The System Arrived Four Years Early, but the Anomaly Is Still a Juvenile - Chapter 176

It had been a month and a half since Shen Ge returned to Rong City from Sakura. During this time, the Twelve Branches had been closely watching the “Misfortune” beneath Hokuei City, so things domestically had been relatively quiet.

In the month and a half Shen Ge was away, Rong City experienced a total of 17 weird incidents: four at stage 2 and thirteen at stage 1.

With Deng Yuqi and Lin Yin holding down the fort in Rong City, no major chaos ensued. However, while handling one stage 2 incident, the weird nearly completed its stage 3 metamorphosis, resulting in injuries to Anti- weird Agent Tu Doubi, and Zhang Hu and sniper Huo Yu from the combat troops, who were hospitalized for over a month.

Notably, 15 of these 17 incidents were concentrated in early June, the half-month preceding the Takiguchi City Disaster. Only two occurred in the following month.

According to the weird incident reports published by the Tianchao Special Measures Department and statistics compiled by the International Anti- weird Organization from late June to mid-July, the global frequency of weird incidents had decreased by nearly 90% compared to early May to mid-June.

There was one exception, however: Sakura Island.

Despite Sakura’s blockade of Hokuei City, the frequency of weird incidents across the island remained high. Due to the strained relations between Sakura and Tianchao, Sakura did not seek help from nearby Tianchao but instead turned to the Beautiful Country and the International Anti- weird Organization for assistance.

The International Anti- weird Organization established an office in Sakura, and the Beautiful Country dispatched troops and Anti- weird agents to “assist” with weird incidents, effectively increasing their military presence.

In response, Full Star General MacArthur of Stick Country commented online that Stick Country’s specialty, “Beautiful Soldiers,” was no longer the most numerous in the world.

The Takiguchi City Disaster served as a global wake-up call. Once an weird incident spirals out of control into a full-blown Disaster, it doesn’t just endanger a single city; it can threaten an entire nation.

Countries worldwide are expanding their militaries, and Anti- weird departments are also scaling up. The number of Anti- weird agents in Rong City increased to twenty-seven. Lin Yin was promoted to Chief of the Rong City Elite Anti- weird Agents, while Tu Doubi and Yang Yuxin became captains of Team 1 and Team 2, respectively.

With the advent of standardized weird energy equipment, soldiers were no longer as limited as before when dealing with stage 1 weird and could even hold their own against stage 2 ones.

Consequently, the original combat troops led by Feng Chengxiu and Yu Tiexiong were expanded into Anti- weird Teams 3 and 4, with the two retaining their captain positions.

As for a certain top agent of the Special Measures Department, upon returning to the country, he outright refused the position of Branch Chief and cashed in on his promised paid leave, effectively slacking off at the department for the better part of a month.

With the Anti- weird forces gradually becoming more structured, low-stage incidents like stages 1 and 2 no longer required Shen Ge’s personal intervention. He devoted more time to researching and developing his Trait abilities, attempting to find a way to use “Multiple Domains” through Little Seven’s simulations.

By September, aided by the research reports Shen Ge brought back from the future, the Special Measures Department achieved a breakthrough in Anti- weird equipment research. The standard equipment set expanded from the initial three items to eight.

Besides the basic ” weird Glove” and “Bone-Cleaver Knife,” the ” weird Armguard” was upgraded to convert weird energy into weird fire, more quickly depleting the weird energy defenses of weird and causing them damage.

Five new items were added: ” weird Energy Detector,” ” weird Energy Combat Suit,” “Black Bone Dagger,” “Anti- weird Gun,” and ” weird Energy Grenade.”

The weird Energy Detector, developed by Headquarters, could precisely locate weird below stage 3 based on the weird energy they emitted.

For stage 3 and above weird, whose energy coverage was too vast, it could generally only detect approximate locations. However, given the size of stage 3 weird, knowing the general area was often sufficient.

