Chapter 829: Mystery in the Soup

“Burnt?”

Hearing the Nanny Teams exclaim in surprise, Lu Xin paused for a moment and turned to look at the soup pot.

Doll, holding a feather duster, stood dumbfounded by the wall. After a long pause, she suddenly rushed nervously toward the pot.

The pot was bubbling with hot steam. That sound meant the water hadn’t evaporated completely.

Yet a burnt aroma was unmistakably wafting out—something in the pot had stuck to the bottom.

Seeing Doll pick up the lid and gaze sadly at the broth, the Nanny Teams felt a sudden pang of heartache.

Those in the front immediately holstered their guns, rolled up their sleeves, and prepared to fix the problem for her.

It was strange how the issue shifted so quickly from armed readiness to handling a pot of soup…

But everything seemed entirely natural.

However, as Lu Xin watched, a thought occurred to him. He reached out and gently skimmed the soup pot from a distance.

For an instant, the air in the room seemed to stand still.

The thoughts of everyone on the Nanny Teams appeared to freeze for a brief moment as well.

Then, almost automatically, they gathered around to inspect the pot’s change—only to find that nothing was burnt.

The pig bones and bitter melon thrown in were intact without any scorch marks.

Instead, a slightly bitter scent emerged, blended with a subtle fresh aroma.

“What on earth happened?”

The Nanny Teams were taken aback; they exchanged puzzled glances, wondering if their senses had deceived them.

While the others stood in mild daze, the team captain was the first to react, quickly glancing at the pot and then at Doll, who clearly cherished the soup. Adjusting his composure in a flash, his eyes shone with both delight and admiration as he looked at her:

“Doll, did you make this?”

“Oh my, you nailed it on your first try. Amazing…”

“…”

Doll clutched the lid and stood by the pot. Hearing their praise, she felt a rush of joy mixed with bashfulness.

“Yes, it’s her work…”

Reassured, Lu Xin turned back to the television, silently musing to himself.

Aside from buying groceries, cleaning bones, slicing bitter melon, seasoning, simmering, adding water, and lighting the stove, everything was done by Doll.

The idea for the soup was hers, yet she simply tossed in an entire bitter melon and an unchopped pig.

Even the cleaning wasn’t something he ordered her to do—it was her own initiative.

He really wondered where she picked up all these tricks…

Maybe he should ask her what show she’s been watching recently?

“…”

After the commotion subsided, the atmosphere in the room relaxed noticeably.

Once the Nanny Teams had finished complimenting Doll and eased her nervous, dejected mood, the team captain discreetly scanned her with sharp eyes to ensure nothing was amiss, and a shared look of relief passed among them: Good, these two are well-behaved and nothing out of line occurred.

Yet despite his relief, the team captain suddenly grew a bit worried:

Spending the whole day together without any mishap—could it be that…

…Doll’s charm for Single Soldier is waning?

In all of Qinggang—or rather, the entire world—she’s the only one who lives alone with Doll but only has her clean the room, right?

What a tangled situation. If Single Soldier were to overstep any bounds, they’d be concerned.

But now that he hasn’t, it seems… even more worrisome.

It was only then that Lu Xin stood up, turned off the TV, and swept his gaze over the guns hidden behind the Nanny Teams and the faces sporting heavy helmets. Smiling, he asked them, “What brings you all here?”

“Well…”

The unexpected question left the Nanny Teams momentarily tongue-tied.

The invisible pressure from when they entered the old building contrasted so starkly with the warmth of the room that it hit them hard.

It left them uncertain on how to respond.

Shifting his gaze from Doll to Lu Xin, the team captain smiled and said, “Nothing, nothing—just here for a look…”

“The Special Cleaning Department is quite concerned about you…”

“…”

“Oh…”

Lu Xin figured they were worried he might cross boundaries with Doll, but in truth, they were overthinking it.

After all, even though Doll had chatted with him well into the night yesterday and didn’t want to leave, she slept in Mom’s room.

There was really no reason for them to worry.

Besides, he hadn’t even registered with her—there was no chance for anything else to happen.

Who in their right mind would disrupt that process?

“I’m fine,” he replied with a smile.

Lu Xin laughed and added, “I just rushed back yesterday and was too tired to check in.”

“You all came at the perfect time—I was just about to stop by the Special Cleaning Department for another check-up.”

“…”

“A check-up?”

At this, the Nanny Teams were visibly surprised. The team captain quickly said, “Perfect—we’ll escort you there.”

“That works.”

Lu Xin nodded, grabbed his jacket, and prepared to leave.

The Nanny Teams exhaled deeply, stepping aside with practiced precision to clear the doorway.

At that moment, Doll suddenly looked gloomy, lingering sadly by the soup pot.

“Um…”

Catching on, Lu Xin remarked, “How about we share a bowl of soup before we head out?”

Noticing Doll’s unhappiness, the Nanny Teams nodded in unison, saying, “Sorry to trouble you.”

Upon entering Lu Xin’s old building, everyone was subconsciously a bit unnerved. That’s why the Nanny Teams had dressed so meticulously. Yet, when it came to Doll’s warm invitation, they immediately removed their helmets and set aside their guns without hesitation.

One by one, they gathered in the modest living room of Lu Xin’s Home, sipping the soup Doll had made with quiet delight.

