Apocalypse Forecast

By the time Huai Shi finally made it back to school, all he saw was MKII sitting in the piano room, gasping desperately for air.

Her hair was disheveled, her clothes in disarray; she looked as if she had been severely beaten.

The sight of Huai Shi seemed like a savior to her.

"You're finally back! I'm leaving first."

Raven grabbed Huai Shi's hand, took all his gear, put it on herself, and then her face quickly transformed into another person's appearance before she vaulted over the wall and out.

At the last moment, she seemed to have remembered something and turned back to instruct, "Oh, and you don't need to rush back for dinner tonight."

Then she let out a meaningful laugh.

"After all, you're probably going to be very busy tonight."

"Huh?"

Huai Shi was utterly confused. What on earth had just happened?

Right after that, he heard a knock at the door, followed by a sultry voice.

"Senior, are you in there?"

She said, "I'm here for some private tutoring."

"..."

Huai Shi was stunned.

What in the world was going on!

.

.

"What on earth happened here?"

Director Fu stood with his arms akimbo beside the vault, witnessing the disastrous scene. He turned to the listless manager from Wan Li and demanded, "So now you're telling me that in Xinhai, not only do we have smuggling, but there are also people double-crossing each other?"

The manager gave a sheepish smile. "Well, 'smuggling' might be too strong a word. It's just that the customs declaration procedures weren't entirely complete..."

"I don't care what kind of shady deals you have with customs. In Xinhai, this is smuggling."

Director Fu spat disdainfully, pulled a booklet from his pocket, and swiftly wrote out a ticket. "A fine of thirty times the amount, due within three days, or your license will be revoked."

"Okay, okay," the manager nodded eagerly, knowing this was already lenient.

Director Fu was actually quite decent. He might appear rough, but as long as you didn't cross his lines, he was fairly easy to talk to. So what if he was a bit foul-mouthed? It was still far better than having Inspector Ai come, seize everything, and revoke licenses after a thorough investigation.

After settling this matter, Director Fu's expression didn't lighten; instead, it grew even grimmer. He walked into the vault, surveyed the scene, and suddenly asked, "Is there any security footage?"

"Only some fragments," replied the engineer in charge of surveillance, his face troubled. "There's no clear shot of any face."

Just as I expected, Director Fu thought. He nodded and then inquired, "What about the Sublimator in charge of security?"

"His hands were badly burned—minor injuries."

"Who's asking about his injuries? The statement! Where's the statement?" Director Fu glared. "What about the one who got away? Male or female? How tall? Any background info, Stigma, or known techniques? Did you figure any of that out?"

"Uh, reportedly a Roman Alchemist of the Druid Genealogy, Second Stage, about 1.9 meters tall. He was wearing a gas mask and sunglasses, so his face couldn't be seen. No traces were left at the scene."

"A really clean job."

Director Fu laughed, the sound sharp with anger.

Too clean. Unnaturally so... Something about this cover-up feels off.

He bent down, looking at the fragmented footage on the screen: a person barging into the vault, deftly subduing the guard, then burning open the vault door and rushing in to grab things...

This pattern... it feels so familiar.

It's like I've seen it somewhere before.

Director Fu stroked his chin, his expression shifting rapidly. Then, he suddenly spun around and strode out.

Wan Li's manager was dumbfounded. "Huh? Director? Director! Where are you going?"

"To the Second Middle School."

Director Fu shot him a sidelong glance. "Today is my daughter's school anniversary cultural performance. She's in it, so I have to go show support and applaud, right? You got a problem with that?"

"No, no, none at all..."

The manager shook his head frantically.

He awkwardly watched Director Fu depart.

.

.

In reality, as soon as Director Fu stepped out, he slapped the Special Affairs Department's placard on his car. He then barged through traffic all the way to the Second Middle School's parking lot, jumped out, bypassed the grand auditorium where the cultural performance was being held, and headed straight for the piano rooms.

Handcuffs dangled from his belt, a gun was tucked into his waistband, and his face was a mask of chilling frost. He shoved aside a teacher who hurried over to inquire, then went up to the third floor, pausing outside Huai Shi's piano room door to listen.

From behind the door, he heard breathless, heart-pounding gasps, mixed with a panicked voice.

"But... I thought we agreed we'd just play the piano."

"Oh, come on, what's the harm in doing a little something extra?"

"But I'm still... still not used to things moving this fast."

"Don't worry, just let me take the lead. It's normal to feel unsure at first, but you'll start enjoying it soon."

That voice giggled, and Director Fu's expression turned increasingly dark. Damn it! While I'm out here working my tail off on a case, this little bastard is shamelessly carrying on in broad daylight—at school, no less! How outrageous can you get?!

Without waiting to find out what scandalous acts the bastard behind the door was up to, he kicked the door open and burst in, roaring, "Huai Shi! You're busted! You're coming with us!"

In the piano room behind the door, Huai Shi was being pinned to his chair by the enthusiastic junior. His jacket lay on the floor, and if he hadn't been desperately holding his clothes down, his T-shirt would have been pulled clean off. Flushed and heart pounding, he was trying to stop the junior from tugging at his belt. When Director Fu burst in, Huai Shi felt a wave of relief, as if he'd been rescued.

