Chapter 27
Three hours later, Bai Hewei arrived at his destination with his little robot.
Before they even got off the helicopter, he was thoroughly intimidated by the display waiting down below.
Several dozen uniformed members of the regional Special Operations Department had already gathered around the landing site.
The insignias of bars and stars on the leader’s uniform indicated a rank slightly higher than An Tingyu’s.
An Tingyu was a Deputy Director, which meant this man was a full Director.
But on second thought, it made sense. The border was a unique region; the opportunities to earn merits here were far greater than in the inland areas.
“Guan Yan, the captain of the border Special Operations Department’s First Tactical Squad, will be your primary coordinator for this operation. He is an A-Class Evolver and was among the very first batch of people to awaken during the Day of Awakening five years ago,” Wen Zhiyi’s voice emanated from the robot. “Each captain at the border has their own jurisdiction. Currently, your opponent, [Sage], is stirring up trouble in Guan Yan’s designated sector, so he came to receive you. There is no need to be nervous.”
“Ahem. It’s not exactly nervousness, but after spending so much time at the grassroots level, seeing these high-ranking leaders makes me a bit guilty. I keep worrying whether my paperwork logs are up to date,” Bai Hewei said, pressing a hand to his forehead. “Never mind, I’m not here as a subdistrict employee today. I can’t look guilty.”
Bai Hewei heard Wen Zhiyi’s soft chuckle.
He felt a bit embarrassed, but there was no helping it; it was an occupational hazard beaten into him.
“Our subdistrict leader is only a section chief, and he might not even get promoted to a full director rank before he retires,” Bai Hewei reasoned to justify his internal guilt. “And this guy is so young, his future achievements will only be greater. By the way, Number One, what is your rank?”
Wen Zhiyi didn’t reply immediately.
His rank was naturally astronomical.
But stating it out loud was bound to terrify people.
“We walk on completely different tracks,” Wen Zhiyi merely stated.
Oh, got it. Number One likely doesn’t have a permanent spot in the official establishment either.
Since he was working as a robotic customer service agent, he was highly probable to be a contract worker just like himself.
Bai Hewei’s heart settled instantly.
Knowing he wasn’t the only one lacking an official rank made him feel much better.
Bai Hewei stepped down from the helicopter, his expression serene and his gaze gentle, carrying none of the typical arrogance associated with a pinnacle Evolver.
Guan Yan and the other Evolvers fixed their gazes squarely on him in unison.
They all knew that the world’s strongest Evolver resided within their country, but the specific details regarding this individual—their age, gender, maturity, and disposition—remained a mystery.
Lately, the border had been thrown into severe chaos. A continuous stream of foreign Evolvers was crossing the border illegally, forcing other regional branches to fire off inquiry documents every few days to ask what was going on.
The pressure at the border was immense.
The defense line stretched over a staggering distance, and these Evolvers possessed an immense variety of supernatural abilities. They had worked tirelessly to deport intruders and had successfully blocked a massive wave of them, but they were entirely powerless against the few who managed to slip through the cracks.
Lately, that [Sage] had lost his mind for some reason, launching relentless provocations that completely deviated from his historical pattern of behavior.
To make matters worse, he was a sensory-type ability user. Clashing against him had exposed the specific details of several of their core cadres’ capabilities. The Evolvers deployed by the enemy were custom-tailored to counter them, which significantly disrupted their daily operations.
Right at this critical juncture, the document signed by Director Yuan arrived.
Every single squad captain had passed the file around, and they were all thoroughly stunned by the contents.
Guan Yan, in particular, was utterly shocked.
Out of the blue, the world’s strongest Evolver was being deployed to the border to serve as external reinforcement for his squad to deal with [Sage]?
Huh?
He had been completely in the dark.
For a moment, his peers had looked at him with incredibly bizarre expressions.
Some asked if he had successfully hitched a ride with a wealthy heiress to enjoy a cushy life, begging him to make an introduction.
Others inquired if this world’s strongest Evolver was a relative of his, since they had traveled such an immense distance just to help him.
Yet others raised a clamor, telling him not to forget his old comrades once he struck it rich, and not to abandon his “abandoned wives” just because a pinnacle powerhouse had joined his side.
All of them were blasted away by Guan Yan.
