The System Arrived Four Years Early, but the Anomaly Is Still a Juvenile - Chapter 205

Shen Ge was led by the airport manager through a special passage. They directly arranged an upgrade to his cabin without even asking if he had booked economy or another class.

Shen Ge didn’t point this out. He simply went along with whatever arrangements the manager made.

“Mr. Shen, I’ve arranged VIP travel services for you. Please feel free to ask the flight attendants for anything you need,” the airport manager said respectfully.

Shen Ge thought for a moment and gestured for him to come closer. “Actually, there’s one thing you can do for me right now.”

The manager leaned in, and Shen Ge whispered a few instructions. The man was momentarily stunned, but Shen Ge continued, “It’s fine, just do as I said. Offer them double the compensation. If anyone insists on boarding, let them. You can file the compensation costs with the Special Countermeasures Department.”

“Yes, I understand, Mr. Shen,” the manager nodded.

What Shen Ge asked him to do was simple: find a way to prevent passengers from boarding. Any reason would do. Anyone choosing to change flights or rebook would receive double compensation. Those insisting on boarding wouldn’t be stopped.

The manager had initially hesitated upon hearing this. But then he remembered the identification he had seen earlier—Shen Ge held the highest rank for an Anti-Anomaly Agent. For someone like that, stopping passengers from boarding was a trivial matter; even chartering a flight on the spot would be a simple request.

However, Shen Ge emphasized not to “forcibly prevent” anyone, but to come up with a reasonable excuse to persuade them, allowing those who insisted to proceed with boarding.

The manager actually found this more challenging than if Shen Ge had directly requested a charter. But the “boss” had spoken, so difficult or not, it had to be done.

Shen Ge didn’t know exactly how the manager arranged it, but twenty minutes later when boarding began, passengers started filing onto the plane.

A bald, middle-aged man, estimated to weigh around 240-250 pounds, entered the first-class cabin grumbling about the airline making a fuss over nothing. “As if a few ten thousand bucks can compare to one of my business deals?” he muttered as he sat down.

After settling in, the bald man looked across the aisle at Shen Ge and greeted him with a smile. “Thought I’d be the quickest. Didn’t expect you to board even faster. You also find the airline’s approach despicable, right? Pah! Offering double compensation to give up a seat? Like I need their few ten thousand?”

Shen Ge nodded, exchanged a few polite words, and subtly tried to find out what excuse the airport manager had used to discourage boarding.

As they talked, more and more passengers boarded. The first-class cabin, which didn’t have many seats to begin with, soon filled up. Apart from Shen Ge, who was dressed in ordinary, casual clothes, all the other first-class passengers were impeccably dressed, clearly elites from various fields.

According to the bald man’s introduction, his surname was “Tang,” and he was in export trade. His headquarters were in Dajing, and he was quite well-known locally.

Of course, this was all according to him. Judging from his communication style and mannerisms, Shen Ge suspected there was quite a bit of “exaggeration.”

However, Shen Ge was fairly certain this Mr. Tang wasn’t one of the “flies” keeping an eye on him. Compared to those stealthily observing him, Mr. Tang seemed far less suspicious.

Just then, a flight attendant seized the opportunity while bringing Shen Ge a drink to slip a note into his hand. He opened it to find a summary from the airport manager regarding the boarding passengers.

As per Shen Ge’s instructions, only one first-class passenger had chosen to change their flight. Half of the business class passengers had agreed to switch flights. Economy class had the highest number accepting double compensation; less than a fifth of those booked were now boarding.

Shen Ge had orchestrated this scene to better distinguish ordinary people from potential tails. After all, anyone sane wouldn’t turn down free double compensation and a flight change to stubbornly insist on boarding, especially when the alternative flight was only about an hour later.

Mr. Tang ordered a coffee, took a sip, and continued treating Shen Ge as his captive audience, launching into stories about his business dealings like a social conqueror.

Shen Ge didn’t show impatience. He simply smiled and responded occasionally. Clearly, Mr. Tang wasn’t too concerned whether Shen Ge understood, as long as he was willing to listen.

After a while, Shen Ge didn’t mind, but a bespectacled man in a sharp suit nearby couldn’t take it anymore. “Gentlemen, you’ve been chatting from boarding until after takeoff, nearly half an hour now. If possible, please keep it down. Haven’t you noticed everyone else is resting?”

Shen Ge glanced at the other first-class passengers. Some were on their tablets, some reading, others listening to music. No one was actually sleeping.

Just as he was about to remark, Mr. Tang beat him to it. “Why are you making such a fuss? Everyone’s doing their own thing! Besides, we’re not being loud, just having a quiet discussion. If you can’t even handle that, why not charter a private jet? Stop putting on airs here.”

While Mr. Tang had indeed been chattering non-stop since finding Shen Ge as his “chat partner,” his volume was within reasonable limits. At most, passengers in the seats immediately around them might catch a few words.

And those two—one wearing headphones listening to music, the other engrossed in their tablet—didn’t even notice the argument between Mr. Tang and the suit-wearing man. At least before the suited man spoke up, the other passengers hadn’t been paying attention. Mr. Tang’s retort made the suited man seem rather petty.

