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

On his way home, Li Xian used all his skills—or more accurately, a combination of "food temptation" and "sincere (?) apology".

First, when I passed by a well-regarded fresh food store.

Not only did I buy the freshest sea bass that was promised for the steamed fish, but I also bought the fish that was promised beforehand.

She also bought an extra small bag of lively prawns, claiming she could make the boiled prawns she had been talking about.

Next, I went to a dessert shop and bought a newly released chocolate lava cake sprinkled with gold leaf (edible) and a box of exquisite macarons.

Although Lingdang still had a stern face, she would occasionally let out a "ha" to express her dissatisfaction.

But those big golden eyes were already glued to the dessert bag, and their feet followed involuntarily.

After arriving home, Li Xian, unusually, did not rely entirely on his superpowers.

Instead, she cooked herself (of course, she still used some of her skills to help with the delicate work of handling the ingredients), making steamed sea bass and boiled shrimp, which were delicious and visually appealing, and also stir-fried two refreshing seasonal vegetables.

Finally, heat the chocolate lava cake, watching the thick chocolate sauce slowly flow out, and serve it with small macarons.

The aroma and visual appeal of the food finally broke down the bell's last line of defense.

She sat at the dining table, though she deliberately avoided looking at Li Xian.

But the speed at which she ate and the ferocity with which she devoured the desserts completely revealed her "forgiveness".

After dinner, Li Xian finished tidying up (using his telekinesis) and collapsed back onto the sofa.

Bell was sitting cross-legged on the carpet next to him, holding half a lava cake that she hadn't finished eating.

While eating in small bites, he recounted his experiences on campus that day in fits and starts, adding his own embellishments.

"...That Zhang Yu, he's so arrogant! All he does is throw little sparks, and he thinks he's the best in the world! Humph!"

"The food in the cafeteria is awful! There's barely any meat! Luckily I brought snacks..."

"However, the cultivation method that Teacher Zhao taught this afternoon seems to be somewhat useful..."

"And another thing! My deskmate, Lin Wanwan! Let me tell you, Lao Deng, she's even more interesting than I... uh, more interesting than I imagined!"

When Lin Wanwan was mentioned, Lingdang's eyes lit up.

He began to gesticulate wildly as he described the various words and actions of this "Starry Sea Witch".

How to translate the spiritual sea into a "celestial resonance pool," how to receive "starlight" with a crystal ball, how to "divine" her destiny of "dancing with the abyss," and that serious yet hilarious "celestial observation experiment" in the afternoon...

"She said she wanted to guide the 'afterglow of Venus' to make the plants glow, but she ended up holding a crystal ball up to the window and letting it bask in the sun for ages. She even made me hold a stone and 'infuse it with power,' while she waved a plastic stick and chanted spells next to me... Hahahaha!"

As Lingdang finished speaking, she couldn't help but laugh, almost spitting out cake crumbs.

As Li Xian listened, a smile couldn't help but appear on his previously expressionless face.

A catgirl who pretends to be a Sequence 1314 newbie but actually possesses a top-tier sequence and always fantasizes about unifying the world, and a chuunibyou girl who firmly believes she is the "Starry Sea Witch"... Just thinking about this combination is full of drama.

"It seems you've recruited a good 'subordinate'."

Li Xian commented.

"At least it's entertaining enough."

"That's right!"

Lingdang proudly raised her head, then looked at Li Xian warily.

"But don't even think about investigating her! She's my... my chief observer!"

"Who wants to investigate a little brat?"

Li Xian rolled his eyes.

"Just have fun, don't expose yourself."

"Okay!"

Bell finished the last bite of cake and let out a satisfied little burp.

The frustration and anger from waiting in the afternoon seemed to dissipate most of it amidst the delicious food and the joy of sharing interesting stories.

Afterwards, Li Xian played with Lingdang for a while the motion-sensing game she had recently become obsessed with, which involved using mental power to control cartoon characters in a simple adventure.

The bell was still being controlled crookedly, but the person continued to do it with great enthusiasm.

Time slipped away in this relaxed atmosphere.

A quarter past eight o'clock in the evening, the door lock turned, and Li Yu returned.

Unlike the slightly tired look of the previous few days, Li Yu looked quite energetic today, with a relaxed and slightly excited expression on her face.

She changed out of her instructor's uniform and sat on the sofa in comfortable home clothes.

First, she gently rubbed the head of the girl named Lingdang who had come closer (Lingdang obediently called her "Auntie"), then looked at Li Xian, who was slumped on the other side.

"Brother, Bell, I'm back. Wow, you ate well tonight, even lava cake?"

