Dude, something's really wrong with your abilities.

Chapter 18 Similar

As Sun Tiemei slammed the materials on the table, a few drops of soup spilled from the rim of the lid of the instant noodle bowl in the fat man's bowl. He quickly moved the bowl a few inches to the side. Chang Biao's hands moved faster than his brain. Before Sun Tiemei could even speak, he had already sat up straight, quickly pulled out his notebook, and prepared to carefully record the team leader's instructions.

Chen Shi didn't hear it.

He was watching Wang Jianlou closely. When the dog first arrived, it was quite well-behaved, always walking with its head down and its short legs moving cautiously, maintaining the demeanor of a stray dog ​​dependent on others. But as it gradually figured out the power structure within the group, it changed.

It walked behind Sun Tiemei with steady steps, head held high, tail held high like a flagpole. Reaching the fat man's workstation, it even glanced sideways at him, like a supervisor ready to reprimand someone at any moment. Its demeanor and gait perfectly portrayed a dutiful lackey helping the landlord exploit the poor.

"Go and contact the three people mentioned in the materials this afternoon," Sun Tiemei interrupted Chen Shi's reverie. "How you talk to them and what questions you ask are up to you."

Sun Tiemei thought for a moment, then said, "I'll go too."

Chang Biao wrote "I'll go too" heavily and even added a five-pointed star.

In the afternoon, in the break room of a housekeeping company, Wang Demin was sitting on a plastic chair eating a boxed lunch when he saw Chen Shi come in, and his chopsticks paused for a moment.

Who are you looking for?

"You must be Wang Demin. My name is Chen Shi, from the Supernatural Abilities Management Bureau," Chen Shi said, showing him his ID. "I'm here today to give you a follow-up visit."

"The Supernatural Abilities Bureau, a follow-up visit?" Wang Demin was baffled. "Aren't you only targeting A-level and B-level users? Why are you bothering with trash like us?"

Chen Shi pulled up a chair and sat down: "I'm also F-rank."

Wang Demin looked up in surprise, chewing the food in his mouth twice: "Then what ability do you have?"

Tell a joke.

Wang Demin almost bit his tongue. He stared at Chen Shi for several seconds, weighing the options between "You're joking" and "You have connections."

"The Bureau of Supernatural Abilities hires joke tellers?"

"Writing materials. Interrogation records, action reports, you need to have good writing skills." Chen Shi said without changing his expression.

"Oh, so you're in an office job." Wang Debiao's tone softened slightly, as if to say, "So you're on the fringes too," but his wariness remained. "What do you want?"

"Routine follow-up. Have you been feeling unwell recently? Have your supernatural abilities fluctuated abnormally?"

"No." Wang Demin closed the lunchbox. "My glowing ability is only good for finding keys during a power outage or something. Your Supernatural Abilities Bureau is meddling in things that don't concern you."

"It's a requirement from the bureau, even F-level cases need to be filed." After saying that, Chen Shi casually added, as if suddenly remembering something, "By the way, what are your hobbies?"

"Hobbies?" Wang Demin was taken aback by the question. "Does cleaning toilets count?"

"That's a profession, not a hobby."

Wang Demin didn't want to talk to him anymore.

Chen Shi continued, "How long have you been working at the housekeeping company?"

Three years.

"You must be very tired?"

"Nonsense." Wang Demin leaned back in his chair, thought for a moment, and added, "But it's better than working in the factory. There are too many rules in the factory; at least here I can manage my own time."

"That's good."

Chen Shi's tone was so casual that Wang Demin felt the man was just there to chat idly. His prepared "I don't know anything, so don't ask me" response suddenly seemed out of place.

"And you, are you busy with your clerical work?" Wang Demin actually asked in return.

"It's alright, but writing reports is a hassle. Once I wrote one that went off-topic, and my boss tore it up after reading it, saying he was going to throw it in my face."

"Is your boss that fierce?"

"That's right, they usually look down on people."

Wang Demin chuckled.

"Hey bro, tell me, besides work, what do you usually do for fun?"

Wang Demin instinctively wanted to avoid the topic, but Chen Shi was too easygoing. This ease made him feel incredibly relaxed, like a customer going to get a haircut facing Tony, and many things that couldn't be said aloud were unconsciously revealed.

"I don't have many hobbies, I just go to the rehearsal station to wander around."

"Buying lottery tickets is a good hobby, as long as you don't become addicted. It's also a way to support public welfare."

"I'm not doing this for the prize; it's just that it's quite comfortable inside."

Chen Shi subconsciously moved a little closer: "Oh, what does that mean?"

"I can't really explain it, but when I went there, a voice seemed to pop into my head that sounded comforting."

"Is that really so? Is that music the boss played?"

"It's not a song or anything, it's just a sound, I can't describe it. I asked the boss, and he said he didn't know either."

Chen Shi did not ask any further questions.

Wang Demin looked at him: "If I tell you all this, do you have to write it all down? Like the kind you use for writing reports?"