The weird Energy Combat Suit was modified by the Qianzhou Branch based on their developed ” weird Energy Protective Suit.” They changed its originally “bulky” yellow appearance to form-fitting combat suits in white and black. These not only purified weird energy but also offered some bullet (pistol) and stab resistance.

Shen Ge couldn’t help but complain if the Dianzhou Branch staff had watched too much Evangelion or Pacific Rim, resulting in the tight-fitting design of the combat suit.

Fortunately, the material was a new composite developed using weird hide and fur, offering decent breathability. It could be worn underneath standard combat uniforms.

The “Black Bone Dagger” was the most common piece of weird energy equipment in the Special Measures Department. It could not only pierce the weird energy defenses of weird but also directly damage the transparent barriers of eerie spaces, making it the second most essential Anti- weird item after the Detector.

The “Anti- weird Gun” and ” weird Energy Grenade” were the two most critical pieces of equipment from the research reports Shen Ge brought back from the future. If given to Li Xiang, he might have found a way to replicate them in under a month. However, Li Xiang was more interested in the Progenitor weird’s “blood vessels” and the “Regeneration Substance.”

Thankfully, Headquarters was somewhat “competitive” this time, successfully developing the weird Energy Gun, weird Energy Bullets, and weird Energy Grenade after two months of effort.

The development of weird Energy Bullets faced challenges, meaning currently only pistols and submachine guns could be modified into “Anti- weird Guns.” Firearms with slightly larger calibers had difficulty stabilizing the weird energy.

But this wasn’t critical. Even the appearance of the Anti- weird Submachine Gun alone made it difficult for stage 1 and 2 weird incidents to cause casualties.

October.

Li Xiang, who had secluded himself in the laboratory for two months, made progress. He dragged a certain slacker into the lab, insisting Shen Ge assist with the research.

In reality, Li Xiang didn’t need Shen Ge’s help, only Little Seven and the Rotten Flesh Armor. But only Shen Ge had usage rights for the armor. Plus, since the upgrade was for Shen Ge’s armor, Li Xiang reluctantly allowed him to stay in the lab to assist.

Two other events occurred during this period. First, Headquarters learned that Shen Ge possessed armor that surpassed global Anti- weird technology. They attempted to persuade the branch to share the research data or “lend” Li Xiang to them for a while, transferring him to Headquarters. Deng Yuqi flatly refused.

Although Deng Yuqi held a grudge against Headquarters, she understood priorities in major matters. If the Rotten Flesh Armor could be replicated, she wouldn’t refuse to share the data with Headquarters.

Based on the research reports Shen Ge brought from the future, Deng Yuqi knew these equipment pieces could be “replicated,” so she handed them over to Headquarters without hesitation.

However, after months of effort by Li Xiang and the branch’s researchers to replicate even a functionally inferior version of the Rotten Flesh Armor, they found it impossible without the “Unforgetting” Trait. Therefore, disclosing the armor’s data was not only meaningless but could also expose its weaknesses.

The second event was that after Elder Fang returned to Headquarters, he established a special task force to investigate the Twelve Branches’ “infiltration.” The investigation made good progress, uncovering many “replaced” individuals.

After Tianchao publicly disclosed intelligence on the Twelve Branches and their actions, various countries launched their own investigations and purges against the organization.

Late October, the latest weird incident reports from various countries indicated that the incidence rate of weird events was rising again, returning to June’s frequency within just one month.

Sakura was the hardest-hit nation, experiencing two high-stage (stage 4) weird incidents in these two months alone, leading to the successive fall and regional blockade of Fukudo Prefecture and Hokkaido.

Sakura again appealed to various countries for assistance, pleading for more Anti- weird agents. This time, Tianchao did not accept, not out of “holding a grudge”—as a major power, it had its own considerations—but because starting in November, a strange phenomenon occurred worldwide: the more developed and densely populated a city, the higher the frequency of weird incidents.

Furthermore, weird were metamorphosing faster than six months prior, even exhibiting “stage-skipping.” In Rong City, merely a borderline first-tier city, two stage 3 weird incidents occurred in November.

