Chapter 242: A Different Kind of Second Stage

“You feel this isn’t quite the Second Stage you imagined, don’t you?”

Professor Bai seemed to notice the hesitation and confusion in Lu Xin’s heart. After glancing at his wristwatch, he quickly explained:

“Actually, ‘Second Stage’ is just a concept. Its essence is the enhancement and stabilization of an Ability User.”

“Normally, strengthening an Ability User requires complex preparations, including psychological counseling, ability assessment, psychic power model calculations, risk evaluation, and so on. Before entering the Second Stage, the Ability User also needs a series of modification surgeries.”

“The surgical process includes entering a cultivation pod, using nurturing liquid and a mental power amplifier for enhancement, strengthening neural pathways, stimulating specific areas of the cerebral cortex, increasing pituitary gland activity, and more. The entire purpose is to grant the Ability User greater mental power, enable them to withstand greater mental power, maintain their own stability, and avoid losing control.”

…

Listening to Professor Bai, Lu Xin couldn’t help but nod.

He had to admit, what Professor Bai described matched his own image of the ‘Second Stage.’

Lying on a bed, a group of people wielding scalpels, cutting away…

Though, he felt a bit resistant to that particular scene.

“But you’re different.”

Professor Bai left only brief pauses between sentences for Lu Xin to digest before continuing, “You already possess an extremely high psychic magnitude, so you don’t need enhancement. For you, maintaining stability *is* the core of the Second Stage.”

“Therefore, I’ve made some adjustments to your Second Stage enhancement plan, cutting out unnecessary procedures.”

As he said this, Professor Bai looked calmly at Lu Xin, his ordinary eyes seeming to see through everything:

“Now, I will ask you a few questions. You only need to nod or shake your head.”

…

Lu Xin looked up at Professor Bai, a silent understanding seeming to emerge between them.

“First, when you use your ability, is your biggest trouble the influence of emotions?”

…

Lu Xin hesitated slightly at this question before slowly nodding.

Professor Bai smiled faintly. “Second, does your ability, to some extent, feel like it doesn’t belong to you?”

Lu Xin glanced at Professor Bai with some surprise, but still nodded.

“Third…”

Professor Bai paused briefly. “Do you particularly crave inner peace?”

…

By now, Lu Xin was genuinely surprised.

He even felt as if his innermost thoughts had been pried open.

This sensation triggered a sense of crisis, and his gaze unknowingly grew wary.

“Shh!”

Nearby, members of the Special Task Force noticed the change in Lu Xin’s eyes, tensed slightly, and shifted uncomfortably.

Behind them, Chen Jing, Mr. Su, and Minister Shen also looked worried.

Only Professor Bai remained calm, watching Lu Xin with a non-hostile smile.

After a moment to compose himself, Lu Xin nodded again.

A relaxed smile spread across Professor Bai’s face.

…

…

“In that case, you meet the conditions for us to proceed with the Second Stage, and it confirms my hypothesis was correct.”

Professor Bai picked up the silver case he held, placed it on the hood of the Jeep, then turned to Lu Xin. “For you, the stability of the Second Stage lies in how you control your own emotions…”

“Remember, *your* emotions…”

“So, I don’t plan to use conventional psychological counseling or even surgical modifications. Instead, I’ve chosen a novel method, one with extremely strict limitations… and also extremely expensive, to achieve this.”

As he spoke, he opened the safety lock on the silver case. “Before we proceed, I must ask you seriously…”

“Are you sure you want to undergo the Second Stage?”

…

Lu Xin was slightly taken aback but still nodded slowly.

For him, this was an exceptionally significant and meaningful decision.

As he nodded, his gaze fell on Professor Bai’s hand reaching into the case, then onto the file he pulled out…

Then he watched as Professor Bai solemnly handed the file to him.

He said, “First, sign the contract.”

…

Lu Xin was suddenly speechless.

What the hell…

He had mentally prepared himself, and now, at such a crucial moment, they were signing a contract…

It wasn’t just him. Nearby, Mr. Su, Minister Shen, and Chen Jing also wore expressions of resignation mixed with slight tension. They all felt a sense of awe towards the unknown, wanting to voice opinions but hesitant to interrupt.

