Seed of Narration

"The gears of fate turn once more, and the young girl is faced with a difficult choice."

"Will she lurk in the rear, picking faults in others with a clear conscience? Or will she charge to the front and become the one judged by others?"

"Once again, the young girl has arrived at a crossroads of fate. This time, no one can offer her guidance, because the only thing that can truly guide her is her own heart."

"Oh, lost young girl, see your true heart clearly. Noble or humble, brave or cowardly, decisive or hesitant... all will be decided at this moment of fate."

"Remember, you have no chance to delay. Once you miss this choice, it will never come to you again."

Zhao Han's expression turned strange. This bastard xenogene, spouting nonsense at me so solemnly again. Seed of Narration-kun, get out here. I promise I won't beat you to death...

Though she thought that, she quickly made her decision.

She still needed to hide her xenogene type as much as possible, but she could not give up pursuing evil, stopping danger, and saving the innocent just for the sake of hiding it.

If she were the sort of fly that only buzzed over a Hero's corpse, she would not have been able to activate this xenogene in the first place. It stood too high above all else and could not tolerate even the slightest hint of baseness.

It would only favor souls among humanity that had the potential to reach a certain pinnacle.

Once Zhao Han figured it out, her entire demeanor changed, as if she had gained some sort of realization in an instant.

"Yun Shuang-jie, Senior Wu, the Patrol Division should have a list of suspects by now, right? After all, they've been tracking them for a month..." she asked pleadingly.

"Oh, of course. But that's an extremely important confidential file. To see that list, you have to go through Teacher Wenren." A trace of relief seemed to flash across Xu Yunshuang's face.

"Okay, then do you have Teacher Wenren's number? I want to know the suspects' information," Zhao Han said seriously.

"Alright, I'll give you Teacher Wenren's number. At this hour, he probably hasn't gone to sleep yet." Xu Yunshuang took out her phone.

Sleep?

Zhao Han was speechless. It was only seven o'clock. Was he an elementary school student or something? When she was little, she had been sent to bed at seven-thirty every night after watching the news.

Wenren Sheng Villa, south of Dongshui City.

He leaned against the sofa, watching the local news in the living room. Some fruits and vegetables sat on the coffee table before him.

"According to reports from frontline journalists, sandstorms of an unknown scale have erupted in several countries in the central region of This Continent, including Shagore, causing severe effects. Our country has already taken the appropriate measures. Citizens are advised not to travel or work in those countries in the near future."

"The weather has been hot recently, and extreme temperatures in the city will reach forty degrees. Please take precautions against the heat, keep your mind cool, and prevent irritability and excessive liver fire. Many people have gathered at the East Water Riverbank to escape the heat. Please remain mindful of your safety."

While watching the news, Wenren Sheng received a call. After listening for a while, he nodded.

"Oh, you've worked hard. I'll send the list to you. Remember to delete it after reading it, and don't tell a third person."

Then he hung up, swiped across his phone screen, and opened the Key of Secrets app. His version of the app was a different color from Xu Yunshuang's—dark purple, whereas hers was blue-black.

After a series of operations, he obtained the current suspect list. When he saw the first two names, he frowned.

"Liu Jian? He really is on it."

"Liu Bo, Liu Jian's father. Freelance worker. Formerly a xenogene holder. Later failed the Qualification Exam and had his xenogene taken away, resulting in aftereffects that left both his legs crippled. A key suspect, but no reliable evidence has been found."

There were several more names below. It was clear that the Patrol Division had not spared any effort over the past month. They were likely only one step away from the truth.

After thinking for a while, he sent Zhao Han a text message.

After finishing up, he looked up at the wall clock. It was already seven-thirty. Fine, time to shower, get into bed, and read.

Zhao Han held her phone and read the text Wenren Sheng had sent. Remembering his instructions, she did not show the information to the other two.

She felt a little embarrassed and wanted to explain herself to Xu Yunshuang, considering how much the other woman had looked after her.

"No explanation is needed. Teacher Wenren is doing this to protect us." Xu Yunshuang smiled.

Zhao Han understood immediately. Whoever received the list might become a target of the culprit behind the scenes; if the list somehow leaked, they might even become new suspects.

So she said awkwardly, "Then, Senior Sisters, I'll be heading back first."

She did not explain why she had to leave, and neither of them asked.

"Do you want Shan Shan to take you?" Xu Yunshuang asked with concern.

Zhao Han glanced at the expressionless Wu Shanshan and gave a dry laugh. "Uh, it's fine. I can take the bus back."

"That wouldn't be safe. Let's go together instead." Xu Yunshuang stood up and took out her phone to make a call.

