Chapter Forty-Six: The House of the Extraordinary

Ye Chen had never imagined that he would awaken to this particular attribute—an obsession with uniforms.

It was simply because, in the outer city, no one dressed like this, and he had never had the chance to see it.

At this moment, he felt as if the Extraordinary Residence was nothing short of paradise.

The young lady noticed Ye Chen’s prolonged silence; he simply stared at her without replying. His gaze swept from her feet upward, then from her head downward. In the end, it lingered below, unable to move away.

A mixture of pride and annoyance stirred in her heart. Yet, bound by the staff regulations, she could only take a deep breath, subdue her emotions, and maintain composure. After all, the director had warned them to serve with a smile; any complaint from a client meant a deduction from their performance bonus. Moreover, given the unique position of the Extraordinary Residence, they must never judge by appearances.

Rules were rules, but her irritation remained. Still, she let out a soft “hmph,” stamping her little shoe in frustration.

The sound of the heel tapping against the floor jolted Ye Chen back to his senses, making him realize his momentary lapse.

Ah! These uniforms were simply deadly...

Ye Chen quickly pulled out the inner value test form from his jacket pocket and handed it over respectfully. Straightening his clothes, he composed himself, answered with perfect decorum:

“Hello, Miss, I’m a new recruit from the Outer City Patrol Office, here for testing.”

His earnest tone concealed his earlier indiscretion flawlessly.

“Don’t call me Miss, call me Yuanzi!”

Yuanzi took the test form, glanced at it, then looked up at Ye Chen again. She covered her chubby little mouth with the form, smiled foolishly, and thought to herself:

He’s quite handsome and has a good figure, but the way he looked at me just now was annoying. Has he never seen a beauty before? No, it seemed he was staring at my legs. (￣.￣)

“Hmph! Follow me!”

Yuanzi turned around, swaying her waist as she led the way. Passing the reception desk, she called to the other two young ladies:

“I’m taking the newcomer for testing; could you please help keep an eye on things?”

The two ladies behind the desk exchanged glances, which Ye Chen couldn’t quite decipher.

Now, at last, Ye Chen had time to take in the interior of the Extraordinary Residence.

He noticed the hall was rather crowded, mostly with people in white coats, whom Ye Chen guessed were staff. Yet, some didn’t resemble awakeners at all. In fact, they looked more like patients—pale-faced, some bearing injuries.

Ye Chen asked curiously, “Does the Extraordinary Residence also handle medical care?”

Yuanzi replied in a professional tone, pointing to the large screen:

“The Extraordinary Residence covers three main areas: medical care, education, and serving awakeners.

“In every medical institution in the inner city, we have stationed personnel; as for pharmaceuticals, research and development happen here.

“The detailed branches of each medical field are too numerous to explain. In short, the Extraordinary Residence serves all humanity, not just one class.”

Her words left Ye Chen visibly surprised. He had never imagined such a unique institution existed in the inner city. Wasn’t it afraid of being shunned or suppressed by other agencies?

They took the elevator to the testing floor.

“We’re here!” Yuanzi said, pointing to the changing room. “Go in and change; strip completely and put on the casual clothes prepared for you by the Residence.”

Ye Chen was slightly puzzled... He was here for testing, so why strip?

Still, he complied. He sensed that having him change into the Residence’s uniform was a subtle reminder: everyone is equal before the Extraordinary Residence.

The entire floor was lined with examination rooms, stretching from one end of the corridor to the other. Yuanzi held a plastic clipboard, the examination sheet clipped to it, and filled out forms as they walked, ushering Ye Chen into each room in turn.

The tests were numerous—height, weight, vision, nose, mouth, throat. At one point, Ye Chen lay on a bed while a massive machine scanned him from head to toe.

He thought that would be the end, but it was only the beginning.

In one room, an elderly physician with calloused hands palpated Ye Chen’s bones. After finishing, she let out a thoughtful “hmm,” studied the examination sheet, which clearly read “Awakening Type: Object System.” Yet, she palpated him again... No mistake. The bone strength and tactile feedback confirmed this young man possessed the physique of the Body System.

She scrutinized Ye Chen, making him instantly uneasy.

Ye Chen caught a glimpse of the physician’s signature on his exam sheet and hurriedly snatched it up, escaping the room in haste.

The physician remained alone, lost in thought.

In another room, an elderly gentleman glanced at Ye Chen as he entered, set aside his book, and said blandly,

“Take off your pants and lie face down on the bed.”

Ye Chen, fearless before wild beasts, suddenly felt a strange tightness and meekly asked,

“Sir, what is this for?”

The old man seemed uninterested in explanations, donned a pair of rubber gloves, and responded in a steady, colorless voice,

“Just do as you’re told.”

Ye Chen was experiencing something utterly unprecedented in his life. There was no real sense of shame, for the old man’s gaze radiated professionalism and dedication. Yet, the sensation—the aftertaste—was simply indescribable.

Between people, unless you’re in negative proximity, it’s not true intimacy. But today, Ye Chen learned that even strangers could probe each other at negative distance.

Waiting at the door, Yuanzi watched as Ye Chen emerged, rubbing his backside, a look of aggrieved resignation on his face. She covered her silly smile with the clipboard.

No wonder when she’d previously asked Team Leader Dai about the testing process, he’d turned away evasively... How vile!

Yuanzi led Ye Chen to the deepest room on the floor.

Ye Chen thought, Surely this must be the last test?

Yuanzi removed the badge pinned to her chest and scanned it against the access device.

With a metallic groan, the door swung open.

Ye Chen stepped inside, Yuanzi following close behind.

He was slightly puzzled—Yuanzi had waited outside for all previous tests; why enter now?

The answer was clear immediately: this room had no physician, only a strange apparatus.

Yuanzi, it seemed, was its operator.

Ye Chen saw a massive spherical container, about four meters in diameter, filled with an unknown, pale green liquid. At the base, a soft tube bubbled intermittently.

One side of the sphere was connected to a control panel; the other held a ladder.

Ye Chen guessed, I’m supposed to climb in, aren’t I...?