“So you’re the little punk eating in my car, huh?” Section Chief Chen snorted coldly. Though seated in a wheelchair, his hands moved with startling speed.
Just as the telescopic baton was about to strike Shen Ge’s throat, the young man calmly took half a step back, tilting his head slightly to create a three-inch gap.
What looked like a narrow dodge was, in fact, a move executed with precise timing and distance.
Chen raised an eyebrow and burst into laughter. “Hahaha! Not bad! Calm and composed—essential qualities for an elite investigator. Sharp eyes, too, judging distance at a glance. But your combat experience is lacking, kid. Always leave yourself more margin—three inches isn’t enough!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen pressed a mechanism on the baton. With a “shing,” a four-inch blade (about 12 cm) sprang from its tip—two centimeters longer than the gap Shen Ge had created. Had Chen pressed the attack, Shen’s throat would’ve been sliced open.
“Thank you for the advice, Section Chief Chen,” Shen Ge replied respectfully.
Chen nodded. “I can tell Instructor Feng’s been training you hard, but you’ve spent too much time behind a desk—no exercise, let alone combat skills. Had you enlisted young and built good habits, you’d be even stronger now.”
“Training is about persistence. Don’t slack off. That said, Feng’s basics are decent, but his special combat skills? Well… let’s just say he couldn’t last ten moves against me back then. Now he barely manages a few dozen. Starting tomorrow, you’ll train with me instead.”
Feng Chengxiu, the top combat instructor of the operations division, didn’t take offense. Scratching the back of his head like an overgrown fool, he chuckled awkwardly.
Shen Ge couldn’t help but marvel inwardly: *No wonder Chen’s the first and only man in the country to resolve a Tier-4 paranormal incident.*
“Quit standing around! Back to training—Shen Ge stays. The rest of you, move!” Chen barked.
Under Feng’s direction, the group resumed their drills.
“Come, Xiao Shen. Walk with me—let’s talk.” Chen pressed a button on his electric wheelchair, turning it toward the track encircling the training field.
“Of course.” Shen Ge fell into step beside him.
“You know, Xiao Shen… Back during the war, my grandfather’s generation built our Great Wall with flesh and blood, securing our peace with their lives. We thought the future would only get brighter—people thriving, the nation prospering. Then these damn paranormal entities crawled out of some dark corner.” Chen sighed, patting his knee in frustration. “Our generation failed to stop their spread. Now you youngsters have to pick up the fight.”
“Don’t say that, Section Chief Chen,” Shen Ge said. “It’s because of your efforts that we’ve had stability. The director mentioned paranormal incidents emerged years ago. Without you, people would already live in fear of them.”
“Hah! Years of work, and we still don’t even know where these things come from. Lazy? Incompetent? Take your pick. Hell, in five years—from HQ to branch offices—I’ve only resolved six cases. You? Not even two weeks in, and you’re about to surpass me. Youth truly is formidable!” Chen laughed.
“Please, I’ve only dealt with small fry—barely mutated entities. How could I compare to you?” Shen Ge demurred.
Chen gave him a sidelong glance, eyebrow raised. “You mocking me? By that logic, all I’ve fought are shrimp, crabs, and… hell, one tadpole!”
Right. Forgot paranormals are mutated animals. Shen Ge flushed, but Chen just laughed heartily.
“Haha! Speak your mind, kid. I’m not some petty tyrant. Anyway, I checked your file and talked with Xiao Qi. What’s your deal? How’d you stumble into so many incidents in a month?”
Shen Ge was surprised. First, Chen’s casual reference implied Deng wasn’t just his superior but also a protégée. Second, if they were that close, why hadn’t she mentioned his ability to detect paranormal energy? Was this her way of deferring to him?
“By ‘Xiao Qi,’ you mean the director?” Shen Ge asked.
“Yeah,” Chen chuckled. “That girl’s my apprentice—sharp as a tack. Shot up the ranks like a rocket, flew right past me. Still, she looks out for this old cripple, brought me to the branch office despite my legs.”
Shen Ge had never seen Deng in action—his only impression came from Huo Yu’s story about her bike-riding antics. But if Chen trained her, she must be skilled.
“Did the director not mention… I can detect trace paranormal energy?” Shen Ge ventured.
“She didn’t—wait. You can see it? As in, pre-mutation entities?” Chen’s eyes widened. For a second, Shen Ge thought he might leap from his wheelchair.
“According to Li Xiang, if a detector reads ‘1,’ I can spot it with my naked eye,” Shen Ge confirmed.
“Incredible! You’ve been risking your life to stop incidents early because you can see the energy. With eyes like yours… China’s blessed. The world’s blessed!” Chen grabbed Shen Ge’s hands, trembling with excitement.
Uh. No need for the dramatics.
I’m just in it for the rewards.
Before Shen Ge could deflect, Chen declared, “I won’t let talent like yours go to waste! I’ll teach you everything I know—make you China’s greatest investigator!”
“I’ve reviewed your training regimen,” Chen added. “Starting today, triple the workload. And I’ll personally oversee your combat drills.”
Sir. Please. Have mercy.