Chapter 217: Rain

“Master, have you gained control over that power?” Lei Li asked excitedly.

Lei Yin shook his head. “No, it’s more like gambling. This time, I just got lucky. During those two weeks in Sweden, preparing for a possible confrontation with a powerful esper, I began experimenting with controlling that energy. Perhaps because I survived that near-death experience two years ago, I noticed subtle changes in that energy. I tried using my inner energy to guide its output gradually. Once the output reached a certain threshold, I stopped immediately. While this method allowed me to utilize part of that power without losing control, the balance was incredibly fragile. A slight mishandling would cause the energy to backfire instantly. That blood I spat that night wasn’t an act—it almost got out of control.”

Hearing this, Lei Li let out a sigh of relief. “It’s a good thing nothing happened to you this time, Master. What about the ruins? What’s their status now?”

“They’ve been completely sealed by molten lava.”

“Lava?”

Lei Yin nodded. “Yes. While setting explosives in the ruins, I discovered that the area was part of a volcanic activity layer, which is why there were natural hot springs nearby. By detonating at the weakest point of the layer, the magma below surged in. You already know what happened next.”

“So the ruins are entirely sealed now?” Lei Li asked, sounding a bit disappointed.

“This is the best outcome. The things inside are beyond current scientific understanding. Even if they could be used, they would likely be exploited for military purposes. According to our prior plan, negotiations should now be possible.”

Lei Li thought for a moment before asking, “Master, do you think they’ll truly believe this was an accident?”

“No, at best, they’ll be skeptical. However, with the ruins destroyed, they have no reason to continue wasting resources to hunt you down. Our only leverage now is the incriminating experiment footage and data files. With those, we should be able to force them to back off. Time is short; you need to return quickly.”

“What about you, Master?”

“I can’t show myself to anyone else for now, or they’ll figure out it was all a setup. Don’t worry. If I managed to get here, I’ll find a way to leave. I’ll come to you after some time. Until then, stay vigilant.”

Patting Lei Li on the shoulder, Lei Yin slowly walked away.

Once Lei Yin’s figure disappeared, Lei Li gathered himself and ran towards the parked plane.

Around this time, strange video clips began to surface on the internet.

These clips depicted bizarre experiments, with human beings as test subjects. Although each clip was only a few minutes long, the footage was disturbingly clear. What’s more, as time passed, more of these clips appeared online, and the content grew increasingly gruesome and nauseating.

Within a week, the number of people viewing these clips worldwide increased exponentially, turning them into a hot topic among internet users.

Some people claimed the scenes were fabricated, but many believed they were real. The level of realism in the experiments was beyond the capabilities of any CGI or special effects.

If they were real, then where did these inhumane human experimentation clips originate?

These clips not only caused a massive uproar among the public but also drew the attention of governments worldwide. More and more people began investigating their origins, but no one could determine where they had come from. They seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, spreading rapidly across the internet.  

News outlets and newspapers were often subject to government control and regulation. However, the internet, a global and decentralized platform, proved uncontrollable. As the ripple effects of these clips continued to expand and escalate, fear began to spread among certain individuals.  

These individuals understood that the released clips represented only a small fraction of the experiments. The uploader appeared to be deliberately withholding some of the most critical information. However, if the entirety of the recordings and data were made public, the consequences would be unimaginable.  

Hearing the knock at the door, the middle-aged man in the room set down the newspaper and said, “Come in.”

A man in a white long coat entered. Addressing the man on the sofa, he said, “Sir, we just received a call from Lei. He reported that everything went smoothly and that the other party has agreed to our terms.”

Lei Yin took a sip of tea and replied, “This is just a temporary resolution. As long as those pieces of evidence remain in our hands, they’ll never feel at ease. Stay cautious. Any lapse on our part will give them the chance to retaliate.”

Changan nodded. “Understood, sir.”

Lei Yin stood up and walked to the window, gazing at the gradually subsiding rain. After a moment, he murmured to himself, “It seems the rain is about to stop.”

Chang’an smiled as he picked up the newspaper from the table and began to read.

“Kazumi, can you help me find a book?” a handsome man, whose presence drew female attention wherever he went, asked a bookstore staff member.

Busy organizing a shelf, Kazumi frowned slightly. She pulled a small notebook and pen from her uniform pocket, saying, “Please tell me the title of the book.”

