Changing faces

"You know what it is..."

Old Yang had said the same thing to Zhou Ze earlier.

But Old Yang had phrased it as a question, while the woman before him had clearly made a statement.

Worst of all, Zhou Ze really did fucking know what that thing was now!

Was this something a therapist could do?!

So you're the same kind of thing as Old Yang?!

There really is no guarding against this...

Countless thoughts flashed through Zhou Ze's mind in that instant.

He reflected on his actions, but still felt he couldn't blame himself for being insufficiently cautious.

How could anyone avoid falling victim to an absurd ability like mind reading without preparing for it beforehand?

It wasn't as if he knew Occlumency from Harry Potter.

Zhou Ze thought through gritted teeth, glancing at the woman before immediately looking away to avoid meeting her eyes.

The inexplicable pressure Wang Lei radiated vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

As a smile blossomed on Wang Lei's face again, she became approachable once more, as though everything that had happened had been an illusion.

This time, however, her smile was languid and unrestrained, and a sly gleam flickered in her eyes.

"Sorry, I overreacted a little..." Seeing Zhou Ze avoid her gaze, Wang Lei chuckled. "I promise that was the last time anything like that will happen. For today, at least."

Like hell I believe you...

Zhou Ze felt numb.

The crucial question now was how many of his secrets had been exposed, and how he should explain himself if he faced interrogation...

What a painful lesson...

Still, it had taught him something: anyone who could work in this hellhole year after year couldn't possibly be as simple as they appeared.

He absolutely couldn't let himself expect anything from anyone so easily, or the consequences would be unthinkable.

Several faces that had shown him kindness flashed through his mind, finally settling on Old Yang's.

Old Yang...

Surely even Old Yang couldn't...

"Heh... would your buddy ever hurt you?"

That familiar voice, dry and grating as sandpaper, sounded like heavenly music to Zhou Ze now.

He raised his gaze slightly and saw Old Yang standing behind Wang Lei on the other side of the sofa, his arms folded. Even his haggard complexion looked considerably better.

"Relax. This woman doesn't know much, and she can't read the mind of someone who doesn't trust her. Still, watch yourself. Don't piss her off..."

Old Yang spoke casually, then added with a teasing smile before disappearing, "By the way, that expression you just made was pretty good."

Tsk... that bastard...

Wang Lei tilted her head and glanced in the direction Zhou Ze was looking, only frowning slightly after finding nothing there.

She's sharp...

Definitely not easy to deal with...

With a little more confidence now, Zhou Ze had no intention of sitting there helplessly. He tipped his head back to stare at the ceiling, playing dumb.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You're lying... understandable, I suppose." Wang Lei chuckled and gestured toward him with the cigarette between the fingers of her right hand, shaking her head. "You really are interesting. No wonder so many people have their eyes on you..."

As she spoke, she looked the young man up and down, lightly biting her lip as she murmured almost inaudibly to herself, "Someone warped by a reality bender...?"

Naturally, Zhou Ze hadn't caught what she said, but he knew he couldn't bluff his way out of this situation.

Unfortunately, he couldn't come up with a good solution on the spot either.

Zhou Ze suddenly understood the bearded guard's bitter frustration.

Walk along the river long enough, and you're bound to get your shoes wet...

"Ms. Wang Lei, is this your true face, then?" Zhou Ze took a deep breath.

"How rude." Wang Lei gave him a mildly displeased look, then chuckled. "Hmph. How many people can even tell which face is truly their own? We're all just doing what we must to get by..."

Oh, doing what you must to get by...

Anyone who didn't know better would think you were the Class-D Personnel here...

Zhou Ze silently grumbled furiously.

The woman on the sofa turned sideways and made a small gesture toward the surveillance camera in the corner of the ceiling. Its operating light instantly went out.

"Let's introduce ourselves again." Her tone suddenly became formal as she turned back. "I'm Wang Lei, Site director and the highest-ranking official at the Anomaly Containment Facility's Site-17."

She extended her slender right hand toward Zhou Ze.

The highest-ranking official at the Site?!

And she fucking moonlights as a therapist who regularly meets with Class-D Personnel?!

Seeing Zhou Ze stare blankly, Wang Lei raised an eyebrow and blew a smoke ring at him.

The smoke ring rapidly solidified in midair, drifting toward Zhou Ze as though it were alive.

As tangible as a physical object, it gently lifted Zhou Ze's right hand and guided it into Wang Lei's.

Only when their hands separated did Zhou Ze come back to his senses, as though waking from a dream.

He blinked, looked incredulously at his hand, then raised his head to look at Wang Lei.

At first glance, the woman before him appeared barely into her twenties, yet she possessed an indescribable mature charm.

Traces of passing years lay hidden around her eyes and brows, while every movement conveyed an unhurried composure.

This is getting pretty fucking surreal...

Zhou Ze finally understood what she had meant earlier when she'd said she couldn't be bothered to evacuate...

She really hadn't lied. She wasn't afraid in the slightest...

"Quite an impressive trick, Director Wang Lei..." Zhou Ze forced a smile as he offered the compliment.

"Nothing but a little parlor trick..." Wang Lei looked utterly unconcerned, then continued in an airy, meaningful tone:

"I just wanted to tell you that plenty of people in the Anomaly Containment Facility have their own 'little secrets.' But those people with 'little secrets' are either sitting in offices drinking tea, or locked in containment chambers eating chaff..."

She paused, then added, "That usually depends on their abilities and their attitude..."

Tsk...

Zhou Ze felt an inexplicable surge of irritation.

It wasn't just because his trust had been betrayed. Ever since he'd set foot here, he had been subjected to constant coercion, even threats to his life.

No matter how good his temper was, he couldn't help seething with anger now.

But Zhou Ze knew perfectly well that Wang Lei's continued willingness to speak patiently with him could only mean she wanted something else.

And whatever she wanted from him, it at least meant there was still room to maneuver.

Noticing the darkness in Zhou Ze's eyes, Wang Lei stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray and sighed softly.

"I know this doesn't feel good... actually, I never deceived you. Many years ago, my situation wasn't much better than yours is now, but I worked my way here, step by step..."

For an instant, one fleeting instant.

When Zhou Ze met Wang Lei's calm yet fathomless eyes, he actually felt a flicker of kinship.

Those eyes seemed capable of seeing straight into a person's heart, yet they were also like a mirror shrouded in mist, making the truth within impossible to discern. But he quickly snapped back to his senses.

Having only just experienced what this woman was capable of, how could he fall for it again?

"You're lying." Zhou Ze's face was expressionless.

"Oh dear, you caught me." Wang Lei blinked playfully, then shrugged indifferently. "All right, my younger years really were smooth sailing. But I haven't misled you about anything else."

Before Zhou Ze could respond, she spoke again. "Relax. I'm not like those research-obsessed scientific lunatics. In my opinion, the aggressive strategies currently prevailing in the facility will cause serious trouble sooner or later."

"It's about time we cooled things down..."