Regarding the matter of awakening lightning abilities after transformation

"Well, you're the main attacker, so of course it's up to you." Jiang Xuewei pressed the muzzle of her gun against the wall and fired blindly, all of which were perfectly blocked by the barrier-like transparent shield in mid-air.

She heard the priest muttering about Su Yu, and a muffled groan escaped from the corner of his lips.

Gu Chengyan: "I'll listen to you too, time is running out." Whether to take the initiative or delay and wait for the roadmap, once entangled, the enemy's reinforcements will keep coming... Gu Cheng frowned, her pink lips pressed tightly together.

Jiang Xuewei listed plans from A to G, but none of them provided her with the optimal solution.

"..." Tsk, two thoughts were locked in a fierce battle in his mind.

“I’ll cover your retreat. Once An Zhishui sends the route map, we’ll use the shadows to escape.” After a moment’s thought, Gu Cheng gave up the idea of ​​capturing the priest. Not to mention that the priest’s strength was unknown, the nuns standing next to him were enough to give them a hard time.

The risk was too great; they weren't at the point of fighting to the death with Han Ya. Jiang Xuewei nodded in understanding, bent down, and pulled out a flashbang and two pistol magazines from the girl's shadow.

How many things have you put in my shadow... Jiang Xiaodingdang... Gu Cheng nervously loaded bullets into his revolver, each Magnum flashing with dazzling electric light.

"Bang bang..." With a burst of gunfire, an electric current surged, and fine metal shavings flew wildly, obscuring her vision. Jiang Xuewei responded by throwing a flashbang and sprinting away from the church.

......

"The route map has been sent to my phone. I'll take a look when I have a chance. I can't read it to you in the shadows."

Jiang Xuewei forcefully bent the attacker's hand back, turned around and kicked the cultist who was about to lock her up. On the other hand, ordinary people within half a meter of Gu Cheng were knocked unconscious by electric shocks, and some even suffered endocrine system disorders, making the scene a mess.

"I've memorized the contents of the picture. Let's retreat." Gu Cheng waved his phone at her, a flash of lightning passing through his pupils.

Jiang Xuewei then pulled her into the shadows. The world inside was silent, and the light path beneath their feet was like a mirror reflecting reality.

......

"Father Alexei, the intruders have fled, and our wired network is finally back to normal..."

"Get to the point." Looking at the destroyed underground church and the bronze door that had melted down to just the edges, the priest closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"The other party's intrusion methods were very unusual, and the technicians could not find any access records... Also, three minutes ago, someone reported to the St. Petersburg police station that there was an illegal assembly on Ural Street."

"Heh, at least three Awakened Ones. Looks like the operation needs to be moved up... Wait, you said someone called the police?"

Father Alexei's expression changed several times, and a few seconds later he uttered a standard Chinese curse in Soviet language.

Chapter 221, Section 226: A Huge Sum of Money

Back at her residence, Gu Cheng discovered several wounds on her forearm, which appeared to be grazes from stray bullets. Jiang Xuewei was in no better shape; her right waist had been slashed by a member of the Cold Raven Cult, but through two layers of clothing, it only caused a superficial wound without damaging her internal organs.

The two went to the restroom together. An Zhishui helped pour out the saline solution, gently wiped the wound with a cotton swab, and finally disinfected it with iodine.

"Does it hurt?" An Zhishui asked with concern.

Jiang Xuewei looked at her bandaged waist and abdomen and said calmly, "I can hardly feel anything anymore." This was much easier than the time with Cheng Hao, whose lesson had kept her in the hospital for more than half a month.

Having the ability to fight head-on is really convenient... Jiang Xuewei looked up at Gu Cheng, whose head was hanging down and half of his fair arm was propped up on one side. The gruesome stray bullet wound had stopped bleeding.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," Gu Cheng replied sullenly, raising her hand to brush away the strands of hair clinging to her neck.