The Director of the border Special Operations branch had merely patted his shoulder with a warm smile, calling him into the office to deliver a brief overview of Bai Hewei’s profile. He told Guan Yan not to be overly anxious, but emphasized that he absolutely couldn’t treat Bai Hewei lightly either. Crucially, he instructed Guan Yan to build a good rapport first; if Bai Hewei truly lived up to his reputation, Guan Yan had to find a way to anchor him to their branch. If he pulled this off, his placement into the next leadership committee would be a guaranteed certainty.
“Hello, Mr. Bai. I am Guan Yan, the captain of the border Special Operations Department’s First Tactical Squad. Your reputation precedes you.” Guan Yan was barely thirty years old. Prior to his awakening, he had served as an elite special forces operative in the military, and he was among the first batch of individuals to join the Special Operations Department after the Day of Awakening. His gaze was resolute, his features handsome, and his entire demeanor exuded an unyielding aura of absolute righteousness.
“Hello, Director Guan. I am Bai Hewei. I look forward to working with you,” Bai Hewei replied hastily, grabbing Guan Yan’s hand to introduce himself.
“Please follow me first, Mr. Bai. It must have been an exhausting journey.” Guan Yan’s gaze lingered briefly on Bai Hewei’s face before shifting toward the micro-robot resting on his shoulder, his eyes gleaming slightly.
“Alright,” Bai Hewei felt a trace of trepidation whenever he encountered a leader of this stature, but fortunately, he had his little robot companion by his side.
Guan Yan guided Bai Hewei into a private dining room inside their border branch’s cafeteria, inviting several other squad captains to join them.
In truth, the branch Director should have attended as well, but after considering the circumstances, he decided against it to avoid placing excessive pressure on Bai Hewei.
Seeing a sea of top-ranking leaders inside the room, Bai Hewei subconsciously reached for the teapot, intending to pour tea for everyone first.
“Mr. Bai, we don’t have much to boast about here, but our cafeteria chefs are exceptionally skilled,” Guan Yan smiled warmly. “According to regulations, our nutritional standards are allowed to be slightly higher than in other regions. Rest assured, the meals prepared by our chefs fully comply with official guidelines. The only reason I called everyone over is because I worried that if I ordered too much food, we wouldn’t be able to finish it on our own. Since we are all fellow Evolvers, just treat this as a casual gathering among friends.”
“Alright, thank you everyone. There’s no need to be so formal, you can all just address me as Xiao Bai,” Bai Hewei said, doing his best to maintain his composure, though internally he was already itching to pack his things and head back home.
In the past, whenever he attended a dinner with his leaders, he was merely there to fill a seat; he had never been the guest of honor.
Facing a scene like this, he would honestly prefer to go out and engage in a brutal clash with some rogue Evolvers.
“I’m a few years older than you, so I’ll take the liberty of addressing you as Xiao Bai,” Guan Yan chuckled. “Don’t be nervous, Xiao Bai, we’re simply a bit curious about you. You might not know this, but Huo Ling and we actually attended the same training cohort back in the day; we can be considered classmates.”
These men were all “insiders” who belonged to the very first batch of awakened individuals. They had already been securely established within the state system before their awakening, so they were immediately brought under national protection afterward to undergo covert training and execute numerous high-risk missions together. It was no exaggeration to call them blood brothers and comrades-in-arms.
“Exactly. Huo Ling practically blew up our phones this morning, relentlessly badgering us about your affairs, instructing us not to place any pressure on you, and telling us to just interact with you normally.”
“He even threatened that if anything went wrong with you, he’d file a direct complaint with Director Yuan.”
“That guy Huo Ling is just terrified that we’ll poach you away.”
The other squad captains chimed in with good-natured ribbing, and the tense atmosphere instantly dissolved.
None of these field captains were old; the eldest didn’t exceed thirty years of age, and the younger ones were practically peers with Bai Hewei.
As Evolvers and personnel within the Special Operations Department, the workforce skewed heavily toward youth. Only the core leadership committee consisted of older individuals, primarily to act as an anchor and keep these fiery youths from acting too aggressively.
Everyone possessed excellent internet literacy and was well-versed in slang, allowing Bai Hewei to relax visibly.
When the cafeteria staff wheeled out the dishes, Bai Hewei was thrown into fresh shock.
Was a whole roasted lamb the standard for hospitality here?
Would they genuinely not face an audit by the Discipline Inspection Commission?
“Our Special Operations Department has an inherently high food allowance to begin with, and out here at the border, beef and mutton are cheap, so we eat this almost every day,” Guan Yan clarified. “Furthermore, the energy we Evolvers expend is vastly greater than that of ordinary citizens. If we’ve just returned from a gruelling field mission, two or three operatives can easily demolish an entire sheep.”
