Regarding the matter of awakening lightning abilities after transformation

"Watch the Spring Festival Gala live, and we'll eat after the countdown." Gu Cheng smiled calmly, put the pre-cooked chicken wings into the pot, and soon the sound of oil sizzling could be heard from the kitchen.

......

People sat around a square table, surrounded by the fragrant aroma of delicious food under the orange lamplight.

Gu Cheng sat upright and dignifiedly, occasionally picking up some food and taking small bites. As for An Zhishui across the table, her face was as red as an apple. She had been drinking non-stop since dinner and had already drunk three or four cans.

Jiang Xuewei, mindful of the special occasion, didn't stop An Zhi from continuing to drink. Under the guise of picking up food, she secretly added some fruit juice to An Zhi's water glass.

Seeing this, Ling Yi gently nudged Gu Cheng, her gaze lingering on the beer can beside An Zhishui, her face full of curiosity.

Gu Cheng would never allow a minor to drink alcohol. She shook her head at Ling Yi and picked up the juice from the table to fill her glass.

"Drink this, that stuff tastes very bitter."

It's so bitter, so why is Sister An still drinking it? Ling Yi was confused, but she still believed what Gu Cheng said and took a sip of the juice.

Seeing Ling Yi obediently listen, Gu Cheng gently lifted her chin, a faint trace of loneliness flashing in her light brown pupils.

An Zhishui chuckled and pouted slightly: "Cheers, everyone~" The group clinked glasses, their long shadows cast on the smooth marble floor by the light.

The television was playing the Spring Festival Gala address. Gu Cheng gently stroked the cup, her eyes light and clear. She heard a pleasant female voice in her mind.

Happy New Year, Gu Cheng.

"That awkward girl is actually quite eloquent," Gu Cheng thought to herself with a slight smile. "Happy New Year to you too." She hoped the other Miss Gu would continue to guide her in the new year.

Gu Chengyan smiled gently, tilting her head slightly to speak in a voice only they could hear.

"We can meet again once things are settled. Miss Su should be very pleased to see you now."

Have a happy Chinese New Year!

The girl looked up and around. An Zhishui, her cheeks flushed, nestled softly in her lover's arms. Jiang Xuewei carefully fed her, bit by bit, a far cry from her usual serious and abstinent strong woman demeanor.

As the New Year approached, she muttered to herself, and saw Jiang Xuewei lean down and kiss An Zhishui. The latter let out a soft moan and wrapped her arms around An Zhishui's waist.

It seems there will be a fierce battle tonight. Gu Cheng patted Ling Yi's head to signal her to continue eating, while he pulled out a chair and walked towards the bedroom.

She took a stack of Xuan paper from the bedside table and lightly dipped her brush into the inkstone.

"Red plum blossoms brave the winter snow, green willows sprout catkins to welcome the new spring." (Horizontal scroll: Happy Spring Festival)

......

In the northern capital of China, Su Wanxi sat alone in the music room, her fingers gently touching the piano keys.

Even the reunion dinner on New Year's Eve was unusually quiet. After returning from Su Changqing's place, Old Master Su had already fallen asleep, and the entire manor was silent. Apart from the security guards, only she and Yue Liang were awake.

The melodious piano music flowed from her fingertips, the rhythm slowing down with each movement. Melancholy and tenderness blended into the clear night sky. The woman closed her eyes, her delicate, upturned eyelashes tinged with a gentle silver-white by the moonlight.

"The Street Where the Wind Dwells," composed by Yukiko Isomura, is extremely challenging for beginners, but Su Wanxi, with her rich experience, finds it incredibly easy to play.

During a family dinner, Su Wanshan mentioned that he and Song Yuling would be holding their wedding ceremony this June and asked if she had time to be a bridesmaid.

Su Wanxi answered yes, took a sip of red wine, and glanced at Su Changqing out of the corner of her eye. The latter was as serious as ever, but his eyes revealed undisguised satisfaction.

The older brother and Song Yuling are a perfect match; even across half a table, Su Wanxi could feel the sweetness between them.

If one day she brings the person she loves home, will they also... play a wrong key, causing the piano music to suddenly become shrill?

Su Wanxi put on a light coat and got up. She walked to the window and saw a burst of fireworks in the distant sky.

Chapter 224 Admission Ticket (Section 229)

After confirming that she had brought her bank card, ID card, change of clothes, and Ling Yi's teddy bear, Gu Cheng pulled on her suitcase and roughly weighed it.

A dozen kilograms wasn't too heavy for an awakened person. She turned her head to look at the black-haired woman behind her who was bending over and checking her luggage: "Sister Xuewei, why are you in such a hurry to change your accommodation?"

Today, they were supposed to attend Professor Brooke's seminar, but Jiang Xuewei suddenly hurriedly told them to pack their things. It had only been half a week since they moved to the hotel, and normally they would have a week and a half to consider changing accommodations.

