Bian Ying had celebrated too soon.
She faintly sensed that something outside had awakened and was secretly spying on every move in this room.
An instinctual sense of danger suddenly rushed into her heart.
A chilling aura permeated the air, and the surrounding temperature dropped.
Xu Xinrong was leading a few students in reading the school rules in front of the broadcasting station, completely oblivious to the commotion outside the door.
“Quiet!” Bian Ying abruptly interrupted them.
The students froze, but upon catching the solemn and serious expression in Bian Ying’s eyes, they nervously picked up the weapons they had just set down.
Just as they braced themselves for an attack, several pitch-black shadows seeped through the cracks of the door, lurking in the darkness and surging wildly.
“W-what is this?!” the students gasped in horror.
The blood clot Deceit was gone, only for a group of shadow Deceits to pop up?!
Wait, no!
Bian Ying suddenly realized that these shadows seemed to be coming for her; they weren’t heading toward the students at all.
She wondered why they were exclusively targeting her.
The moment this question surfaced in her mind, a line of text materialized out of thin air in her brain.
[Rule Manifestation: Intruders are not protected by school rules and can be killed regardless of the rules!]
She inwardly cursed her terrible luck.
Unable to hold back her frustration, Bian Ying held up the ID badge on her chest.
“I’m the guest speaker, understand?”
The shadows drifted around her, baring their fangs and brandishing their claws as they emerged from the darkness.
Some had even wrapped around Bian Ying’s calves.
The cold, clammy touch pressed against her skin, sending subtle, thrilling shivers through her.
Evidently, the seminar was over, so they no longer recognized Bian Ying’s identity.
“Wait!” Bian Ying conceded defeat.
“…Then I’m an outstanding alumni.
That identity should work, right?!
If you don’t believe me, go check the honor roll.
I was the only person in my graduating class to receive a scholarship every single year!”
The shadows froze in midair as if hesitating.
A moment later, they reluctantly retreated back into the darkness.
The rules had taken effect.
Good students would always receive preferential treatment.
Bian Ying wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and breathed a sigh of relief.
The students on the side were all dumbfounded by Bian Ying’s actions.
They hadn’t realized what had happened at all.
They only knew that Bian Ying had babbled a bunch of words, and then the Deceits had left.
“Ms.
Bian, are you a Superpower User?!”
“A Superpower User?
I’m not,” Bian Ying denied.
Over the past twenty-odd years of fighting against Deceits, humanity had developed weapons to combat them.
A very small fraction of people had even awakened Superpowers during these battles.
Opinions on Superpowers were widely divided.
Some said that Superpower Users would sooner or later mutate into Deceits, while others claimed they were the key to humanity’s salvation…
But Superpower Users were undoubtedly a sharp blade against the Deceits.
The students didn’t care whether Bian Ying was telling the truth or not; they were already convinced that she possessed some unique skill.
Not long after they relaxed, they suddenly heard a lot of commotion outside, along with the faint sound of bullets tearing through the air.
The dark, clammy sensation of being watched vanished, and the oppressive atmosphere hanging in the air dissipated with it.
Immediately after, a flurry of footsteps echoed outside the door.
“Captain, there are survivors in this room.”
KNOCK KNOCK.
“Don’t be afraid, students inside.
We are from the Deceit Investigation Bureau.”
Hearing the voices outside, the students exchanged looks of dismay.
Ultimately, Bian Ying took the initiative to open the door.
“…Bian Ying?”
The young man in the lead was momentarily stunned when he got a clear look at Bian Ying’s face.
He wore a sleek, tailored black combat suit with silver threads tracing his lean waist.
His tall boots struck the floor with a slightly heavy thud.
Seeing the Investigation Bureau insignia on his uniform, Bian Ying breathed a sigh of relief.
“I’m Bian Ying, the temp worker in charge of today’s seminar…”
“You forgot me again,” the young man abruptly interrupted her.
Bian Ying stared at his handsome face and gradually found a trace of familiarity.
She let out an awkward, “Uh.”
“…Upperclassman?”
“Yeah.” Hearing the familiar title, a hint of a smile appeared on his face.
Tan Linyan was an upperclassman two years above Bian Ying.
