Who said this card is outrageous?

Zhang Che didn't ask any further questions. He replied "Received" and then put down his phone.

However, when the appointed time came, the person who came to pick up Zhang Che was someone he didn't expect.

A black official car stopped in front of Binhai University. The window rolled down, revealing a young face. Fu Xing sat in the driver's seat, wearing a dark blue jacket, his hair meticulously styled, looking more professional than a chauffeur.

"Second brother? Why are you here?" Zhang Che couldn't help but laugh when he saw Fu Xing's appearance.

Then he opened the car door, sat in the passenger seat, and looked at his brother who was driving him, feeling somewhat surprised.

"Sigh, my dad just conscripted me." Fu Xing also looked miserable, skillfully starting the car and driving onto the main road. "My dad heard that we're friends, so he asked me to bring you home. He said it's just a family dinner, a chance for everyone to have a meal and get to know each other."

Zhang Che opened his mouth, about to ask something, when Fu Xing quickly interrupted him.

"Don't ask me why, I don't know anything myself." Fu Xing looked at the road ahead, his tone tinged with annoyance. "I hate these politicians' roundabout ways the most. Why can't they just say what they mean? Why do they have to beat around the bush? If it weren't for the fact that it was my own father who gave the order this time, I wouldn't bother with them at all."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Che swallowed the question that was about to be asked, leaned back in his chair, and said nothing more.

During their casual conversation on the road, Zhang Che learned from Fu Xing that he hadn't seen him for a long time since his father took up the position of mayor of Binhai City.

Even after Fu Xing was admitted to Binhai University, he mostly lived in the school dormitory to keep his identity a secret, only staying at his father's place occasionally during holidays.

The car drove through several main streets and turned into a relatively quiet upscale residential area, which was basically reserved for people from the city hall.

The buildings here are shorter than those in the city center, mostly two- or three-story detached houses, with more lush greenery in the courtyards and far fewer pedestrians on the streets.

The mayor, a key target, was not in town during the previous attack, which meant this area was not targeted and thus remained relatively intact.

The car finally stopped in front of a three-story villa. The villa had an understated and elegant style, with gray and white exterior walls, a dark gray roof, and several osmanthus trees in the yard, under which was a stone table and benches.

There were no guards or sentries at the gate, not even a doorbell. Compared to the residences of other high-ranking officials in Binhai City, this house seemed remarkably ordinary.

If Fu Xing hadn't personally said that this was the mayor's house, Zhang Che would never have associated this place with the words "mayor's official residence."

Fu Xing parked the car, led Zhang Che across the courtyard, pushed open the gate, and met Yu Xingye in person.

He looked to be around fifty years old, rather thin, with gray hair, wearing silver-rimmed glasses and a dark gray wool sweater, without a suit jacket. He seemed much more approachable than in the news.

"Xiao Zhang is here?" Yu Xingye stood up from the sofa with a smile on his face. "Come, sit down, don't be shy."

Zhang Che walked over and sat down on the sofa opposite him. Fu Xing sat down next to him and picked up an orange from the coffee table to peel.

“Xiao Zhang, I haven’t had a chance to thank you in person about Fu Xing’s matter.” Yu Xingye got straight to the point and didn’t beat around the bush. “If it weren’t for the card you gave him, I might never have seen my son again.”

His tone was calm, but Zhang Che noticed that his fingers, holding the teacup, tightened slightly as he spoke.

At this point, Yu Xingye was no longer a politician, but simply a father.

He had served as mayor of this city for several years, witnessed many storms, and dealt with various thorny problems. He believed that he would no longer be easily moved by anything.

But when Zhong Huaiyuan sent him the battle footage of the city guard camp that day, he was sitting in a hotel in the provincial capital, watching his son being punched away by a fourth-level superhuman on the screen, his back soaked with cold sweat.

He originally thought that by leaving his son in the city, even if the fishmen or mind-eating demons caused a great disturbance outside, it would have nothing to do with him.

But when danger actually befell his son, all his preparations became futile. If it weren't for the card Zhang Che gave him evolving into a Tyrannosaurus Rex at the crucial moment, he probably would have only seen his son's corpse.

"Mayor Yu, you're too kind," Zhang Che replied. "Fu Xing is my friend, so it's only right that I help him."

Yu Xingye nodded, not dwelling on the topic any further. As a politician, he knew all too well that words were sometimes less valuable than toilet paper.

True gratitude should be shown through concrete actions and tangible benefits.

