"How's it going?" A group of people from the Abnormal Affairs Bureau gathered around Nie Yu's computer.
There is also a special department of foreign affairs responsible for external communication.
"The clues he gave were chronologically arranged," he said, staring at the line "not that much needed." "If he's not lying, either he's been tracking this anomaly for ages or he's got some kind of superpower for detection."
Nie Yu kept typing away, muttering while chewing a bubble gum: "Well... every lead I've tracked down so far confirms what he said."
Nie Leong tapped her head and said, "You should be more serious."
Nie Yu rolled his eyes and snapped at the bubble, "Just two more days, and I'll be right there at its source."
She hated having a bunch of analysts around during work sessions—it made her speech choppy. The 'Approaching Science' rumor was pretty serious anyway, so he'd have to wait and see what he wanted. What could he possibly figure out from those ten lines of text?
As we approach science, here comes the news:
"I found a very unusual anomaly."
The Abnormal Transaction Management Department was taken aback. Another growth anomaly?
After watching the next message from Close to Science, I realized it wasn't true.
It's perfectly normal for an anomaly to influence other beings' consciousness, gradually turning them aggressive. Many anomalies possess this effect.
Admin area: "Why do you think it's special?"
Getting closer to science: "Because I found it, and then I lost track of it."
Admin: "So, apart from this, you can track all the traces of anomalies you've found?"
Getting closer to science: "Almost."
Yan Yan kept the forum interface open on his left and the gossip system on his right, closely monitoring the stance of the Abnormal Affairs Management Bureau toward this conversation.
They recorded the unknown anomaly but didn't pay much attention to it. This is unacceptable.
He paused for a moment, then replied, "If you want more proof."
"This anomaly has no name."
When Zhan Yan first started following gossip, he didn't find the unusual names particularly strange—after all, names like' Evil God·Beginner 'or' Teenagers 'Grievances' sounded downright frivolous. That changed when the garbled anomaly appeared.
Both the Demon Alliance and the Abnormalities Administration have named their anomalies exactly as displayed in the Chigua system, though this doesn't mean the system directly uses their original names.' Teenagers 'Grievance' is an undiscovered anomaly whose name first appeared in the Chigua system.
This means the name of this anomaly was either assigned by the gossip system or it already had a name.
Zhan Yan leans toward the latter view. If the 'abnormal name' is merely a code assigned by the 'gossip system' based on its characteristics, then the 'garbled code anomaly' could equally adopt a similar designation. Yet it is only displayed as garbled text.
Therefore, he guessed that the name of the anomaly must have a special meaning.
The Abnormal Transaction Management Bureau should be more aware of this issue than he is.
Nie Yu looked at the reply from 'Approaching Science' with confusion.
No name? What does that mean?
As she was about to ask again, Ji Yueming's expression suddenly turned stern.
"Go and tell Ning Xi to come over."
Ning Xi, Deputy Director of the Abnormal Transaction Management Bureau, holds the title of 'Deputy' but actually oversees more responsibilities than the full director.
Ni Yue was taken aback. Why was the lack of a name so crucial? Why did they need to involve the deputy director?
Nie Ling glanced at Ji Yueming. When she nodded, he patted Nie Yu gently and whispered, "Every anomaly has a name. We don't name them—we name them after the world they were born in. Twenty-six years ago, this world was meant to have no new anomalies."
Nie Yu had access to a wealth of confidential information due to her abilities, yet she was only nineteen years old at the time—she hadn't even been born yet.
An unnamed exception. This could mean something big.
Ning Xi arrived soon.
He looked like a man in his early thirties, tall and slender, with half-length white hair tied back.
He arrived without a word, first going through the chat logs in reverse order.
He reads at lightning speed, moving from one interface to the next with barely a second's pause.
The interface was finally fixed by him at the place where the approach to science could track the abnormal traces.
"Can he prove it?" Ning Xi clicked the reply.
Nie asked.
Get closer to science:
"Sure."
"But I'm not going to show it."
"Are you already paying attention to this anomaly?"
Yan Jian watched the unusual activity on the Affairs Management Bureau's side of the gossip platform, then closed the private chat interface with satisfaction.
"He's offline," said Nie Yu.
Ning Xi:...
"Do you think he's trustworthy?" he asked Ji Yueming.
"Anyway, I'd bet he's got a pretty good grasp of information," Ji Yueming quipped. "At least he knows you're a control freak."
Though not explicitly stated, the program's consistent avoidance of direct engagement and its unwavering belief that they would intervene at the slightest hint of news clearly demonstrate this stance throughout its entire run.
With a soft hum, Ning Xi flipped back to the anonymous anomaly report from 'Approaching Science'.
The last known location of the species was in Yunjin City.
"All your other tasks will be suspended for the time being. You're in charge of this," he told Ji Yueming.
Ji Yueming nodded without hesitation. Her family lived in Yunjin City, and she couldn't trust others to come to her.
"Make him a priority for observation and keep an eye on his mental state," said Ning Xi.
Information-type superpowered individuals encounter abnormal information more frequently than other types and are more susceptible to its influence. From this perspective, the more capable these individuals are, the more likely they are to experience mental instability.
