Picking Up Someone at the Airport

The car started, and Gu Shen finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He knew Grandma too well. If he didn't slip away quickly, she would definitely find a way to stuff the money back to him.

"Leaving in such a hurry?"

Nan Jin asked calmly, "Why not stay a little longer... I think those people think quite highly of you."

"That's precisely why I'm in such a hurry to leave." Gu Shen laughed, "Do you understand? Romantic entanglements affect my wandering the pugilistic world!"

Nan Jin took off her black-framed glasses and rolled her eyes at Gu Shen in annoyance.

After leaving the Welfare Institute, she was no longer the understanding big sister. Putting her sunglasses back on, she transformed back into the cold and ruthless Nan Jin.

"The Assessment is just around the corner... I'm really not in the mood. I still want to go back and train as soon as possible, even if it's just a little improvement." Gu Shen's smile was a little bitter as he murmured, "After the Assessment is over, there should be plenty of time to see them, right?"

"..."

Nan Jin was silent for a moment, then said honestly, "The Tribunal has many daily tasks, and it's very busy. You may often be on business trips, traveling all over East Continent. But there are also some specific tasks where the executor needs to stay in a city for a long time... Your time will only become less and less, but you'll never have to worry about money again. The Council's subsidies to you are absolutely generous."

"That's fine too." Gu Shen smiled. "Since ancient times, money and leisure cannot be had at the same time. Grandma should praise me for being promising when she knows I can earn so much money, right?"

"Perhaps Grandma just wants you to spend more time with her?"

Nan Jin always liked to expose the truth.

Seeing that Gu Shen was silent, she changed the subject, "But now is indeed not the time. Do you remember the car that was parked in front of the Welfare Institute just now?"

Gu Shen was stunned, his expression becoming serious.

Nan Jin also noticed it... He nodded slowly.

"There's something wrong with that car. It might be coming for you. Did you have contact with him just now?" Nan Jin said crisply, "I've already notified Senior Brother and the others to investigate... The Assessment is the day after tomorrow, so you absolutely can't have any accidents these next two days."

Was she suspecting that someone would assassinate him?

This was indeed a reasonable first reaction and judgment. Unfortunately, Nan Jin didn't know that he had already crossed swords with that person... The danger involved was even greater than the last assassination.

"I had brief contact with him in the yard, and I also thought he was quite suspicious." Gu Shen scratched his head and began his practiced act of playing dumb, "That Mr. Han always has a smile on his face. He looks very young but is very rich, and he's very generous, sponsoring 100,000 yuan all at once."

"Surname Han? Always smiling?"

Hearing this, Nan Jin immediately thought of Han Dang, whom Senior Brother Zhong had mentioned.

This was a Mental-type Transcendent with a high level of danger.

Her expression became serious. "Did he say anything to you? Or did he have any physical contact with you?"

"Ah..." Gu Shen looked blank, making an effort to think, and murmured, "I can't quite remember... Oh, oh, oh, I remember now. He seemed to have said that he would visit me in Da Teng City."

Nan Jin immediately dialed Zhong Wei's phone.

Da Teng City was experiencing a light rain.

The sky was overcast.

A young man and woman stood alone under an umbrella in front of the empty airport apron. The rain poured onto the ground, splashing back up, but not a drop touched their clothes, as if an invisible barrier of wind was keeping the rain out.

The act of holding an umbrella simply made them look less strange.

"The Assessment Team will be landing in thirteen minutes."

Luo Er spoke softly, her expression somewhat complicated. Due to the heavy rain, the Assessment Team's plane was arriving about an hour later than scheduled, and the two of them had been waiting in the rain for an hour.

"It's been a long time since I've been alone with Senior Sister."

Zhong Wei chuckled softly. "If it weren't for this special training, how much longer would you have avoided me?"

He and Luo Er were Mr. Shu's first two students, and they had known each other for ten years since they entered the Tribunal.

"I wasn't avoiding you." Luo Er sighed. "The Tribunal's missions are too demanding. The teacher is overwhelmed, and when a Transcendent event exceeding A-Rank occurs, I'm the only one who can handle it."

"Perhaps you could call me next time, I can help... We've been partners for so long." Zhong Wei said helplessly, "I have no other thoughts... I just... want to help you, I don't want to see you dealing with high-risk, out-of-control events alone."

Luo Er opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

"Actually, I'm quite grateful to Gu Shen. If it weren't for this 'S'-Rank rookie, when would we have met next? Would we even be alive then?"

Zhong Wei held the umbrella with one hand and raised the other, inserting his five fingers into the rain. He didn't restrain his Transcendent power.

In the next instant, a sharp wind suddenly erupted, swirling and tearing apart a large area of rain in front of him.

"Remember what the teacher said? Those who awaken as Transcendent personally hold up the crown, and personally send themselves down the road of no return. Countless white bones are buried beneath Changye Qingzhong, and I don't want to meet Senior Sister there one day." (Note 1)

"Actually, there's something I've always wanted to tell Senior Sister."

He smiled. "I..."

"Beep beep beep."

The phone always rings at the most inopportune times.

Like when someone is gathering their courage.

"I'll take this call..." The silent atmosphere was shattered by the ringtone. Zhong Wei smiled wryly as he answered, lowering his eyes and listening quietly.

After hanging up.

"It's Nan Jin. Is there an emergency with Gu Shen?" Senior Apprentice Sister Luo asked.

"...Not exactly an emergency. They just discovered a suspicious vehicle. I'll investigate it when we get back." Zhong Wei sighed softly. The courage he had painstakingly mustered was interrupted by this phone call.

So they both fell silent.

Senior Apprentice Sister Luo's expression was also somewhat agitated. She looked at the rain and said, "When are those guys from the Assessment Team arriving?"

Her task this time was to receive the Assessment Team and, at the same time, extract as much information as possible from them.

Regarding the Assessment Team's internal evaluation of Gu Shen.

And... most importantly, the assessment content specially prepared for the "S-Rank"!

Zhong Wei took repeated deep breaths, once again summoning his courage, "Senior Apprentice Sister, that..."

"Ring ring ring!"

The phone rang again.

Zhong Wei couldn't hold it in any longer.

Answering the phone again, Zhong Wei's expression gradually turned grave.

After hanging up, Senior Apprentice Sister Luo frowned, "Still Nan Jin?"

"Yes."

After two interruptions, Zhong Wei had completely forgotten what he wanted to say just now. He said seriously, "The identity of the owner of that suspicious vehicle has been basically confirmed... it's Han Dang."

(Note 1: Changye is the most developed and representative major city in the northern East Continent.)