Chapter 14: The Final Choice

“She has a somewhat unusual constitution; the needle really might not penetrate her skin,” Lin Xiaosu chose his words carefully. “There’s no need for injections—just use your experience to assess whether she’s in any danger.”

Judging by her vital signs, Tiger Girl’s life force was impossibly vigorous.

A breathalyzer test showed her blood alcohol content was far from dangerous.

She seemed to be in a peculiar state of mutation—something that, in times past, doctors could not have detected, as it defied the norms of biology. But now, genetic mutations were becoming well-established in medical circles. Even if doctors had never encountered such cases firsthand, they’d seen extraordinary mutations documented in their databases.

Genetic mutation is a revolution within the body.

Metabolism accelerates.

As the body undergoes rapid change, the brain initiates a protective mechanism, and slipping into unconsciousness is routine.

Lin Xiaosu was reassured.

Tiger Girl was not in danger.

She had touched that faint glimmer of light, and her body had begun a new cycle of mutation.

Signs suggested this was not a bad thing—indeed, it might even be a good thing!

The ambulance brought her to the hospital, where she was admitted to the emergency ward. Yet the emergency measures amounted to nothing more than surface examinations; there was simply no way to inject her.

When the nurses heard about this bizarre case, their sleepiness vanished. Each found an excuse to visit the ward, then gossiped in every corner.

Second Uncle and Second Aunt rushed over in the night, anxious nearly to panic.

But Lin Xiaosu pulled Second Uncle aside and quietly explained the situation. Instantly, the clouds on Second Uncle’s face parted.

Turning away, Second Uncle whispered to Second Aunt, whose expression flickered between worry and relief.

After rounds of examinations, discussions, anxiety, and reassurance, time flew by.

There was a flurry in the ward, and dawn broke outside.

Lin Xiaosu went outside to buy breakfast for them. When he returned, arms laden with plastic bags, he was surprised to find the bed empty. Second Uncle stood at the window, gazing at the sky; Second Aunt sat motionless in the corner, while a striking woman in police uniform comforted her.

The woman was Zhou Mei.

“Where is she?” Lin Xiaosu asked.

“Chang Ye came,” Zhou Mei replied. “She said Tiger Girl’s condition is very unusual and took her to the provincial headquarters for treatment.”

Lin Xiaosu paused in surprise.

“Xiaosu… do you think this is… is it alright?” Second Aunt sprang up and hurried to him.

Her daughter had fallen ill—an odd illness—and now someone from the provincial public security bureau had come to take her away for treatment. She didn’t know the person and couldn’t put her mind at ease. Her husband couldn’t reassure her, so she looked for comfort in Lin Xiaosu.

“It’s alright,” Lin Xiaosu said. “For Tiger Girl, this isn’t a bad thing—it’s a good thing.”

“A good thing?”

“Yes, Second Aunt, don’t worry. In a while, she’ll recover and come back.”

Second Uncle turned and said, “Now do you believe it? I told you it was a good thing, but you wouldn’t trust me.”

“You and your mystical ways—who’d believe you?” Second Aunt retorted. “But I trust Xiaosu! Besides us, he’s the only one who truly cares for her. If Xiaosu says it’s nothing, then it really is nothing!”

Lin Xiaosu smiled gently. “Alright, Second Uncle, Second Aunt, eat your breakfast and head home. I’ll settle the bill at the hospital.”

Leaving the cashier’s desk, Lin Xiaosu’s mind was awash with thoughts.

He pieced together the events…

Last night, Tiger Girl suddenly fell ill.

Her condition couldn’t be contained in the hospital. The story spread among nurses, reached the police bureau, and the officers, sensitive to such things, immediately reported to their superiors. Chang Ye learned of it.

Chang Ye belonged to Hidden Dragon and was nearly obsessive about recruiting talent.

Earlier, Tiger Girl had shattered the egg of a genetically enhanced person with a kick, which likely put her on Chang Ye’s radar. Tonight, she came in person; the excuse about treating Tiger Girl’s illness was clearly a pretext.

What she truly wanted was to see if Tiger Girl could be recruited to Hidden Dragon.

If one day Tiger Girl joined Hidden Dragon, Lin Xiaosu felt it was something to look forward to.

She always said she wasn’t a normal woman.

Truthfully, being an abnormal misfit is lonely.

But in Hidden Dragon, is “abnormal” a problem?

“Abnormal” is the shared label of all Hidden Dragon members.

There isn’t a single normal woman among them!

She’d find her own kind.

She often lamented being born in the wrong era—if she’d lived in ancient times, Hua Mulan might have been replaced by Li Diedie.

Now, wasn’t this her chance?

If she joined Hidden Dragon, smashing eggs would be trivial!

The deeds of Hidden Dragon transcend social norms; violence is their daily routine.

In summary, Tiger Girl had found her true organization, or rather, this unique sapling had discovered a special platform to display her talents…

At the hospital entrance, a familiar car waited.

The window slid down, revealing two faces.

Zhou Mei was driving; in the back sat Chang Ye.

“Get in, let me treat you to tea,” said Chang Ye.

The car sped to the east of the city, arriving at Shengxin Tea House, newly opened.

On the side near the Yishui River, green bamboo formed the railings, purple clay teapots graced the tables, and the tail of spring’s breeze brought a chill.

