Ruan Xing was in a deep sleep. Although he heard vague voices several times, he always fell back into a deep slumber.

Until he finally woke up completely.

As he opened his eyes, a massive bird's head filled his vision. The creature tilted its head and grinned. “You’re awake?”

Waving away the crow, Ruan Xing sat up.

He was in a bright room. White dominated most of his view, and sunlight streamed onto the green plants by the window, creating a warm and peaceful atmosphere.

Fu Gui: [Wuwu, you used to call me ‘Sweetie,’ but now that you’re awake, you’re acting like you don’t even know me.]

Ruan Xing: [I just woke up, don’t make me sick.]

Fu Gui wiped imaginary tears with his wings. [Are you feeling better now?]

Ruan Xing was wearing a white-striped hospital gown. His wounds had been treated, leaving only a faint pain, and the burning sensation in his lungs had completely disappeared.

Ruan Xing: “How many months was I unconscious?”

Fu Gui: [What nonsense are you spouting? It was just three days.]

Recovering this much in only three days?

Ruan Xing was surprised—this world’s medical technology didn’t seem as primitive as he had imagined.

Fu Gui: “You were sent to a Specialized Hospital. They have awakened Healers there, so they healed you right away. When you didn’t wake up for three days, they even started worrying that something was wrong with their abilities.”

Maybe it was just exhaustion. This body hadn’t engaged in any intense activity before, so sleeping for three days made sense.

“A Specialized Hospital?”

Fu Gui flew to the window and basked in the sunlight with a content expression.

[Yeah, the full name is ‘Pollution Disease Specialized Prevention and Treatment Hospital.’ It’s the best hospital humanity has for handling pollution-related diseases.]

Ruan Xing mused, “So examinees get such good treatment?”

Fu Gui: [This is a special privilege just for you, courtesy of Fu Zhi! The other candidates are all stuck in the quarantine center! But you, master, you just breeze through everything. That big-shot official has definitely noticed you—he’s even giving you special treatment!]

A privilege granted to only one person didn’t necessarily mean favoritism. More often than not, it meant something unusual.

However, as he felt the magic flowing through his body, Ruan Xing didn’t feel anxious about being watched. Instead, he was in a pretty good mood.

After confirming that there were no surveillance devices in the hospital room, Ruan Xing snapped his fingers, and a wisp of black mist floated up from his index finger.

Fu Gui’s eyes widened in horror. [Mist-type Ability?!]

Ruan Xing glanced at him. [Idiot. You signed a master-servant contract, and you still don’t get it? This is magic.]

Even though Fu Gui had suspected it before, hearing it was true still shattered his worldview.

He watched in shock as the faint mist at Ruan Xing’s fingertips morphed into various shapes—one moment, it was key, then at the next moment, it turned into a building.

Any observant eyes could see that Ruan Xing was highly familiar with this power and had precise control over it. His previous words weren’t just nonsense.

Fu Gui swallowed nervously.

Has the world outside already become this fantastical?

Ruan Xing dispersed the mist and furrowed his brows slightly.

His internal circuits were damaged. Considering his current reserves, he could only cast two spells smoothly.

[Healing Spell (Basic)]

A low-level healing spell that channels life energy. The amount of magic infused determines the extent of the recovery, but it can only heal physical wounds and does not restore stamina.

Moreover, the spell could be cast on any living being, not just the caster.

[Poison Mist]

A basic control-type spell. The amount of magic used determined the range and potency of the mist. It can inflict negative status effects like dizziness and slowed movement.

If the concentration is too high, creatures within the mist could experience hallucinations or even face life-threatening consequences.

Without any powerful offensive spells, it signifies that your life isn't as well-protected as it could be.

Thinking about the omnipresent pollution he might encounter in the future and the potential dangers ahead, Ruan Xing felt a rising sense of frustration.

Just then, a nurse in a white uniform called out, “Bed 16, you have a visitor.”

Ruan Xing was in Bed 16.

He looked up.

