Chapter 216: Order and Chaos

“How could this happen?”

As Lu Xin got into Chen Jing’s Jeep parked outside the station, he was still puzzled. “Why would Xiao Yuan’s stepmother be the one giving him nightmares? By doing this, was she trying to harm Xiao Yuan or her own two children?”

“Are you trying to understand their thinking?”

Chen Jing turned the keys that were already in the ignition. Hearing Lu Xin’s question she couldn’t help but chuckle slightly, “We’re not professional detectives, psychologists or researchers of strange social phenomena.”

“We’re just a group specialized in cleaning up pollution sources.”

“So our job is simply to capture the pollution sources and those who exploit the characteristics of pollution to break the law. That’s it. The interrogation and psychological analysis will be handled by specialists who are much better at it than we are.”

“For example the things you’re curious about right now will soon be detailed in a report handed to us.”

“But I wouldn’t even advise you to read that report.”

“Because theoretically your job was finished the moment you found that woman.”

“If you insist on reading it I’ll give you a warning: through these reports you’ll often see darkness beyond your imagination. If your psychological resilience isn’t strong enough you might even be influenced by those dark thoughts…”

She paused slightly, adding with a smile, “…Actually that could also be considered a type of pollution.”

“One that we can’t even use our abilities to fight against!”

“…”

“Leaders really know how to talk.”

Lu Xin thought to himself, though truthfully he was just curious right now.

The fact that Xiao Yuan’s stepmother was the source of his nightmares was unexpected.

But what puzzled Lu Xin more now was the weakness she displayed.

When dealing with the residual mental power on Xiao Yuan earlier she hadn’t seemed so compliant.

Things were a bit surprising but since Chen Jing mentioned the interrogation results would be delivered it was probably best to wait and see.

Seeing Lu Xin fall silent Chen Jing smiled and asked, “By the way you haven’t said how you figured it out yet?”

“By comparing her mental power.”

Lu Xin answered honestly, “Also I saw a mental monster on her.”

“Mental monster?”

Chen Jing seemed a bit curious asking.

“Yes like a second head. It looks the same but it’s very sinister…”

Lu Xin described it in detail.

Chen Jing listened attentively without interrupting, hearing him out completely. Then she subconsciously glanced back through the rearview mirror and asked nonchalantly, “Did your family come with you into the city this time?”

Lu Xin understood the implication behind Chen Jing’s words. After a moment’s thought he turned to look at her, “My sister…”

Chen Jing instinctively glanced in the direction he was looking, her expression tensing slightly.

Lu Xin continued, “My sister isn’t with me.”

Chen Jing immediately turned her head to look at Lu Xin.

Lu Xin smiled, “Actually I haven’t seen my family for quite some time.”

Chen Jing’s gaze lingered on Lu Xin’s face for a moment seeing no sign of deception.

She recalled Professor Bai’s previous analysis:

“If the Mr. Lone Soldier’s ‘family’ is actually his cognitive understanding of his reconstructed abilities then as he becomes more proficient at using and adapting to these abilities his family will inevitably fade away.”

…

“Good.”

She nodded without saying much more just gently starting the car.

Lu Xin paused suddenly remembering something, “Wait there’s someone else…”

Chen Jing turned her head curiously.

Lu Xin glanced towards the station, “Hasn’t Gecko arrived yet? He said he’d meet me at the station.”

“Gecko?”

Chen Jing couldn’t help but smile, “He took the first bus over this morning.”

Lu Xin was taken aback, “Where is he then?”

“Originally he said he’d wait here to go together.”

Chen Jing pursed her lips suppressing a laugh, “But when I told him his intel analyst had already checked into the conference hotel a day early as part of the preparatory staff he immediately hailed a cab and rushed over…”

Lu Xin was dumbfounded, “Huh? He didn’t wait for me?”

Chen Jing nodded, “He didn’t even remember he was supposed to wait for you.”

Lu Xin looked utterly bewildered, almost like a cartoon character with swirling eyes unsure what to say.

Meanwhile Chen Jing smiled started the car and said, “I’ll take you directly to the Donghai Grand Hotel where the meeting is being held. During the conference you can wander around the Main City yourself maybe have dinner with colleagues. Once I get you there my mission is complete.”

“But since it’s your first time in the Main City feel free to ask if you have any questions although I don’t particularly enjoy being a guide.”

“Okay…”

Lu Xin agreed casually but after thinking about it he felt a bit confused, “So should I ask questions or not?”

By now the car had left the complex roads near the station and entered a wide new avenue.

Looking out from the passenger seat Lu Xin immediately sensed a completely different environment.

Clean orderly crowded yet distant.

The buildings here were tall and spotless their glass exteriors reflecting the sunlight making the world seem brighter. Pedestrians on the street were well-dressed merging into a sea of people flowing towards different destinations.

