Chapter Nineteen: A New Suspicion

When Ye Chen had chatted with a group of wilderness hunters before, they had once discussed an intriguing topic: If someone is watching you from behind, can you sense it?

Surprisingly, quite a few seasoned hunters affirmed that they indeed could. As Ye Chen put it, it was a most peculiar experience. Even though they were well aware that they didn't have eyes in the back of their heads, they, as a group, were particularly sensitive to the gaze of others.

This phenomenon is known as gaze perception—the ability to sense being watched without seeing or hearing anything. Generally, there are two causes. One is when someone focuses intently on another, pouring all their attention onto that person. Even when facing away, they would still possess a vague awareness and sense of the other's actions. It is a fusion of aura and spirit, an active skill.

The other cause is innate vigilance—a person naturally alert, an ideal candidate for sentry duty or a sharp-eyed hunter. This is a passive skill.

Ye Chen happened to belong to the first category.

...

The three hurried back to the Patrol Bureau. As they ascended the stairs, they encountered Squad One's leader descending with several of his team members. Ye Chen watched them, all grinning and exchanging secretive glances, and thought to himself that this “pig” was, as usual, heading for his meal right on time.

The three pressed themselves against the wall to let the others pass. As they brushed by, the Squad One leader glanced over with a cold, indifferent gaze.

Ye Chen, being new, greeted him politely, “Pig... Squad Leader, take care!”

Squad Leader Zhu snorted, raised his thick, short neck, and continued downstairs.

Once the others were out of earshot, Ye Chen frowned and asked, “Aren’t all these recent cases happening in Squad One’s territory? Why do they look completely unbothered?”

Xu Fan could no longer contain himself. With an expression full of disdain and resentment, he replied, “Because he has connections—strong backing, too. Day in and day out, Squad One is the most arrogant and overbearing. They never seem to actually do any work, just laze about and eat all day.”

As he spoke, his face radiated righteous indignation.

Chen Bingfeng interjected with a quiet remark, “Come on, you’re just envious.”

Ye Chen raised his eyebrows... Was this the competition and rivalry among those with connections?

...

“Knock, knock, knock!”

“Reporting in!”

From inside the room came Squad Leader Dai’s gentle, affable voice. “Come in.”

The three entered one after another and stood at attention in a line. Without needing to be prompted, Chen Bingfeng took the initiative to begin reporting on the day’s work.

Of the team, Chen Bingfeng had been with the Patrol Bureau the longest, and he was known as the most meticulous and earnest member of Squad Two, devoid of any bad habits. He was highly regarded by Squad Leader Dai, who had deliberately assigned him to partner with Xu Fan.

Perhaps it was Chen Bingfeng’s slightly rigid nature that made him less compatible with most of the others in the team. Yet, when paired with Xu Fan, whose personality was diametrically opposed, the partnership proved to be unexpectedly harmonious and effective. Xu Fan’s liveliness and irreverence tempered Chen Bingfeng’s seriousness, while Chen Bingfeng’s diligence and precision, in turn, reined in Xu Fan’s unruliness. They influenced and challenged each other in subtle ways.

Purity alone is not the key to survival; it is only when one blends seamlessly with the world while still remembering one’s duty that one truly lives up to responsibility—this was what Squad Leader Dai had told them when he paired them together.

But now, seeing the three of them return covered in dust, Squad Leader Dai suddenly realized that with Ye Chen joining these two, the story had taken on an even more intriguing hue.

He listened quietly as Chen Bingfeng gave his detailed account, then silently set down his pen, a pleased smile on his face. This time, he was genuinely smiling, his eyes narrowing into slits.

“Mm... Very good. Compared with the reports from the other teams, your group has made far greater progress.” He nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Ye Chen. “Ye Chen, I noticed you kept pursing your lips just now. Do you have anything to add? Don’t hold back—anything that might help solve the case, say it here.”

Ye Chen fixed his gaze earnestly on Squad Leader Dai and asked, “Squad Leader, did any of the team members who inspected the outer city walls today find any damage? Were there any signs of recent mutant creatures infiltrating from outside?”

Squad Leader Dai flipped back a page in his notebook, glanced at it, and replied, “The men I sent out circled the outer city walls today but found no traces of any large wild creatures having broken in recently. However, if any creature managed to climb over the intact wall, that would be another matter entirely.”

Ye Chen fell silent for a moment before raising his head and analyzing, “Suppose this unknown creature didn’t slip in from outside the city but was actually being kept by someone inside. In that case, the residents of the outer city would have noticed its presence early on. The outer city is densely populated—no matter how discreet a beast might be, if it lived there for years, it would inevitably be discovered. Yet we’ve never heard any such rumors.”

He paused, then, his eyes burning, stared at Squad Leader Dai behind the desk and said deliberately, “So, I think there is another possibility, though it’s only a guess right now. Squad Leader, tomorrow I’d like to check the wall between the outer and inner city!”

Squad Leader Dai’s pupils contracted slightly, and his previously relaxed demeanor vanished. He could tell from Ye Chen’s subtle expression that he was serious, and that he’d begun to cast his suspicions toward the inner city.

In the end, Squad Leader Dai nodded. But he made it clear that if anything was discovered, Ye Chen was to report directly to him and not spread the word.

...

With the work report concluded, Squad Leader Dai opened a drawer and took out a form, gesturing for Ye Chen to take it.

Ye Chen glanced at the header: “Innate Value Assessment Application Form.”

The section for the applicant’s information was blank, obviously left for him to fill in. Beneath were the signatures of Squad Leader Dai and Lu Biao, the Chief Captain of the Outer City Patrol Bureau.

An Innate Value Assessment?

“Squad Leader Dai, what’s this about?”

Dai smiled faintly and explained, “Now that we know you’re an Awakened, you should go to the inner city for an assessment when you have time. Once your level as an Awakened is determined, you’ll be eligible for a monthly stipend—good news! The outer city doesn’t have the facilities for this kind of test.”

So, there was a chance to visit the inner city after all.

“We’ll wait a few days. I’ll let you know when it’s time; someone from the team will accompany you. He’s out on assignment right now.”

Chen Bingfeng and Xu Fan had both come over too, their eyes burning with anticipation.

But only Ye Chen knew that his assessment as an Awakened might not be so straightforward. If the stipend was the goal, perhaps dragging things out for another year or so might yield even greater rewards.