Chapter 8

At around nine in the evening, a black SUV drove from a distance and stopped by the roadside at the entrance of the residential complex where Xia Pingan lived.

The street lamps cast a ghostly light on the slightly worn street and the sycamore trees lining it. The shadows of the sycamore trees, under the street lamps, seemed to stretch out like the claws of a monster, as if something were about to pounce from the ground.

At this time of day, the roadside outside the residential complex usually had many pedestrians and vendors, but today it was unusually quiet. Although an hour ago, all the residents of the city had been informed that the four escaped magic rats had been eliminated, the aftereffects of yesterday's spatial invasion had not yet completely subsided.

Many residents were worried that some might have escaped, or that criminals might take advantage of the chaos, so the city's streets were particularly deserted tonight.

Indeed, there had been cases of escapees, as the monitoring and statistics of spatial invasion creatures were sometimes not 100% accurate, especially in small-scale invasions, such as those below G-level, which could escape the satellite network's surveillance.

During spatial invasions, urban security was indeed a concern.

A sad atmosphere quietly spread through the city's night, and within this sadness, there was a hint of fear.

In the car, Xia Pingan undid his seatbelt.

Mo Yan, the young man, handed Xia Pingan a thick envelope, "This contains the 40,000 yuan you were promised. Old Tu rarely praises anyone, but he recognized your work, which means you did a great job on this mission..."

Xia Pingan just squeezed the thick envelope and knew that the 40,000 yuan was all there, "Do I need to return this set of clothes?"

Xia Pingan's clothes were already completely wet, so when he returned from the cave to a special hospital in the city for epidemic prevention and health checks and took immune drugs, Mo Yan had prepared a new set of sportswear and shoes for him, all of which were branded and matched the size of the clothes he was wearing.

Wearing a new set of clothes, Xia Pingan looked much more spirited.

Mo Yan squinted at Xia Pingan, "You can keep this set of clothes; consider it extra compensation. By the way, I am now officially notifying you on behalf of the National Order Committee. Since the Order Committee has discovered your awakened ability, please report to the National Order Committee in Xianghe City at 9:00 AM next Monday."

Xia Pingan nodded numbly, then opened the car door, preparing to get out. Just before getting out, he asked curiously, "Is that bald man really a summoner? Why did he carry a large sword and not use his ability?"

"Old Tu is definitely a summoner, but he has been on two missions this month, and the divine points and divine point replenishing pills in his body have been almost depleted, so he can only use weapons in battle..." Mo Yan replied.

"Oh, I see!" Xia Pingan finally got out of the car, closed the door with a bang, and walked toward the residential complex.

Mo Yan watched Xia Pingan enter the complex gate, smiled lightly, and muttered to himself, "Don't worry, we'll meet again soon!"

After saying this, Mo Yan picked up his phone and dialed a number.

A lazy male voice came from the other end, "Boss, what's up?"

"I need all the information on Xia Pingan, the more detailed, the better!"

"Xia Pingan, is he the千里眼 (千里眼 means '千里 eye,' which can be translated as 'sharp-eyed' or 'clairvoyant') that Old Tu mentioned today?"

"Yes!"

"Boss, he's just an ordinary awakened person, is it worth my time? I make millions in a second..."

"Cut the crap, I give you one day!"

After saying this, Mo Yan hung up.

...

The headlights of the black SUV turned in the darkness, leaving two red streaks before disappearing down the road. Xia Pingan looked back and then walked toward his home.

The 40,000 yuan was a significant amount for him. He would have to work at the repair shop for at least three months to earn this much, but today he earned it in just one day. The National Order Committee, such a powerful organization, was indeed wealthy.

Money was good, but his hidden remote viewing ability had also been exposed today. Yesterday, he couldn't resist using it, and the chain reaction it caused quickly fermented in his life, bringing both blessings and curses.

Xia Pingan pondered this, and he knew that if he reported, the Order Committee would investigate his past. He wasn't sure what they might find.

This is life; no one knows which will come first, tomorrow or an accident!

The 40,000 yuan in the bag felt heavy, just like Xia Pingan's current mood. Although he had earned a lot of money, he didn't feel particularly relieved, but rather a bit heavy-hearted.

Xia Pingan walked to the entrance of his building, entered the password, and opened the door lock.

Seeing Xia Pingan enter, the security guard, who was watching TV in the reception room, poked his head out of the window and asked curiously, "Xia Pingan, what happened today? A helicopter flew to our residential complex?"

