49 Apocalypse Rules

What Guan Tong said in his final lecture—his personal theories on Psychic Power—caused quite a stir and quickly attracted widespread attention.

The students' spontaneous discussions and dissemination of his ideas were influential enough on their own. But since the academy also recorded all its courses and uploaded them to the official website for self-study, the audience for Guan Tong's lecture extended far beyond the students in his classroom.

His theories in class, speculating that the Fire Thief was an Ascender and that the forty-nine Apocalypse Rules were themselves bound by the hierarchical laws of Psychic Power, struck many as novel and bold, sparking widespread debate.

Even some experts and scholars specializing in related research were intrigued not only by the hierarchical theory but also by Guan Tong's mention of a "special cosmic energy."

They, too, did not believe Psychic Power was a purely metaphysical force. Guan Tong's concept of it being "semi-metaphysical" aligned more closely with their own judgments.

Video clips of Guan Tong's lecture soon flooded the internet, and certain personnel in special departments began to pay him particular attention.

Even the Apocalypse Rules Strategy Research Room received an inquiry requesting the background check file from when Guan Tong joined the academy.

Upon receiving the request, Gao Liangwei immediately sent over the files he had on record. He then reviewed them again himself but could find no issues whatsoever.

To describe it in one word: "clean."

Guan Tong's background file was too clean. Before the appearance of the Fire Thief, he was just a high school student.

His grades were decent; at Yunhua's best high school, he ranked in the middle of his class.

But those grades were a far cry from the achievements of prodigies and other top elites.

After the Fire Thief appeared, Guan Tong's record became even "cleaner." Especially after the nation implemented wartime administration, not a single shelter or Gathering Point had any registration of his name or identity.

This undoubtedly meant that after wartime administration began, Guan Tong had never stayed in any shelter or Gathering Point, living entirely in the wilds.

The only incident on his record was his involvement in the serial kidnapping case targeting High Spirit Users.

'This case…'

Gao Liangwei sat at his computer, his brows tightly furrowed.

He already knew the mastermind behind the kidnapping case was Jiang Lanying.

Not long ago, Jiang Lanying had attempted to defect and flee the country. She had even secretly commissioned Soloma's wanted criminal, Lucifer, to extract her and escort her to a safe region.

The situation at the time was indeed perilous. The Official Team sent to pursue her was ambushed by Lucifer and suffered heavy casualties. If Shadow hadn't appeared at the critical moment to defeat Lucifer, Jiang Lanying might very well have escaped, which would have led to endless trouble.

But then Shadow took Jiang Lanying away. The authorities subsequently dispatched a large number of personnel to search the area but found nothing... Whether Jiang Lanying was dead or alive remained a complete mystery.

At the time, Dragon Soul speculated that Shadow intended to carry out a private execution, not put on an act to rescue her. This later became the official assessment as well.

The feud between Shadow and Jiang Lanying began when he destroyed the Yongzhou Base. Later, during the earthquake Apocalypse Rule, Jiang Lanying, seeking revenge, had her subordinate embedded in the military "misfire" a missile in a failed attempt to kill Shadow... The two had become mortal enemies.

'And now…'

Staring at Guan Tong's file on the screen, an idea began to form in Gao Liangwei's mind.

'This Guan Tong... he's been in the wilds ever since the Apocalypse Rules began, without any registration. There's no data in the official database about his Psychic Power levels, abilities, or items.'

It was true that some previously ordinary people had risen to prominence since the era of the Apocalypse Rules began. But for Guan Tong to go from an ordinary high school student to a qualified academy lecturer in just over a year—the leap was undeniably massive.

'And the fact that Shi Jingyi recommended him suggests they know each other well and have likely been in contact all this time.'

Gao Liangwei pondered for a moment, then picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Hello, is this Section Chief Li Meng? This is Gao Liangwei."

"I'm calling to look into an old matter. Section Chief Li, do you remember a high school student named Guan Tong who was involved in that kidnapping case back when you were the police chief in Yunhua?"

"You're saying he left a deep impression on you even back then? Please compile the relevant files and send them to me. I'd like to take a closer look."

After hanging up, Gao Liangwei thought for a moment and dialed another number.

"Hello, is this Dean Zhou? This is Gao Liangwei from the Strategy Research Room."

"I'd like to inquire about the lecturer, Guan Tong, who joined the academy in July."

"What? He's about to leave the academy? I see. I understand the situation now."

"How about this, Dean Zhou? Please mention to him and see if he has any interest in working for an official department after he leaves the academy."

"That's right. Don't mention my name, just say that an important official department wishes to invite him. Regardless of his answer, please let me know at your earliest convenience."

After finishing the two calls, Gao Liangwei thought for another moment, then used the internal line to summon Zhang Minglu to his office.

"Chief, you were looking for me?"

"Dr. Zhang, I'm investigating someone. I need you to take a look at this."

Zhang Minglu glanced at the file and looked surprised. "Guan Tong, huh. The man's certainly become famous. And I agree, something about him seems off."

"Oh?" Gao Liangwei asked. "What seems off?"

"It's the theory he proposed in his lecture—that 'humans can achieve a higher-level suppression of the Apocalypse Rules.' It doesn't sound like something he just made up, but it seems impossible to formulate such a theory without practical experience."

"He also told the students to participate in more real combat to improve faster. He's not wrong—that's the same conclusion I reached after training so many Ascenders... But where did he get so much combat experience? Could it be that before becoming a teacher at the academy, he was actually an Ascender mercenary?"

