Before getting into the car, You Zhengping got out his nanotech mask and put it on, and took off his police badge, rank insignia, and so on. He still remembered that he needed to cover up his identity in front of Huan Zixu and Feng Kui. 

“Why did you bring a child and a dog?” Lian Yufan said in surprise. “Is this our studio’s Xiao Ha and Junjun? And who’s this person?” 

“It’s crowded.” Seeing You Zhengping bring so many people, Huan Zixu frowned and shifted closer to Feng Kui. 

“Aw-aw-awoo!” Director Ha called unhappily when he heard Huan Zixu say it was crowded. 

“Feng Kui is the one doing the crowding, all right?” You Zhengping forced himself onto the seat, bringing along a grown man, a child, and a dog. There were two rows of seats facing each other inside the armed car. Feng Kui and Huan Zixu sat on the same side, while everyone else crowded in across from them. 

Like this, the young soldier driving the car couldn’t resist saying, “Could the people on the left move across to even it up? The car is tilting…” 

“Even it up how?” Huan Zixu disagreed. “There are three grown men, a child, and a dog across from us, and only two of us here.” 

But Feng Kui by himself took up the better part of the seat, and he might have been heavier than the car. Lian Yufan wanted to make an impartial remark, but he remembered that Huan Zixu and Feng Kui only got to see each other once a week and might be separated again after seeing each other this time, so he kept silent. 

But Feng Kui himself got up and went to the center of the car and sat down cross-legged right on the floor. He pointed to his own head and said to Huan Zixu, “On the seat, it’s too low. Here, it’s perfect.” 

With Feng Kui sitting in the middle, the car could finally keep its equilibrium. It drove smoothly to the base. 

“Why did you bring the people and the dog?” Lian Yufan asked. 

You Zhengping said, “It’s too complicated. I’ll explain to everyone at the base. We need to examine Junjun. I think the child has had a special ability awaken.” 

Lian Yufan looked You Zhengping up and down and doubtfully said, “Why do I have a feeling looking at you that you’ve changed a lot in a very short time?” 

“Bark!” Director Ha called to Lian Yufan. 

“Yes, you, too, you’ve also changed a lot,” Lian Yufan said perfunctorily to Director Ha and casually stroked the dog’s head. 

“Aw-aw-awoooo!” Huskies were lively and energetic dogs. It had recovered its vitality after its wounds were healed. Seeing the members of the studio, whom it hadn’t seen in a while, it was excited and couldn’t stop crying out. 

“Really? You went somewhere very far away? Separated by time and space? No wonder you all look like so much time has passed,” Lian Yufan said. “So the unconscious stranger is a holder of time law? No wonder Yuan Luori saw a clock in a vortex over the estate before. You’ve all done a good job.” 

“Aw-aw-awoo!” Director Ha proudly help up its furry face. 

“So you’ve been protecting Junjun the whole time! You’re an ideal police dog.” As a reward, Lian Yufan stroked Director Ha’s head. 

Huan Zixu, Feng Kui, and You Zhengping: “…” 

The three of them were all watching Lian Yufan and Director Ha’s conversation. 

Lian Yufan sensed that the atmosphere inside the car was a little heavy and looked around. “Why are you all looking at me?” 

Huan Zixu pointed at Director Ha. “You can understand what it’s saying?” 

“The tone of a dog’s voice and its body language can convey a lot of meaning,” Lian Yufan said. 

“Can it convey that it experienced time travel and protected a little boy?” Huan Zixu asked. 

Lian Yufan: “…” 

“That’s right, why can I suddenly understand you? And I didn’t even notice I was talking to you without relying on speech, I just…very naturally understood the meaning in your voice and body movements,” Lian Yufan said in belated realization. “Have you awakened a mental communication sort of special ability?” 

“Director Ha awakened a speed ability, very suitable for a husky,” You Zhengping explained. “I think it’s Junjun who’s awakened the mental communication special ability.” 

At the moment, Junjun was sleeping soundly with his head pillowed in Lian Yufan’s lap. Since returning from level 500, he had been fast asleep. It very much had the look of an awakened special ability user. 

You Zhengping had thought before that even if Director Ha was proficient in math, physics, and chemistry and was highly skilled at teaching, Junjun still wasn’t a genius elementary school student. How could he do high school solid geometry problems? Even with ten personal tutors, with the development of an elementary school student’s brain, he still might not possess complete spatial reasoning. 