Tea poured from the teapot held a unique beauty in the morning light.

The tea in the cup was faintly green.

It was Ta Mountain’s Qingming tea.

Qingming Festival had just passed, and the new tea was on the market. To savor a cup amid the bustle was indeed the essence of pleasure…

“Your childhood sweetheart won’t have any trouble,” Chang Ye raised her hand, answering his unspoken question.

“‘Childhood sweetheart’ isn’t quite accurate,” Lin Xiaosu smiled. “But it doesn’t really matter. What matters is—did you spot another business opportunity?”

“Business opportunity?”

“The marketplace is a battlefield, and the battlefield is a marketplace. In the game of competition, everything in the world is a piece on the board. Adding a new piece to your side—that’s a business opportunity.” Lin Xiaosu lifted his cup and sipped the tea.

“Young man, I see you’ve changed,” Chang Ye leaned forward.

“How so?”

Chang Ye said, “You used to have a skill, but you still seemed a bit naïve. Today, listening to you, I find you’ve gained an air of sophistication—quite like New Moon’s father.”

“New Moon’s father… is this a joke? Are you saying my charisma rivals the sun and moon?”

Chang Ye laughed. “No need for so many jokes. ‘Charisma rivaling the sun and moon’—you’re truly vain. New Moon’s father is just her father, formerly the strategist of Hidden Dragon.”

“If my charisma rivals Hidden Dragon’s strategist, am I not entitled to a little vanity? If you keep comparing me, I might really get a big head!” Lin Xiaosu smiled. “Let’s talk about what I care about—what will happen to Tiger Girl?”

What will happen next?

That was indeed Lin Xiaosu’s concern.

“What will happen to her… Rather than asking me, why not watch her yourself?” A mysterious light flashed in Chang Ye’s eyes.

“I get it! The topic circles back to the choice you mentioned two nights ago,” Lin Xiaosu said.

How Tiger Girl’s future unfolds is not for outsiders to know, nor are they qualified to observe.

If he wanted to watch, he’d have to join Hidden Dragon.

Within an organization, one can truly observe…

This was the choice Chang Ye had put before him two nights ago…

“Smart and perceptive—you’re more and more qualified,” Chang Ye said. “So, your answer? I don’t think we have to wait for the civil service exam to start.”

“Alright, I’ll join!” Lin Xiaosu put down his teacup, five simple words.

Chang Ye smiled. “Why so decisive today?”

Lin Xiaosu stretched. “Suddenly, I realized I’m her kind, too. In this muddied world, there’s no place for her invulnerable body—and perhaps no place for my unmatched charisma, either.”

“Hah, a bit wild… I can only guarantee the door opens for you. Whether you can stand firm, or if the prodigies crush you until you doubt your life, I won’t guarantee anything!”

“When does the crushing begin?” Lin Xiaosu leaned forward.

“Right now!” Chang Ye stood up. “Want to say goodbye to your mom? You might not come back for a long time.”

“Will it really be that long?”

“Yes. You won’t enter the organization directly—you’ll need to undergo a series of trainings, learn the relevant knowledge. Given your struggles with the civil service exam, it won’t be short.”

Lin Xiaosu took out his phone and called his mother…

“Mom, I’ll be staying with my classmate in town for a few days. I won’t come home. After the exam, we plan to go out for a bit.”

His mother was silent for about ten seconds. “Which classmate? Is it the one who came over last time?”

“Yes.”

His mother became excited. “I’ll send you some money! Don’t be stingy when you go out and have fun…”

One phone call for a leave, not only did his mother approve, she insisted on sending him ten thousand yuan so he could eat, drink, play, and “entertain.” Lin Xiaosu tried his best to lower the sum to three thousand.

Three minutes later, his phone notified him five thousand yuan had arrived.

His mother had forcibly added two thousand more.

Chang Ye was curious. “I didn’t expect your mom to be so generous. You tried to refuse, but she insisted.”

“Do you know why she’s so generous? Because whether it’s five thousand or ten thousand, compared to finding a wife, it’s pocket change!” Lin Xiaosu explained. “No matter how thrifty parents are, when their son goes out with a girl, they’re always lavish. It’s an abnormal social phenomenon that directly fuels the ‘simp economy’…”

Chang Ye laughed. “When you finish training, do I have to play the full act with you—buy a box of mooncakes and visit her?”

“Better not! If you go that far, she’ll really give you a red envelope—and it’ll probably be ten thousand and one yuan!”

Chang Ye looked dreamy. “That’s just right! Last time, I impulsively gave ten thousand and felt the pain for a month. Getting it back is only fair…”

Lin Xiaosu looked at him with disdain. “You claim Hidden Dragon pays well, but I seriously suspect you’re exaggerating. If the salary were so high, would you begrudge the bait you cast while fishing?”

What does it mean to cast bait while fishing?

Am I fishing?

How remarkable are you, that I need to fish for you?

It’s because I value you that I offer you an olive branch!

You don’t know a good thing when you see it…

Chang Ye had a pile of words tumbling in her stomach, but in the end, she simply rolled her eyes…

At midnight, on the rooftop of the county public security bureau, clouds obscured the moon. A gust of wind swept by, and a magnetic levitation car appeared out of nowhere, utterly silent.

Lin Xiaosu and Chang Ye boarded the car.

They vanished into the night.