The reason Bian Ying knew this prominent upperclassman was because she had been fiercely debating a group of people to save her nearly lost scholarship, and Tan Linyan had cast the crucial vote in her favor.
“You joined the Investigation Bureau?
Congratulations.
It looks like we’ll be fighting side by side.”
“…I’m just a temp.”
“You’ll be made full-time.”
Bian Ying smiled awkwardly and didn’t reply.
Right at that moment, the voice of her boss, Zhou Haizhi, rang out from behind the crowd.
Immediately after, he pushed past everyone and hurried to the front.
“Bian Ying!!!”
“Mr.
Zhou?!” Bian Ying hadn’t expected him to come looking for her before she even had a chance to find him.
Zhou Haizhi chuckled and patted her on the shoulder.
“Thank goodness for the Operations Department’s Team One.
With them here, we’re definitely safe.” He patted Bian Ying’s shoulder gleefully and then assumed his usual lecturing posture.
“Bian Ying, running into the Operations Department’s Team One on your first field assignment is truly a blessing for you.”
Bian Ying was long accustomed to her boss’s attitude.
Maintaining her fake professional smile, she said, “I know.”
Changing the subject, Zhou Haizhi smoothly transitioned, “How about this: you write up a work report over the weekend and leave it on my desk by Monday.”
Bian Ying’s fake smile instantly vanished.
“You won’t forget to include the heroic tale of me fighting the Deceits all by myself, right?”
Zhou Haizhi coughed lightly, completely omitting the fact that he had been sent flying by a tentacle and knocked unconscious the moment he faced the principal.
If Team One hadn’t shown up in time, it would be a miracle if he were even standing here right now.
“…Of course,” Zhou Haizhi replied.
He looked at her meaningfully.
“Perform well.
Quite a few temps have been promoted to full-time status by making significant contributions during Deceit incidents.”
Bian Ying’s inner dissatisfaction dissipated instantly.
She had to admit, Boss Zhou really knew how to motivate her.
“…Alright,” Bian Ying agreed.
“Let’s get down to business first.” Tan Linyan coughed lightly, interrupting them.
He wondered if this was really the right time and place for such a conversation.
The vice-captain of Team One, Yu Chi, stepped forward to address the students.
“We are members of the Operations Department’s Team One from the Wuhai City Deceit Investigation Bureau.” He first clarified his identity, then asked earnestly, “How did you know that the school rules were the rules of the Deceit Domain?”
On their way here, they had heard the broadcast over the PA system.
None of them had expected the rules of the Deceit Domain to be discovered so quickly, let alone by a group of students.
“We didn’t know that!”
“Our teacher told us!”
“Yeah, yeah!
She’s super amazing.
She even saved Liu Chao just now!”
“Teacher?” Yu Chi sounded confused.
Was there a teacher with them?
Then, the group of students turned their gazes toward Bian Ying.
Tan Linyan’s pupils dilated in shock.
“Bian Ying, you discovered the rules?”
Zhou Haizhi asked dryly, “Bian Ying discovered them?” He wondered if his slacking, bare-minimum-doing subordinate was actually this capable.
“It was just intuition.
A lucky guess.” Realizing that everyone’s eyes were on her, Bian Ying quickly shook her head, not feeling the least bit guilty.
After all, she was telling the complete truth.
Tan Linyan pressed further, “…Intuition?
Is that your Superpower?”
He glanced at Yu Chi.
Yu Chi’s Superpower was Extraordinary Perception; when activated, it allowed him to spy on intelligence regarding the Deceits.
However, Yu Chi’s ability wasn’t nearly as precise as Bian Ying’s.
Furthermore, it largely depended on luck—it was a Superpower based on chance.
“Captain Tan, this is my first time encountering a Deceit incident,” Bian Ying said.
“That’s right.
It’s Bian Ying’s first field assignment.
Maybe she just had a burst of good luck and happened to guess right?” Zhou Haizhi quickly chimed in.
“Hm,” Tan Linyan replied.
He kept his expression neutral, but in his heart, he didn’t buy Bian Ying’s claim that this was her “first time encountering a Deceit incident.”
She had forgotten again.
It was on that summer night two years ago when she had changed his fate.