Chapter 17
Bai Hewei stood outside his examination room ahead of schedule, spending his remaining time frantically reviewing some of the latest political and current affairs materials.
Cramming at the last minute might not make the blade razor-sharp, but it would at least give it a polished gleam. Who knew? What he reviewed right now might be exactly what appeared on the test.
Outside the examination room, only a scattering of candidates had formally entered the classrooms. The rest were nearly all outside, racing against the clock to memorize their notes.
The public institution exams used to test Public Basic Knowledge and Essays, but they had recently been changed to the Vocational Ability Test and the Comprehensive Application Ability Test. The former leaned a bit more toward the standard Administrative Aptitude Test.
The exam was set to begin at nine-thirty. By eight-thirty, the proctors were already urging the students to undergo inspection and enter the classrooms to wait.
Bai Hewei left his bag and phone outside, then held up his arms in front of the proctor to be scanned.
Meanwhile, outside the examination venue, a war without smoke was quietly brewing.
Wearing their volunteer vests, the grassroots workers were constantly patrolling the outer perimeter of the Forbidden Zone. The deployed Evolvers were also repeatedly scanning the surrounding area, maintaining real-time communication with the command office.
“Position 1, all clear.”
“Position 2, all clear.”
“Position 3 looks a little unusual. I’m heading over to check it out.”
“Copy that. Stay safe.”
…
Over at the Special Operations Department, the civilian staff members were pulling another overtime shift.
It couldn’t be helped. An urgent message from a deep-cover agent abroad had been forwarded by the central headquarters: the [Sacred Staff] organization was planning to make a move on Bai Hewei. Exactly how they would strike remained unknown, but the timing was set for this very day!
Everyone knew that any agent capable of embedding themselves within the [Sacred Staff] was the elite of elites. Several pieces of intel they had transmitted in the past had been completely flawless, so this time would naturally be no exception. Consequently, they had set up ambushes all around the area long ago.
On the surface, it appeared to be just a few Evolvers coordinating with volunteers on a routine patrol. In reality, an untold number of Evolvers were lurking in the shadows, waiting to catch a turtle in a jar.
No matter whose claws stretched out today, they would absolutely slice them off!
The Evolver who had gone ahead to inspect the anomaly didn’t rush in blindly. Instead, he pulled a remote control from his backpack and steered a drone forward to scout the area.
The drone was equipped with a detector capable of scanning evolutionary particle energy fluctuations. The moment it detected an anomaly, it could lock onto the target’s position instantly.
Hiding in the shadows, the rogue Evolvers gnashed their teeth slightly as they noticed the Special Operations Department’s drone approaching.
Damn it, these Chinese Evolvers were genuinely annoying. Every single one of them was equipped with high-tech gear, severely limiting their operations. To make matters worse, China was the universally acknowledged king of drones, and their tech upgraded faster than the modifications on their own Evolver Potions.
Because of these high-tech devices, the mortality rate for Special Operations field agents had plummeted, dropping by over ninety percent compared to rates abroad.
It wasn’t that these foreign organizations hadn’t considered equipping themselves with drones, but China heavily restricted the export of drones bundled with these specific detectors. On the rare occasion one was successfully smuggled out, it would be instantly tracked and forced to self-destruct. Even if they managed to dismantle the tracking system, the cost of the drone was enough to buy an Evolver’s life. Who could afford to mass-equip them?
One of the hidden Evolvers decisively made his move. He flicked his finger, launching a small spark of fire that shot out like an artillery shell, attempting to bring down the drone.
“Stop!”
The adjacent Evolver was a step too late to prevent him.
If they didn’t act, there was a chance the drone might detect them. But the moment they attacked, their position was guaranteed to be locked down.
“Anomaly confirmed. Requesting backup.”
“Team 2, move in for support. Notify the grassroots volunteers to retreat,” the command center directed.
“Roger.”
