The Pollution Disease Prevention and Control Center in City K was bustling with activity. As part of the logistics department, their tasks ranged from spreading awareness about pollution diseases, receiving Harbingers, providing logistical support, to offering psychological therapy and counseling. Seeing a constant flow of people in the lobby wasn't unusual.
As Lu Yan stepped into the main hall, he sensed numerous eyes on him. He had grown up with a pleasant appearance, so much so that in his childhood, it was hard to discern his gender. As he matured, his face seemed like a beautifully crafted CG model. He had learned to navigate the invisible advantages that came with such a face, accepting the diverse gazes of others.
However, there was a subtle distinction between mere admiration and the covert scrutiny he was experiencing. His heightened senses allowed him to perceive these glances more keenly.
To the left of the main hall was a lounge. Two men, their gazes eager. One of them, a young lad, seemed eager to approach Lu Yan, but he was held back by the other.
On the second floor of the lobby, in the book area, three elderly individuals, two men and a woman, pretended to read newspapers but were actually stealing glances at him.
The system chimed in: "Don't be too anxious; they aren't malicious. After all, you're the soothing type. The two in the lounge need your help with healing, and those upstairs are psychological counselors from the Center, ready to conduct an analysis of your mental state and behavior."
Lu Yan pursed his lips slightly.
Lin Sinan greeted him and mentioned he needed to handle some task-related documents, asking Lu Yan to wait for a while.
Thus, Lu Yan found himself alone in this relatively unfamiliar environment. There were plenty of people around, yet none he recognized.
He had visited the Prevention and Control Center once before, having been rescued previously. The place was vast, divided into front and back sections. The front held workspaces, living quarters, and rest areas, while the encrypted archives and storage were in the back. The monthly supplies for the Harbingers were always stored here temporarily.
As the headquarters for the Harbingers, no thieves dared to intrude.
Lu Yan didn't linger long in one spot. Soon enough, a staff member who had received him before hurried by with documents, and his face brightened: "Mr. Lu, you're back."
"Meeting a familiar face in an unfamiliar place can indeed ease one's guard a bit, don't you think?"
Lu Yan glanced at his name tag.
Surname Su, given name Fufeng.
Given the unstable mental states of many frontline Harbingers due to their prolonged exposure to pollution diseases, having familiar receptionists and liaisons was deemed essential.
It's worth noting that most receptionists were of the opposite sex. However, aware of Lu Yan's sexual orientation from Lin Sinan, the Center had specifically assigned a male staff member to him.
Su Fufeng had long legs and a slender waist, a rather handsome appearance.
He seemed pleasantly surprised: "I heard you were on a mission; it seems you've completed it."
Lu Yan stared at him for a couple of seconds and said, "I liked the suit you wore last time."
Su Fufeng, a professional with impeccable manners, replied nonchalantly, "Sure, I'll change into it shortly. Should I stick with the same narrow gray tie?"
"A gray slim tie would complement you better."
Upstairs, the psychological analysts listened to the conversation through their earpieces and jotted down their first observation: strong-willed personality with a desire for control.
Su Fufeng was a skilled conversationalist, effortlessly picking up any topic Lu Yan mentioned without making it dull.
In just an hour, Lu Yan had poured a year's worth of conversations into their interaction.
"Confident in professional abilities, a bit arrogant and conceited."
"Has a severe case of cleanliness obsession."
"Desires praise... Hmm, this differs from his university records."
...
After some manipulation, the records seemed to depict Lu Yan, yet not entirely like him.
"Host, your vigilance is truly remarkable."
It was a vigilance so strong, he fundamentally detested being understood, wondering about the person he truly was.
"I just dislike being documented as if I were an experiment."
In his past life, he must have been a mere lab rat, as otherwise, it was hard to explain Lu Yan's continuous resistance and aversion to this.
Fortunately, the psychoanalysts weren't on standby at all times; he only had to play along for a few hours each time.
As their conversation had been quite pleasant, Lu Yan exchanged contact information with Su Fufeng.
Of course, Lu Yan's work kept him quite occupied, making frequent communication unlikely.
Two hours later, Lin Sinan finally arrived, somewhat tardily. "Dr. Lu, I've completed the report for this session. It's your turn."
Writing the report took half an hour; the remaining hour and a half was spent waiting for notifications.
Lin Sinan was probably not accustomed to such fabrications in business matters.
Thus, Lu Yan could only express slight regret to those around him, saying, "Then, I'll go report on the work first. See you later."
Inside the Disease Prevention and Control Center, the room for report writing resembled a classroom. Even the paper used for writing resembled the exam papers from the college entrance examination years ago. The scent of ink was familiar, with a hint of essential oils that relaxed the nerves.