He had been able to understand Director Ha in Yu Hua’s little world. At the time, You Zhengping had thought that this was because communication was unrestricted in Yu Hua’s little world. Now it seemed that it had been Junjun’s special ability! 

Lian Yufan stroked Junjun’s head. He got out the car’s medical kit and checked Junjun’s temperature. It was 37.5°C. Unconsciousness and a sustained low fever—these were symptoms of an awakened special ability. 

“So the reason I can communicate with Xiao Ha is that Junjun is touching me?” Lian Yufan asked. 

“That’s about right,” You Zhengping said, nodding. “Just now, I really didn’t understand its barking.” 

Lian Yufan sighed and stroked Junjun’s hair. “Let’s perform an examination when we get back to the base.” 

Lian Yufan’s expression wasn’t optimistic. He didn’t think that having a special ability awaken was anything good. As a Protector, he was willing to give up everything, but seeing a special ability awaken in such a small child, thinking of what sort of road he would walk in the future, Lian Yufan couldn’t help sighing. 

It was no bad thing to live a perfectly ordinary life. 

Huan Zixu didn’t understand Lian Yufan’s depression. He had felt a little puffed up since regaining his special ability. He drew close to Junjun and said, “Not bad. Mental type special abilities like mine are rare. I wonder what abilities he’ll develop apart from a communication power.” 

“The more unique the special ability, the worse time he’ll have,” Lian Yufan said.

“That’s the perspective of you Protectors. We don’t think that way,” Huan Zixu said casually. 

Lian Yufan frowned. “With your ideas, how could the world law acknowledge you?” 

When they had been fighting together earlier, he had thought that Huan Zixu was all right. He had used Destroyer 217’s System to get medicine to heal him. But now he had only had his power back for a few minutes, and he was once again starting to act above it all. 

“It wasn’t necessarily the world law’s acknowledgment.” You Zhengping was the only person who knew the full contents of the three supplemental rules. “Do you want to check whether you still have your special ability?” 

“How could I not…” Huan Zixu’s expression suddenly stiffened. “Where did my special ability go? Where did it go?” 

His expression was miraculously similar to Yuan Luori’s saying “Where are my glasses? Where did they go?” 

Seeing that Huan Zixu had lost his special ability, Feng Kui spread out one big hand. The flesh of his palm opened, and the mechanical skeleton reached out and turned into a metal glove covered his hand. He made a fist and said, “I still have mine.” 

“Huh? Then what about mine?” Huan Zixu’s expression was shocked. 

He had just been thinking of how to communicate with the Protection Organization now that he had his special ability, how he would barter to get Feng Kui to work beside him, and how, with sharing the workload to reduce the pressure on Luo Huai, he would think of a way to be promoted to captain rank. Also, he would have to use the Protection Organization’s authority to oppress Yu Hua, force him to cough up all his money. 

You Zhengping said, “When we get back to base, I’ll explain everything.” 

Then You Zhengping stroked Director Ha’s head. Director Ha instantly put its tail between its legs, not daring to call out at random. 

Before, others couldn’t understand its cries. It didn’t matter how it cursed Yu Hua. Now, it didn’t know to what degree and within what range Junjun’s ability would be effective, so it didn’t even dare to think. 

The ride passed with Huan Zixu shaken and distraught, Feng Kui beside him silently comforting him. 

Medicine couldn’t alleviate the low fever of an awakening special ability. The special ability user would have to get by on their own. Lian Yufan applied a temperature reducing pad to Junjun’s forehead so the child would be more comfortable. 

When they reached the base, they handed Junjun over to the medical group. Director Ha followed. It also needed to be tested for its special ability. 

The others went to the conference room. Everyone else was already waiting for them. 

Yuan Luori’s sitting posture was arrogant. His legs were up on the table, and he was humming a song from when he had been recording with the show group, shaking this way and that. 

Luo Huai tried a couple of times to talk him out of it. Yuan Luori’s appearance said “I’ve rendered a service, who’s going to do anything to me?” The word “smug” was written all over his face. Director Xiao was looking at him with his face livid, and Yuan Luori acted like he couldn’t see. 

Just then, You Zhengping walked into the conference room. Yuan Luori casually glanced at the person by the door and instantly got up and stood on the table. 

“Hic!” Yuan Luori gave an enormous hiccup. 

