member of our Department of Anomaly Handling."

"I’ll do my best to cooperate!" Qi Chen responded promptly and dutifully, following close behind Fu Ying. He wasn’t joking; he had a knack for dealing with superiors. Though his expertise was mostly theoretical, he had studied the art well enough.

Before long, Fu Ying led Qi Chen to the testing site—a special room.

The room was empty, with cameras installed in the center of the ceiling and at each corner. Inside, several peculiar instruments divided the space into three distinct areas.

Some devices Qi Chen could recognize. One, resembling a punching machine, was familiar from arcade games in his previous life—it was surely a device to test strength.

The rest, however, exceeded his knowledge.

"You’ll follow the instructions from the microphone during the test. On the other side of the one-way mirror, professors responsible for evaluation will observe your actions. Just do as you’re told."

"The gentleman will be here as well, demonstrating for you."

Qi Chen tensed up; he hadn’t expected that those evaluating him would be professors, not mere researchers.

That title was not to be used lightly.

Yet this was the standard practice in City Three: experts and professors specializing in the anomalous were selected to ensure rigorous results.

To quote Governor Li of City Three: people are always the most important, and anything involving them must not be done carelessly.

Fu Ying exited the testing room, leaving Qi Chen—nervous—and the gentleman, still pondering how to salvage his salary.

Next, an elderly voice suddenly sounded from the room’s built-in microphone. It was kindly, easing Qi Chen’s nerves just a bit.

"Qi, I’m honored to oversee your anomaly test. By way of introduction, I am Li Junming from the City Three Institute for Supernatural and Anomalous Psychology. My focus is the study of anomalous abilities."

"You may call me Old Li. Three other professors and I will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of your abilities. Now... let’s begin!"

"Gentleman, you’ll start by giving Qi a demonstration. Begin with the strength test!"

"Alright!" The gentleman perked up, shifting into work mode, flashing Qi Chen a grin. "Professor Li is one of City Three’s foremost authorities. My own probation test was overseen by him."

"We’re truly kindred spirits. Come, let’s do the strength test."

Leading Qi Chen to the strength testing machine, the gentleman explained the rules:

"Strength is one of the basic three elements for anomaly handlers. It’s not just about raw power—it encompasses a wide range."

"To be specific, it includes force, speed of movement, precision, and sensitivity."

"This machine tests all these aspects. Watch closely... Passion!"

A strong anomalous aura surged from the gentleman, but Qi Chen was no longer unfamiliar with that chilling sensation. Instead, he focused intently on the floating orange figure, eager to learn.

Soon, it would be his turn.

"Beep!"

The nearly two-meter-tall strength test machine flashed a red light. A large punching target dropped down from the top and locked in place vertically.

The gentleman shouted, and the floating Passion clenched its fist, swinging its arm to strike the center of the target with all its might!

Bang!

The heavy impact sent the target rebounding back to the top. Those outside the testing room received real-time data.

An elderly man with glasses pursed his lips and shook his head, addressing his colleagues:

"The gentleman’s strength is still too low. All these years, his rating has never risen above C-level—strength is his weakness."

The other experts concurred. In the testing room, the gentleman felt an itch in his nose, wanting to sneeze, but suppressed it and looked proudly at Qi Chen:

"You see? That’s the pure strength test. Next, we’ll test speed and precision."

As soon as he spoke, the machine’s indicator lights flickered. The top opened a hole, and unpredictable objects, large and small, dropped randomly!

The gentleman, fully focused, controlled Passion to swipe at the falling objects, hands casting shadows in the air as he caught them.

The results pleased both the gentleman and the professors.

"It’s almost at an A-level. A bit forced, but still commendable," Professor Li nodded approvingly as he read the timer.

"Old Li, you’re mistaken," interjected a bald professor. "If the gentleman had trained strength as we suggested, his potential would be even greater. Just because he possesses anomalous power doesn’t mean he understands anomalies better than we do."

As the debate threatened to escalate, Fu Ying spoke up:

"Professors, it’s Qi Chen’s turn."

The group of anomaly experts immediately shifted their attention, all focusing seriously on Qi Chen through the one-way mirror. They had heard from the gentleman that Qi Chen’s anomaly possessed exceptional strength—capable of forcibly shutting down the Repentance Guillotine. But just how strong would be determined by this test.

"Overlord, come out!" Qi Chen glanced nervously at the gentleman, plunged his consciousness into the mask room, and tried to summon Overlord. The response nearly made his heart stop.

Overlord was bored.

"Next time! If there’s an anomaly, I’ll just charge straight in!"

With that intent transmitted, Overlord appeared behind Qi Chen in a flash.

The professors outside couldn’t see Overlord’s form, but the gentleman, witnessing Overlord up close for the first time, was stunned.

"Whoa... so muscular?!" He glanced back at his own Passion, resolving to ask the professors later if anomalies could work out.

"I’m starting!" Qi Chen drew a deep breath, nodded resolutely, and fixed his gaze on the dropped target. "Ha!"

With a furious roar, Overlord drove a mighty fist forward. His gray-white muscular arm unleashed tremendous force, striking the target hard. Only a blur could be seen as it slammed into the machine’s top, creating a gaping hole!

The target, caught by inertia, continued spinning at high speed around its axis.

Creak! Creak!

Outside the room, silence reigned. After a long moment, a professor finally spoke:

"Is it possible... that Qi Chen’s anomaly is simply exceptionally strong?"

...