Chapter 61#
Wandering Photos 07#
Mu Yanshen applied a little more pressure with his foot and commanded, “Look up.”
The man on the ground gritted his teeth and raised his head, revealing his full face to everyone present.
Neither Chu Chenli nor Mu Yanshen recognized him, so they both turned their gaze to the target of the attack—Tang Beihe.
“Do you know him?” Mu Yanshen asked.
Tang Beihe looked at the man blankly, studying his contorted face for a long moment before his expression changed. “You?!”
The man showed a look of disgust.
He seemed eager to hurl abuse at Tang Beihe, but when he opened his mouth, all that came out were inarticulate grunts. He could only contort his face with effort.
It was clear that the two had a deep-seated grudge.
But Tang Beihe’s memory of this man was far less vivid than the man’s memory of him. To Tang Beihe, the man was just one of his many defeated opponents.
Moreover, their conflict had occurred half a month ago.
Under Chu Chenli’s guidance, Tang Beihe had made considerable progress in his abilities, but initially, he still tended to hold back as much as possible.
It wasn’t until half a month ago that he encountered those people again, blocking the entrance of a shop to extort protection fees. They not only stole the owner’s belongings but also beat him up.
That shop owner was an old acquaintance of Tang Beihe—someone who had taken him in during his toughest times. Tang Beihe had always been grateful for that kindness.
That day, Tang Beihe happened to be delivering a gift to the owner. When he arrived at the door, he saw the owner being punched to the ground by a gang of thugs. No matter how much the owner begged and pleaded, the thugs wouldn’t let him go. Instead, they grew more excited and started kicking and punching him.
Furious, Tang Beihe rushed in without thinking and shoved the group away.
What followed naturally turned into a chaotic brawl.
Even Tang Beihe hadn’t expected that, outnumbered as he was, he would end up winning.
Though the thugs were older than him, they spent their days loafing around and had never properly exercised. They only relied on their numbers and brute strength to bully others. With a little skill on Tang Beihe’s part, they ended up crashing into each other in confusion.
Having rarely won a fight and nursing a grudge, Tang Beihe even went so far as to ride on top of one of their heads and take a photo.
But the photo was only meant to humiliate the thugs. Once it was over, Tang Beihe forgot about it entirely.
After that, he visited the shop owner a few more times. The owner said the thugs hadn’t bothered him again, and Tang Beihe didn’t think much of it, assuming they were too embarrassed to show their faces again and had chosen to take a different route.
As far as he was concerned, the matter was settled.
But clearly, for the thug he had ridden on top of, it remained an unforgettable humiliation.
Still, the thug wasn’t stupid. He knew he was no match for Tang Beihe, and he couldn’t muster enough help to take revenge, so he could only endure in silence.
Until he awakened his ability.
From there, it was simple: this man, having just awakened his ability, came straight to Tang Beihe to settle the score and vent his anger.
The man glared at Tang Beihe with hatred, showing no regret or fear. He didn’t seem to think his revenge would bring any serious consequences. He was simply disappointed that he hadn’t managed to kill Tang Beihe.
The alarm in the corner had barely quieted down when hurried and chaotic footsteps sounded from outside.
The duty officer in charge of newly awakened individuals arrived. The squad leader was a tall woman with short hair. After her subordinates surrounded the people present, she held a tablet and saluted Chu Chenli and Mu Yanshen.
“Apologies, but the monitors indicate that you two also used your abilities without authorization. Please accompany us for a routine check.”
She paused and added, “This matter will be specially reported to President Shen within half an hour.”
As for the man on the ground, they were far less polite.
The supervisor even said politely to Mu Yanshen, “Please lift your foot.”
Mu Yanshen stepped aside, moving to stand next to Chu Chenli.
The monitor beeped faintly again.
The woman’s gaze swept back and forth between Mu Yanshen and Chu Chenli, finally settling on Mu Yanshen’s face.
Mu Yanshen gave an innocent smile. “I had to make sure you weren’t some new kind of scammer.”
The woman was clearly taken aback but ultimately said nothing. She looked away and focused on the thug being hoisted to his feet.
It was only when the handcuffs were put on him that the thug began to panic.
