Chapter 8
Physical castration? Administrative detention?
As expected of Phone Bro, this sounded incredibly reassuring.
“Are you serious? Then I’m getting ready to make my move,” Bai Hewei confirmed one last time.
“Administrative detention is the absolute worst-case scenario, but the key is that none of these guys are from our country—it counts as illegal entry.” There seemed to be a hint of amusement in Wen Zhiyi’s voice. “According to current domestic laws, your actions after you strike can be classified as an act of heroism for the public good. Besides, I know a few healing-type Evolvers, so go right ahead. Oh, and I should also be able to help you apply for an Exemplary Citizen award or something similar. We’ll just have to see whether it’s a provincial or a national award.”
If you can really hook me up with a national award, Phone Bro, you are my long-lost brother from another mother!
It was as if Bai Hewei had just been handed a reassuring pill; he was instantly pumped.
We’re all men here—could anyone possibly not know the sheer terror of a groin kick?
Although Bai Hewei had never undergone any proper combat training, when he messed around with his friends in daily life, he naturally resorted to underhanded moves.
Bai Hewei immediately closed the distance between himself and a certain Indian Evolver. Catching him completely off guard, he pinned the man’s shoulders with both hands, raised his foot, and delivered a vicious kick right between the enemy’s legs.
The Evolver doubled over deeply, his mouth forming a perfect ‘O’ shape.
Bai Hewei heard the distinct sound of eggs cracking.
Satisfying!
He turned his head and flashed a bright smile at the other two Evolvers.
Seeing this, the other two felt a sudden chill run down their spines.
“Wait…” One of the Evolvers wanted to negotiate first, but why would Bai Hewei give a damn about him right now? His mind was completely consumed by the national award he hadn’t secured yet!
With another fierce kick, the Evolver was instantly turned into a eunuch.
“Bai Hewei, you can’t… oh, God.”
The other Evolver was also rolling on the ground in agony, wishing he could strip off his pants immediately to inspect his injuries.
In the blink of an eye, the only enemy left standing was Howard, who was frozen like a statue.
“Hey, are you going to surrender on your own, or what?” Bai Hewei reached out and poked Howard, who hadn’t nudged an inch.
In the next moment, Howard collapsed straight backward.
“I… I didn’t touch him just now.” Bai Hewei was startled. He genuinely hadn’t used any force.
“Phone Bro, take a look, what’s wrong with him? He was acting bizarrely earlier too.” Bai Hewei quickly aimed his phone camera at Howard, completely mystified.
They had talked him up so much earlier, bragging about his loaning capability and his power to forcefully siphon other people’s abilities. In the end, this Howard didn’t seem anywhere near as formidable as they boasted. Instead, it was like he had a medical condition; he had inexplicably frozen up earlier, and now he had inexplicably fainted.
What, did the people from the [Divine Staff] learn absolutely nothing else besides how to fake injuries and extort people?
“His evolutionary factors have vanished,” Wen Zhiyi immediately diagnosed the issue upon seeing Howard’s current state.
Back in the Research Institute, the other researchers watching Howard on the screen threw themselves into a panic.
“His pupils are dilating, and his hair roots are beginning to turn white—this is a sign of regression. Also, his breathing rhythm is accelerating, and his body muscle mass is starting to deteriorate.”
“People from an organization like theirs survive on drugs that artificially boost evolutionary factors over long periods. Once the evolutionary factors vanish, the side effects of those drugs manifest instantly. Howard’s current state looks exactly like a backlash from the side effects.”
“But who made his evolutionary factors disappear? Bai Hewei?”
“How did he do it? Even if we wanted to revert an Evolver back into an ordinary person, it would require countless surgeries to completely strip away all evolutionary factors before it could possibly succeed. Bai Hewei barely even touched Howard just now.”
…
“The disparity in their evolutionary factors is simply too immense. It’s like mixing two different liquids together—it generates osmotic pressure.” Wen Zhiyi let out a long breath. “Howard’s ability is to siphon the power of an Evolver he has forcefully ‘loaned’ from. To put it plainly, it extracts the evolutionary factors from the opponent’s body and integrates them into his own. However, if the gap between the two is too vast, a reverse-siphoning effect occurs.”
