As someone in sequence 001, I also want to give up today.

Li Xian's research has made a breakthrough. After seventeen failures (mainly due to miscontrolling the heat, resulting in the toast turning into charcoal or being undercooked), he finally succeeded.

On his eighteenth attempt, he finally succeeded in using the micron-level temperature control of [Flame Core Control].

Combined with precise mental control of the bread machine's internal heating element using the "Consciousness Cutting" technique.

A slice of toast was baked to a uniform golden color with perfect amber caramel patterns on the edges.

"Hmm, not bad." Li Xian took a bite with satisfaction; it was crispy and fragrant, with a soft interior.

He even used his cutting skills to "carve" a simple smiley face on the surface of the toast. "I'll try latte art next time."

Fat Orange squatted on the dining table, looking at the overly perfect slice of toast, then at Li Xian's lazy appearance as if he had "completed a great project," his cat face full of speechlessness.

"Meow. (Translation: Baking bread with the abilities of Sequence 016 and Sequence 025... You're one of a kind throughout history.)"

"That's called making the most of resources," Li Xian said confidently, then used his cutting ability to silently unscrew the lid of the jam jar and spread a thick layer on it.

"Ding-dong—"

Doorbell rang.

Li Xian and Fatty Orange both looked towards the door. At this time, Li Yu was at school (or rather, on a mission), and Chen Zhe was busy as a dog at the bureau. Who could it be?

Li Xian's senses instantly swept across the door. Two people were standing outside, a man and a woman.

Wearing a vest with the words "Community Service" printed on it, and holding a tablet computer and a folder.

The energy fluctuations were very weak. The woman was probably outside the 8000th sequence, and her ability seemed to be a slight enhancement of perception. The man was even weaker, around the 9000th sequence, and his ability was unknown.

Standard staffing for frontline employees.

However, Li Xian's keen insight into the nature of superpowers brought about by his "All-Encompassing Power" made him notice something different—the woman had extremely hidden superpower residues on her body, similar to "records" or "marks," which were very weak, like some kind of long-lasting but low-power detection spell.

Community census? Or...?

Li Xian didn't even flinch, continuing to eat his toast. "Fat Orange, go check it out."

"Meow? (Translation: Why me?)" the fat orange cat protested.

"Because you eat my food, live in my house, and are picky eaters." Li Xian used his telekinesis to stuff a slice of apple into the cat's mouth.

The chubby orange cat reluctantly jumped off the table, strode to the door, peered through the peephole, then turned back: "Meow, meow." (Translation: A man and a woman, they looked like they were from the neighborhood committee, but... something felt off.)

"Open the door." Li Xian swallowed the last bite of toast, wiped his hands, and used his mind to send the plate and jam jar back to the kitchen sink.

At the same time, the "Environmental Fine-tuning" function of [Consciousness Segmentation] was activated.

He gently and thoroughly "erased" the overly active, his own, and extremely subtle traces of energy remaining in the air after using his ability, as if erasing a sketch with an eraser.

This is a new application he's been working on for the past few days, specifically designed to deal with potential "investigations".

The door opened.

Standing outside the door were the man and woman. The woman was about thirty years old, with a friendly smile but a professional scrutinizing look in her eyes; the man was younger and somewhat reserved.

"Hello, are you Mr. Li Xian?" the female staff member asked gently. "We are from the community's 'New Normal Adaptation Coordination Office,' responsible for registering information on newly awakened individuals and providing basic service guidance in this area. May I trouble you for a few minutes?"

"New Normal Adaptation Coordination Office"? That's quite a long name. Li Xian knew perfectly well that this was probably a screening point under the Bureau of Supernatural Abilities, disguised as a community center.

His face displayed just the right amount of bewilderment and a hint of impatience: "Huh? Register? I'm not a superhuman. Have you got the wrong person?"

The female staff member's smile remained unchanged, but she seemed to subtly adjust the angle of the tablet in her hand.

"Mr. Li, these are special times. For community safety and future service coordination, we need to conduct a basic survey of all residents in the area, not just those who have already awakened. May we come in and have a seat? It will be quick."

Her words were reasonable, but the subtle fluctuations in the energy environment inside the room, which she was trying to sense, did not escape Li Xian's perception.

Her tablet was probably just a rudimentary sequence or energy fluctuation detector.

Li Xian stepped aside, looking at him with a "what a hassle" expression: "Come in, hurry up, I'm writing a manuscript, and the editor is pressing me hard."

He deliberately emphasized "writing articles" to imply that he was an "ordinary" cultural worker who never left his home.

The two entered the house and quickly and professionally surveyed the living room.

Clean, a little messy (fitting the stereotype of a homebody), with game controllers and snack bags lying on the sofa, and a computer and a pile of books on the coffee table.

