“This is confidential information, and I cannot disclose that to you,” Li Dan said.
Answering Ren Suo’s question, Li Dan, with his dark eye circles, opened the door to his office and said, “I’ll need to get approval from the Deputy Director first… Why don’t you ask him yourself?”
With that, Ren Suo and Li Dan walked over to Yu Kuangtu’s office, and Li Dan went right in after knocking the door. The two of them must be very close—or that Yu Kuangtu had never been found unclothed or watching adult videos in his room.
It turned out that indeed, Yu Kuangtu was not doing anything that would be frowned upon by society. Instead, he was leaning back on his chair with his eyes closed. Ren Suo was somewhat confused initially, but after taking a look around the room, he immediately understood what was going on.
“There’s even a Reiki storage device installed here? You’re Practicing as you work, tch tch tch…” Ren Suo said.
Yu Kuangtu opened his eyes and replied, “It’s a special privilege for a deputy director. Well, you made it seem as if you’re not also Practicing while you’re working… Ah, no, you weren’t. You don’t work, you only Practice.”
Ren Suo said, “How are you so free as a Deputy Director…”
Taking his time, Yu Kuangtu said, “Li Dan and the others have all been promoted to tier 2, so they can take up some of my duties. Wouldn’t I be a fool if I don’t Practice, now that I have more time? Progressing in our Practice is the most important. Anyway, what’s up, why are you so free to come all the way here to find me?”
Li Dan said, “Ren Suo wants to browse through the information that the Division has about Awakeners and monsters harming people.”
Yu Kuangtu was slightly interested and straightened his back as he looked at Ren Suo. After a moment of silence, he did not say yes, nor did he say no. Instead, he asked, “Can the Countermeasure Division benefit from you doing so?”
Ren Suo exhaled and replied, “If the truth is as I imagine, then… we might be able to discover a huge secret.”
Yu Kuangtu scrutinized Ren Suo suspiciously, then he nodded and said, “Li Dan, bring him to the archives room to search.”
…
An hour and a half later, Ren Suo and Li Dan went to find Yu Kuangtu again, with three files in hand.
Yu Kuangtu asked, “What did you find?”
Ren Suo handed the document over to Yu Kuangtu, and he looked at it. The three files all described monsters injuring people. In summary, they were all undesirable incidents that occurred in Lianjiang City where Awakeners turned into demons and went berserk, intentionally attacking relatives, friends, or passers-by.
“Are there any problems regarding these cases?” Yu Kuangtu asked.
Ren Suo questioned, “Would the Countermeasure Division be able to know beforehand if they possess Awakened Abilities?”
Yu Kuangtu immediately shook his head and replied, “Even till today, the Countermeasure System still does not have a set of equipment which is able to confirm 100% that a person has an Awakened Ability.”
Ren Suo said, “Take a look at the ages of these few attackers, and their states of life before they attacked others.”
“They are 14, 32, and 36-year-old and are an orphan, a construction worker, and unemployed respectively,” Yu Kuangtu said. He continued, “They generally lived decently and were law-abiding before they began attacking others.”
Ren Suo tapped the table with his index finger and said, “Their lives had not been going their way, and they were even under tremendous pressure to keep themselves alive. Furthermore, they had all Awakened and possessed breathing currents, so it is possible for them to experience contamination by Reiki and be demonized.”
“‘Explaining Demonization’ is an article in the ‘Best Articles’ section on the intranet,” Yu Kuangtu said emotionlessly. He continued, “I already know all of the information mentioned in the article. You aren’t just talking about this, are you?”
“No, no, no. I actually discovered a problem. Has anyone ever interrogated them?” Ren Suo asked.
“The brains of those who have turned into demons end up abnormal. Even if they are sent for treatment and forcefully controlled, you would only get back senseless people,” Yu Kuangtu answered helplessly. He added, “If you want to see those senseless humans, take bus route 466 to Yingquan Station, then transfer to bus route 23 to Lianjiang Number 3 Hospital.”