No wonder Tang Xunan, having graduated high school 82 years ago, still had nightmares about the college entrance exam.
The detail in the report depended on the personal will of the Harbinger; the only requirement was to avoid baseless speculation. After all, this data would be accessible to everyone, and an erroneous report could easily endanger colleagues.
Lu Yan's report wasn't perfunctory; he focused on documenting Lu Jiahe's abilities but skipped over the experience of becoming "Lu Yan" in the dream realm.
For this, he received 10 contribution points.
The report would be transmitted back to headquarters in an encrypted form. If the data was authentic, additional contribution points would be rewarded.
This puzzled Lu Yan: "How does headquarters determine the authenticity of the data?"
"Support talent, serial number 197, True Knowledge. I suggest you exchange 100 contribution points for a talent sequence list, so you won't keep asking me these simplistic questions... Oh, you don't have 100 contribution points, never mind."
After completing the report, it was time for the assessment. There was no need to run a thousand meters like in university; they only measured spiritual power thresholds and contamination levels.
When Lin Sinan found out that Lu Yan's spiritual power threshold had reached 837 while the contamination level was only at 61, he was utterly shocked.
"What have you been consuming to increase so rapidly?" He struggled to suppress his inner dismay. "How long have you been a Harbinger? It took me at least a year to reach 800! And your contamination level is so low, that's incredibly stable."
Lin Sinan had always known that his talent was mediocre. After serving for 15 years, even his contemporary, Bai Qiu, had reached A-rank, while he was still lingering in the D-rank. But Lu Yan's speed was truly unprecedented for him.
Lu Yan comforted him, "The differences between individuals are objective; don't be too disheartened."
For some reason, Lin Sinan seemed to cry louder.
Following this sequence of procedures at the Disease Prevention and Control Center, by the time Lu Yan finished all the formalities, darkness had enveloped the sky. He wrote the mission report, reported the consumption, claiming to have used up the special medication in the previous nightmare, prompting the center's staff to give him two new pills on the spot.
Lu Yan politely declined Lin Sinan's offer to accompany him home and made his way alone to the subway.
Once again, that eerie feeling of being observed, faint yet perceptible, crept up behind him.
Someone was tracking him.
Lu Yan turned his head; everyone on the street seemed normal. Whenever his gaze accidentally met someone of the opposite sex, they'd often approach, cheeks flushed, looking for his WeChat. "I'm gay," Lu Yan would promptly utter, words he'd said thousands of times. "Sorry."
Since adolescence, he had routinely declined any interaction or engagement with the opposite sex in this manner. The system suspected Lu Yan was asexual at heart, believing his supposed attraction to men was a result of repeated self-hypnosis and suggestions.
"Who are they?" he asked the system.
"[The monk and the middle-aged office worker you saw at the Disease Prevention and Control Center before. Two C-rank Harbingers. One's codenamed Monk, the other Detective. The Detective has a hidden ability, so you saw him, but your brain automatically filtered him out.]"
"[Honestly, I don't know what they're thinking. But based on the information I have, I think they want you... to visit someone who's sick.]"
Lu Yan's details were confidential. Many knew that headquarters gained a Healing-type Harbinger. Still, the person's identity, appearance, location, and codename remained classified.
But there are no secrets in the world, especially in a society not entirely fallen apart yet.
While Harbingers might not lack funds, what about others? Like the Disease Prevention and Control Center's staff and the researchers at the institute?
Aware of being followed, Lu Yan didn't bother going home. He exited the subway, heading straight for the hospital.
Though he had joined the Special Operations Department, he hadn't resigned. The hospital administration understood: besides Lu Yan, Director Hu, who had abruptly left town, had also awakened. Rumor had it he was soon to become the vice dean.
In short, he retained his job but without a salary or actual work. Yet, he was welcome to visit the hospital often. It'd be even better if he could perform surgeries.
Unlock exclusive early access to 100s of Chapters before anyone else by becoming a valued member of my Patreon community.
As a cherished member of our Patreon community, here is what you'll get:
For just $5, you'll receive:
- Early access to 100s of chapters before they go public. (You can find all the novels I'm translating HERE.)
- Your name will be prominently featured on the "Wall of Gratitude".
- The power to vote on which novel I translate next.
- You Get Ad-free Chapters.
If you decide to pledge $10, you'll get all the perks from the $5 tier, plus:
- You get to suggest a Novel for me to translate.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in gold).
And if you're feeling generous with a $20 pledge, you'll unlock all the perks above:
- You get to recommend an abandoned Novel and I will immediately start translating it.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in blue).
Plus, you can Cancel your membership at any time.
Don't let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!