“W-what does this mean?! My ability just went berserk! Isn’t it normal to lose control as a new awakening? Why are you arresting me? I really just awakened! Not even a day ago…”
He kept emphasizing that he was “newly awakened,” implying that the supervisors were being unreasonable.
The woman gave him a cold glance. “Standard procedure. Since your ability is in a berserk state and poses a certain risk, we have to take preventive measures. This is just a suppressor to prevent further outbursts. Please bear with us.”
She spoke in official jargon.
The supervisors holding the thug were less tactful. One couldn’t help rolling his eyes, while the other, enjoying the drama, cheerfully rubbed salt in the wound.
“Don’t worry, the monitor also has surveillance functions. And we have a professional investigation agency for awakening incidents. Oh, you haven’t heard of it? That’s normal—it was just established recently. But rest assured, they’re professionals. They’ll get to the truth of the matter. If we’ve overstepped, we’ll personally apologize after the investigation is over. However—”
His face suddenly turned cold. “No matter where you are, attempted murder is still a crime.”
The thug’s pale face trembled.
Whether it was from the supervisor’s sudden sinister tone or from guilt, it was hard to tell.
Seeing him instantly deflate, the one who had rolled his eyes sighed slowly and gave him a firm pat on the shoulder, urging him forward while offering a half-hearted consolation.
“Don’t worry. The prison for ability users was just renovated recently. The conditions are pretty good. We visited it just a few days ago.”
“…” The thug stood frozen for a long moment before making a last-ditch effort. “Wait—do you even know who I am—”
Someone replied, “Sorry, personnel files aren’t our department.”
That shut him up.
The group had already walked away. The woman turned to Chu Chenli and Mu Yanshen, making a “please” gesture.
Tang Beihe nervously tugged at Chu Chenli’s sleeve, looking pleadingly at the woman. “W-wait—they only used their abilities to save me! It was an emergency! If anyone should be punished, it’s me!”
“At least you have a conscience,” Mu Yanshen muttered under his breath.
Chu Chenli elbowed him in the ribs, signaling him to shut up.
Before he could say anything, the woman had already explained voluntarily that it was just a routine investigation. If it was a rescue in an emergency, exceptions would certainly be considered.
Chu Chenli reached out and ruffled Tang Beihe’s hair. “Following the rules protects the safety of most other people.”
Tang Beihe nodded vaguely, still dazed.
Chu Chenli smiled at him. “I’ll come see you once this is over. Don’t slack off on your training in the meantime, and stay safe.”
Tang Beihe rubbed his own cheek, forcing a smile. “…Okay.”
He shifted his head awkwardly, accidentally meeting Mu Yanshen’s gaze.
Mu Yanshen had been looking only at Chu Chenli’s profile. He turned to Tang Beihe only when he sensed the gaze.
Tang Beihe instinctively took a step back.
Then, realizing his reaction was too strong, he lifted his head and managed a stiff smile in his direction.
Mu Yanshen mouthed the words, Live well.
But for some reason, Tang Beihe felt as if he had been cursed. He shivered involuntarily.
It must be my imagination.
Tang Beihe watched their retreating figures and thought silently, Since he’s my teacher’s friend, he must be a gentle and kind person…
Meanwhile, Mu Yanshen sneezed.
Chu Chenli glanced at him. “Catching a cold?”
Mu Yanshen rubbed his nose and grumbled, “Maybe someone’s cursing me.”
Chu Chenli nodded and looked away. “That’s also normal.”
Mu Yanshen: “…”
……
Chu Chenli and Mu Yanshen were in prison.
He Ziyue heard the news from Luo Yunshu.
Her first reaction was surprise and confusion. Then Luo Yunshu explained the general situation and corrected her phrasing.
To be precise, the two were in an interrogation room, still under investigation. If nothing unexpected happened, they would be back by tomorrow at the latest after the verification was done.
After hearing that, He Ziyue’s reaction turned into schadenfreude.
Hua Jin, who had just returned from the lab, was still processing what was happening when she grabbed him and dragged him away, claiming she was going to “visit their teammates.”
