Regarding the matter of awakening lightning abilities after transformation

"Su Wanxi, move closer to me." Holding her lover's arm, the girl leaned her cheek against Su Wanxi's shoulder.

Suddenly kissed on the cheek by a wet cherry blossom petal, Gu Cheng hurriedly let go of her arm: "Hey...we're taking pictures..."

"You don't want me to kiss you?" Su Wanxi seemed somewhat innocent.

"Of course not..." What was she thinking...? There were more possibilities than just kissing when their cheeks were pressed together... Gu Cheng rubbed her burning cheeks.

Su Wanxi knew this, but she couldn't help but kiss the girl the moment she leaned in.

"How about we try a different pose?" Besides, she noticed that Gu Cheng seemed to only know how to make a peace sign when taking pictures.

"How about a different position?"

“Like this…” She slowly raised her hand to cover her eyelids, choosing to cover her left eye because Su Wanxi was standing to Gu Cheng’s left.

"Cover your right eye too." Gu Cheng followed suit and covered her right eye.

"Click~" Success was detected, and with a soft sound, a thin color image was ejected from the outlet.

The photo features a heart-shaped border with a girlish feel, and her dark eyes and light brown pupils look very beautiful together.

Gu Cheng stared blankly for a long time, a sweet feeling welling up in her heart—she and Su Wanxi actually looked quite good together in the photo.

A set of color photos only costs a dozen yuan, which is nothing compared to the expenses at the amusement park in the morning. Gu Cheng simply dragged Su Wanxi to take a few more photos.

She switched between filters and poses, and the last photo was of the two kissing. Su Wanxi lifted her chin when the other person wasn't paying attention and pressed the shutter button with her other hand.

"The photo doesn't look good..." Gu Cheng pouted and complained. The girl in the photo had her eyes squinted and her cherry lips slightly pursed. She looked silly no matter how you looked at it.

Su Wanxi found the photo unexpectedly cute and put it in the inner compartment, intending to leave it in the photo frame by her bedside.

Besides taking photo booth pictures, the machine can also do manicures; the staff asked them if they wanted to try it.

Gu Cheng shook her head. She didn't like overly fancy decorations; the natural pink of her nails best suited her aesthetic.

Su Wanxi also doesn't have the habit of getting manicures, as long nails can cause the piano keys to slip, thus affecting her playing.

Moreover... this is indeed much more convenient... Thinking of some strange images, Su Wanxi quickly fluttered her eyelashes twice.

......

They put the photo booth pictures into their bags and continued walking inside.

The amusement area in the department store was large, but not many people were there. Apart from them, there was only a couple dressed as a couple.

The girl leaned against the claw machine, carefully manipulating the lever, while the man stood behind her watching her play.

"Did you bring any coins?" Su Wanxi hadn't played claw machines in a long time, but after watching for a while, she was somewhat tempted.

Gu Cheng felt in her coat pocket and took out a few one-yuan coins. She had originally planned to use them for the bus fare, but she didn't expect them to come in handy now.

"Ding-dong~" The mechanical claw slowly approached the doll, and when it was almost in position, Su Wanxi pressed the button.

It caught it... lifted it into the air, then the mechanical claw suddenly loosened, and the round little dinosaur fell back into the pile of toys.

"What bad luck." Su Wanxi said helplessly. She knew that this was not a game of skill, but purely based on luck.

"...I'm going to the restroom." After saying goodbye, Su Wanxi returned the remaining coins to Gu Cheng and asked her to take over. The girl tried several times but failed each time.

"Are you two idiots?" Gu Chengyan rarely spoke up.

"If the current is conducted into the machine, the mechanical grippers will stick together and won't fall off, right?"

That makes a lot of sense... but Gu Cheng felt that using her abilities in this way was a waste of her talents...

Yes, this idea persisted until the seventh failure.

......

Inside the bathroom, a black cell phone kept vibrating on the ceramic table. Su Wanxi faced the mirror for a long time without pressing the answer button.

The screen only displayed the two short characters "Beidu," but the girl found them particularly jarring.

"..." The call was answered, and both ends of the line remained silent.

"How are you doing?" Just as Su Wanxi was about to hang up, a deep male voice came from the phone.

"It's fine." The girl in the mirror smiled, a hint of gentleness still lingering in her eyes.

"When are you coming home..." The man's tone was as cold as Su Wanxi's usual, but upon closer inspection, one could sense a hint of concern.

"About one or two months later."

After receiving the expected answer, the man paused for a moment, and Su Wanxi could hear the sound of a lighter flipping open even through the phone.

"You were injured during this operation?"

"I've fully recovered, thank you for your concern." Su Wanxi wasn't surprised that the other person knew, and she managed to maintain a distant tone while leaning on the sink.

"The Hermit Bureau is not as simple as it seems... I've spoken with Song Shiyan, and your resignation letter will be sent to your email in about two weeks."

"...What do you mean?" Su Wanxi's eyes gradually turned cold, and her knuckles gripping the phone began to turn white.

"Leaving the Hermit Bureau and removing your position as head of the Special Operations Group... Returning to Beidu is better for you, for me, and for the entire Su family." It was still that annoying... condescending tone.

"...I will not resign." With that, Su Wanxi hung up the phone, her arm hanging limply at her waist.

If he really did that... Open your contacts, swipe down to select the number named "Brother," and dial...

"Xiao Xi?" Su Wanshan was busy processing documents when she didn't expect her younger sister to call her.

"Has something happened at home recently?"

"No...why are you asking this all of a sudden?" Su Wanshan was also confused when she sensed that something was wrong with Su Wanxi's tone.

