Chapter 167: Second Stage

After Han Bing’s meticulous analysis, Lu Xin no longer hesitated, quickly making his decision.

Agreed.

Completely forfeiting the reward was simply impossible.

That 3 million couldn’t just fly away. Absolutely not.

But matters concerning the “Second Stage” were extremely important; he very much wanted to understand them himself. Therefore, advancement within the special talent system was also crucial to him. Since Han Bing had exploited a loophole in Qinggang City’s regulations, he naturally wouldn’t refuse.

As for the idea of receiving both the reward and an upgrade in special talent treatment—Lu Xin didn’t consider that.

He thought it quite reasonable.

Qinggang City had one Main City plus five Satellite Cities—so many people! Why should they give him special treatment?

……

“In this case, for this tracking mission against the Knights Order, Mr. Lone Soldier will receive 1.5 million… Leveraging Clause Twelve of Qinggang City’s Special Provisions, I will secure the full, after-tax amount for Mr. Lone Soldier…”

“Besides regularization, Mr. Lone Soldier will also be directly upgraded to second-level special talent treatment.”

“This corresponds to third-level citizen treatment.”

“…””

“Mr. Lone Soldier will receive corresponding task stipends for Qing Harbor Satellite City No.2, retirement benefits, and medical insurance, as well as the authority to hold important positions in the Administrative Hall, purchase property in certain special zones, and so on. Additionally, Mr. Lone Soldier will obtain a specially approved Special Passage Permit, allowing unrestricted entry into the other four Satellite Cities, or entry into the Main City upon advance application…”

“The reward for this mission will be transferred to your account in multiple batches within three business days.”

“I will also prepare the regularization agreement and identity upgrade in the system within the shortest possible time.”

“The items seized during this mission, as well as the transportation you requested, have already received approval and will be delivered to you soon.”

“Ah, right, the motorcycle you applied for—I especially asked my colleagues in the R&D department to modify it…”

“Once formally regularized, you naturally have privileges in this regard…”

……

Listening to Han Bing’s cheerful and clear explanation, Lu Xin felt an indescribable sense of happiness.

He particularly enjoyed hearing Han Bing talk about these things; he wouldn’t tire of it even if she went on forever.

The only problem was the lingering discomfort when he thought about the missing 1.5 million…

……

“Mr. Lone Soldier, if you agree, I will apply now. You could wait at the Guard Bureau for a bit. I estimate that by this afternoon, I can have all the contracts drafted. Once you sign them, the process can begin immediately, and the disbursements will be finalized…”

“Alright…”

Lu Xin promptly agreed.

After Han Bing hung up, he sat for a moment, beginning to ponder an important question: “How much have I earned in total?”

“Reporting the Xu Family Father and Daughter hiding that painting: 10,000…”

“Wanzhong Plaza Contamination outbreak: 100,000…”

“Dealing with the Mental Contamination Bomb under the Southern Wall: 300,000…”

“Then… Blackwater Town. Actually, there was no fine, but I applied anyway: 3,000…”

“Asking for directions at Happy Town: an extra 100…”

“They reimbursed my bullet expenditure, so I saved 10 bullets. 10 yuan per bullet…”

“Plus exploring Happy Town: 300,000…”

“The seized gear from the Knights Order: the motorcycles and their weapons… 8,000?”

“…So cheap?”

“Fortunately, I got a bit off that Crimson Suit guy at Blackwater Town too…”

“The Bounty mission: 1,500,000!!!”

“…””

“So, not counting those subsidies whose amounts are unclear yet, I’ve earned a total of…”

“2,221,200 yuan…”

After a moment of silence, the corner of Lu Xin’s mouth lifted slightly, and he decided to calculate it all again.

Time slipped unnoticed into noon. The little policewoman knocked lightly and entered the Conference Room. She had thought there was no training today and wouldn’t disturb this “special talent,” but upon entering, she saw a paper crammed full of what looked like startlingly large numbers. She immediately averted her gaze in fright. Quietly pouring him a cup of tea, she slowly backed out.