A certain slacker agent was forced back into action. If not for Shen Ge’s early detection, the first stage 3 incident in November would have nearly completed its stage 4 metamorphosis!

Shen Ge felt this likely indicated a problem with the giant weird on Sakura Island. The “upper limit for absorbing weird energy” had arrived sooner than expected.

After handling Rong City’s weird incidents, Shen Ge used “support” as a pretext, having Deng Yuqi arrange a plausible identity for him to re-enter Sakura.

He found the situation more severe than imagined. Centered on Takiguchi City, the entire northern part of Sakura Island was shrouded in thick, concentrated weird energy black mist. The weird energy density was so high that even with his “Crimson Mist form” Rotten Flesh Armor, he couldn’t enter the new eerie King’s Domain.

Shen Ge tried various methods to investigate the new eerie King’s condition beneath Takiguchi City but ultimately failed.

After half a month with no progress, Shen Ge returned to report the situation to Deng Yuqi, who was already swamped with the resurgence of weird incidents, her desk piled high with documents.

Picking up a “classified” document from Headquarters, Shen Ge reported the Sakura situation and remarked casually, “Chief, with your workload, I hope I don’t see your name on the latest Special Measures Department sudden death list.”

“What can I do? I’m desperate too. Why did these weird have to surge now, right before the New Year? If I find out the Twelve Branches are behind this again, and I locate their base, I’ll drop a nuke on them myself!” Deng Yuqi complained, half in jest.

Although mostly venting, the Special Measures Department’s authority had indeed reached the highest level domestically.

Unfortunately, recent research found that high-stage weird energy could not only absorb nuclear energy but also convert it into weird energy.

Fortunately, weird lacked “intelligence,” otherwise, if something like a giant sea lizard kept sneaking into nuclear power plants for a sip, humanity might enter its countdown prematurely.

“Huh? The Yanks are that impressive? They even built the ‘romance of men’?” Shen Ge had been idly flipping through the classified reports on Deng Yuqi’s desk and happened upon the Beautiful Country’s latest research report on weird Energy Armor.

Deng Yuqi glanced up, identified the report, then went back to her work. “Their research on exoskeleton weird energy equipment and Anti- weird Mechs has made decent progress over the past six months. Last month, during a stage 3 incident in Florida involving a giant weird nearly twenty meters tall, they deployed an Anti- weird Mech for the first time and achieved good results.”

“Building an Anti- weird Mech in just six months? That’s fast,” Shen Ge remarked, impressed.

Deng Yuqi looked at him. “Although the core and system were developed by the Beautiful Country… ahem. Upon learning in August that the Beautiful Country was building Anti- weird Mechs, our country seized the opportunity for a major industrial survey. We discovered that many components for their mechs actually came from our country. Consequently, several enterprises were absorbed by the Ministry of National Defense. If I recall correctly, Headquarters assembled one last week.”

“…”

Uh.

Shen Ge wasn’t sure how to respond. Reality was stranger than fiction. But Headquarters was commendable for managing to replicate one.

“However, Anti- weird Mechs still have significant issues with mobility and agility. They’re okay against slow weird, but become sitting ducks against faster ones,” Deng Yuqi added. She had been interested initially, but after reviewing some research reports from the Beautiful Country, she was… let’s just say, they fell short of her expectations.

“What about the exoskeleton devices?” Shen Ge asked.

Deng Yuqi shook her head. “Not great either. Overall, they’re not as effective as our weird Energy Armguards and Combat Suits.”

She set down her report, took an encrypted drive from her drawer, and handed it to Shen Ge. “Have Little… ahem, have the ‘classmate’ read this. It’s the latest research report on weird and aberration from the Special Measures Department and the International Anti- weird Organization during your half-month in Sakura.”

Shen Ge took the drive. Little Seven began scanning the report, then a piece of Rotten Flesh moved to Shen Ge’s ear, relaying key information via “earpiece.”

Although the latest research archive was “thick,” it essentially summarized three key points:

1. The Twelve Branches might have “replaced” one or more high-ranking officials in the International Anti- weird Organization. There were signs, both overt and covert, of “targeting” Tianchao.