"Not entirely. I'm gathering materials to write an investigation report or something, to broaden the leaders' horizons," Chen Shi said casually.

Wang Demin chuckled again.

After saying goodbye to Wang Demin, Chen Shi got into the car. Sun Tiemei turned to look at him and asked, "How was it?"

"He mentioned that the lottery station has a special sound that's very soothing, but it's not music or anything like that. Team leader, what's next...?"

"Next, continue."

When Zhou Yaping was found, she was moving goods in the supermarket warehouse.

His short, stocky build and menacing face made him look like someone you wouldn't want to mess with.

"What? A follow-up visit from the Supernatural Abilities Bureau? What a load of rubbish!" Zhou Yaping said indignantly. "I still remember the look of disdain on the interviewer's face when I said I could generate static electricity during my last interview at your bureau."

Chen Shi thought of Liu Zhengfang.

"Sister, you're just unlucky. I've heard of people who went to jail just because they could tell jokes. Where can you complain to them?"

"What?! Telling jokes gets you in? That's outrageous! Is he the bureau chief's brother-in-law? What's the point of letting someone like that in? Does your bureau even have a performing arts troupe?"

Chen Shi touched his nose: "I heard it was to write some reports, and that they were quite funny, and that the leaders couldn't sleep after reading them."

"Oh, writers don't really need to look at superpowers," Zhou Yaping said, standing up and stretching before squatting down to count the goods.

Chen Shi also squatted down with her.

"Hey bro, I bet you're new to the workforce too. I've met several people from your company before, not just the one who did the interview, but everyone else was pretty much the same, walking around with their heads held high. You're the first one who's ever squatted down to talk to me."

Chen Shi felt a pang of sadness for no apparent reason, but he forced himself to suppress the emotion and deliberately sighed.

"Sister, you have a good eye for people. I haven't been working here long. So do you know why I'm here today? Those bastards bully newbies, and they're hiding in the office enjoying the air conditioning in this sweltering heat."

"I understand," Zhou Yaping nodded vigorously. "Our boss's wife is the same. When I first started working here, she always made me move the goods whenever they arrived, saying I was young."

As she spoke, she picked up a bottle of water from the ground and handed it to Chen Shi.

"It's been tough, have a drink."

"Big sister, besides work, what do you do for fun?"

"With my appearance, what am I supposed to do for leisure? I usually just move things and do cashier work. On my occasional days off, I just lie down. That's how I get by."

Haven't you thought about changing jobs?

"Of course I want to, but you know, people like us, compared to ordinary people, we do have some abilities, but someone like me, whose body can generate a little static electricity, is no different from an ordinary person except for warding off mosquitoes. I have no education, and I'm not good-looking, so I can't find a good job." Zhou Yaping sighed and continued, "Our boss said that the job market is bad right now, and if I don't do the cashier job, there are plenty of people who want it."

"That's pretty frustrating. How do you usually cheer yourself up?"

"What's there to comfort? Only idle people with nothing better to do would think about that," Zhou Yaping said with an embarrassed smile. "I usually go to the lottery shop and buy a 2-yuan lottery ticket. I feel pretty happy before the draw, it's like having something to look forward to."

"Buy lottery tickets? Do you go often?"

"I went there by chance while shopping at first, and later I felt that the place was very relaxing, as if all my worries disappeared. It was quite addictive."

"That's unusual; lottery stations have this function."

Zhou Yaping rubbed her hands together: "I haven't told anyone about this before, but I'm telling you because I only have this feeling at the store I frequent; I don't have it at other stores."

"Is this store so special?"

"I don't know why, it looks no different from other stores, but as soon as I go in, I feel like something is flooding into my head, and it feels really comfortable, even more comfortable than when I'm lying at home on vacation. You know, I usually work quite hard and it's tough, but this kind of thing that makes me happy, I feel like I'm addicted to it, I want to go again after I go."

She paused.

"When I walk down the street, nobody recognizes me. When I go home, nobody waits for me. Only when I go to that store for a few minutes each week do I feel... just like everyone else. I buy the same things, I look forward to the same things. I feel like I'm no worse than anyone else."

As she spoke, she stood up and pulled Chen Shi up as well: "You're quite a strange person. If most people ask me a few questions, I get annoyed and want to kick them out. But you didn't ask me anything when you came in, and I told you everything."

Chen Shi: "Maybe it's because I'm just an ordinary person like you."

As he spoke, he took out a box of Jin Sangzi throat lozenges from his pocket and handed it to Zhou Yaping: "Sister, you talk a lot, so sucking on these will soothe your throat, they work very well."

"You even gave me something, really."

"It's worthless, it's just to thank you for chatting with me."

After saying goodbye to Zhou Yaping, Chen Shi didn't say a word in the car, and Sun Tiemei could tell that he was in a bad mood.

The car remained silent for a long time before Chen Shi broke the silence.

"Team leader, thank you."

Sun Tiemei was puzzled, but still replied, "You're welcome."