Evidently, the power within Bai Hewei’s body was far too cataclysmic, while Howard’s power was much too feeble.
Consequently, Howard failed to siphon Bai Hewei’s strength, and was harvested instead.
This explained why Howard had stood frozen to the spot without moving a muscle after his loaning capability successfully activated. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to move; he physically couldn’t.
“…Howard was already a Rank A Evolver, and that data was likely altered, meaning his true tier was even higher. Yet, in a single encounter, he was reverse-harvested by Bai Hewei? Then just how far has Bai Hewei’s power reached? What exactly is his ability?”
“Chief Scholar, can we really not bring Bai Hewei in for a full-body examination under the guise of a routine health check?”
“Bai Hewei’s power is too bizarre. There has to be a source for it.”
“Chief Scholar, Chief Scholar.”
…
The researchers were entirely beside themselves. They had been studying Evolvers for over five years, practically eating and sleeping inside the Research Institute every day. It could be said they understood Evolvers better than the Evolvers understood themselves. But Bai Hewei’s case was too unique; it felt like studying him could yield dozens of research papers.
“Do not act rashly,” Wen Zhiyi frowned. “Rein in your academic brains. No matter how many papers you publish, they are useless if you lose your lives.”
Here it came again—the typical all-out verbal assault from Chief Scholar Wen.
“Bai Hewei’s power is something that even an Evolver specifically engineered to siphon abilities cannot withstand. Do you honestly think you can comprehend him using our current technology? Do not let your greed lead to total annihilation.” Wen Zhiyi spoke with clear impatience. “If you want to study someone, take a look at what you’re made of first. With your intellects, you wouldn’t figure him out even if Bai Hewei reincarnated right in front of you.”
The researchers shut their mouths.
They had long since grown accustomed to this; as long as they didn’t talk back, Chief Scholar Wen would stop scolding them. If anyone dared to object, Wen Zhiyi could mock them to the point of questioning their life choices, and he would freeze their research funding afterward. Why put themselves through that?
Seeing that the researchers had finally calmed down, Wen Zhiyi felt a fraction of his irritation subside.
“Have the Special Operations Department prepare to receive him immediately. The forbidden zone is about to dissolve,” Wen Zhiyi instructed.
“Yes, sir.”
On the other side, following Phone Bro’s instructions, Bai Hewei unlocked the mechanisms on the black cases held by the Evolvers, forcing them to begin dispersing the energy in the air.
“Just a few cases can manufacture a forbidden zone. Talk about black technology,” Bai Hewei muttered as he neatly arranged the cases, unable to check his awe. “I often feel that Evolvers are only so-so—modern technology is the true evolution.”
“What do you think, Phone Bro?”
Bai Hewei’s eyes were sparkling. “Once the Special Operations Department arrives, what kind of materials do I need to prepare for my Exemplary Citizen award? If I get an award of this caliber, can I get bonus points for the provincial exam? Will TV reporters come to interview me? My parents haven’t seen me on television yet.”
“There will be,” Wen Zhiyi replied. “It will take another half hour to fully disperse the forbidden zone’s energy. The Special Operations Department is already waiting outside, and they will move in the instant the zone dissolves.”
“Great.” Bai Hewei nodded hastily. “By the way, Phone Bro, which department are you from? I originally thought you were an AI, but you’re way more competent than any AI.”
Wen Zhiyi remained silent.
“Oh, a classified department, right? I get it. I won’t ask anymore.” Bai Hewei immediately shut his mouth. He was an incredibly considerate guy—a future national award-winning outstanding youth, after all!
Half an hour later.
An Tingyu led her subordinates into the area personally to secure the scene.
All support units deployed at the first opportunity, escorting the people out of the defensive space while initiating another round of energy dispersion on the surrounding air. Naturally, they also treated the illegal immigrants to a pair of shiny silver handcuffs.