"Okay, don't tell him I called you." Then there was a busy tone. Su Wanshan asked a few times but received no response.

What happened? I sent a few messages to Su Wanxi, but she just replied "Nothing".

"Don't tell him I called you..." Su Wanshan frowned, leaning back in her chair, carefully considering her sister's words before hanging up.

Her father had contacted Xiaoxi... Realizing that the two had clashed again, Su Wanshan put on her suit jacket and hurriedly pushed open the office door.

Chapter 144, Section 147: I Like You More

Stepping into the quaint old house, Su Wanshan's expression was complicated, her fingers clenched into a fist hidden in her sleeve.

He slowly pushed open the door, and besides his father as expected, there was a young man next to the desk.

The man was probably in his early twenties, with bright eyes and smooth skin. He was wearing a light suit jacket and looked somewhat like a pretty boy from a movie.

Su Yuanjun... why is he here too... Su Wanshan frowned almost imperceptibly, then relaxed her brows again in the blink of an eye, and gently pulled out the table and chairs.

“Wanshan…it should still be working hours now.” Seeing him sit down, the older man spoke in a deep voice, while twisting the glowing cigarette butt against the bottom of the glass jar.

"...Yes." After a moment of silence, Su Wanshan gave a very brief reply.

No one knows a son better than his father. Seeing Su Wanshan's expression, the man had already guessed most of his purpose: "You've come to see me about Xiaoxi?"

They had indeed talked... Su Wanshan pursed her lips and looked up to meet his gaze.

"It seems Xiao Xi didn't tell you everything... I'm preparing to have her leave the Hermit Bureau, and the relevant procedures are being processed..." The man took out a stack of documents from his briefcase and handed them to Su Wanshan through Su Yuanjun.

Su Wanxi, female, 23 years old... has a penetrating wound on her lower abdomen resembling that caused by a 5.56mm bullet, with torn muscle tissue and massive bleeding...

This was a report on her younger sister's injuries. As Su Wanshan flipped through the pages, her mood grew increasingly gloomy.

"If that bullet had been slightly higher, it would have hit Su Wanxi directly in the heart." The fact that the shooter dared to use this method to ambush Su Wanxi shows how powerful their background is.

"Xu Bai and Mu Taofang from the Zhucang Hermitage Branch colluded with the parchment... I have sent relevant personnel to investigate the specifics..."

Parchment is a superpowered criminal organization originating from abroad, and in recent years it seems to be trying to infiltrate China. If the shooter's background is with them, it's not surprising that they act with impunity.

"I'll keep Xiaoxi's position for now. As for her... I'll try my best to communicate with her." Su Wanshan adjusted her glasses, her calm tone carrying a hint of insistence.

Su Yuanjun glanced at him expressionlessly, her lips twitching a few times without uttering a sound. The two waited tacitly for the man to speak.

......

Leaving the room, Su Wanshan sighed softly without realizing it.

Father's concerns were not unfounded. The presence of a traitor within the Hermit Bureau who colluded with the parchment was enough to cause a great deal of trouble. Coupled with the negative impact of the Awakened's rebellion in the previous two years, the entire Hermit organization was in a slump.

Xiao Xi is an A-level Awakened. The last time she was injured was two years ago... Su Wanshan stroked the file folder, her thoughts a jumble of emotions.

Personally, he, like his father, hoped that Su Wanxi could return to live in Beidu, especially at this sensitive time...

If the parchment dares to lay a hand on Su Wanxi once, there's a chance it could happen a second or third time. If she's willing to return to the Su family, the risks can be minimized.

"Brother Su." As she walked and thought, a clear male voice suddenly rang in her ears. Su Wanshan turned her head and saw Su Yuanjun following behind her.

"What's the matter?" Upon seeing the other person, Su Wanshan suddenly recalled some details—the document had just been taken out of Su Yuanjun's briefcase.

"Does Second Sister intend to return to Beidu recently?" Su Yuanjun nodded slightly and asked softly.

“I’ve never heard her mention it.” Su Wanshan shook her head. The last time they talked about this topic was in Lanjiang, and Su Wanxi’s answer was very firm.

"Then do you support Father's actions?" As soon as Su Yuanjun finished speaking, Su Wanshan stopped in his tracks and slowly turned around to look at his half-brother.

Before Su Wanxi left Beidu, Su Yuanjun and she weren't exactly close, so why would he suddenly care about this matter...?

After giving Su Yuanjun a deep look, Su Wanshan replied calmly, "Whether I support her or not is not important. I will respect Xiaoxi's choice."

So that means he doesn't support it... Watching Su Wanshan's departing figure, Su Yuanjun stood quietly in place, lost in thought.

......

A finger gently touched the coin slot, and a jolt of electricity flashed in his light brown pupils.

Thin blue light surged inward along the metal, passing through the crossbar and handle, and directly acting on the mechanical claw.

Gu Cheng kept her eyes fixed on the claw machine in front of her, keeping the current intensity within a relatively safe range.

Press the button, and the mechanical claw begins to grasp the plush toy. Just as it is about to open according to the program, a powerful magnetic force attracts the claw hooks together.

Success! A small green crocodile plush toy fell out of the shipping slot. Gu Cheng picked it up and squeezed it hard twice...

"Your current ability strength should be at level C, or possibly C+..." The assessment of ability strength is not only based on destructive power; such meticulous operation is also part of the evaluation. Gu Chengyan had Gu Cheng use her ability to play the claw machine to test her.

"Okay, I'll test it out after the date." The girl nodded. Ever since the rift ended, she had been eager to become stronger.

If she had had B-level abilities back then, the situation wouldn't have become so dangerous.

"Speaking of which... why hasn't Su Wanxi returned yet..."