Apocalypse Forecast

"Name?"

"Huai Shi."

"Age?"

"Seventeen..."

In the interrogation room, the teenager sitting behind the desk yawned listlessly and raised his hand curiously. "I say, hasn't there been a lot of this kind of dialogue lately? I always feel like you're running some kind of Cowherd recruitment over here..."

BANG!

Director Fu slapped his hand on the table, his face stern.

"Be serious!"

Director Fu said, "You're at your own parole review hearing. Of course, if you want to continue rotting in jail for another two years, just ignore what I said and keep being arrogant. It's all the same to me!"

"No, no, no!"

Huai Shi quickly straightened up, squeezing out a smile. "I'm just trying to skip the irrelevant procedures for us, sir. Please, continue."

"In light of your good behavior in prison and your contributions to Xinhai, the Social Security Bureau has decided to consider reducing the sentences for the crimes you've committed, sparing you from trial and forty years of border service."

Director Fu held the notification passed down from his superiors with an expressionless face. His eyebrows tightened with each word he read, looking absolutely pained and extremely unwilling to let this little rascal waltz out of his cell.

Finally, putting down the notice, he watched Huai Shi coldly. "Next, we will determine whether you can return to Current Circumstances society based on your answers."

"Alright, alright, alright," Huai Shi nodded hastily.

Finally, here it comes! What had he risked his life for, if not to get out from behind bars and go home early to live a normal life? Hurry it up, hurry it up.

He had already prepared a five-thousand-word draft report on how he had repented and planned to start anew. Just as he was about to begin his speech with a cough and a puff of his chest, he heard Director Fu asking in a sly tone, "What do you plan to do after you get out?"

Of course, I'm going to make trouble! Huai Shi almost blurted out the truth. Luckily, he reacted quickly enough to hold back, or else his parole would be done for. Tsk, this old man is really devious!

He grumbled internally for a moment, then cleared his throat twice before answering earnestly, "After being taught by the Special Affairs Department, I've decided to turn over a new leaf, serve society, and from today onward, I aim to be a qualified citizen beneficial to Current Circumstances and Dongxia..."

"Enough, stop trying to pull a fast one on me."

With a wave indicating the two awkward hearing officers to the side to take a break, Director Fu tapped his fingers on the table, his expression clearly saying, I know what you're up to.

"Be realistic. What exactly do you plan to do?"

"Uh... Go home?"

"Yes, and then?"

"Go to school?"

"Mm, that's right." Director Fu nodded in satisfaction before asking, "And after that?"

Following his lead, Huai Shi continued, "Study hard and aim high every day?"

"Mm, that sounds good." Director Fu nodded, then asked casually, as if it were an afterthought, "From now on, you'll abide by school rules, strive for excellence, study hard, and not mess around with romantic relationships, right?"

Huai Shi's eye twitched as he eyed the middle-aged man, who appeared composed but whose hand had stealthily moved to the butt of his gun. He shook his head furiously, like a rattle drum: "Won't mess around! Won't mess around! Uncle, we won't mess around!"

Director Fu visibly relaxed.

Just how afraid are you of me corrupting your daughter? My heart aches, Director. It's never others corrupting your daughter; it's always your daughter corrupting others... Better not say that out loud, or this guy might shoot me on the spot.

After what could only be described as an hour-long, lengthy report, Huai Shi finally received the notification, already stamped with a red seal, from Director Fu.

Then, after packing up his belongings from the detention room, he was kicked out of the Special Affairs Department.

He was free yet again.

At least until the next time he screws up.

Huai Shi shouldered his qin case and glanced back at the Special Affairs Department, where he had stayed for quite a long time. Surprisingly, he felt a bit reluctant to leave, even considering staying a few more days...

After a few coughs, he shook his head. My home is no longer the Haunted House it once was. It even has three-hundred-megabit fiber-optic Wi-Fi now. There's no need to miss the hard bed here... Ah, life is wonderful!

Thinking of the fresh ten-plus million in his account, his mood brightened considerably, and he decided to splurge on a taxi. Just as he stepped onto the road, he saw a car parked across the street, and the Teenage Girl looking at him from behind the rolled-down window.

It was Ai Qing.

Huai Shi was stunned. "I never thought someone would come to pick me up from prison."

"You weren't in prison for very long, were you?" Ai Qing countered. As Huai Shi got into the car, she waved to the driver in the front seat to start driving, then tossed a stack of reports and notices into Huai Shi's hands.

"What's this?" Huai Shi flipped through them curiously, all filled with jargon he couldn't understand.

"They're just a bunch of meaningless copies. Just keep them safe," Ai Qing said. "From now on, no one will pursue the mess you caused a few days ago. The Jinling Branch was prepared to face censure from the Social Security Bureau, but those scoundrels were planning to beg for mercy before anything even started. If Xuan Niao hadn't personally given you the green light, I'm afraid you would have faced a lot of trouble this time."

