Deng Yuqi gave Shen Ge a helpless look. “We’re soldiers, not cavemen. The dorms come fully furnished with appliances—one bedroom, one living room, and a bathroom. There are also guards on patrol at night. Besides our special operations agents, researchers live there too, so security is naturally a priority.”

“Guess I’ll sell my place and move into the dorms, then,” Shen Ge said.

After finishing the paperwork, Deng Yuqi turned to him with a serious expression. “I understand what you’ve been through, and I can guess why you’re the way you are now. But both your mental and physical state can be trained. You can become a qualified soldier.”

“However, headquarters gave three reasons for rejecting your application. Aside from those two, there’s a third—the biggest factor.”

“Which is?” Shen Ge asked.

“You’re holding back from the Special Operations Department. It’s something any normal person would do, but it has become an obstacle in your screening process.”

Deng Yuqi’s voice grew solemn. “Headquarters analyzed the rooftop footage where you dealt with the anomaly. They concluded that your methods were too precise, your demeanor too calm… as if you were already familiar with anomalies, not like it was your first encounter, as you claimed.”

“But whether it was headquarters or our branch, after reviewing surveillance from areas you frequented in recent years, there was no evidence you’d ever come into contact with anomalies before the rooftop incident.”

“Headquarters even sent someone to infiltrate your home for a search, but…” Deng Yuqi’s expression turned odd.

Shen Ge raised an eyebrow. “But what?”

At the mention of a home search, Shen Ge’s heart skipped a beat—but then he remembered the pencil leads and strands of hair he’d left on the doors and windows, the dust on the handles, all undisturbed. No one had actually entered.

If they had, the stash under his bed would’ve made for an interesting discovery.

Blame the garbage system for not even giving me an inventory space!

“Could you please watch fewer spy movies? You’ve got the most advanced one-time-use smart lock—without

a backup key. What if it breaks and you can’t even get in yourself? Not to mention the three surveillance cameras at your door, one hidden in a flowerpot. Aren’t you worried your neighbors will report you for voyeurism?”

“And that’s not all. Hair strands and pencil leads on the lock. Deliberately placed dust on the doorknob, arranged in a pattern. Morse code etched on the inside with toothpicks… If I hadn’t intervened and stopped headquarters’ investigation, you’d have been flagged as a spy. You realize that, right?” Deng Yuqi said, exasperated.

Shen Ge shrugged. “But you were planning to break in. Isn’t that a violation of human rights?”

“I won’t deny it, but sometimes, we have no choice,” Deng Yuqi admitted with a sigh.

Shen Ge smirked. “And if you had found something? Next step would’ve been making me ‘disappear,’ right? Who’d handle that—the Special Operations Department?”

“It’s not as dark as you think. You have to understand—we’re not dealing with ordinary enemies. These are anomalies. We need to ensure every recruit is clean, at least not a foreign operative. If someone with ulterior motives targeted our researchers or tampered with contained anomalies, it’d be a massive blow to our operations.”

“But don’t worry. As your sponsor, I halted further investigations. This is our respect for you—and our ‘sincerity’ in inviting you to join.”

“In my eyes, everyone has their secrets. And you are a rare talent. So far, you haven’t committed any crimes—though you are now a high-priority surveillance target. That’s why, as the department head, I personally handle matters related to you. If you ever go rogue, I’ll be sharing a cell with you.”

As she spoke, Deng Yuqi pulled three files from her desk and placed them on the table. “I hope one day, you’ll lower your guard and give us the truth.”

Shen Ge glanced at the files: “Anomalous Vehicle,” “Anomalous Rat,” “Anomalous Cat.” In other words, the branch had likely already matched the residual anomaly energy to him.

Shen Ge had no foolproof way to hide the energy traces left by using his abilities—especially since the branch had detection methods. Even after realizing this post-Anomalous Rat, unless he stopped using “Immobility” entirely, exposure was inevitable.

Clearly, Deng Yuqi had known since then but chose not to confront him.

Shen Ge studied her, then asked, “Why? Why take such a risk to recruit me?”

Deng Yuqi’s voice was grave. “Shen Ge, I don’t know if you’re feigning ignorance, but the anomaly situation is deteriorating faster than we imagined. Ten years ago, the first incident occurred in the capital. Six years ago, Rong City had its first. Our branch was established the following year. I was transferred here as head the year after. Since then, we’ve had four incidents.”

She paused. “We used to average one incident per year. But in recent years, there have been nineteen nationwide. The frequency is increasing. And that’s just our country—others are worse.”

“Shen Ge, we need soldiers—soldiers like you, who can handle anomalies alone. That’s why I’m willing to take this risk.”

Shen Ge nodded thoughtfully. “See? I told you you needed me to boost your performance stats.”

“…” After that impassioned speech, this is what you focus on?

Deng Yuqi mentally counted to ten, suppressing the urge to strangle him. Finally, she said sternly, “Shen Ge, I hope you’ll see the nation as your support, not a burden.”

Her words made Shen Ge grateful he’d chosen to cooperate with the Special Operations Department and Deng Yuqi from the start, rather than operate in secrecy.

For someone like him—an “ordinary” person—the relationship between the individual and the state was like an ant facing an elephant. No matter how much the ant scurried, one stomp would erase its entire existence.

Unless he completely withdrew from anomaly-related matters, trying to “lie low and act in secret” was a fantasy. Disguises? Masks? A joke. If the state wanted to find someone, it’d be effortless.

Shen Ge’s precautions were just psychological comfort. If the department had dug deeper, his under-the-bed arsenal would’ve been exposed sooner or later.

Deng Yuqi had given him ample “face” and “goodwill.”

Neither pressed the issue further. Shen Ge couldn’t reveal the system, and Deng Yuqi wouldn’t pry—doing so would only fracture their relationship.

Push a capable person to the brink, and you’d better be prepared to crush them completely. Otherwise, if they turn against you—or join the enemy—the consequences could be fatal.

“Come on. I’ll introduce you to the team and your trainers, then finalize your training plan.” Deng Yuqi slid the files back into her drawer, stood, and walked to the door.

Just before leaving, she paused, back still turned, and asked, “Three months after you were discharged, Rongshan Mental Hospital burned down. The fire destroyed the entire facility. The director, deputy director, and many doctors died in the disaster… Did you know about that?”