Pressing his face against the glass window Lu Xin watched the crowds outside people who seemed to possess a fundamentally different temperament.

He suddenly realized something he had often pondered.

The Orphanage Director used to talk about what the world was like before the Red Moon incident.

Could it have been like this?

Fundamentally the Main City and the Satellite Cities didn’t seem that different.

Satellite Cities also had many roads many vehicles perhaps even more chaotic than here.

But the neatness and regularity of the Main City held a strange magic inspiring both awe and a sense of closeness.

“Do you like the environment here?”

Chen Jing asked with a smile noticing Lu Xin had been quiet for a while.

Lu Xin nodded slightly.

Chen Jing was silent for a moment then suddenly smiled, “What are you thinking about now?”

Lu Xin thought for a moment and said, “Will the Second Satellite City become like this too?”

“Our goal isn’t just to make the Second Satellite City like this.”

Chen Jing smiled and replied, “Also can you see the difference between here the Satellite Cities and the area outside the city?”

Lu Xin waited a moment before saying, “People here wait for traffic lights and use crosswalks.”

Chen Jing nodded turned to Lu Xin and said, “That’s called order.”

“A professor I greatly respect once said that when people no longer worry about food and clothing they yearn for love.”

“When a city no longer worries about sustenance it yearns for order.”

“Although the world collapsed for a period after the Red Moon incident order will eventually be re-established.”

“It’s as simple as that!”

“…”

Lu Xin listened quietly to Chen Jing’s words committing them to memory while starting to ponder other things.

He felt that his experience arriving in the Main City was precious something to be savored slowly in quiet moments.

And what awaited him was the meeting at the Donghai Grand Hotel.

Since Gecko’s intel analyst Tie Cui was already at the hotel what about his own analyst Han Bing?

He couldn’t help but feel curious.

Having collaborated with Han Bing for so long he had already pictured a young lively cute and understanding little girl in his mind. He just sometimes wondered what kind of hairstyle she’d have or what clothes she’d wear.

Seeing his somewhat expectant yet slightly silent expression Chen Jing just offered a faint smile.

She drove quietly carrying Lu Xin through the tall neat city heading straight for the hotel in the East District.

…

As the car neared its destination the style of the surrounding buildings began to change. Gone were the rows of neat warm-toned residential buildings replaced by towering silver skyscrapers that seemed to naturally exude a sharp aura. There were also lush gardens plazas paved with neat clean flagstones and wide flat roads dotted with sentry posts.

Lu Xin knew they were about to arrive.

When Chen Jing wasn’t looking he quickly straightened his clothes.

Soon after smoothly passing through several checkpoints the Jeep entered a wide plaza. At its center stood a high-rise building appearing to be over thirty stories tall. Many neatly dressed people were entering and exiting the building.

Lu Xin turned his head and quickly spotted a familiar figure in the entrance hall.

It was Gecko wearing a conspicuously stylish grey suit his hair slicked back brightly. He was currently striking a shy yet exaggerated pose grinning as he spoke to a tall cool-tempered girl beside him.

The girl looked to be in her early twenties wearing a cool-toned trench coat rolling her eyes at Gecko.

Beside them stood another girl with long hair wearing a white down jacket. She had a sweet and well-behaved appearance holding a cup of coffee smiling as she stood with them occasionally glancing into the distance as if waiting for someone.

…

…

Chen Jing slowed the car smiling at Lu Xin, “We’re here.”

Lu Xin nodded waiting for the car to stop completely before opening the door and stepping out.

He didn’t know who he would meet this time but a sense of anticipation had already begun to build within him.

“Hey you’re here…”

Gecko standing in the entrance hall turned his head and saw Lu Xin getting out of the car immediately calling out with a smile.

Smiling he waved vigorously at Lu Xin then walked towards him with the two girls.

The two girls looked towards them with slightly different expressions one curious the other somewhat shy.

Lu Xin put on an appropriate smile waved back at Gecko and prepared to walk over.

“Clink!”

Just then a faint sound of shattering glass came from above.

Some glass shards drifted gently onto the ground.

These shards fell slowly as if dropping into water.

Against the sunlight in the sky these broken pieces of glass even reflected an unusually beautiful light.

Lu Xin sensed something and instinctively looked up.

Then he saw a girl holding an umbrella jumping down from the building.

The floor was incredibly high her fall looked terrifyingly abrupt. The glass shards falling with her refracted faint multi-colored halos around her figure creating an unreal haziness. Before anyone could react she had already fallen to about the third or fourth floor. Then her descent suddenly slowed and the parasol in her hand opened.

“Whoosh!”

The intricately ruffled skirt she wore billowed upwards in the wind then slowly settled.

She just hovered there in mid-air.

Her features exquisite almost flawless appeared somewhat blank.

But within the emptiness of the eyes on that face a flicker of life emerged focusing directly on Lu Xin.

Then a happy smile spread across her face.