Welcome to the Ability Shop!

Prelude to Chapter 315

"Wow...this is such a great place!" The first thing Jiang Siqi saw when she opened the hotel room door was the huge floor-to-ceiling glass curtain wall.

Through the glass, the magnificent city skyline is clearly visible, with towering skyscrapers and laser billboards that are clearly visible even during the day forming its gleaming outline; in the sky, a neatly arranged fleet of floating vehicles draws dozens of "air routes," and even though there are no roads or traffic lights in the sky, these vehicles seem to be driving on tangible roads.

She ran to the glass wall, took out her phone and started snapping photos of the stunning view, excitedly exclaiming all the while.

"That flying car...it's so cool!"

"Look up at the clouds! It looks like something's hidden there!"

"My God, is that some kind of structure in space?!"

Honglian put down her backpack, leaned back on the sofa and stretched. "Remember to delete it after you're done taking the photos, or you might violate the confidentiality agreement."

According to the agreement between the organization, they are not allowed to disclose any information about this world, including videos and photos.

"Even if I post it, no one will believe it. They'll just say it's an AI fake," Jiang Siqi said dismissively. "Who would have thought that after passing through the eroded space, you could arrive at a city in another future world, and this city is even called Jiangcheng?"

That's truly incredible.

But I've seen plenty of red lotuses.

She had traveled to medieval Europe in another world, even disguising herself as a witch and engaging in fierce battles with wanderers. At that time, she completely believed in the theories of the system, regarding intrusion points as the source of destabilization in the world, fearing that the distorted history there would pollute the present world.

As it turned out, Lin Qing told her that all of this was just natural evolution... just like rain and thunder, invasion is also a natural phenomenon.

"Wow...this bed is unbelievably comfortable!" After looking at the view from the window, Jiang Siqi rolled around on the bed again. "What is it made of? I feel like I'm going against gravity when I lie on it."

"There are free drinks in the fridge, want to try some? What brand is this... Ice Soul? What about this one? Oh my, why is there Coke in the future?"

"Wow, this toilet is so advanced! You can even lie down and poop, and the toilet seat even has a massage function!"

"Oh, I wish I could live here forever!"

Jiang Siqi wandered around aimlessly, her excited voices coming from all directions.

Although this wasn't their first time in this world, last time, apart from the captain, the others hardly ever entered the city. They spent most of their time hiding in the suburbs or disguising themselves as thugs and beggars to gather intelligence from gangs on the outskirts of the city. As a result, in less than three months, Shawcanon had transformed into a guest of honor of the city's rulers, which is why they enjoyed such treatment today.

"It's one thing to act like this in the room, but don't go out like you've never seen the world before, or you'll just embarrass us," Honglian said, half-admonishing and half-joking.

Now, the Weixian Agency represents the face of another world.

"Yes, sir!" Jiang Siqi chuckled. "But Captain Xiao is really amazing... He has excellent diplomatic skills and knows how to use public opinion to create momentum. I feel that since he came, the organization has been completely transformed."

"Tsk." Honglian glanced at her disdainfully. "You talk like you've been in the organization for a long time. You've never experienced what the organization was like before, have you?"

“I haven’t, but you guys have,” Jiang Siqi shrugged. “I’ve talked to Brother Wang a lot. He said the previous captain was a shut-in. He just did whatever headquarters asked him to do, like a messenger. He was responsible, but the atmosphere at work was very boring every day. If it weren’t for the intelligence team occasionally sending intrusion warnings, he felt like he was no different from an ordinary office worker.”

Honglian fell silent for a moment.

Captain Wan is indeed not as adept at handling situations as Xiao Kanong.

Nowadays, the work atmosphere in the agency is quite enthusiastic and active... Firstly, because people have truly felt the threat of the ability criminals, and the demand for them has increased significantly. Secondly, the agency has become more open, and a star team has emerged—although Honglian herself doesn't like to be in the limelight at all, it is undeniable that she has become the goal for other operators to strive for.

People are willing to live in anonymity to protect the world; but who would refuse if they could gain both fame and fortune while protecting the world?
People always hope that their efforts will be recognized by their peers.

