Chapter 22: Records of the Wasteland Descent

Luocheng High School, Principal’s Office.

Meng Xi stood behind a middle-aged man with a weathered face, leaning on a cane with a gold-inlaid handle. She held a stack of documents and respectfully reported on their progress.

"Mr. Xidai, we have secured the monitoring room and are now surveilling every corner of the school. The personnel arrangements are complete; the teachers who were replaced have been given better compensation, so there shouldn't be any complaints."

"However, such a sudden and complete overhaul of the school staff is bound to invite speculation. I fear many parents will come to inquire about the situation."

Xidai stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, staring intently at the grounds below. He shook his head slightly. "It is of no concern. Pacify the parents as best you can. Tell them the school is undergoing reforms to improve the quality of faculty and that there are new subsidies in place."

"If any remain persistent, refer them to the Bureau of Education. Let’s see if they have the influence to get anywhere with that."

As Xidai leaned against the window, he looked out over the campus. The original architects had chosen a fine vantage point; from here, one could overlook the entire school and immediately spot any incident occurring outside the classroom buildings.

After the report, Meng Xi did not leave immediately. She stood there, hesitating. Finally, after a long silence, Xidai turned to look at her. "Is there something else?"

Meng Xi then spoke: "Sir, I have a question—or rather, everyone in the Special Operations Team has a question..."

"Oh? That is rare indeed. Speak your mind."

Xidai smiled warmly and turned to walk toward the black leather chair behind him. His left leg was noticeably disabled, forcing him to lean heavily on his cane, his gait uneven. Despite the weariness on his face, his spirit remained sharp. His hawk-like eyes were deep and resolute; a single gaze from him felt as if he could pierce through the secrets of one's soul.

"Sir, we are your subordinates, trained by you. It is not our place to question your orders."

"But this time, we truly cannot understand why we are here in this small city, pretending to be teachers."

Their Special Operations Team was accustomed to high-risk missions, yet this order had come with no warning. They had been on the verge of dismantling a criminal organization when, out of the blue, they were ordered to change into civilian clothes and serve as teachers in this remote northern city with a lackluster economy.

Meng Xi still could not fathom the reason. If the goal was to investigate the recent explosion, they could have simply gone to the scene. Why pose as teachers at a high school over ten kilometers away?

At these words, Xidai fell silent. He rubbed his cane rhythmically, lost in deep hesitation. Finally, he gave a slight nod and let out a long sigh.

"Very well. This mission will require our collective effort, so there is no need to keep you in the dark any longer."

He opened a drawer, pulled out a file from the very back, and handed it to Meng Xi, his expression turning grave.

"What I am about to tell you is classified. The members of Team A must keep this strictly confidential."

"On March 2, 1973, in Liaodong City, a bizarre vehicle, far ahead of its time, fell from the sky and crashed at the entrance of the municipal government building. At the time, no one knew what it was. It was quietly confiscated, and it led to numerous breakthroughs in research. To this day, much of its technology remains indecipherable."

"On April 27, 1989, in Jingyang City, a mechanical monster resembling a scorpion suddenly appeared at a major intersection in the Qingyang District. It wreaked indiscriminate havoc before self-destructing half an hour later."

"Statistics show twenty-one casualties. This was the first time the Great Xia investigated such an incident."

"On January 3, 2001, in the agricultural village of Jinghai's First Autonomous Region, during a lantern festival, an individual clad in iron armor and an exoskeleton appeared, causing a catastrophic fire."

"The death toll reached 171. It took special police forces half a month of siege and immense sacrifice to finally neutralize the target."

"On September 12, 2012—the most recent incident—a humanoid mecha landed at the Fuxing Bay port. It destroyed 29 cargo ships and 42 cruise liners, turning the entire port into ruins in half a day."

"The military fought them for three days and three nights. Just as we thought we had secured victory, the enemy revealed high-yield weapons, and the entire port was obliterated."

At this point, Xidai paused, his face darkening. "I lost my right leg in that battle. The brutality of that fight remains vivid in my memory to this day."

"The mysterious explosion here in Luocheng bears a striking resemblance to those recorded incidents. That is why you were all temporarily reassigned here."

Meng Xi flipped through the file. She couldn't help but gasp, her white uniform straining against her chest, her beautiful eyes wide with shock. Having served in the Special Operations Team for years, she had encountered many secrets, but she had never heard reports of anything on this scale.

"Sir, why have we never heard of..."

By 2013, the internet had become quite widespread.

"Of course you haven't heard of them. As I said, this is classified. It has been strictly sealed off for over a decade."

Xidai stared fixedly at his subordinate. "This explosion is very similar to those on record. The cause is unknown, and it was accompanied by significant radiation. It is highly likely to be the work of the same faction."

"To this day, the origin of these machines and individuals, and how they appear out of thin air, remains a mystery. They are vicious in combat, and without fail, they choose to self-destruct or commit suicide once they are cornered."

"However, one thing is certain: whenever these events occur, 'Espers' appear."

"Espers?" Meng Xi asked, stunned.

"Yes. These Espers consistently emerge among young people between the ages of 16 and 23. Luocheng has no university, so our primary task is to secure this high school, which houses the age group closest to the target demographic."

"Having executed so many missions, you know how troublesome Espers can be. The more they use their abilities, the more their minds are affected, descending into madness. This is not something that half-grown students can control."

Xidai looked at his subordinate; he had said enough.

Meng Xi suddenly understood. She bowed deeply to Xidai. "I understand, sir."

"Keep an eye on them. If any new Espers manifest, take them into custody. We cannot cause a massive public disturbance, but our military research labs are in need of new samples..."

Xidai whispered in a raspy voice. The secret behind the birth of Espers had always been the nation’s primary research goal. For that purpose, no amount of time or resources was considered too great a cost.

Meng Xi nodded. "I will explain it to the team."

"I leave it to you."