Die, Replay, Repeat

Chapter 39: Fang Xiu, A Righteous Man?

At this moment, Shen Lingxue's lips shaped into a sly smile. "Director Wang, you aren't really taking his words seriously, right? Across the globe, no Specter Zone can contain dozens of Specters at once. Fang Xiu is just a rookie. If he really has the power to see the future and saw numerous Specters, it could only mean that he spotted Specter slaves manipulated by other Specters. When scared out of your wits, even a small shift can seem greatly enlarged."

Then she continued, "Based on my assessment, within the entire stretch of Willow Hill Specter Zone, there might only be a pair of Specters. If there were many, Fang Xiu would not have escaped with his life, even boasting knowledge of everything. One takes on the role of the 'doctor,' which I proposed to be labeled 'Specter Physician.' The Specter terminates people close by, targeting one victim at a time, holding off on the next move until the current one is finished. From the details, the Specter Physician's level should be a D-class Specter."

At that, Shen Lingxue took a sip of tea. "The second one manipulates dreams, which I proposed to be called 'Nightmare.' Its lethal tactics involve taking lives within dreams, dragging people into nightmares where various spooky beings intensify their fears, leading to death once overwhelmed by fear.

"Conversely, if they remain fearless, the damage inflicted by 'Nightmare' might be even lesser compared to the Specter Physician, possibly lacking physical assault capabilities. Given its distinct nature and the threat it poses, I recommended it be designated as a C-class Specter.

"After all, the Specter Physician doesn't have the capability to wipe out a large group of people at once, while Nightmare can trap many people in dreams at the same time. Thus, considering that Willow Hill is a set Specter Zone and the number of people living nearby is scant, assigning a Grade C danger level seems reasonable."

"How frightening can the dreams crafted by Nightmare be?" Wang Dehai wondered aloud.

Shen Lingxue nonchalantly admired her freshly done nails, commenting quite casually, "How scary can they get? Just enough to frighten the average person, nothing more. Fang Xiu has already developed strong mental resilience, and since he anticipated 'Nightmare's' tricks, understanding it's all make-believe, he surely won't be frightened.

"As for Zhao Hao, a shy and lustful man, he managed to lessen his fears by watching adult videos, thus making it through alive. This illustrates that even a novice like him can endure Nightmare, not to mention a skilled psychic who has dealt with multiple Specter incidents before. Nightmare's abilities are well-suited for surprise assaults, but once people realize that it's all a facade, its threat level might even fall below Specter Physician.

Wang Dehai agreed, putting faith in Shen Lingxue's analysis as she is a proficient psychic acquainted with many Specter incidents.

"I concur with the chosen codenames. Create profiles for the Specter Physician and Nightmare. As for the strategy concerning the Green Mountain Mental Hospital Specter Zone, we will devise it after this evening's lottery event. If his prediction fails, it suggests a flaw in Fang Xiu's account, and we should question his claims. Gathering such detailed information without the ability to predict the future implies the involvement of a significant force supporting him, potentially plotting against our bureau. Now, bring Fang Xiu here. I need to talk with him."

Shen Lingxue was surprised. "Director Wang, you want to talk to Fang Xiu? This is going against the protocols. We are still unaware of Fang Xiu's true abilities. What if he is supported by a civilian group intending to breach the bureau while pretending he can see the future? Plus, he hasn't undergone a mental cleanliness test. We are unsure of the potential risks if he spirals out of control. For safety reasons, maybe the captain should handle it."

Wang Dehai shook his head, rejecting the idea. "Captain Yang isn't in the bureau at the moment; he's on the trail of the Head Specter."

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"And the vice-captain?"

Wang Dehai grinned. "He went with him."

Shen Lingxue was stunned. "They can actually work together?"

"Do you really think they can? They are in a race against each other, each following their own paths to determine who can resolve the case first.

Shen Lingxue found herself lost for words.

_'Is this the ridiculous rivalry between guys? A captain and a deputy, both acting so immature, treating a serious Specter situation like some sort of game?'_

"Okay, go and get Fang Xiu. If we get him here, he can't cause much of a fuss, even if he has ulterior motives."

Seeing Wang Dehai's resolve, Shen Lingxue felt she had no other option but to obey. However, she added, "I will first make sure he goes through the psychic cleanliness test, and if he clears that, then I will bring him here."

