Inspection

Half an hour later, the meeting came to an end. The special investigation team intended to inspect the frontline post at Ant Ridge, throwing the entire border defense station into a flurry of activity. They had to plan Lin Zhiyan's itinerary, which included sending a squad ahead to clear weeds along the road leading out from the border defense station. As Lu Zhao walked out of the conference room, Zhang Like hurried after him, taking three steps for every two of Lu Zhao's. "Old Lu, why were you so attentive today? You never used to be like that." He could sense that Lu Zhao had undergone some subtle change. Had he finally wised up, ready to deploy his most formidable weapon? Lu Zhao glanced sideways to confirm no one was nearby, then answered as he walked, "It's an opportunity." "It sure is. If you latch onto Team Leader Lin, you'll soar straight into the clouds." Zhang Like nodded in agreement. "I asked around. Team Leader Lin is from the Lin family of Cangwu City—the very sky above Nanhai East Circuit." The corner of Lu Zhao's mouth twitched. Pretending not to hear, he continued, "Our top priority right now is to bring down Lü Jinshan, but that falls outside our jurisdiction. So I was wondering if we could borrow the authority of the special investigation team." At those words, Zhang Like's expression grew serious as he weighed the possibility. "But the two cases aren't related. How are you going to investigate him?" Lu Zhao stopped and smiled. "I'll be investigating the bandits. It just so happens that my trail will lead to Lü Bowen, uncovering that he colludes with forces across the border and is very likely aiding the bandits' escape." In his previous life, he had handled similar matters. During anti-narcotics cases, other crimes were often unearthed. To maintain operational secrecy, those secondary cases were typically not split off, but consolidated into a single case instead. All other offenses could simply be treated as those of accomplices. As a man of the border defense system, Zhang Like naturally knew nothing of these procedural intricacies. In this era without an advanced internet, there were no online chat groups where he could swap experiences and gossip with peers across the country. His eyes went wide. "How are you so adept at this?" Lu Zhao tapped his temple and joked, "If I weren't clever, how would I have gotten into Dijing University?" Zhang Like had no rebuttal. "You seem to be smiling more and more lately. Remember to smile often in front of Team Leader Lin this afternoon." Lu Zhao wiped the smile from his face and strode forward, with Zhang Like keeping pace right behind him. "Are you really not going to consider it?" "Regrettably, I already have someone I like, and I'm determined to win her heart." "Who?" "The Federation." "Hahahaha, Old Lu, you really can be pretty funny sometimes." Zhang Like missed the underlying meaning, and Lu Zhao's answer had only been half-joking anyway. *** At noon, the blazing sun hung high in the sky. The convoy formed by the special investigation team and the border defense station assembled in front of the barracks. Lu Zhao was once again sitting in the battered pickup truck with Liu Qiang. As the two chatted, Lin Zhiyan walked over and pointed toward her own sleek, polished black jeep. "You're riding with me." The surrounding gazes snapped toward them as if pulled by magnets. Lu Zhao declined, "Ma'am, I need to drive." Beside him, Liu Qiang spoke up at once. "Brother Lu, I can drive on my own!" Lu Zhao shot him a sidelong glance, already deciding how he would discipline this traitorous brat later. Lin Zhiyan said, "I have some questions about the mission to ask you. It will be more convenient to talk on the road." She had already begun to grasp Lu Zhao's vulnerability—put simply, an honorable man could be swayed by appeals to duty. Lu Zhao let out a silent sigh. Knowing he had no way to refuse, he gave a slight nod. Lin Zhiyan stepped into the vehicle first, and Lu Zhao followed close behind. The convoy set out. In the enclosed space, less than a body's width separated Lu Zhao and Lin Zhiyan. He could catch a faint scent of sandalwood. Xu Fang drove up front in complete silence, fading into the background like a ghost. "Senior Lu, you seem very nervous," Lin Zhiyan's voice came. Keeping his eyes fixed forward, Lu Zhao replied, "Since we're both psychic superhumans, there's no need for pleasantries. Unless you also failed your coursework and graduated through the back door?" Emotions were critical for psychic superhumans; emotional control was fundamental. Psychic superhumans were like bottles submerged in the deep sea, filled with fresh water. If their emotions spiraled out of control, cracks would appear on the glass, contaminating the fresh water within. Once that contamination accumulated past a certain threshold, the person would go mad. To protect themselves, they were generally paranoid and self-centered by nature. Genuine sentiment was simply too costly for them. Thus, aside from having very few students, the psychic discipline at Dijing University had an unusual phenomenon: couples were practically nonexistent. In society at large, unions between psychic superhumans were unheard of. They understood their own kind far too well. Lu Zhao was far ahead of Lin Zhiyan in the psychic realm. He could 'scent' the psychic power leaking from her, parsing out sheer coolness and rationality. For someone like her, things like love at first sight or lustful infatuation simply did not exist. "Tsk." Finding the conversation dull, Lin Zhiyan turned to business. "Tell me about the specific situation at your station's forward outpost." When it came to official duties, Lu Zhao did not mince words. He answered her questions concisely and clearly, covering everything from the outpost's deployment to its personnel allocations. Ant Ridge Outpost was garrisoned by a reinforced platoon, supported by other companies. The reinforced platoon numbered sixty men in total, divided into six infantry squads, with one squad rotating back on leave each week. Barring special circumstances, five squads were permanently stationed there. Lin Zhiyan asked again, "Which organization's territory lies across the border?" "Greenwood Earth Lodge," Lu Zhao replied. "Their total numbers are unknown, but a second-rank superhuman frequents the area. He's a superhuman of the water nature, whose divine power allows him to create and manipulate a ten-meter-long water serpent." Five Elements divine powers were the most common. Most moderate divine powers manifested in the shape of some animal. If one possessed the traits of a mythical divine beast, it fell into the category of strong divine powers, and taking that a step further made it a powerful divine power. The divine power of the Earth Lodge master of Greenwood was of the moderate rank. "How strong is he?" Lin Zhiyan asked. "I've fought him three times. He didn't die," Lu Zhao said calmly. "I suppose he's decent." Lin Zhiyan looked at his handsome profile, pursing her lips in temporary speechlessness. Had this been before, she certainly would have mocked him. How dared a mere first-rank superhuman claim that a second-rank superhuman was 'decent' just because he had survived three clashes with him? Yet Lin Zhiyan had witnessed his ability with her own eyes a few days ago, and she now understood why Lu Zhao's divine power, despite being of the moderate rank, was classified as a high-risk divine power. In the past, when firearms were less developed, killing opponents of a higher rank was exceedingly rare. But with modern firearms, an ordinary person could easily kill a first- or second-rank superhuman. A second-rank superhuman could block handgun rounds, but these days even mountain bandits carried rifles. Consequently, except for the few with particularly specialized abilities, most people relied on firearms as their primary means of attack, using divine powers merely as support. It was not that the divine power itself was overwhelmingly strong; it was that Lu Zhao was. Controlling a bullet's trajectory was simple enough, but guiding it to strike with pinpoint accuracy was extraordinarily difficult. In the entire Federation, those capable of such precision could probably be counted on two hands. Once everyone took up firearms, superhumans still crushed ordinary people in combat thanks to their physical attributes. For instance, a second-rank superhuman possessed self-healing capabilities. Across their entire body, only a shot to the head was instantly fatal; any other wound would recover simply as they breathed. Lu Zhao's ability happened to make hitting the head exceptionally easy. He undeniably possessed the power to kill across ranks.