Chapter 194: An Unconventional Evaluation

That was terrifying…

While Lu Xin was warmly hosting his guests back home and seizing the chance to ask his questions three members of the Special Cleaning Department’s Mission Evaluation Team, situated in a room Chen Jing once used across from the old apartment building, lowered their telescope with faces etched in terror.

As the observation team they could also see the transcript Lu Xin sent to the Drunkard.

It was precisely this transcript that terrified them even more.

From their viewpoint all they could see now were the drawn curtains and the mental monsters that had vanished inside Lu Xin’s home.

So those two monsters with such high psychic power just… disappeared? Just like that?

And they even yielded all the information the team wanted?

…

…

“How did he do it?”

The slightly overweight senior staff member trembled slightly. “Those two mental monsters had psychic power levels easily approaching two thousand! Their inherent mental radiation could even affect the voltage of the streetlights… But those two monsters were just… pulled directly into the room by him? And then… then nothing?”

“Did he… eat them?”

…

“N-Not necessarily…”

Another slightly taller staff member swallowed hard. “Those two mental monsters were supposed to dis… disappear after a certain amount of time anyway. Plus his transcript only detailed his speculations about the mysterious organization’s motives not the exact process… So maybe they just vanished because their time was up?”

“Even so how did he get so many investigation results in such a short time?”

The overweight staff member countered, “Besides didn’t you notice how he dealt with those two mental monsters just now?”

“It looked like he literally dragged them inside…”

“The Drunkard is a powerful Ability User but she could only handle those two mental monsters and outlast them because her ability specifically countered monsters. How many other Ability Users could survive a direct confrontation for even three minutes?”

“But he didn’t just make them disappear instantly. He quickly provided their true purpose for seeking the Drunkard their behavioral logic and detailed information about the mastermind behind them including their abilities…”

“It doesn’t make sense. It just doesn’t make sense…”

He couldn’t help but swallow again as he spoke. “I get the feeling he somehow interrogated them directly.”

…

His words stunned the taller observer. “Interrogate what? Mental monsters?”

…

…

“It certainly is hard to comprehend…”

Seeing the strange expressions on his two seniors’ faces the young man who hadn’t passed his internship yet couldn’t help but whisper a reminder, “But no matter how complex the situation as professionals shouldn’t we… display some professionalism?”

The two seniors immediately glared at him.

The intern flinched feeling the brunt of workplace hierarchy.

However his reminder seemed to help the two seniors regain some composure.

Truthfully they also felt their earlier speculation was too wild.

“Regardless…”

Taking a deep breath the overweight observer said, “From a mission observation perspective he performed flawlessly. Traveling from Satellite City No. 4 to the Second Satellite City, teaming up with the Drunkard for their first real collaboration he excellently completed the dismantling of the ‘True Hometown’ cult and the cleanup of their Ability User especially the task of identifying the mysterious organization’s Ability User…”

“He didn’t just find them he cleaned them up directly.”

“Without relying on external help and without causing any collateral damage. What’s more frustrating is…”

He sighed deeply. “We can’t even critique him after the fact because we don’t know how he could have done it any better!”

…

The intern looked astonished then couldn’t resist asking, “Doesn’t that mean he should get an ‘A-level’ evaluation?”

“Logically yes.”

The overweight observer explained, “There are two kinds of A-level mission evaluations. One is when you perform the absolute best no one could possibly handle it more perfectly. The other is when nobody else knows how to handle it but you do…”

The intern nodded repeatedly. His senior made a lot of sense!

“It’s not that simple.”

The taller observer spoke gravely, “There’s another issue involved.”

“We are the Loss-of-Control Risk Assessment Team after all. So besides mission evaluation we also have to evaluate the Ability User…”

He paused a puzzled expression crossing his face. “His file clearly states ‘Spider-type’ in large bold letters. But from his earliest mission transcripts to what we’ve observed now we’ve seen he can directly perceive mental monsters and determine in an extremely short time whether his target is in the vicinity.”

“He can make two mental monsters disappear in a confined space without using standard-issue weapons.”

The overweight observer interjected with a wry smile, “And based on his conversation with the Drunkard just now he also seems capable of using those mental monsters to directly locate the controller behind them. That’s why he was so confident letting the Drunkard act…”

As they spoke the two couldn’t help but stare at each other. “A Spider-type definitely can’t do all that…”

“So what exactly is his ability?”

…

The question left all three of them including the one who asked it completely baffled.

As members of the Loss-of-Control Risk Assessment Team their job was to observe and determine the upper limits of an Ability User’s capabilities assign their ability level as a reference for mission assignments and deployments. Moreover their submitted loss-of-control risk assessment would become the primary basis for the higher-ups’ understanding of the Ability User. But this situation was something they had never encountered before…

As the Loss-of-Control Risk Assessment Team forget assessing the risk of loss of control they didn’t even know what the person’s ability was…

An Ability User usually only has one core and three abilities…

So what category does someone like him fall into?

How can you assess the risk if you don’t even know their ability?

…

…

“Actually I think while it seems complicated now it’s actually become clearer…”

Amidst the baffled exchange of glances the intern timidly raised his hand. “Regarding the report I have an idea…”

Both seniors turned their heads towards him simultaneously.

That look suddenly made the young man realize his chance of passing the internship hinged on this moment.

“We should probably still give him the A-level evaluation…”

The intern swallowed nervously mustering his courage to speak.

The seniors frowned demanding, “Reason.”

“Work needs to be approached logically right?…”

The intern whispered, “Let’s separate the issues. Based purely on mission completion he did an excellent job didn’t he?”

The overweight observer questioned, “But what about the issue of his ability?”

“His ability isn’t our concern…”

The intern whispered, “We’re observers not researchers. Can’t we just submit the report as usual?…”

Both seniors immediately frowned.

“Actually there’s an even more important reason…”

The intern finally couldn’t hold back blurting it out while glancing stealthily across at the six-story old apartment building opposite them. The fourth-floor window had its curtains drawn making the light seem dim but amidst the darkness of the old building that one window still stood out conspicuously.

His voice dropped involuntarily. “Seniors do you get the feeling… that someone’s watching us from behind that window?”

*Swish!*

The hair on the back of the seniors’ necks stood on end. They whipped their heads around to look.

The window was quiet bathed only in warm light. The curtains seemed somewhat dim but upon closer inspection faint shadows could be discerned upon them… as if someone was standing right behind the curtains silently staring in their direction!

…

…

The atmosphere in the temporary observation office instantly dropped to freezing point.

“Ahem…”

After a moment the overweight observer cleared his throat and said nonchalantly, “Didn’t we say last time we should raise his rating a bit?”

“Oh right…”

The taller observer acted just as casually. “So an A-level evaluation then?”

“Too low…”

The overweight observer chuckled adding breezily, “I think we should just give him an A+!”

“Seniors, isn’t anything above A-level a bit high?…”

Watching his seniors calmly reach a decision the intern knew he shouldn’t speak up but couldn’t help himself. “Isn’t that rating only given when their actions and methods are fully understood and perfectly executed?”

“In the entire Special Cleaning Department it seems only Section Chief Chen has ever received such an evaluation…”

…

*Swish!*

Both seniors instantly glared at him again. “Newcomers are newcomers! Why don’t you understand?”

“We’re observers not researchers!”

“What his ability actually is has nothing to do with our job!”