2. After reaching stage 3 metamorphosis, weird abilities diverge in two directions. One focuses on enhancing themselves through weird energy, most visibly seen in gigantification, thick armor capable of defending against missiles, and high-speed regeneration.
   The other involves little change in size, but the weird energy manifests various bizarre abilities and invariably triggers a ” eerie Space.”
   Due to the need for secrecy regarding Shen Ge’s “future” trip, his theories and research on eerie Spaces couldn’t be disclosed, hindering progress in that area.
   However, this report focused on the abilities of eerie Space weird. For instance, being trapped in a stage 3 or higher eerie Space could amplify fear, induce hallucinations, etc.

3. The emergence of Crimson Mist aberration.
   These aberration, capable of using Crimson Mist weird Energy, are typically stage 3 or higher. There have been two recorded incidents so far.
   The most severe was in Lunden City, where a stage 3 aberration, surrounded by Great Britannian Anti- weird agents, swallowed a strange red tumor, completed stage 4 metamorphosis, transformed into a several-dozen-meter-tall giant, ignored attacks from the military and agents, kicked over the Lunden Bridge, and destroyed half the city.
   Great Britannia paid a heavy price to finally defeat this giant aberration, sinking it into the River Thames.

“Wow, looks like the Twelve Branches haven’t been idle, creating aberration of this level,” Shen Ge remarked. Although he had fought system-rated stage 5 aberration during the Takiguchi Disaster, that was a rating from four years in the future; their actual combat power was below stage 3.

Crucially, those aberration couldn’t use Crimson Mist weird Energy. He hadn’t expected the transformation to be so significant after using it.

Deng Yuqi wasn’t particularly surprised. “We have to admit, the Twelve Branches, having obtained the Progenitor weird’s corpse and successfully conducted human experiments, surpass the Special Measures Department in this area. Elder Fang’s investigation found the incident at the Haia Research Institute was indeed complex. While progress is limited, it at least confirms about 80% of what the Green-robed Person said was true.”

After the Takiguchi Disaster, Shen Ge rested for half a month upon returning. His first order of business was a trip to Haia, where he spent 30,000 system points in the Haia Research Institute blockade区. He didn’t get any weird energy equipment, but he did acquire one ” weird Finger” and a bunch of other miscellaneous items.

Thankfully, Shen Ge had informed Deng Yuqi beforehand. So, when the Haia military base discovered missing tanks and attack helicopters, she used the excuse of researching the Twelve Branches’ teleportation device to cover for him.

“After the New Year, it’s the new Asian Anti- weird Research Conference. It’s highly likely to be held in our country this time. Even if I cover for you, Headquarters will insist you participate in exchanges with the International Anti- weird Organization. You’d better be mentally prepared,” Deng Yuqi warned, recalling an email from Headquarters a few days prior.

Shen Ge waved dismissively. “Don’t worry. Since the Twelve Branches have created ‘Crimson Mist aberration,’ they’re definitely planning something big at the conference. Whether it even proceeds smoothly is questionable.”

“…” Deng Yuqi was speechless.

That was probably true, but it sounded wrong coming from him.

Shen Ge and Deng Yuqi discussed the Twelve Branches and recent incidents further. After leaving the chief’s office, Shen Ge was pulled to the research department by Li Xiang.

Although Li Xiang hadn’t made much progress studying the weird Finger over the months, he found a way to fuse the Progenitor weird’s “blood vessels” and the “Regeneration Substance.” According to him, he could upgrade the “LiXiang II Type Crimson Mist Battlesuit” within a month.

By the end of December, Li Xiang delivered on his promise, completing the armor upgrade.

In the sealed lab, Li Xiang first handed Shen Ge a research report, his tone tinged with regret. “I conducted extensive experiments on your cells, blood, etc., comparing them with the Rotten Flesh Armor containing the Progenitor weird heart, the eerie King’s weird Eye, and the weird Finger, as you suggested. Unfortunately, not only did I fail to find similar data, I couldn’t detect any weird-related aspects in your body.”