Ogata Yasuda casually mentioned a title, then watched as Kazumi focused on jotting it down in her notebook.

Looking at the form-fitting, light-blue uniform she wore, he found himself thankful for the bookstore owner’s rule requiring staff to wear uniforms. Ever since seeing her in a dress for the first time at a restaurant, he hadn’t had another opportunity to see her wear one. For a woman so disinterested in dressing up, he truly had no solution. Fortunately, the store’s uniform included a half-skirt, which at least highlighted her figure.

After noting the title, Kazumi quietly walked to the computer at the counter to search for the book.

Watching her legs, faintly visible below the hem of her uniform skirt, Yasuda suddenly felt a strong urge to see this overly conservative woman in a mini-skirt.

Once she found the book’s location, Kazumi walked toward the shelves. Yasuda immediately followed and walked alongside her.

Nearby, a female employee in the same uniform shoved a book back onto a shelf with force and scoffed. “I just don’t get what Yasuda sees in that woman. She’s always so expressionless, like a corpse.”

Another female employee arranging new books nearby walked over and added, “Women like her, who are shallow and materialistic, don’t end well. I bet Yasuda is just toying with her. It won’t be long before he dumps her. I heard from people at their school that she was the one who seduced him. What a shameless tramp.”

The first woman sneered. “Exactly. If she hadn’t thrown herself at him, how could Yasuda have fallen for her momentarily?”

“Stop it! Kazumi isn’t like that!” Takeshima Shinobu stepped forward, visibly upset.

The first woman smirked disdainfully. “Of course you’d defend her; you’re her friend. But if I remember correctly, Yasuda seemed pretty interested in you for a while. Then, for some reason, he just ignored you. How does it feel, having the man you like stolen by your so-called friend?”

“You… you’re lying!” Shinobu’s eyes filled with tears of anger.

Seeing her reaction, the woman felt even more triumphant. “Oh my, the esteemed young lady of a prestigious school looks so heartbroken. Could it be because we struck a nerve?”

Just as Shinobu was about to argue back, a hand grabbed her right hand. A cold, feminine voice came from nearby:

“Shinobu, don’t bother with them. Arguing with brainless women will only lower our intelligence.”

“What… what did you just say? Say that again if you dare!” The woman glared, her teeth clenched, at the suddenly approaching Kazumi.

Kazumi responded calmly, “It’s a straightforward statement. Can’t you understand? My apologies; I overestimated your intelligence. But don’t worry, being brainless isn’t a problem as long as you have a body. Many men have intellects on par with yours, so they might like your type. If not, there’s always Shinjuku. Plenty of desperate old men there would be interested.”

“You shameless woman! You’ll regret what you just said!” The girl was trembling with anger, looking as if she wanted to charge forward.

“When you can’t win an argument, you resort to violence—classic you. By the way, just so you know, I earned a black belt in karate during high school,” Kazumi said as she suddenly took a step forward.

Startled by her sudden approach, the two girls instinctively stepped back in fear.

Kazumi stared at them with an icy gaze, her voice cutting as she said, “Get out of here before I lose my temper.”

Intimidated by her imposing aura, the two girls didn’t dare say another word. They quickly turned and walked away.

After scaring them off, Kazumi turned to Takeshima Shinobu. “Are you okay?”

Tears still glistening in her eyes, Shinobu excitedly grabbed Kazumi’s hand. “Kazumi, you were amazing just now! Are you really a black belt in karate?”

Kazumi handed her a tissue and chuckled. “Silly, I made that up. I was so busy with schoolwork in high school, where would I have found the time to practice karate?”

As she wiped her tears, Shinobu said, “You were just bluffing? But you looked so convincing—it really felt like you knew karate.”

Kazumi smiled. “It’s just like dealing with wild animals. If you show fear and run away, they’ll pounce on you immediately. But if you act unafraid, they’re less likely to attack. Didn’t you learn that in biology class?”

Shinobu couldn’t help but laugh. “Come on, no high school biology class would teach something like that!”

Seeing her smile again, Kazumi said, “Alright, get back to work. Otherwise, the manager will come and scold us.”

Shinobu playfully stuck out her tongue and resumed the work she had left unfinished.

From a distance, Ogata Yasuda had watched the entire scene unfold. His eyes glimmered with a peculiar light.

This woman constantly surprised him. He had encountered many beautiful women and dated quite a few, but Kazumi was unlike anyone he’d ever met. She possessed an unusual calmness and sharpness that seemed at odds with her age and gender, coupled with a fierce self-respect.

