Yang Ming sat in silence inside the car, his face a turbulent sea of emotions. Suddenly, he made a sharp U-turn and floored the accelerator, speeding towards Qingbei Town.
Even if he had doubts about Fang Xiu's words, he chose to be cautious. Particularly since Fang Xiu was aware of his use of laxativesa detail he had kept secret.
In the waiting room, Fang Xiu finished his cup of hot water and sat for a long time before Shen Lingxue showed up.
This meeting lasted much longer than the previous one. It seemed that Fang Xiu's earlier predictions about the future had taken them by surprise, leading to a more in-depth discussion this time.
"Fang Xiu, I need to do a test on you now," Shen Lingxue stated, her face showing mixed emotions.
Without waiting, Fang Xiu grabbed the lie detector. Noticing Shen Lingxue's startled expression, he promptly secured the device on his hand.
After a brief pause, Shen Lingxue began to speak, "First question"
"I pick one, to fight the Specter," Fang Xiu said, cutting her off.
Shen Lingxue was at a loss for words.
Ignoring the astonished look on Shen Lingxue's face, Fang Xiu continued, "For question two, I won't join the Specter side, even if they give me immense power and guarantee safety for my family and friends. I won't betray my principles. I don't have a family to side with the Specters. If Zhao Hao joins the Specter and asks me to turn, I will send him away myself. The thing I want to do most after becoming a psychic is to kill all the Specters worldwide.
Without pausing, Fang Xiu went on, not giving Shen Lingxue a chance to ask the questions.
The Spiritual Energy lie detector remained silent the entire time.
After he finished, Fang Xiu got up and told the frozen Shen Lingxue plainly, "Test over. Let's go see Wang Dehai."
He then walked out of the waiting room, leaving Shen Lingxue sitting there lost in thought for quite some time.
For a moment, it wasn't clear who the tester was and who was being tested.
At Wang Dehai's office
Wang Dehai didn't give his usual introduction. Instead, he examined Fang Xiu closely and said, "Mr. Fang, given that you knew my name beforehand, I guess introductions are unnecessary. Please sit."
Fang Xiu sat, and Wang Dehai went on, "Honestly, Mr. Fang, it's hard to believe your foresight ability, even after hearing their reports. Your skill greatly exceeds that of other psychics. I hope you understand what I'm saying. Regular first-tier psychics possess talents like fire manipulation, enhanced strength, or exceptional speed, but your abilities clearly transcend theirs."
"So, you're saying I'm not like the others, huh?" Fang Xiu abruptly chimed in, "Predicting the future doesn't seem like a first-tier psychic thing."
Wang Dehai agreed, "Indeed, if you were a third-tier psychic with accurate foresight abilities, it wouldn't shock me. However, you've only recently become a psychic."
He continued, "Usually, someone like you would have limited foresight capabilities, perhaps only a glimpse into the near future. Yet, you knew about Agent Shen's visit, the office's layout, and even tonight's lottery numbers. It's kind of unbelievable."
"Director Wang, did it ever cross your mind that maybe I'm just naturally different? That there are some people who aren't bound by common standards from the get-go?"
"It's true. Some are born prodigies, including a fair share of psychic geniuses. But Mr. Fang, if you met a newborn who could talk and solve math equations, would you call them a prodigy?"
Fang Xiu offered a small smile. "Why not?"
Wang Dehai breathed deeply. "That's all I want to say. I have nothing more to add. Ah yes, Agent Shen, where's Mr. Fang's psychic test report?"
Shen Lingxue looked a little lost, missing Wang Dehai's question entirely as she sat there blankly.
Growing impatient, Wang Dehai raised his voice, "Agent Shen!"
"Huh?" Shen Lingxue snapped back to the present, staring confusedly at Wang Dehai, "What is it, Director Wang?"
"The report, Agent Shen! Where is Mr. Fang's test report?"
Almost reaching for the report, Shen Lingxue stopped, realizing she hadn't documented anything. She had been so astounded by Fang Xiu's pre-emptive answers that she hadn't jotted down a single thing.
"I... I didn't draft the report."
"What?" Wang Dehai felt his pulse quicken. "Agent Shen, you've been doing this job for years. How could you be so careless?"
"No, Director Wang, it's not about not writing the report. It's that... I didn't get to ask the psychic test questions."
"What?!" Wang Dehai sounded even more incredulous, thinking Shen Lingxue was outright defying him. She didn't even attempt to ask the questions, let alone write a report.
Shen Lingxue quickly picked up on his misunderstanding and clarified, "No, I don't mean it like that. I had intended to ask the questions, but Fang Xiu answered them all before I could. He didn't even let me ask and just answered them questionsall perfect answers if I might add. The lie detector didn't alert us either."
Wang Dehai gazed at Fang Xiu, completely stunned. He was at a loss for words for quite a while.
Eventually, he managed to say, "Mr. Fang, does predicting the future drain your energy? Can you do it anytime?"
Fang Xiu shook his head, "Predicting the future doesn't use much energy, but it comes with a big price."
"Price?" Wang Dehai asked, a touch of curiosity in his tone.
"Spiritual Energy spiraling out of control," Fang Xiu replied gravely.
Upon hearing those words, the expressions of both Wang Dehai and Shen Lingxue shifted noticeably. This was because an uncontrolled surge in Spiritual Energy is a crisis every psychic might face, and previously, the investigative bureau had faced serious setbacks due to such incidents.
"Mr. Fang, are you saying that each time you foresee the future, it increases the risk of your Spiritual Energy spiraling out of control?" Wang Dehai asked, his tone marked by seriousness."