“If your conjectures are correct, there are only two conclusions: First, the weird within you is extremely powerful, beyond the detection capabilities of current technology. Second, your conjecture is wrong; there is no weird inside you, meaning your so-called ‘system’.”

Shen Ge felt disappointed hearing this.

The new eerie King created by the Green-robed Person and the system shared almost identical “Devour” abilities. But beyond confirming the similarity in weird energy, research couldn’t advance further.

Shen Ge had hoped this research would find a way to counter the new eerie King’s “Devour” ability, allowing him to investigate its condition beneath Takiguchi City. But if Li Xiang failed, and few in the domestic research field surpassed him, this path seemed blocked for now.

“However, it’s not all bad news. First, the weird Finger you brought from the Haia Research Institute is confirmed to belong to the same weird as the weird Eye. While we haven’t identified its special abilities yet, it’s from the eerie King, so it should make a decent piece of weird energy equipment.”

“Secondly, the ‘blood vessels’ and ‘Regeneration Substance’… Since the ‘LiXiang II Type Crimson Mist Battlesuit’ fused with the Twelve Branches leader’s ‘heart’—the Progenitor weird heart—I detected identical tissue components in these three, confirming they all originate from the Progenitor weird.”

“After fusing the ‘blood vessels’ and ‘Regeneration Substance,’ I successfully integrated them into the armor. This not only speeds up the Rotten Flesh Armor’s weird energy conversion but also enables damage regeneration.”

Li Xiang instructed Shen Ge to fully deploy the Crimson Mist Battlesuit, then injected the newly developed “blood” into it.

Immediately, Shen Ge felt the Crimson Mist Armor come “alive,” every cell bubbling. The emerging Rotten Flesh tentacles took on a blood-like, coagulated appearance.

Little Seven performed tests, reported the latest data to Li Xiang, who then made adjustments based on Little Seven’s calculations.

The collaborative research between the man, the AI, and Shen Ge continued until mid-January, finally completing the armor upgrade.

“LiXiang III Type Crimson Mist Battlesuit”

• Its initial form, the three-finger-wide “black wrist guard,” didn’t change much visually. But upon closer inspection, fine, vein-like “blood threads” were visible. On the inner side attached to Shen Ge’s hand, these threads connected to his body.

• When Little Seven activated full defense mode, the warning effect allowed the armor to react within approximately 0.01 seconds to any attack on any part of Shen Ge’s body, initiating defense mode.
  In other words, next time Shen Ge faced a sniper like in the Daijing Disaster, Little Seven wouldn’t need audio warning. The armor would automatically activate and block the bullet as soon as it was detected within a meter of Shen Ge.

• The Rotten Flesh Armor’s functions—” weird Shield,” ” weird Stomach,” ” weird Glove (Trait: Non-Release),” ” weird Leather Boots,” ” weird Fire Armguard”—were all upgraded. Notably, the “Non-Release” Trait effect was integrated into the tentacles, allowing more effective use of the ability.

• Additionally, the blood-state ” weird Tentacles” successfully fused with weird Bone Rod, weird Bone Spear, weird Bone Whip, and other weird energy equipment, enabling direct “simulation.”

• Except for the non-absorbable “Pig-Sticking Knife (Trait: Unbreakable),” ” weird Eye (Trait: Invisible),” “Anti- weird Left Revolver ( weird Energy Magazine: Trait ‘Infinite’),” and ” weird Lighter (Trait: Inextinguishable),” all the weird energy equipment Shen Ge acquired during the Takiguchi trip were successfully integrated into the Rotten Flesh Armor by Li Xiang.

• Finally, the weird Leather Backpack. Since Shen Ge discovered the truth about ” eerie Spaces”—items stored in the backpack were placed in a distorted space formed between the present and future—Li Xiang, through his research on the Progenitor weird, found a way to expand this distorted space, significantly increasing its capacity.