This isn't what I imagined at all! Director Fu thought, bewildered. Shouldn't it be you, the beast, assaulting a poor young woman?

Director Fu paused for a moment, then strode forward, snatched up the handcuffs, and cuffed Huai Shi to the chair. "Caught in the act!"

Huai Shi's heart lurched. What evidence could he have missed? Outwardly, though, he feigned the shock and confusion he had planned. "What did I do?"

"Why ask so many questions? An arrest is an arrest!"

Director Fu waved dismissively at the girl, signaling her to leave quickly, then eyed Huai Shi askance. "You don't know what you've done?"

"Heaven knows I'm innocent! I was just playing the piano when my junior nearly forced herself on me! I'm innocent!" Huai Shi's eyes widened. "Is the Special Affairs Department going to interfere even if I just play the piano?"

"Never mind other things, what the hell do you think you're doing here?" Director Fu scoffed. "You've only been out for a few days, and you're already messing around like this..."

"She's someone else's girlfriend! How can you accuse me of messing around?"

He shouldn't have brought that up. Mentioning it made Huai Shi angry; he still hadn't settled the score for those numerous assurance agreements Director Fu had tricked him into signing!

"Alright, cut the crap."

Although a sliver of doubt pricked his mind, Director Fu wasn't about to change his course. He yanked Huai Shi by the handcuffs. "Come with me to the Special Affairs Department, and we'll talk there!"

"Help! Help me!"

Huai Shi struggled vigorously. This bastard is probably trying to frame me! Once I get to the Special Affairs Department, won't they be able to twist things however they want?

"You can't do this! I've made contributions to the Special Affairs Department! I've shed blood for the Astronomical Society! Let me go! I want to see Ai Qing! I demand to see Ai Qing!"

"Save your breath for the interrogation room," Director Fu sneered, pulling on the handcuffs as he turned. His expression suddenly froze.

He saw Fu Yi leaning against the doorframe, eating popcorn.

"When did you get here?"

"Right when you said, 'Caught in the act.'"

Fu Yi glanced regretfully at the DV camera hanging from her wrist. "I was hoping to get some dirt on him, but you ruined my fun, Dad."

"Kids shouldn't get involved in these things. We'll talk later."

Director Fu's expression flickered. Finally, he waved a hand, signaling her to step aside.

Fu Yi shook her head, glanced at Huai Shi, and said directly, "He was with me during the entire performance. Even if something did happen, it wouldn't make sense to arrest only him and not me, would it?"

"..."

Silence.

A dead silence.

Director Fu didn't speak. He silently gazed at the young woman before him, then at the stunned Huai Shi behind her, his eyes shifting between the two. After a long moment, he finally spoke, his voice devoid of anger or pleasure, tinged only with weariness.

"Are you sure?"

"The reporters haven't left yet. You can check their footage."

Fu Yi replied bluntly, her tone lacking the sweetness it usually held during their carefully constructed father-daughter moments.

Perhaps that harmonious atmosphere had always been something the two of them consciously tried to create—not genuine closeness, just a carefully maintained distance.

In their brief moments together, they each played the role of a good father and a good daughter. Nothing more.

She looked at her father and told him, "Huai Shi was sitting right beside me."

Director Fu's expression changed. He opened his mouth several times as if to speak, but in the end, no words came. After a long silence, he lowered his head, unlocked Huai Shi's handcuffs, and turned to leave.

The sound of his footsteps gradually faded.

In the quiet piano room, neither of them spoke.

At the door, the astonished teacher stared at the scene, opening his mouth as if to say something. But Fu Yi looked at him, her eyes holding an unfamiliar, sharp glint.

"I'm sorry, Teacher, Huai Shi and I still have some things to discuss," she said. "If you have any questions, could we talk next time, please?"

Perhaps it was only in moments like these, when she was displeased, that her eyes held the same ferocity as her father's, truly showing she was Director Fu's daughter.

The teacher sheepishly departed.

Fu Yi entered the room, closed the door, and tilted her head at Huai Shi. "Anything you want to say?"

"I'm sorry."

Huai Shi sighed and bowed his head in apology. "I really am sorry."

"That wasn't you just now, was it?" Fu Yi bent down to light a cigarette. I was wondering when you started catwalking... she mused. "Is that a Sublimator's trick?"

"Something like that," Huai Shi sighed.

"Just one question."

Fu Yi scratched her head and sighed in frustration. "You haven't done anything too serious, have you? If it's something major, I might have to turn you in for the sake of justice."

"Sorry. Director Fu doesn't actually have any evidence. You don't have to worry; nothing will happen," Huai Shi said apologetically. "Anyway, thanks for helping me out."

"Don't flatter yourself. I was just venting."

Fu Yi laughed softly, a self-mocking sound. "He promised to watch me dance. He said he would come no matter what… I spent so long preparing for today, even made special dinner reservations, and rehearsed for ages..."

She whispered, "He didn't come."

She hadn't come either.

They had both made promises.

In the end, no one had come.

Huai Shi heard faint sobs.

He closed his eyes.