Ling Yi also woke up. She smelled the faint scent of blood and came to the bathroom. Gu Cheng stroked the girl's head with his other hand, and the latter took the initiative to move a small stool over and sit down, carefully blowing air on the wound.

Jiang Xuewei's brows relaxed slightly: "Still thinking about the previous decision?" Judging from the results alone, An Zhishui downloaded Han Ya's local files. They only suffered minor injuries during the process of collecting information on the Holy Selection Ceremony, and all objectives were successfully achieved. They also managed to eliminate this small stronghold.

Gu Cheng stiffened for a moment before slowly replying, "Yes, the situation was urgent at the time, and there wasn't much time to consider things. I was wondering if there was any chance..." The possibility of capturing the priest alive was still very low, but the success rate had increased by several points.

"Take your time, we'll have plenty of opportunities." An Zhishui stuffed the used gauze back into the medical kit, and the blood and salt water mixed with the gauze were flushed down the drain.

About fifteen minutes later, the group returned to the living room to sort through their findings for the evening. Jiang Xuewei shared her views on the so-called Holy Selection Ceremony: "Those holy waters must be some kind of hallucinogen, using shock to achieve a temporary near-death effect." The Soviet Union had conducted similar experiments years ago, but they were forced to cancel due to the extremely low success rate. With a probability of one in tens of thousands, awakened individuals are not so easy to find.

"The Raven Cult's doctrines can be definitively declared nonsense. Their training of followers is unlikely to be solely for the purpose of a lottery." An Zhishui swiped the touchpad, and an ID photo appeared on the computer screen. "The Awakener you encountered tonight, Father Alexei, Critical Defense... Ability Strength B+..."

B+ level. Gu Cheng had asked Gu Chengyan, and the latter's ability strength was on par with the priest. No wonder she was so confident that she could break through the opponent's defensive shield.

“There’s also some unexpected intelligence, and I’m considering whether to send this information to the Federal National Security Agency.” An Zhishui took a sip of hot water, her expression unusually serious.

"The data shows that there are people living in various parts of the world. To give a simple example, there are six bishops in the Soviet Union who are in charge of managing dioceses. They are located in Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Volgograd, Murmansk, and St. Petersburg."

"Above the bishops are the archbishops, and I speculate that their abilities may even reach S-level."

The strongest Awakened being Gu Cheng had ever seen was Su Wanxi, whose gravity manipulation strength was A. She could destroy streets and crush metal without even using her full strength. She couldn't even imagine what S-level was above that.

Jiang Xuewei frowned slightly and added gently, "If it's a highly destructive superpower, an S-level power is enough to destroy a small town." That would no longer be considered human; calling it a miniature nuclear bomb would be more appropriate.

The atmosphere grew heavy, and Gu Cheng rubbed her temples to ease the dizziness caused by the explosive news.

Seeing this, An Zhishui blinked and said with a hint of playfulness, "Even if the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up. All countries have more top-notch ability users than Han Ya, they just hide them all usually."

"No matter what, Awakened Ones are still flesh and blood. Just think of them as high-attack, low-defense turret mages in the game."

The number of awakened beings who die from gunfire is far greater than the number of people with other superpowers. Gu Cheng thought about it and realized that An Zhishui was right; she had panicked too much.

“Let’s change the subject. This time, our gains weren’t just intelligence; we also received substantial working capital.” An Zhishui’s lips curled into a smile, her sky-blue eyes brimming with laughter. “After receiving the intelligence, the Federal National Security Agency provided us with a reward of 60 million rubles and expressed their intention to continue cooperation.”

Sixty million rubles is roughly equivalent to a little over five million yuan, which is a huge sum of money as liquid capital.

"Ah Cheng, as agreed, you will receive around 2.16 million, which I will transfer through an overseas account."

There was also an unexpected bonus. Gu Cheng was stunned when she heard the amount. The most An Zhishui had ever gotten for her before was just over 50,000 yuan.