“Is this a good time?”

The visitor stood against the light, tall and well-built. Dressed casually in a black-and-white outfit, he seemed much more relaxed compared to when he wore his uniform—less rigid, more down-to-earth.

It was Fu Zhi.

“Please, come in.” Ruan Xing quickly adjusted his expression.

Fu Zhi carried a fruit basket and placed it on the bedside table.

Fu Gui’s eyes lit up before he immediately dove toward the pile of fruit.

In this era, fruit is a luxury.

Fu Zhi glanced at the crow briefly before turning back to Ruan Xing. “Are you feeling better?”

Ruan Xing gestured for him to sit. “Much better. Thank you for your concern.”

Fu Zhi nodded. “You were seriously injured at the time. It’s impressive that you managed to stay conscious for so long.”

Ruan Xing took it as a compliment and smiled modestly.

Fu Zhi sat down on a nearby chair. “Regarding the exam, there are a few things I’m particularly curious about. Can you explain in detail?"

So this was the real reason for the special treatment. As expected, Fu Zhi had noticed something.

This man’s intuition is terrifyingly sharp.

Ruan Xing pressed his lips together, pretending to be deep in thought. “A lot of details are a bit fuzzy, but I’ll try my best to recall. To be honest, after I entered the Happiness Cinema…"

Claiming that the details were unclear was pure nonsense. Even though he had just woken up, his powerful mental strength allowed him to organize his thoughts with ease. Right now, he was simply reciting a carefully crafted story.

He couldn’t reveal the truth about his abilities or how he had handled the pollution source. But if he didn’t provide some information, Fu Zhi wouldn’t be easy to fool.

So, Ruan Xing attributed all his success to his crow and modern technological weapons.

"I never expected Fu Gui to be able to see pollution. I just followed his lead and avoided the creatures in the polluted zone…"

His tone was slow and steady, mixing truth with lies. Occasionally, he would pause to think, showing a faintly apologetic expression.

“Sorry, I just woke up, and my head hurts a little. I can’t remember this part clearly. But I can answer your other questions…”

Half an hour later, Ruan Xing pulled up the blanket and coughed lightly. "That's about it."

"After you destroyed the camera, you wandered around for two or three hours, the theater exploded, and you have no idea why the pollution source ended up like that?"

Seeing the other person nod, Fu Zhi laughed inwardly.

Little liar.

Even though he deliberately used a convincing tone and misleading phrasing, it was clear to Fu Zhi that the young man was lying.

However, Fu Zhi showed neither the satisfaction of someone who had uncovered the truth nor the curiosity of someone still in the dark. He simply looked at the youth calmly. "Understood. I will report this incident truthfully." He deliberately emphasized the last few words.

Ruan Xing gave a "weak" smile. "Thank you for your hard work."

Fu Zhi stood up. "Get some rest. The Quarantine Center should notify you about your exam results soon."

After leaving the ward, Pei Ye, who had been leaning against the hallway wall, straightened up. "All done?"

Fu Zhi nodded. "Let's go. Aside from the crow, he refuses to say anything."

Pei Ye asked, "Should we have someone keep an eye on him? Or maybe take him away and use some… methods?"

Fu Zhi glanced at him. "No need. If monitoring or reporting is necessary, I will inform the Tower directly. As for the Quarantine Center, make sure everyone keeps their mouths shut. Don't let this matter spread."

Pei Ye: "You're covering it up?"

They brushed past each other.

Fu Zhi replied, "Observing for now. After all, everyone has their secrets."

Pei Ye froze for a moment before breaking into a smile. "Yeah… Everyone has secrets."

Fu Zhi didn't stop walking and soon disappeared around the corner.

Pei Ye remained in place, deep in thought.

—

It was only after Fu Zhi had been gone for a while that Fu Gui finally landed back on the hospital bed. [I think you're screwed. You didn’t even fight a single slime in this exam—zero points for sure.]