Half of it was genuinely to check on Ah Li, and the other half was specifically to mock Mu Yanshen.
When He Ziyue appeared with a barely concealed grin, Mu Yanshen immediately knew why she was there. The corner of his eye twitched uncontrollably.
“Aren’t you free lately? Done upgrading the database? Finished overhauling the communication system?”
“Oh, you need to balance work and rest. Besides, how could we not come to see the heat—ahem, I mean, to visit our teammates when such a big thing happens?”
He Ziyue looked everywhere except at Mu Yanshen, then reached out and pinched Chu Chenli’s cheek. “Here—ah—”
As the youngest in the team, Chu Chenli was used to indulging their occasional surges of affection—tinged with a maternal touch. He obediently opened his mouth.
He Ziyue popped a small pastry into his mouth.
It was a thumb-sized cookie, crisp and fragrant, with just the right sweetness for Chu Chenli. He chewed and swallowed before asking, “Pretty good. Is this new from the cafeteria?”
It definitely wasn’t made by He Ziyue herself. Her greatest achievement in the kitchen was managing to stay safe while blowing it up.
He Ziyue replied, “April made them.”
Hua Jin had just grabbed a cookie from the box. At her words, he paused but still pretended not to notice and stuffed it into his mouth.
He had been busy all day and hadn’t eaten yet.
Chu Chenli also felt a sudden heat in his mouth. For a cold-blooded killer type like April to voluntarily cook, at least eighty percent of it was for He Ziyue.
He Ziyue, however, never overthought things.
Feeling she had teased Mu Yanshen enough, she set the full cookie box on the table and pushed it toward Chu Chenli and Mu Yanshen.
“Keep these to pass the time tonight. I asked around before coming—you can’t leave until the report is submitted and approved. At the earliest, that’s tomorrow morning. But they said meals are provided.”
The accommodations, however, were a bit shabby.
A small, empty room with a table near the door, a bed in the corner, and a small skylight directly above.
Apart from the fact that the door wasn’t barred and they could move freely within a certain range, it wasn’t much different from a prison.
They were here to mock, but they didn’t really want to see their teammates locked up like criminals for interrogation.
Especially He Ziyue, who was a hedonist. She never made things hard on herself if she could avoid it.
But wherever they were, they followed the rules. None of them wanted to cause trouble for Shen Xuanyi.
He Ziyue looked around the room and couldn’t help asking, “Are you two staying here tonight?”
Chu Chenli explained while eating a cookie. The staff had originally planned to give them separate single rooms, but they found it troublesome and wanted to avoid putting them to too much effort, so they decided to rough it here for the night.
He Ziyue muttered, “That’s fair, but separate—”
She stopped.
Separate rooms? For the night?
He Ziyue looked at Chu Chenli, then at Mu Yanshen, and finally at the single bed in the corner.
“You two—” He Ziyue gestured. “Sleeping together tonight?”
“What else?” Mu Yanshen shot back.
“…” He Ziyue clutched her chest, her expression indescribable. “Why do I feel like my cabbage is about to be rooted up…”
She turned. Hua Jin was still focused on eating the cookies.
The box that was originally for Chu Chenli and Mu Yanshen was already nearly half empty.
“Hey, Ah Jin.” He Ziyue nudged his arm. “Don’t you have anything to say?”
Hua Jin looked up blankly, cookie crumbs still at the corner of his mouth. “What should I say?”
After a moment, he realized and said calmly, “I don’t have anything to say. It’s just one night. It’s not like they’re stuck in there forever.”
In their past game experiences, being separated across different worlds for long periods wasn’t uncommon. One night was nothing.
He Ziyue thought about it. She counted on her fingers. “You two are first-time offenders. You acted in an emergency to save someone, and the victim didn’t actually get hurt. So there shouldn’t be any real trouble. At worst, a slap on the wrist. As long as nothing else goes wrong tonight—”
Mu Yanshen’s brow twitched uneasily.
As if to confirm his ominous premonition, hurried and chaotic footsteps sounded from outside.
Someone stopped at the door, panting. They knocked twice, then pushed the door open.
With a grave expression, they scanned the room and delivered bad news.
“That newly awakened ability user just died.”