Jiang Xuewei paused upon hearing this, then gently touched the suitcase with her fingers and said, "It's not about changing accommodations; we're going straight back to China this time."

Gu Cheng sensed a hint of urgency in the other person's tone. She remembered that An Zhishui's flight was scheduled for next weekend, but the other person had changed their plans at the last minute. She pursed her lips and tentatively asked, "Are we being watched?"

Jiang Xuewei nodded slowly, her gaze deepening: "Yes, this is a necessary result of the contact between Zhishui and the Federal National Security Bureau. They can accept cooperation for the time being, but it is impossible for them to allow such a dangerous awakened person to exist in the territory of Su for a long time."

In this data and information age, the role of mimicry ghosts is far more important than that of actual armed forces.

“All flights and trains to China are closely monitored by the security bureau, so I specifically asked Zhishui to book a few more plane tickets.”

Jiang Xuewei tucked the spare glasses into the interlayer and added, "On the one hand, we're using flight information to mislead the Soviet leadership's assessment of our travel route; on the other hand, we're concealing the exact number of members in the Phantom Mimicry organization."

Having only four is far too meager. If the security bureau successfully identifies the target, the latter will most likely have to resort to force.

"The predecessor of the Federal National Security Agency was the Fifth Directorate of the KGB. We must be very careful when dealing with such a powerful entity." Jiang Xuewei made many pointless arrangements in St. Petersburg, including, but not limited to, arranging to play cards with her "tools," playing a few rounds of Dulac, or pretending to meet with informants under the guise of dating, or dancing with young people in the square. All of these actions were aimed at slowing down the Security Agency's investigation.

"Give me the suitcase first." Gu Cheng obediently complied, and the next second, Jiang Xuewei shoved the suitcase, which was about half a person's height, into the shadows.

She rubbed her temples, her voice weary: "I have to go to Pulkovo International Airport right away. Gu Cheng, you take Ling Yi and An Zhishui to wait near the lecture hall."

Jiang Xuewei took out three lecture tickets from her pocket, handed them to Gu Cheng, and told her to keep them safe.

“An Zhishui has changed seats. Originally, the tickets that the Security Bureau was monitoring were in row 4 of section A, but now they are in row 11 of section D.” Gu Cheng took the ticket. The plastic paper still retained the warmth of the woman’s body. Jiang Xuewei got up to tie her scarf and put on a pair of sunglasses.

Special times call for special measures... It seems they're going to sneak back to China this time... Gu Cheng vaguely guessed what the other party was planning to do. She gave Jiang Xuewei a reassuring look and turned to greet the two little girls, one big and one small.

......

Professor Brooke's symposium was held at the Collins Conference Hall. The ticket Jiang Xuewei gave her was written in Su language and was titled "How to Fall Asleep Quickly." It sounded like the treatment of insomnia had nothing to do with supernatural abilities. Gu Cheng waited outside the venue as agreed until Jiang Xuewei arrived. The four of them entered the passage and had their tickets checked one by one.

Don't throw away the ticket stub.

Gu Cheng clutched the tattered ticket, glanced at her watch, and saw it was 3:47 PM, thirteen minutes before the meeting.

"What did you put in there? Only luggage?" She opened her spiritual vision and found that both she and Jiang Xuewei's shadows were emitting a faint golden light.

The woman shook her head and answered in a barely audible voice, "Two pistols, three AK12s, the corresponding ammunition, and a few stun grenades."

As soon as she finished speaking, she pointed to Gu Cheng's side and said, "You have a little less here. Besides the spare magazines, you only have two pairs of leather boots and a military mask to protect against stun grenades."

Good heavens, is she here to listen to a lecture or to carry out a terrorist attack? Gu Cheng lightly touched her left chest, where there was a faint bulge near the inner pocket of her shirt.

After sitting down in Section D, the entire venue was noisy and bustling with conversations and footsteps. Ling Yi was shy and not used to so many people, so she hid her face in the hood and held Gu Cheng's right arm tightly with both hands.

"Why is Ling Yi coming too?" Gu Cheng asked Jiang Xuewei.

The latter tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said calmly, "If only Ling Yi and An Zhishui are left in the hotel, they have no fighting ability and nowhere to escape."

After a moment of contemplation, Gu Cheng realized that the situation was worse than they had imagined, and that they might have inadvertently overestimated the Security Bureau's tolerance.

Looking up and around, besides the typical Soviet people, she saw many other faces, including friendly fellow Chinese, as well as Germans with sunken eyes and dark-skinned Africans.

At that time, all countries will send awakened individuals to intervene... Jiang Xuewei's words echoed in his ears. Gu Cheng opened his spiritual vision again. In front of the magnificent Collins Grand Hall, countless golden light points intertwined and collided.

Chapter 225, Section 230: Chester Brook

Gu Cheng had never seen so many Awakened Ones before. Activating her spiritual vision, she saw the entire venue shrouded in a golden veil. She even had the illusion that there was no need to turn on the dome lights, as the bustling crowd was the best light source for the symposium.