Xiao Kanon, however, excels at this. He contacts the media to disclose more details about the star operator training program; he understands the exchange of abilities for rights and frequently appears on news front pages; he is also willing to delegate authority, giving each group greater freedom of action, unlike Captain Wan, who personally oversees every operation and supervises everyone's every move. Wang Baihu privately complained that he felt he was treated the same as illegal ability users, having to truthfully report how many times he used his abilities each day.

In the eyes of most operators, Shaw Kanon is undoubtedly a capable leader in his prime. He takes on all the tedious administrative tasks and handles them flawlessly. His treatment of his subordinates is also impeccable. Apart from his questionable taste in clothing, he is basically the template of a good boss.

In fact, Honglian had already started to feel that way.

If it weren't for her sudden encounter with Seishin and the memory of Elori's words, the thought that her teammates had been betrayed to the enemy by the Captain-Commander would have sent chills down her spine.

As for those attendees who appeared well-dressed, elegant, and witty, it would be difficult for most people to associate them with the monster who perpetrated the Wuhuan Machinery Factory massacre. If Lin Qing's information was accurate, then the situation was entirely different—

Shocanon pretends to be a charming and sophisticated person, but in reality he is doing extremely evil things. He chats and laughs with the devil at the dinner table, while the plates are filled with the flesh and blood of innocent people.

"By the way, Sister Honglian, what kind of abilities do you think Captain Xiao has?" Jiang Siqi hopped over and sat down next to her.

"Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"

"I'm just curious. Brother Wang said that Captain Wan used to fight alongside you guys, but Xiao Kanong... he's never made a move."

"I don't know," Honglian said, pursing her lips. "And I'm not interested in knowing."

Even so, she was still somewhat concerned—Xiao Kanon seemed to have little interest in combat; he wouldn't even join the front lines, let alone be at the forefront. The Fifth Ring Factory incident was a case in point; he transferred the entire execution team there and then abandoned them.

The captain was present throughout the exploration of the new world, but whenever a fight was needed, even against gang members, he would stand far behind the operators.

Could it be that... Shaw's Kanon is actually quite weak in actual combat?

However, Honglian denied this guess, saying that the abilities are diverse, and there are many non-combat types, but such operators would not be selected for the execution team.

Xiao Kanon is a certified executive member of headquarters. In other words, when everyone else in the Jiangcheng branch sacrifices themselves, he is the ability user who can and must fight on the front lines.

"I bet he's really strong, otherwise headquarters wouldn't have chosen him as the captain," Jiang Siqi remarked. "Powerful, and able to get along well with rich people, how infuriating! Isn't he the epitome of a winner in life?"

"Save your breath. Ability is something that's a gift from God; you can't envy it."

"That's not necessarily true. I think as long as you're lucky enough, you can also change your fate through your abilities~" she replied, humming a tune.

"Are you serious?" Honglian frowned.

Why does this sound like a worldly argument?
"It's nothing... I was just joking." Jiang Siqi quickly covered her mouth.

Just then, there was a knock on the door from outside.

"Hello, are you two ladies there?"

"Sister Honglian, I've come to find you!"

Jiang Siqi immediately stood up and said, "It's Li Xing and Xiao Jiu. I'll go open the door."

As soon as the door opened, a cacophony of noise rushed in, with Han Yuhao being the loudest. "Have you all put your luggage away? There's a super luxurious buffet upstairs; we can eat for free!"

"Really?" Jiang Siqi's eyes lit up.

"Yes, I checked the room key. It not only includes three meals a day, but also a spa, brainwave therapy, and a bunch of other services I don't understand! I have to say, the boss really went all out this time!"

“That’s right! Since it’s a publicly funded trip, we certainly can’t let the organizers down!” Xiao Jiu chimed in. “Sister Honglian, let’s hurry up and set off! I want to try every activity!”

"Tasks are tasks, and enjoyment is enjoyment"—this is a phrase that team members often repeat.

Even if she would find out tomorrow whether Lin Qing's accusations against the authorities were correct, even if she was feeling both nervous and conflicted right now... the more this was the case, the less she could let anyone see anything amiss.

“Okay,” Honglian nodded with a smile, “Let’s just treat this as a future adventure.”

……

(End of this chapter)