My bizarre resurgence: My price is the ability to trade everything.

Chen Xuan's office door was a heavy solid wood door with no markings on it.

I stood at the door, hesitating for a long time before knocking.

"Come in."

Chen Xuan's voice came from inside, deep and calm.

I pushed open the door and went inside.

The office wasn't large, but it was very tidy. A row of bookshelves lined the wall, filled with various files and books. Next to the window was a desk, behind which Chen Xuan sat, holding a photograph.

"Sit down." He gestured to the chair opposite him.

I walked over and sat down in the chair.

Chen Xuan didn't speak immediately. He placed the photo on the table and pushed it in front of me.

I looked down.

It was an old photograph, its edges yellowed slightly. There were three people in the photo: a middle-aged man, a young woman, and a little boy.

"This is..." My voice trembled slightly.

"Your father, your mother, and you," Chen Xuan said. "This photo was taken fifteen years ago."

I stared at the little boy in the photo. That was me, about five or six years old, standing between my parents, smiling happily.

The father in the photo is somewhat different from the one I remember.

Lin Zhengyang in the photo looks very young, wearing a gray tracksuit, with jet-black hair and a gentle smile on his face. His hand is on my shoulder, his posture relaxed and natural.

"Your father is very handsome, isn't he?" Chen Xuan said.

I didn't say anything.

I don't know what to say.

This is the first time I've seen photos of my parents since their accident.

"Your mother is very beautiful too," Chen Xuan continued. "Her name is Su Wanqing; she was a colleague your father met at headquarters."

"Su?" I was taken aback. "Su Mingyue also has the surname Su..."

"Su Mingyue is Su Wanqing's niece," Chen Xuan said. "Your mother only has one younger brother, who is Su Mingyue's father."

My mind went blank.

Is Su Mingyue my cousin?

"You didn't know?" Chen Xuan glanced at me. "That's right. You were only six years old when your parents had that accident, so you don't remember many things."

He put the photos away and put them back in the drawer.

"I've called you here today because there's something I need to tell you," he said, "about your father."

"Your father's name is Lin Zhengyang, and he's my senior fellow apprentice."

Chen Xuan's voice was calm, as if he were telling a story that had nothing to do with him.

"When we were young, we trained together at the General Administration, carried out missions together, and went through countless life-or-death situations together."

"He was the best balancer of his generation. Not only was he exceptionally talented, but more importantly—"

Chen Xuan paused, seemingly considering his words.

"His talent is the best I've ever seen. He achieved a 55% conversion rate in the cost-benefit analysis within three years. That number remains unbroken to this day."

55%.

I thought of the data Su Mingyue showed me yesterday; my conversion rate was 45%.

"But that's not the most important thing," Chen Xuan said, looking at me. "The most important thing is that your father was already a top-tier martial artist before becoming a Balancer."

"Warrior?"

"You didn't know?" Chen Xuan asked, somewhat surprised. "Your father came from the Lin family of Jiangcheng, a martial arts family with a three-hundred-year history. The Lin family's ancestral martial art, 'Tai Chi Returning to Origin Skill,' is one of the most advanced internal energy cultivation methods in modern times."

I don't know these things.

I never knew my family had this background.

"Your father practiced martial arts from a young age, broke through to the Inner Strength realm at fifteen, and reached the peak of Transformation Strength at twenty," Chen Xuan said. "Later, he became a Balancer, and his martial arts cultivation actually became his advantage. Because of his good physical foundation, his ability to withstand the consequences was much stronger than that of ordinary people."

"Then why are you telling me all this?" I asked.

Chen Xuan remained silent for a while.

"Because I tested your physical fitness today," he said. "Your meridian flow, bone strength, reaction speed... all far exceed those of the average person."

"This is abnormal. You've lived with your mother since you were six and haven't received any martial arts training. Yet your physical condition is better than many people who have practiced martial arts for ten years."

He looked at me, his eyes sharp: "There's only one explanation."

"You have inherited the Lin family bloodline."

"The foundation of martial arts," Chen Xuan said. "This is what your father left you."

What is the foundation of martial arts?

"It's a special constitution," Chen Xuan explained. "The Lin family has practiced martial arts for generations, and their bloodline contains a special energy. This energy isn't usually visible, but when practicing martial arts, it greatly enhances the speed and effectiveness of the training."

"The same martial art might take an ordinary person ten years to master, but someone with a foundation in martial arts might only need three years."

"For the same cost, an ordinary person can withstand 100 points, while someone with a martial arts foundation might be able to withstand 150 points."

I'm starting to understand.

The reason my cost conversion rate can reach 45% is not only because of my father's legacy, but also because I inherited the Lin family bloodline.

