C14 Meeting

Listening to the conversation between the father and son, Su Wei couldn't help but smirk. Was this really the society he was familiar with? It seemed like he was surrounded by nothing but monsters and oddities! What should he do? He was quite anxious!

Su Wei continued his walk around the artificial lake for another kilometer, eventually finding a bench to sit and catch his breath, his body too tired to go any further. But shortly after he sat down, he sensed someone else taking a seat beside him. Based on the extent of the newcomer's movements and the wobble of the bench, Su Wei surmised that this must be a very burly man!

"You're Su Wei, right?"

A familiar voice suddenly reached him, prompting Su Wei to swiftly turn his head. His first thought was how imposing and large the man was! And he recognized him—it was none other than Liu Zheng, the Order Department chief who had been responsible for awakening his martial soul back at school.

"Oh, Liu Zheng! Good morning!"

Liu Zheng had been a beacon of righteousness, offering encouragement to his fellow students at school. He had even taken the time to speak with Su Wei privately, expressing his hope that Su Wei would join the ranks of the Order Department. But at the time, Su Wei had found Liu Zheng's eagerness suspicious and had not engaged further.

"Do you still have the business card I gave you?" Liu Zheng whispered conspiratorially close to Su Wei's ear.

"What business card?" Su Wei asked, puzzled.

Liu Zheng's eyes widened as he stared at Su Wei. "Hey, you haven't realized it yet?"

"I slipped a card with our internal contact information into your jacket pocket. Haven't you checked your pockets since then?"

"I... Who randomly checks their pockets?" Su Wei grumbled.

"Look at this! You, comrade, clearly lack a sense of vigilance!" Liu Zheng chided him, sounding every bit the senior imparting wisdom to a junior.

Su Wei quickly rummaged through his jacket pocket and discovered a card in the zippered compartment on his left chest. It was smaller than a typical business card and ostentatiously gold in color. On it was a name and a phone number—the name was Liu Zheng, and beside it, a title: Captain of the Sixth Squad of the Order Department.

Captain?

Are you trying to toot your own horn, Su Wei wondered, looking at Liu Zheng with skepticism.

Liu Zheng's cheeks flushed. "Mind your own business!"

"It's my duty! When you're ready, just call me. I'll test your abilities. With your talent, it would be a shame not to join the fight for humanity's peace."

"Did you catch the news yesterday?" Liu Zheng continued, trying to cozy up to Su Wei.

"There's a vicious power lurking in the northern suburbs, breaking the law!"

"It's strange, isn't it? Even though the living conditions have improved and the Spectres have been driven off, people are increasingly bullying their own kind."

"Can you stand to watch a group of elderly ladies and gentlemen get harassed by these dark forces while they're exercising in the park? Can you really bear it?"

Su Wei observed the robust elderly men skillfully handling their weapons and the spry grandmothers with nimble feet.

He really wanted to say, "I truly believe they won't be bullied!"

But at that moment, Su Wei couldn't voice that thought!

After all, these individuals were indeed considered vulnerable in society.

"Our inside sources say that a few fugitives from other Human Gathering Places have fled to our area!"

"Stay alert. Our department has stepped up city patrols. If you run into anything unusual, call us right away," Liu Zheng continued to ramble on.

Listening to all this, Su Wei felt that this was not the kind of information a high school student should be privy to!

Could it be?

Is Liu Zheng planning to use the excuse that I know too much to harm me?

"Ever since you joined the Shadowfell Challenge, I saw a hint of an old friend in you!"

"You may not have many soul marks, but you're steadfast when it counts and someone people can rely on. Your potential is significant. I can't just make empty promises now, but you should take the chance to have the Order Department assess your potential."

What Liu Zheng was actually referring to was his old friend Lee, the former captain!

Lee only had four soul marks and was no match for Liu Zheng, but his strength was more than double that of Liu Zheng's!

On a mission, Lee put forth his utmost effort to shield Liu Zheng from a criminal's desperate resistance. Liu Zheng sustained only minor injuries, but Lee, having suffered severe wounds and lacking prompt medical attention, succumbed to his injuries.

