When her father asked if she was interested in joining the Supernatural Affairs Bureau, Yan Qi didn’t hesitate to refuse. She knew all too well that revealing her powers would only invite danger.
“I’m not interested in joining the bureau right now.”
“I see.”
Yan Zhenyi’s expression remained neutral. After all, he was just a regular police officer, not part of the bureau, so he had no reason to feel disappointed by her rejection.
“Um… can we leave now?”
A bespectacled young man—clutching his sagging, damp pants after losing his belt—trembled as he addressed Yan Qi, the clearly non-ordinary girl who had suddenly appeared and subdued Wu Lao-San.
Hearing this, both Yan Qi and Yan Zhenyi looked up at him and the other employees still in the sales office. After a brief pause, Yan Zhenyi spoke.
“You can leave, but don’t go too far. The police will need to take your statements later.”
“I agree with this officer,” Yan Qi quickly added, nodding.
Relieved, the young man in the ill-fitting suit exhaled sharply. “Great, let’s get out of here!”
With that, a dozen or so employees—all closely tied to the real estate company’s boss—scurried out to the deserted street.
Minutes after their departure, the wail of police sirens approached. Recognizing the complexity of the situation, Yan Zhenyi excused himself from Yan Qi and stepped outside to brief his colleagues and superiors on what had happened.
When they learned that a superhuman—a figure straight out of yesterday’s official announcements—had neutralized the bomber, every officer on the scene was stunned.
Who’d have thought that on the very second day after the government’s public acknowledgment of superhumans, they’d encounter a wild one in Fengfang City?
But professionalism quickly overrode their surprise. They secured the disarmed explosives, loaded the subdued Wu Lao-San into a police van, and began their investigations. Only then did the remaining officers discreetly turn their attention to the blue-haired, twin-tailed girl humming a cheerful tune beside Yan Zhenyi.
“Miss, why are you following me?” Yan Zhenyi asked, puzzled.
Caught off guard—her childhood habit of sticking close to her parents had resurfaced—Yan Qi scrambled for an excuse. With a deliberate tilt of her head, she feigned innocence.
“Was I following you?”
“You’ve been by my side ever since Wu Lao-San was taken away,” he pointed out.
Yan Qi tapped a finger against her cheek, playing coy. “Hmm… Maybe subconsciously, I sensed you were an upright officer. That’s why I stuck around!”
“Subconsciously…?”
Something about her answer felt off, but before Yan Zhenyi could probe further, a group of figures approached.
At their forefront was a man who extended a hand toward Yan Qi. “You must be the superhuman Officer Yan mentioned. I’m Lei Nuo, chief of the Fengfang City Public Security Bureau. Thank you for your help today. If that bomb had detonated, countless lives could’ve been lost.”
Internally cheering for the timely interruption, Yan Qi replied modestly, “It was nothing. I just didn’t want unnecessary deaths.”
Chief Lei chuckled. “That’s too humble. By the way, I don’t believe I caught your name?”
Without missing a beat, Yan Qi offered her current identity: “I’m Ji Zige. Ji as in ‘songstress,’ Zi as in ‘the word,’ Ge as in ‘song.’”
Beside her, Yan Zhenyi stiffened. Ji Zige…? Why does that name sound so familiar?
Chief Lei, however, simply nodded approvingly. “A fitting name. So, any interest in joining the Supernatural Affairs Bureau?”
“I already told Officer Yan—not right now.”
“Is that so, Xiao Yan?”
Yan Zhenyi snapped to attention. “Yes, Chief. That was her answer.”
Disappointment flickered across Chief Lei’s face. Finding a wild superhuman in Fengfang had been a stroke of luck; recruiting her would’ve been a coup. Still, he merely sighed.
“What a shame.”
“Chief Lei,” Yan Qi interjected, “is everything here wrapped up?”
“Ah, yes. We’ll be lifting the cordon shortly.”
“Then I’ll take my leave.”