"Your father always knew of your existence," Chen Xuan said. "He tested you when you were born. He discovered that you also had a foundation in martial arts."

"But he didn't tell you?"

"He wanted you to find out for yourself," Chen Xuan sighed. "He said he didn't want you to have pressure growing up. He wanted you to grow up like a normal child, and he'd tell you the truth when you were older."

"Unfortunately... he didn't live to see that day."

I clenched my fists.

"How did my father die?" I asked.

Chen Xuan's expression changed.

He remained silent for a long time, so long that I thought he wouldn't answer.

"It's recorded in the files," he finally spoke. "They were killed in action."

"What mission?"

"An S-rank mission," Chen Xuan said. "The details are classified; I don't have permission to access them."

"But you have S-107 clearance." I stared at him. "Su Mingyue told me that."

Chen Xuan's expression froze for a moment.

"She tells you everything," he said with a wry smile. "But then again, you're her cousin, it's normal for her to help you."

He stood up, walked to the bookshelf, and pulled out a folder from the top shelf.

"S-107." He placed the folder in front of me. "This is all I could find."

The archives are located on the second basement floor of the General Administration.

When Su Mingyue and I went inside, it was very quiet, with only a few emergency lights emitting a faint glow in the corners.

"Most of the files here have been digitized," Su Mingyue said softly. "The paper files only retain the earliest portion."

Why keep paper records?

"To prevent electronic systems from being hacked," she said. "Hacks can sometimes infiltrate electronic devices, but they're much harder to infiltrate paper."

We walked among the densely packed filing cabinets and finally stopped in front of a cabinet marked "S grade".

Su Mingyue took out a card and swiped it on the sensor area. The lock on the cabinet clicked open.

"S-107." She pulled out a file folder and handed it to me.

I took it and opened it.

There were only a few sheets of paper inside; the rest was blank.

"Most of the content was destroyed," Su Mingyue said. "I checked the records; the destruction occurred fifteen years ago, and the signature of the person who destroyed it was crossed out."

"Fifteen years ago...that was right after my parents' accident."

"Yes." Su Mingyue nodded. "Someone doesn't want you to know this."

I looked down at the few sheets of paper in my hand.

The first sheet of paper contained scattered data and terminology, most of which I couldn't understand. But one line caught my attention:

Experiment codename: Costly Breakthrough

"Experimental objective: To find a method to permanently reduce the cost of consumption."

"Experimental subject: Seventh generation Balancer"

The seventh generation.

Isn't that me?

The second sheet of paper contained a map marked with seven points, forming a seven-pointed star. These seven points were located in seven different locations within Jiangcheng.

"The Seven-Pointed Star Ritual," I murmured.

"What?" Su Mingyue leaned closer to look.

"Night Raven," I said, "the ritual they've been setting up in Jiangcheng is the seven-pointed star."

Su Mingyue's expression changed: "You mean, what your father was investigating fifteen years ago is related to the current Night Raven?"

I did not answer.

I turned to the third page.

There was only one line of text on it, written in a hurried hand, as if it had been written in a rush:

"The seven stars have returned to their positions, and the origin has been revealed. The seventh generation of the Balancer is the key."

"The key..." Su Mingyue uttered the word, her face turning pale. "You mean, the Night Raven's seven-pointed star ritual was aimed at you?"

"I don't know." I shook my head, "but it at least proves one thing."

"What?"

"My father discovered the existence of the night ravens." I carefully put away the three pieces of paper. "And what he discovered is related to me."

"What he was investigating fifteen years ago, Night Raven is still doing now."

"What does this mean?"

I looked at Su Mingyue: "This means that my father's death is very likely related to Night Raven."

Su Mingyue's breathing became rapid.

"There's one more thing," I continued, "The files were destroyed after my parents' accident. What does that mean?"

"Someone is covering up the truth," Su Mingyue said. "Someone doesn't want others to know what Lin Zhengyang found out."

"That person..."

"It's very likely inside headquarters."

We looked at each other and saw fear in each other's eyes.

It was already afternoon when I came out of the archives.

The sunlight was so bright that I could barely open my eyes.

"I need time to process all this," I said to Su Mingyue. "You should go back first."

Su Mingyue nodded, but did not leave immediately.

"Xiao Fan," she whispered, "no matter what happens, I'll always be on your side."

"You're my cousin. For life."

Looking at her, a warm feeling welled up inside me.

"Thank you," I said, "cousin."

Su Mingyue's eyes reddened slightly, but she quickly turned around and left.

I stood there, watching her figure disappear at the end of the corridor.

The file folder in my hand was very light, but it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

"Father..." I murmured to myself, "What exactly did you discover?"

No one answered me.

Only the sound of the wind, passing through the corridor, brought a faint chill.