• The “LiXiang III Type Crimson Mist Battlesuit,” having absorbed the Progenitor weird’s blood vessels and the “Regeneration Substance” provided by Shen Ge, could rapidly regenerate by consuming weird energy while in Crimson Mist form. Its regeneration speed was nearly on par with high-stage weird specialized in self-healing.

• Regarding weird energy consumption, the Type II armor’s reserve increased to 600%. After integrating the Progenitor weird’s blood vessels for the Type III upgrade, the capacity skyrocketed past 2000%, even doubling Shen Ge’s current mental energy upper limit.

• Visually, Type III’s Crimson Mist form didn’t change drastically from Type II. However, the originally “villainous-esque” Rotten Flesh now leaned more towards a blood-like appearance. In Crimson Mist state, the number of blood tentacles that both Shen Ge and Little Seven could control simultaneously increased severalfold.

After Deng Yuqi and Cheng Shengnan saw the “LiXiang III Type Crimson Mist Battlesuit,” their verdict was that it looked more like a aberration than an actual aberration.

Shen Ge didn’t mind. For him, functionality trumped appearance. Especially after witnessing the battle between two genuine stage 8 weird in the “future” and encountering the new eerie King, he knew his current self was still no match for a real stage 8.

To become stronger, he needed the system to devour more “Traits” and acquire more Trait Enhancement Points to awaken higher-tier abilities.

However, perhaps due to consecutively devouring “Trackless” and “Misfortune,” or because “Misfortune’s” conceptual power was too potent, the system’s dormancy this time was longer than ever.

Six months had passed since the Takiguchi Disaster, yet the system showed no signs of “waking up.” Besides dispensing the daily survival reward, functions like “Early Warning,” “Random Events,” and “Crisis Missions” remained unavailable.

Even Shen Ge’s mental energy had grown from 1111% during Takiguchi, combined with attributes gained from spending 30,000 system points in Haia and the daily 1% free point from survival, to 1681% now. He wondered if he’d directly reach stage 4 when the system finally awoke.

Besides the system’s condition, the [Log] also developed issues.

Due to Shen Ge’s “future” trip, the battle between the stage 8 Misfortune and the new eerie King sank Sakura Island.

According to the [Log], in September, the clash of two stage 8 weird triggered a tsunami, devastating coastal cities in the East Sea, Yellow Sea, and other areas.

Although Rong City wasn’t hit by the tsunami, the stage 7 Formless completed its stage 8 metamorphosis, turning the entire city transparent. The future Shen Ge had to evacuate to Daijing with the troops.

The future had long entered an apocalyptic era. Only a handful of Tianchao’s cities remained, with humanity barely clinging to survival.

From October onwards, the [Log], aside from daily mundane “survival” routines, offered almost no useful information.

“Sigh.”

Reading through the boring [Log] entries from October to mid-January, Shen Ge had to admit it was practically useless now.

He initially thought obtaining the new eerie King’s “blood vessels” might help find a way to open a passage to the future. But now, it seemed the vessels, besides being used to fuse the “Regeneration Substance,” weren’t very useful.

To realize his “Two-Way Portal Plan,” he likely needed to return to Takiguchi City and find a solution involving the new eerie King.

Cheng Shengnan emerged from the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel. Seeing Shen Ge sighing on the bed, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

“According to the [Log], once weird reach stage 8, they’re practically invincible. Remember that little octopus we dealt with in your residential area? The latest log shows that after its stage 8 metamorphosis, it devoured Rong City and Yuzhou and is now marching north,” Shen Ge said helplessly.

Cheng Shengnan sat on the bed edge. “But you’ve confirmed our world and the future aren’t directly connected; it’s more like parallel worlds. In our world, you eliminated ‘Formless’ early, meaning that threat is gone. What is there to worry about?”

Shen Ge sighed. “The biggest problem now is the eerie King fused with Sakura Island. While all signs point to it being dormant, it will wake up eventually. If we don’t find a way to deal with high-stage weird, the future… remains inevitable.”