Strange indeed…

Earlier, the soup had hinted at a burnt flavor, but once tasted, it was fragrant, savory, and entirely free of any burnt taste.

……

……

After changing clothes and heading downstairs, Lu Xin originally planned to drive himself, but upon seeing the Nanny Teams arrive with several vehicles, all armed, he abandoned the idea and joined Doll in one of the cars.

The team captain personally made a call, and a helicopter—always on standby for the Nanny Teams—waited on the roof of the Security Hall.

This was a perk even Lu Xin didn’t have. Although he could always call on the Qinggang Cleanup Department to arrange a helicopter for him, none were ever kept on immediate standby, ready for takeoff at any moment.

Of course, that was largely due to Doll’s line of work.

After all, wherever Doll wanted to go, she might just show up. The Nanny Teams had no choice but to keep pace with her.

Moreover, judging by the helicopter’s takeoff records since Doll and Lu Xin grew closer, its launch frequency had skyrocketed tenfold.

“Quick, Single Soldier needs a check-up…”

“Tell Headquarters to be ready for any and all tests on him immediately.”

“All Qinggang Cleanup Department researchers—especially those who took part in the last check-up—return to Headquarters at once.”

“Researchers from other factions are not to be involved. They’re to stay put at the base.”

“…No bribes allowed.”

“…”

The Nanny Teams relayed Lu Xin’s check-up news to Qinggang,

causing shock throughout the city.

According to the regulations of Qinggang Special Pollution Cleanup Department, ability users were required to undergo regular physical and mental assessments.

Normally, if not on a mission, tests were held every three months.

If engaged in a special pollution cleanup mission, a check-up was mandatory after each task.

But nowadays, few followed these rules.

First, the more tasks an ability user had, the longer and higher their rank, the lazier they became.

Take Gecko, for instance. He’d always cut corners during check-ups or flirt with the nurses.

Everyone assumed that as long as Gecko kept up his smooth talk, he was safe from testing.

Additionally, with the progress of the Heaven’s Kingdom Plan, Doll had developed an exceptionally keen and meticulous perceptive ability in Qinggang.

She could sense any discord or anomaly in someone’s mental state across Qinggang Main City and the six Satellite Cities.

This even applied to ability users.

Basically, if anyone had issues, she would instantly notice.

Thus, when it came to tests, saving effort was the order of the day.

As for Single Soldier…

He had now reached Level 7 Special Talent status in Qinggang.

In terms of his contribution and importance, he stood alongside the top figures of Qinggang.

And the reason they were equal was simple—no one achieved Level 7 or above…

Who would dare force him into constant testing and evaluations?

Even Minister Shen, known for his strictness, felt it was excessive to enforce such regulations!

Yet, Single Soldier voluntarily requested tests—though he called it a check-up—which was even more surprising.

What does that even mean?

A man who was above such rules now self-imposes them, even pushing the higher-ups to enforce strict protocols; it set a refreshing example and became a model for the entire Qinggang system.

Professor Bai was already considering whether to award Lu Xin the title of Qinggang Alliance Ability User Model.

……

……

And because of the significance of this matter, Lu Xin, upon arriving at Qinggang Cleanup Department Headquarters, immediately—

—arranged lunch.

After all, he had only managed a bowl of soup at home, which he shared with the Nanny Teams, resulting in each getting just a small serving.

Looking at the meaty bones in the pot, Lu Xin couldn’t even bring himself to gnaw at them.

Moreover, although Qinggang promptly began preparations, experts from the base outside the city and all necessary testing arrangements required time, so lunch was set up first—to fill him up and allow time for the tests.

Of course, a proper check-up required fasting, but who was he kidding—isn’t he Single Soldier after all?

After lunch, a fruit plate was served.

Additionally, following instructions from Han Bing’s phone call, the personnel even bought Lu Xin a pack of expensive cigarettes.

All on official accounts.

Thus, Lu Xin settled into the spacious, bright headquarters of the Special Cleaning Department, watching sunlight stream through tall glass windows.

He stretched his legs and slowly lit a cigarette.

The dining hall manager glanced at Lu Xin smoking alongside the stern “No Smoking” sign on the wall.

With a heavy heart, he ordered, “Cover up those words!”

……

……

“What made you decide to get a check-up?”

Not long after he sat down, Chen Jing, dressed smartly in military uniform, strode into the dining hall.

Beside her, Mizang—whose body sported a growth of tentacle-like limbs and wore a pink suit while clutching a stack of documents—darted after Chen Jing’s long legs. He tripped at the doorway with a clatter.

Thankfully, no one seemed to notice his fall.

He quickly scrambled up, glanced around, and clutched his documents as he hurried after her.

“Team Leader.”

Seeing Chen Jing, Lu Xin promptly stubbed out his cigarette and stood to greet her.

He explained, “During our investigation, something happened to me. My ability has changed a bit.”

“I also want to see if we can figure it out.”

“…”

“A change?”

Chen Jing, partly touched by Lu Xin’s respect for her as her superior—a stark contrast to Gecko and other ability users—nodded thoughtfully when he mentioned “ability,” her expression growing severe.

Quickly, she nodded and said, “Alright, we’re set. Come with me!”

Just as Lu Xin was about to follow her, he noticed Doll blinking her eyes and gazing longingly nearby. Smiling, he added, “Why don’t you come along too? I’d love to perform a few magic tricks for you.”