“I didn’t expect us to meet again so soon.” An Tingyu was thoroughly impressed. From the moment the forbidden zone around Bai Hewei began to form to its complete resolution, it had taken less than two hours total.
It could practically break the record for the shortest-lived forbidden zone.
“Director An,” Bai Hewei’s smile was exceptionally radiant. “I didn’t expect us to meet again either. I’m really sorry for the trouble.”
An Tingyu was slightly bewildered, finding Bai Hewei’s enthusiasm rather unexpected. Did Bai Hewei already know that they had specially secured a recruitment slot for him? It was just a public institution position—was it really worth being this happy about?
An Tingyu was somewhat at a loss, but her mouth watered at the thought of Bai Hewei himself.
Resolving a forbidden zone in two hours and capturing this many Evolvers along the way—if he joined their Special Operations Department, how many First-Class Merits would that be worth?
“Mr. Bai, you haven’t taken your annual leave yet this year, right? You can start preparing for the upcoming municipal public institution exams. As long as you can pass the written exam, the interview will be organized by our department internally,” An Tingyu said in a low voice. “Don’t look down on it just because it’s a public institution post right now; public institution roles can be transferred into standard administrative civil service positions. With your capabilities, as long as you meet the minimum time requirements, an exceptional fast-track promotion is absolutely guaranteed.”
An Tingyu believed she had made her point crystal clear. She had practically spelled out to Bai Hewei: Go take the exam, and as long as you pass, we’ll handle everything else for you afterward.
He’d get promoted the moment he hit his marks, ensuring his advancement wouldn’t be delayed for a single day. In fact, she estimated it would only take a few years before it was her turn to call Bai Hewei ‘boss’.
As someone half-entrenched in the system, Bai Hewei naturally caught the underlying meaning of her words.
However, he had clearly misread the situation.
He sucked in a sharp breath, completely stunned.
Phone Bro is that well-connected? Can a national Exemplary Citizen award really buy this kind of career trajectory?
Incredible!
“I understand, I understand. I’ll head back and request my annual leave right away, and make sure to study hard.” Bai Hewei nodded in agreement. But when he remembered that the content of public institution exams differed slightly from the standard Aptitude Test and required a whole new round of studying, he felt a bit dejected.
Oh well, as long as he could pass. He couldn’t afford to be too picky.
Seeing Bai Hewei cooperate, An Tingyu was satisfied. She immediately urged her subordinates to pick up the pace so Bai Hewei wouldn’t be delayed from going home to rest.
“By the way, Director An, regarding the Evolver subsidy…” Bai Hewei hesitated for a moment before bringing it up.
“It will be calculated at the maximum tier for you,” An Tingyu smiled. “I get eight hundred a month too.”
“I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare. Giving me seven hundred a month is actually plenty.” How could his allowance be higher than the leader’s? Bai Hewei still possessed some situational awareness. Once a subordinate’s allowances and subsidies exceeded the boss’s, there was no guarantee it would ever be successfully disbursed.
Bai Hewei understood the survival code of the establishment inside out.
“Don’t worry,” An Tingyu said with a laugh.
Bai Hewei checked his phone and found that it was already past 6:00 PM.
Whatever, he’d just treat it as overtime.
Huh, it seemed Phone Bro hadn’t spoken up in quite a while either?
Bai Hewei opened his phone to check and called out in a low voice, but finding that Phone Bro truly wasn’t responding anymore, he felt somewhat despondent.
Sigh, I forgot to add Phone Bro on WeChat.
What a pity.
“He’s that capable?” Huo Ling listened to the briefing and looked over the analysis regarding Bai Hewei’s ability sent from the Research Institute, instinctively rubbing his hair.
Thank goodness this world’s strongest had appeared on their own soil. Otherwise, what on earth would they have done?
“…So, according to your hypothesis, Bai Hewei simply possesses pure, maxed-out base attributes?” Huo Ling asked, refusing to give up. “But you can’t detect any specific classification of his ability?”
