Shen Zhifei rubbed Zhao Xiaokui’s head and said, “I came to pick you up.”
Zhao Xiaokui looked at her, smiling with curved eyebrows, and her eyes sparkled with a bright light.
The second person to walk out of the door was Bai Jingru.
Seeing Shen Zhifei outside, she nodded and walked to the side.
Guests continued to come out one after another, gathering outside the door.
Shen Zhifei held Zhao Xiaokui’s luggage and said to Nie Fu and others, “Thank you all for taking care of our little Xiaokui these days.”
“Oh, it’s not a trouble at all…” Gu Tianming’s smile inexplicably carried a hint of awkwardness.
It felt like the current partner confronting the ex. Even though he, as the ex, didn’t have any real connection.
After coming out, they exchanged a few words and then got into their respective cars, ready to leave.
Naturally, Zhao Xiaokui was the last to leave. She got into her nanny car, where three people were already seated. Shi Ning and another extraordinary individual squeezed the handcuffed and leg-cuffed Wen Yuanjia in the middle. The latter also had an iron collar on his mouth, making it impossible for him to speak.
“Hello,” Shen Zhifei greeted the few extraordinary individuals calmly.
Shi Ning had also seen Shen Zhifei in the information. She nodded friendly, “Hello.”
Shen Zhifei glanced at Wen Yuanjia and subtly shook her head towards Zhao Xiaokui.
Zhao Xiaokui felt relieved.
As a Star Seer, Shen Zhifei had a natural foresight for danger. Since she didn’t see any dangerous scenes, it meant that the journey ahead should be safe. However, being safe didn’t necessarily mean smooth sailing.
On their way back, departing half an hour later than the program team and the guest convoy, they encountered a sudden rockfall.
Rocks taller than a person rolled down from the hillside, falling straight from the sky and landing in the middle of the road, blocking their way.
“Are you playing tricks?” Shi Ning squinted her eyes and looked at Wen Yuanjia.
“It’s not him, it’s the thief,” Zhao Xiaokui leaned forward, looking into Wen Yuanjia’s eyes as if seeing another person through them. “Although I don’t quite understand how to use that thing yet, but you know, once I truly grasp that power, I can erase your existence directly, right?”
Wen Yuanjia shrank a bit, instinctively trying to turn his face away, not daring to meet her gaze.
Zhao Xiaokui pinched his chin, forcing him to look into her amber eyes, where waves of dark gold were surging. “The Night Walkers have caught not just a hundred but over a thousand evil gods. Be honest, don’t get a number on my list, okay? I don’t particularly want to be the first one to deal with you.”
Wen Yuanjia shrank back, nodding hesitantly.
Shi Ning, being smart, didn’t ask what it was. Everyone had their secrets, and the fact that Zhao Xiaokui could hear the conversation between evil gods and parasites indicated that she was unique. In this situation, possessing a secret weapon threatening to the evil gods was indeed a remarkable advantage.
No cars were coming from behind, and it would take several hours for rescue personnel to arrive. The accompanying Night Walkers consulted Shi Ning on whether to use their weapons to smash the giant rock.
Fearful that the night would be long and full of dreams, Shi Ning was about to agree when Zhao Xiaokui suddenly said, “No cars are coming from behind, right?”
Although Shi Ning didn’t understand why she asked this, she still answered, “No, there are only people from our convoy in front and behind.”
This road was usually not frequented by many people, and they were on a covert operation. Any vehicle that might encounter them would enter the Night Walkers’ surveillance system when driving on this road.
“Then let me give it a try,” Zhao Xiaokui said, opening the car door.
Shi Ning was about to ask how Zhao Xiaokui planned to try when she saw Zhao Xiaokui place her hand on the stone.
Not the kind of hands ready to exert force, but as if casually leaning against it, placing her hand flatly on top.
‘… Is she preparing to use her power?’
Shi Ning thought so, but then she saw Zhao Xiaokui suddenly retract her hand.
‘It seems it’s not working…’
Zhao Xiaokui walked towards the nanny car, and Shi Ning said, “If it doesn’t work, we can…”
In the distance, the large stone crumbled and scattered, turning into a pile of debris.
Zhao Xiaokui asked in confusion, “Not working what?”
‘…Never mind.’
“Pretend I didn’t say anything,” Shi Ning said, rubbing her face with her hand.
In another car, someone watched the large stone crumble and disperse, creating a sky-obscuring dust cloud, and exclaimed, “Can superpowers be used like this?”
He nudged his companion in the front passenger seat and asked, “I heard that Zhao Xiaokui’s superpower is the same as yours. Can you do this too?”
His companion looked at him with a hint of resentment in his eyes. “If I could do this, I should have changed my name to Zhao Xiaokui by now.”
Same powers but different destinies.
Although they were all water-element superhumans, Zhao Xiaokui could turn a simple water ability into something extraordinary.
However, even after advancing to the first rank, most of them couldn’t perform tasks that Zhao Xiaokui could easily do when she had no rank. Initially, they thought it was a lack of practice, but later, they realized it was a matter of innate talent.
What Zhao Xiaokui could achieve was a theoretical value simulated by machines in the laboratory, while what they could achieve was the practical value of normal human operations. The difference between the two was significant.
The convoy set off again.
With Zhao Xiaokui’s warning, Wen Yuanjia was finally quiet as a lamb, not causing any more trouble.
Upon boarding the private jet back to S City, Zhao Xiaokui’s phone started ringing incessantly as soon as they landed.
She checked her messages, and they were all from Luo Ziwei.
It included her itinerary and some carefully filtered invitations.