Very quickly, the subdistrict leadership posted a message in the patrol WeChat group, notifying the volunteers to fall back and that today’s overtime was officially over.
The volunteers were a bit bewildered. The exam had barely even started, so why were they already retreating? But whatever, not having to work overtime was always a win.
The moment they saw the message, the volunteers displayed superlative execution. They headed straight for the exits immediately, unwilling to stay and log a single extra minute of overtime.
Watching these volunteers leave, the miserable lower-level clerks of the Special Operations Department who had to keep working gave expressions of pure envy.
Man, they wanted to wrap this up quickly and get off work early too.
The members of Special Operations Team 2 swiftly used the data transmitted by the drone to lock onto the rogue Evolvers.
Several drones hovered above them, relaying all their information back to the command office in a single, comprehensive dump.
“One A-Class, three B-Class, and five C-Class Evolvers. Be careful of that A-Class; his ability data isn’t fully detailed in our files. There might be complications.”
“Got it.”
Seeing the setup, Team 2 Captain Liu Hang immediately arranged his team’s formation.
“I’ll handle the A-Class. The rest of you split into groups and surround them. Get ready to deploy the mechanical hounds. Let’s cover them with a round of heavy firepower and blast them first.”
“Roger. The sound-isolation barrier has been activated. It won’t disturb the candidates,” the Captain of Team 4 replied from the Special Operations Department.
The field division of the Special Operations Department had roughly eight squads. Each squad captain was an A-Class Evolver, and their respective abilities varied greatly. Not all of them were offensive types; Team 4 Captain Tan Wen, for instance, possessed an ability that could manipulate sound.
An ability that controlled sound might not sound particularly formidable on paper, but in actual combat applications, it possessed an incredibly high range of utility.
Whether they were approaching enemies, launching bombardments, or if the enemy attempted to seize an opportunity to transmit intel, as long as the [Silence] ability was activated, everything could be masked as if absolutely nothing was happening.
“Tan Wen’s ability is so convenient. I’m crying tears of envy,” Liu Hang muttered, practically dripping with jealousy. Tan Wen’s ability really gave him an unfair advantage at work. Not only did he not have to stand on the front lines, but they literally couldn’t do a mission without him. Since he could coordinate with different squads for assaults or retreats every single time, he accumulated the most merits. Currently, Tan Wen was already a Fourth-Level Investigator, enjoying the rank benefits of a director-level cadre.
“Captain, move fast, otherwise Luo Chuan is going to swoop in and steal our credit again,” the vice-captain beside him urged.
“Oh, right. We can’t let that bird-winged guy steal our credit. Tch, so what if he can fly? Big deal,” Liu Hang agreed. He waved his hand.
Instantly, the mechanical hounds opened fire in a furious barrage toward the coordinates locked by the drones.
The first thing that materialized in front of the rogue Evolvers was a massive protective barrier, deflecting the hounds’ artillery fire.
“A defensive-type Evolver is standard issue for a team,” Liu Hang smiled upon seeing the shield. “But it’s still not enough.”
With that, Liu Hang softly snapped his fingers.
Within a split second, the barrier that had blocked the artillery fire became covered in spiderweb fractures before shattering into dust the next moment.
The barrage rained down squarely upon them.
The five C-Class Evolvers were blown apart on the spot.
Realizing things had gone south, the remaining Evolvers scattered instantly, attempting to flee in separate directions.
But the Special Operations team members who had been waiting for a long time were already primed and ready, just waiting to strike the moment the enemy’s formation broke into chaos.
These were their bonuses, their merits, and their stipends!
Seeing these Evolvers get blasted into tattered shreds, the team members felt an indescribable rush of adrenaline and charged forward with roaring battle cries.
