The authorities still haven’t said much about the fire at East Star Building, but the internet is already in an uproar.

Almost everyone now believes the arsonist was an Esper. In modern society, information spreads so easily online that keeping things secret is no longer possible. If the fire had happened somewhere remote, that might’ve been one thing.

But East Star Building is a skyscraper right in the heart of the city’s business district!!

Terrorists and cultists were stirring things up online. Political infighting was happening beneath the surface, paid commenters were out in force trying to control the narrative, and unscrupulous media outlets were spreading rumors like crazy to chase traffic.

One fire had brought all of them onto the stage to perform.

【Was Jiang Yuan Really Behind the East Star Building Fire?】

【Three Major Questions About the Fire】

【Arsonist May Be a Supporter of Jiang Yuan】

【The Government Should Strictly Regulate the Esper Population】

【Relevant Departments Say Investigation and Evidence Gathering Are Ongoing; Regulations for Espers Will Be Gradually Put in Place】

News stories sprouted like bamboo shoots after the rain, flooding the internet with a jumble of truth and lies. They drew people with different views into heated arguments, and more and more ordinary people began worrying about how Espers should be managed. Should they be given special treatment, or treated equally?

Or should every Esper be treated like a potential ticking time bomb and kept under strict watch?

These problems clearly couldn’t be solved overnight. And Jiang Yuan had long since realized that humans preferred excluding those who were different over trying to understand one another.

There are cliques even among a handful of people, and factions among larger groups. Then there are differences between nations and cultures, conflicts between men and women, and class issues that remain unresolved. How could Espers and ordinary people possibly get along peacefully?

Espers possessed power that placed them above others. If the law of the jungle prevailed, then Espers really would be born superior. People already loved comparing themselves to one another, and competition was the very essence of civilization’s progress.

“Sigh…”

Jiang Yuan scrolled through all kinds of information on his phone, genuinely unable to put into words how worried he was about the future.

“What are you sighing for?”

Just then, Yi Nanye pushed open the door. She strode right over to the bed without a hint of hesitation, then flopped down and shoved Jiang Yuan toward the corner. He was too angry to speak up, so he could only curl up meekly in the corner like a bullied little wife.

“Was the fire caused by an Esper?”

Jiang Yuan got straight to the point. Yi Nanye nodded. There was no point hiding it anymore when the truth was bound to come out.

“Zheng Chengjie. Male, nineteen years old. He dropped out of school at seventeen and went to work. He was a cleaner at East Star Building. At the time of the fire, he should’ve been cleaning the restroom on the fifth floor—and that’s where the fire started. Once the DNA test results for all the victims are in, we’ll know whether it was him.”

“About how many people died?”

“Twenty-six dead and seventy-three injured. Nineteen of the injured are in critical condition, and their estimated chance of surviving the week is less than thirty percent.”

Yi Nanye gave him the detailed casualty report. The toll had only been kept this low because Qin Xin had acted quickly. Without Qin Xin’s help, Jiang Yuan estimated the number of casualties would’ve been several times higher.

“Are there any Espers who can heal people?”

Jiang Yuan hoped that other Espers could help solve the mess caused by Espers wherever possible, just as Qin Xin had. They needed to change how the public saw Espers. If people were already hostile toward ordinary Espers, they certainly wouldn’t treat him any better.

“The list provided by the people from the future has dozens of them. We’re not short on candidates. The problem is that we haven’t found a way to activate anyone’s abilities ahead of time yet. The activation process varies from person to person, too.”

“But you and Qin Xin…”

“We’re different. The ten Doomsday Heroes need extensive training in advance. The people from the future provided detailed methods for activating our abilities early, and they even worked out the training plans. They also provided activation methods for other elite Espers who aren’t quite as exceptional—people like me.”

“But they had nothing for the next tier down. It’s all guesswork and experimentation. You went through that process too, but it didn’t activate your ability.”

When Yi Nanye said that, Jiang Yuan remembered the three days he’d spent in the agency’s custody. They’d put him through plenty of tests. The tests had confirmed that he had the potential to become an Esper, but they hadn’t been able to activate his ability.

“What a shame…”

Jiang Yuan couldn’t help sighing again. He could already imagine what the public would think next.

“What’s a shame? You don’t need to worry about this stuff.”

“Um… forgive me for asking, but if the people from the future gave you a list of Espers, why not assign someone to keep an eye on every person on it?”

“What kind of nonsense is that? The list definitely isn’t complete. We’ll have to wait until the relevant testing equipment is available and conduct a population-wide screening. Even then, we won’t be able to identify every Esper accurately.”

Yi Nanye sighed repeatedly as she talked about it. Jiang Yuan was quick to pick up on her frustration. He could practically feel it coming off her. That told him what her real job was.

Keeping an eye on him was just her current assignment.

“So, has a special agency for managing Espers already been established? And you’re part of it, while I’m under that agency’s direct management?”

“You?”

Yi Nanye paused at Jiang Yuan’s words, her expression stiffening slightly. She immediately realized that she’d let too much slip and given him information he shouldn’t have had. It was information that would eventually become public anyway, but for now, the agency didn’t want the world to know about it.

“If you can’t talk about it, just pretend I never asked.”

“Whatever. You’ve already figured it out, so what’s the point of hiding it? The agency answers directly to the United Nations. It has a simple, straightforward name: the Superpower Management Bureau. I’m with the East Asia Branch. I’m sure you can guess what we’re responsible for.”

“I can guess. Assessing Espers in various ways, guiding them based on the results, monitoring them, taking them into protective custody—and, when necessary, eliminating those who can’t be controlled.”

Jiang Yuan was being more careful now. It looked like the Superpower Management Bureau was directly responsible for him. That made things much clearer. He wouldn’t have to wander around blindly, jumping at every chance to do good.

He also had a better idea of the forces arrayed against him. Plenty of people at the top still wanted him dead to eliminate any future threat. The Superpower Management Bureau was the main force keeping them in check.

The Bureau’s real power was probably in the hands of the five permanent members. Any major decision had to be discussed and then decided by a vote.

In that case…

As long as three of the five permanent members were willing to protect him, he’d stay alive!