"..."

"Half of it, transfer it to my account."

"What about the other half?" An Zhishui asked her.

Gu Cheng pursed her lips, her gaze deepening. She inexplicably recalled a sentence Su Wanxi had once said: "There is never a shortage of bread in the house, only a lady of the house who can bake bread."

"If we can guarantee that we won't be tracked down, we can donate in the name of a wealthy foreign businessman to the Lanjiang Sunshine Welfare Home."

Chapter 222, Section 227: Nowhere to Place My Longing

Winter comes earlier in St. Petersburg than in Lanjiang. At the end of November, snowflakes fluttered down and covered the ground. Gu Cheng placed her hand on the hotel’s floor-to-ceiling window and looked down at the northern city shrouded in darkness and snow. Unbeknownst to her, she had been in the Soviet Union for more than half a year. Her originally hesitant Soviet language was now fluent, and she could talk to people without any suburban accent.

She has made some progress in gun shooting, close combat, and other skills after long-term special training. Now, without using her superpowers, she can suppress Jiang Xuewei within five minutes. If she uses her powers, this time will be even shorter.

After standing there for a long time, a faint light appeared on the horizon. The morning sun gilded the towering Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood with a hazy and solemn golden glow. Gu Cheng, wearing a thin coat, gently pressed her forehead against the windowsill.

"Sister?" A soft, sweet female voice came from behind. Gu Cheng turned around and was greeted by a delicate, snow-white baby face.

The black-haired little girl wore a fluffy bunny pajama, her small feet on the carpet, her eyes filled with the dazed and confused look of someone who had just woken up. Ling Yi was a light sleeper, and An Zhishui's practice of regularly changing her residence was indeed difficult for her sometimes.

Gu Cheng sat down on the edge of the bed and gently comforted him. She picked up her favorite brown bear plush toy and waved it back and forth in front of Ling Yi's eyes.

The girl rubbed her eyes sleepily, yawned while hugging the bear, and then lay down to rest. Gu Cheng got up to cover her with the quilt, her gaze gradually softening.

More than a month ago, they assisted the Federal National Security Agency in eliminating the Jackdaws stronghold on Ural Street in St. Petersburg. An Zhishui took this opportunity to directly contact the Soviet Union's high-ranking officials. After reaching some unknown deals, the other party began a large-scale purge of the Jackdaws' forces in the area.

Jiang Xuewei believed that the people in the Security Bureau could not be completely trusted. All the arrangements were still being carried out in the dark. As time went by, their return to China was getting closer and closer.

"All indications suggest that Lin Shusheng, codenamed Omnipotent, is also a member of the Raven Crow, but what is most noteworthy is not just that. The intelligence compiled by the Security Bureau includes this piece of information."

“Father Alexei originally had a C+ level of ability, but after being helped by a Chinese bishop, he was upgraded to B level.”

"It mentions the bishop's specific ability code name: Split Rift Repair." Jiang Xuewei observed Gu Cheng's expression as she spoke, and the latter, resting her chin on her hand, showed no excessive reaction.

It seems she doesn't know... Jiang Xuewei paused and continued to explain: "I fought him in Lanjiang.

Upon hearing the familiar place name, Gu Cheng frowned but quickly relaxed, and asked gently, "To save Ling Yi?"

Jiang Xuewei nodded, and after a long pause, she replied, "Yes, his ability is very strange... more special than any other awakened person I've ever met. If it weren't for Ling Yi's help, I wouldn't be sitting here now."

"His name is Cheng Hao. Before the Hermit Bureau was dismantled, this man was Song Shiyan's superior."

The more she knew, the more disappointed she became... What should she do...? Her calm breaths hit the glass, creating a thin mist. Gu Cheng reached out and wiped it away, letting her thoughts return to reality.

......

