Xia Qimeng's memories were immersed in a conversation she'd had with Liu Wei ten minutes earlier.
At that time, Chen Zhang had not yet come downstairs.
The two had initially been silent until Xia Qimeng initiated the conversation, asking, as if offhandedly:
"Have you ever heard of the Secret Keepers Bureau?"
"I'm with Gaia Tech's Security Division, so naturally I've heard of it." Liu Wei nodded.
"The Federal Secret Keepers Bureau — the official agency specializing in handling anomalous, clandestine, and other special incidents. It holds authority superseding all federal law enforcement departments. Those who can enter it are no ordinary people."
"No, to be precise, they are elites among the Transcendents — a new kind of human."
Xia Qimeng asked: "Transcendents I can understand. Rumor has it that Secret Keepers Bureau agents all possess unique abilities and also recruit civilian anomalous humans. But this 'new kind of human' you mentioned — does that carry some special meaning?"
Liu Wei said in a deep voice: "Although they are still nominally human, in reality, they are already fundamentally a different species from humans. 'New Humans' are not only the strongest existences within the Secret Keepers Bureau but also the lifeforms who have walked the furthest path among all of humanity."
"Were it not for official regulation, they would have long since risen up, sat on top of all humanity, and lorded over them like tyrants!"
"Secret Keepers Bureau agents are ranked by merit and ability into six grades: E, D, C, B, A, and S. And 'New Humans' are at minimum B-level existences."
Xia Qimeng thought for a moment, then asked: "In that case, if someone from your Gaia Tech Security Division entered the Secret Keepers Bureau, roughly what grade would they be?"
A rare smile appeared on Liu Wei's coldly handsome face: "At most, B-rank. And if I went in, the best I could get would be C-rank."
Xia Qimeng looked puzzled: "Then why did you choose to stay at Gaia Tech?"
Liu Wei said seriously: "Because the pay is higher."
Xia Qimeng's expression stiffened: "...I should have expected that."
Liu Wei continued: "The difference between Gaia Tech's Security Division and the Secret Keepers Bureau mostly lies in private versus public sector, and whether you have an official government position. Naturally, the compensation differs as well."
"There are two other important reasons I'm unwilling to join the Secret Keepers Bureau."
"First, the Bureau requires that a human body's mechanization must not exceed 55%. Second, the Bureau's requirements are stricter, and you'd be exposed to greater danger."
"For example... like that eerie, lightning-wielding, entangling spider. Even if you gave me a higher-grade mecha to pilot, I'd never want to face it again."
Xia Qimeng chuckled softly: "Is there a chance that you simply can't pilot a higher-grade mecha, and that's why you say that?"
"..."
Liu Wei's coldly handsome face instantly turned somewhat unpleasant.
But he dared neither to speak nor to act, and could only endure it.
...
Yongan City, South District, inside an apartment.
It was now dusk. A fair-skinned, clean-featured young man living alone was preparing dinner in the kitchen.
Looking closely, on the living room table were arranged two sets of bowls and chopsticks, with a bouquet of white flowers at the center, an unopened bottle of red wine, and a bottle of additive-free beverage.
The young man was named Ou Yichen. He had just graduated from university not long ago and worked near the South District. He was very satisfied with his current life and job, and was full of hope for the future.
Although the Federation had undergone some changes recently and Yongan City had been very unstable, with many eerie occurrences, he believed he was merely an ordinary member of the masses, one of the countless common people.
Those eerie events passed around by word of mouth would never, ever happen to him.
Because he felt he was very ordinary.
His looks were unremarkable, his personality neither good nor bad. From elementary school through university, his grades had consistently stayed in the middle range without ever slipping. His career was also progressing steadily, without drawing too much attention or envy.
In romance, there was little to speak of. He had been confessed to, and he had pursued girls, but all had been superficial attempts — nothing earth-shattering or worthy of long reminiscence.
Even his name, "Yichen," was one of the most frequently used names for babies born in the same year...
Toward this, he felt both resigned and accustomed.
Just when he thought his entire life would pass so blandly, a girl so beautiful she took one's breath away barged into his life.
It was one evening about a week ago...
Ou Yichen had been returning to the South District by car from his hometown when he encountered a shady driver.
The shady driver had taken him to a desolate wilderness and threatened him, demanding an extra 100 yuan before agreeing to take him back to the city.
Ou Yichen had never been extorted like this before and very stubbornly refused this unreasonable demand.
And so, unsurprisingly,
he was dumped beside a graveyard...
Terrified and furious, he mustered his courage and walked nearly 10 li before finally finding a bus stop.
And on the bench at the stop, there sat a beautiful girl.
At first, he couldn't believe it — so late at night, near midnight, and a girl was out here alone in this desolate place, waiting for a bus.
Ou Yichen was a staunch atheist. He simply didn't believe in those terrifying creature videos online.
But the moment he saw the girl, his convictions wavered.
Two words flashed through his mind: "Enchantress."
The girl looked to be of college age. Her unadorned features were exquisite, with a hint of seductive charm. Her figure was graceful, and she wore a pristine white gauze dress. The dress was half-concealing, half-revealing, her snow-white shoulders and delicate collarbones appearing somewhat dreamlike beneath the dim sign lights. Her skirt barely wrapped around her hips, leaving her fair, long legs on full display.
She exuded a youthful aura, yet her daring attire and lost expression gave her a heart-fluttering allure.
And this was already entering an autumn night — yet she dared to dress so lightly.
Upon seeing Ou Yichen, the girl smiled, a deeply stirring smile.
Without a doubt, this was very eerie.
If a normal girl were alone in the outskirts and encountered a strange man, no matter how you looked at it, she wouldn't display such a seductive smile, would she?
Ou Yichen's heart raced, he didn't know whether from fear or something else.
He swallowed his nervous saliva and sat down two seats away from the girl, on her left.
To ease his tension, he raised his voice and asked her: "It's so late, why haven't you gone home?"
The girl hesitated, saying she was lost, and that she had been waiting for hours but no bus had come.
Though perfectly reasonable, hearing this made Ou Yichen's heart turn ice-cold.
Because it was already 11:30 PM, which meant he would very likely be spending the night here.
But he had never been this close to such a beautiful girl before, and there was even a chance of spending the night together...
Even if it was spending the night in the wilderness...
In any case, his feelings were very complicated.
The girl kindly comforted him: "Don't worry, there will still be a bus coming."
The girl's words seemed to carry some kind of magic. Just as his mind was running wild with thoughts, unexpectedly, the last bus really did come...
After boarding, Ou Yichen noticed that the girl's dress was covered in many stains and was all wrinkled.
The girl explained that it was too dark and she had fallen on the road.
After the driver took them into the city, the girl followed Ou Yichen back to his place.
But this wasn't because Ou Yichen had any improper intentions — it was a helpless decision.
Because the girl said: "I have nowhere to go."
Ou Yichen said through a yawn: "Then go find your friends? Or stay at a hotel?"
The girl shook her head despondently: "I have no friends, and no money."
Ou Yichen: "???"
Faced with Ou Yichen's face full of question marks, the girl explained: "I've lost my memory."
"Actually, when I woke up, I was already there, in that wilderness."
"I only remember my name, something like..."
"Wang... Miao... yin."