In the classroom.
They talked through some guidelines for how to handle things they might encounter later on.
Li Xiaoyan was timid and introverted, but as the class representative for academics, there was no doubt she was an excellent student. If Yi Nanye and Jiang Yuan told her to watch out for something, she would. She wouldn’t forget a single one of their warnings.
“By the way, Li Xiaoyan, what’s your Esper ability?”
After they’d gone over everything they needed to say, Jiang Yuan finally asked Li Xiaoyan what her ability actually was. Espers were an extraordinary group.
Take fire controllers, for example. Even people with the same general ability could be fundamentally different in certain ways. Zheng Chengjie’s flames erupted with tremendous force; he probably couldn’t control a small flame.
“Um… I’m not sure how to explain it myself. I’ll demonstrate.”
“Mm.”
Jiang Yuan nodded. Li Xiaoyan took a deep breath, then slowly looked into his eyes. The instant she did, Jiang Yuan’s whole body jerked as if he’d been shocked. His eyes slowly widened.
At that moment, Jiang Yuan thought Li Xiaoyan was so adorable. Everything she did tugged at his heartstrings.
Every strand of hair on her was irresistible, and every inch of her skin was flawless. Her smile was the most beautiful thing in the world, and she smelled sweeter than anything else.
She was practically an angel!
“X-Xiaoyan… c-can I hug you…?”
“I… I…”
Jiang Yuan swallowed. Beside him, Yi Nanye frowned and reached over to pinch his stomach. The pain snapped him back to his senses, though he was still dazed. He kept staring at Li Xiaoyan with a silly smile.
It took a while for Jiang Yuan to slowly come around. His head still felt a little foggy.
“Li Xiaoyan, is that your Esper ability?”
Jiang Yuan was surprised. It was an ability that directly affected the mind.
“Jiang Yuan, your hormone levels just went through the roof. Your dopamine levels reached dangerous levels, and almost all the hormones in your body are being secreted abnormally. Are you feeling uncomfortable right now?”
Yi Nanye checked Jiang Yuan’s condition through his wristband. Of course he felt uncomfortable. He felt like he was floating.
“A little… But honestly, I kind of want to do it again…”
“Really? Honestly, your reaction isn’t far off from taking that stuff. No… it feels even better than taking it.”
Yi Nanye gave her assessment. Li Xiaoyan’s ability didn’t seem harmful, but its aftereffects were enough to ruin someone. Its hallucinatory effects were who knew how many times stronger than those of some banned drug.
“Li Xiaoyan, I understand your ability now. Let’s call it ‘Charm’ for the time being. The aftereffects are honestly terrifying, though. It’ll make people addicted to you. Anyone you charm will probably end up in rehab.”
If Li Xiaoyan’s ability ever got out, no one in the world would take illegal drugs anymore.
They’d all be hooked on her instead.
In a sense, illegal drugs were a major source of income for terrorists, as well as a powerful way to control their underlings. If terrorists ever captured Li Xiaoyan, the consequences would be unimaginable.
“Huh? Is it really that serious?”
“But if used properly, it could also be very useful for interrogations and intelligence work.”
Li Xiaoyan’s ability was clearly better suited to work behind the scenes. She understood its value, too. Manipulating people’s minds was wrong, of course—but if the people she used it on were utterly vile, she had no reason to worry about that.
“I understand. I’ll think carefully before using this ability.”
“Mm. Once you get back, post online that you’ve awakened an Esper ability. We’ll screen the people who respond and arrange for you to meet them. Can you control how strong your ability is?”
“I can control it to some extent.”
“Then don’t use it at full strength. Just affect them slightly so you can earn their trust.”
“Okay.”
“Of course, if you feel like you’re in danger, use your ability at full strength and ask them to kill themselves. Once you use it at full strength, you can’t let the person affected live, or the information might get out.”
“Can’t I just make them knock themselves out?”
“This is for your sake. Since you’ve decided to reveal yourself and help Jiang Yuan, you need to be prepared for certain things.”
Once she revealed herself, she’d be cut off from ordinary people and could never return to a normal life. In that situation, if she had to kill someone when the time came, there’d be no other choice. Jiang Yuan had already killed someone, after all.
Jiang Yuan had personally shot Zheng Chengjie dead.
Li Xiaoyan fell silent. She was timid and introverted. Using her ability to kill someone would turn her whole worldview upside down, overturn everything she’d been taught since childhood: human life was sacred, and no one should ever take another person’s life, under any circumstances.
But…
Other people hadn’t treated Jiang Yuan that way.
“All right. If it comes down to it, I’ll do it.”
Li Xiaoyan slowly clenched her fist against her chest and took a deep breath. She’d made her choice after thinking it through carefully.
Being timid and introverted wasn’t an excuse.
Her classmates had all changed.
Qin Xin had become a hero, and Jiang Yuan had become a suspect. Even the classmates she used to see every day had become different. She had to change, too.
She’d been born in the countryside, into a family in dire financial straits. She’d studied so hard to change her fate. Now that she’d become one of the few among the crowd, how could she pretend nothing had changed and insist she was ordinary?
She was extraordinary!
And she’d never forget the boy who, beneath the setting sun, had bought a basket of dried, yellow gardenias from her.
“On behalf of the Superpower Management Bureau, I welcome you aboard.”
Yi Nanye held out her hand to Li Xiaoyan, who immediately reached out and shook it. That meant Li Xiaoyan now had an official job. Once this incident was over, she’d join the Superpower Management Bureau.
Jiang Yuan sat to one side, watching. He felt glad, too. Change wasn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes, people like Li Xiaoyan, who were timid and meek, gained confidence when they gained power. They could finally hold their heads high and face the world as someone new.
After they’d settled everything, Li Xiaoyan left with her old books on her back. Before going, she remembered to wave goodbye to Jiang Yuan. After all, it wasn’t today’s conversation that had changed her. It was Jiang Yuan’s courage in standing up to the malice around him a few days ago.
He’d faced it head-on, in the truest sense.
“We need to handle Li Xiaoyan’s situation carefully.”
Jiang Yuan spoke slowly after Li Xiaoyan had left. Yi Nanye felt the same way. Li Xiaoyan was the sort of person who repaid kindness. If she joined the Superpower Management Bureau and took on intelligence work, she’d have access to a great deal of sensitive information.
“There’s just one thing I’m worried about. Can she really handle it?”
Yi Nanye was still worried about Li Xiaoyan’s personality. Someone so sensitive could easily get hurt.
“You’re asking whether the top student in our class can get good grades.”
“But aren’t good students just bookworms?”
“Do you think the choice she made today sounds like something a bookworm would do?”
Jiang Yuan smiled without answering.
