C2 The Preliminary Exploration of the Superpower

It was precisely 10:30 AM when Lin Hann decided to cook the instant noodles he had bought the day before. As he picked up the package, a sense of familiarity washed over him, yet it was different from earlier. Previously, he had involuntarily copied Lau Ruyan's ability, but now Lin Hann could choose whether to activate the Copy Esper or not.

"It's so much better this way. It would be a real hassle if I couldn't control it," Lin Hann thought to himself.

Due to financial constraints the previous evening, Lin Hann had only purchased a single packet of noodles. Gripping the instant noodles, he closed his eyes and concentrated.

"Copy!"

Lin Hann distinctly felt the progress bar in his mind shoot up to 100%. He reached out with his consciousness to touch the progress bar, and something miraculous occurred. A duplicate packet of instant noodles slowly materialized in his hand.

"Awesome!" Lin Hann exclaimed in excitement. He eagerly experimented with eggs and sausages. After duplicating the sausages, Lin Hann felt a slight heaviness in his mind, a reminder that he was still new to his powers and recovering from an injury, and that using his Esper ability was taxing.

Lin Hann stopped his duplication efforts and proceeded to cook the noodles, reveling in the luxury of a double portion. "Double the servings, double the pleasure!"

Through several trials, Lin Hann gained a preliminary understanding of his Esper ability. To begin with, the Copy Esper required physical contact with the target, scanning it into a mental space in a manner akin to a scanner, which drained mental energy. Then, it used his own energy to manifest the target into reality. The scanning process and the speed of manifestation varied depending on the target's specifics.

"I wonder when I'll be able to use Lau Ruyan's abilities," Lin Hann pondered. He was aware that, having only recently awakened to his powers and having scanned Lau Ruyan's ability into his mind, he was not yet capable of using it.

The small mental space in Lin Hann's mind had become cluttered with various items due to his exploration of his abilities, creating a sense of mental burden. Lin Hann attempted to delete the progress bar for the egg, and as it slowly faded away, he felt an immediate sense of relief. He promptly cleared out the space, keeping only the progress bar for Lau Ruyan's ability.

After tidying up his home, Lin Hann paid his landlord, Iron Bro, 1800 yuan and headed out with his keys in hand.

Lin Hann hailed a taxi to the Old Street in Hui City, the hub of tourism in the area. This street had been a bustling commercial center for centuries. A main thoroughfare stretched for three to four kilometers, flanked by numerous side streets, each with its own distinctive flair. There were streets dedicated to snack vendors, antiques, and even a modernized strip featuring Western restaurants.

Upon arriving, Lin Hann made a beeline for Antique Street, leaving the taxi driver to ponder the 15 steel coins left behind by Lin Yi. The driver was taken aback that someone still carried cash, let alone steel coins, and all from the year 2018. "What a peculiar fellow," he muttered before driving off.

In the world of antiques, it's common knowledge that the majority of items are replicas, with the occasional piece being a mix of authentic and counterfeit. Lin Hann had once believed he was different, capable of uncovering treasures that eluded others, but he had paid his dues in learning the hard truths of the trade. After all, if it were easy to strike it rich in this business, there wouldn't be such an abundance of forgeries, nor would so many have sunk their fortunes into it.

But Lin Hann's circumstances had changed; he had awakened a supernatural ability that allowed him to discern the real from the fake. As he approached Antique Street, he noticed a crowd gathered around a particular stall. The stall's owner, a short and stocky man, was loudly advertising, "Family heirloom for sale! Don't miss out on this opportunity!"

Lin Hann surveyed the stall. A variety of items were displayed on a long table covered with a cloth: small bowls, cups, jars, and other household goods, along with a jade Buddha resembling a rotund Maitreya. The centerpiece of the stall was a finely crafted small dagger, about seven to eight centimeters in length. Oddly, the handle was disproportionately short, only one-tenth the length of the blade, making it resemble a miniature sword more than a dagger.

The crowd gathered around the stall was primarily drawn by the dagger, its design striking and reminiscent of ancient craftsmanship. At that moment, a man facing the stallholder spoke up, "Laohei, we go way back. Who are you trying to fool with all these so-called heirlooms?" Lin Hann's gaze shifted to the speaker, a man clad in a Tang suit, who appeared to be in his forties, standing around 1.8 meters tall, exuding an air of natural authority.

"Old Master Ye, have you taken a liking to any particular item?" Laohei, the stall owner, was unfazed by the accusation and continued to inquire with a smile.

"There's nothing of value here, though I can't quite figure out this 'sword' of yours. You seem to have had quite the fortune during your travels," Old Master Ye remarked playfully, toying with a pair of walnuts.