"You two go ahead. I'm staying to work overtime." Wu Shanshan snorted and sat back down to continue sorting through the research materials.

Zhao Han looked at the darkening sky outside, then recalled the records she had made during the day. An inexplicable wave of fear rose within her, and she nodded in agreement.

The two left the Club together. When they went downstairs, a Mercedes was waiting at the main entrance of the building.

A woman in business attire, over thirty years old, stepped out of the car and hurried over in small steps.

Remembering Xu Yunshuang's identity, Zhao Han was not surprised.

However, after she got into the car and stated her current address, the businesswoman was somewhat startled, though she said nothing more.

Xu Yunshuang smiled. "So that's how it is. You don't live far from Teacher Wenren."

"Uh, I'm staying at my uncle's house," Zhao Han admitted.

She did not particularly want others to know her true identity, but neither did she want to hide it from a friend she had only just made.

"Then your uncle must be President Zhao, right?" Xu Yunshuang continued.

"Yes." Zhao Han nodded, feeling somewhat embarrassed. She did not want her new friend to think she was so well-connected.

Her uncle treated her well, but she understood clearly that there were no free lunches in the world. If she kept relying on his favors, repaying them in the future would be ten times harder.

Fortunately, Xu Yunshuang did not continue asking. Instead, she changed the subject and spoke of other matters.

Zhao Han felt a little grateful. As she responded, she looked at the other woman's profile. Her face was fair and smooth, without a single visible flaw, and she carried a faint, pleasant scent—not perfume. With her silver hair, she looked like a Goddess who had stepped out of a two-dimensional world.

What a beautiful person. Sure enough, the bigger the world one saw, the more outstanding people one would encounter.

Unable to help herself, she stared for a while longer. When her gaze swept across the woman's slender neck, the car jolted slightly, and her silver hair fluttered aside. Zhao Han seemed to glimpse a faint scar.

But she did not pay it any mind. She herself had several scars on her legs and knees from running and exercise, along with a small indentation on her forehead hidden beneath her hair. Her complexion was a little dark from the sun as well. Reality was not a two-dimensional world; a few scars made things feel more real.

The car sped through the lingering glow of the setting sun. By the time they arrived, night had begun to fall.

Finally, it stopped in front of a large villa. Zhao Han got out, bid the two farewell, and watched as the car departed once more.

The villa's lights were already on in the night.

She walked toward the courtyard gate and pressed her index finger against a fingerprint lock. A side door opened.

Zhao Han looked at the villa, her expression somewhat complicated. She had originally intended to follow the path beneath her feet and turn toward the separate Wooden House on the right.

After only a few steps, her phone rang. She took it out, and a deep voice sounded from it.

"Xiao Han, you're back, right? Your Aunt happened to make dinner herself today. Come over to the dining room and eat with us."

"Okay, Uncle."

She hung up, thought for a moment, vigorously rubbed her face, put on a smile, and headed toward the main villa.

After pushing open the door and entering the villa, she turned a few corners and reached the dining room. At a long wooden dining table sat three familiar people—her potbellied but warm-faced uncle, her young aunt with her polite yet somewhat cautious expression, and her cousin, sitting cross-legged as he played on his phone, his face full of teenage rebellion.

Three male and female servants stood by respectfully. At the table, an empty chair and a set of utensils had already been prepared.

She greeted them one by one. "Hello, Uncle. Hello, Aunt."

The young woman hurriedly stood up, bowed to her, and smiled humbly.

President Zhao merely nodded from his seat, then glared at the son playing on his phone beside him. "Zhao Xu, all you know how to do is play around. Your cousin is here, and you don't even know to stand up and greet her. Did your mother teach you no manners at all?"

"Enough, Dad. We're just nouveau riche. Why imitate the ways of aristocratic Tycoons?" Zhao Xu continued playing with his phone. He looked up impatiently, revealing an ordinary face covered in acne.

"Xiao Han, come sit," President Zhao said, no longer bothering with his rebellious son. He asked with concern, "How was your first day of classes at the company?"

"It was quite good. Everyone took good care of me. Manager Wenren even took me out for practical training. He thinks highly of me," Zhao Han replied with a smile.

"That's a good start. Looks like you'll make great progress soon. Come on, eat before the dishes get cold." President Zhao reached out and served her some food.

"Tch." Zhao Xu put down his phone upon hearing that and said disdainfully, "Zhao Han, sometimes I really admire you. Your face is dark, and you're also incredibly good at bragging..."

Zhao Han's expression stiffened, but she did not reply. She merely sat down, lowered her head, and began to eat.