Tools Don't Need Thoughts

Outside the door, Ji Wu helplessly pressed down on Xu Zhou's head and gave it a rough rub.

Inside the ward.

Zhang Lin asked Bai Zuo, "Is Xu Zhou an Adaptive like me?"

Bai Zuo drew a turtle on his cast-covered leg. "Yeah!"

Zhang Lin squinted, ignoring his prank.

"Didn't you notice that kid has a self-destructive tendency?"

"No way? What a shame!" Bai Zuo's face showed an expression of utter indifference. To him, it didn't matter whether a tool wanted to destroy itself—as long as he found the tool useful, that was enough.

That casual attitude of not valuing human life made Zhang Lin, as a police officer, want to whip out handcuffs and arrest him on the spot.

Zhang Lin had a lot he wanted to say, but when he met Bai Zuo's utterly unruffled gaze, he knew that no matter what he said, the other wouldn't listen.

The work of a Contract Anomalist was special. They constantly faced all kinds of dangerous and terrifying Weirds. This profession seemed to ignore age—anyone with talent could become a Contract Anomalist.

Even adults with a normal worldview, constantly hovering on the edge of life and death, would develop psychological issues.

Let alone young people, whose minds weren't mature enough and were most susceptible to outside influence.

So far, the two Contract Anomalists Zhang Lin had encountered—one Bai Zuo, one Xu Zhou—both had problems to varying degrees.

Bai Zuo's malice, Xu Zhou's self-destruction.

They desperately needed psychological counseling.

Not to be sent to fight Weirds while carrying these issues.

But Zhang Lin also knew that Weirds needed someone to deal with them, which made it all the more absurd. If this world had fallen to the point where children had to protect it, then weren't we adults utterly useless?

"I'm an Adaptive too, right? Let me become a Contract Anomalist! Let that kid return to a normal life, go to school peacefully!"

Zhang Lin tried to sit up, but couldn't because of his wounds. His eyes were firm as he stared straight at Bai Zuo.

Bai Zuo sat cross-legged in the chair, twirling a black pen in his hand. "No can do. From the moment he became a Contract Anomalist, he's already past the point of no return."

"After all, he's already my tool!"

Bai Zuo smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Tools don't need thoughts, and they don't have the right to choose either!"

Blatant malice, like a bottomless quagmire, clung tightly, clogging mouth and nose, suffocating yet impossible to escape.

Zhang Lin held his breath.

Bai Zuo's deep, pitch-black pupils stared straight at Zhang Lin, a double entendre in his words.

The tool he spoke of—was it Xu Zhou? Or Zhang Lin? Or both?

"Ding! Character Perfection increased by 5%!"

"Unlocked special ability: Mind Possession (Outstanding)!"

Excellent! The villain's image was further reinforced. Bai Zuo didn't continue the conversation. He stood up and walked out of the ward.

Only after Bai Zuo left did Zhang Lin remember how to breathe, gasping heavily.

Such an intense pressure. Just now, it felt like he was being stared down by a large beast—his body couldn't move at all.

He struggled to reach out, took a business card from the bedside table, and his eyes were filled with determination!

On the card was written: Yigui Clean Energy Transport Co., Ltd., Supervision Department, Ji Wu, Contact Number: xxxxxxx.

Xu Zhou picked up the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow that had fallen in the corner.

He wiped off the dust, sheathed the blade, wrapped it carefully layer by layer with cloth, and placed it back into the carrying strap on his back.

Gone was his earlier liveliness. He looked dejected and gloomy.

Ji Wu had no way to comfort him. In the Aberration Association, he had seen all kinds of stubborn Contract Anomalists. Xu Zhou's condition was still relatively mild—at least when he went crazy, he only hurt himself.

Unlike Bai Zuo and other Contract Anomalists, who, when they snapped, indiscriminately took out everyone around them.

Ji Wu held a cigarette in his mouth. Seeing Bai Zuo come out from inside, he jerked his chin to signal him to look at Xu Zhou.

He was just a supervisor!

He was only responsible for watching over Bai Zuo alone. Taking care of Xu Zhou was clearly Bai Zuo's job!

Bai Zuo seemed to be in a good mood. For once, he didn't go against him. He sauntered over to Xu Zhou's side. "What's got you down?"

Xu Zhou hung his head low. He had originally thought that becoming a Contract Anomalist and gaining power would make him a useful person. But he never expected that when facing a Weird, he would still be so terrified and cowardly.

Just like when he faced those bullies and was powerless to resist.

"Brother Bai, am I really useless?"

Bai Zuo looked at him with some curiosity, resting his chin on one hand. "The suggestion wore off? You remembered something?"

"I remembered some things."

Bai Zuo immediately reached out to Xu Zhou. "It's okay, it'll be over soon."

Smack!

Ji Wu pushed Bai Zuo's hand away, fixing him with a cold stare. "You little brat, strictly follow the rules! Xu Zhou is already a member of the Aberration Association, and he's a Contract Anomalist, not your tool!"

Bai Zuo spread his hands. "I rarely try to fulfill my responsibilities as a supervisor."

To avoid writing a self-criticism report, Bai Zuo quickly slipped away.

Ji Wu took Xu Zhou to handle the formalities. They found a decently run company valued at tens of millions on the market and used an acquisition voucher to buy it out.

Following the Chairman's instructions, they changed the company's name to Yigui Clean Energy Transport Co., Ltd.

After all this busywork, Xu Zhou's gloomy mood had lifted somewhat. He leaned over curiously and read the name aloud: "Yigui Clean Energy Transport Co., Ltd. That's a long name."

"This company will be our foothold here from now on. Every organization member will register their name here."

"Me too?"

"Of course."

So Xu Zhou watched as Ji Wu went through a flurry of operations, entering his information into the company system and assigning him to the Execution Department.

Execution Department, C-rank Contract Anomalist, Xu Zhou.

Xu Zhou felt a flicker of joy inside, like a rootless duckweed finally finding an anchor.

"The employee dormitory is right behind the company. Go to the front desk and get a key. Stay there if you want."

Ji Wu worked efficiently, quickly completing all the company procedures while keeping as many of the original employees as possible.

He also set up several departments that seemed baffling to the other staff.

For example, the Execution Department, Supervision Department, Research Department, Energy Department, and Transport Department.

Their original company sold software. These new departments had nothing to do with software at all, and many employees whispered among themselves.

"I heard our company got a new boss?"

"They even changed the name, so it must be true."

"The new boss seems to want to go into transport, not sell software?"

"No way? In this economy, switching industries is the worst move."