Chapter Seven: A Job That Comes Knocking

“We’ve entered the target district. Awaiting further orders.” The man in the black trench coat pressed a hand lightly to his ear, calmly relaying information to the other end of his earpiece. His eyes, however, flickered discreetly toward an unremarkable roadside stall ahead.

There, a young man had been poring over a menu for several minutes, visibly torn by indecision.

Not far away, on the rooftop of a high-rise, dozens of people had gathered—most were fully armed special agents in black, weapons at the ready, while the remainder were sharp-looking staff tapping rapidly at their laptops.

“Warmheart, once you get the order, approach the target.” A short-haired woman in a red leather jacket issued commands through her headset, one hand gripping a monocular as she watched the noodle stall from above.

“Any anomalies with the target?”

“Is there evidence of mental intensity beyond the norm?”

The analyst, responsible for calculations, frowned slightly. “Captain Fu, there’s no detectable mental fluctuation from the target so far. Most likely, he’s just an ordinary person. There’s a small chance he’s a Grade E psychic mutant.”

“We can’t rule out the possibility of a developing psychic—if he’s just awakening, his mental fluctuations might not be strong enough yet.”

The short-haired woman nodded thoughtfully, turning her gaze to a towering structure that dwarfed every other building in sight. At its summit, a pale white glow pulsed ceaselessly, interlaced with a peculiar energy that dispelled every trace of fog from within the city.

Beyond the tower’s luminous dominion, the world faded into a gray haze—the fog that had transformed this world.

Drawing her gaze back, Fu Ying glanced at her wrist as the mechanical hands of her watch ticked on.

“Warmheart, begin the operation.”

...

“What should I eat?” Qi Chen stared at the menu, lost in thought.

After escaping the building, he’d rushed Huang Xu to the nearest medical center. Fortunately, his friend was safe, though he’d need to stay in the hospital for some time.

Central City Three’s public services were among the very best in the entire Alliance.

In gratitude for saving his life, Huang Xu had pressed some money into Qi Chen’s hands before he left—not much, but enough to keep him well-fed for a few days.

“With no income, it’s hard to let go...” he sighed, tossing the menu onto the table. He settled on a simple bowl of noodles with a fried egg.

Just as he looked up to call the vendor, he noticed a stranger—a middle-aged man—had suddenly appeared before him, pulling up a small stool and sitting down across the table.

“Mind if I join you?” The man offered a warm smile.

Qi Chen simply nodded, saying nothing. He was shy by nature, unaccustomed to chatting with strangers.

But his companion was clearly outgoing and had no intention of letting the conversation end so quickly.

“You from Central City Three, young man? You don’t look well. Something troubling you?”

“No, no!” Qi Chen waved his hands, then clasped them awkwardly between his knees.

Orphaned in his previous life and new to this world, he’d rarely been the object of concern. The sudden attention from a stranger left him ill at ease.

“Um, aren’t you going to order?” After a long silence, Qi Chen finally slid the menu toward the man.

“Oh, I almost forgot!” The man laughed, called out to the owner, and ordered noodles. Then his gaze returned to Qi Chen.

“No need to be shy! I was your age once. It’s tough being out here alone, feeling like you can’t speak your mind. Sharing a meal is fate—if you’re in trouble, maybe I can help.”

“Who are you calling?” Qi Chen’s sudden question froze the smile on the man’s face. Realizing his mistake, Qi Chen quickly apologized, flustered.

“Sorry! I wasn’t talking to you!”

That ruffian Bawang had started shouting in his head again, targeting the stranger before him. Without thinking, Qi Chen had blurted out what was on his mind.

Bawang never bothered to send a clear message—he simply yelled, leaving Qi Chen bewildered.

The man chuckled awkwardly. “Young people are under a lot of stress these days... Don’t worry about it.”

“I actually think you’re quite interesting. In fact, I have a job that might suit you—would you be interested?”

At this, Qi Chen’s curiosity was instantly piqued, his previous discomfort forgotten.

“Please, tell me more.”

The man coughed, as if caught off guard, then slowly pulled out a simple recruitment flyer from his jacket and handed it over.

“Logistics and Warehouse Center, Central City Three?”

“That’s right,” the man replied, taking a sip of the free water from the noodle stall. “I’m in charge of hiring there. You can call me Yue Lie—or just Brother Yue.”

“I watched you for a bit and you seem detail-oriented. That’s exactly what we need.”

“Ah, thank you.” Qi Chen blushed and scratched his head. He appreciated the praise but had some concerns.

Could this be a pretext to question him about the incident at the Hongfeng Building?

Bawang’s warning shout in his mind was unmistakable, and even Qi Chen knew that luck of this sort rarely came without a catch.

Logistics and Warehouse Center—it sounded like a government department.

He hesitated, then asked cautiously, “Brother Yue, what’s the pay like?”

Yue Lie paused, listening to the firm voice in his earpiece before replying, “The pay is solidly middle-tier for Central City Three! The workload isn’t heavy; it’s mainly management. You’ll have regulated hours and proper rest. Nothing to worry about.”

“I see.” Qi Chen nodded, a smile creeping onto his face.

He thought he’d give it a try.

...

“Target has accepted the interview invitation. Preparing to initiate the next phase. Analysis team, compile a preliminary assessment and report to me.” On the rooftop, Fu Ying issued orders with decisive efficiency, having observed the entire exchange.

The analysis team, running at maximum capacity, immediately prepared and relayed their findings.

“Target: Qi Chen, survivor of the Hongfeng Building incident, suspected nascent psychic mutant.

“Preliminary assessment: Target’s mental state is within normal parameters. Field agent reports brief but intense mental fluctuation.

“Target confirmed as a psychic mutant.

“Correlation with residual psychic energy at Hongfeng Building suggests that, during a mental outburst, the target’s anomalous power reached D-minus level.

“Currently, the risk of losing control is low, but further contact is necessary for final evaluation.”

Fu Ying nodded in approval. “Withdraw. Proceed with the next phase.”

...