Chapter Forty-Five: The Rubber Man

Ahead lies the Transcendence Bureau, where you'll be taking your test today. Once I drop you off, I'll go take care of my own business.

Qiao Mu Cao looked at Ye Chen with a cheerful smile and continued, “Let me tell you a secret—the Transcendence Bureau and the Research Bureau have always been at odds. There was a huge conflict between two big shots in the bureaus some time ago.

“I think it’s because their philosophies differ, but unfortunately, I never managed to uncover the true reason behind it.

“As for the testing process, I find it rather interesting! Even if your level turns out to be low, it doesn’t matter—it’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

Ye Chen asked curiously, “How do you know so much about the Transcendence Bureau?”

“Because I’m an Awakened myself,” Qiao Mu Cao replied, stroking his chin. “Just a humble D-class Awakened!”

Ye Chen stumbled at this—nothing wrong with the first part, but the second was pure humblebrag.

Seeing Ye Chen’s surprised reaction, Qiao Mu Cao looked utterly pleased, the smile at his eyes growing even wider.

He pulled a rubber glove from his pocket with practiced ease. With a slick sound, he slipped it onto his left hand, his expression proud as he said, “This is what I awakened!”

Artifact type—rubber glove?!

Ye Chen had thought that if someone like Qiao Mu Cao awakened, his power would surely have something to do with that unstoppable mouth of his. But then his companion suddenly produced a rubber glove, catching Ye Chen completely off guard.

Qiao Mu Cao noticed Ye Chen staring silently at the glove and quickly understood.

“Are you curious about how I awakened?”

“Ha, haha…” Ye Chen responded with an awkward laugh.

Honestly, claiming not to be curious would be a lie.

Before Ye Chen could say anything, Qiao Mu Cao continued, “I have a hobby—tinkering with electronics. This rubber glove is what I always use.

“One time, when I was helping a neighbor fix her appliance, she forgot to turn off the energy core.

“Normally, the glove shouldn’t conduct electricity, but that time I got shocked anyway, and then… I awakened!”

What? How does that even make sense?!

If fixing a neighbor’s appliance can trigger awakening, then what about helping an old lady cross the street or cooperating with an old man in a scam—can that awaken powers too?

…What kind of world is this?!

Regarding Team Leader Dai’s awakening, Ye Chen suspected it might have been triggered by his poor eyesight and his desire to see farther and more clearly.

With such obsession, he could see how awakening might occur.

Even Stinky Scar’s reason for awakening was still within Ye Chen’s tolerance.

But yours… what an odd experience!

Qiao Mu Cao folded the glove and put it back into his pocket, adding, “My awakened power lets me turn any object I touch into rubber!”

“Rubberize? Anything you touch turns into rubber?” Ye Chen asked, genuinely intrigued.

“Exactly, rubberize. It’s not that the object becomes rubber per se, but for a certain period, it takes on rubber’s properties.

“When the time’s up, it reverts back. The longer I want the rubberization to last, the more energy I have to expend.

“You know what rubber’s properties are, right?”

Ye Chen nodded. Even though he’d never attended school, he had basic common sense.

Rubber is highly elastic, electrically insulating, lightweight, and airtight.

High elasticity means rubber can stretch and deform across a wide temperature range and then return to its original shape.

No need to explain electrical insulation—this power is naturally the nemesis of energy-based electrical attacks.

But this ability seems more like a support type… Ye Chen really couldn’t imagine how to use rubberization in combat.

...

By now, the two had reached the entrance of the Transcendence Bureau.

Ye Chen looked up at the sign above the door, which featured a circle with a character for “human” inside.

Suddenly, he recalled that when Stinky Scar had robbed him, one of the cars in the convoy escorted by the Patrol Bureau belonged to the Transcendence Bureau.

Qiao Mu Cao checked the time on his communicator and said, “We’ll meet back here later. I still have to escort you out of the Inner City. Without special permission, we can’t stay overnight here.

“Oh, by the way, just a few steps past the Transcendence Bureau and you’ll reach the commercial district.

“I’ll be heading to the Inner City Patrol Bureau in the administrative zone, all the way at the north end.

“It’ll take a bit of time to get there and back, otherwise I’d accompany you shopping.

“If you finish early, you should check out the commercial district. If you miss it, your trip to the Inner City will have been wasted.”

Just as Qiao Mu Cao said, Ye Chen really hoped to wrap things up quickly and leave some time to visit the commercial district.

He now carried all his belongings with him. Ye Shan Shan, though silent about it, was certainly hoping for a gift.

...

He pushed open the doors of the Transcendence Bureau and saw a floor paved with gleaming tiles, spotless and reflecting light.

The hall was lined with thick, white stone pillars stretching up to the ceiling, intricately carved with elaborate patterns.

In the center, fragments of silver seemed to flow across the surface.

A giant display screen was embedded in the wall directly opposite the entrance, looping an introduction to the Transcendence Bureau.

The room was perfectly comfortable, neither hot nor cold.

At the heart of the hall stood a semi-circular reception desk staffed by three young women in uniform, each fresh-faced and charming.

As Ye Chen entered, all three looked toward the doorway in unison.

Just as Ye Chen was about to watch the introduction video, one of the receptionists stepped out from behind the desk, approaching him warmly and asking, “Sir, how may I help you?”

Ye Chen paused for a moment—someone had actually addressed him as “sir.”

He’d never experienced that before.

Even the ladies on Bar Street, no matter how friendly, would only greet him with, “Hey there, handsome!” and that was already flattering.

He hadn’t expected the Transcendence Bureau’s staff to be so professional.

The receptionist who greeted him was in the prime of youth, her face still bearing a hint of baby fat, lips plump, eyes large and shining—truly adorable.

Most striking of all, the Bureau’s reception uniforms were pink.

Paired with a pencil skirt and slightly heeled white leather shoes.

At the ankle straps was a tiny black-and-white bow.

Wow… who could resist such a combination?

...Quick, tell me who came up with this—what taste, what style!

Ye Chen immediately felt genuine admiration for whoever set the dress code at the Transcendence Bureau.

He also recalled how, just before leaving, Qiao Mu Cao had given him a mischievous grin and said,

“The receptionists here are amazing, and their voices are lovely.

“They’ll accompany you throughout the testing process—remember to seize the opportunity!”

So that’s what he was hinting at!