Chapter 372: A Tense Agreement

Cleanup an S-level forbidden zone?

This immediately put some pressure on Lu Xin.

Speaking of forbidden zones near Qinggang, he only knew of one, and had only visited one.

That was Happy Town, home to a slumbering Queen.

He’d woken her once before and felt the immense pressure radiating from her.

In fact, if Mom hadn’t been so good-natured and adept at making friends, leading to an amicable conclusion, Lu Xin wasn’t sure what the consequences would have been if they’d truly clashed with the Queen… It definitely wouldn’t have been good.

If the consequences weren’t good then, what about now?

He remained silent for a long moment before looking up at Doctor An. “When you say cleanup… what kind of cleanup are we talking about?”

The Queen couldn’t be eliminated like that ‘God’ was.

But helping her tidy up her home… that might be manageable.

Hearing Lu Xin’s words, Doctor An smiled. “Have you ever repaired a wall?”

Lu Xin shook his head. “No.”

He recalled Chen Jing mentioning back when she recruited him that repairing the High Walls was one of the Special Cleaning Department’s duties.

However, with fewer madmen in the Wasteland these days, the High Walls had become less critical. To some extent, they were now more of a psychological comfort, primarily dealing with the various organizations wandering the wastes.

“Repairing the Wall of Reason should be similar to repairing an ordinary wall, right…”

Doctor An chuckled softly. “The goal is the same. It’s best if we can plug these breaches. If we truly can’t, we must shrink them as much as possible, or at the very least, prevent them from expanding uncontrollably until they become unmanageable…”

“Of course, this requires a series of coordinated efforts. Many specialized tasks will be handed directly to the experts.”

“The only thing I can be sure of is…”

“Entering, or even approaching, an S-level forbidden zone requires the escort of powerful Ability Users.”

She smiled at Lu Xin. “And you are undoubtedly one of them.”

…

Lu Xin understood her point. Without powerful Ability Users, entering might mean never coming out.

Just like Happy Town.

All the personnel who tried to study it ended up happily staying in the town, becoming part of the study themselves.

Lu Xin fell silent, contemplating this sudden job offer.

He hadn’t planned on agreeing to anything right then, but the potential threat the Abyss and the S-level forbidden zone posed to the High-wall City, coupled with the urgency, forced him to reconsider.

He slowly sorted through the chaotic thoughts in his mind before gently looking up at Doctor An.

“I’ll agree to this.”

“…”

Hearing his answer, a smile instantly blossomed on Doctor An’s face.

Her smile seemed to brighten the entire office.

“But I’m not agreeing because I want to make a deal with you.”

Lu Xin continued before she could speak, “It’s because this is something that needs to be done.”

Looking into Doctor An’s eyes, he said softly, “Our Old Director, your Professor Wang Jingyun, taught us.”

“In this world, everyone must bear their own responsibilities, do their jobs well, and help others whenever possible. Only then can we hope to return to an era of order and civilization.”

“…”

Doctor An was slightly taken aback by his words.

She didn’t seem to expect Lu Xin to be so earnest, especially when speaking about the Old Director.

Shouldn’t this person hate Professor Wang Jingyun?

Yet, he spoke with such sincerity, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

After a moment, she smiled again.

“Well said.”

She murmured, “Just for raising a child like you, Professor Wang Jingyun deserves respect, in a way.”

Lu Xin remained silent, seemingly unwilling to discuss the matter further.

Doctor An’s red lips curved into a sudden smile. “I have a gift for you…”

With that, she turned and retrieved a black box from her meeting room.

Her slender hand, nails painted red, presented the box to Lu Xin. She smiled, “See if you like it?”

Lu Xin frowned slightly. “What is this?”

Doctor An let out a soft chuckle. “The key to big sister’s room, of course…”

Lu Xin’s gaze snapped to her face.

Doctor An smiled lightly, her voice gentle. “Open it and you’ll see.”

Lu Xin nodded and took the box.

Lifting the lid, he saw a new black communicator nestled in a black velvet indentation inside.

How is this a key?

“Since you’ve agreed, the Research Institute naturally wants to show our sincerity.”

Doctor An bit her red lip slightly and whispered, “This communicator is an invitation, and it also represents a certain level of clearance.”

“With it, you can directly access some high-clearance databases, receive high-level commissions, and so on.”

“You can even use it to contact the Undercover Units…”

“Giving you this phone signifies the Research Institute’s intention to invite you to join the Advanced Talent Club.”

“…”

“Advanced Talent Club?”

Lu Xin repeated the name, his voice tinged with strangeness.

“Yes.”

Doctor An said softly, “You’re not the only special one in this world. There are many others like you. Or rather, you’re special in different ways, but you’re all part of a special group. The Research Institute has been trying to find people like you, to offer help, and also to receive your help. This communicator will allow you to access the club’s platform.”

