"Other abilities?"
Lu Xin did not really understand what Chen Jing meant for a moment.
He thought about it seriously before asking in return, just as seriously, "What is a mental level?"
Hearing this, Chen Jing suddenly laughed as well. Then she pushed another document from the very bottom over to Lu Xin and said, "It looks like you didn't study the document I left for you very thoroughly. The so-called mental level is the unit we use to assess the threat level of a Pollution Source and the ability level of a Mental Mutant. It is specifically aimed at measuring the strength of mental power."
Lu Xin took the document. It was filled with complicated, tongue-twisting terms and units.
His previous document seemed to have contained them too, but it had also included English, complex formulas, and various measurement methods.
Aside from the matter of his benefits, he had not understood anything.
Fortunately, Chen Jing continued explaining. "You can think of it this way. A healthy adult man in the most active period of his mental life has roughly ten units of mental power. An ordinary Level 1 Mental Monster, or Pollution Source, possesses a mental level of approximately one hundred units. This often determines their pollution level."
"Of course, there is one thing we have to pay attention to: a Mental Monster is not the same as a Pollution Source."
"Although we often lump the two together nowadays, in reality, only a Pollution Source with active aggression, a certain degree of consciousness, and corresponding changes is what we usually refer to as a Mental Monster. There are also some Pollution Sources that have no consciousness of their own. They merely distort the mental power of those they infect and cause a certain degree of influence."
"The difference between the two could be seen in our work today."
As Chen Jing spoke, her expression grew more serious. "Judging from the initial situation and intelligence, we initially determined that what we encountered this time was merely an ordinary pollution incident. Only at the very end did we discover that the Pollution Source had already become a Mental Monster."
"Oh..."
Lu Xin put on an expression as though he had understood everything and nodded thoughtfully.
Then he paused and asked, "Then why did you ask whether I was hiding any other abilities?"
"Because you handled this pollution incident alone."
Chen Jing looked at him, a faint smile seemingly appearing on her face. "According to the tests we conducted on you before, your ability is Spider-type, and your ability level is rated C-class. Your mental level is around one hundred units, fluctuating by no more than fifty units in either direction. Normally, a Mental Mutant's mental level is often lower than that of a Pollution Source of the same level."
"After all, a Pollution Source becomes one because a mental mutation breaks through its limits and goes out of control. A Mental Mutant, on the other hand, has undergone a mental mutation and gained a substantial enhancement, but remains within their own ability to control it."
"So, we rarely decide to have a Mental Mutant face a Pollution Source alone."
"Normally, we should resolve the problem by finding the logic chain and core key of the Mental Pollution Source..."
"..."
Lu Xin spoke at the appropriate moment. "Then... what are the logic chain and..."
"The logic chain is the surface rule and pattern of a Mental Pollution Source. It often represents the way the Mental Pollution Source spreads infection and its level. For example, the logic chain initially summarized for No. 041 special pollution source was revenge, and it also had certain time patterns that could be summarized. We can use this logic chain to analyze the Pollution Source's reactions and formulate plans to clear or avoid it."
"The core key represents the Pollution Source's true body. It is also equivalent to the Pollution Source's switch. Turn it off, and it ends."
"..."
Chen Jing explained it cleanly, then looked at Lu Xin with an expression that clearly said she knew he had not carefully read the document. "No matter when, finding the Pollution Source's logic chain and core key is the optimal way to handle pollution. But you are different. You did not look for either of these things. Instead, you chose to resolve the Pollution Source directly. The No. 036 pollution incident was one thing, but you did the same with No. 041..."
"I have to say, although this method of handling things is direct, and very... violent..."
"But this kind of situation is not common!"
After saying all that in one breath, Chen Jing paused, lit a cigarette, and smiled. "So, we still have to ask as a matter of procedure. Don't be nervous. This is only a routine work report. Considering that there may be people higher up who are interested in this sort of thing and may ask questions, I have to write a presentable report to explain it to them..."
"..."
"Oh, oh, I understand..."
As soon as he heard about writing a report, Lu Xin nodded. He had experience with this sort of thing.
"It may indeed be a little unusual..."
Thinking about what Chen Jing had just said, Lu Xin slowly considered it before saying, "The key point is, I wasn't the one who resolved it..."
Chen Jing frowned.
Lu Xin answered honestly, "It was Sister!"
A thoughtful expression appeared on Chen Jing's face, as though she was considering how to begin.
As if afraid she would not believe him, Lu Xin pointed at the trash bin outside the door and said, "The candy wrapper you threw away just now was what Sister ate!"
Chen Jing could not help frowning and asked casually, "Then where is she now?"
Looking at the top of Chen Jing's head, Lu Xin said, "She's right above your head, smiling at you..."
"You..."
Although this was far from the first time she had heard it, Chen Jing still felt the hairs on her body rise slightly.
She forced herself to endure it, keeping her neck stiff and refusing to look up.
But after holding out for a long while, she still could not resist sneaking a barely perceptible glance upward, only to find the space above her head completely empty.
This made her feel as though she was about to lose patience.
Lu Xin quietly added, "You can't see her..."
Chen Jing glared fiercely at Lu Xin. Only after a long while did she gently let out a breath.
She leaned back slightly, making it easier to look up at any moment, and then said, "Forget it. We'll set that question aside for now. What I'm more curious about is this: I had already ordered you to retreat earlier, so why did you insist on charging toward that Pollution Source?"
Lu Xin took this question more seriously and said, "Because those three members hadn't been polluted yet!"
Chen Jing naturally knew that the three members of the investigation team had not been polluted. Headquarters' mental specialists had already evaluated them and found no signs of pollution aside from a little panic. At the time, however, many people had witnessed the three of them being controlled by the distorted mental field of the pollution, even flying into the air and opening fire on Lu Xin.
Under normal circumstances, there was no way this could be considered normal.
In other words, without Lu Xin, those three investigation team members would have met the fate of being eliminated no matter what.
And that was precisely the part she could not understand.
So she slowly asked, "How did you determine that the three of them had not been polluted?"
"How did I determine it?"
Lu Xin found the question somewhat baffling. After a long moment, he said, "I saw it directly..."
Before you continue