Chapter 38: A Spatial Ability? Student Mu, please come with us.

"What? Xu Chen was attacked..."

Xi Dai, who had been in the middle of drafting the next phase of the esper training program, suddenly received a call from Meng Xi, the secretary of the Special Task Force. Upon hearing the news, his expression turned grim. He stood up from his seat, leaning on his gold-handled cane, and asked in a low voice, "What is the extent of his injuries? Is his life in danger?"

"Sir, our team is already en route to provide support. His life should not be in danger, but he has been robbed. He reached out to us for help using the phone of a high school girl," Meng Xi replied. She was sitting in a black business car, the scenery outside the window blurring as the vehicle sped along the road toward the location pin.

"Did he say who attacked him?"

"No. Xu Chen said he was hooded and knocked unconscious before he could even see his attackers. He lost four teeth, his arm was dislocated, two ribs were broken, and... he suffered trauma to his private area," Meng Xi recounted the details as Xu Chen had described them. It sounded miserable, but fortunately, his life was not at risk. "However, based on the frequency of the blows, he suspects there were at least two attackers."

"Two people..." A sharp glint flashed in Xi Dai's eyes as he pondered while holding his phone. This attack was highly suspicious. It had happened right after he and Xu Chen finalized the pilot program. It was clearly a premeditated strike, perhaps orchestrated by foreign forces. However, simply beating him up didn't align with the style of those desperate thugs, who were known for their ruthless and lethal methods. Normally, Xu Chen would have been either abducted or killed. This degree of injury felt more like a warning.

"Protect Xu Chen and let him recover. Tomorrow, we will proceed with a large-scale physical examination to identify the D-tier physical augmentation espers. We'll make further plans once he has healed." Xu Chen was the most important esper researcher to come to Luo City; his physical state was critical.

"Understood!"

...

Outside a small alley in Luo City.

"Is this okay now?"

"Yes, thank you so very much!" Xu Chen said, gritting his teeth as he forcefully popped his dislocated arm back into place. Holding his swollen face, he looked at the high school girl who had just woken him up. He had truly hit rock bottom this time. When he was first being robbed, he sensed something was wrong, but before he could catch his breath or react, he was beaten senseless. He nearly lost his life; if it weren't for this girl waking him up, who knows how long he would have been out.

"You're Mu Xiaowei, right?"

"Oh? You know me?" Mu Xiaowei looked confused, her eyes widening as she stared at the stranger. After getting home, she realized her pen refill had run out and came out to buy one. She stumbled upon the battered Xu Chen on the way. Out of kindness—and because he wasn't an old man—she had mustered the courage to wake him and help him contact his friends.

"You could say that." Xu Chen had reviewed all the student files, and since this was the girl he had seen near Su Yi earlier, he recognized her name. He would have to thank her properly later; otherwise, he didn't know how long he would have been stuck there.

"If you're okay now, could you please return my phone? I still have things to do..." Mu Xiaowei felt the man was strange; having her name suddenly called out made her feel unsafe. She didn't want to waste any more time; she had bought the refill and needed to get back to finish her homework. "But if you need me to, I can help you call for an ambulance."

"No, no need! My companions will be here soon." Xu Chen held his chest in pain, blood still trickling from his nose, looking utterly disheveled. He was badly injured, and even standing up was a struggle. Many of his plans would be delayed. He had hoped to identify powerful espers, make a name for himself, and contribute to the Great Xia. He felt truly sorry for Mr. Xi Dai; he hadn't expected to be attacked while operating within the borders of the Great Xia.

Xu Chen handed the old-fashioned burner phone back to Mu Xiaowei. "Thank you for your help. Next time we meet, I'll give you the most advanced smartphone."

"That won't be necessary. I have a smartphone, it's just..." Mu Xiaowei paused, scratching her cheek awkwardly, muttering to herself. She had been messaging Su Yi when it suddenly disappeared, but she couldn't explain that. She had to make do with this old phone for now. Speaking of Su Yi, this man's attire looked like the person Su Yi had encountered at the bookstore. That Su Yi guy...

