Water Meter Inspection

After returning to the hotel, Su Shijie did not idle around. Instead, he made use of the rare internet access to look up relevant information on his Personal Terminal.

There was information about Floating Cities, as well as various other things.

For example, Contamination Sources.

He had gone online through the learning helmet at the shelter before, but the teaching network meant for students had very, very little to say about Contamination Zones.

Occasionally, there would only be a news release saying that some Contamination Zone had been resolved.

Based on his own circumstances, Su Shijie surmised that Contamination Sources might grow stronger because of people's fear, which was why things were handled this way.

But there had to be sources of information about Contamination Sources.

Every Floating City had its own clean-net firewall, with different restrictions based on its circumstances. Prosperous Sky City had one too.

After searching online, Su Shijie found a decent place: the city's official forum, which he could access after obtaining C-3 clearance.

Aside from casual discussions, it had specialized sections for knowledge, missions, recruitment, and more, though they required a certain fee.

He searched for information related to Contamination Sources. It was far more detailed and plentiful than what was available on the learning network. Checking the titles and prices, he found that most were cheap, ranging from a few Credit Points to a few dozen. Posts costing over a hundred were quite rare.

After spending so much on a full set of equipment, he was practically broke, but he could still afford this small information fee.

It concerned his grand plan to level up quickly, so this investment was naturally worthwhile.

If he had not been short on money, he might even have posted a bounty.

But Su Shijie soon realized how naive he had been.

After reading more than a dozen pieces of information concerning Contamination Zones and Contamination Sources, sorting out some of the traits, patterns, and methods of identifying Contamination Sources—

His doorbell rang again.

This time, it genuinely startled him, because he had not sensed anyone in the corridor beforehand.

Even with good soundproofing, he at least had the raw stats of an Awakened Rank now.

He did not dare use telekinesis recklessly. Feeling somewhat tense, Su Shijie glanced at the doorbell display and saw two stern-faced figures in uniforms standing outside.

One of them even had a hand pressed against his gun holster.

The other, who had not touched his holster, seemed to notice Su Shijie's gaze through the display. He met Su Shijie's eyes and said,

"Open the door. City Guard Office Task Force investigators. If you refuse, we will force entry."

"Could you show me your IDs or some form of authorization?"

Su Shijie felt uneasy. Their perception was too sharp. He definitely could not handle them.

"Check your Personal Terminal. We've sent over an order for you to assist in an investigation."

At that moment, Su Shijie felt his Personal Terminal vibrate. A message had just arrived, asking him to cooperate with the investigation.

After a brief stunned pause, he understood where the problem lay.

He had paid to buy information about Contamination Sources...

Damn, was this entrapment?

But after figuring it out, Su Shijie relaxed a little. Fortunately, he had not actually posted any bounty, and a Contamination Source had appeared near the shelter before.

It made perfect sense for a student in the Advanced Class to be curious about such things.

After all, his income could be verified. He was not short on that little bit of money.

With that in mind, Su Shijie opened the door. Whether he opened it or not would not change the outcome, so it was better to cooperate obediently and avoid suffering an immediate loss.

If he lacked the ability but still provoked law enforcement officers, would that not be idiotic?

"Officers, I'm an honest citizen. Is there some misunderstanding?"

"Everyone who gets arrested says that. Come with us first. You'll find out whether it's a misunderstanding."

The leader who had met Su Shijie's eyes through the display spoke expressionlessly.

Meanwhile, the deputy with his hand on the gun holster took out a pair of magnetic handcuffs.

"Do I really need to wear handcuffs?"

"Mm. Around Awakened Rank Level Three. No need for them. Come with me."

The poker-faced leader nodded in agreement, and his deputy put the cuffs away.

But that only made Su Shijie even less able to gauge their strength.

Normally, aside from the leakage of spiritual energy during battle and various hard numerical indicators, it was difficult for strangers to accurately judge a stationary target's evolutionary level.

Yet they had only just met, and Su Shijie had done nothing, but this man had already estimated his condition.

If it were based on the assessment where he obtained his clearance today, Awakened Rank Level One would have been the more likely conclusion.

Most likely, he had directly judged Su Shijie from the way he walked and all kinds of subtle details.

There was a high chance that he was a Transformation Tier Scholar.

They had directly dispatched a Transformation Tier individual. They truly thought highly of him, and it also showed how seriously they took information related to Evil Gods.

And through this, Su Shijie could see why his father had said he could reveal a little of his Bloodline Trait when necessary. Tough Skin was difficult to conceal once he truly began training.

When necessary, a small secret could cover up a larger one.

"Officer, there are important items in my room. Can I bring them with me?"

Su Shijie tested the waters again, wanting to see how serious this was. But the deputy immediately became as vigilant as if facing a great enemy, placing his hand on his gun holster and demanding sharply,

"What items?! Where are they? Don't move! I'll get them!"

Damn, was this guy a rookie? Why was he so nervous?

Su Shijie grumbled inwardly.

"Awakened Rank potions. I just bought them. You should be able to verify it. Four bottles."

There was no way to hide information like that, so Su Shijie simply said it openly.

As for whether he should worry that they might get greedy and embezzle his possessions—

To be honest, Su Shijie had considerable faith in the procedural justice of the Dawn Goddess. Surveillance was everywhere, and all his purchases were recorded. At least within the city, he had nothing to fear.

Well, at least the value of four Awakening Potions was not worth the risk for a Transformation Tier leader.

Yet after Su Shijie spoke, the poker-faced captain actually showed a rare hint of surprise. He looked Su Shijie up and down.

"You're planning to use Agony Potions? You've got perseverance."