Gao Liangwei nodded after hearing him out. Zhang Minglu had a point.

Unlike other countries, after the era of Apocalypse Rules began, North Star had been focusing its efforts on building shelters and Gathering Points. As a result, few people roamed the wilds, and experienced Ascenders were even rarer.

To put it bluntly, "the state protected its people too well." This has led to a situation where, to this day, a large number of North Star's Ascenders have never even experienced a single real battle.

"It seems this Guan Tong is indeed full of suspicious points and requires a deeper investigation. Do we have any valuable intel from people who have been in contact with him?"

Zhang Minglu thought for a moment and said, "Actually, there is one piece of intel."

"What is it?"

"I have an Ascender on my end who has known Guan Tong for a long time and even met with him recently."

"Oh? Who?"

"Chen Na, a girl with Perception Ability," Zhang Minglu said. "Not long ago, the day before the Luoying Plan operation, Silver Fox accompanied her to meet with Guan Tong. Silver Fox recorded the details of the meeting afterward."

"So, that Chen Na should have some knowledge of Guan Tong's past."

"Yes. She and her mother, Wang Yan, should both have known Guan Tong for a long time."

Gao Liangwei said, "Dr. Zhang, I'll leave it to you to talk with them and get whatever information they have on Guan Tong."

"Of course," Zhang Minglu agreed, then asked curiously, "Chief, do the higher-ups suspect there's a problem with this Guan Tong?"

"It's hard to say right now," Gao Liangwei replied. "But we can be certain his threat level isn't high. Otherwise, the order would have been to detain him first, not just investigate."

"That's true," Zhang Minglu said. "But if we're investigating through his personal connections, Lecturer Shi Jingyi, the one who recommended him, must know a lot more about him."

Gao Liangwei nodded. "Indeed. However, we can't be sure of the specific nature of Shi Jingyi and Guan Tong's relationship yet. Besides, her status is special—she's a hero in the public eye."

Zhang Minglu knew what "hero" implied. When Shi Jingyi announced she was going to the earthquake site to help Shadow, it had indeed caused a huge stir online.

Later, she was injured in an explosion and had to recuperate. Since the truth wasn't disclosed, the public believed she was injured in the earthquake, and their admiration for her selfless spirit only grew.

Combined with her unique abilities, striking appearance, and respected profession as a "teacher," she had become a figure of national adoration. The authorities couldn't easily bring her in for questioning.

"Let's start the investigation from other angles first," Gao Liangwei said. "If we don't make good progress, we'll approach Shi Jingyi as a last resort."

Zhang Minglu nodded. "Understood. I'll go make the arrangements right away."

「...」

News of Shi Jingyi's return quickly spread throughout the academy.

The students were ecstatic. After all, many of them had enrolled specifically because of her. It would have been a huge regret to study here for a year and graduate without ever seeing her in person.

Her immense popularity, coupled with her moving and selfless spirit, made her the most sought-after figure in the entire academy.

To celebrate Shi Jingyi's recovery and return, Dean Zhou Qinfeng wanted to hold a celebratory banquet with the other faculty members, but Shi Jingyi politely declined.

Although she had a cheerful personality, she disliked crowds, especially banquets where she was the center of attention. She wanted no part of it.

She not only skipped the banquet in her honor but also the farewell dinner the academy held for Guan Tong.

Given their relationship, a private "Take care" was far more sincere than any number of public pleasantries.

As for Guan Tong's farewell dinner, Dean Zhou Qinfeng did put in some effort.

He pulled some strings to arrange several tables of freshly stir-fried hot dishes and some good wine—all of which were undoubtedly rare commodities in this "era of canned goods."

The banquet was lively, with toasts and chatter filling the air. As emotions ran high, some people's eyes grew moist, their pupils turning red.

Guan Tong was a bit bewildered by it all. He had been at the academy for less than four months and, aside from meetings, had no private interactions with the other teachers.

Yet a few of the teachers were acting as if he'd been there for four years.

"Mr. Guan, I suppose we didn't get to know each other until we clashed. Come, a toast to a young hero! I'll drink to you!"

Zhang Linliang, the one who had competed with Guan Tong during his entrance interview, downed a glass, looking magnanimous.

Although Guan Tong didn't feel much of a connection, he took a few sips in response.

Then, Sun, the psychology teacher who had handled the truant student incident with him, came over and said with concern, "Mr. Guan, don't forget to come back and visit the academy often."

"I will."

After all the other teachers had said their piece, Dean Zhou Qinfeng pulled Guan Tong aside for a private word.

"Mr. Guan, I asked you before about your plans after leaving the academy, and you said you were still undecided?"

"Yes, nothing is set yet."

Guan Tong certainly wasn't going to tell anyone besides Shi Jingyi that he was going to "collect a debt."

"In that case, are you interested in an official department?"

"An official department?"

"That's right, and an important one at that! Someone specifically asked me to mention it to you," Dean Zhou said with a smile. "You don't even need to ask about the compensation; it'll definitely be better than here at our academy. After all, a young talent like you, Mr. Guan, will have a bright future wherever you go."

'An official department specifically asked the Dean to recruit me? And an "important" one at that?'

Guan Tong figured someone was probably looking into him, but that was to be expected. Nothing strange about it.

"Please thank them for their kind offer on my behalf, Dean. I'm used to being a free spirit and don't plan on joining any department for now," Guan Tong replied.

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