Ren Suo said, “In that case, it means that we still do not know why these people, who were originally ordinary humans and never once used their Awakened Abilities for their own benefit to solve the challenges they faced in life, suddenly became demonized and turned berserk.”
Yu Kuangtu looked at Ren Suo and asked, “What exactly are you driving at?”
Ren Suo explained, “These three cases are different from the other cases of demon-humans. All of the other demon-humans had past records of them committing illegal acts to reap benefits for themselves, through which they sink into the endless pit of crimes. Eventually, they are demonized, turn berserk, and they attack others.”
“However, this was not the case for these 3 Awakeners. They were still going about their lives as they always had been, even the day before they attacked others. It is simply too sudden that they were quickly demonized and went berserk.”
“If they had known that they possessed Awakened Abilities and could become Practitioners, do you think that they would still be demonized?”
Yu Kuangtu frowned slightly, then nodded slightly. He said, “So, there is only one explanation for that—they did not know that they possessed Awakened Abilities, and were likely to have been partially Awakened.”
Ren Suo said, “However, it is very hard to tell that a person was partially Awakened. It is very common for those who are undergoing ordinary Awakening to assume that they are down with a cold and running a fever. It would be even more impossible for those who acquired Reiki meridian channels but not Awakening Knowledge to realize the changes that occurred in their body.”
“Moreover, due to their age, they were not within the target group of students for the current Practitioner Institutions. As a result, they would certainly not think that they had the opportunity to become a Practitioner, and that they could have broken free and solved all the problems they faced in life.”
“However, after they Awakened, they continued to be overwhelmed by the pressures which they faced in life. Although this is not the same as committing crimes, the pressure that accumulated in their hearts also gradually demonized them over time.”
“They might not be noticed usually, but when their contained stress exceeds a certain limit, the jealousy, anger, and resentment in them would explode, thereby causing dangerous incidents. It is not possible to stop negative feelings from arising, but the problem was that life was unable to provide them with sufficient positive feedback. They were, hence, unable to break free from being enticed and corrupted by Reiki. Eventually, they would only sink deeper and deeper into the unending pit.”
Yu Kuangtu took a deep breath and said, “I don’t deny that there is indeed such a possibility.”
Ren Suo continued, “The problem now, then, would be…”
“How many of such partially Awakened people do you think remain in the city, who are similarly suppressing their feelings of agony and could be demonized, turn berserk, and erupt at any time?”
The office turned silent.
After a long silence, Yu Kuangtu finally asked, “Are there any more discoveries?”
“There are no more,” Ren Suo replied.
“Then, you may go back first. Li Dan, please stay put,” Yu Kuangtu said.
Ren Suo nodded. He patted Li Dan’s shoulder and said, “I’ll come again another time.”
“I’m not feeling sleepy,” Li Dan replied with his two panda eyes.
After he left the Countermeasure Division building, Ren Suo looked up at the brightly lit sky but suddenly felt slightly cold inside.
He did not feel like heading home just yet, so he went to the stadium to Practice for the entire afternoon.
When he went to Dong Chengling’s house for dinner that night, Gu Yueyan still had not returned from home. However, perhaps it was because Ren Suo’s unusual mood showed too obviously, or that Dong Chengling truly had outstanding observation skills, she asked, “What’s the matter, did anything happen?”
Ren Suo hesitated and decided to rephrase his concerns. He asked, “I recently watched a new anime series… It was set in the context of a modern-day city, and was about how ordinary people could become monsters and attack other people at any time.”
“Initially, everyone thought that such a situation was an extremely rare and unique case, and that the government was also in good control of the situation. However, the protagonist then discovered that many ordinary people had the potential to turn into monsters. Do you think that, if the protagonist announced this information, it would cause people to panic? When ordinary people realize that their neighbors and anyone who walked past could possibly turn into monsters, would they feel extremely scared?”