Shen Ge didn’t intervene in the argument between Mr. Tang and the suited man. He even signaled to a flight attendant who moved to intervene, making her step back.

The flight attendant had been concerned the argument might disturb Shen Ge, as the airport manager had repeatedly stressed that Shen Ge was a “VIP” who must not be offended.

Seeing Shen Ge didn’t mind, the flight attendant didn’t press further. She quietly retreated near the cockpit door, adopting a neutral stance, pretending not to hear the quarrel.

The suited man, who prided himself on being “highly cultured,” was naturally no match for Mr. Tang, who had climbed his way up from the streets to become a company boss. The man was left speechless.

Their argument grew increasingly heated, eventually drawing attention from passengers in other cabins. Some even pretended to use the restroom to stroll past the first-class cabin entrance, curious to see the commotion.

Shen Ge used this opportunity to observe the other first-class passengers, finally letting his gaze settle on a beautiful young woman.

Noticing Shen Ge’s scrutiny, the woman met his eyes and offered a polite smile.

Shen Ge returned the smile and looked away, casually urging Mr. Tang to calm down. Eventually, with his “mediation,” the suited man took the offered way out and turned away, deciding not to bother with Mr. Tang anymore.

“Brother Shen, let’s continue our chat. No need to waste words on these pretentious wolves in sheep’s clothing.”

With Shen Ge’s “support,” Mr. Tang’s address for him evolved from “Mister” to “Brother.”

Mr. Tang handed Shen Ge a business card, then patted his head, grinning like a contented Buddha. “Considering my age, I’ll presumptuously call myself your elder brother. My name is Tang Laoya. ‘Tang’ as in the Tang Dynasty, ‘Lao’ as in Rolex, and ‘Ya’ as in the ends of the earth.”

Shen Ge: ?
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Shen Ge looked at the three characters on the card. Each character individually carried a certain weight, but strung together, they formed an incredibly awkward name.

“Ah, I feel like we hit it off immediately, Brother Shen. If you ever get a chance to visit Xindian District, this old brother will show you a great time.” Tang Laoya, oblivious to the微妙 expression on Shen Ge’s face, continued warmly.

Shen Ge had only been to Dajing a few times but was familiar with its districts. He had never heard of “Xindian District” and couldn’t help asking, “Xindian District… where is that?”

Tang Laoya explained, “Xindian District is the old Haicheng District. There was an incident last year requiring a complete rebuild. It was finished this year.”

Shen Ge immediately understood—Xindian District was the area in Dajing affected by the Anomaly disaster.

“Tch, doesn’t even know Xindian District. Country bumpkins really do flock together,” the suited man muttered under his breath.

His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried just enough for Shen Ge and Tang Laoya to hear.
“What did you say?” Tang Laoya flared up again, but this time Shen Ge stopped him.

“Brother Tang, you said yourself not to bother with these superficial people. Why pay him any mind? I may not know Xindian District, but I’m quite familiar with Haicheng District. I’ll definitely look you up next time I visit,” Shen Ge said with a smile.

Distracted by Shen Ge’s change of topic, Tang Laoya ignored the suited man and grinned. “We’ve been chatting so happily, Brother Shen, but I don’t even know your full name or what you do.”

Shen Ge, once the “top performer” at his branch office, easily recognized Tang Laoya’s tactic: build rapport step by step, then attempt to pitch business.

In the past, Shen Ge might have played along, engaging in a back-and-forth to see if he’d land another design project or if Tang Laoya would gain a new client.

“My name is just Ge, as in song. I used to be a small-time designer. Now, I work for the Special Countermeasures Department,” Shen Ge replied casually.

The words “Special Countermeasures Department” exploded like a depth charge in the quiet first-class cabin. In an instant, all eyes were on him.

Even the young man with headphones couldn’t help turning to look Shen Ge up and down.

Shen Ge wasn’t surprised by the attention his introduction garnered. He had already noticed these people, while seemingly occupied, were actually listening in on their conversation.

With anomalous events surging worldwide, even if most people present had been “lucky” enough not to experience one directly, the name “Special Countermeasures Department” was thunderously famous.

Tang Laoya was also taken aback. He swallowed hard and asked tentatively, “Brother Shen… ahem, Mr. Shen, are you in an administrative role?”

“No. Field agent. Anti-Anomaly Agent,” Shen Ge stated calmly, as if mentioning what he had for lunch. Unbeknownst to him, the term “Anti-Anomaly Agent” nearly caused the jaws of those around him to drop.

Especially the suited man. Upon hearing Shen Ge’s full name and his affiliation with the Special Countermeasures Department, his face turned pale. He instinctively pulled out his tablet, swiped through something, then quickly put it away. He leaned back in his seat pretending to sleep, but the cold sweat on his forehead betrayed his extreme nervousness.

“An… Anti-Anomaly Agent! I thought you seemed quite refined, Mr. Shen… cough, I mean, you have a scholarly air about you… no, I mean you don’t seem like… uh. Heh, old brother here, I… I didn’t have much schooling, not great with words. Please don’t mind me,” Tang Laoya stammered, somewhat flustered.