Chen Shi knew that if Sun Tiemei hadn't kept him in Group Five, he might have followed the same path as Wang Demin and Zhou Yaping, or even ended up like Zhao Zhiqiang. So he was very grateful to Sun Tiemei and Group Five.

The last interviewee was a retired elderly man. Chen Shi found him under a pavilion in a park, guided by community staff.

Mr. Fang Youli is almost 70 years old today. He looks quite energetic. At this moment, he is setting up a chess endgame and pondering it alone in front of the chessboard.

Chen Shi walked over, sat down opposite him, and just watched quietly without saying a word.

After a long while, Chen Shi looked down at the chessboard and said, "Wouldn't it be better for the horse to jump here?"

Old Fang's hands stopped. He looked at the chessboard, then at Chen Shi: "You know how to play?"

"I've only memorized a few incomplete scores; I'm really not that good at it."

"Hey young man, come and have a round with me." The old man was really into it.

Five minutes later, Lao Fang laughed.

"You're pretty honest, kid. You really are no good."

"I'm a very honest person."

Old Fang looked up at Chen Shi and smiled again.

"It's been a long time since I've seen such an interesting young man like you. Is there something you need to talk to me about?"

"It's nothing serious. The community is offering help, and I'm a volunteer. I'm just chatting with the elderly folks." When you're out and about, you give yourself your own identity.

"That's great. At our age, we don't care much about food and clothing. We're just bored and our children aren't around. It's hard to even hear their voices." As he spoke, Old Fang pointed to the chessboard. "Young man, I'm happy to talk to you, but you still need to practice your chess skills."

Chen Shi nodded and smiled obsequiously.

"Grandpa, you don't seem to have any other hobbies besides playing chess. I've seen many elderly people gathering together to dance or something, it's quite lively."

"I've heard this from others before. My husband passed away early, and I didn't remarry for the sake of the children. I've lived like this for decades, and now if you asked me to dance with a bunch of old women, I'd be too nervous to speak."

"Yeah, sometimes I don't even dare to speak when I see a woman."

"That's not right of you," Old Fang said with a smile. "Young man, you don't have a girlfriend yet, do you? You can't be afraid to speak up."

"I came here to practice with you, you seem quite talkative, you can find other things to do for fun even if you're not dancing."

"Besides playing chess, I'm actually not very good at small talk," Old Fang said, putting the chess pieces back into the box one by one. "I see those old guys at the chess stall every day, but all we talk about is 'checkmate' and 'take back a move,' nothing else. If they chat about everyday things, you can't keep up. What can an old man like you talk about? How many times you got up in the night last night?"

He closed the chess box and tapped the lid lightly with his fingers.

"Later, I was so bored that I started taking the bus around the city, just going wherever it took me. By chance, I discovered a lottery shop that seemed unusual."

Chen Shi's mind raced: "Grandpa, tell me what's so special about it, so I can broaden my horizons."

Old Fang didn't speak immediately, but thought for a moment: "I can't really explain it, but once you go in, you feel a warm feeling in your heart. It's like when everyone in the family comes back for the New Year, the living room is full, and you don't even have to say anything, you just listen to them arguing and making noise. It's nice. You don't understand yet."

"You're talking about the joys of family life, aren't you?"

"Well, that's what I mean. As soon as I went in, it felt like something else popped into my head, like my grandson was pestering me to tell him a story."

"Do you go there often?"

"Sometimes when I'm free and miss my grandson terribly, I'll go for a walk." The old man's mood clearly dropped as he said this.

Chen Shi didn't reply. After a while, he said, "Grandpa, I'll come again next week."

"I'm not very good at chess, but I can sit still for long periods."

Old Fang looked at him for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed: "Young man, I can tell you're not a volunteer. Volunteers can't sit for that long. Go ahead and do what you're supposed to do, but come sit with me when you have time. I'll be here every day as long as it doesn't rain."

Chen Shi nodded solemnly.

On the way back to the station, Chen Shi leaned against the passenger seat and rolled the window down halfway.

"Wang Demin, housekeeping and cleaning, F-level luminescence. He said there was sound in that store, not music or radio, but it was very soothing to listen to. Zhou Yaping, supermarket cashier, F-level static electricity. She said that as soon as she went in, she felt something rushing into her brain, more comfortable than lying down on her vacation, and she wanted to go back again and again. Fang Youli, retired, F-level night vision. He said that after going in, it felt like something extra appeared in his brain, like his grandson pestering him to tell him stories."

He paused for a moment.

"The first person heard a sound. The second person felt something rushing in. The third person had the illusion that someone was next to them. The three people's descriptions became more and more specific, but they all pointed to the same thing: something in that store was affecting their minds."

"And then there's more," Sun Tiemei said.

Chen Shi rolled up the car window: "Old Fang, an elderly man living alone, felt like his grandson was pestering him to tell stories when he went inside. This can't be explained by relaxation alone. The voice wasn't giving him relaxation; it was an illusion."

"Team leader, this voice is addictive, and it seems to know what everyone lacks most."