Li Yu sniffed the lingering fragrance in the air and smiled.

"For someone to atone for their sins."

Lingdang was quick to complain, pointing at Li Xian.

He was way late picking me up from school this afternoon! He made me wait for him alone at the school gate!

Li Yu immediately glared at Li Xian.

"Brother! What's wrong with you? You made Lingdang wait so long on the first day? That was dangerous!"

"It's my fault, it's my fault."

Li Xian raised his hands in surrender and readily admitted his mistake.

"I forgot while writing, I promise it won't happen again. Bell has already forgiven me with double the food."

Li Yu glanced at Lingdang and realized she didn't seem angry anymore, so she let Li Xian go and started talking about what had happened that day.

"Speaking of which, these past few days have been really strange."

Li Yu took the water from Li Xian, her tone incredulous.

"Near Jiangcheng, let alone high-level beasts, even mid-level ones are rare. The patrol missions have become much easier. Chen Zhe and I went to check out some of the 'disaster areas' that used to be frequented by B-level and A-level beasts, and found... completely clean! There wasn't even a decent beast nest left! It was as if something had plowed through the area overnight."

As she spoke, she herself found it somewhat unbelievable.

"Although Jiangcheng isn't exactly a megacity, the fact that they could clear away all the surrounding hazards so thoroughly in just a few days... what level of power could do that? I certainly couldn't do that right now."

Li Xian listened without changing his expression, silently nodding to himself: Yes, I did it, no need to thank me. It was mainly for the ingredients, and incidentally to maintain city order.

Li Yu didn't notice her brother's subtle expression and continued sharing news from a higher level.

"By the way, brother, do you remember Lilith, the 'Witch of Reason' I mentioned before? The one with Sequence 002?"

Li Xian nodded. He was deeply impressed by the girl who displayed amazing power and a cool temperament when fighting against "Abyss Echoes" in the live broadcast.

"I heard her mental strength is nearing the threshold of breaking through the 100,000 mark!"

Li Yu's tone was filled with undisguised admiration and longing.

"If she succeeds, she will be the first human ability user in the world to definitively enter the SS-level realm! A true pinnacle existence! That's incredible... My current mental strength is only just reaching the 30,000 threshold. We're both S-level, but the difference is simply..."

She shook her head, feeling both envious and wistful.

SS-class?

One hundred thousand mental strength?

Li Xian raised an eyebrow. Indeed impressive.

His interest in Lilith grew even stronger.

Judging from her sister's tone, it seems that Li Yu admires Lilith quite a bit?

Moreover, that ability to "reconstruct everything" sounds incredibly practical and powerful. If we could replicate and optimize it...

Hmm, wouldn't it be much more convenient to repair things, build things, and even improve the environment in the future? Let's find an opportunity to "bump into" each other.

While secretly plotting something, Li Xian simply said "Oh" to indicate that he understood.

After chatting about everyday things for a while, Li Xian felt the time was right and casually started to speak.

"Xiaoyu, I need to talk to you about something."

"Hmm? What is it?" Li Yu looked at him.

"Look, Lingdang is in school now, and the expenses are considerable. My novel royalties... are quite unstable. I'm thinking of finding a more stable job to help support the family."

Li Xian spoke in a tone that was as calm as possible.

"Aren't you in the Special Abilities Bureau? Does the bureau have any... well, relatively easy positions that are suitable for someone like me with special abilities but who doesn't want to be too overworked? Like clerical work? Logistics? Or something that involves occasional fieldwork and handling minor troubles?"

Upon hearing this, Li Yu carefully examined Li Xian, seemingly trying to find evidence of his "gender change" on his face.

After all, her brother's "laziness" was ingrained in his bones.

"Brother, do you really want to find a job? To join the Bureau of Supernatural Abilities?" Li Yu asked to confirm.

"Well, I can't expect the two of you to support me."

Li Xian had a "I'm responsible too" expression on his face.

Li Yu thought for a moment and asked, "So, do you have a clear understanding of your own abilities now? How much mental strength do you have? This is very important, as it relates to what kind of position you can be assigned."

Li Xian had already prepared his explanation.

He was previously registered as having "sequence number around 7,800, with weak psychokinetic abilities".

But now, in order to access more valuable positions (which would make it easier for him to slack off and gather information), he needs to make some "adjustments."

He showed a slightly embarrassed and "just figured it out" expression.

"Um... I might have been mistaken before. Recently, since Lingdang isn't at school, I've had some free time, so I've been carefully sensing and practicing... It seems to be more than just ordinary weak telekinesis. As for mental energy... it's around three thousand?"

