Chapter 66

Chapter 66: Lin Jianyuan! You Deserve That 200,000 Salary!

Lin Jianyuan took five minutes to reach the Bureau.

It took him two more minutes to figure out what was going on.

Then he spent three minutes coaxing his wife.

After ten minutes in total, Lin Jianyuan turned to the director and said, “Come on, I thought it was something serious. It’s fine, he’s just in a mood. See? My wife’s easy to cheer up.”

Director: "..."

Everyone who’d rushed to the Bureau: "..."

Easy. To. Cheer. Up.

Lin Jianyuan, maybe you should check the security footage before you say that?

Anyway, with Lin the Keeper’s gentle coaxing, the S-class Aberrant turned back into a baby again.

But a baby is still a baby.

The baby still didn’t want to work overtime.

“I want to go home,” his roommate mumbled. “I want to sleep with you in my arms.”

His roommate wasn’t tired, just in a bad mood.

Lin Jianyuan could tell.

Even his roommate’s appendix was drooping listlessly.

“Director, do you really think Lin Jianyuan will agree to let Xie Yu go on duty?” a subordinate whispered. “Should we remind him again how dangerous Remorse is...?”

The director waved a hand, cutting him off.

He didn’t say anything else, just clasped his hands behind his back and watched from a distance.

Unexpectedly, Lin Jianyuan came over and asked, “What’s it called? Regret? Nostalgia? Whatever, the new S you were talking about. Where is it?”

The subordinate immediately handed over the file.

The director said solemnly, “Thank you for your hard work!”

—Remorse was detected at the Taoran Street Night Market.

That was why Lin Jianyuan finally decided to bring his roommate along.

His roommate wasn’t tired. He was just unhappy.

The reason was simple.

Who the hell would be happy working overtime on their first day?

Lin Jianyuan understood perfectly.

(Though he couldn’t help but find it a little funny.)

Even Aberrants had to work overtime, for god’s sake.

And even Aberrants couldn’t stand overtime!

Honestly, if the mission hadn’t been at the night market, Lin Jianyuan might not have agreed so quickly.

But this was Taoran Street!

The famous night market street!

Wasn’t this perfect?

A chance to unwind and finish the mission at the same time.

And night markets were always packed.

With so many people, no one would notice him strolling hand-in-hand with a pink digestive system—or, well, holding hands with thin air—down the street.

The two of them teleported to the entrance of the night market.

“So many people!”

His roommate made a meme-worthy sound.

Lin Jianyuan wanted to say it too: So many people!

No wonder this street was famous online. It wasn’t just crowded; it was people piled on top of people.

Lin Jianyuan figured he wouldn’t even need to walk—he’d just be swept along by the crowd.

“Baby, hold my hand and stick close. Don’t get lost,” Lin Jianyuan said, reaching out instinctively.

His roommate suddenly smiled.

Lin Jianyuan caught himself, scratched his head, and muttered, “What am I thinking? Even if we got separated, I’d just call you in my head and you’d show up—just like before.”

Just like before.

A hundred meters above the ground, he’d called for his lover in his mind.

And his lover had come.

Lin Jianyuan felt a little silly.

But his roommate’s mood instantly brightened.

Lin Jianyuan could feel the shift.

That little cat-like tail was swishing again.

See? What did he say?

His roommate really was easy to cheer up~

The night market was bustling, lights glittering everywhere.

Lanterns lit up the stone-paved street, and vendors in old-style shops shouted to attract customers.

The whole pedestrian street was packed and noisy, filled with the smells of barbecue, soufflé, crayfish, roujiamo, and all kinds of food.

There were trinkets, creative crafts, trendy toys—so many things to see.

Every stall was tempting, every shop begged to be explored.

Laughter and chatter filled the air.

The air was thick with the warmth of everyday life.

The two of them walked hand in hand through the bustling crowd.

It was obvious his roommate had never been anywhere like this before.

Or maybe it was the first time he’d ever wandered slowly, like a human, taking it all in.

His mood was getting better.

He was even speaking in that cute, high-pitched voice again~

Even though he was here to cheer up his wife, Lin Jianyuan hadn’t forgotten the mission.

After all, he owed the Bureau now.

Thinking about it, the director was a sly old fox.

Lin Jianyuan remembered what the director had told him before they left:

“Your combat ability is fully up to A-class standards. Your mental resistance to Aberrants, and your command over the ones you control—you absolutely have what it takes to be an A-class operative.”

In short—

This wasn’t just a promotion for overtime!

You really earned it!

You’re more than qualified for this A!

Fine, fine.

A for PUA, huh.

Whatever, A it is.

Lin Jianyuan hadn’t cared about the promotion either way.

The thing was, they’d just paid him earlier that day.

