INHA Chapter 6

Xu Dongyou didn’t mind people knowing his real name. But given that he was venturing into an entirely new and unknown world, he thought it best to be cautious.

After some thought, Xu Dongyou filled in the name field with a pseudonym: [Li Dong].

He then filled out his gender and briefly described his abilities, omitting his capacity to sense danger.

Once the form was completed, Tian Ze eagerly took it, glanced at the name, and smoothly said, “Li Dong, I’ll submit the form, and then we can go for the test.”

“Is the test difficult?” Xu Dongyou asked, a bit worried. “I’m a bit under the weather and coughing. Will it affect the results?”

Tian Ze replied, “It won’t make much of a difference. You just need to place your hands on the device, and it will directly measure your spiritual level.”

Ten minutes later.

Xu Dongyou, Tian Ze, and the others went to the second floor, walking to the end of the corridor. An old man next door, sipping tea, came out and looked at Xu Dongyou, then said to Tian Ze, “A new recruit for your squad?”

Tian Ze nodded and said to the old man, “Uncle Li, please open the door. We need to test his spiritual energy.”

The old man, referred to as Uncle Li, adjusted his reading glasses and turned to unlock the fingerprint password lock on the wall. The door at the end quickly opened.

Uncle Li went in, and the others followed closely.

The room was all white, with a simple reclining chair in the center. On either side of the chair’s armrests were crystal ball-like objects emitting a faint white glow.

Specifically, these were called Spiritual Energy Storage Balls.

They were said to be made from unknown materials, designed to be used by the branches in emergencies to activate the final protective array.

Normally, people with abundant spiritual energy or those who want to train and improve their spiritual energy levels would come here to train and earn some points.

Someone had suggested that new recruits should also be tested here. After all, there was no better way to precisely measure spiritual energy levels than with these storage balls.

This proposal was quickly adopted, and other branches followed suit.

Uncle Li instructed Xu Dongyou, “Go inside and place your hands on the glass balls. Relax and don’t be nervous. You’ll see yourself moving forward; remember to go as far as you can.”

The others did not enter but stayed in place, watching through a mirror into the testing hall.

Xu Dongyou, with a nervous heart, sat down and calmed his breath until he felt ready. He then placed both hands on the balls.

Inside the crystal ball, a dazzling blue light quickly enveloped Xu Dongyou’s hands.

He felt as if half of his consciousness had entered a blue space, where underfoot was a cloud-paved path that seemed endless.

Each step he took made a soft sound, like stepping on fluffy clouds.

Yet the other half of his consciousness, with eyes tightly closed, could clearly see Tian Ze and the others through the glass on the opposite side. They stared fixedly at him with nervous expressions.

Xu Dongyou could even hear their deliberately lowered voices.

It was as if he had been split into two halves that didn’t affect each other, a truly strange sensation.

“Captain, what level do you think his spiritual energy will be?” Zhang Wu almost pressed his face against the glass. “Will it be Level One or Level Two? I remember the highest spiritual energy level among new recruits in other divisions was Level Two. Do you remember exactly which Level Two it was?”

Without hesitation, Tian Ze replied, “Forget about the exact level. Of course, the higher, the better. Don’t forget he has more unique abilities. I’ve already reported this to the Captain of the Fourth Division.”

Turning to Tian Ze, Zhao Liu asked, “What did the Chief of the Fourth Division say?”

Tian Ze responded, “It’s the first time our branch has encountered such abilities. Since this matter is still uncertain, I’ve asked the Chief not to publicize it yet. Once Li Dong passes and joins the bureau, we can assign him a task to confirm. Moreover, the Chief is trying to develop a testing device specifically for this kind of ability.”

Finally, Tian Ze cautioned, “Both of you, remember not to spread this around, especially you, Zhang Wu. If a small squad gets wind of this, they’ll surely try to poach him.”

Just thinking about this made Tian Ze furious.

Zhang Wu, unlike his usual playful self, was very serious this time. He said, “Captain, rest assured, I won’t tell anyone. I’ll definitely make sure the other squads don’t snatch him again.”

Half of Xu Dongyou’s consciousness continued moving forward. The further he went, the more he felt the clouds under his feet seemed to carry a certain heaviness, slowing his speed considerably. But he gritted his teeth and persisted.

Meanwhile, the other half of his consciousness noticed that Tian Ze and the others seemed to be showing expressions of surprise.

What’s happening?

Xu Dongyou hesitated and stood still, feeling confused.

“Why isn’t the spiritual energy continuing to rise?” Zhang Wu pressed against the glass, his heart racing. He whispered, “Hold on a bit longer. Just a few more seconds of effort and you’ll reach Level Two spiritual energy.”

Xu Dongyou seemed to understand a bit and tentatively took a few more steps forward.

“Captain, look! It’s rising again!” Zhang Wu was so excited it seemed like he was the one being tested. “We’re almost at Level Two.”