Ning Xi tapped his finger on a line of text: "He calls it 'chaotic anomaly' —a fascinating term. Most people wouldn't think of it that way. Either the form of that unnamed anomaly is linked to' chaotic 'patterns, or the manifestation of' approaching science' creates such chaotic forms."
While organizing the records, Nie Yu sighed, 'This is so predictable. I owe it to my quick thinking in approaching science.'
After closing the private chat with the 'Admin Domain,' Yan Zhan began scanning other messages. Most were pointless. The 'Approaching Science' account had only surfaced on the forum once before, and no one genuinely seeking collaboration would contact him now. They were waiting for his next move to prove he was someone worth working with.
But there's no rush. The primary reason for his involvement with the Extraordinary Forum has been transferred to the Abnormal Affairs Administration Bureau, so he can now proceed with the arrangements at his own pace.
Zhan Yan fiddled with the backend settings, discovering a rule that anyone with the most unfollowed accounts could only send one private message, to prevent future private message overload. Then he went to the forum's spam zone to find premium posts.
The ability to 'watch the melon' (a Chinese idiom for passive observation) proves too limited in emergencies. He plans to learn some extraordinary skills, so that if he ever encounters another 'hungry ghost' situation, he won't just have to run away.
Beyond demons and ghosts, human superpowers can be broadly categorized into two types: innate abilities and cultivated skills. The former is a natural gift, like the administrator's "internet spirit" —a talent no one else can learn. The latter, while requiring some innate aptitude, can be mastered by anyone, though the extent of mastery varies. While a Celestial Master's thunder magic can summon violent storms, others might only end up with static from a sweater.
Zhan Yan compiled a collection of such spiritual practices, including opening the Yin-Yang Eye, spirit mediumship, and spirit consultation—activities that ordinary people can perform through standard procedures. Other rituals requiring spiritual energy, however, were temporarily shelved to gather dust.
He had memorized these procedures, but without test subjects, it's unclear whether his learning was effective.
After leaving the forum, Zhan Yan glanced at the clock—it was almost bedtime.
He checked his phone and sure enough, Gu Jiancheng had already sent a message, urging for the second clue and sending his goodnight kiss.
"I leave work early now," Zhan Yan replied.
The next morning, the class group chat buzzed with another round of notifications.
When Yan Zhan opened the steamed bun, he found it...
Duan Hong: "[Image][Image]"
These are two English workbooks that have already been completed, but they contain middle school-level exercises.
Kaifeng has a Bao Qingtian: "Boss Duan, how did you degenerate again?"
Bao Qingshan, who shared their dormitory, was a chubby guy who loved chatting.
Duan Hong:
"Come less."
It's my buddy next to me. He's a tutor who brings students' homework over to grade.
At first, they praised me for this kid suddenly becoming diligent and doing so many exercises.
"Then I started worrying about how the child's accuracy suddenly dropped."
After questioning his students, it turned out he hadn't done that question.
The group buzzed with activity again:
"No way."
Is it the same as your English test? Someone else did it for you.
Duan Hong:
Yes.
That guy left his backpack in the study room at night, just like me.
"I just found out this morning when I got back."
He's already cheating on your homework, so why would he bother with middle schoolers' English assignments?
"Test Addiction?"
Not necessarily. Just look at his accuracy rate—maybe those middle school problems are actually a good fit for his level [chuckles].
"Laughing so hard."
Zhan Yan found this matter rather peculiar and asked:
@Duan Hong, what time did you go home that night when you were working on your exam paper?
Duan Hong: "I didn't go back until 9 o'clock that day. The exam papers were still intact."
The same goes for the guy next door.
We must catch this idiot!
Zhan Yan glanced at the clock. It was 7:43—a time when Duan Hong had posted his message in the group that morning. The study room opened at 7 a.m. and closed at 9 p.m. Since Duan Hong had returned on time that day, the person who had secretly taken the exam paper must have arrived early around that time.
Kaifeng has a Bao Qingtian: 'Completing two sets of major exams in forty minutes—this guy is truly remarkable.'
"The accuracy rate is just not good enough."
Zhan Yan activated the gossip-chasing mode and began searching:
Tian Youcheng, a ghost, studied English diligently at Beijing Agricultural University Library and took two sets of comprehensive exams by Duan Hong at night to assess his proficiency.
Tian Youcheng, haunted by his own academic performance, was withdrawn for a day.
The ghostly Tian Youcheng rose again and completed Yu Kai's English workbook exercises at night.
Zhan Yan:???
Is the ghost world this cutthroat these days?
I never imagined what I learned last night would come in handy so quickly. Zhan Yan opened Taobao and started searching for cinnabar.
Zhan Nairu yawned as he descended the stairs, grabbing a steamed bun from Zhan Yan's plate. "What's that for?"
She thought Zhan Yan was gossiping again.
Zhan Yan blurted out, "A few of my roommates want to play the Pen Immortal game. I'll buy them some cinnabar for self-defense."
Zhan Nairu masticated his lips. "Nowadays children are so bold. Don't play around."
Zhan Yan said, "I know. I'm not interested. I'm just helping them carry some things."
Jian Jinli drifted by, snatching a few baozi. Her jet-black eyes darted under her bangs at the screen, showing no concern.
Jian Yan has his own Ghost King Seal. If he were to go out, not even a single Pen Immortal would be able to summon him.