NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2 Sequelae
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"Sit down, is there something you need?"
Tian Sheng's arrival didn't provoke much reaction from the man; he didn't even display any particular courtesy but merely left a shallow crease on the document he was holding, then raised his head and calmly posed the question to Tian Sheng.
This kind of demeanor was quite different from the "leaders" Tian Sheng had in mind.
In the welfare institute, even someone like Director Liu Wenqin, who generally didn't care much for formalities, always tried to show a basic level of friendliness and concern in front of the staff.
The middle-aged man in front of him, however, seemed quite indifferent, even a bit... dissatisfied? The dissatisfaction didn't seem directed at Tian Sheng, but rather at his own position.
"Hello, Director, I am Tian Sheng from Special Operations Division Squad Three, this is our squad's operation record for this month..." Read exclusive adventures at empire
Tian Sheng scratched his head subconsciously as he handed over the document. He tried to ensure there were no slips in his speech to avoid a scolding from the new director, who seemed to be in a bad mood.
The middle-aged man took his report and started flipping through it right in front of him. He browsed the contents expressionlessly, and after about a minute, he closed the report and asked:
"This week's extermination, you only caught ordinary Magicians? No transformed beasts?"
Transformed beasts referred to those called by the Abnormal Strategy Bureau who used the viscera of beasts to transform themselves, and Tian Sheng was of course aware of such a group's existence.
So he immediately responded, "Yes, we have eliminated several small gathering points, but so far, we have not encountered any transformed beasts."
"That's not normal," the middle-aged man tapped the table.
"Yes."
The other didn't reveal any emotions, but there was an inexplicable pressure in his speech that made Tian Sheng swallow subconsciously: "You're right, our team captain thinks so too."
Under pressure, he decisively threw Li Yingwei under the bus.
"Not just your squad, the reports I've seen today indicate that none of the squads have encountered transformed beasts to this day."
The middle-aged man behind the desk repeated, "This is definitely not a mere coincidence."
Perhaps it's because the mastermind had been slain, leaving the remaining followers headless. Tian Sheng thought so, but he dared not voice it out loud; he didn't want to be criticized for expressing an immature view at this moment.
"Tian Sheng."
However, his silence didn't mean the new director would keep quiet: "You're recently recruited into the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, a newcomer?"
"Ah... yes."
Tian Sheng stammered, "To be exact, I started last week. I happened to encounter an attack by Remnant Beasts when I first arrived at the Bureau..."
"Among those recruited the same time as you, your magic power level was the lowest in the tests."
The new director asked expressionlessly, "But your performance in the combat records is the most outstanding, even not much different from other team members who have reached the Controlling level. Any reason for that?"
"Ah, this..." Tian Sheng hadn't expected to be asked such a sharp question so soon.
He initially wanted to give some excuse, like hiding his true power, but his instinct told him that his response here was very important. If he brushed it off carelessly, it could lead to outcomes he wouldn't want to see.
So, after hesitating, he became candid about his situation.
From joining the Abnormal Strategy Bureau to the Remnant Beasts attack, from the strange dreams of moths to the anomalies in his body afterward, he told the other party everything without omitting a single detail.
Of course, this also included what he'd glimpsed of the Magical Girl manipulating blue silken threads.
After finishing his story, he noticed a fleeting strange expression on the new director's face, but it was just that—fleeting. As if it were all his imagination, what remained was still the expressionless face.
"Did you say you dreamt of becoming a moth?"
Pulling a stack of personnel files from a drawer, the new director unhesitatingly picked out Tian Sheng's page and started going through it in front of him: "After that dream, you woke up and found your magic power had increased dramatically."
"Yes," Tian Sheng nodded.
"It sounds like a made-up story," the new director said while reading his file, "but if I were you, I definitely wouldn't seek such a lame excuse in front of a superior, which makes it somewhat believable."
Tian Sheng could only remain awkwardly silent.
"Your previous employment... Fangting City First Social Welfare Institute?"
Having quickly perused Tian Sheng's personnel file, the man behind the desk slightly raised his eyebrows, "Did you work there as a caretaker?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"Then according to the timeline, you should have experienced the terrorist attack by Black Ash Dawn four months ago?"
"Four months ago... ah, yes."
"Did you encounter anything during that attack?" The new director put down the file in his hand and pointedly looked at him.
"The terrorist attack at the welfare institute..."
Tian Sheng furrowed his brow and thought for a moment, then could only helplessly shake his head, "I'm sorry, Director, I don't know why, but I can't seem to remember much about what happened then."
"Can't remember?" The new director raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure, because it has troubled me for a long time. I always feel like I've forgotten some extraordinary experience," Tian Sheng nodded.
His answer seemingly baffled the new director, but unexpectedly, the director didn't question much further and instead asked some obtuse questions relating to his file.
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