They had actually worried that the standard of hospitality might be too subpar for Bai Hewei, and had considered pooling their own money to secure something even more elaborate.
But after considering the options, they abandoned the idea; the most expensive items in this region were actually seafood, which couldn’t compare to the quality of their local beef and mutton anyway.
“It looks like the food here is truly spectacular,” Bai Hewei smiled. Every single one of these captains possessed an exceptional physique without a trace of a beer belly, indicating they maintained rigorous physical training schedules during their off-duty hours and refused to slack off in the slightest.
“Come, let’s talk while we eat, otherwise the meat will get cold and lose its flavor.”
Naturally, there was no alcohol on the table, only coconut milk and other soft drinks.
During operational hours, all cadres were strictly barred from consuming alcohol. This regulation was enforced with extreme severity within a department like theirs.
Without the pressure of drinking and exchanging formal toasts, Bai Hewei felt significantly more at ease throughout the meal.
Truth be told, the cafeteria food was genuinely spectacular.
Bai Hewei stuffed himself to the absolute limit.
The mutton here was infinitely more authentic than anything he had eaten before.
Once the meal wrapped up, Guan Yan and the others finally broached official business. They all knew exactly why Bai Hewei had been deployed here.
“In the past, [Sage] rarely made moves against us,” Guan Yan sighed. “He understood perfectly well that his home country couldn’t possibly compete with a major power like ours, and since his ability carries zero offensive utility, he rarely made personal appearances. Even when he crossed paths with us, after using his ability to extract our information profiles, he never disclosed them to external entities. He could essentially be categorized as a neutral element. Countless nations and organizations extended olive branches to him, guaranteeing a lifestyle on par with the ultra-wealthy. To anchor him to their territory, his home country even custom-built a high-rise luxury compound for him so he could live comfortably alongside his family.”
Hearing the word “family,” a captain sitting nearby let out a sharp chuckle.
“Family? Those are just the girlfriends he hoarded; there’s no need to paint it in such an elegant light. The entertainment and tourism industry in that border nation is notoriously open, but his setup is on a whole different level. An ancient emperor had three palaces and six courtyards, but his arrangement is far more extravagant.”
“Exactly. He has every skin tone and ethnicity imaginable, including several supermodels. A foreign television network even wanted to produce a dedicated reality show tracking him and his girlfriends, and word is they had already secured title sponsors.”
“To throw away a comfortable life like that out of the blue just to turn against us… who knows what the hell he’s thinking.”
The captains began to unleash a barrage of complaints, clearly harboring immense distaste for [Sage]’s actions, which did nothing but disrupt their peace and dump endless chores onto their laps.
They were all human; [Sage]’s lifestyle was practically on par with an emperor’s, an object of universal envy. To abandon a life of luxury just to cause trouble for regular working stubs like them—how could anyone not be enraged?
The Number One robot tapped Bai Hewei’s chin, shifted to a fresh position, and indicated that he wished to speak.
Bai Hewei hastily plucked the micro-robot from his shoulder, cradling it in his hands before placing it gently onto the table.
The captains’ gazes were instantly re-directed onto the robot.
“The [Sage] has likely injected the third-generation Evolver Potion, leaving him trapped in a position where he has no choice but to stand against us,” Wen Zhiyi’s voice vibrated from the chassis. “According to the Research Institute’s diagnostic findings, the third-generation Evolver Potion carries devastating side effects. If a candidate fails to inject the corresponding neutralizing antidote regularly, they will suffer a catastrophic backlash resulting in death. If [Sage] wishes to secure the antidote, he can no longer play the role of a hidden coward.”
Just a moment ago, the captains had been itching to reach out and handle the micro-robot on Bai Hewei’s person.
Once a technology like this was rolled out, their branch would undoubtedly be among the first to be equipped with units.
But the moment they heard the voice emerging from the chassis, the captains instantly became exceptionally well-behaved.
Even those who had been slouched comfortably in their seats immediately sat up straight to listen with absolute deference.
Holy crap, they would never forget this voice for the rest of their lives!
Back when they were undergoing locked-down training cohorts, the individual responsible for lecturing them and reverse-engineering their supernatural abilities was the exact owner of this voice!