There were no obvious supernatural items or abnormal energy residues—of course, they had all been "wiped" clean by Li Xian.

Fat Orange squatted on the sofa armrest, tilting its head to look at the two of them, its heterochromatic eyes filled with a scrutinizing gaze as if they were "stupid humans".

"This cat is really special," the female staff member tried to ease the tension.

"I picked him up off the street, he just ate and drank like a fool," Li Xian said dismissively, slumping back into his favorite sofa seat. "What do you want to ask? Hurry up."

The questions started with basic information: name, age, occupation, recent unusual feelings, whether you have noticed any changes in your body, whether you have taken any relevant tests, etc.

Li Xian answered fluently and acted naturally, perfectly portraying an ordinary young man who was a bit of a homebody, uninterested in superpowers, and even a little lazy.

The female staff member took notes while seemingly casually operating the tablet.

The tablet screen was facing Li Xian, but Li Xian could "see" out of the corner of his eye that the screen was not a simple registration form, but an interface with faint ripples constantly jumping around.

The ripples in the central area (representing his location) were as calm as still water—thanks to his "environmental cleaning" work.

"Mr. Li, I heard your sister, Ms. Li Yu, is attending university?" the female staff member suddenly asked.

Li Xian's heart skipped a beat, but he remained outwardly calm: "Hmm, Jiangcheng University. What's wrong? Do we need to register for this too?"

"Oh, it's nothing, just routinely checking on family members." The female staff member smiled. "Recently, many young students have awakened their abilities, and we've been cooperating with the schools. Has your sister... mentioned anything related to this?"

"Her?" Li Xian scoffed. "All she does is study and be affectionate with her boyfriend. What could be wrong with her?"

Oh, by the way, she was being all mysterious the other day, saying the world had changed and I should be careful. I think she watches too many science fiction movies.

He deliberately portrayed Li Yu's concern as a girl making a fuss, thus distancing himself from the situation while also fitting the persona of an "unaware older brother".

The female staff member nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

After asking a few more trivial questions, she put away her tablet: "Okay, Mr. Li, we have registered your basic information. Thank you for your cooperation."

This is the "Guide to Living in the New Normal" and "Seeking Help for Problems Related to Supernatural Abilities." Please keep them safe.

If you or your family encounter any related situations or need assistance in the future, please feel free to contact us.

She handed two beautifully printed booklets to Li Xian.

Li Xian casually took it and tossed it onto the coffee table: "Okay."

After seeing the two "community workers" off, Li Xian closed the door. His impatience vanished instantly, replaced by a thoughtful look in his eyes.

"Meow. (Translation: Are they doubting you? Or doubting Xiaoyu?)" Fat Orange jumped over.

"A little bit of both." Li Xian walked back to the sofa, picked up the book "The New Normal Life Guide" and flipped through it casually.

"It's mainly routine screening, but I feel... they seem to pay a little extra attention to ordinary people who are 'unaffected' as well."

He had just keenly noticed a faint hint of doubt, rather than relaxation, flash in the female staff member's eyes when the tablet detected no abnormalities.

It seems the Bureau of Supernatural Abilities' screening is more meticulous than imagined. They're not only looking for high-sequence individuals, but also excluding areas of "abnormal calm."

An ordinary otaku like myself, whose energy traces are as clean as a vacuum, might be considered an "anomaly" in some algorithms.

"Troublesome," Li Xian muttered, but didn't pay much attention. He'd deal with whatever came his way; at worst, he'd just keep "mopping the floor."

His attention was quickly drawn to a local news item pushed to his phone: "Shocking! A man in Jiangcheng claimed to be 'Sequence 8888·Super Taste' and live-streamed himself tasting chili peppers that he could grow with superpowers, and the result was..." The accompanying picture showed a comical man with swollen lips like sausages, tears streaming down his face, but still making a peace sign at the camera.

Li Xian was delighted and started watching the video. This was the "new daily life" he liked.

---

A few days later, Li Xian's "peaceful" life encountered a new challenge—from his editor, Su Qianqian.

"Li! Xian!" In the video call, Su Qianqian, with her messy hair (looks like she'd been up all night chasing deadlines), gritted her teeth, "Where's your manuscript! Where's the opening! Where's the promised 30,000 words! Were you playing games again?!"

"Editor Su, calm down, calm down." Li Xian slumped in his computer chair, the game login screen on the screen, but he didn't blush or skip a beat.

"I'm immersing myself in life, gathering material. You see, the world has changed; superpower themes are all the rage. I need to carefully plan and write a masterpiece..."

"I don't believe you!" Su Qianqian roared, "Your account was online for eight hours yesterday! Your ID is on the 'Abyss Blast' dungeon clear log!"

