Chapter 36: A Person of Status

“Look at those chrysanthemums bursting across the mountains, witnessing the vows we promised one another~”
“Even if the mountains crumble, even if the sky and earth merge, my hand will always hold yours~”

In the early morning, the pleasant sound of his phone’s ringtone suddenly rang out, rousing Chang Yu from his sleep.
This song, called “Chrysanthemums Blooming Over the Hills,” had always been his favorite. Every time he heard it, he would picture yellow chrysanthemums carpeting the mountainsides, and that strange happiness would well up in him.
Naturally, he’d set it as his ringtone.
“Who is it, calling so early in the morning? How annoying!”
Chang Yu blearily opened his eyes, irritably stretching out his arm. It took several tries before he finally managed to grab the phone lying beside his pillow.
But when he saw the familiar name displayed on the screen, all traces of drowsiness vanished.
He shot upright in bed, hurriedly answering the call in less than a second.
“Hello? Katerina? What’s the matter?” Though separated by the phone, a faint smile of delight curled on Chang Yu’s lips.
Since their parting, this was the first time Katerina had reached out to him—how could Chang Yu not be excited?
Katerina calling meant new work, a fresh start, a new chapter of life about to unfold.
All of this filled this inexperienced young man with eager anticipation.
“You saved my number?” On the other end, Katerina sounded a little surprised.
“As soon as I got your card, I saved it right away. After all, you’re my senior—I should show some respect.”
Though it sounded a bit like flattery, Chang Yu’s tone was natural and pleasant.
Katerina didn’t say much, but her voice clearly softened:
“Come to Yong’an Security Company at nine this morning—the same place you interviewed last time. I’ll be waiting for you there.”
“All your documents and files have been prepared by our people. I’ll personally hand over your credentials when we meet.”
“Besides that, I’ll be holding a small meeting for you newcomers, to introduce some information about our organization.”
“So there are others besides you?” Chang Yu caught the word “you all” and quickly picked up on its implication.
“That’s right,” Katerina answered candidly. “Apart from you, there are two other new investigators.”
“This meeting is important—don’t be late,” she reminded him.
“I thought I’d be the only one joining.” Chang Yu was a bit surprised. “Do they have special abilities like me?”
“In a way, they’re the same as you—gifted individuals.” Katerina affirmed.
Chang Yu’s mouth fell open in shock, his eyes shining with disbelief. “So both new investigators have superpowers too?”
“I always thought people with special gifts like mine were incredibly rare, that you could hardly find a handful in the whole world.”
Just like every underdog’s story, Chang Yu’s discovery of his own transformation had swelled his ego somewhat.
He couldn’t help feeling unique, set apart from the rest of the world.
But now, learning from Katerina that others out there possessed special powers, how could he not be astonished?
So—even with awakened abilities, he wasn’t the only one!
“You’ve joined the Disaster Investigation Bureau now—you’re one of us. There’s no harm in telling you a bit more…” Katerina explained.
“There are many phenomena in this world that defy scientific explanation—you just didn’t know about them.”
“There are always a few who become chosen by fortune, just like you. There’s nothing strange about it.”
“Actually, people like you who have special abilities aren’t that rare. You won’t find them on every street corner, but they’re not as scarce as you think.”
“Besides, our agency is different from others. None of our investigators are ordinary—each one, like you, possesses unique abilities.”
“Even you?” Chang Yu asked in surprise.

