'If I really go through with this, the talented people I recognize would, at a minimum, be national treasures. On average, they'd be world-class, and there might even be some who've left their mark on history... Hmm, then again, even if I know their names, the world is a big place. I probably wouldn't have much chance of meeting them in the Real World, would I?'
Chu Bamboo tried to look on the bright side. 'But on the other hand, if I do run into one, that's a huge guaranteed win!'
The next moment, Nuwa No. 17 made the silver walls glow red.
"Li Kang's approach has been detected. Li Kang's approach has been detected. Estimated time until Li Kang enters the Third District Police Chief Bureau: seven minutes and forty seconds!"
Chu Bamboo's expression didn't change. His voice was calm and steady, but he spoke extremely quickly. "Nuwa No. 17, erase all records of my inquiries. Erase my entry record... Wait, do you even have those? Whatever, if you do, wipe them all! Open the gate, and close it immediately after I leave."
Chu Bamboo rushed out of the women's restroom and went straight into Li Kang's office.
He didn't act reserved. After all, this wasn't his first time here. He walked right in and sat down brazenly in Li Kang's office chair.
After a moment's thought, Chu Bamboo gave a light push with his foot. The chair's casters rolled, and he leaned back, propping his feet directly on the desk and crossing his legs with considerable arrogance.
Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing the entire office in a warm glow. Chu Bamboo basked in the Sun, squinting his eyes in comfort.
And this—
—was the scene that greeted Li Kang and his team when they returned to the office.
Li Kang: "..."
His blood pressure shot up!
"Finally back?" Chu Bamboo opened one eye, glanced at Li Kang, then closed it again. "Mind telling me what happened?" he asked lazily.
Li Kang stared at Chu Bamboo for a good while before finally speaking. "It was just... a rogue Body Refiner who did something that defies common sense! He was seen, and then... captured, and it showed up on my phone."
Chu Bamboo felt a strange mix of emotions. He had heard Li Kang say something similar before the reset, but thinking about it now, he was still struck by how absurdly advanced Nuwa No. 17's technology was.
'Wait! Something doesn't seem right...'
"I have a question!" Chu Bamboo suddenly sat bolt upright, slamming his hands on the desk, his gaze burning. "If you can search for ordinary people who know about the existence of the Extraordinary, then you should also be able to detect all the Transcendents operating in Jinghai City, right?"
"We can't," Ning Linglong interjected. "I know that, logically, searching for Transcendents should be much easier than searching for ordinary people who know about Extraordinary Power. But the crucial problem is..."
"The search parameters are... handed down directly from on high! Since the Divine Being specifically searches for this type of information and informs us of it, there must be a purpose behind it! As for why the Divine Being doesn't search for Transcendents within Jinghai City..."
Ning Linglong paused for a moment before saying softly, "I don't really understand, but it's like I said: it's normal for us not to comprehend the thoughts of a Divine Being. We just need to solve the problems presented in the Oracles it sends down!"
Chu Bamboo: "..."
It wasn't that he couldn't understand. After all, in a society with Divine Authority, even the most confusing decree from a Divine Being had to be executed without question. The problem was, Chu Bamboo knew exactly what kind of thing this so-called "Divine Being" really was.
The sense of dissonance was overwhelming!
'But then again, Nuwa really is a Divine Being from the myths of the Real World! It's quite a coincidence, now that I think about it,' Chu Bamboo griped internally.
"Alright, come with us! Next, we'll register your identity."
Hearing Li Kang's words, even though he had just walked out of the base, Chu Bamboo perfectly mimicked his expression and actions from before the reset, when he had seen the base for the first time. He successfully re-entered it.
"Nuwa No. 17," Li Kang began as was custom. After Nuwa No. 17 responded, he piously stated his request. "I implore you, please grant the person behind me Honored Guest Elder authority."
'If nothing goes wrong, next should be temporary Level 1...'
"Information successfully registered! Temporary Honored Guest Elder Authority: Temporary Level 0 Authority (valid for one month)."
Chu Bamboo: "...?"
Chu Bamboo almost thought he'd misheard. 'What the hell? This Honored Guest Elder is Level 0?'
'Fine, fine, fine. So that's how we're playing it, huh?' Chu Bamboo was just good at controlling his emotions, otherwise he would have laughed in fury.
'Good thing I triggered a butterfly effect in the Real World and got myself permanent Level 1 Authority! If I had to rely on Li Kang, wouldn't I just starve to death?'
Li Kang, of course, had no idea what Chu Bamboo was thinking. He turned around and began to earnestly explain the situation with Nuwa No. 17. While some of it was information Chu Bamboo already knew, there were other details that piqued his interest.
This is what he said: "...The entity before you is a divine sliver of a great and Holy being. Or perhaps, a single thought?"
"The main body of this great and Holy being resides in the Grand Ancestral Temple in the Imperial Capital! It enjoys the worship of the Royal Family, generation after generation! And the Royal Family shares its honor and disgrace with this great and Holy being. There are even rumors..."
Li Kang deliberately tried to build suspense, but contrary to his expectations, Chu Bamboo seemed completely uninterested.
"Why are you trying to leave him hanging?" Ning Linglong rolled her eyes and took over. "There's a rumor that the Royal Family are actually descendants of this great and Holy being. I think it must be true. Otherwise, why would this Holy being send out slivers of its power to guard all the capitals?"
"..." Chu Bamboo found this darkly humorous. 'Descendants of an artificial intelligence? What, is the entire Daqian Imperial Family made up of AI robots?'
Li Kang shot a helpless glance at Ning Linglong and sighed at Chu Bamboo. "Although you're registered now, this kind of temporary authority needs to be renewed by me every month! What's more, there's no possibility of promotion. If you're really set on joining us, it's best if you take the exam..."
"I have a question!" Chu Bamboo cut Li Kang off. "Can I stay at this base tonight?"
"???"
"!!!"
The atmosphere in the room shifted in an instant.
"...Are you serious?" After staring at Chu Bamboo for a long moment, Li Kang finally confirmed he wasn't joking.
He was losing his composure.
"This—you—I... It's not like you don't have a place to live! There's no room for you here right now. And besides, even if we had rooms, we don't live here..."
What Li Kang really wanted to ask was, 'Don't you have any sense of reverence at all? This is the dwelling place of a thought from a Divine Being! And you're just going to move in so casually?'
'Is this a place for someone to live?!'
But compared to the incredulous Li Kang...
"Ahem, although... Father Bamboo, although I don't understand, you must have your profound reasons for doing this!" Guan Fei spoke up shyly. "So, how about you stay in my room? Um, but my room doesn't have a bed set up! Uh, but if you've decided, I'll go right now and..."