Special training

Number-529...

Zhou Ze looked down at the furry creature rubbing against his trouser leg and froze for a moment.

"Is she a contained anomaly too?"

"Yes. What, not quite what you expected?" Lu Fei bit off a piece of chicken and chuckled.

"I thought contained anomalies..." Zhou Ze glanced up at the man across the table and shrugged. "I thought they'd all be locked in cages."

In his mind, contained anomalies were dangerous, incomprehensible things.

Like the Game Box he had encountered during the last experiment, or the pair of high heels that had escaped their containment chamber.

Even with the first two experiments, Zhou Ze suspected he simply hadn't come into direct contact with whatever made those things anomalous.

That didn't mean those strange objects were safe.

But considering he wasn't supposed to have those memories, he had chosen a more cautious way of putting it.

"That's usually the case... but you clearly have some misconceptions about contained anomalies."

Lu Fei swallowed his food, picked up his glass, and took a long drink of freshly squeezed watermelon juice before continuing, "The term 'contained anomaly' refers to things successfully captured by the Anomaly Containment Facility that possess supernatural powers or cannot be fully explained by modern science.

"They aren't necessarily dangerous, but they always have anomalous properties capable of shaking an ordinary person's worldview. Naturally, we can't let these supernatural entities roam freely through human society.

"The difficulty of containing them varies, of course. In most cases, an object's classification only indicates how difficult the anomalous entity is to contain, with no direct connection to how dangerous its anomalous properties are. That's another common misconception among new Facility employees.

"An anomalous creature like Zhu Qian, who has no dangerous properties and poses little risk of a containment breach, is allowed to move freely within certain areas of the Site. That doesn't conflict with the concept of 'containment.'"

This probably doesn't count as a core secret, but he really isn't holding anything back...

Anyone who didn't know better would think I was a new Facility employee...

In a sense, I suppose I am, if Class-D Personnel count...

"Hmm... so this little one is safe?" Zhou Ze asked, eager to try. "Can I pet her?"

"Meow~"

Seemingly noticing Zhou Ze's gaze, the little half-cat meowed at him.

She had a pair of clear blue eyes, her pupils narrowing to thin slits in the light.

"Of course, as long as she doesn't mind."

Only then did Zhou Ze tentatively reach out with his right hand. After a moment's hesitation, he poked his index finger at where the kitten's hindquarters should have been.

Contrary to his expectations, his fingertip felt no physical contact at all.

In other words, the rear half of this little cat named Zhu Qian wasn't optically invisible. It had truly vanished.

Quietly startled, Zhou Ze placed his hand beneath the kitten's chin and stroked her with practiced ease.

Zhu Qian seemed to enjoy the touch. She purred happily, curling her half-body into Zhou Ze's palm.

The sheer novelty of the experience excited Zhou Ze, and even his speech flowed more smoothly.

"Does this little one need to eat?"

"Of course. Other than half her body being missing, Zhu Qian is no different from an ordinary house cat."

Lu Fei drained the last of his watermelon juice, leaned back in his chair, and let out a satisfied breath before continuing, "You can even occasionally watch her make movements that look like she's relieving herself... though where the waste goes is anyone's guess."

"Well, well..." Zhou Ze raised his eyebrows.

In a sense, she really is the perfect pet...

Her owner wouldn't even have to deal with the miserable chore of scooping poop...

"Instructor Lu, what a coincidence! You're eating at the Area A cafeteria too?"

Just then, a slightly surprised voice came from beside them.

Zhou Ze's hand paused, and he turned to look.

A young guard in uniform stood beside the table, holding a tray. There was a conspicuous gap in his right eyebrow, and his face lit up with delighted surprise.

Zhou Ze immediately recognized him as the guard who had escorted him to that supposed counseling session.

"Yes, quite a coincidence." Lu Fei nodded slightly. "This gentleman and I still have things to discuss. Find somewhere to sit and eat."

The young guard looked visibly disappointed, but he promptly stood at attention and answered respectfully, "Yes, instructor."

Only after the young guard had left did Lu Fei turn back and speak again. "You've met him before, haven't you?"

"I have..."

Zhou Ze suddenly felt a weight on his legs and looked down.

The little gray-striped half-cat had jumped onto his lap. She shifted around until she found a comfortable spot on his thighs, then looked up and meowed. Only when Zhou Ze resumed petting her did she settle down, purring.

"Looks like Zhu Qian really does like you."

Lu Fei raised his eyebrows. "That kid's name is Shi Yaming. He used to be one of my trainees. I gave him plenty of beatings back then... hmph. He probably rushed over after hearing I was eating here."

"I see..." Zhou Ze looked up at the man across the table. "Then he must really look up to you."

Lu Fei shook his head, sidestepping the subject. His tone turned serious as he changed the topic. "Zhou Ze, starting today, you'll undergo five days of training.

"During that time, you'll be temporarily excused from the daily activities and duties of Class-D Personnel. Someone will pick you up every day at noon and take you back to rest after dinner. I expect you to take this seriously."

Finally, we're getting to the point...

Zhou Ze's hand paused on the cat's head before he asked as casually as he could, "Training? What do you have planned, Officer Lu Fei?"

"Mostly physical conditioning. I'll also teach you some basic things you should know..." Lu Fei folded his arms and spoke slowly, his words heavy with implication. "You don't want to die in a containment chamber and end up as some monster's excrement, do you?"

Special training, huh...

Zhou Ze narrowed his eyes, somewhat surprised.

He didn't think this meant he was about to be freed from his status as Class-D Personnel. Otherwise, they wouldn't have gone about it this way.

If Lu Fei really was helping him for some reason he knew nothing about, this seemed more like a compromise meant to prevent the worst-case outcome.

Zhou Ze keenly picked up on the crucial information in Lu Fei's words. Whatever kind of special training it was, it couldn't produce any significant results in just five days.

At least one thing was certain: Lu Fei didn't want Zhou Ze to die.

"And after those five days?" Zhou Ze asked, his tone growing somber.

"We'll know when the time comes..." Lu Fei turned his head, avoiding Zhou Ze's gaze, and glanced at the surveillance camera tucked away in a corner.

We?

"I see..." Zhou Ze looked down at the half-kitten curled contentedly in his lap, feeling her smooth, soft fur slip beneath his fingertips.

"I understand."