“I suggest you surrender,” Liu Hang said, stepping directly in front of an exceptionally massive man. “I’ve heard of your ability. It’s called [Thorn Spear], right? You can summon any plant out of thin air and build an entire forest within a minute. Tsk tsk, an ability like yours would be wonderful for planting trees in the desert. To waste it on an organization like this is a real shame. If you surrender peacefully, I’ll push for a reduced sentence to let you help us manage the dust storms. Who knows, you might even get an early release later.”
Seeing Liu Hang approach, the massive man grew extremely guarded.
Naturally, they had thoroughly studied the profiles of these Special Operations captains beforehand.
The seemingly unremarkable, somewhat scrawny man before him was actually a purely offensive-type Evolver. He had even been temporarily seconded to the central headquarters to serve as a bodyguard for VIPs, but because his destructive ability couldn’t be properly controlled at first, he had been sent back down.
“You heretics are the shame of all Evolvers!” the massive man bellowed in English. He immediately pulled a syringe from his pocket and slammed it violently into his neck.
An Evolver Potion!
Liu Hang didn’t budge an inch, simply waiting for the man in front of him to fully absorb the liquid.
The people at the command center were watching. What they wanted to observe was exactly what kind of changes this newly modified Evolver Potion could induce, making it easier for them to gather data.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have wasted his breath talking so much; he would have just blasted the man into fragments directly.
The moment the needle went down, the exceptionally massive man’s body actually began to shrink at a visible rate, and he let out an agonizing howl.
But emerging alongside his screams were all kinds of plants rapidly sprouting from the ground.
The original weeds shot up to two or three meters high in an instant, sprouting razor-sharp blades along their edges, while the seemingly ordinary wild flowers expanded to gargantuan sizes, emitting an incredibly intense fragrance.
And once a scent reached such an extreme intensity, it turned into an unbearable stench that the human body could barely tolerate.
“Based on our previous data, he should only be able to control the growth and attack vectors of existing plants. His most commonly used plants are briars and vines, with the occasional carnivorous plant. Now, his ability can actually cause these plants to directly mutate—no, calling it a mutation isn’t quite right. It should be considered an evolution!”
Inside the command office, a researcher’s eyes were practically glowing.
It was his turn to support the Special Operations field unit today, so he was naturally recording the data at every moment.
“Current data indicates that after injecting the potion, the evolutionary particles inside this Evolver’s body surged by two to three times. Because of the violent shift within a short period, his physical form altered. A massive frame shrinking like this is bound to severely increase the burden on his internal organs, which is why even his breathing has become so heavy. The only reason he’s staying put is because it’s currently very difficult for him to move.”
“Based on your rating system, he is beginning to approach S-Class, but his body might not be able to sustain this kind of pressure for long.” The researcher pulled out his portable computer and began calculating furiously. “Captain Liu, please keep him engaged to help us collect more data. Oh, right, if possible, it would be best to leave him with a breath of life. And please make sure to bring back that syringe so we can see if we can extract the raw formula of the Evolver Potion.”
“Fantastic, simply fantastic. Our intelligence agents couldn’t get a hold of the potion this quickly, who knew they’d deliver it right to our doorstep?” The researcher was profoundly moved. “Thank goodness for Bai Hewei. It’s truly wonderful that he chose to take his exam here.”
Watching the combat situation unfold on the screen, An Tingyu felt that something was amiss.
“Stay sharp. Even though they’ve brought out the Evolver Potion to fight us, I still feel the [Sacred Staff] organization wouldn’t be subdued this easily.” An Tingyu didn’t relax in the slightest; instead, she grew increasingly vigilant.
These organizations had long since known of Bai Hewei’s strength. The Evolvers they dispatched, even with the enhancement of a potion, weren’t considered particularly troublesome opponents for the Special Operations Department. If they went up against Bai Hewei, there was absolutely no difference between an A-Class and an S-Class Evolver.
Furthermore, choosing this specific Evolver felt less like an attempt to trap Bai Hewei and more like a tactical play to buy time.
He was a sacrificial pawn!