"Li Xian, let me tell you, if you don't submit your manuscript soon, I'll... I'll come to your house! I have superpowers now too!"

"Oh?" Li Xian raised an eyebrow and sensed it.

Even through the screen, one could vaguely sense a sharp energy fluctuation emanating from Su Qianqian's side, carrying the intent of "cutting" or "penetrating." The sequence number was around 7500, not very strong, but its nature was quite interesting.

"You've awakened your abilities?" Li Xian asked curiously.

"Hmph! Didn't expect that, did you!" Su Qianqian was slightly smug, but immediately straightened her face. "Don't change the subject! The manuscript!"

"Okay, okay, I'll write it right away," Li Xian said perfunctorily. "But Editor Su, what are your skills? Maybe you can give me some inspiration."

"What's it to you!" Su Qianqian blushed. "Anyway...anyway, it's enough to deal with a lazy bum like you who never finishes his manuscript! Tomorrow! If I don't see the manuscript by tomorrow, you'll see!"

The communication was disconnected.

Li Xian stroked his chin. It seemed the threat level of the deadline had escalated, from "coming with a knife" to "coming with superpowers." But it wasn't a big problem.

He glanced at the blank document and sighed. Oh well, I'll just have to make do.

He opened the document, took his hands off the keyboard, and closed his eyes.

[Consciousness Severance] activated.

But it's not used for cutting things, it's used for... "writing" things.

The silvery, thread-like thoughts emanated from it, not as a physical entity, but as a direct connection to the computer's input system (bypassing physical buttons).

With a thought, the keyboard rises and falls automatically under an invisible force, typing away rapidly, characters appearing on the document like flowing water. The speed is astonishing, and there are almost no typos—mind control is far more precise than typing by hand.

An hour later, the document had grown by eight thousand words. The plot flowed smoothly, and the jokes were plentiful. Although the core was still about lying down, it was at least a decent story.

"Done." Li Xian saved it with satisfaction and sent it to Su Qianqian. He added a note: "Freshly baked, still hot."

Less than a minute later, Su Qianqian replied: "...Good for you! Keep it up! (But this time it's actually not bad?)"

Li Xian smiled, concealing his accomplishments. Using S-level abilities to write web novels—could this be considered another form of "making the most of one's abilities"?

He was just about to reward himself with a game when a commotion downstairs caught his attention.

Looking down from the balcony, I saw a small group of people gathered in the open space of the community.

In the middle stood a young man wearing a tight-fitting suit, with slicked-back hair, striking an awkward pose, holding a fist-sized ball of flickering electric light in his hand.

He was boasting to a few timid-looking elderly people and a few curious children:

"...See that? That's power! Sequence 3001's 'Thunder Hand'!"

I'm a big shot now! Let me tell you, from today onwards, I'm the one who calls the shots in this area!

"Protection fee... oh no, I mean 'community coordination and management fee,' this amount per month!"

He made a gesture.

People around whispered among themselves, some backed away in fear, and others secretly took out their phones to film.

A typical idiot who gets arrogant after gaining power.

Li Xian yawned and prepared to go back.

Such a minor matter will eventually be handled by patrolling civilian staff from the Bureau of Supernatural Abilities or by police officers.

But the next moment, the "Thunder Hand," in a show of defiance, casually hurled a bolt of lightning at an old piece of exercise equipment next to it.

With a muffled "boom," a piece of the metal equipment was blasted black and emitted blue smoke, startling a nearby child who burst into tears.

The young man became even more smug.

Li Xian frowned.

It's a bit annoying that they scared the child and damaged public property. And it looks like the patrol officers won't be here anytime soon.

"Fat Orange," he said without turning his head, "go and make him quiet."

"Meow? (Translation: It's me again?)" The chubby orange cat was licking its fur.

"Add a meal of exotic beast meat, steamed, with plenty of ginger."

The chubby orange cat immediately stood up, its tail held straight up: "Meow! (Translation: Deal!)"

Fat Orange nimbly jumped over the balcony railing (they live on the fourth floor).

With an elegant turn in mid-air, she landed precisely on the fitness equipment in front of the young man known as "Thunder Hand," her heterochromatic eyes coldly looking down at him.

"Where did this stray cat come from? Get out of the way!" The young man was feeling smug when he saw a fat cat blocking his path. He casually flicked a weak arc of electricity at it, hoping to scare it away.

The fat orange cat didn't move at all. When the arc of electricity came within half a foot of its body, it vanished silently, as if hitting an invisible wall. The fat orange cat even yawned.

The young man was stunned and hadn't reacted yet when the fat orange cat meowed (meaning: stupid), and a golden light flashed slightly in its eyes.