What a coincidence, their family doesn't actually lack these things!

He put down his teacup and adopted a more formal tone.

“Of course, I invited you here today not just for family matters.” Yu Xingye’s gaze fell on Zhang Che’s face. “I have already learned about what you did in Binhai City from Commander Zhong.”

“I know everything clearly.” Yu Xingye emphasized this sentence deliberately.

He paused, then his tone became more serious: "On behalf of all the residents of Binhai City, thank you."

Looking at Yu Xingye's serious face, Zhang Che suddenly realized that there was a reason why this man was able to hold the position of mayor in this city.

Fu Xing sat beside him, having already peeled the orange. He broke off a segment and popped it into his mouth, his eyes darting back and forth between his father and Zhang Che, without saying a word.

Yu Xingye picked up the teapot and poured Zhang Che another cup of tea: "Come, have a taste. This was a gift from a friend in the provincial capital. He said it's a refreshing tea, but I don't know much about it."

Zhang Che accepted the tea with both hands, took a sip, nodded, and then his eyes lit up as he drank all the tea in one gulp.

This is great stuff!

After drinking a cup of tea, Zhang Che could clearly feel that his mental energy had become more solidified.

You should know that he has been working hard to hone his mental power during this period of time, in order to make it more solid, so as to prepare for breaking through to the fourth level.

Now, a cup of tea can save him at least half a month's worth of work!

Unfortunately, the effects of this tea seemed to be limited, and each cup was weaker than the last. After drinking three cups in a row, the feeling of solidifying one's mental energy disappeared.

Seeing this, Yu Xingye poured himself a glass, leaned back on the sofa, and became more relaxed than before.

He began asking about Zhang Che's work and life in a casual tone, and after a few conversations, the atmosphere in the living room became much more harmonious than before.

Chapter 141 Accidentally Entering the Imperial Family?

After dinner, Yu Xingye and Zhang Che talked about the people who had come back with him from the provincial capital.

Officially, they were responsible for exploring the island connected by the Echoing Rift and assisting in the post-war recovery of the coastal city.

The message from the provincial capital was simple: the attack on Binhai City by the Eye of Truth was clearly not a spur-of-the-moment decision. However, the specifics still needed to be investigated by higher-ups, as it involved a force possessing a high-level transcendent expert, and couldn't be clarified in just a day or two.

As for the speculation that the Eye of Truth intended to usurp the city's territory, the provincial capital took it very seriously after receiving the report submitted by Zhong Huaiyuan. A fourth-tier superhuman had been infiltrating the city's guard system for nearly twenty years. If it hadn't been for an accidental exposure, Binhai City would likely have been taken over by the other side without bloodshed in a few years.

If something like this can happen in Binhai City, then it can happen in any other city, or even the provincial capital!

This matter immediately attracted the attention of those above.

Therefore, the provincial capital is preparing to conduct relevant investigations in all areas under its jurisdiction, which will of course be carried out in secret to avoid alerting the enemy.

However, Yu Xingye did not tell Zhang Che these things, because some things are better known to as few people as possible.

……

The conversation quickly turned to Zhang Che's job, with Yu Xingye praising his card-making skills, noting that he was already able to make third-tier purple cards at such a young age!

Zhang Che lowered his head slightly and did not reply.

“With your talent and ability, it’s not impossible for you to advance to the level of a transcendent being in the future.” Yu Xingye’s gaze fell on Zhang Che’s face, with a hint of indescribable emotion.

Is this what other people's children are like?

Then, Yu Xingye, in his capacity as a father, gave his son Fu Xing some advice, saying that he hoped Zhang Che would take good care of him in the future.

Zhang Che quickly chimed in, "Uncle Yu, you're too kind. Fu Xing is my friend. We're just helping each other out; it's only right."

Fu Xing pursed his lips, somewhat helpless at his father's words. He thought to himself that he was now at least a third-tier superhuman, and although he couldn't compare to Zhang Che, that freak, he was still extremely excellent!

Even within the more than thirty-year history of Binhai University, he is a rare talent. The only thing that could hinder his further success now is advancing to the intermediate-level extraordinary rank before graduation.

But Fu Xing wasn't worried about that. Even if he wasn't talented enough, he could get help from external sources, as he had considerable wealth.

In short, the advantage lies with me!

Zhang Che was asked to stay for a while longer, and they chatted for a bit. After checking the time, Zhang Che got up to take his leave and politely declined Yu Xingye's invitation to stay overnight.