The next day at noon, Jiang Xuewei took the opportunity of lunch to chat with Gu Cheng about the current situation in China. She mentioned that Qin Kexin is now a key figure being cultivated by the military, and the higher-ups attach great importance to the ability of mental communication, with various subsidies arranged for her.

Qi Bei wasn't so lucky. He wasn't valued because of his resume, but fortunately, he was experienced in dealing with cracks, and the team would occasionally ask for his opinion.

With Zhou Li's death in the line of duty and Su Wanxi's departure to Beidu, there are few left in the Lanjiang Special Operations Group who can be called seniors. Gu Cheng's eyes narrowed slightly, and her hand holding the chopsticks paused unconsciously.

She suddenly felt that ability users were like expendable resources; once one batch died, another would take their place. Tragically, everyone had their own misfortunes, and the cracks would never stop forming. They could only try to fill the gaps with their lives, like drinking poison to quench their thirst.

"What about Lin Li?" Gu Cheng asked. She hadn't had much contact with the boy, but from the few times they had met, they seemed to get along quite well. He looked a bit like Qin Jin when they were young.

Jiang Xuewei adjusted her skirt and said calmly, "He was assigned to the logistics department and hasn't been on the battlefield much."

She dreamed of saving the world every day, but in the end she was assigned a semi-idle job. From another perspective, managing logistics was at least less dangerous. She didn't know whether Lin Li was lucky or unlucky.

Until lunch was over, Jiang Xuewei remained silent about Su Wanxi. She noticed that Gu Cheng's eyes occasionally revealed unadorned tenderness and affection, so she simply waited for the other party to ask.

"Is there anything else?" Gu Cheng picked up the used bowls and chopsticks from the dining table, turned around, and went into the kitchen.

Jiang Xuewei was lost in thought for a moment upon hearing this, then replied calmly, "It's alright, you go wash the dishes first." Unexpectedly, the girl quickly composed herself, as if that tender moment had never existed.

“There will be a speech in February, at which time various countries will send awakened individuals to participate, and we can go and listen in.”

"The speaker for this session is Professor Brooke, a highly authoritative researcher of paranormal phenomena in the field."

Chapter 223, Section 228: Old Dreams of a Foreign Land

According to Jiang Xuewei's plan, they would return to China a week after Professor Brooke's lecture, so they could only spend the New Year in St. Petersburg. On New Year's Eve, everyone put aside their training and work and went to the mall to buy fillings for making dumplings, including pork, eggs, shrimp, celery and leeks.

Gu Cheng is not a picky eater, An Zhishui prefers shrimp filling, and Ling Yi has never eaten dumplings before, but just sits on a small stool to help hand out the dough.

Halfway through packing, Jiang Xuewei entered carrying two large bottles of juice, her hair and collar covered in tiny snowflakes.

Shaking the long leather boots she placed in the shoe cabinet, Jiang Xuewei looked up and said, "I asked someone to bring me a few cans of beer. I'll go out and get them later." She had originally planned to drink some vodka, but considering that they were celebrating the Spring Festival, drinking foreign alcohol would be a bit informal, so she changed it to Laoshan beer, which has a lower alcohol content.

Don't get drunk, just enjoy the atmosphere.

After a while, Gu Cheng finished wrapping the fillings in front of her. She got up to cook some other dishes, and Jiang Xuewei, having nothing else to do, also put on an apron to help.

Steamed sea bass, cola chicken wings, home-style tofu, garlic vermicelli shrimp... The girls couldn't actually eat that much, but it's Chinese New Year, so it looks nice to make more. Gu Cheng already knew that the whole table of food might have to be left until tomorrow night to finish.

"What time do you plan to eat dumplings?" Jiang Xuewei asked as she removed the fish scales, taking the ginger slices and scallion segments that Gu Cheng handed her.

There is a time difference between St. Petersburg and Beijing, about five hours earlier. While it's New Year's Eve in China, it's not even 7 a.m. here.