There are approximately ten thousand registered Awakened in China, and at this moment, hundreds of representatives from various countries gathered at the venue possess supernatural abilities.

"Observe carefully, there aren't as many Awakened as you think," Gu Chengyan reminded him.

Gu Cheng narrowed his eyes and quickly realized that what the other party said was true. There were indeed quite a few awakened people, but most of them were ordinary people who were forced to be tainted by the light particles. However, the latter were too insignificant in front of the dazzling golden tide and were easily overlooked.

There should be a little over two hundred, but no more than three hundred at most. Gu Cheng frowned and shut down her spiritual vision, shifting her gaze to her right. Jiang Xuewei sat calmly in her seat, arms crossed, her slender right leg, encased in black boots, slightly raised.

It seemed that everything had been planned in advance... The other party's confident attitude successfully dispelled the girl's doubts, so she simply relaxed her back and placed her hands on the armrests of the seat.

"Want some chewing gum?" Jiang Xuewei asked her.

Gu Cheng nodded and took it, glancing at An Zhishui, who was browsing the St. Petersburg University campus forum on her phone, her cheeks bathed in a faint blue light.

Gu Cheng didn't ask Jiang Xuewei what she was doing at Pulkovo International Airport, nor did she ask what arrangements the other party had made. The long-standing tacit understanding told her that everything was still under control.

"Professor Brooke's seminar is open to the entire Awakened community, and various countries are sending people to attend... The claim on the tickets that it treats insomnia is just a facade for ordinary people. After the lecture, the Security Bureau will conduct a second round of screening." Jiang Xuewei's voice was very soft, but her pace was exceptionally fast.

"Once the lecture begins, you can raise your hand if you have any questions. We've chosen to skip this part."

The mimicry ghost has been making enough moves lately, and with so many eyes watching, it wouldn't be good to stand out any longer.

Gu Cheng took out the Colt python hidden in her inner shirt and quickly assembled it under the cover of her trench coat, while asking in a low voice, "What do you need me to do?"

Loading bullets, sliding the cylinder, and flipping up the magazine, the silver-white barrel was slightly warm from his body heat. Gu Cheng looked at his old friend in his hand with a deep gaze.

Jiang Xuewei tapped her thigh lightly with her fingers, the delicate fabric of the stockings sinking and bouncing with the movement. She narrowed her eyes almost imperceptibly: "Be wary of any possible accidents."

As they were speaking, a thin, blond man in a suit walked onto the stage.

"It's an honor to meet you all." He was about fifty years old, with wrinkled skin, a slight stubble, silver strands at his temples, sunken eyes, but his back was very straight.

"Let me start with a brief self-introduction. I am Chester Brook, a graduate of St. Petersburg State Pedagogical University. I prefer to be called Professor Brook rather than Chester." The man looked down at the room, his tone confident and calm.

"I'm sure you ladies and gentlemen have come all this way and are quite eager to get started, so let's get straight to the point."

Professor Brooke paused, then smiled and asked, "How do you achieve rapid sleep?"

......

For a full hour and a half, Professor Brooke didn't mention anything about supernatural abilities. He talked about everything from what sleep is to several triggers for insomnia, and finally even promoted his friend's book "To Sleep," which he wrote and published last year.

Gu Cheng listened patiently as the other person finished speaking, and a wave of weariness washed over her. She secretly thought to herself that she should really record this lecture; it would probably be quite effective if she had insomnia and listened to it for a while.

Ling was tired from listening to the music early in the morning and was now taking a nap on Gu Cheng's lap. An Zhishui was not much better off, burying her head in Jiang Xuewei's arms and occasionally nuzzling against her to show that she was still alive.

Tourists left in twos and threes. After a while, Gu Cheng noticed someone in the front row checking ticket stubs. She looked up and exchanged a glance with Jiang Xuewei before slowly taking out the damaged ticket.

"Ding~" The machine made a soft sound as it scanned the tickets. The person in charge of checking the tickets stared at them for a while, and after confirming that everything was correct, he moved on to checking the next group, wondering to himself why the delegations were sitting separately.

After the ticket inspectors walked away, Jiang Xuewei said softly, "They are all from the Federal National Security Agency, mainly responsible for maintaining order at the scene."

So, "potential accidents" means there's a problem with the security bureau? Gu Cheng touched her chin, her fingertip gently touching the corner of her lips.

Just then, Professor Brooke seemed to receive some feedback, and he leaned forward and rested his arms on the podium.

"I won't go into details about treating insomnia; those interested can contact me privately. Now, let's move on to the next topic." The man covered his chest with one hand, bowed sincerely, and a screen of light appeared out of thin air where his palm was facing.

Gu Cheng initially thought it was a projector on the stage, but Professor Brooke suddenly reached out and pulled the screen, kneading it into a small ball of Su Wen.

"The content of this symposium is mainly based on 'A Detailed Analysis and Subsequent Speculations on Goebbels' Theory'."