Liu Zheng had always regarded Lee as a father figure, but Lee's sudden departure from this world sparked an awakening within him. A profound sense of responsibility began to emanate from Liu Zheng from that day forward. He abandoned his frivolous ways, matured, and became reliable. He amassed numerous honors.

Yet, who could truly understand the weight of these changes in his heart? Liu Zheng chuckled ruefully to himself. He would have traded all the changes and accolades just to have Lee back.

"Captain Liu, what brings you out here so early?" Su Wei asked, eager for Liu Zheng to take his leave.

"Oh, I live nearby. I'm just picking up some breakfast for my daughter," Liu Zheng replied.

In that moment, Su Wei caught a glimpse of trepidation on Liu Zheng's face. A fleeting look of avoidance in his eyes suggested to Su Wei that Liu Zheng might be battling asthma.

A knowing smile crept into Su Wei's gaze as he observed the shift in Liu Zheng's demeanor—an expression that spoke volumes without words.

Liu Zheng, puzzled, thought to himself, "What could a high school student possibly have to share with me about life experiences?" The whole situation seemed absurd. Despite his outward dismissal, Liu Zheng couldn't shake a feeling of unease.

As Liu Zheng was about to offer further persuasion to Su Wei, cries for help suddenly pierced the air from the nearby hillside. "Help! Help!"

Both Su Wei and Liu Zheng turned to look and saw a figure in a wheelchair careening down the slope at breakneck speed.

In that instant, Su Wei's mind sharpened. The individual descending the hill was clenching the wheelchair's armrests, eyes shut tight, clearly terrified. Upon closer inspection, Su Wei realized the man was a high-level paraplegic—meaning he was paralyzed from the waist down. Somehow, he had lost control of his wheelchair and was now hurtling down the hillside.

Su Wei and Liu Zheng both charged forward simultaneously, but ultimately, they were a step behind the power of the machinery!

The young man, paralyzed from the waist up, had already plunged into the freshly cracked ice, along with his wheelchair, right into the path of the winter swimmers preparing to race.

"Quick, save him!"

Liu Zheng yelled before swiftly stripping off his down jacket and thrusting it into Su Wei's arms. Without a moment to spare for his other belongings, he dove into the icy waters of the lake.

The December chill was piercing to the bone!

Su Wei had never braved winter swimming, and even washing his hands under a running tap in winter was unbearably cold. How much colder could the lake be?

Within thirty seconds, two heads burst through the surface of the water. After gasping for air, one of them began dragging the other toward the shore.

"Quick! Where's the doctor?"

"They've been called, 119 and 110. They'll be here any minute!"

At that moment, a middle-aged woman who had hurried down from the hillside anxiously watched Captain Liu Zheng and the young man with the high-level paralysis in his arms.

"Who would do such a thing? Someone placed a magnet under the handle of the patient's wheelchair, causing the electronic brake to fail."

"Make sure you look into this when you get back!"

The middle-aged woman pondered who could have committed such a senseless act.

Liu Zheng gave her careful instructions, and without waiting for the medical team to arrive, he and Su Wei departed.

"Hey, Captain Liu, aren't you going to wait for the ambulance? You're drenched and it's freezing out; you could easily catch a cold," Su Wei asked, his concern evident.

"Hahaha! You're measuring me by the standards of an ordinary person. I'm a third-level Soul Master; don't sell me short!"

With that, Liu Zheng unleashed his Horcrux energy in front of Su Wei. A golden aura emanated from his body, swirling around him.

After a few moments, Liu Zheng seemed as though he had just stepped out of a sauna, his clothes now completely dry.

"Just like that, I'm all set. I'll just change into something clean when I get back!"

"There's really no need to bother with the hospital. It would be superfluous!"

Observing the candid man before him, Su Wei couldn't help but feel a pang of discomfort.

"Come on, I need to go buy breakfast again. Why don't you join me? Have you eaten yet?"

Outside the breakfast shop, despite Liu Zheng's persistent invitations, Su Wei decided to head home.

But in that moment, Su Wei's heart was profoundly stirred.

Could this be the city's protector?

Someone who steps up when needed and then departs quietly, their deeds and fame unsung.

In that instant, Su Wei couldn't deny that he was touched.

"Maybe I'll make time to visit the Order Department!"

"A department that exudes such warmth seems quite appealing!"

Su Wei mused to himself.