Cheng Shengnan looked thoughtfully at Shen Ge for a moment. “I never noticed you had a habit of borrowing trouble before it comes.”

“No, Wandering Earth 3 isn’t out until ’27, there are two years left. I’m worried Earth might not make it until then,” Shen Ge said with feigned seriousness.

Cheng Shengnan deadpanned. “Be serious.”

“Alright, it’s not exactly borrowing trouble. But you haven’t seen two stage 8 weird fight. The feeling of powerlessness is hard to describe.”

Cheng Shengnan nodded. Just hearing Shen Ge mention the battle that sank Sakura Island filled her with shock, let alone him experiencing it firsthand.

Shen Ge usually believed in “crossing the bridge when you come to it.” But after witnessing the stage 8 battle, he couldn’t maintain his calm demeanor.

If they just waited until they “came to the bridge,” it wouldn’t be a matter of crossing it smoothly; the entire world would turn to ruins under the clash of weird.

If Shen Ge were still a “lone wolf” like before, with his various Traits, Domains, and “Crimson Mist Armor,” surviving the apocalypse wouldn’t be difficult.

But now he wasn’t alone. He had to consider not just his own survival, but also Cheng Shengnan’s, and even the safety of the Rong City branch.

That’s why he had been researching his Trait abilities day and night and attempting to develop “Multiple Domains” these past months.

He had to become stronger!
Strong enough to fight stage 8 weird, strong enough to protect Cheng Shengnan and provide her shelter!

Not wanting Shen Ge to worry excessively, Cheng Shengnan changed the subject. “Are you free next Saturday?”

Shen Ge saw through her clumsy attempt immediately and smiled. “Director Cheng, the work schedules of Anti- weird agents pass through your hands. Wouldn’t you know if I’m free or not?”

“Agent Shen has transcended the three departments, beyond anyone’s jurisdiction. Besides the Chief, who could know your schedule? You disappeared for half a month last month without a word, and you have the nerve to say that?” Cheng Shengnan glared at him, her tone complaining, hinting at her worry during his unscheduled trip to Sakura.

During the Takiguchi Disaster, Shen Ge was gone for a month and a half, but other elite agents accompanied him then.

Last month, he went to Sakura alone. According to recent reports, the area from Takiguchi City to the entire northern part of Sakura had fallen, making it the most dangerous place globally.

Shen Ge was gone for half a month without a word. How could she not worry?
She had spent those days anxiously waiting in the department’s intelligence section, hoping for news yet fearing what it might be.

“Uh, the situation was urgent then. Besides, I’m stacked with buffs and have the most advanced armor. I might not tank a nuke, but regular missiles are nothing to me. What can Sakura possibly do?” Shen Ge boasted arrogantly.

Cheng Shengnan shot him a sidelong glance that said “Keep bragging, I’m ignoring you,” put down her towel, and went to change into pajamas.

“I think this one looks nice,” Shen Ge said, pulling a short black lace cheongsam from the drawer.

He had given this cheongsam a fitting name—

Battle Attire.

“Get lost.”

Cheng Shengnan snatched the garment and threw it at Shen Ge’s face. The last time she wore it was after losing a “you name it” bet with him, and then… she didn’t get out of bed for a day.

Let’s just say it wasn’t a “particularly pleasant” memory.

Shen Ge sat up straight, dropping the joke. “So, next Saturday, what’s the plan? Dinner, shopping, movie, splurging spree? Your dedicated bag carrier is on standby…”

“Not that. There’s a charity auction that day. Will you accompany me?”

“Auction? Sounds interesting… Is it the kind where you spend extravagantly to win a beauty’s smile, burning money like it’s hell notes, casually dropping billions, and if you run out of money, it’s ‘thirty years east of the river, thirty years west,’ ‘don’t bully the young and poor,’ the Dragon King returns, grinning widely?”

“…”

Cheng Shengnan looked at him with a “-_-” expression, as if seeing an idiot. “Sorry, it’s a charity auction. Bidding on items is usually minimal; avoiding no-sales is considered good. Participants are essentially buying reputation rather than peerless treasures, so the scenarios you’re imagining won’t happen.”