“Even me.” Katerina’s answer was decisive, making Chang Yu unconsciously raise his eyebrows.
“I really didn’t notice your abilities when we met last time—you must be very good at hiding them.”
To be honest, her answer caught him off guard. He’d met Katerina once before, and perhaps his eyes had been untrained, but in that brief, memorable meeting, he’d noticed nothing to set her apart from ordinary people.
“If I don’t say anything, who would ever guess?” Katerina’s tone was cool.
“Now that I think about it, it really does upend everything I thought I knew,” Chang Yu said from the heart.
Anyone who’s lived an ordinary life would feel their whole worldview shatter if told that somewhere in the world, there are people with all sorts of superpowers, like real-life superheroes.
It’s a bit like that old verse: “The male rabbit’s feet are swift, the female rabbit’s eyes are blurred—side by side they run along the ground, but who can tell which is which?”
Those with powers eat, sleep, and hide their identities just like anyone else, blending into the crowd, disguising themselves so well you’d never notice a difference.
They might be your neighbor, your classmate, your friend, your family, or just a stranger brushing past you on a busy street.
They have joys and sorrows, eat and drink and play games with you, camouflaged so perfectly that you’d never suspect a thing.
If they don’t reveal themselves, most people will live their whole lives never knowing such a group exists among them.
“I’ve never met anyone else with powers before—this is a whole new life for me,” Chang Yu sighed.
If Katerina hadn’t confessed herself, he’d never have guessed she was like him.
Now his greatest curiosity was—what exactly was Katerina’s power?
“You’ll find out once you join us,” Katerina said calmly. “We never use our abilities in front of ordinary people—it’s an unwritten rule.”
“You grew up in the world of ordinary people, which is why you’ve never heard of these things before.”
“Our existence and abilities must be kept secret from the general public—both to protect them and ourselves.”
“You wouldn’t want to be exposed to the world, treated as a monster, hated, coveted, or even persecuted by them, would you?”
“Of course not. I don’t want to end up strapped to an operating table by a bunch of scientists in white coats, being dissected for some weird experiment,” Chang Yu joked.
Katerina continued, “We have our world, and ordinary people have theirs. The two circles are separate and parallel.”
“Our job at the Disaster Investigation Bureau is to make sure those circles never overlap, so ordinary people can live in peace.”
“At the same time, we deal with any individuals or creatures in our world who might pose a threat to the ordinary world.”
“Our existence is to quietly protect the public from those with dangerous abilities.”
“That’s quite the noble calling,” Chang Yu smacked his lips, suddenly feeling a rush of excitement.
To be honest, every boy who grew up watching superheroes has dreamed of saving the world.
And Chang Yu had loved watching them.
The Bureau’s ideals weren’t at odds with his own—they matched the ultimate fantasy of any underdog.
Katerina ignored his self-indulgence and added, “As for your worry about being experimented on—you don’t need to be concerned.”
“In our world, there are strict written rules: any human-related biological experiments are absolutely forbidden, unless…”
“Unless what?” Chang Yu’s instincts told him the rest was important.
“Unless it’s voluntary,” Katerina finished.
Voluntary, always voluntary!
He didn’t believe that for a second—this foreign woman from Europe was far too crafty!
Last time she’d said joining the Bureau was voluntary, but hadn’t she ended up using Zhao Dasheng’s case to ‘persuade’ him?
Chang Yu hung up, staring at his phone in a daze.
His chat with Katerina had revealed so much he’d never known before.

First, there were more people with powers like his than he’d ever imagined.
He wasn’t unique after all.
Second, people like them had their own small world, separate from ordinary society.
These two worlds were never meant to intersect.
So ordinary people had no idea that those with powers even existed.
Finally, everyone in that small world had to hide their identity and abilities from outsiders.
They had to do their utmost to keep their world secret, maintaining a fragile balance so that ordinary lives wouldn’t be disturbed.
The Bureau existed to prevent threats from their world spilling into the lives of ordinary people.
“This world is truly bizarre,” Chang Yu sighed after a long moment, his expression odd.
He glanced at his phone—it was only 6:30 a.m., still hours before his 9 a.m. meeting with Katerina.
He wasn’t foolish enough to head to the security company so early.
Yawning, he wandered into the bathroom to wash up.
Wanting to make a good impression on his soon-to-be colleagues, he treated himself to a hot shower and put on a clean—if a little worn—set of clothes.
He realized he hadn’t eaten a proper meal since waking up, so he leisurely left his apartment.
He decided to have breakfast at a street stall. After all, he’d just received fifteen hundred yuan the day before—today, he was determined to splurge.
After all, he was flush with cash now—he deserved a little luxury!
Strolling through the busy morning streets, Chang Yu soon spotted his destination: a breakfast stall.
He took a seat at an empty table and called out loudly to the vendor, “Boss, two fried dough sticks and a bowl of soy milk!”
The stall owner, a white-haired old man, beamed at the arrival of a customer.
“Sure, two dough sticks and a bowl of soy milk!”
“Young man, anything else?”
Chang Yu could tell this old man was sharp—he’d already guessed he wanted more before he’d said a word.
Raising his head, Chang Yu waved his hand grandly. “Bring me three tea eggs as well!”
“I’m a man of status now—today, I’m treating myself!”
The old man was taken aback.
Having run a breakfast stall for most of his life, he’d seen all sorts of ‘big shots’.
But someone who considered ordering three tea eggs a luxury—now that was a first.
Though he grumbled inwardly, he kept a straight face. “Nine yuan in total, young man. Would you like to pay now?”
Chang Yu deftly pulled a ten-yuan note from his pocket, handing it over. “Keep the change—that’s your tip.”
“I hear it’s customary for society’s elite to tip. Now that I’m a man of means, I ought to follow their example!”
“A… a tip?” The old man was stunned.
After decades at his stall, this was the first time anyone had insisted on giving him extra.
His hand trembled slightly as he accepted the bill, feeling as if the money in his palm was strangely hot.