Tian Ze was equally excited, unconsciously holding his breath and clenching his fists.

After another dozen seconds or so, Xu Dongyou heard them say he had reached Level Two spiritual energy. He took a few more steps forward and decided not to go any further.

He felt he could probably endure another thirty seconds, but he didn’t want to attract too much attention. There would be another chance to test again.

As if sensing Xu Dongyou’s decision to stop, the path under his feet instantly dissipated. His consciousness returned, and he slowly opened his eyes.

A mechanical female voice inside the room announced, “Testing complete. Your spiritual energy level is Level Two.”

Outside the glass window, Uncle Li also had a smile on his face. Having a recruit with such high spiritual energy in the bureau was a good thing.

Zhang Wu was even more excited, jumping in place and looking at the screen displaying the spiritual energy level. “Captain, it’s Level Two! He’s the best newcomer in our division. Let’s see if Feng Chen dares to boast about being the most promising newcomer in the division.”

“We’ve really found a great talent!” Tian Ze, wanting to smoke to calm his excitement, remembered smoking was prohibited here. He rubbed his fingers together nervously and repeated “good” three times.

When Xu Dongyou came out, he received a warm welcome from Zhang Wu and Tian Ze.

Zhao Liu remained as steady as ever, just smiling and nodding at Xu Dongyou in place.

After coming out of the testing room, Tian Ze hurriedly walked away with the forms in hand. Before leaving, he said to Xu Dongyou, “I’ll go register your information in the database.”

Xu Dongyou nodded. His face was slightly red due to the cold, giving him a shy and obedient appearance.

Zhao Liu glanced at Xu Dongyou and then said, “Wait a moment. The captain will bring your smartwatch soon. You should take a taxi home and rest early.”

Xu Dongyou felt that Zhao Liu was a very, very meticulous person. During their interaction, he never felt overly enthusiastic or distant, but rather extremely comfortable.

Zhang Wu enthusiastically added, “Taking a taxi is such a hassle. I can drive you home.”

Before Xu Dongyou could refuse, Zhao Liu spoke up, “Don’t forget we haven’t submitted our mission yet and the report isn’t finished.”

Zhang Wu groaned in despair, feeling life was meaningless.

Although Xu Dongyou had many questions in his mind, his cold was getting severe, and his head was starting to ache.

Fortunately, Tian Ze soon returned with a small black box in hand and handed it to Xu Dongyou. “Inside is the spiritual energy watch that everyone in our bureau must have. It has your own serial number on it, and ours are all in there too.”

He added, “Regarding your personal information, you can directly input it through this watch. The data security is top-notch.”

“From now on, you’re a member of our Fourth Division Eighth Squad. There are two other members in our team, but they didn’t come to the bureau today. I’ve asked them to come tomorrow so you can meet them.”

Xu Dongyou took the box, thinking about how his feverish cold symptoms might worsen tomorrow, possibly even preventing him from getting up. He asked Tian Ze, “Captain, if my fever and cold symptoms get worse tomorrow, can I take a few days off before coming to the branch?”

Tian Ze asked, “Fever and cold? Is it related to your excessive use of abilities?”

Xu Dongyou paused for a moment, then immediately understood. “Are all the people in the bureau like this?”

“Not everyone. Some who overuse spiritual energy feel completely drained and need to rest for half a month. Only those with special abilities, like you, experience symptoms such as headaches and discomfort.”

Xu Dongyou nodded.

Zhao Liu said, “Thanks for your help on this mission. Otherwise, Zhang Wu and I would have certainly paid a higher price to complete it. After we submit the mission, you’ll receive a share of the points.”

This was agreed upon between Zhao Liu and Zhang Wu earlier.

Xu Dongyou quickly shook his head. “I wasn’t even part of the bureau when that happened, so I can’t accept points. Besides, you helped my friend too. He’s very grateful to you, although he doesn’t know how to express it.”

“Dealing with resentful spirits is something every member of the bureau should do. Moreover, it’s not work done in vain,” Zhao Wu said, revealing a somewhat mysterious expression that indicated Xu Dongyou didn’t fully understand the bureau yet. “Our bureau is supported by the country, you know.”

Xu Dongyou still felt embarrassed, but Tian Ze waved his hand. “We’re all members of the same team from now on. Why be so polite? Besides, you really need these points now. You can use them to exchange for something that can alleviate your symptoms from the spiritual energy watch.”

Xu Dongyou hadn’t expected the bureau to have such good things. He became even more interested in the spiritual energy watch and simply agreed without further hesitation. “Thank you then. Next time, I’ll treat you all to a meal.”

Tian Ze and the others escorted Xu Dongyou to the street corner, watching him get into a taxi and leave.

Tian Ze waved his hand again. “Let’s go back to the office in the bureau and write the report well. Let’s aim to outdo the First Squad.”

Zhang Wu immediately saluted loudly. “Yes, Captain!”

---