“Oh.” Shen Ge’s voice dripped with disappointment. So the novels lied.

“If it’s that boring, why are you going?” Shen Ge asked, curious.

Cheng Shengnan said, “My mom is back from Australia. She’s the organizer of this Australian charity auction and specifically asked to meet you.”

“Oh—” Shen Ge drew out the sound, understanding dawning. “So it’s meeting the mother-in-law. No problem. Remember to pick out a handsome outfit for me. I’ll definitely make a good impression.”

Having learned about Cheng Shengnan’s childhood, Shen Ge held a favorable view of this yet-unmet mother-in-law. As Cheng Shengnan’s adoptive mother, her care was genuine, far surpassing that of a biological mother, and she had protected Cheng Shengnan well over the years.

Cheng Shengnan was skeptical about Shen Ge’s sharp tongue and unpredictable thinking.

However, she forgot a key point: Shen Ge was once the “golden” pillar of the branch company, his professional skills top-notch.

On Saturday, Cheng Shengnan carefully selected an outfit for Shen Ge, maximizing his already decent looks and charm. When he left the dorm, people in the department thought he’d been possessed.

Arriving at the city’s most luxurious hotel venue, Shen Ge’s performance upon meeting Cheng Shengnan’s adoptive mother made even Cheng Shengnan suspect possession.

Forget the upper-class demeanor so unlike his usual self; his eloquent conversation alone stunned her into silence.

Later, Cheng Shengnan witnessed what “top-tier professional skills” meant. She finally understood why any uncloseable deal handed to Shen Ge back in the company was guaranteed to succeed.

Within just two hours, even with Mrs. Cheng’s discerning eyes, she was full of praise for Shen Ge.

Cheng Shengnan initially thought Shen Ge knew nothing about charity auctions. But he not only kept up with whatever Mrs. Cheng said but also expanded the topics. When the conversation turned to him and Cheng Shengnan, with Shen Ge’s “smooth talk,” Mrs. Cheng found herself vaguely agreeing to arrange their wedding soon.

Mrs. Cheng, who always treated Cheng Shengnan as her “treasure,” unprecedentedly started picking faults with Cheng Shengnan, making it seem like Cheng Shengnan was the one marrying into the Cheng family, and Shen Ge was the wealthy young master.

Tsk.
Top-tier salesperson, truly fearsome!

It wasn’t until the auction started and staff found Mrs. Cheng to meet with several Rong City representatives that Cheng Shengnan escaped the “fault-finding.”

Watching Cheng’s mother leave, Shen Ge provocatively raised an eyebrow at Cheng Shengnan: “How about that? I’ve probably earned maximum points with your mother, right?”

“… I feel somewhat sorry for your clients back then. No wonder your satisfaction ratings stayed high even when projects had issues. So it all relied on your silver tongue! Then why is your mouth usually dripping with poison?” Cheng Shengnan sighed.

“Thanks for the compli…” Shen Ge started, then suddenly frowned.

“What’s wrong?” Cheng Shengnan tensed, seeing his serious expression.

She knew Shen Ge carried Little Seven, remaining in constant weird energy detection mode without a detector. Ordinary weird couldn’t hide from him. This reaction meant trouble.

“There’s a strong weird energy reaction… At least stage 2 rating, and it appeared suddenly. I suspect it’s not an weird, but a aberration,” Shen Ge said gravely.

“Report it to the department?” Cheng Shengnan asked.

“I’ll check it out. You contact the operations department.” Shen Ge stood and headed for the stairwell.

“Alright, be careful.” Cheng Shengnan immediately took out her phone and dialed the operations department.

Meanwhile, on the hotel rooftop, several thick clouds of weird energy black mist swirled in the dark night sky, slowly descending and enveloping most of the tall building.

When Shen Ge reached the rooftop, the sky was pitch-black and foggy, visibility extremely low, almost to the level of the Takiguchi Disaster.

But after searching the entire rooftop, he found no trace of the aberration.