His strong reaction to “Anti-Anomaly Agent” stemmed from witnessing one at a trade fair in Dajing publicly slap a prominent local entrepreneur and boldly claim he’d shut down the man’s business the next day.

The key point: that business really did run into serious trouble the following day.

Even with anomalous events becoming more frequent, Tang Laoya’s impression of anomalies was limited to news and short videos. He didn’t grasp the terror of anomalies, but he understood the terror of power all too well.

“Oh right, I have a business card too,” Shen Ge said, reaching into his pants pocket. After rummaging for a moment, he pulled out a crumpled card and handed it to Tang Laoya.

The card had a pure black background with the emblem of the Special Countermeasures Department. It bore no other information except two large characters: “Shen Ge.”

While drinking with friends, Tang Laoya had heard from his Dajing connections that while Anti-Anomaly Agents from the Special Countermeasures Department were already incredibly impressive, the truly formidable ones were the “elite” agents with black-background credentials and business cards. Any one of them wielded power equivalent to a military corps commander.

More importantly, power and status weren’t even the main point; the key was that these individuals possessed the formidable combat strength to “tear anomalies apart with their bare hands.”

Tang Laoya’s hands trembled as he accepted the card. He deeply regretted his earlier bragging and showboating.

“Brother Tang, there used to be a pretty good roast duck place in Haicheng District. I wonder if it’s still there after the rebuild. I’m taking your earlier invitation seriously. Next time I’m in Xindian District, you’re hosting,” Shen Ge said with a smile, trying to ease Tang Laoya’s nerves.

Tang Laoya hurriedly replied, “That restaurant was renovated. The taste is even better now. Whenever you’re free, Brother Shen, bring your family and friends. This old brother… cough, I will definitely host you all properly.”

“Thanks in advance then,” Shen Ge said.

“Don’t mention it! In our line of work, we live by ‘all within the four seas are brothers.’ I know Dajing well, of course I should host you, Brother Shen,” Tang Laoya said, laughing.

As they chatted, Shen Ge noticed a passenger sitting in the last row get up and head toward the economy section. Without any change in expression, he flicked his finger. A drop of black blood, the size of a fingernail, flew out, landed on the floor, and transformed into a tiny spider. Controlled by Little Seven, it scuttled after the passenger.

A short while later, Shen Ge got up, using the restroom as an excuse. As he reached the door, he saw the beautiful young woman he had observed earlier approaching as well.

“Mr. Shen,” the young woman said, slipping through the door just as Shen Ge was about to close it. Once inside, she casually shut the door behind her.

Shen Ge raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Miss, you seem to be in quite a hurry. Would you like to go first?”

“Mr. Shen, do you have a moment to talk?” the woman asked.

Shen Ge leaned in until their faces were less than thirty centimeters apart, still smiling. “Oh? A man and a woman alone in a confined space… Miss, are you looking to discuss your country’s most distinctive cultural industry—the airplane restroom edition—or something else?”

The woman was taken aback. “Mr. Shen… you know who I am?”

“So you are familiar with your country’s cultural specialties, Miss Kaede Hanabusa. What I’m curious about is, with your country currently on the verge of ‘Sakura Sinking,’ why aren’t you back there helping with disaster relief? What brings you to our territory?” Shen Ge asked curiously.

The woman before him was indeed Kaede Hanabusa, a member of the reconnaissance team who had briefly collaborated with Shen Ge in the “future.” However, her face was now uninjured, and she wasn’t deliberately hiding it behind her hair.

Unlike Shen Ge’s initial curiosity and surprise upon first meeting Kaede Hanabusa, having her identity exposed now filled her with dread. She had thought her movements were well-concealed, never expecting Shen Ge to see through her after just one encounter.

Just as the files stated, this man was terrifyingly strong and unfathomably deep!

Kaede Hanabusa, looking at the man so close to her, flushed slightly. “There were some… misunderstandings between us and you before. My organization wishes to sit down with you, Mr. Shen, to resolve them. You are the only Anti-Anomaly Agent who has entered and exited an Anomaly disaster zone unscathed. Our country is in dire straits. We hope you can set aside past grievances and help us overcome this crisis. Our entire nation will hail you as a hero!”

“Hold on. Being a hero isn’t easy, and I have no interest in it. Skip the vague platitudes. Let’s talk practicalities,” Shen Ge said with a smile.

Kaede Hanabusa said earnestly, “As long as you are willing to set aside past grievances and help our country through this crisis, we are prepared to meet any of your demands!”

“Any demand?” Shen Ge raised an eyebrow.

Kaede Hanabusa nodded seriously. “Yes.”

“Then I want… your life!” As Shen Ge spoke, his hand shot out, grabbing the collar of Kaede Hanabusa’s clothing. With a sharp pull downward, he tore her blouse open, undergarment and all.

Kaede Hanabusa instinctively moved to cover her chest, but Shen Ge’s focus was on her left shoulder and neck, where a thumb-sized red fleshy growth protruded.