“It seems your time playing video games was entirely wasted. A gimmick-based boss isn’t scary; what’s terrifying is a pure stat-monster. I assumed you’d grasp this basic common sense regarding gaming,” Wen Zhiyi sighed. He had already explained it in the simplest terms possible, yet Huo Ling still failed to comprehend.
“Based on current observations, Bai Hewei simply stands at the absolute pinnacle of all physical and mental attributes for an Evolver. Consequently, all offensive, defensive, or mental-type abilities are laid completely bare before him. When he isn’t actively utilizing his power, you can even view him as an ordinary person. Or rather, every single Evolver is no different from an ordinary person when facing him.”
“Then what are we waiting for? I’ll recruit him through special channels right away!” Huo Ling couldn’t sit still. Why shouldn’t they quickly bring a pure stat-monster like this under state control?
Wen Zhiyi cast a quiet glance at him.
Silence spoke louder than words.
“Is… is that not allowed?” Huo Ling was shocked. “What kind of crisis are we facing, and you’re still worrying about permanent positions?”
“Forget it. Even if the person in a high position is an idiot, it’s still better than a double agent,” Wen Zhiyi comforted himself.
Have I really degenerated to the point of being compared to a double agent? Huo Ling was bewildered.
“Bai Hewei currently has no realization of how powerful he is, so he can enjoy the present and live his own life. To the entire world, he is safe and controllable. But once he realizes his own absolute strength, will he remain this way? Even if he can, will his family, friends, or even those foolish politicians and foreign spies allow him to live an ordinary life?”
They wouldn’t. Anyone with a shred of ambition wouldn’t let Bai Hewei do nothing; they would find every conceivable way to destroy him or exploit him.
“He is very fond of his current life, and his parents are living quite comfortably,” Wen Zhiyi sighed. “What you need to do isn’t to recklessly push him to a high position, but to ensure that his life runs smoothly. Forcibly disrupting the current equilibrium will only achieve the exact opposite results. Only by maintaining this can Bai Hewei remain purely Bai Hewei, and only then will he become the ultimate deterrent against other nations and rogue organizations.”
Nuclear weapons had to exist, but who pulled them out on the news every single day for no reason? That wouldn’t be deterrence; that would be an active threat!
“So, we just do absolutely nothing right now?” Huo Ling finally clued in. Wen Zhiyi’s intention was to prioritize securing Bai Hewei’s stability for the time being.
“Ordinary people always long for an exciting life, entirely unaware that a mundane routine is true happiness,” Wen Zhiyi said slowly. “Bai Hewei’s parents and grandmother all have pensions, he’s a local with no car loans or mortgages, he’s single, his salary is sufficient for his needs, his parents love each other, he’s young and handsome, and he’s popular with girls. He is already in the happiest possible state—he’s just missing a permanent position.”
The source of Bai Hewei’s immense power remained an unsolved mystery. He didn’t seem to possess any of the typical traits required to awaken as the world’s strongest Evolver, yet the person turned out to be him.
Could it… stem from the sheer accumulated resentment of failing his civil service exams dozens of times? If that were the case, would successfully getting him into a permanent post cause him to weaken? The hypothesis was a bit too absurd, so after a brief consideration, Wen Zhiyi decided not to voice it out loud.
“Let him go through standard recruitment and slowly transition into a better life. If he can spend his entire lifetime in peace, it will mean our country remains perpetually at peace.”
Author’s Note:
Wen Zhiyi: Do you have any idea how many people envy Bai Hewei’s current living situation? A harmonious family, modest wealth and comfort, no parental nagging about marriage, completely detached from the three major loan burdens—this is something so many people can’t get even if they beg for it. And you want to disrupt his life to make him live on the edge of a blade? Are you raising an enemy?
Bai Hewei: A national award-winning Exemplary Citizen, hehe, hehehe.
PS: Actually, there’s another unmentionable reason why they can’t just specially recruit Little Bai: why exactly is he so strong? If his massive power stems from his absolute obsession with failing the civil service exams, would specially recruiting him cause him to weaken? But this hypothesis is a bit too absurd, so Wen Zhiyi didn’t say it out loud.