Now it was starting to dawn on him—was this all part of the director’s plan?

Ten thousand in the morning. A sudden promotion at night, and another ten thousand on top.

Now he really couldn’t say no.

He had no choice but to accept it, however grudgingly.

The Bureau was paying too well.

If it had been his old company, the one that barely paid him ten thousand a year, if Jiang Chen had asked, he wouldn’t have come out for overtime even if the sky was falling.

But what could he do?

The Bureau really paid.

There was even a bonus for every mission!

Ten thousand each time!

...What now? Ever since he learned his monthly salary was up to two hundred thousand, ten thousand didn’t even feel like much.

Ten thousand was just one-twentieth of his monthly income—about a day and a half’s pay...

This was warping his sense of money!

He couldn’t think about it anymore!

Just focus on the job!

But even though Lin Jianyuan was patrolling seriously, splitting his attention between keeping his wife company and searching for Remorse,

he didn’t see a single trace of an Aberrant.

Taoran Street was a famous night market, crowded with people.

There were already police and Bureau agents stationed here to prevent incidents.

The security was so tight, there weren’t even pickpockets, let alone Aberrants.

The longer Lin Jianyuan walked, the stranger it seemed.

As they neared the end of the street, Lin Jianyuan finally asked, “Baby, you still haven’t sensed Remorse?”

“Huh?”

“The director said S-classes are good at hiding their marks, so the scanners can’t pick them up. We’re counting on you to sense Remorse.”

“I can’t sense it either.”

“What???”

Lin Jianyuan was stunned.

“I can’t sense Remorse.”

“Wait, let me think.” Lin Jianyuan raised a hand, signaling he needed a moment. After two seconds, he said, “But when you first joined the Bureau, you beat the hell out of Hesitation. You didn’t see it then either, so how did you know it was trying to escape?”

“Hesitation revealed its mark on purpose, so I knew where it was. Remorse is hiding on purpose, so I can’t find it.”

Lin Jianyuan: "..."

Lin Jianyuan was baffled. “Wait, so Hesitation was trying to escape but still showed its mark? Why? What was it thinking?”

“No idea.”

Lin Jianyuan: "."

Roommate: "."

“So what do we do now?”

“I have no idea.”

They looked at each other and couldn’t help laughing.

“Maybe Remorse already ran off,” Lin Jianyuan said, ducking into a quiet alley and pulling up the Bureau’s intel on his device.

A fragment of Remorse’s mark had appeared very briefly on Taoran Street.

And “brief” meant really brief—about 0.1 seconds.

The report even said it might have been a false alarm.

Since this was the first time Remorse’s mark had ever been detected, and it was only a fleeting trace, the Bureau couldn’t track it at all.

So they had to pin their hopes on Xie Yu, another S-class Aberrant.

But not all S-classes were the same.

S-classes could choose whether to reveal themselves to humans.

Their marks were the same. Hide or show, as they pleased.

Most S-classes, like Xie Yu and Remorse, chose to hide their marks to avoid being tracked by the Bureau.

But Hesitation would expose its mark from time to time.

There was no pattern—sometimes hidden, sometimes exposed.

If it felt like showing off, it would, even in the middle of a jailbreak.

What a weirdo.

Then there was Delirium.

Delirium was an idiot—didn’t know how to hide at all.

Wherever it went, it left marks everywhere.

So Delirium was the first S-class Aberrant whose mark had been fully deciphered by humans.

“Humans really don’t know much about S-class Aberrants,” Lin Jianyuan said, rubbing his chin. His years as a corporate drone made him analyze everything. “Like your solidification ability. Or how S-classes can choose to hide or show their marks. The Bureau doesn’t know any of this.”

“Of course not,” his roommate said, lounging against him. “It’s not like we’d tell them.”

“True.” Lin Jianyuan grinned, suddenly wanting to flick his nose.

But then he remembered—his roommate didn’t have a nose.

So he settled for flicking his roommate’s liver.

His roommate burst into laughter, intestines quivering. “What are you doing! That tickles!”

“How are you so ticklish and so easy to amuse...” Lin Jianyuan started to tease him more, but suddenly heard his roommate’s gallbladder beep.

Lin Jianyuan: "?"

Why was the gallbladder making noise?

His roommate froze, then snapped, “Not again!!!”

He angrily unzipped his gallbladder and pulled out his device.

That’s when Lin Jianyuan realized his roommate kept his phone and terminal together.

A bright red alert popped up on the screen.

“S-class Aberrant Hesitation is escaping! Xie Yu, please return to the Bureau immediately to assist with containment!”

“Repeat! S-class Aberrant Hesitation is escaping! Xie Yu, please return to the Bureau immediately to assist with containment!”

Roommate: "..."