“Don’t go overboard. Never mind putting your feet on the table, you’re also standing on it.” Luo Huai yanked at Yuan Luori’s pant leg to make him get down. 

But the parrot on Yuan Luori’s shoulder suddenly fell down. Luo Huai scrambled to catch the rather heavy parrot in both arms. He saw that its eyes had rolled up and its legs were sticking straight up, as though it had been struck gloriously dead on the spot. 

“What have you seen?” Luo Huai asked. 

“Hic!” Yuan Luori hiccuped again and nimbly climbed off the table. He tore off a corner of his shirt and wiped the table he had just stepped on until it was spotless.

Everyone: “…” 

“What is it?” Zhen Li also thought something was wrong with Yuan Luori. He was only this modest when he had seen the great master clearer. 

Luo Huai saw that the parrot occasionally opened one eye, glanced at You Zhengping, then closed its eye once again as quickly as though it had seen a ghost. 

Then everyone looked at You Zhengping. You Zhengping was also all at sea. This wasn’t his first time having dealings with Yuan Luori. What was wrong with Yuan Luori this time? 

Seeing Yuan Luori looking like he didn’t know what to look at, Zhen Li picked up the glasses hanging around his neck and put them on for him. Yuan Luori finally calmed down. The glasses gave him a sense of security. 

The parrot whose vision was linked to Yuan Luori’s also “came back to life.” It gathered its wings and crouched properly on the arm of the chair, neck drawn in, eyelids drooping. It didn’t seem like a parrot. It seemed like a large-scale, multi-colored quail. 

“Since you’re all here, sit down.” Director Xiao glanced at Yuan Luori. “Report as quickly as possible. No one may exceed five minutes. An hour from now, the highest leaders of Huaxia’s Protection Organization will come to the Xuyang District base and begin an online conference with the World Protection Organization. This meeting will be for the purpose of determining the ownership of the ‘source project.’ We have to take care of matters relating to this battle before the meeting and vie for the right to have ownership of the Source Project.” 

The Destroyers had launched a large-scale offensive this time, giving the World Protection Organization a strong sense of crisis. The Source Project was imperative. But it was indeed a very serious question who would hold such a vast power. No country was willing to let another country have such a strong power. This was practically impossible. 

Furthermore, it wasn’t just any Protector who could take on the power of a nuclear weapon with his flesh and blood form. 

“You go first.” The first person Director Xiao pointed to was actually Yuan Luori. “Tell us what you saw. Your five minutes begin now.” 

The assistant beside Director Xiao expressionlessly pressed down on a stopwatch. The other assistant prepared to type everything that everyone said into a text file. It would be printed out and distributed to the leaders at the conference. 

“When he walked in the door just now,” Yuan Luori said, pointing to You Zhengping, “the whole base turned into countless parallel spaces. It made my eyes hurt.” 

“That’s all?” Director Xiao asked. 

Was it only a spatial ability that had made Yuan Luori so terrified when just before he’d looked like he was second only to heaven? 

“There’s a very big energy ball following him,” Yuan Luori said. 

“How big?” 

“As big as the whole world.” Yuan Luori’s head drooped lower and lower. “The world law follows behind him.” 

Yuan Luori’s special ability had only awakened after he had obtained the acknowledgment of the world law. He was especially sensitive about it. He had recognized You Zhengping’s backer at once. He could clearly sense that this power could easily strip him of his special ability. He had instantly been scared out of his arrogance. 

Yuan Luori had originally ranked the clearer as number one and himself as number two. Now that he had seen the world law behind You Zhengping, he knew that he was third. 

“Those who came earlier have already given their general reports. These are the materials.” Cen Xiao, who had remembered to put on his Plain Face Number 1 mask, handed You Zhengping and the others stacks of materials. “Hurry and read through it so you don’t give an overlapping report and waste time.” 

They took the materials. As Yuan Luori hemmed and hawed his way through answering questions, they quickly skimmed through them. 

Feng Kui glanced at it and felt a headache coming on. He gave it up and dropped the materials, deciding to leave it to Huan Zixu to talk. But Huan Zixu looked like he had lost the will to fight after losing his power. He wasn’t in the mood to read. 

Only Lian Yufan earnestly read it, then briefly reported to Director Xiao what had happened in the building complex, adding some emphasis to Huan Zixu and Feng Kui’s contributions. He also explained that after the battle, Feng Kui had retained his special ability, while Huan Zixu had lost his. 