Elder Ye, you jest. This dagger's origins are not to be underestimated—it's ancient, I assure you, predating the Great Shang Dynasty. Imagine, after all this time, it bears no marks of age. It's a mystery how the original craftsmen achieved such a feat."

Laohei's words piqued the interest of the onlookers. Lin Hann, tucked away in a corner, scrutinized the dagger closely. Suddenly, it gleamed brilliantly before his eyes. He squinted, scanning the crowd, but no one else seemed to notice anything amiss. It was then that he recalled Lau Ruyan's words: the realm of ordinary people differed from that of espers. The dagger must have a connection to espers, which explained why only he had detected the anomaly.

As Lin Hann pondered how to acquire the dagger, a man burst through the crowd, seized Laohei by the collar, and hissed, "Laohei, you've barely left Copper City after your last scam, and now you've set up shop in Hui City? Return my money!"

The situation became clear to the bystanders: this man had likely been duped by Laohei and, in a rage, had pursued him from Copper City to Hui City. In this line of work, it was common for deception to occur—buyers and sellers often took their chances without much recourse. But this time, it seemed, Laohei had encountered someone who wasn't going to let it slide so easily.

"Brother, since you've already made a purchase from Laohei, you must have been certain of the item's worth. That's why you decided to buy it. Seeking someone out afterwards doesn't seem quite right, does it?" Old Master Ye, from within the crowd, chimed in.

"What do you all know? This unscrupulous Laohei sold me a mass-produced dagger, claiming it was a high-quality heirloom from thousands of years ago. I was foolish enough to believe him, thinking I'd snagged a huge bargain for a million yuan. Imagine my shock when I got home and found out that each of my friends had the exact same dagger!" With that, the man pulled out a dagger from his pocket and slammed it down on the table.

Placed next to the original on the stall, the dagger was indeed identical. The crowd collectively breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that the man had shown up when he did. Otherwise, given the number of people there today, they would have surely spent more than the man's one million yuan.

Before long, the crowd had dispersed, leaving only Old Master Ye, the man from Copper City, and Lin Hann at the stall.

"Boss, may I take a look at this dagger?" Lin Hann inquired.

"Oh? Young man, you're still interested?" Laohei, unfazed by the man's outburst, asked with a smile.

Lin Hann stepped forward, taking both daggers in hand. They were indistinguishable in weight, and to the naked eye, their style and craftsmanship appeared identical. However, to Lin Hann, the original dagger on the stall seemed to radiate a certain light, whereas the one brought by the man seemed utterly mundane.

"Copy!" Lin Hann concentrated.

Copying: 1%...38%...63%...89%...100% Success!

After about ten seconds, Lin Hann felt a significant drain on his spirit and a slight pressure in his head, but the duplication was complete. It had been more challenging than copying Lau Ruyan's esper ability, and Lin Hann realized he had stumbled upon a real gem.

"Boss, I can't really tell the difference; just a bit curious," Lin Hann said, replacing the dagger and offering Laohei an apologetic smile. He then returned to his spot, still keen to observe, with no immediate plans to leave.

"Can you make anything of this? These items are all mass-produced," the man from Copper City said with a hint of irritation.

It was then that Old Master Ye, who had been observing the scene, spoke up, "Laohei, what's your asking price?"

A sharp gleam appeared in Laohei's eyes as he responded with a grin, "For someone as earnest as Old Master Ye, thirty million."

"Done!" With that, he picked up the dagger and tucked it away. "You'll have the funds in your account within ten minutes." Old Master Ye then turned and walked away. After a few steps, he paused and cast a significant look back at Lin Hann before vanishing at the fork in the road.

Once Old Master Ye had departed, Laohei checked his phone and saw that the thirty million had indeed been deposited. He packed up his stall and addressed the man from Copper City, "Xu Gang, are you still interested in this dagger? If not, I'll be taking it with me."

Xu Gang, still reeling from the recent events, hastily responded to Laohei's query, "Yes, yes, of course! Heh, Brother Hei, what's so special about this dagger?" He then carefully slipped the dagger into his pocket.

"You've got potential, kid!" Laohei, paying no mind to Xu Gang, turned and threw a cryptic remark at Lin Hann before walking away.

Lin Hann had a hunch that Laohei and Old Master Ye, even if they weren't paranormals themselves, must frequently deal with such individuals, which explained their unconventional behavior. His own reaction had been subtle, but his fascination with the dagger hadn't gone unnoticed by the seasoned pair.

Now, Lin Hann was eager to return home to examine the dagger more closely. Unbeknownst to him, a watchful gaze followed him from a distance.