Strange Occurrences

"Dad, Mom, I'm home."

"Hey! Coming, coming!"

His mother, Zhang Xiujuan, called out at once, her voice filled with delight.

The door opened.

Zhang Xiujuan was wearing an apron, a faint blush still lingering on her face. Her eyes lit up when she saw Li He, and she broke into a bright smile. "Xiao He, you're back! Come on in. Your dad's home too!"

"That's right! Hahahaha." His father, Li Jianguo, strode over and looked Li He up and down, his eyes lighting up. "Well, look at you! You've already reached the peak of the First-Rank Martial Artist realm? You're at the same level as your old man now. Not bad, not bad at all! Hahahaha!"

Li He smiled but didn't reply.

After they had welcomed him home and washed off the road dust,

his father began telling him about what he'd seen in the Safe Zone.

"Xiao He, I really had my eyes opened this time over at Star Iron Gorge!" Li Jianguo said with a sigh. "You know, even before the incident, I could tell something was off. The Abyssal Demonic Qi concentration was ridiculously high, and small groups of monsters kept harassing us."

"But the Federation's defenses really are impressive. Those of us working maintenance mainly made sure the energy lines in the underground utility tunnels stayed connected, so the defensive turrets and energy shields could keep running. Not a single monster got through."

He paused, a flicker of recollection in his eyes.

"But something strange happened this time. Even now, thinking about it makes me uneasy."

"Something strange?" Li He looked up at his father.

"Yeah. It was about two days before the outbreak. I was inspecting some old streetlights near the outer buffer zone. There weren't many people around, and it was dim and gloomy. I was checking the wiring when, all of a sudden, I heard... a little girl crying!"

"A little girl?" Zhang Xiujuan cut in, surprised. "What would a little girl be doing in a place like that? Did you run into an Evil Spirit?"

Evil Spirits were common mutated beasts. They were humanoid and could be wiped out with blood-and-qi power. They were a little frightening, but easy enough to deal with.

"An Evil Spirit?" Li Jianguo immediately shook his head. "It didn't sound like one. I've been at this for years and seen plenty of Evil Spirits. When those things cried, it sounded like fingernails scraping a blackboard. That was a little girl's voice—thin and faint, coming in fits and starts. She sounded so pitiful."

"But you couldn't let your guard down over anything unusual in a place like that. I hit the alarm right away and notified the nearest patrol."

"When everyone arrived, I followed behind the group as we approached the corner to check things out."

He described what had happened. "When we rounded the corner, I saw a little girl in a gray dress, huddled in the corner and crying. The dress was really old and hung loose on her. She was tiny and skinny, with messy hair. She looked like an ordinary child."

"The patrol went over and checked her out. She was just an ordinary little girl."

"We tried asking her name, where she lived, and why she was there... She didn't say a word. She just cried."

"We had no choice but to bring her back to the temporary camp and give her some water and food."

"Guess what? The moment she saw the food, her eyes went wide. She pounced on it and wolfed it down like she hadn't eaten in days."

"Later, the staff gave her a basic checkup. There was nothing seriously wrong with her, and she seemed to have plenty of energy. She was just severely malnourished. She also seemed unable—or unwilling—to speak. Whatever we asked, she only nodded or shook her head, or looked at us with frightened eyes."

At this point,

Li Jianguo sighed.

"Everyone felt sorry for her. We figured she might be the child of some scavenger or wanderer who'd gotten lost or been abandoned. We planned to help her find her family, or send her to a welfare institution once the outbreak had been dealt with."

"But..." Li Jianguo's voice fell, thick with confusion and a trace of unease. "The day before the outbreak, the girl disappeared."

"She disappeared?" Zhang Xiujuan cried out.

"Yeah!" Li Jianguo nodded emphatically. "She was in the shelter, and all the doors and windows were locked. The surveillance footage didn't show anyone going in or out."

"She just vanished into thin air, as if she'd been erased from the world. The people in the Safe Zone searched every corner, even checked the ventilation ducts, but found not a trace. Isn't that strange?"

"The safety officers investigated for ages but couldn't figure anything out. In the end, they could only chalk it up to some unknown phenomenon caused by the Abyssal Demonic Qi, or a mutated beast with special abilities sneaking in."

"But I could tell she was just an ordinary child. I can't explain it... Anyway, I hope she's all right."

"Dad, that really is strange," Li He said. "But the Abyss Frontline has always been mysterious and unpredictable. Anything can happen there. You did what you were supposed to, so don't blame yourself. I hope the girl really is safe."

He tried to comfort his father.

"That's right, Jianguo. Don't dwell on it. The important thing is that you came back safe and sound." Zhang Xiujuan hurried to add.

The mood lightened again. Li Jianguo went on to tell them amusing stories about some of the other workers in the Safe Zone, while Zhang Xiujuan chatted about little things happening among the neighbors.

Li He ate quietly, taking in the warmth of home.

When the time seemed right, Li He took the two contracts out of his backpack.

"By the way, Dad, Mom, I've got some good news. The martial arts school helped out a bit and found you both new jobs in the city center. I've also picked out an address for our new home."

He handed a contract to each of his parents.

"Dad, yours is for an equipment maintenance supervisor job at a logistics center under Zhenhai Group. Mom, yours is for a clerical job at one of the community service centers under the group."

"Our new place is nearby. It's employee housing provided by Zhenhai Group, so the commute will be convenient, and the security's pretty good too."

Li Jianguo and Zhang Xiujuan took the contracts and read them carefully by the light of the lamp. Their eyes widened at once.

"This salary is more than twice what I used to make, and there are all kinds of allowances and insurance... plus a housing allowance?" Li Jianguo asked in disbelief.

"Oh my goodness, they're giving us a place to live too? Xiao He, the martial arts school is taking such good care of you! What did you do to impress them so much?" Zhang Xiujuan reacted much the same way.

Li He smiled.

"Yeah. The martial arts school recently held a small test, and I did pretty well. I caught the eye of a boss, and this is just a little something from him. You'll both be working in the city from now on, so you'll be safer too."

"Good, good! That's wonderful!" Li Jianguo slapped the table hard. "My son's made something of himself! You've made your old man proud! It's just a shame my old buddies won't get to see me anymore. Hahahaha!"

"Mom will listen to you too!" Zhang Xiujuan's eyes reddened, but her face broke into a radiant smile. "This is great. We'll both be working close to home! Xiao He, make sure you keep working hard and don't let that boss down after all he's done for you."

"Mm, I know."

Li He nodded with a smile and said no more.

Night fell.

Li He returned to his room, opened the three manuals, and began studying them closely.

He ordered the training materials online on his phone. They were scheduled to arrive at the parcel station in his residential compound at seven tomorrow evening.

"Train my fists during the day and temper my body at night." Li He planned out his days ahead. "Once the resources arrive, I can't waste a single moment."