Xia Pingan smiled, "Nothing much, I just accidentally passed through an unsealed and unsterilized epidemic prevention area when I returned. I was discovered through surveillance, so they chased me to the residential complex. I was taken to the hospital by the Order Committee for observation and examination for a day. Look, they even changed my clothes..." Xia Pingan said, spreading his arms to show his new clothes.

"Are you okay?"

"Of course, if I weren't, they wouldn't have let me come back!"

"That's good, that's good!" The security guard muttered, then withdrew his head and continued watching TV, no longer concerned about the matter.

Xia Pingan walked up the stairs, thinking that the news of the helicopter picking him up would probably spread throughout the residential complex. His explanation should reduce the wild speculations of the residents, but it might not convince everyone.

We'll see; if it doesn't work, I'll move, to a place closer to Xia Ning's school.

Xia Pingan arrived at his front door, about to take out his keys, when the security door suddenly opened.

"Brother, you're back..." Xia Ning's smiling face appeared before Xia Pingan.

Xia Ning, now in her second year of college, had a beautiful appearance. She wore a simple set of sportswear, with a ponytail that exuded youthful vitality. Her slightly round face, sharp chin, and eyes that curved like two crescent moons gave her a lively look.

Xia Pingan smiled and patted Xia Ning's head, then walked into the house.

"Brother, you even changed into a new set of clothes and new shoes. These are branded, costing over 2,000 yuan. Where did you go?" As soon as they entered, Xia Ning, with her sharp eyes, immediately noticed that Xia Pingan was wearing something different, which was quite luxurious. Usually, Xia Pingan's clothes rarely cost more than 200 yuan, and he never bought branded items.

"I'll tell you later!" Xia Pingan casually threw the envelope with the money onto the sofa.

"Okay, let's eat first!"

Seeing Xia Pingan return, Xia Ning ran to the kitchen and started bringing out the bowls and dishes from the steamer.

Seeing Xia Ning set out two sets of utensils, Xia Pingan shook his head, "Didn't I tell you not to wait for me to eat?"

"I don't mind, and I'm not hungry anyway!" Xia Ning wrinkled her nose at Xia Pingan, made a face, and started serving Xia Pingan. As she did, her stomach growled.

"What's that?" Xia Pingan asked.

"I'm not hungry, but the frog in my stomach is!" Xia Ning replied.

Both siblings laughed and started eating, filling the modest little house with a warm atmosphere.

Xia Ning made a tomato and egg stir-fry, a green bamboo shoot and meat stir-fry, and a seaweed soup.

A few simple dishes on the table, with red, white, blue, and green colors, were like a palette, pleasing to the eye.

Xia Ning had been cooking since junior high school, and now her dishes were quite tasty.

After finishing the meal and clearing the table, Xia Pingan sat on the sofa, habitually brewed some coarse tea, and called Xia Ning over, handing her the envelope, "Go deposit it tomorrow!"

Xia Ning opened the envelope and immediately saw four stacks of crisp hundred-yuan bills. Her face filled with shock, her eyes wide, "40,000 yuan! Brother, where did you get so much money? Did the repair shop give out bonuses? But it's not the end of the year, and your boss is very stingy, he wouldn't be so generous!"

Xia Pingan smiled, "Of course, I earned it today..."

Xia Ning looked at Xia Pingan, then examined his new clothes and shoes again. Her expression suddenly became complicated, and she sighed, her brows furrowed, looking worried.

"Brother, I know you're at an age where you feel frustrated and restless, and you don't have a girlfriend. Even if our family is short of money, you don't have to do this. That aunt was very rich and liked young men like you, but she's too old. How could you sell yourself for money? I've already been looking for a girlfriend for you at my school. There are a few senior girls in my class who are very pretty and have long legs. Last time, I introduced you to my school to be a nude model, but you refused. If you go, with your physique, it would be so easy to find a girlfriend..."

"Cough... cough..." Xia Pingan, who had just taken a sip of water, almost choked. He glared at Xia Ning and tapped her head, "What are you thinking, you little brat?"

Xia Ning, the troublemaker, had actually tried to introduce Xia Pingan to her school as a nude model, claiming it would be both profitable and attractive.

Xia Ning rubbed her head, pouted, and looked at Xia Pingan defiantly, "Am I wrong? Brother, you don't have to be embarrassed. I know some guys like rich and mature aunts..."

