Chapter 53: Passing the Test |
Before making any modifications, Shi Rang had two unavoidable questions to address:
First, based on past experience, Tampering required creating a Record first, which then had to be subjected to Locking and Analysis by the Terminal Station before any changes could be saved and take effect.
After going through this entire process, would the Record he created for himself become visible to everyone?
If the answer was yes, it would be no different from a complete Surrender.
Second, would this bring about any negative side effects?
If this ability had only benefits and no drawbacks, Shi Rang would immediately write a Subject to help him find Ying Shang, followed by one to make himself invincible. Next, he would restore the Mini-Humans to their original state, and finally, he would wipe out all the messy Anomalies in the world once and for all.
But... was the upper limit of his power really that high?
He wanted to test it, but he could not find a suitable target.
He could not put Ying Shang at risk, he was worried the ability might harm himself, and he certainly could not let the Mini-Humans suffer any harm for the sake of his selfish desires.
Had a section of Green Island City been evacuated recently?
Was that necessary?
Shouldn't the Visitor have been dealt with already?
Most importantly, if the result of his Tampering did not meet expectations, could he change it back?
He leaned toward the idea that this ability was his own miraculous awakening, but since its effects had to be channeled through the Terminal Station, it was more like he was utilizing this Anomaly Project in a way no ordinary person could match...
And the Terminal Station was not omnipotent.
It could determine detailed information about an Anomaly out of thin air and be accessed anywhere on specific devices regardless of signal issues. However, it could only provide basic intelligence and countermeasures against an Anomaly. The rest still required human testing, which meant there was room for errors and omissions—just like how the Mini-Humans had once pretended they possessed toxic gas.
Shi Rang's talent was truly unique, but he was still unfamiliar with his own abilities.
This special power was like a tremendously powerful Gun; rather than creating order, it was clearly much better suited for causing chaos and misery.
Holding the Gun, Shi Rang silently moved his finger away from the trigger.
The Gun was in his hand, and that was enough.
Until the situation became clearer, he would not act rashly unless absolutely necessary.
At that moment, his physical body in reality felt a tug. Disconnecting and returning to his body, he found Leader Jack hanging from under his collar, pulling at him.
Shi Rang quickly checked his surroundings. A few customers had entered the supermarket, but no one was heading his way.
"What is it?"
"Stop sleeping, we need to go."
"Now? Isn't it only—it's already six o'clock?"
Shi Rang stood up abruptly, only to collapse back into his seat from a wave of dizziness. He rested for a moment before picking up the Helmet and the scooter battery he had left on the floor for far too long, and then took his groceries to the checkout.
Stepping out of the supermarket, he saw the parking lot was already packed with cars, and the sky displayed the strange, vibrant brightness that came just before sunset.
Shi Rang stared blankly at the drastically changed sky. Losing physical sensation had severely messed with his sense of time.
'Looks like I can't just access the site whenever I want while I'm out.'
Fortunately, his Electric Bicycle had not been stolen.
Hoping to beat the darkness, Shi Rang drove onto the road heading home.
The battery of his Electric Bicycle was more than half depleted, so he naturally slowed his pace and turned on the headlight.
Most of the Mini-Humans had climbed into the plastic grocery bags, sitting among the food on the footrest between Shi Rang's legs to avoid being blown away by the wind. Only Leader Jack remained clinging to his collar.
"Are we going to pick up The Sheriff and the others now?"
"The people from the Management Authority are right there in the Yunling New District. We need to think of a safer plan..."
The New District was not far from the supermarket. In just a few minutes, Shi Rang spotted the abandoned bus stop that served as their rendezvous point on the horizon. The setting sun stretched the shadow of the ruined bus sign incredibly long.
Shi Rang signaled for Leader Jack to hide. Keeping a firm grip on the handlebars, he allowed his focus to slightly drift.
This time, he did not simultaneously open himself up to information from the Terminal Station and his Sensing; he only activated the latter.
The range of his Sensing expanded outward in a ring, with him at the epicenter.
The first things he captured were Leader Jack and the pocketful of Mini-Humans. Further ahead, inside a building that looked like an abandoned residence at first glance, there was an obvious signal source.
[Field Department Yunling City West District Team A Communication Device #7274]. That was the name of the signal source.
Faint sweat gathered on Shi Rang's palms. He drove past the sentinel, feigning nonchalance, yet he could hear the words spoken into the device as clearly as if he were right there:
"A vehicle has entered the restricted zone. Over."
Soon after, more signals popped up.
Four, eight, twelve, sixteen... There were at least thirty people carrying Communication Devices in the Yunling New District. Both the Field Department and the Research Department appeared in the names of the signal sources.
This lockdown and the accompanying carpet search were clearly not going to end today.
As the signal sources grew denser, an abstract, blurry map unfolded in Shi Rang's mind. It looked like an ultra-simplified, zoomed-in regional version of the global map from the Terminal Station. He immediately concentrated, beginning to discern the unique fluctuations belonging to an Anomaly hidden beneath the signal sources—
Fifteen tiny signals, as weak as candles flickering in the wind, appeared diagonally ahead of him.
'Found them!'
The scouting team and Shi Rang were on the exact same wavelength. They had bypassed the bus stop serving as their predetermined rendezvous point and advanced over twenty meters toward the supermarket.