“Activate the emergency contingency plan immediately. We cannot allow these people to get near the candidates.”
Previously, only Team 3 had been deployed to deal with these rogue Evolvers. The remaining squads had all been on standby around the vocational school town.
Bai Hewei’s safety was paramount, but these thousands of candidates were equally important.
Inside the examination room.
Bai Hewei was diligently filling out his exam paper.
He had just finished answering the first ten questions and filling in his bubble sheet when he noticed a faint commotion in the distance.
He merely glanced toward the window, and his distant field of vision was instantly pulled close. The scene of the Special Operations Department controlling drones and mechanical hounds to fight flashed directly into his eyes.
Bai Hewei didn’t pause to marvel at his sudden acquisition of “telescopic vision.” He was entirely occupied by his shock at the Special Operations Department’s high-tech combat style.
No wonder their funding was allocated according to military standards. Just look at this combat configuration; it was truly enviable.
Bai Hewei decided that when he received his salary next month, he would buy an entry-level drone to play with.
Of course, if he could manage to pass this exam, he wouldn’t even need to spend his own money—he could just wait for the department to issue him one.
How great would that be? Most places just issued a company phone at best, but look at their department—they handed out drones and mechanical hounds. Who could possibly resist that?
“Keep your eyes on your own paper.” The proctor didn’t understand what Bai Hewei was staring at through the window, but that didn’t stop him from issuing a verbal warning.
Realizing he was still in the middle of an exam, Bai Hewei immediately turned his head back and resumed answering the questions.
Ah, can’t get distracted, can’t get distracted, otherwise I won’t finish the test.
Bai Hewei pulled his straying thoughts back, immersing himself once more in the tense atmosphere of the examination.
While the Special Operations Department was locked in combat with the rogue Evolvers, an unremarkable, ordinary man wearing a baseball cap was approaching the Forbidden Zone along a meticulously pre-planned route.
He was originally just a local thug, failing to achieve anything significant in life and scraping by on card games at the mahjong parlor.
A while back, he met a “good buddy” who hooked him up with an excellent job. All he had to do was follow their instructions to set up a few basic arrangements and drop off some items, and he would receive a massive payout. It had allowed him to indulge in quite a bit of luxury.
And now, his job was even simpler.
He just needed to get close to the entrance of the Forbidden Zone, place a small object down, pull out a remote control, and press a button.
His good buddy had assured him that even if the police caught him, it wouldn’t matter. They would arrange a green card for him and ship him abroad for development, where the local police wouldn’t be able to touch him anyway.
Wealth was found within danger.
Even though the authorities had repeatedly issued strict orders forbidding ordinary citizens from approaching Forbidden Zones, he decided to take the gamble.
Carrying the protective amulet his good buddy had gifted him, he approached the entrance of the Forbidden Zone like an invisible phantom.
Whether it was the rogue Evolvers or the Special Operations staff, everyone seemed to completely overlook his presence.
The entrance to the Forbidden Zone was now right before his eyes.
Staring at the towering wall in front of him, the thug swallowed hard. He pulled a palm-sized box from his pocket.
He carefully placed the box at the entrance of the Forbidden Zone, then jogged away. Only when he had put considerable distance between them did he pull the remote control from his other pocket.
He pressed it down.
Instantly, a colossal surge of energy coursed up from the remote control into his hands.
The plastic remote began to melt, terrifying the thug into trying to drop it immediately.
But it was already too late.
The melting trend didn’t stop. After the remote liquefied, his arm began to melt as well.
“Ah… what is this thing?! Ahhh!”
The thug watched his own hand dripping wax like a burning candle, yet he couldn’t feel any pain; he only felt his body burning hot.
A wave of sheer terror overwhelmed him.
Realizing what was happening, he stumbled and bolted toward the Special Operations personnel.
The Special Operations Department would definitely be able to save him.
They had to!
As he ran, he realized he could no longer feel his feet.
