A Big Shot

"My dear S-Class!"

After pushing open the door, Mr. Shu gave Gu Shen a big hug. Then he noticed the Orange Cat sleeping soundly on its back, belly exposed, in the room, and said softly, "Ohoho... there's another little cutie here."

He raised a hand and made a shushing gesture at Luo Er and Zhong Wei as they entered behind him.

Teacher really was a thoughtful person... Seeing the gesture, the two behind him smiled helplessly and closed the door with utmost care.

The group moved to another quiet bedroom.

"That was more or less the situation."

Having split into two groups and reconvened, they exchanged detailed intelligence.

"Han Dang... really is a dangerous person."

Luo Er lifted the curtain with one hand and glanced at Gu Shen's apartment across the way. "With me watching him now, nothing will go wrong. There's only one day left until the assessment... the most urgent matter is resolving Gu Shen's Dream Interpretation problem."

Seeing his senior brother and senior apprentice sister worrying so much about him, Gu Shen felt somewhat embarrassed. But since he had chosen to play dumb... he had to keep it up to the end.

He gave an awkward smile.

"As far as I know, the Adjudication Court has stored over three thousand seven hundred dreams." Luo Er looked toward Mr. Shu and said slowly, "Most of them are cultivation tools used to temper Mental Power. The easier ones can be deciphered in three to five minutes... but for the difficult ones, it's no longer a matter of time."

"If one's talent isn't sufficient, they won't be able to understand the dream. Even if they spend a month or a year on it, they still won't be able to complete the Dream Interpretation..."

She frowned. "Yet for the same dream, someone exceptionally gifted might need only an hour."

"There's no need to worry about Dream Interpretation..."

Mr. Shu smiled. "The three of you have worked hard these past few days. As your teacher, I can't just stand by and watch. Today is the last day before the assessment... you don't need to tire yourselves out any further. Relax and unwind. Consider it a holiday for yourselves."

With those words from their teacher, everyone visibly relaxed.

Mr. Shu was that kind of person.

If the sky ever fell and he said he could hold it up, then he certainly could.

So when he said there was no need to worry about Dream Interpretation, Luo Er, Zhong Wei, and Nan Jin still felt anxious, but deep down, they truly were not as worried as before.

"Good."

Mr. Shu was very satisfied by the subtle changes in their expressions. "All right, it's getting late... you've all worked hard today, so get some good sleep and rest up."

Then he gave Gu Shen's shoulder a heavy slap and said with a smile:

"You, come with me!"

The rain had stopped.

The wind was still strong.

The cold wind slammed back and forth against the narrow walls, howling through the stairwell. Gu Shen followed Mr. Shu upward against the wind... Ahead was the top floor of the apartment building. Mr. Shu kicked open the door to the Rooftop, and the iron door clanged loudly as a cold scent of rust rushed at them.

"Good."

Mr. Shu let out a long breath. There was no trace left on his face of having drunk alcohol. He stood atop the apartment building with Both Hands gripping the railing. Gu Shen copied his posture and looked down.

Just one glance made him feel dizzy.

They were more than thirty stories up. It was midnight, yet the world below remained noisy and bustling. Far beneath them stretched vast swathes of neon light, while the GG screens still displayed scenes of laughter and cheer.

The late-night pedestrians on the streets looked like tiny grains of sand beneath the brilliant radiance of the clustered lights.

The Rooftop, meanwhile, was utterly silent, save for the wind.

"I actually just wanted to find somewhere I could be alone with you... There probably isn't anywhere more suitable than a Rooftop, right?" Mr. Shu no longer looked down at the countless people below. Instead, he turned around and leaned against the railing, smiling. "I'm really sorry. Before you even understood what was going on, I dragged you into the Adjudication Court... and made you deal with so much trouble."

"..."

Gu Shen opened his mouth, but could not say a word.

His expression suddenly became complicated.

Actually, Gu Shen had harbored a small grievance against Mr. Shu.

Whether it was Nan Jin, Senior Brother Zhong, or Senior Apprentice Sister Luo, they all called him "Teacher," but Gu Shen simply could not bring himself to say it.

Looking back over the whole incident... he had somehow been swept into a supernatural event, followed immediately by a string of "no other choices"—joining the Adjudication Court, undergoing special training, preparing for the assessment, dealing with Han Dang... Everything had happened too quickly. While struggling to cope, Gu Shen often thought of the old man in the Zhongshan Suit who had handed him that note that night.

If he could do it over, would he still dial that number?

After Mr. Shu apologized, Gu Shen suddenly realized... he had nothing to say.

Those small grievances had become complaints too trivial to voice.

The other man had saved his life and gone to great lengths to secure an Amnesty Decree for him... This was someone who genuinely cared about him. Gu Shen could still tell that much.

So he waved a hand and said quietly, "You don't need to be so polite."

After all, he had taken so much money... so it was...

"Think of it as... taking someone's money and helping them avert disaster."

The old man chuckled softly. "That's what you thought, wasn't it?"

"People really do get wiser with age..." Gu Shen muttered, then said seriously, "I don't know why you're so confident, but for tomorrow's assessment... you'd better prepare for the worst."

"Aha..."

That seemed to be the old man's habitual catchphrase.

He asked mildly, "You think you won't pass the assessment?"

This time, it was Gu Shen's turn to laugh.

He truly couldn't hold it in. Pointing at himself, he asked, "You think I can pass the assessment?"

"Of course!"

"You're S-rank... an S-rank I chose!"

Mr. Shu slowly looked toward the young man. His voice was soft, yet to Gu Shen's ears, it struck like thunder. "You are the only one who ever took the ruler from A-009's hands."

Gu Shen stood frozen on the spot.

Like a bolt from the blue.

His mind had gone completely blank. He had no idea what to say.

The secret he had struggled so hard to hide... had been casually exposed by the old man in a single sentence.

"No need to say anything. I know everything."

Mr. Shu smiled and said meaningfully, "Since I chose to have you sign that contract... it meant I had decided to shield you. Hmm... 'shield' is a good word. Very fitting, with just the tiniest bit of thrill to it."

"Do you remember the story I told you before taking you home?" The old man briefly recounted it again. "A-009 was a member of the Ancient Text Society. After she lost control, she was imprisoned. A certain important figure kept conducting experiments on her... in order to find the true cause of her loss of control."

Gu Shen had heard the complete version of that story from Chu Ling.

What had truly caused her to lose control was neither the Bone Scraper nor the old newspaper, but the ruler hidden against her chest.

"That important figure is called Zhao Xilai. He was the one who gave you your Amnesty Decree." Mr. Shu said quietly, "He also chose this Assessment Team."