They had been tormented to the absolute brink of sanity by this guy Wen Zhiyi. Not only did they have to master the combat application of their internal abilities, but they also had to cooperate with his frantic diagnostic experiments.
The most infuriating part was that the moment they stepped off the examination table after having their blood drawn, they would be hounded to analyze their diagnostic readouts alongside him, and forced to compose a paper titled [An Analytical Overview of Personal Supernatural Capability and Functional Applications] to submit. Anything short of ten thousand words was rejected out of hand, and even an AI couldn’t offer them a single shred of assistance.
That entire period was a literal living nightmare.
Even long after they departed Wen Zhiyi’s immediate vicinity, during the year-end work reports compiled by the various Special Operations regional branches, they still had to listen to Wen Zhiyi’s data analysis lectures and write performance reviews.
It was an absolute nightmare.
It wasn’t even the end of the year yet, but hearing this familiar voice again gave them an immediate headache.
They had barely finished drafting their recent reports; please don’t tell them they had to write another one.
For a moment, the looks directed toward Bai Hewei became remarkably complex.
Ah, although he holds the title of the world’s strongest Evolver, his daily life might not actually be any more comfortable than theirs.
“For this deployment, Bai Hewei’s objective in coming to the border is twofold. On one hand, he wishes to leverage [Sage]’s unique sensory ability to identify his own underlying ability classification and comprehend his power. On the other hand, he requires your coordination to secure samples of that neutralizing antidote,” Wen Zhiyi stated.
“Such a substance actually exists?” Guan Yan was the first to voice his thoughts. “Since the Research Institute requires it, we will find a way to secure the samples at all costs.”
“I knew it! Why else would [Sage] discard a comfortable life of luxury? It turns out he’s been completely shackled by someone else, hahaha! Serves him right. He was already an S-Class Evolver, yet he still had the audacity to touch a potion like that? Did he not bother checking why the S-Class Evolvers of other major powers never touch it?”
“No wonder his provocations have become so frequent lately. It turns out his ability underwent an artificial upgrade!”
Bai Hewei joined them in analyzing [Sage]’s profile, occasionally chipping in with a few observations. The dinner concluded on an exceptionally amicable note.
Following the meal, Bai Hewei was escorted to his dedicated single-occupancy quarters, fully furnished and resembling a miniature studio apartment.
Furthermore, the border branch had custom-built a comprehensive entertainment center on-site, fully equipped with arcade cabinets, billiard tables, card rooms, a KTV lounge, an artificial hot spring, and saunas, allowing personnel to thoroughly unwind after their shifts.
Word was, the branch organized a recreational tournament every single month—spanning singing, dancing, and stand-up comedy—specifically to alleviate the internal anxiety of these border Evolvers and prevent psychological complications.
This treatment was spectacular.
Meanwhile.
The update confirming Bai Hewei’s arrival at the border was swiftly picked up by [Sage]’s network.
And luring Bai Hewei to this location was precisely the root cause behind [Sage]’s frantic provocations over this entire period.
Among the various international organizations and nations, who didn’t wish to accurately ascertain exactly what supernatural ability the world’s strongest Evolver possessed?
However, Gentleman’s catastrophic failure had served as a stark warning to all other syndicates.
If someone wished to crack the puzzle of Bai Hewei’s ability, they would likely have to trade away the life of an S-Class Evolver to achieve it.
Sensory-type ability users were not unique to the border; other nations possessed them to varying degrees as well.
But among them, [Sage] Batu was the absolute easiest target to exploit.
His home nation was weak and impoverished, and his ostentatious behavior and decadent lifestyle had already bred significant dissatisfaction among his peers, making him the perfect sacrificial bait to fish for Bai Hewei.
The moment the third-generation Evolver Potion was synthesized, it had “accidentally” slipped into Batu’s hands.
And Batu had consumed the formulation without a moment’s hesitation.
With a pinnacle powerhouse like Bai Hewei already dominating the global landscape, secondary Evolvers like them who wished to compete against a figure of that stature had to prioritize elevating their own abilities above all else.
Initially, Batu discovered that his [Sage] ability had undergone a staggering upgrade.
In the past, his designation as an S-Class Evolver was largely artificial fluff. The gap between himself and that deceased diviner girl was as vast as heaven and earth; he was entirely incapable of comprehensively scanning all parameters within an entire geographical region. It was merely due to his nation’s weak standing that they had coordinated to spread these rumors, purely to boost public morale and secure his luxurious lifestyle.