His legs had begun to melt too.
“No—”
His body dissolved almost instantaneously.
And the moment he dissolved, a figure abruptly materialized in the empty space where he had vanished.
A man holding a cane appeared in the clearing.
He bore distinct mixed-race features, the lower half of his face was almost entirely obscured by a black mist, and he wore a tall top hat, looking very much like a medieval gentleman.
The detector values bound to the drones spiked to maximum in an instant, directly triggering a flashing red alert.
The hearts of the various squad captains leaped into their throats.
A red alert?
An S-Class Evolver?!
If current Evolvers were considered one in ten thousand among ordinary people, then an S-Class was roughly one in ten thousand among Evolvers.
Even within the major global powers, an S-Class Evolver could be classified as a strategic weapon. Every single one discovered was incredibly precious.
Even nations that frantically experimented on Evolvers wouldn’t dare map out a scheme against an S-Class Evolver.
The rogue Evolver standing before Liu Hang burst into wild laughter at that moment.
“He is here. You are destined to lose!”
“Scram.” Liu Hang snapped his fingers violently, no longer caring whether the guy in front of him lived or died. He used his ability to completely obliterate all the bizarre plants that had been accelerated by the potion.
Inside the command office, An Tingyu’s expression turned grim, and even Huo Ling, who had been sitting in his chair, stood up.
“An actual S-Class Evolver has shown up?”
Within the [Sacred Staff] organization, those who possessed absolute strength since the Day of Awakening without relying on potion acceleration—the ones rated as S-Class by the world—numbered only ten people in total. Over the past five years, the Special Operations Department had already eliminated two of them.
Who told them to be audacious enough to attempt an assassination on the Special Operations Department’s Director, Yuan Heqing?
But to take down those two S-Class Evolvers, the Special Operations Department had also paid a heavy price.
Out of the ten top-tier Evolvers, only eight were left now. Each one was a prized treasure of the [Sacred Staff] organization. Who would have thought they would actually be willing to deploy one?
“The one who arrived is the [Sacred Staff]’s S-Class Evolver, codename ‘Gentleman.’ He possesses extremely powerful spatial manipulation abilities, allowing him to perform spatial displacement anywhere across the globe. However, according to the records of his past deployments, every time he operates, someone is guaranteed to die where he appears. Spatial displacement requires a massive expenditure of evolutionary particles, and the process of tearing through space subjects the user to immense physical pressure. Analyzing the situation, he must have transferred the pressure of the spatial displacement onto someone else, making another person bear the cost for him.”
The more powerful an ability was, the more energy it demanded to execute. This was especially true for abilities that bypassed the laws of the physical world, which incurred an enormous toll.
As a result, the highest-tier Evolvers rarely made personal appearances.
Once they acted, the energy consumed was massive, and there was a chance they could damage themselves, potentially triggering the birth of a new Forbidden Zone.
Bai Hewei was a bit of an anomaly, mostly because to this day, no one knew what his ability actually was.
The detectors on Wen Zhiyi’s side were bound to be more precise, allowing him to sense the arrival of “Gentleman” much faster than the Special Operations Department.
“An S-Class Evolver appearing right next to a Forbidden Zone… isn’t he afraid that the zone will suck him dry to steal his evolutionary energy?” Huo Ling growled under his breath. “The people from the [Sacred Staff] have lost their minds. Deploying an S-Class Evolver is universally recognized as a military provocation. Do they want to start a war with us?”
This was no different from flying a fighter jet directly into another nation’s airspace. Even if they killed “Gentleman” on the spot, America would have to issue a formal apology stating they had no involvement and that this was purely “Gentleman’s” independent action.
“It seems the new version of the Evolver Potion has given them an immense amount of confidence,” Wen Zhiyi replied.
“Gentleman” removed his hat with one hand and bowed slightly toward the surveillance cameras, appearing exceedingly polite.
The next moment, his cane pierced through the air in front of him.