“Why is that?” Director Xiao said doubtfully. “Everyone else has kept their powers, and only yours are gone?” 

Director Xiao was pretty disappointed, because Huan Zixu’s power was very strong. It could organize and let out information with high efficiency and speed, its effective range was very wide, and it wouldn’t cause him psychological harm. It could reduce the stress on Luo Huai to the greatest degree. 

Of course, this ability was a double-edged sword. If Huan Zixu had bad intentions, it would be hard for the Protection Organization to keep him down. 

“Because his ability wasn’t bestowed by the world law. It was given to him by the black-cloaked man,” You Zhengping said, having finished reading the materials. 

Annoyed, Huan Zixu said, “When he needed me to take care of the System, he gave me my ability. When he didn’t need me, he took it back. What does he take us for?” 

You Zhengping explained the three rules and the three supplemental rules, then added, “At first you recovered your power because the black-cloaked man’s rules viewed you as a ‘soldier,’ but after the battle, ‘soldiers’ harboring ill-intent would be deprived of their weapons. If you’re asking why you lost your ability, then you also have to ask what ill intentions you have. Feng Kui kept his ability.” 

Huan Zixu: “…” 

Director Xiao was also an old fox. He saw Huan Zixu’s intention at once and said to him, “I think that for you, the best method is collaboration. Each time the Protection Organization asked you to step in, you would demand an exorbitant price in money or power. You weren’t planning on joining the Protection Organization. You were hoping to use your unique ability to coerce the organization. If the black-cloaked man hadn’t erased the people’s memories for us and you had reached the internet police department and sent out red packets on a large scale, what request would you have had?” 

“What are you talking about? I was genuinely and sincerely going to help you,” Huan Zixu said unflappably. 

Just then, a voice drifted through the room: “I was going to bide my time at the internet police department, force the Protection Organization to let Feng Kui go and give me that apartment for free before I would act.” 

This voice was clearly Huan Zixu’s. Who knew why it would float into everyone’s ears? 

“I didn’t say that. That wasn’t me.” Huan Zixu was a little panicked. 

Just then, a soldier knocked on the door from outside. Through the monitor outside the door, everyone could see that the soldier was holding a child, and there was a husky following after him. 

An assistant opened the door and sternly said, “A meeting is in progress. Interruptions are not permitted.” 

“But after the child woke up, he insisted on seeing…” The soldier saw how many people there were in the room and didn’t dare to say You Zhengping’s name aloud. “That captain over there.” 

The moment he saw the child, Huan Zixu instantly understood how his thoughts had leaked out. 

“But the child is still unconscious? How did he insist?” Director Xiao asked, pausing the meeting and going to the door. 

The soldier was struck dumb. He gave himself a shake and said as though just waking from a dream, “That’s right, Liu Junjun didn’t wake up. I was checking his temperature and thought I heard his voice and unconsciously brought him here.” 

“Go ahead and put him down. This ability truly isn’t something a soldier without a special ability can cope with,” Director Xiao said to the soldier. 

The soldier put Junjun on the chair beside You Zhengping and handed a box full of temperature reducing pads to You Zhengping. Then he left the conference room. 

Junjun was on an IV drip. His low fever hadn’t fallen. Medicine was no use, but a fluid infusion could suitably reduce his body temperature. There was normal saline in the IV bag to keep Junjun from being harmed by the fever. 

Director Ha obediently trotted in and crouched beside Junjun’s chair, occasionally touching Junjun’s forehead with its front paws. 

“This is my first time seeing a person who can use his special ability during the low fever period,” Director Xiao said in surprise. “It’s also my first time seeing a special ability user who can influence others without deliberately releasing his power.” 

Luo Huai recognized this as the child whose memories he had taken before and also went over to Junjun. He reached out a hand to check his temperature. 

The moment Luo Huai’s hand made contact with Junjun’s forehead, a star flew up from Luo Huai’s arm and sank into the center of Junjun’s brow. This was the memory that Luo Huai had taken from Junjun. 

Luo Huai’s face, which never displayed his emotions, broke precedent. He said in disbelief, “I’ve absorbed so many people’s memories. This is the first one that’s been returned to its owner.” 

Lian Yufan looked at Luo Huai, clenched his fist, then slightly relaxed it. 