Ruan Xing’s expression was equally serious, but what he regretted the most right now wasn’t his test score—it was the thought that he had missed the perfect opportunity to ask Fu Zhi for his contact information!

After this, who knew when they would meet again?! And how was he supposed to get the key?!

While he was still brooding, the nurse peeked into the room. "Bed 16, you have a visitor."

Fu Zhi came back?

Did he not do a good enough job bluffing?

Ruan Xing buried himself in the blanket again. "Come in."

Contrary to his expectations, it was Qiao Zhi who walked through the door.

He was carrying a small fruit basket and paused when he saw the obviously much larger empty basket on the bedside table. "Someone was more extravagant than me?"

Fu Gui cawed twice. [Stingy ghost! Cheapskate!]

After setting the basket down, Qiao Zhi looked around. "Not bad, not bad. As expected of a specialized hospital—way fancier than where we were. We had to stay in the rundown Quarantine Center in the outer city. Who knows how many people have slept in those beds? The smell—ugh!"

Completely at ease, he plopped into the small chair by the bed. "But seriously, what exactly did you do? The internet is going crazy right now. They’re saying that a candidate was personally rescued by a major general during the recruitment exam. Everyone’s wondering who it was—my family even asked if I knew them!"

As he spoke, Qiao Zhi pulled up his smart brain.

Fu Zhi’s name was dominating the trending topics.

#Fu Zhi Rescues Exam Candidate

#Investigation Corps Recruitment Exam

#Fu Zhi’s Secret Lover?

Although the photo was blurred, the image of the drenched, miserable-looking candidate was crystal clear.

Ruan Xing couldn’t even force a smile.

"You two knew each other before this?"

Qiao Zhi took a grape and tossed it at Fu Gui while asking.

Ruan Xing said flatly, "He took something from me."

Qiao Zhi gave him a look of utter disbelief.

"A major general with everything at his disposal—what could he possibly take from you?"

Ruan Xing didn’t bother explaining.

Qiao Zhi smacked his palm his palm in realization. "Holy crap! Don’t tell me—he stole your heart?!"

Fu Gui choked on a grape, letting out a series of desperate caws.

Seeing Ruan Xing’s dark expression, Qiao Zhi quickly changed the subject. "Joking! Joking! I actually came to tell you that the exam results are out… but I didn’t see your name."

Even those who didn’t participate in the practical exam still had their names on the ranking list. For some reason, Ruan Xing’s name had been completely removed.

Fu Gui finally managed to cough out a chunk of grape and cleared his throat. [Did they cancel your exam qualification?!]

Ruan Xing ignored the crow and asked Qiao Zhi, "How about you?"

Qiao Zhi looked a little conflicted, hesitating before saying, "I think I passed…"

Then he quickly added, "But don’t be discouraged! Even though we got our results, we still have to wait for squad assignments. The top three squads are great, but if you end up in Fourth Squad or lower, it's just logistics—boring and low-paying."

Realizing that he might have been subtly bragging, Qiao Zhi suddenly felt awkward.

"But seriously, don’t worry too much! As long as you keep taking the exams, you’ll get in eventually. The system is fair. All squads except for the first one are open for recruitment!"

Qiao Zhi patted Ruan Xing’s shoulder reassuringly.

Just as he finished speaking, Ruan Xing’s smart brain pinged with a notification.

It was a new email.

[Subject: Investigation Corps Recruitment Notification

Dear Candidate,

Congratulations! You have been officially accepted into our division. Please bring the following documents to the Inner City Investigation Corps Headquarters for check-in on August 13th between 8:00 AM and 12:00 PM:

- Identification chip

- One-inch photo

- Registration form

We look forward to working with you. Everything we do is for the hope of humanity.

— Investigation Corps, First Squad

New Calendar Year 78, August 10]

Qiao Zhi’s smile froze.

Did he read that right? First Squad?

First Squad?!

Qiao Zhi looked horrified. The squad that didn’t even hold an open recruitment just sent an acceptance letter to a rookie?!

Did Fu Zhi actually take something from him?!