"Three thousand?!"

Li Yu almost jumped up from the sofa, her eyes wide open.

"Mid-stage B-rank?! Bro, are you sure you're not mistaken? How could your mental strength, with a sequence of over 7,000, increase so quickly?! And you've only been awakened for a short time?!"

She herself is Sequence 016, with top-notch talent and the support of the Bureau of Supernatural Abilities. After years of hard training, her mental strength has only just reached 30,000.

Dude, how could your mental strength jump to 3,000 in just a few months with a "low-sequence" ability? That doesn't make sense!

Li Xian had anticipated his sister's reaction and calmly continued making things up.

"I also found it strange. After carefully 'sensing' my ability, it seems... not entirely telekinesis. It's more like some kind of... 'strong telekinesis'? Or 'mental interference'? The range isn't large, but the intensity and precision seem to be much higher than ordinary telekinesis. The sense of sequence is also clearer; it seems not to be over seven thousand, but... over two hundred?"

He reported the numbers higher, but not too outrageously.

Two hundred and above is considered excellent in the "All Souls Sequence," but it won't attract as much attention as the top ten.

"Over two hundred?! Powerful telekinesis?!"

Li Yu was even more shocked, but her shock was mixed with a sense of realization.

"That explains it! If it's an ability from the top 300 in the sequence, faster growth and a higher mental foundation are possible! Bro, you really were... too careless before! You could even misjudge something so important!"

She was somewhat reproachful, but mostly happy for her brother.

With a sequence score of over 200 and a mental strength of 3,000, this person would be an elite worth cultivating anywhere!

Even though she's older and started late, with her foundation and potential, getting into the Superpower Bureau is definitely not a problem!

"Perhaps it's because it's still unstable after just awakening."

Li Xian shifted the blame to "the dramatic changes in the world".

"So... do you see any suitable positions within the bureau?"

Li Yu began to think excitedly.

"Given your current qualifications... going straight into combat units might be too physically demanding, and you might not like it. A civilian logistics role would be a bit of a waste... Oh, right!"

Her eyes lit up.

"The bureau is currently expanding the 'Urban Rapid Response and Abnormal Event Handling Team,' or 'Rapid Response Team' for short."

"It mainly involves handling small-scale incidents involving supernatural abilities or monster invasions that occur suddenly in the city, or assisting the police in resolving civil disputes and public security cases related to people with supernatural abilities."

"It requires some combat capability, but not the constant high threat level of frontline troops. There's a stipend for missions, and you have relatively more freedom when not on duty; you can stay at the bureau or handle some paperwork. I think it suits you quite well! It allows you to utilize your abilities without being too restrictive!"

A rapid response team? To handle "minor troubles" in the city? Sounds... pretty good.

It allows you to legally use your abilities (in a way that fits your character profile), encounter various events (and maybe even "find" new abilities or ingredients), while also offering a degree of freedom. The income should also be higher than that of a purely clerical job.

Li Xian was basically satisfied, but his face still showed that lazy look.

"Sounds alright... I don't have to work in the office every day, right?"

"No need! We'll be deployed when there's a mission, and when there's no mission, we can stay in the break room at the bureau or go home to wait for orders, but we need to keep our communication channels open so we can get there at any time," Li Yu explained.

"However, onboarding definitely requires assessment and training. Even if I recommend you, you still have to go through the basic procedures and tests. Bro, are you sure you're okay with that?"

Assessment? Test? Li Xian felt no pressure at all.

With his current strength and control, it would be as easy as breathing for him to portray a level of "over 200 in sequence, 3,000 in mental power, and proficient in strong telekinesis," and he could also conveniently portray "poor control" (to fit the novice character).

"Okay, you ask around for me. It would be great if it works out, but we'll see if it doesn't." Li Xian made the decision.

"Leave it to me!"

Li Yu patted her chest and assured him that she was happy to be able to do something for her brother.

"I'll mention it to our branch chief tomorrow! With your current qualifications, it shouldn't be a problem!"

With the matter settled, the atmosphere in the living room became more relaxed.

Lingdang was already leaning against Li Xian and yawning.

Li Yu chatted for a few more minutes about interesting things that happened at the bureau, then urged Lingdang to wash up and go to bed.

Watching Lingdang being taken to the bathroom by Li Yu, Li Xian slumped back onto the sofa, gazing at the night sky outside the window.

"Quick Response Team... Lilith... SS-rank..." He muttered to himself, a barely perceptible smile curving his lips.

The peaceful life of salted fish seems to be about to turn a new page.