Lu Xin obediently opened the contract and quickly scanned its contents:

He discovered that compared to the contracts he signed at the company, this one was much simpler.

The gist was: Qinggang would assist Ability User Lu Xin in achieving Second Stage enhancement and stabilization.

All costs associated with the Second Stage would be borne by the Qinggang Special Cleaning Department.

In return, Lu Xin had to guarantee adherence to three major principles after signing:

One: Abide by the laws and regulations of Qinggang and the rules of the Special Cleaning Department (Note: Appeals and discussions allowed in special circumstances).

Two: The second party (Lu Xin) promises to assist Qinggang in completing a certain amount of special pollution cleanup work (Note: Compensated).

Three: If the second party wishes to terminate the contract, they must pay the full cost of the Second Stage enhancement plus a penalty three times that amount.

…

Lu Xin read through to the end. There was no mention of ‘final interpretation rights’.

This made the contract seem less formal.

It felt less like a legally binding document and more like an agreement based on mutual integrity.

“Is this it?”

Lu Xin couldn’t help but glance at Professor Bai.

He felt that even Sister Sun under his command could draft a more professional contract than this.

But Professor Bai’s expression was grave as he nodded seriously. “Yes.”

He then took out a steel pen with gold-embossed patterns from his suit pocket and solemnly handed it over.

Lu Xin looked at Professor Bai.

Under the watchful eyes of countless people around him, he slowly took the pen and signed his name on the contract.

…

…

“Is this okay?”

Lu Xin put the pen away, casually tucking it into his bag, and handed the contract back to Professor Bai.

Professor Bai took the contract, glanced at it, then carefully put it away, nodding with satisfaction. “Yes, it is.”

Though it felt like a trivial matter, everyone seemed to let out a sigh of relief.

“So, the Second Stage you mentioned…”

Lu Xin looked up at Professor Bai, unsure if he felt more nervous or expectant.

Professor Bai, however, appeared calm and composed. He opened the case again. “Remember that painting you brought back?”

Lu Xin thought for a moment before realizing he meant the painting snatched from the Knight Orders.

He nodded.

Professor Bai smiled at him. “By now, you should have heard that there are many parasitic items in this world upon which mental power can attach. These items then exhibit characteristics similar to humans, or rather, pollution sources.”

“That painting has undergone our assessment. We can confirm it.”

“Its name is the ‘Gaze of the Red Moon,’ and it belongs to a rare category of high-level parasitic items.”

“According to the Alliance Research Institute’s records, there are a total of thirteen such high-level parasitic items.”

“The reason they are special is that thirteen of the most abnormal types of mental power reside within these objects.”

…

Pausing here, Professor Bai slowed his speech, adding emphasis, “And after conducting a series of tests, I have determined that this painting, the Gaze of the Red Moon, harbors one such abnormal mental power.”

“Its name is ‘Gaze,’ a power with terrifying control over emotions.”

…

While saying this, Professor Bai had opened the case once more.

But now, the people around had forgotten to even look inside the case.

What he was saying was simply too shocking. Even Chen Jing showed visible confusion.

It was clear that even she wasn’t fully aware of what Professor Bai was revealing.

Only Mr. Su and Minister Shen seemed able to follow his words.

Presumably, they already knew this secret, but were still somewhat uneasy about Professor Bai’s decision.

…

“These thirteen abnormal powers are all terrifying.”

“Take the power codenamed ‘Gaze’ within this painting, for example. It can disrupt a person’s emotions, turning a normal person into a monster driven solely by base desires after just one look. Its pollution mode is through direct visual contact. If this painting were exposed to a crowd, it could easily trigger mass chaos.”

“But such power isn’t entirely unusable.”

As he spoke, he pushed the case towards Lu Xin.

“Your Second Stage enhancement utilizes this power. I have analyzed the power codenamed ‘Gaze’ and confirmed its true nature. It doesn’t superficially incite negative emotions; rather, it devours a person’s positive emotions.”