He instantly judged the purpose of the potions. This leader was probably an old hand as well.

"Don't worry. We're only going to ask a few questions and get some information. It won't take long, and we'll even give you a small gift afterward."

Su Shijie could clearly sense that the previously poker-faced captain was treating him noticeably better. He then motioned for his deputy to bring out the case of potions.

"May I ask how to address you, officer?"

Seeing that the other man's attitude had improved, Su Shijie tried to get closer as he followed them.

"My name is Chuan Feng. Just call me Brother Feng. This kid is Li Jie."

"Your surname is Chuan? Brother Feng, you're a descendant of the Earl of Prosperous."

Su Shijie appropriately displayed the liveliness expected of someone his age.

He also tried to play the age card a little.

Moreover, Su Shijie noticed that Chuan Feng's poker face was merely something he needed for work. He was actually fairly talkative, and once conversation got going, communication should not be a problem.

"More or less, but you'll find there are quite a few people in the city with the surname Chuan. Around a hundred thousand or so."

In a city of seven million people, there were over a hundred thousand Chuans, not even counting descendants of female members of collateral branches. That was already a very high proportion.

"I met someone called Chuan Ziliu yesterday. He nearly got scammed."

"You ran into that unlucky brat? Then that really is..."

Chuan Feng clearly knew what kind of person Chuan Ziliu was, and could not help shaking his head.

"Stay away from him. Don't let him lead you astray."

Normally, Chuan Feng would never say so much to a suspect.

But after mistaking Su Shijie's boosted physical qualities from his bloodline enhancement for his evolutionary level, he believed Su Shijie was an eighteen-year-old Awakened Rank Level Three. Coupled with his willingness to endure the suffering of using Agony Potions, barring any accidents, he likely had the potential to reach the Transformation Tier.

Chuan Feng did not mind chatting a little more with a promising young man. This time, they were merely ruling out risks. As a Scholar, based on visual observation alone, he considered it highly unlikely that Su Shijie was an Evil God Cultist.

Of course, it could not be ruled out that he was a lackey bought by Evil God Cultists, so Su Shijie still had to make a trip to the station.

"Brother Feng, how did you immediately judge my approximate strength?"

"You probably broke through not long ago. Your control over your strength is fine, but some habits still reveal plenty of details. It's hard to explain. Mostly, it comes down to experience. Once you've seen enough, you'll know."

In that fairly harmonious atmosphere, the group arrived at one of the City Guard Office's local stations.

The station stood out because the surrounding buildings were all skyscrapers assembled from modular sections, while this City Guard station was only six stories tall. Its appearance was also quite distinctive, giving it the feel of a castle.

With Personal Terminals, registration was quick. A single beep was all it took, and then Su Shijie understood why they had insisted on bringing him here.

They had him sit before a machine resembling an X-ray scanner. It was likely an instrument with lie-detection capabilities.

Though such machines were not absolutely accurate, with even brainwave fluctuations being monitored, their general accuracy should not be a problem.

Part of the human rational layer and thought layer depended on the brain.

"Relax. We won't ask about your privacy, but you must answer as quickly as possible. If you need to recall something, answer immediately once you remember it. Say whatever comes to mind. You may add details, but if you hesitate, the machine will directly determine that you're lying."

There was nothing unexpected about the questioning process. After all, most of what Su Shijie said was the truth, so he only needed to respond normally. Besides, he himself could read emotions, while the machine could not detect deeper fluctuations of the soul and spiritual energy. He handled it with complete ease.

With computing power far beyond his current level, Su Shijie felt that even making things up probably would not have been a problem, but he did not court death by testing it.

Still, he felt the machine had its limitations. It might not be very useful against experienced criminals in ordinary cases.

"Alright, thank you for your cooperation. Here, solve a Rubik's Cube."

With that, Chuan Feng handed over the small gift.

"Once you solve it, I can decide to give you a—"

Before he could finish, Su Shijie had already solved the cube.

"Hehe, I specifically looked into how to determine whether you've been contaminated."

Su Shijie added an explanation for why he had solved it so quickly. After all, a Contamination Source had appeared right outside his home. It was a perfectly normal precaution.

"Mm, no problem. We'll send an Electromagnetic Handgun directly to your city-entry storage locker later."

"Brother Feng, you're generous!"

Even ordinary Electromagnetic Handguns required purchase authorization, and could sell for over ten thousand on the black market!

Clearly, this kind of "compensation" was not handed out casually. Cooperating with an investigation was an obligation in the first place; it was meant to clear one's name.

Even if the City Guard Office did not lack guns.

Chuan Feng was using public funds to do him a personal favor. This should all fall within the discretionary authority for handling cases, and even the Dawn Goddess's surveillance tacitly allowed it.

The other party believed Su Shijie was worth receiving such a "small gift."

But just as Su Shijie grinned and prepared to leave with Chuan Feng, an urgent voice called out to him from the side.

"Hey, little brother, you solved that so fast. Is there some pattern or trick to solving a Rubik's Cube? I've been locked up for an entire day!"

Turning around, he saw a thin, disheveled man inside a clean, simple holding cell nearby, staring at him anxiously through the glass.

"By convention, no matter how minor the offense, anyone who comes in has to solve a Rubik's Cube before being released. He came in for attempted theft and still has more than ten days to serve. He can take his time solving it."

Chuan Feng gave a brief explanation.

After staring blankly at the thin man for a moment, Su Shijie replied,

"I don't know any pattern either. Take your time and solve it yourself. If you're willing to spend enough time, you'll eventually finish it."

Su Shijie did not know whether this man was an Evil God Cultist, but he caught a trace of sweet scent on him.

He had been contaminated...