For them, that was undoubtedly a massive trek.
'Good job. Now there's a chance!'
Shi Rang assessed the positions of the nearby lookouts, glanced at the grocery bag sandwiched between his legs, and finally steeled his resolve. Just as he was about to pass the scouting team, he swerved to the side as if gripped by a sudden dizzy spell, crashing onto the side of the road along with his bike.
To any onlookers, it simply looked like he had lost his balance while driving over a pothole.
...Overall, his idea was solid, but the execution was far from perfect.
Shi Rang had initially planned a fake fall, intending to use his foot to cushion the carton of eggs inside the bag.
However, dividing his attention drastically reduced his physical coordination. He accidentally used too much force. Not only did his extended foot get genuinely crushed under the Electric Bicycle, but he also heard a heartbreaking snap.
The eggs were smashed!
-----------------
"Shi Rang!"
"We're over here!"
"He's heading toward the bus stop! What do we do? He's going to miss—Ah?!"
The scouting team had been frantically jumping up and down by the side of the road.
To catch Shi Rang's attention, they had even joined hands and clung to a small sapling, trying to make themselves more conspicuous.
And then, Shi Rang fell.
The crash left them stunned for a moment—Shi Rang's fall was incredibly precise, to the point where his head actually pinned down one of the Mini-Humans.
"Don't waste this chance! Move!"
The Sheriff's booming voice snapped everyone out of their daze, and the scouting team swiftly scrambled into the folds of Shi Rang's clothes to hide.
Although they had no idea what was going on, listening to Shi Rang groaning—half from the pain in his foot and half from the pain of his ruined groceries—even The Sheriff could not help but marvel.
"His acting is incredible!"
At the very least, their goal had been achieved...
Shi Rang crawled out from under the Electric Bicycle, hobbled over to right the vehicle, and hurried away.
Now, he didn't even have to fake an expression of agony. Out of the carton of twelve eggs, six had been completely smashed. Yolks and whites oozed all over the inside of the bag, forcing the Mini-Humans to scramble to higher ground to escape the incoming flood.
Ten Yuan, gone just like that.
Shi Rang kept his mind divided, mentally hooking onto the nearest Communication Device. At that moment, he heard activity on its voice channel again:
"Isn't that the white scooter that drove past this afternoon? How did it happen to crash right here? Should I detain him for an inspection?"
"Asian guy, wearing a Helmet. I think the operations team mentioned this person... Right, they ran into him at the supermarket this afternoon. He's a journalist who applied for investigation rights. His mental state isn't great; suspected PTSD."
"Oh, the journalist who blew their cover. Just let him pass then. The Alliance will definitely protect him for the sake of that positive news story. Let's not attract the attention of the Alliance folks again."
"Calling Post B, stand down. Let him through."
As he drove further away, the voices in the conversation did not slowly fade; rather, they remained crystal clear until the device slipped out of his Sensing range, vanishing instantly.
The wind blew against Shi Rang, chilling him to the bone. Drenched in sweat, the cold sank in from head to toe.
'I guess I passed the test, right?'
The sharp pain in his ankle gave way to the numbing itch of healing. Not daring to look back to see if anyone was following him, he gritted his teeth, pretending the injury still hurt, and headed straight home.
It was not until he reached a familiar neighborhood and parked in front of a noodle shop he frequented that Shi Rang finally had a moment to savor his joy.
'It worked!'
'I slipped right under the Management Authority's nose!'
"Shi Rang, the Management Authority's people found the spot. They didn't find any blood, but it seems someone—"
The Sheriff, who had climbed up to his ear, was cut off midway as Shi Rang gently shook his head, signaling that he did not have the energy to listen right now.
'As long as they didn't find the blood, it's fine...'
Perhaps it was the aftereffect of accessing the Terminal Station and using his abilities, but his head throbbed heavily, as if he had overexerted his brain. He had no strength left to think. Carrying the soggy plastic bag, Shi Rang quickly locked his bike by the curb, walked into his usual spot, Second Brother's Fried Noodles, slumped onto an empty stool by the door, and pointed at the signature fried rice noodles on the wall menu for the boss.
Even if he counted his hasty breakfast, it had been over twelve hours since he had eaten a single grain of rice or drunk a drop of water.
The outside world was far too dangerous. Right now, everyone looked like a secret agent from the Management Authority to him.
'Just let me pack a meal and go home.'
"Haven't seen you in a while, Shi Rang. Sit for a bit, don't worry about the bike, I'll keep an eye on it for you." The boss grabbed a bottle of cola from the nearby fridge and placed it in front of him. "This one's on me, don't argue. You look like you're about to kick the bucket—oh, listen to my big mouth... Just sit for a bit, I'll have them fry it up for you right away."
Shi Rang managed a weak smile at the boss.
He was quite grateful, but he simply could not muster the strength to speak. He placed the plastic bag by his feet, leaned against the table, and rested his head, enduring the torment of the delicious aromas wafting around him. He was no longer the man who could casually eat here while chatting with the locals. He just wanted to go home, to stay there until he found enough courage to face the outside world again.
Suddenly, someone pulled out the stool next to him and sat down, prompting him to crack one eye open to inspect them.
The woman, who looked as if she had stepped straight out of a fashion magazine, lowered her sunglasses slightly, revealing a pair of smiling eyes.
"Are you alone, handsome?"