"Xuan Niao? Green light?" Huai Shi was astonished.

"Hm? Didn't Director Fu tell you?" Ai Qing looked over. "It's said that Xuan Niao intervened directly, designating that incident as an emergency arrest operation sanctioned by the Social Security Bureau. Qi Wen is suspected of colluding with evil forces beyond the Border and international terrorist organizations; he has been placed under Investigation. As for your 'accidental' killing of Qi Wen during the arrest operation, you probably only received a few minor demerits. Congratulations, you've been acquitted."

"Acquitted?!"

Huai Shi looked down at the parole notice in his other hand, which hadn't even warmed up yet, and his eyes widened. I've been tricked by that old codger Director Fu again!

Thinking about all the nonsense he'd been conned into signing at the Special Affairs Department made his teeth itch with anger.

"Looks like you've been had."

Ai Qing said, gloating as she withdrew her gaze, "Consider it his comeuppance for making you write all those reports. Old Fu hasn't had it easy lately."

"Forget it. I won't hold it against him."

Huai Shi ground his teeth for a while, then simply tore up the parole notice in his hand and threw it away, as if the whole thing had never happened.

After asking about the wrap-up status of that mess with The Purified People, he finally asked, "What's next? Is there any work with the Astronomical Society?"

"Business as usual, but it's mostly irrelevant to you now."

Counting on her fingers, Ai Qing said, "The rest is all reports, reports, reports, and more reports. You can't handle the clean-up. Besides, the higher-ups might not even have the bandwidth to manage it all."

"Huh?" Huai Shi was puzzled.

"According to yesterday's news, the Dongxia Genealogy's expeditionary force has successfully returned to Current Circumstances, claiming a great victory. However, there's been a spot of trouble here in Current Circumstances. The Purified People used various methods along the coast to try and open a passage to Magic City. Including Xinhai, a total of seventeen locations were targeted. One of them almost succeeded."

Ai Qing opened her phone to show him a dark pinpoint on the screen. "The passage was opened for an instant, though it was immediately closed. But according to satellite reconnaissance, something was thrown into Magic City. I suppose the Social Security Bureau must be agonizing over this right now, eh?"

"Is it serious?"

"Hard to say." Ai Qing shrugged. "The Social Security Bureau probably has a team permanently stationed in Magic City and can react swiftly to any complications. Xuan Niao is, after all, quite magnanimous and wouldn't go so far as to try and cover everything up without a word. Both sides are currently negotiating how to handle it, but that's no longer our concern. However, until the problem is resolved, small fries like us will hardly register with those above. So, it's a mixed bag."

"So, keep our heads down and live our lives, right?" Huai Shi understood.

"That's the gist of it, but a certain someone still has a boatload of their own issues," Ai Qing said, returning to the main subject. "When do you plan to go to Jinling? All Sublimators must undergo identity registration and recording. And then there's that bizarre Stigma on you... Before all that, you'd better find a way to resolve any lingering problems."

She added bluntly, "If you can't resolve them, at least think of an excuse that won't implicate me."

"I'll do my best."

Huai Shi scratched his head and sighed. "Next month, maybe? Anyway, I have to go to Jinling for my professional-level cello exam next month. Might as well get it all done in one trip."

"Oh?" Ai Qing's gaze towards him grew peculiar. "You're also planning to enter the rookie competition?"

Huai Shi was clueless. "What rookie competition?"

"It seems you really don't know."

Staring at him intently for a while to ensure he wasn't feigning ignorance, Ai Qing finally explained, "It's a major event organized by Tomorrow's News: the Asia-wide rookie selection held once every three years. Any Sublimator below the Third Stage throughout Asia can register. The prizes are not only substantial, but the benefits are also numerous. Many unaffiliated Sublimators will want to secure a ranking, and many Sublimator organizations view this as a way to display their foundation. Whether it's for the prizes, for fame, or as a stepping stone for advancement, this is an excellent opportunity. If you can make it into the top ten, in addition to the prizes, it will be helpful for promotions or other endeavors."

At this point, Ai Qing gave Huai Shi a deep look. "Honestly, I thought you'd be dead set on winning."

"Although it sounds exciting, participating seems like too much of a hassle..." Huai Shi scratched his head. "I'll decide later. I might not even end up going."

Just then, Huai Shi's gaze suddenly shifted to the window. He said to the driver, "You can stop here."

He had seen Fu Yi.

"If anything comes up, just call me. I'm outta here."

Huai Shi shouldered his backpack, jumped out of the car, and waved to Ai Qing as he watched the car drive away. When he turned to look at Fu Yi, he noticed her pace had quickened.

Her expression was panicked and urgent, as if she were being chased. She wove through the crowd with quick, small steps, anxiously glancing back at the figures pursuing her before darting into an alley.

The middle-aged men chasing her exchanged glances, smirked vilely, and quickened their pace into the alley.

Soon, Fu Yi's screams echoed from within.

Huai Shi frowned.