Instantly, the young man felt his hand holding the electric light go numb.

It wasn't the numbness of an electric shock, but rather like being stabbed in the nerve center by countless fine needles at the same time. My entire arm instantly lost sensation, and the condensed electric light went out with a "poof".

"My...my hand!" The young man looked in horror at his arm, which hung limply at his sides.

Fat Orange nimbly jumped off the equipment, walked to his feet, looked up, and its heterochromatic eyes flashed with a brilliance that was clearly not that of an ordinary cat, even with a hint of mockery.

It raised its paw and patted the young man's shoe.

"Meow. (Translation: Get lost, don't get in my way.)"

It was clearly a cat's meow, yet the young man felt a chill creeping into his heart, as if he were being watched by some ferocious beast.

His face turned pale. He looked at his unresponsive hands, then at the strange cat in front of him.

No longer daring to be arrogant, he slunk away through the crowd without uttering a single harsh word.

The surrounding crowd fell silent for a moment, then burst into quiet murmurs and laughter.

"This cat is amazing!"

"Why didn't that lightning strike it?"

"Could this cat also be...?"

"Shh, don't talk nonsense. Maybe that kid's abilities are unstable."

Amidst everyone's astonished gazes, Fat Orange proudly strutted back to the third-floor balcony, squatted at Li Xian's feet, and licked its paws with a reserved air.

"Meow. (Translation: Done. Remember to steam it and add plenty of ginger.)"

"Good job." Li Xian scratched its chin. "Extra treat tonight."

He glanced at the crowd gradually dispersing downstairs, and at the child who had been frightened and was now being comforted by his mother.

Well, maintaining peace in the community is a good thing, I guess.

Although the main purpose was to avoid being disturbed and to earn food for the cat.

Keep your achievements and fame hidden, keep your achievements and fame hidden.

---

Life slipped by in this rhythm, sometimes funny, sometimes trivial, and sometimes requiring one to secretly extend their claws to maintain "peace".

Li Xian has completely mastered the skills of using his superpower to handle all housework, cooking, and even "writing," and his comfort level has increased dramatically.

Fat Orange is the second master of this house (self-proclaimed) and the head of security (appointed by Li Xian).

It successfully deterred two other similar "new awakened person expansion incidents" in the community, and became a "spirit cat" in the eyes of some elderly people, who would occasionally receive dried fish as a treat.

Li Yu and Chen Zhe are getting busier and busier, and their home hours are unpredictable, but they always make time to call and let each other know they are safe.

Li Yu said worriedly on the phone that the bureau was under tremendous pressure, the search for high-sequence individuals was not progressing well, and the higher-ups were pressing for action.

Furthermore, the newly emerged monsters seem to have been affected by the "world upgrade," making them even more difficult to deal with.

Li Xian listened and responded with "uh-huh" and "yeah," as usual reminding them to be careful and not to push themselves too hard.

He then continued to research his new topic: how to use [Flame Core Control] to simulate different charcoal temperatures so as to perfectly replicate the flavor of street barbecue stalls at home.

Until a week later, on a peaceful afternoon.

Li Xian had just used [Consciousness Cutting] to shave his head (the effect was comparable to that of a top hairdresser) and was admiring himself in the mirror when the doorbell rang again.

This time, there were three people standing outside the door.

The two were familiar faces—the same "community workers" who came last time, a male and female pair.

But standing in front of them was a middle-aged man dressed in black casual wear with a calm demeanor.

He wore a gentle smile, but his eyes were sharp as an eagle's. There was no energy fluctuation leaking out from his body, yet he gave Li Xian a strange sense of "solidity".

Most notably, Li Xian's "All-Encompassing Power" sensed a familiar feeling in him, similar to Li Yu's "consciousness cutting."

But it possesses a more subtle and profound spiritual quality, and its ranking is not low—at least within the top 200.

The middle-aged man held a palm-sized, tablet-like but more sophisticated silver instrument in his hand. The instrument's screen was facing Li Xian's door and emitted an almost inaudible buzzing sound.

"Hello, Mr. Li Xian." The middle-aged man spoke, his voice gentle and polite, yet carrying an undeniable penetrating power.

"Excuse me for bothering you. I am Li Ming, the director of the Ninth Special Operations Division directly under the Bureau of Supernatural Abilities. There are some things I would like to ask you to help me understand."

His gaze calmly fell on Li Xian's neck and hair, which were spotless after his "self-haircut" and not a single stray hair was visible.

Li Xian sighed inwardly.

Well, it seems that being too thorough with "environmental cleaning" can have side effects. True professionals still find their way in by following the signs of "abnormality."

His usual slacking off has been met with its first real "shock".