Maybe next time she should just call him; otherwise, she kept catching him calculating classified things.

……

That afternoon, a brand new contract was indeed delivered as promised by an administrative staff member.

After carefully reviewing it, Lu Xin signed his name.

His close scrutiny was solely on whether there was any clause forbidding the retention of personal secrets after formal recruitment as a special talent. However, he was reassured in the end—there was no such clause—so he could sign confidently.

It was a slight pity, though. During the initial recruitment, Chen Jing personally came to sign with him.

Now that he was becoming official, why was it just an ordinary staff member this time?

…

Could this mean the leader had entrusted him with confidence?

…

“Mr. Lone Soldier, I noticed you’ve been upgraded to a Level Two Special Agent, your permissions have changed.”

“Now, I can explain the concept of the ‘Second Stage’ to you.”

…

Han Bing’s call rang through at the perfect moment.

Lu Xin hadn’t expected this pleasant-voiced young woman to possess such an efficient, decisive side to her duties. He steadied his mind and said, “Alright.”

“The Second Stage is actually a concept related to the development of abilities,” Han Bing said, accompanied by a soft rustling of paper that conjured an image of a charming girl talking while leafing through nearby documents: “Because before, Mr. Lone Soldier only completed part of the training on Special Contamination Source classification and handling methods… so you haven’t started learning about Ability User categorization and counter-scope areas…”

“These two aspects are interconnected, and now is also the ideal time for me to begin explaining them to Mr. Lone Soldier…”

…

“I wonder if you’ve heard that an Ability User, under normal circumstances, can develop three abilities?”

Lu Xin hastily snapped out of his drifting thoughts and nodded. “Yes, I have.”

“Hmm,” Han Bing responded with a melodic hum and said: “People affected by the Crimson Moon who exhibit abnormal Mental Power can all be classified as Ability Users, but not every Ability User can develop three abilities. Many Ability Users experienced worsening abnormalities leading to Loss of Control, turning into Sources of Contamination; or due to insufficient Psychic Magnitude, did not develop their own abilities.”

“And discovering their abilities, then developing and mastering three abilities while maintaining stability.”

“That is the First Stage.”

…

Han Bing paused briefly at this point and said: “The Second Stage is an extension of the First Stage.”

“For different Ability Users, we’ve assigned distinct codenames based on their varied ability features.”

“Currently, Qinggang City has records of nine types, including Spider-Type, Princess-type, Dreamweaver-type, Puppet-Type, Phantom-type, Doctor-type, Dancer-type, Ghost-type, and Curse-type. Additionally, it’s certain there are many more unrecorded ones.”

…

“Different ability systems, because of their varying Psychic Magnitude levels and ability characteristics, correspond to different grades. For instance, under normal conditions, the Spider-Type, even with abilities developed to their peak, can only reach Grade B; whereas some Ability Users demonstrated abilities from the start that reached the terrifying Grade A, or even the unsolvable Grade S.”

Was this because Ability Users were innately superior or inferior?

…

Lu Xin froze for a second and was on the verge of replying, but Han Bing pressed on: “Actually, that’s not correct.”

“The former Lunar Eclipse Research Institute once proposed a viewpoint that no hierarchy should exist between different ability systems; some abilities are merely more common and stable, but with enhancement, they can also reveal horrifying aspects.”

After saying this, the sound of Han Bing flipping a page drifted over.

Then she whispered softly: “Assisting Ability Users to strengthen, and even extend to greater abilities, this is the Second Stage.”

“Simply put, the Second Stage is the… evolution of Ability Users!”

…

Ability Users could actually undergo evolution?

Han Bing’s words evoked a profoundly strange sensation in Lu Xin.

First came a sense of disbelief, second was an eerie feeling arising from the depths of his mind.

He had always considered the emergence of abilities bizarre enough in itself.

For ordinary people, those with abilities were already absurdly powerful beings.

Now, he learned there were those who felt they weren’t strong enough.

They actually wanted Ability Users to develop superior abilities…

For some unfathomable reason, deep in his subconscious, Lu Xin felt intensely repulsed by this concept.