As she thought this, the moment her fingers touched the burner phone, a flash of purple light flickered. The phone twisted and warped, disappearing before she could even take hold of it.

"Huh???"

Seeing this, Xu Chen's eyes widened. He looked at the slightly flustered Mu Xiaowei, and the words "Spatial Esper Ability" immediately sprang to mind. Suddenly, he felt his pain subside, his back stopped aching, and his body, which couldn't even stand a moment ago, felt full of vitality.

"S-sorry, I... it was just a magic trick, a magic trick!" Mu Xiaowei's pupils trembled. She hadn't expected to lose control in front of a stranger. Instinctively wanting to escape, she turned around, her high ponytail swinging, and prepared to leave before Xu Chen could speak.

However, she hadn't taken more than a few steps.

"Beep-beep-beep—"

The sound of car doors slamming echoed as several business vehicles pulled up to the alley, blocking the road. A crowd of men in black stepped out, surrounding the area and leaving no path for retreat.

"Teacher Meng Xi? Why are you here..." Mu Xiaowei recognized the leader, her face full of confusion.

"Mu Xiaowei?" Meng Xi was equally taken aback; she had just arrived and didn't yet understand the situation.

"Spatial ability! It's a spatial ability!" Xu Chen shouted while clutching his chest, limping forward, his face unable to hide his excitement.

"What?"

"This girl has a spatial esper ability! I saw it with my own eyes just now. This is a huge find!"

"Take her to the lab—no, wait, Student Mu, please come with me to the laboratory!" Xu Chen extended an invitation with great excitement. Upon hearing the words "spatial ability," their typically composed and beautiful homeroom teacher also displayed a look of surprise. The surrounding men in black were whispering among themselves, their eyes gleaming with the same light one would show upon discovering a rare, ancient treasure.

"What ability? I don't have one. Laboratory? I... I'm not going." Seeing the excited crowd around her, Mu Xiaowei denied it repeatedly. She had never seen such a scene before, and a sense of dread began to well up inside her. Her mind flashed back to the student who had been subdued in the school building—that person still hadn't returned to school. Her legs couldn't help but retreat. For some reason, whenever she encountered danger, that one name echoed in her mind.

"Su Yi..."

...

The next morning.

The sky was just beginning to brighten, with the stars still hanging in the night sky. The crimson incandescent lights illuminated the breakfast stall, and thick, hot steam billowed out. Su Yi looked at the line in front of him, which was so long it made his scalp tingle, and couldn't help but sigh.

"There are so many people at the breakfast spot... No wonder Mu Xiaowei was so late yesterday."

Had he known it would be this crowded near the school, he would have run to the west side of the city to buy it. Even though it was far, running fast would have definitely been better than this. But it was too late to regret it now; running faster than a car and leaving afterimages would surely cause a stir. But since he had given his word, he had to fulfill it. Even if he were late, Su Yi would get that breakfast for Mu Xiaowei.

Helpless, he could only waste his time and life in the queue. Su Yi glanced at Luo Lixi beside him; the girl was still diligently flipping through a dictionary. With the help of her chip, she had actually memorized every single word in the dictionary in just five minutes, able to recite exactly which word was on which line of which page. But rote memorization was one thing; understanding was another. Mastering an unfamiliar language still took time. For instance, yesterday, Su Yi had shown Luo Lixi a classic Great Xia phrase: "Hello, this is a small gesture of mine, just a gesture, hmm? What do you mean by this? Nothing much, I think you should understand what I mean."

Unsurprisingly, after Su Yi wrote those sentences down, it completely fried Luo Lixi's CPU. She had spent the entire night analyzing it and still hadn't grasped the meaning.

"Oh, it's finally my turn."

About 20 minutes later, Su Yi bought the breakfast. By now, it was getting late. He carried the food and walked into the classroom just as the bell rang. He scanned the room and felt a flicker of doubt.

"Huh? How is Mu Xiaowei late again..."