Lin Jianyuan: "..."

Now Lin Jianyuan was pissed too. “Again?! What does it want?!”

His roommate stood up, coldly saying, “I’m going back to kill it.”

Lin Jianyuan snapped, “Wait, why do you have to go? Isn’t there anyone else at the Bureau? Did they all survive before you got here?”

Something was off.

It had only been a few days—how had Hesitation escaped so many times already?

And every time, Xie Yu had to be called back to handle it?

Was Xie Yu the only one working in the whole containment department?

What were the others even doing?

If this kept up, Xie Yu would never get off work. Even after clocking out, he’d be dragged back in—just like today.

Lin Jianyuan had thought today was a rare emergency, a one-off, which was why he’d helped the director talk his wife into it.

But the more he thought about it, the less sense it made.

What was going on?

If containment was this easy to break, why hadn’t they improved it?

Why did they keep relying on his wife alone?

Did they want to work his wife to death?!

The more Lin Jianyuan thought about it, the angrier he got. He hugged his roommate, patting his liver to calm him, while dialing the director on the emergency line.

“Director, what’s going on now?” Lin Jianyuan’s temples throbbed with anger. “How many times are you going to call on my wife in one night? Seriously, how did the Bureau run before my wife started working here? Don’t tell me you lost track of S-classes every time and just waited for the field team to recapture them?!”

The director sounded frazzled on the other end. “Things really have been strange lately. Hesitation’s activity is definitely increasing... How’s it going on your end? Any sign of Remorse?”

“No!”

“Then come back for now. Let Xie Yu help us contain Hesitation first.”

Lin Jianyuan snapped, “So every emergency has to be handled by my wife, is that it? No wonder Shi Shaoning lost his mind working for you! Who the hell could survive this kind of treatment?!”

The director was still trying to explain, but Lin Jianyuan’s hand slipped off his roommate’s liver.

His roommate shot to his feet and slammed the beeping device to the ground.

“I’m going back to kill it,” he said coldly. “I’ll kill it right now!”

“Wait!”

But before he could finish, his roommate had vanished.

Lin Jianyuan: "..."

On the other end, the director caught on immediately. “Xie Yu’s back?”

Lin Jianyuan rolled his eyes. “He said he’s going to kill Hesitation.”

Director: "..."

After a moment, the director said, “That’s fine. If we can’t contain it, we’ll have to terminate it. We can’t let it run loose—an S-class Aberrant could cause too much damage if its contamination spreads...”

“I really regret this, Director.” Lin Jianyuan couldn’t hold back anymore. He paced the alley, clutching his device, furious. “We were living a good life, just the two of us, happy every day—until your Bureau got involved! I never should’ve joined. I shouldn’t have gone to that damn mall, shouldn’t have eaten that damn meal, I really shouldn’t have... I should’ve kept my wife at home, never let him out... I should’ve... I...”

Emotion surged up, and the more he spoke, the more agitated he became, his eyes stinging.

“Lin Jianyuan?” The director sounded suspicious for a moment, then suddenly alarmed. “Lin Jianyuan! Look around you! Is there anything strange?”

“What do you mean, strange?” Lin Jianyuan’s nose was running now; he wiped his eyes and looked around, sniffling. “What counts as strange, anyway? My wife getting dragged off for overtime again—is that strange? Damn it, I never should’ve listened to you, never should’ve let money get in the way of my wife’s happiness...”

He stopped in his tracks.

His eyes and nose were burning, a wave of regret hitting him like a hammer.

It knocked him straight into his own emotions.

“So... unhappy,” he muttered. “My wife is always so gentle, always so calm, never gets angry... it’s all my fault. If only I’d... if only...”

“Lin Jianyuan!”

The voice on the other end of the line sounded distant, echoing. “Lin Jianyuan! Snap out of it! Do you have the antidote? Use the clarity agent—now!”

Lin Jianyuan’s nose was still burning. When he looked up, he realized everyone around him was sobbing.

“I never should’ve gone to this stupid school!” two girls wailed, clutching each other. “Sixteen people in a room! No air conditioning! Bugs everywhere in summer! Sixteen girls fighting for one bathroom every morning! Even showering means waiting forever! I can’t take it anymore, and they won’t even let us move out—what kind of school is this? My grades could’ve gotten me anywhere, why did I pick this hellhole...”

They started slapping themselves as they cried.

Then, when it hurt too much, they started slapping each other.

Lin Jianyuan: "?"

His own tears dried up in confusion.

“I’m such an idiot, really.” A young man dressed like a hipster kicked over a beer bottle, crying and laughing at the same time. “I knew art was a dead end, but who knew I’d be making three thousand a month after graduation? That’s less than my childhood art classes cost! Ha, ha, art is great, art is wonderful, I’ll study art again in my next life, ha ha ha...”