Having said that, Shen Lingxue briskly walked away.

Wang Dehai found himself briefly surprised, before breaking into a quiet chuckle.

He realized that this was Shen Lingxue's way of looking out for him. But as the boss, it was a bit annoying that his instructions couldn't be carried out without hiccups. Nevertheless, he had become accustomed to it; overseeing psychics as someone without those powers was just like that.

In the relaxation area, Shen Lingxue placed a specialized Spiritual Energy lie-detecting device in front of Fang Xiu.

She held a list of test questions in her graceful hand.

"Now, we are going to perform a psychic cleanliness test on you. This is a Spiritual Energy lie detector, not like the regular ones. It identifies lies by noticing changes in Spiritual Energy. Common lie detectors can be tricked by folks with special training, but no one can fool this Spiritual Energy lie detector. Spiritual Energy is a reflection of the soul, and any mismatch between what you feel and what you say will set off an alarm, so please respond honestly without any lies. Every newbie psychic must go through this test. The bureau doesn't let psychics with high levels of psychic contamination wander around freely."

"Mm," Fang Xiu responded with a nod.

"First question, if a powerful Specter starts causing chaos in the city, what would you do? One, confront the Specter; two, run away; three, attempt to rescue as many people as possible, helping them to escape."

"I'll confront the Specter," Fang Xiu answered calmly.

Shen Lingxue gazed at Fang Xiu skeptically, then checked the Spiritual Energy lie detector, which didn't indicate any deceit.

This took her a bit by surprise.

She hadn't pegged Fang Xiu as someone who would put himself in danger for others.

On this question, Fang Xiu genuinely didn't lie. He deeply resented all Specters, and even if victory seemed out of reach, he'd aim to gather more data. He would uncover the Specter's weak points, and if he couldn't beat it on the first go, he'd try again and again, as many times as needed.

"Second question, if in the future, Specter incidents grow and it seems humans are losing, and a smart Specter asks you to switch sides, offering you power and status beyond your wildest dreams, would you agree?"

"No."

"Really, not at all? If the Specter promises you great power and even promises to keep your family, friends, and those you care for safe, would you agree?"

"No." Fang Xiu's reply was short and brief.

The lie detector showed no changes, showing he was being honest.

Shen Lingxue had her doubts. She still couldn't believe that Fang Xiu was the type who'd be fully committed to the well-being of humanity.

"What if your family sided with the Specters and invited you to join them?"

"I don't have a family."

"And what about friends? I know you and Zhao Hao are pretty tight, and he's your only friend. If he persuaded you to turn your back on humanity and join the Specters, would you say yes?"

"I wouldn't mind losing a friend over this."

Shen Lingxue didn't know how to respond.

"The third question, what's the main thing you want to accomplish now that you are a psychic? In other words, what's your dream?"

"To eliminate every single Specter on Earth."

Suddenly, the room was engulfed in silence. Shen Lingxue eyed the lie detector that showed no signs of lies, feeling a bit astonished.

_'Is he for real? Why haven't I seen him among the psychics before?'_

She had witnessed many psychics taking the test, but none were like Fang Xiu.

Actually, some psychics had very self-centered and twisted answers. These were individuals whose spirits had been tainted, revealing the darker, enlarged aspects of human nature.

For instance, when asked the first question about a powerful Specter causing chaos in the city, some opted to run away, while those with a shred of decency chose to rescue as many folks as they could.

The ones severely affected by psychic contamination had even more extreme responses: "Oh, a Specter's on a rampage? Then I'll join in, and let's see who racks up more kills."

When it came to the second question about aligning with the Specters, most psychics stated they'd ally with whoever seemed more powerful, more benevolent to them, or seemingly in control.

Twisted psychics would exclaim, "Specters are my favorite!"

The answers to the third question were even less worth mentioning: "Survival, being the best, amassing riches and fame, having a harem, and so forth were common answers.

A twisted psychic might say, "Humanity is frail, but Specters rise! My dream is to become a fully-fledged Specter."

Indeed, it wasn't that there weren't people who gave answers like Fang Xiu, but usually, the lie detector would buzz urgently after such responses.

Yet, Fang Xiu's replies didn't cause the lie detector to stir, which meant everything he said was the truth. "