Because of that pride, she didn’t feel the need to dress up to attract men’s attention, nor did she tolerate rudeness for the sake of maintaining social harmony. She was a woman who was hard to grasp yet exuded a magnetic charm. For the first time, Yasuda felt an overwhelming desire to have someone.

Quietly walking up behind Kazumi, he stared at her elegant, graceful back. A sudden urge welled up within him—a yearning he hadn’t felt in years—to hold her tightly from behind.

Kazumi found the book she was looking for and was about to hand it to him when she noticed he was standing behind her, looking at her with an unreadable expression.

“Sir, here’s the book you were looking for.” Kazumi handed it to him.

“Thank you.” Yasuda took the book, his fingers gently tracing its cover.

Kazumi ignored him and turned back to the shelves, continuing to organize the books other customers had left in disarray.

After a glance in her direction, Yasuda followed her again.

Hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, Kazumi knew he was coming over again. Helpless, she pretended not to notice and kept her head down, focusing on her work.

From another corner of the bookstore, Takeshima Shinobu watched them with a complicated expression.

“Kazumi, would you join me for a cup of coffee after work?” Yasuda suddenly asked.

Kazumi acted as if she hadn’t heard him, her hands never pausing in their task.

Yasuda leaned against the bookshelf with a somewhat suppressed tone, “You still don’t trust me, do you?”

After finishing organizing the last stack of books, Kazumi turned to look at him. After a moment, she finally spoke. “Do you know that every time you come here, Shinobu gets really upset? Please stop coming, okay?”

Yasuda looked at her seriously. “If you agree to be my girlfriend, I promise I won’t come here again.”

Kazumi’s expression turned cold. “Are you threatening me?”

“That’s not my intention.”

“Find someone else. A plain woman like me isn’t worth your time. There are plenty of beautiful women out there—save your sweet words for them.” With that, she turned and walked toward another bookshelf.

Yasuda hurried to catch up and grabbed her hand. “Kazumi…”

But before he could finish, Kazumi suddenly pulled her hand away forcefully. She stepped back two paces, glaring at him angrily. “Let me warn you—if you dare touch me again, I won’t be polite next time.”

Yasuda could only stand there, dumbfounded, as she walked away.

That evening, after work, in the women’s locker room, Takeshima Shinobu hesitated as she looked at her friend changing clothes.

After a while, she finally mustered the courage to say, “Kazumi, actually… you don’t need to worry about me. I know very well that he’s never liked me from the start. Even if the two of you end up together, I won’t be mad.”

Looking at the emotional Shinobu, Kazumi found herself both amused and exasperated. “Why would you think I’d be with him? I’ve told you before—whether he’s sincere or not has nothing to do with me. Think about it. A playboy like him, even if he does take an interest in a woman, it’s just a fleeting fascination. Once the novelty wears off, what’s left? Women need more than just love. A sense of security is just as important. Stop overthinking. Let’s go.” Kazumi then began locking her locker.

Shinobu gazed at her with admiration. “Kazumi, how can you always stay so rational?”

Kazumi laughed and playfully knocked on her head. “Silly girl.”

When they walked out of the bookstore, Shinobu saw, as usual, that Ogata Yasuda was waiting for them outside. The moment he saw them, he immediately approached.

Pretending not to recognize him, Kazumi grabbed Shinobu’s hand and walked toward the bus stop.

Knowing she wouldn’t get into his car, Yasuda could only sulkily head back to his sports car.

As they were just a few dozen meters from the bus stop, a taxi suddenly pulled over ahead of them. A slender man in a short-sleeved shirt stepped out of the car.

After saying a few words to the driver, the man began walking toward the two girls.

Kazumi stared blankly as the man approached. Gradually, her eyes filled with tears. When the man came close enough for her to see the familiar smile on his face, her tears finally started streaming down.

“Kazumi, I’m back,” the man said with a smile.

Hearing that familiar, comforting voice, Kazumi’s tears flowed like a broken faucet, uncontrollably pouring out.

The usually composed and rational young woman clung tightly to the man like a child, sobbing. Seeing this, Ogata Yasuda, sitting in his sports car, felt a sharp, unbearable pain somewhere deep inside him.

But thankfully, he had returned safely. Standing nearby, Takeshima Shinobu smiled in relief.