He bent down, picked up the bottle, and started chugging from it, head thrown back.

Lin Jianyuan: "??"

His own sense of regret was choked off by confusion.

“How did I never understand Xiaoqian’s feelings back then?” An old man, hair white but eyes bright, wept as he slapped his thigh. “She gave me that book of poems, and I never thought to open it. No, maybe it’s better I never looked, better to never know her heart! But now I’m seventy-six, and she’s seventy-three... No, I should divorce A-Ling! There’s no love left... but after so many years, we’re just family now. I’m seventy-six, what’s the point of divorce... No, I can’t think like that! How many years do I have left? If I don’t chase love now, when will I? But if I do, would I really find love, or would it all be for nothing?”

Lin Jianyuan: "???"

Wait, sir, what...?

You sound like a cultured man—never thought to look at that poetry book?

Lin Jianyuan looked around, suspicious. Everyone was wailing, everyone was full of regret.

Everyone was mourning the roads they’d taken.

They were eating themselves alive with regret, falling apart.

Lin Jianyuan finally realized.

Remorse!

This was Remorse’s doing!

Where was it? Where?

He grabbed his device to scan, but it just read “Contaminant Level: 0.”

He tried calling the director again—somehow the call had dropped, and all he got now was static, like something out of a horror movie.

The whole scene was straight out of a horror flick.

All of Taoran Street, two kilometers of pedestrian walkway, thousands of people wailing.

The noise!

It was deafening!

Lin Jianyuan’s head throbbed from the racket. He reached into his pocket.

He pulled out the squish toy, the little stone, Angel Eyeball, and the Mouth of the Abyss.

“Eyeball! Fly up and look! Where the hell is Remorse—”

“Waaah!” Angel Eyeball burst into tears.

Lin Jianyuan: "?"

“I never should’ve, never should’ve, never should’ve had evil thoughts about Xie Yu’s things! I was so arrogant! That’s an S-class! Who did I think I was, thinking I could take it on? I really overestimated myself!”

Lin Jianyuan: "??"

“Woe is me! Why did I walk past the studio that day? Everything was fine, and now look at me, the great Time Thief, reduced to this! If only I’d chosen another path, I wouldn’t be here now! It’s not fair!”

Lin Jianyuan: "???"

“It wasn’t me, I didn’t do it, I wasn’t blocking your door, I was just passing by, really just passing by! Hehe, just kidding. Wahhh, it wasn’t me, really, don’t blame me, blame someone else! Wahhh!”

Lin Jianyuan: "????"

Mouth of the Abyss: "I..."

Lin Jianyuan lost all patience and slapped the Mouth of the Abyss—twice!

Mouth of the Abyss: "?"

Wait, what?

Why are you hitting me? I didn’t even say anything yet!

Wait, what was I about to say...?

Damn, my memory’s getting worse...

Lin Jianyuan grabbed the squish toy and squeezed it hard—pop!

The squish toy was still wailing.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

He squeezed it again and again.

The squish toy gagged.

It almost threw up last night’s dinner.

“Wait, what’s happening... ugh—I’m gonna puke—ugh!”

Then it was the little stone’s turn.

Lin Jianyuan bent down, picked up a big rock, and smashed it down.

Little Stone: "Ah!"

The big rock broke, so Lin Jianyuan grabbed another.

Smash!

Little Stone: "Aah!"

After a few rounds, the little stone, now in pieces, screamed, “Stop, stop, stop! I’m awake, I’m awake! Really!”

As for Angel Eyeball—

Lin Jianyuan grabbed its wing and was about to slam it to the ground—

That familiar, terrifying pressure snapped Angel Eyeball awake.

“Wait, wait! Don’t hit me, I’m awake too!” Angel Eyeball flapped its wings frantically. “I’m awake, I’m really awake, don’t—ah!”

Too late.

Lin Jianyuan had already thrown it over his shoulder and slammed it to the ground.

“Ugh!”

The little stone, just starting to pull itself together, was shattered again.

It let out a gurgling wail.

After all that, Lin Jianyuan was thoroughly warmed up.

He flexed his wrists, glaring coldly at the battered toys on the ground.

“All awake?” Lin Jianyuan asked, voice flat. “Anyone want to be even more awake?”

All the toys shook their heads desperately, trembling.

“Good.”

Lin Jianyuan frowned at the street full of sobbing people, his face growing darker.

So this was the range of an S-class’s contamination.

He hadn’t even seen the damn thing, and already it had affected thousands.

Even Lin Jianyuan and his toys weren’t spared.

“Snap out of it, all of you!”

Lin Jianyuan roared,

“Bureau field team—get to work!”