“I’m not surprised.” Director Xiao held Junjun’s little hand while saying something untrue to test whether the thought would float out of his head as had just happened to Huan Zixu, but there was no such phenomenon. 

Director Xiao had seen countless special ability users awaken. With a bit of thought, he could guess at Junjun’s current state. “His power is currently being used unconsciously. Special ability users have the protection of their powers and won’t be forced to say what they’re thinking. Non-special ability users, like Huan Zixu and the soldier just now, will be controlled by his special ability.” 

Huan Zixu was about to fall over from the attack. He was so adept at scheming. If each of his thoughts was publicly broadcast, what was the point of his intelligence! This little boy was simply his nemesis. 

Feng Kui put a large hand on Huan Zixu’s back, not letting him fall, and considerately said, “A-Xu is very good. It’s for my sake.” 

“Why is his power so strong?” Lian Yufan thought of how he had inadvertently understood Director Ha’s speech when they had been in the car. “It’s unusually strong. What actually happened to all of you?” 

This last sentence was addressed to You Zhengping. He hadn’t yet finished reporting. 

“I don’t think it has to do with our experiences,” You Zhengping said thoughtfully. “He’s been influenced by the power of the black-cloaked man. That’s why he’s so strong.” 

Zhen Li said, “The black-cloaked man told me before that he hold all types of abilities. I didn’t understand it then. I thought that all powerful people would be like that. But there were so many high grade levelers at once, but none of them had abilities as complex as that.” 

“That’s because his ability is ‘control.’ For each person who gives him their ‘allegiance,’ their power will increase, and he’ll be able to use that person’s power at will,” You Zhengping explained. “Like a ‘king’ to his ‘subjects’—an ideal leader can bring out his subordinates’ powers to the greatest extent, and the better the subordinates are, then the stronger the leader’s, or rather the group’s, power will be.” 

While Junjun had shuttled through the little world, he had taken part with Director Ha in one contest game during level 11. That must have been when his power had activated. And during all the levels, 11, 289, and 500, Junjun had been very obedient towards Yu Hua. He had shared his food when Yu Hua had told him to, struggled through high school math when Yu Hua had told him to. 

Unwittingly, he had fulfilled the requirements of giving “allegiance,” and that was how he possessed such a frightening potential power when it had just awakened. 

“Why don’t you tell us about your experiences,” Director Xiao said to You Zhengping. “I think they must be vital.” 

Next, all the meeting’s time was handed over to You Zhengping. He briefly related everything that had happened in the little world, and finally said, “It was the world law that took us to that timeline. I don’t know what goal It has or what deal It made with the black-cloaked man. It probably isn’t something we can understand.” 

“You spent so long in the little world. Did you see the black-cloaked man’s identity?” Director Xiao asked. 

Zhen Li, Yuan Luori, and Director Ha simultaneously swallowed nervously. The two men and the dog turned their six eyes to stare fixedly at You Zhengping. 

You Zhengping didn’t avoid Director Xiao’s gaze. He said solemnly, “I did. I know his true identity. As far as that goes, I won’t deny or cover it up. I can’t lie to the organization. But I also can’t tell you. This is a promise I made to him.” 

When Cen Xiao heard this, he couldn’t control himself. He stood up anxiously and grabbed You Zhengping’s shoulder. “What garbage are you talking?” 

“I’m not talking garbage.” You Zhengping smiled at his friend. “I’m concealing something from the organization, and I’m willing to receive punishment. But no matter how you ask, I’m not going to say, not until he’s willing to tell everyone his identity himself.” 

“You’re going to be placed in confinement if you act like this!” Cen Xiao was angry enough for flames to erupt from his head. “Think of Y…your family, waiting for you to come home and eat.” 

You Zhengping didn’t speak. He was looking with concentration at Director Xiao. 

As a Protector, he fully knew the black-cloaked man’s identity, appearance, and past. If he had still acted like he didn’t know, his sense of mission and all the education he had received couldn’t have allowed it. But he had also promised Yu Hua. He had to protect Yu Hua’s peaceful life. 

Director Xiao said, “Are you certain you won’t say?” 

“Yes.” You Zhengping nodded. 

His expression was calm. On the way here, You Zhengping had already prepared himself. 

“It’s time for the conference. I’ll report your circumstances to my superiors. Until the organization has resolved this, return to your room and wait for the outcome,” Director Xiao said.