A rift in space tore open right then and there.
The corners of “Gentleman’s” eyes crinkled slightly as he reached his hand into the spatial rift.
…
“Alright, all exam papers have been collected. Everyone may leave the examination room.” The proctor finished counting all the answer sheets. After confirming nothing was missing, he finally addressed the waiting candidates.
Bai Hewei picked up his stationary pouch and slowly walked out.
His brain felt completely numb after finishing the test. He felt his performance hadn’t been great, so he could only rely on the afternoon’s Essay to bump up his score. Following the guidance of the Exam God, he had spent several days reading through this year’s provincial government work report back and forth, even memorizing some subheadings and case studies that could come in handy. He was just waiting to apply them to the main essay to see if he could squeeze out a few extra points.
Bai Hewei picked up his backpack, heading downstairs with the crowd.
Suddenly, a hand reached out from thin air and gripped his shoulder.
Bai Hewei subconsciously wanted to break free, but he hesitated, worried that it might just be a fellow candidate who had accidentally bumped into him. What if he accidentally hurt someone?
In that single instant of hesitation, Bai Hewei—along with his backpack—abruptly vanished from the spot.
The candidates crowding down the stairs next to him looked around in a daze, some wondering if their eyes were playing tricks on them.
Wasn’t there just a guy standing right next to them a second ago?
Abruptly seized by “Gentleman,” Bai Hewei didn’t even have time to react before he was pulled by a massive force. Together, both of them plummeted straight into the Forbidden Zone.
The moment Bai Hewei’s silhouette appeared on the surveillance screens, Huo Ling let out a sharp, screeching roar.
“Is Bai Hewei Tang Sanzang or something?! Does eating him grant immortality? Why is he getting targeted more frequently than Tang Sanzang?!” Huo Ling bellowed.
“Those monsters have likely caught the wrong person,” Wen Zhiyi chimed in, a rare instance of him agreeing with Huo Ling. “This is clearly Sun Wukong in disguise.”
Inside the Forbidden Zone.
“Gentleman” looked at Bai Hewei and burst into wild laughter.
“Hahaha! You truly are powerful. Standing outside the Forbidden Zone, the zone wasn’t in a hurry to absorb you. But the moment you and I appeared together, the Forbidden Zone couldn’t wait to suck the evolutionary particles straight out of your body!” “Gentleman’s” Chinese was unexpectedly clear and rounded, sounding almost like a professional broadcaster.
Staring at the pitch-black surroundings and feeling the slimy, suffocating discomfort in the air, Bai Hewei’s entire face practically read as a giant wall of protest.
“This is a Forbidden Zone that has existed for several years, far beyond what an artificial zone can compare to.” “Gentleman” extended a hand toward Bai Hewei. “Even the Special Operations Department has no way of transmitting a signal in here. Bai Hewei, I officially extend an invitation to you. Join us. A powerhouse like you shouldn’t be buried in a land that suppresses Evolvers.”
“I don’t make deals with suspicious characters.” Bai Hewei ignored him completely, only wanting to leave this place as quickly as possible.
“The Forbidden Zone here is chaotic, lacking rules or directions. Without my ability, you cannot leave this place,” “Gentleman’s” voice sounded like a demon’s whisper. “Even if you can hold out until the Special Operations Department arrives, there is no food or water here, and you are no match for me, a spatial ability user.”
Bai Hewei didn’t hear any of the other fluff; he only processed the strange man’s statement that he had no way of leaving this place.
In a split second, Bai Hewei’s face turned completely white.
“Do not worry. As long as you join us, you will still—”
“Ah—what the hell are you talking about?!” Bai Hewei felt like he was losing his mind. “There are only two hours left before the Essay starts! You kidnapped me right after I barely managed to finish the Vocational Ability Test! You want to force me to miss the exam! Are you people even human?!”
How could such a malicious monster exist in this world?