Dong Chengling tilted her head slightly, then shook her head. She said, “I have never seen such films before.”
“However, don’t such stories usually have pleasant and happy endings? The protagonist would certainly find a solution to the problem in the end, no?”
Ren Suo was momentarily stunned. He replied, “That’s true, I must have been thinking too much into it.”
Dong Chengling said with a smile, “Don’t worry, such a situation would not happen in reality.”
“That’s because this world does not rely on a protagonist to save humankind. If anything really happens, it would be a challenge that people must work together to overcome. The only thing we can do is to play our part well, and not think of ourselves as the only protagonist.”
Dong Chengling suddenly changed the subject and asked, “By the way, how has your Practice been recently?”
“Eh…? It’s going fine, I suppose,” Ren Suo replied.
Dong Chengling sighed so softly that it could not be heard. She immediately smiled and said, “Let’s work hard together. If Xiao Yan gets promoted earlier than you, she will surely make fun of you, all the way to your doorstep.”
“Heh, I’m not worried about that though, I would surely get promoted before she does,” Ren Suo replied.
——————
When Ren Suo returned home, he turned on the Mini Worlds game console and continued his journey in “Fleeing Ghosts in the Night”.
Although Ren Suo had realized that, if the true events which took place in the game were broadcasted, it would very likely cause people to panic—for it was not possible to stop ‘Naisser Ren’s’ videos from being on the Internet.
However, all of those worries would not disappear if he pretended not to know about them. He would just be deceiving himself and others if he ignored them, so it would be wiser to publish that information and bring it to the attention of nations around the world. In that way, the problem of partial Awakeners being demonized could be solved more quickly. That would be more beneficial than letting large numbers of demonized people appear before tackling the problem seriously when disastrous and unsalvageable consequences would have already resulted.
Moreover, as Ren Suo looked at the golden cup of [Desires Collected], he constantly felt a strange sense of anticipation.
He faintly sensed that, when the golden cup was filled, he might receive a… pleasant surprise.
“This is confidential information, and I cannot disclose that to you,” Li Dan said.
Answering Ren Suo’s question, Li Dan, with his dark eye circles, opened the door to his office and said, “I’ll need to get approval from the Deputy Director first… Why don’t you ask him yourself?”
With that, Ren Suo and Li Dan walked over to Yu Kuangtu’s office, and Li Dan went right in after knocking the door. The two of them must be very close—or that Yu Kuangtu had never been found unclothed or watching adult videos in his room.
It turned out that indeed, Yu Kuangtu was not doing anything that would be frowned upon by society. Instead, he was leaning back on his chair with his eyes closed. Ren Suo was somewhat confused initially, but after taking a look around the room, he immediately understood what was going on.
“There’s even a Reiki storage device installed here? You’re Practicing as you work, tch tch tch…” Ren Suo said.
Yu Kuangtu opened his eyes and replied, “It’s a special privilege for a deputy director. Well, you made it seem as if you’re not also Practicing while you’re working… Ah, no, you weren’t. You don’t work, you only Practice.”
Ren Suo said, “How are you so free as a Deputy Director…”
Taking his time, Yu Kuangtu said, “Li Dan and the others have all been promoted to tier 2, so they can take up some of my duties. Wouldn’t I be a fool if I don’t Practice, now that I have more time? Progressing in our Practice is the most important. Anyway, what’s up, why are you so free to come all the way here to find me?”
Li Dan said, “Ren Suo wants to browse through the information that the Division has about Awakeners and monsters harming people.”
Yu Kuangtu was slightly interested and straightened his back as he looked at Ren Suo. After a moment of silence, he did not say yes, nor did he say no. Instead, he asked, “Can the Countermeasure Division benefit from you doing so?”
Ren Suo exhaled and replied, “If the truth is as I imagine, then… we might be able to discover a huge secret.”
Yu Kuangtu scrutinized Ren Suo suspiciously, then he nodded and said, “Li Dan, bring him to the archives room to search.”