Xia Pingan looked at the ceiling, speechless. His sister was good in every way, but... how to put it, she seemed to be too mature for her age, knowing everything and worrying about everything.

"These are the bonus from the Order Committee!" To prevent Xia Ning from overthinking, Xia Pingan finally revealed the truth.

Xia Ning was stunned, then suddenly thought of something, her face changing slightly, "Ah, Brother, they know about your remote viewing ability?"

Xia Pingan's remote viewing ability was only known to Xia Ning. The two siblings had been through so much together that such an ability couldn't be hidden from her.

A few years ago, during a holiday, Xia Ning had fallen asleep at home and forgotten to turn off the electric stove in the kitchen, almost causing a fire. Xia Pingan had quickly called her to wake up and turn off the power, preventing a disaster. The socket was the only thing damaged.

There were also other times when they had avoided danger by taking detours, or when Xia Ning had been harassed by thugs after school, and Xia Pingan had come to her rescue.

In such situations, unless Xia Ning was a fool, she couldn't have missed Xia Pingan's remote viewing ability.

When Xia Ning asked, Xia Pingan had to explain how Mo Yan had discovered his remote viewing ability and the details of today's mission to chase the magic rats.

"Brother, is the cold, short-haired beauty you mentioned pretty? Did she say anything to you?" After listening to Xia Pingan, Xia Ning's first question was surprisingly this.

Xia Pingan couldn't understand women's logic and gave up, "Fine, she's very pretty, but she has nothing to do with me!"

"How can she not be related? When you mentioned her, you used the term 'short-haired beauty' five times, and you only used 'bald man' four times. This shows she left a deep impression on you!" Xia Ning said seriously, propping her chin on her hand and staring at Xia Pingan, "If she becomes my sister-in-law, then she will be related to me!"

Xia Pingan rubbed his forehead, "Don't you care about anything else? I risked my life chasing the magic rats today!"

Xia Ning rolled her eyes at Xia Pingan, "Pfft, if it were really dangerous, you wouldn't have gone. You would have stayed far away and just watched. Do you think I don't know you? You're so afraid of death and so cunning!"

Xia Pingan: I...

"By the way, Brother, are you really going to report to the Order Committee next Monday?" Xia Ning's face showed a mix of worry and curiosity.

"There's no choice this time; I have to go, and I might be recruited!"

"Brother, I think you should have gone a long time ago!" Xia Ning said seriously, "That repair shop job doesn't suit you at all. You're surrounded by men, and you can't even find a girlfriend!"

"Are you not worried that I might be assigned to dangerous tasks by the Order Committee?"

"I believe you will be fine. I always think that even if the world ends, you will find a way to keep me alive. And in the Order Committee, you will have a chance to find a sister-in-law for me. By the way, leave 3,000 yuan for this month's rent and 2,000 yuan for next month's living expenses..."

Xia Ning took the money and divided it into two piles, "The remaining 35,000 yuan we will deposit tomorrow, to save for a house and a wife for you..."

"Take out 10,000 yuan and deposit 25,000. With this 10,000, you can find a good teacher for a training class during the holidays..."

Xia Ning hesitated, struggled, and finally said, "I want to work during the holidays; I've already made plans with my classmates..."

Xia Pingan glared at Xia Ning, exerting his authority as an older brother, and took a stack of 10,000 yuan from the two piles and placed it with the 5,000 yuan, "I'm still alive, and it's not your turn to work and earn blood money. If you want to earn money, wait until you become a painter. When you can sell a painting for hundreds of thousands, I won't have to work anymore. Then it will be your turn to support me. During the holidays, you should focus on your classes. Now, go to bed. You've been busy all day, and you didn't sleep well last night. I'm also tired. It's the weekend, so we'll go to the market tomorrow!"

"An art class doesn't cost 10,000 yuan; 5,000 is enough!" Xia Ning protested.

"During the holidays, you need to eat, drink, buy clothes, and go shopping with your friends. The remaining 5,000 yuan you can keep for yourself. If you need to buy anything, buy it yourself. That's final. Take care of the money, and no more arguments!"

Xia Pingan said this, turned, and went up to the small attic.

Xia Ning looked at the money on the table, then at Xia Pingan's slightly tired back, sniffed, and held back her tears, muttering, "Stupid brother, always scolding me..."

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