Chapter 83: Visitors from the Special Department

She, Bai Xue, was born into the Bai family. From an early age, she was required to learn all manner of knowledge—cultured, composed, her wisdom surpassed all others, earning the affection of every elder. She walked step by step along the path they had laid out for her, never once deviating.

The first deviation appeared with Tang Shen.

As she observed more and more of Tang Shen’s life, she couldn’t help but wonder: why couldn’t she be willful? Why couldn’t she act on impulse? Why couldn’t she rebel? Why must she live according to the route prescribed by her elders?

Habit is a dreadful thing. Once you become accustomed to following the arrangements of elders, to heeding their instructions, after they use their experience to convince you that these are the only right paths, what remains of your life? What remains of you?

They had indeed lived through much, possessed deep experience, knew well which roads were impassable, and always knew what one “should” do, what one “ought”... what one “must”...

But are these truly the roads you wish to travel?

Many first loves are bittersweet, tinged with regret yet beautiful, but at the very least, most people strive to hold on, only to find reality too harsh.

Bai Xue now faced that harsh reality. She knew her elders would never agree, knew that her decision would provoke countless objections, knew the pressure she would face upon returning home, knew... so much, so very much. But if she couldn’t even muster the courage for one last attempt, if she shrank from it in fear, what would be left of her life?

So, for the first time, she resolved to act. Even if the choice was foolish, even if her former self would have scorned it, after it was done, she felt no regret at all. In fact, she sensed some invisible shackle within her mind slowly dissolving.

Just as Tang Shen now, radiating a brilliance she had never possessed.

Bai Xue smiled—a smile so joyful, so beautiful, so captivating.

She had always believed she understood Tang Shen, knew everything about him, every detail of his life. Yet Tang Shen had given her a surprise, one that left everyone astonished.

Isn’t this life? No one can predict what the next step will bring.

Just as she, in the eyes of all the Bai family elders, made such a decision, leaving them bewildered and confounded.

Because she, too, wanted to shine with that kind of light—a light belonging to no one else, only to her own life.

...

Tang Shen was thoroughly pleased with these fellows’ reactions. Indeed, only the wise adapt to circumstances, and after all, everything had been calculated by him. Provoking this genetic warrior into lethal action, everything was fated.

Clap, clap!

“Not bad! You four will be my friends from now on. Let’s get together for drinks sometime, but you’ll be paying.” Tang Shen grinned as he patted the shoulders of the four men before him, looking harmless and amiable.

The four, hearing this, smiled even more brightly, exchanged pleasantries like old comrades reunited after years apart.

The atmosphere was harmonious, friendly, and warm—any outsider would find nothing amiss.

Yes, though the young man seemed almost too youthful, his conduct was flawless.

As for Tang Shen’s suggestion of paying for drinks, they hardly cared about the money. What mattered were his words: “You four will be my friends.” That was all they needed.

The government’s special department arrived swiftly; after all, the case involved the death of a genetic warrior, and it had occurred within a school, with the deceased being one of the guards responsible for transporting the awakening serum.

When they first received the case, they were dumbfounded—no, an entire group was dumbfounded.

Everyone in the special department was utterly baffled. They wanted to ask the person who reported it: “Are you kidding me? Do you believe I won’t haul you in for a lesson on moral conduct?”

The most absurd part was, upon confirmation, the incident turned out to be true.

A whole group’s jaws nearly dropped to the floor.

They felt as though ten thousand llamas had stampeded through their minds, trampling everything in sight.

Their worldview lay shattered.

Their only thought: “This is actually real!!!”

Everyone wanted to ask Tang Shen, sincerely: “You’re so extraordinary—does your family know?”

Three agents arrived, dressed like Bai Xue’s bodyguards: sunglasses, sharp black suits, polished black shoes, their steps brisk with purpose.

They approached Tang Shen, didn’t bother showing badges, and uniformly circled him, scrutinizing him carefully.

Yes, the surveillance footage was clear, but nothing compares to seeing the real person.

Any ordinary person faced with such a display would have panicked.

Not Tang Shen. He smiled radiantly, exuding sunshine, prompting everyone to praise: what a good-natured boy next door.

Then he said smugly, “Pretty handsome, right? So handsome you feel inferior? So insecure you’d rather hide in a corner and draw circles, afraid to show your face?”

The three agents: “......”

He was indeed handsome, but did he have to be so self-absorbed? And what was that last bit supposed to mean?

Yet they had to admit, Tang Shen was strikingly handsome—handsome enough to inspire envy, though his words made you want to punch him.

They reviewed the surveillance footage, saw the entire incident unfold, and now, standing before Tang Shen, they felt a little uneasy.

Imagine—a student, eighteen years old, had killed a genetic warrior. More astonishing, he then chatted and laughed with others as if nothing happened. They checked his records, confirmed Tang Shen had never left the city, had no criminal history, and was an exemplary student.

An orphan, always top of his class, surviving on government subsidies and his own hard work, somewhat aloof but only because he had to earn a living—a paragon in every sense.

The prince of the slums—that was Tang Shen.

Yet today, he’d accomplished something remarkable.

Most puzzling of all was that there was no record explaining how he became so powerful.

And his demeanor after killing—utterly unlike someone committing murder for the first time.

Shouldn’t there be some emotional response? Some anxiety? Some fear when facing them?

Instead, what did they see?

Calm, even sunny. Looking at him, not a hint of violence, perfectly normal, enviable.

All the more for this, under Tang Shen’s gaze, an involuntary chill crept into their hearts.

Especially after the director told them to bring him back with utmost caution, quietly warning them that Tang Shen might be more than they could handle, so they must treat him with the utmost respect.

So, they...