Yu Xingye had no choice but to ask Fu Xing to take Zhang Che back, since Fu Xing also knew the way.

On the way back, the two chatted casually, and the streetlights flashed past the car window one after another, casting flickering light on Fu Xing's face.

The conversation naturally turned to Fu Xing's other family members. During dinner, Zhang Che had heard Yu Xingye say that he was actually only sent by the Federation to Binhai City for a position and wouldn't be staying for long; he would probably be leaving in a few years.

As for why the provincial capital didn't send someone to hold this position, there were naturally some political considerations. Yu Xingye didn't elaborate, and Zhang Che naturally didn't ask either.

“My brother is probably exploring a newly discovered high-level rift with Grandpa right now.” Fu Xing gripped the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. “We haven’t been in touch for several months, so I don’t know the specifics.”

Fu Xing picked out a few things to talk about with Zhang Che, but even so, Zhang Che still felt like he had accidentally wandered into the imperial palace.

To explore a high-level rift for the first time, one needs at least a mid-level extraordinary strength; otherwise, one could easily become cannon fodder. Those capable of leading a team to explore this level of rift are at least seventh-tier or higher.

“My maternal grandfather is a seventh-level superhuman.” Fu Xing’s tone was very calm, as if he were saying that the weather was nice today. “I won’t tell you his specific profession, but he’s the kind of person who makes people stand up straight when they see him.”

Zhang Che was silent for a moment, then thought to himself, "Just as I expected."

There are only about ten people in the entire Southeast Province who have reached the highest level of transcendence; they are absolutely superior to others.

No wonder Fu Xing's older siblings were envious of the right to half of their maternal grandfather's property. Not to mention them, Zhang Che himself was also envious.

Then there are Fu Xing's mother and sister. The former is a mid-level transcendent at the fifth rank, but due to her limited talent, even with a father at the upper-level transcendent level, her strength has never been able to break through to the sixth rank.

The older sister is two years older than Fu Xing. She is said to be studying at a university in the Central Plains Province and her strength is at the third level.

It's not too far-fetched to say that an entire family are superhumans. After all, Earth has been tainted by superhuman power overflowing from various rifts for hundreds of years. Even if humans born in the superhuman era don't have high talent, they can still acquire superhuman power through external means.

Among the family members, Yu Xingye's strength is not considered strong, only at the second-tier extraordinary level, but he was not originally going down that path, his main focus was on his career in government.

Federal laws also clearly stipulate that powerful superhumans are mainly responsible for military affairs, while positions like city lords, who are mainly responsible for people's livelihood, are generally required to have strength not exceeding that of lower-level superhumans.

The main concern is that powerful superhumans sometimes overlook the actual needs of ordinary people because of the vast gap between themselves and ordinary people.

After all, for some powerful superhumans, their perspective on ordinary people is no different from how ordinary people view their pets.

They weren't unkind; they were genuinely incapable of empathy. The federal leadership was fully aware of this, which is why they preferred to let those with less power but a greater understanding of the hardships of ordinary people manage the city, rather than take the risk.

Compared to driving ordinary people to the brink of despair, only to have them then be seduced by invaders from beyond the world and launch a massive attack, the human elite still believe that letting them live a better life is more cost-effective.

Moreover, as long as the population base is large enough, even the descendants of ordinary people can produce sufficiently powerful geniuses, such as Zhang Che, whom Yu Xingye cited as an example.

As a native of Binhai City, Zhang Che lost both his parents at a young age, but the relevant information was still preserved and could be easily found.

……

Time flew by as the two chatted. When the car stopped in front of Zhang Che's house, Fu Xing was still a little reluctant to leave, and tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel twice.

Nearly half a month has passed, and with the special care of the repair team, Zhang Che's home has long been rebuilt.

Compared to the old house, the new house has fewer traces of time, but it is much newer and brighter.

"Won't you come in and sit down?" Zhang Che asked, pushing open the car door and turning around.

"Forget it, I still have to go back and report to my dad." Fu Xing shook his head, then, as if remembering something, changed his tone, "Oh right, don't forget my new card."

"Don't worry, I definitely won't forget." Zhang Che waved his hand.

After advancing to the third tier, Fu Xing's mental strength also increased, allowing him to use more cards.

Having already experienced the benefits of Zhang Che's cards, how could he possibly let this opportunity pass? So, on his way back just now, he had already mentioned this to Zhang Che.