“Human emotions include negative ones like despair and pessimism, but also positive influences like self-control and proactivity. All these emotions, along with thoughts, desires, etc., intertwine to form a whole, shaping who we are. If any part goes wrong, it can cause a catastrophic collapse, like a building crumbling. This is why we are susceptible to pollution.”

“But once you know the cause, you can find ways to guide it towards a more stable state.”

“Those who lose control exhibit strong negative effects because they lack positive emotions.”

“Therefore, I performed a reverse operation on it.”

“Through extracting and imbuing this mental power, I created this special parasitic item.”

…

Lu Xin lowered his head to look inside the case and saw the parasitic item Professor Bai mentioned.

Unexpectedly, it was a pair of glasses.

The frame was made of a red wood, or perhaps a wood-like material, covered in red veins.

At first glance, the wood grain on the glasses frame seemed to be slowly writhing, as if the glasses themselves were alive.

Staring at the glasses, Lu Xin even had the illusion…

That the glasses were secretly watching him back…

“This is the key item for your Second Stage enhancement.”

Professor Bai explained to Lu Xin, “It has functions like information transmission and mission assistance, but its most important aspect is its inherent mental power trait. When you experience emotional fluctuations, you can use it to achieve balance.”

“Simply put, it’s a safeguard.”

“As long as you wear it, you won’t lose control due to emotional impact.”

“Of course, the true Second Stage won’t be immediate. You’ll need time to adapt to it, and for you both to influence each other.”

“But ultimately, with this, you will truly enter the Second Stage.”

…

Lu Xin fell silent, just staring quietly at the glasses.

He had speculated about the Second Stage many times, but never imagined it would be achieved like this.

He understood the terror of the painting, and thus felt wary of these glasses, which were somehow related to it.

Could such glasses really be worn on one’s face?

Could a pair of glasses like this truly help him maintain emotional stability?

…

…

While Lu Xin silently studied the glasses, everyone else remained quiet.

“Buzz…”

In the distance, near the Donghai Grand Hotel, the Red Cloak mental monster pulsed again, sending out another shockwave.

This time, the impact felt much stronger than before.

Screams and sounds of panic echoed intermittently from across the city, signaling ongoing tragedies.

Professor Bai glanced at his wristwatch. “Two minutes left.”

He then looked calmly at Lu Xin. “Proceeding with Second Stage enhancement requires not only that we trust the Ability User won’t lose control, but also that the Ability User trusts us. Take Gecko, for example. He’s a classic case where we trust him, but he doesn’t trust us. You submitted the application, we chose to trust you, approved it, and created this special item.”

“Now, we’ve presented the plan. It’s time for you to choose.”

…

He felt countless eyes focusing on him.

Lu Xin, who had been silent, finally looked up.

His gaze swept from Doll, who was staring blankly at him, to Chen Jing, her lips pressed tightly together, then over the tense members of the Special Task Force surrounding them, past Professor Bai before him, and the round-faced, amiable-looking middle-aged man behind the professor…

Finally, his eyes landed on the man whose face seemed as hard as rock.

He could sense that this man was the most wary of him among everyone present.

…

His voice slightly hoarse, he asked, “You choose to trust me… aren’t you afraid I’m… actually a madman?”

The stern-faced man tensed slightly as Lu Xin looked at him.

Then, he slowly reached down towards his leg and drew his gun.

The surrounding people grew extremely tense, their throats dry. Then they watched as the man, having drawn his gun and checked it, took out another small bag containing a magazine and tossed it directly to Lu Xin.

Lu Xin caught it and found the bag packed full of special bullets.

“Even if you are a madman, you’re Qinggang’s madman.”

The stern-faced man, or rather, Minister Shen, spoke slowly, his voice deep. “I have indeed always been wary of you people. But I also know very clearly, and I must admit, that our city has always been protected by madmen.”

Lu Xin said nothing more.

After a long pause, he stuffed the gun and the special bullets into his bag.

Then, a smile appeared on his face, and his voice became lighter:

“After this mission is done, I should have enough payment to buy a house, right?”

…

Most people around didn’t react immediately.

However, Mr. Su, standing at the back of the crowd, chuckled. “I guarantee it. It’ll be enough.”