Zhao Xiaokui held her phone and smiled at Shi Ning, saying, “Captain Shi, is there any special task you need me to complete? Once confirmed, it’s not easy to change.”
It was just a casual inquiry, but to her surprise, after glancing at the phone, Shi Ning directly responded, “Yes, there is.”
Shi Ning took the phone and pulled up an invitation for a military-themed program, which was quite rare among various entertainment invitations. It was highlighted in red and bolded by her agent, with an official invitation note indicating its significance.
“Special Forces challenge? A program related to Special Forces? What am I going to do there? Could it be that even in such programs, the Evil God has managed to infiltrate?”
“It’s not about the Evil God. The slate has been partially deciphered, and we’ve found some methods suitable for the general public to cultivate. The authorities are planning to reveal some of them in this program. If the response is positive, it will accelerate the integration of extraordinary powers with the ordinary world. Since the content of the slate was discovered, North America and Europe have also started decoding work. According to reliable information, they are considering announcing the existence of the extraordinary world to the general public. We can’t fall behind,” Shi Ning explained.
Zhao Xiaokui was still a bit confused. “What does this have to do with me?”
“The higher-ups believe that you have high popularity among the public, and your abilities are friendly to ordinary people, making you suitable as a spokesperson for extraordinary beings.”
Zhao Xiaokui responded with a hesitant, “Ha.”
Can she refuse?
She cannot.
After thinking for a moment, Zhao Xiaokui felt that this might actually be beneficial for her. As a singer, her name was only known to fans and those who listened to her songs. However, as a spokesperson for extraordinary beings, the country would likely invest heavily in promoting her existence. This might allow her to absorb the power of faith while sitting at home, waiting for her power to grow.
She no longer relied on self-improvement to advance her extraordinary level.
Even though the concentration of extraordinary energy in modern society was increasing day by day, the difference between going from 0.001 to 0.002 in concentration was negligible for someone like her, who needed thousands of points of extraordinary energy for the next advancement. Her lifespan was long, and she could wait patiently. However, this wasn’t the case for Shen Zhifei.
Moreover, the increase in extraordinary energy also meant an increase in extraordinary level. If she couldn’t lead everyone, it meant that danger might one day descend upon her. Rather than being powerless to resist when the time came, Zhao Xiaokui preferred to proactively absorb the power of faith and accept the karma that this world had prepared for her.
Luo Ziwei also had high expectations for this invitation. But her perspective was entirely different from Zhao Xiaokui’s.
“This is a program produced by the Night Walkers. If you secure this opportunity, it means you have officially gained recognition from the authorities. With official endorsement, whatever you choose to do in the future, as long as you don’t break the law, it will be easier for you than for others,” Luo Ziwei explained.
Zhao Xiaokui couldn’t help but smile as she listened. She was tempted to take out her Nightwalker credentials and flaunt them in front of Luo Ziwei, telling her that she didn’t need official endorsement; she had long been a part of the nation.
Upon careful consideration, she could even be considered a government official.
She met with Wen Yuanjia a few days later.
Wen Yuanjia, who was confined in the Bright Prison, had shed the disguise on his face. If he were placed under the camera now, even his die-hard fans might not recognize him.
He didn’t look like a young man in his twenties anymore; he resembled someone in his sixties or seventies.
Zhao Xiaokui sat across from him and asked, “I heard you wanted to see me?”
“I’ve heard your songs,” Wen Yuanjia smiled. Without his disguise, there was less cunning and greed in his eyes, giving him a much lighter appearance. “Unfortunately, he doesn’t allow me to listen. Once he hears the beginning, he instructs me to turn it off. I’ve heard them say that the method to separate the Evil God from me is to listen to your songs. I want to hear you sing it yourself, okay?”
“No, not okay,” Zhao Xiaokui rejected without hesitation.
Wen Yuanjia was momentarily stunned. “Well… considering what I’ve done to you, thinking about harming you… Fortunately, you are powerful enough to prevent me from committing even greater mistakes.”
Impatiently, Zhao Xiaokui said, “Is there anything else you want to say? If not, I’ll leave.”
“No, no, no,” Wen Yuanjia said, “there’s one more thing I haven’t told anyone. I wanted to wait until you arrived.”
“What is it?”
“It’s about that thing. He told me you’ve been using it.”
Zhao Xiaokui looked at him and asked, “When did he say that?”
“It was when I played your songs in the house. That voice went crazy after hearing your singing, told me to turn off the music, and said that you were using that thing… claiming that your songs were expelling him.”
Her songs were expelling the Evil God?
Zhao Xiaokui thoughtfully nodded and said, “Thank you.”
Wen Yuanjia showed a satisfied smile. “I’m glad I could help.”
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving.”
“Goodbye.”
As Zhao Xiaokui was about to reach the door, she heard a low voice from behind, “I’m sorry, really sorry.”
“It’s not me you should be apologizing to; it should be those people whose talents and lives you stole.”
“I hope to compensate them. I still have some savings…”
“The country will handle that money,” Zhao Xiaokui interrupted.
Wen Yuanjia sat in silence on the chair, not saying anything more.
He tilted his head, gazing at the snowy-white ceiling, his eyes vacant.
A crystal ball rose from the table, and at that moment, a melodious singing voice filled the air.
Listening to this voice, so different from the audio found online, a smile curved his lips.
Flesh and blood peeled off his face, and a black mist emanated from his body.
Amidst intense pain, Wen Yuanjia’s vision presented a familiar face, the girl he had once been childhood sweethearts with. In a moment of confusion, he recalled that he hadn’t always been attracted to men. He had been compelled by that voice, forced to do things he didn’t want to do, gradually leading him down a path of increasing mistakes.