…
An hour and a half later, Ren Suo and Li Dan went to find Yu Kuangtu again, with three files in hand.
Yu Kuangtu asked, “What did you find?”
Ren Suo handed the document over to Yu Kuangtu, and he looked at it. The three files all described monsters injuring people. In summary, they were all undesirable incidents that occurred in Lianjiang City where Awakeners turned into demons and went berserk, intentionally attacking relatives, friends, or passers-by.
“Are there any problems regarding these cases?” Yu Kuangtu asked.
Ren Suo questioned, “Would the Countermeasure Division be able to know beforehand if they possess Awakened Abilities?”
Yu Kuangtu immediately shook his head and replied, “Even till today, the Countermeasure System still does not have a set of equipment which is able to confirm 100% that a person has an Awakened Ability.”
Ren Suo said, “Take a look at the ages of these few attackers, and their states of life before they attacked others.”
“They are 14, 32, and 36-year-old and are an orphan, a construction worker, and unemployed respectively,” Yu Kuangtu said. He continued, “They generally lived decently and were law-abiding before they began attacking others.”
Ren Suo tapped the table with his index finger and said, “Their lives had not been going their way, and they were even under tremendous pressure to keep themselves alive. Furthermore, they had all Awakened and possessed breathing currents, so it is possible for them to experience contamination by Reiki and be demonized.”
“‘Explaining Demonization’ is an article in the ‘Best Articles’ section on the intranet,” Yu Kuangtu said emotionlessly. He continued, “I already know all of the information mentioned in the article. You aren’t just talking about this, are you?”
“No, no, no. I actually discovered a problem. Has anyone ever interrogated them?” Ren Suo asked.
“The brains of those who have turned into demons end up abnormal. Even if they are sent for treatment and forcefully controlled, you would only get back senseless people,” Yu Kuangtu answered helplessly. He added, “If you want to see those senseless humans, take bus route 466 to Yingquan Station, then transfer to bus route 23 to Lianjiang Number 3 Hospital.”
Ren Suo said, “In that case, it means that we still do not know why these people, who were originally ordinary humans and never once used their Awakened Abilities for their own benefit to solve the challenges they faced in life, suddenly became demonized and turned berserk.”
Yu Kuangtu looked at Ren Suo and asked, “What exactly are you driving at?”
Ren Suo explained, “These three cases are different from the other cases of demon-humans. All of the other demon-humans had past records of them committing illegal acts to reap benefits for themselves, through which they sink into the endless pit of crimes. Eventually, they are demonized, turn berserk, and they attack others.”
“However, this was not the case for these 3 Awakeners. They were still going about their lives as they always had been, even the day before they attacked others. It is simply too sudden that they were quickly demonized and went berserk.”
“If they had known that they possessed Awakened Abilities and could become Practitioners, do you think that they would still be demonized?”
Yu Kuangtu frowned slightly, then nodded slightly. He said, “So, there is only one explanation for that—they did not know that they possessed Awakened Abilities, and were likely to have been partially Awakened.”
Ren Suo said, “However, it is very hard to tell that a person was partially Awakened. It is very common for those who are undergoing ordinary Awakening to assume that they are down with a cold and running a fever. It would be even more impossible for those who acquired Reiki meridian channels but not Awakening Knowledge to realize the changes that occurred in their body.”
“Moreover, due to their age, they were not within the target group of students for the current Practitioner Institutions. As a result, they would certainly not think that they had the opportunity to become a Practitioner, and that they could have broken free and solved all the problems they faced in life.”
“However, after they Awakened, they continued to be overwhelmed by the pressures which they faced in life. Although this is not the same as committing crimes, the pressure that accumulated in their hearts also gradually demonized them over time.”
“They might not be noticed usually, but when their contained stress exceeds a certain limit, the jealousy, anger, and resentment in them would explode, thereby causing dangerous incidents. It is not possible to stop negative feelings from arising, but the problem was that life was unable to provide them with sufficient positive feedback. They were, hence, unable to break free from being enticed and corrupted by Reiki. Eventually, they would only sink deeper and deeper into the unending pit.”