Lu Xin frowned. “I only agreed to help with the work that needs doing. I didn’t intend to accept any other requests from the Research Institute.”

“Don’t be so quick to interrupt, little brother.”

Doctor An giggled softly. “Let me finish.”

“This phone can help you contact the other members of the club.”

“They are all Ability Users with immense potential, discovered by the Research Institute in various places. They are the ones currently ascending the steps.”

“In the upcoming S-level forbidden zone cleanup mission, people like you will play crucial roles. But even though you’re special, you might not always be able to solve problems smoothly. Therefore, sharing information and mutual aid among yourselves is extremely important.”

“…”

Lu Xin raised his head slightly.

Before he could speak, Doctor An added softly, “Everyone in this club possesses extraordinary power and influence in their respective fields. They also encounter things ordinary people don’t. If you want to find Professor Wang and clues related to him, interacting more with them wouldn’t hurt. In fact, it might be quite necessary.”

Lu Xin slowly nodded, saying nothing more.

A smile spread across Doctor An’s face. “Also, if little brother agrees to formally join the club, you’ll automatically become a level-five expert within the Alliance’s High Walls. You’ll also gain certain privileges specially approved by the Research Institute, like borrowing specific parasitic items, requesting ability assessments and enhancements, and you can even call me directly…”

She winked at Lu Xin. “For a candlelight dinner or something, understand?”

Lu Xin seemed to understand, looking up at her.

Doctor An’s smile was captivating, her lazy gaze holding a deep, powerful confidence.

Lu Xin watched her and suddenly asked, “You people aren’t going to give up on persuading me to climb some messy steps, are you?”

Doctor An smiled but didn’t deny it.

“There’s something I need to make clear beforehand.”

Lu Xin’s attitude was calm, his voice gentle. “I’m willing to help handle the S-level forbidden zone matter because it’s part of my duty and it’s beneficial. I can accept this phone because it’s useful. As for the Old Director, I also hope for your help… But remember one thing: this isn’t a transaction.”

He paused, looked up at Doctor An, and said softly, “Because it’s your responsibility.”

“Regardless, he was originally one of yours, wasn’t he?”

“Besides, if he took me and the others from your custody, doesn’t that also mean…”

Slowly raising his head, he looked at Doctor An. “…that back at the Research Institute, you already treated me as an experiment subject?”

…

The temperature in the room suddenly seemed to drop several degrees.

The smile didn’t vanish from Doctor An’s face; she simply continued to smile at Lu Xin.

But the smile seemed somewhat less natural now.

Her red lips puckered slightly, as if kissing the air.

The atmosphere in the office seemed subtly influenced, gradually becoming lighter, even a little ambiguous.

Lu Xin just watched her calmly, seemingly unaffected by the surrounding atmosphere.

He simply gazed at Doctor An, his eyes clear, and slowly said:

“So, cooperation is negotiable. I’ll consider it carefully.”

“But this cooperation should be genuine, right? Everyone needs to be honest and take the work seriously. If you use cooperation as a pretext but have other intentions, forcing or guiding me to do things I dislike…”

He paused slightly here. “I don’t like losing my temper, but I do have one.”

…

Doctor An’s brow seemed to furrow slightly.

She looked down at Lu Xin, and he calmly looked up at her.

Their gazes met, like a clash.

Meeting Lu Xin’s calm gaze, Doctor An suddenly broke into a smile. Placing both hands on the desk, she pushed herself up slightly with her rear end, shifting from leaning against it to sitting fully on top, making herself appear taller.

Then she bit her lip lightly and chuckled softly, “Stubborn little brother. Too much dignity, too little experience…”

As she spoke, her bare foot lifted casually, as if about to brush against Lu Xin’s knee.

Lu Xin suddenly reached out and grabbed her ankle.

The abrupt movement made Doctor An’s voice catch. Her body tensed slightly, her hand gripping the paper cutter on the desk.

But Lu Xin just held her ankle gently, then picked up the high heel beside him.

He slowly put it on her foot, his movements careful. Because his head was lowered, Doctor An couldn’t see his expression, only hearing his soft voice drift up from below. “You really are one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever met… one of them. Nice face, great figure, even the way you smoke is cute, and that teasing expression is enough to make anyone’s heart itch… But I’ve been wondering, what is beauty?”

“Exquisite features? A perfect figure? Or deliberately crafted ambiguity?”

His voice continued slowly as he started putting on the second shoe, sounding a bit rambling. “But if that’s beauty, if that’s your asset… what if your face was ruined, your limbs broken, your skin covered in scars…”

“Would you still be so alluring then?”

“…”

The smile remained on Doctor An’s face, but her eyes had turned somewhat icy.

“So…”

Lu Xin finished putting on Doctor An’s shoes and slowly stood up, his expression bright and warm.

He gently patted Doctor An’s shoulder. “I don’t think using your beauty as a weapon like this is very good.”

“Inner beauty is true beauty, isn’t it?”