But after consuming the potion, his ability experienced a colossal surge, allowing him to genuinely manifest the exact omniscient sensory capabilities he had previously fabricated, mapping out the profile of any ability user entering a designated territory.
Consequently, the precise files regarding the border squad captains had been successfully extracted by his team during this period.
On one hand, they were thoroughly shocked by the immense talent pool cultivated by China; on the other hand, they couldn’t help but feel smug that no matter how formidable these Evolvers were, their true profiles had still been laid bare.
However, before that smugness could last for long, Batu noticed an anomaly.
He had harvested the ability profiles of those captains with the underlying intent of leveraging them as bargaining chips to negotiate with China and secure financial aid for his country—he had never intended to genuinely tear down the diplomatic relationship with a global superpower.
But before he could even implement his play, a catastrophic failure triggered within his own body.
The newly upgraded ability began to devour his physical flesh like parasitic insects, and the evolutionary particles inside him ran completely rampant, threatening to rip his physical form apart.
On the brink of death, one of his “girlfriends” was terminated. Gentleman had arrived before him alongside his accomplices, tearing through a spatial rift to plunge a syringe into Batu’s neck, which finally neutralized every shred of physical agony racking his frame.
“Batu, if you wish to remain alive, you will obey our instructions implicitly.”
Batu knew he had boarded a criminal syndicate’s vessel, but in a choice between life and death, he had no room for hesitation.
His greatest anchor remained his [Sage] capability, and he comprehended with absolute clarity exactly how terrifying the strength of the pinnacle Evolvers standing before him truly was.
If he harbored any thoughts of betrayal, even if he possessed full knowledge of their ability profiles, he wouldn’t stand a single chance of survival!
“Gentleman, I heard that in order to treat your injuries, you cleaned out over half of your personal net worth,” a youth deeply engrossed in a portable gaming console giggled. “This is perfect. Bai Hewei has officially arrived at the border. The moment [Sage] triggers his ability, we will unlock every single detail regarding Bai Hewei’s profile.”
“Personally, I believe Gentleman simply suffered due to an information asymmetry. His own ability had already been thoroughly analyzed by the enemy, whereas we remain completely in the dark regarding Bai Hewei’s power. The moment we uncover his ability profile, we will be standing on an equal baseline. What if he is the world’s strongest? Once we eliminate him, the title will simply change hands,” a red-haired woman puffing on a cigarette added smoothly.
“Do not underestimate Bai Hewei,” Gentleman muttered, casting a glance down at his hand. Although his severed arm had successfully regenerated, he still seemed to feel waves of phantom pain radiating from the limb. “Bai Hewei’s ability is incredibly bizarre, and even I cannot state with certainty what his power actually is.”
“Then let’s see if [Sage]’s ability truly lives up to its reputation.”
The gazes of the group converged on Batu in unison.
Resentment flared within Batu’s chest.
These individuals had completely requisitioned his luxury compound, lounged alongside his lovers, consumed his food and wine, and were now hounding him to go throw his life away.
Yet he possessed zero leverage to resist.
Without a continuous supply of that neutralizing antidote, he would be tortured to death by the potion’s backlash!
“Rest assured, the moment Bai Hewei enters the perimeter of my capability, give me just a brief window of time, and I will extract every single shred of his ability information and critical vulnerabilities,” Batu stated, maintaining a trace of confidence in his power. “Haven’t you already received the precise files of those squad captains? My sensory data was completely flawless.”
“Tsk, those captains are truly idiotic. Possessing such formidable abilities, they could easily secure a luxurious lifestyle anywhere in the world, yet they choose to squander their time in a barren wasteland like this.”
“You cannot look at it that way. Their nation’s education system is fundamentally different from ours. They are genuinely willing to perish for their country. As for us, heh, if our country collapses, I’ll be the first to head over and defect to China. Although their regulations are a bit strict, as long as one has capabilities, everything can be negotiated.”
Batu stared at the group, his complexion grim, yet he could only force himself to endure in silence.
He would wait for Bai Hewei to draw near. If he could successfully extract his critical vulnerabilities, he could leverage that data to turn around and threaten Bai Hewei directly.
Whether it was Bai Hewei or this squad of S-Class Evolvers, he loathed every single one of them!
It would be best if they engaged in a brutal clash where both sides were completely annihilated!
Author’s Note:
Huo Ling: Bai Hewei, do not let yourself be corrupted by the hospitality at the border! I am consistently waiting for your return in your hometown!!!