Yu Kuangtu took a deep breath and said, “I don’t deny that there is indeed such a possibility.”
Ren Suo continued, “The problem now, then, would be…”
“How many of such partially Awakened people do you think remain in the city, who are similarly suppressing their feelings of agony and could be demonized, turn berserk, and erupt at any time?”
The office turned silent.
After a long silence, Yu Kuangtu finally asked, “Are there any more discoveries?”
“There are no more,” Ren Suo replied.
“Then, you may go back first. Li Dan, please stay put,” Yu Kuangtu said.
Ren Suo nodded. He patted Li Dan’s shoulder and said, “I’ll come again another time.”
“I’m not feeling sleepy,” Li Dan replied with his two panda eyes.
After he left the Countermeasure Division building, Ren Suo looked up at the brightly lit sky but suddenly felt slightly cold inside.
He did not feel like heading home just yet, so he went to the stadium to Practice for the entire afternoon.
When he went to Dong Chengling’s house for dinner that night, Gu Yueyan still had not returned from home. However, perhaps it was because Ren Suo’s unusual mood showed too obviously, or that Dong Chengling truly had outstanding observation skills, she asked, “What’s the matter, did anything happen?”
Ren Suo hesitated and decided to rephrase his concerns. He asked, “I recently watched a new anime series… It was set in the context of a modern-day city, and was about how ordinary people could become monsters and attack other people at any time.”
“Initially, everyone thought that such a situation was an extremely rare and unique case, and that the government was also in good control of the situation. However, the protagonist then discovered that many ordinary people had the potential to turn into monsters. Do you think that, if the protagonist announced this information, it would cause people to panic? When ordinary people realize that their neighbors and anyone who walked past could possibly turn into monsters, would they feel extremely scared?”
Dong Chengling tilted her head slightly, then shook her head. She said, “I have never seen such films before.”
“However, don’t such stories usually have pleasant and happy endings? The protagonist would certainly find a solution to the problem in the end, no?”
Ren Suo was momentarily stunned. He replied, “That’s true, I must have been thinking too much into it.”
Dong Chengling said with a smile, “Don’t worry, such a situation would not happen in reality.”
“That’s because this world does not rely on a protagonist to save humankind. If anything really happens, it would be a challenge that people must work together to overcome. The only thing we can do is to play our part well, and not think of ourselves as the only protagonist.”
Dong Chengling suddenly changed the subject and asked, “By the way, how has your Practice been recently?”
“Eh…? It’s going fine, I suppose,” Ren Suo replied.
Dong Chengling sighed so softly that it could not be heard. She immediately smiled and said, “Let’s work hard together. If Xiao Yan gets promoted earlier than you, she will surely make fun of you, all the way to your doorstep.”
“Heh, I’m not worried about that though, I would surely get promoted before she does,” Ren Suo replied.
——————
When Ren Suo returned home, he turned on the Mini Worlds game console and continued his journey in “Fleeing Ghosts in the Night”.
Although Ren Suo had realized that, if the true events which took place in the game were broadcasted, it would very likely cause people to panic—for it was not possible to stop ‘Naisser Ren’s’ videos from being on the Internet.
However, all of those worries would not disappear if he pretended not to know about them. He would just be deceiving himself and others if he ignored them, so it would be wiser to publish that information and bring it to the attention of nations around the world. In that way, the problem of partial Awakeners being demonized could be solved more quickly. That would be more beneficial than letting large numbers of demonized people appear before tackling the problem seriously when disastrous and unsalvageable consequences would have already resulted.
Moreover, as Ren Suo looked at the golden cup of [Desires Collected], he constantly felt a strange sense of anticipation.
He faintly sensed that, when the golden cup was filled, he might receive a… pleasant surprise.
