“The greater the despair, the more we need hope,” Sha Ye confessed.
Officer Huang was quiet, while Gao Yang and Qing Ling looked bemused.
Lowering her head slightly, She Ye looked at the platinum wedding band on her ring finger.
“Wang Fei and I didn’t really have a choice. We needed hope, needed salvation, needed a purpose to keep holding on. So we had a child. She gave us a new outlook on life.”
Sha Ye smiled bitterly. “I know it’s selfish, that it’s more arrogance and foolishness than anything. One day, our child may come to resent me, but I don’t regret it.”
Officer Huang shook his head, his eyes glinting with emotions and respect. “Thank you. I’ve gotten the answer I’m looking for.”
Gao Yang could understand Sha Ye’s response logically, but emotionally, he couldn’t resonate with her like Officer Huang did. Now that the topic had been brought up, however, there was something he would like to ask.
Gao Yang asked directly, “Sha Ye, when Chen Ying was talking to you about your daughter, was she hoping that your daughter would awaken?”
Sha Ye nodded openly. “Yes. That’s what most members of the organization hope for.”
“Awaken?” Officer Huang was shocked. He couldn’t understand. “She can’t be old enough for that!”
Sha Ye calmly explained, “As you know, the Hundred Rivers Union consists of weaker awakeners, and we only got to where we are today by banding together. Now that the second team has been wiped out, we need new blood to compensate for the serious blow we suffered.”
“Then find them elsewhere!” Officer Huang insisted. “Your daughter is still young. This is nonsense!”
“It’s easier said than done.” Sha Ye shook her head. “Awakeners with a higher-ranking Talent and even those with two or three Talents have all been recruited by the two major organizations. The Hundred Rivers Union only gets awakeners with Talents ranked a hundred and lower.”
She leaned in and continued in an even lower voice, “You’ve heard about it, haven’t you? About the bottleneck for leveling up.”
Officer Huang and Gao Yang shared a confused look.
Qing Ling coolly said, “Talents after serial number 100 can at most reach level 4.”
Sha Ye nodded.
“Really?” Officer Huang was surprised. “I didn’t know that.”
“War Tiger told me during training,” said Qing Ling.
Is War Tiger your trainer, Gao Yang grumbled silently, or your personal information broker?
“Correct.” Sha Ye looked regretful. “Most members of the Union have a Talent after serial number 100. No matter how hard they work, they can only get to level 4.”
Gao Yang was suddenly reminded of his Lie Detection and Lucky. Was level 4 really the limit?
He quickly asked, “Is that proven?”
“There’s no guarantee, but,” Sha Ye went on to ask, “Have you ever heard of an awakener with a 100 or lower Talent reaching level 5?”
Gao Yang’s heart sank. He had never heard of a case like that.
“Even so, you shouldn’t go for a child!” Officer Huang went back to their previous conversation.
Sha Ye gave Officer Huang a look. “I think differently. If she has to awaken sooner or later, it’s better to awaken sooner.”
Gao Yang thought about it for a moment and agreed, “I think the same. It’s better to awaken early provided there are adults to protect her.”
“I agree.” Qing Ling was all for awakening. It was no surprise that she would hold the same stance.
Sha Ye nodded. There was a flash of conflicted emotions in her eyes. “But what I’m debating isn’t having her awaken early or later.”
Gao Yang came to the realization. “You’re thinking about whether to let her awaken at all.”
“Yeah.” Sha Ye looked lost. “Sometimes, I wonder if it’s better to live as a regular human and lead a life of blissful ignorance.”
After some hesitation, Gao Yang decided to voice his thoughts. “I believed the same when I first awakened. Wouldn’t it be better if I had lived my whole life in blissful ignorance, without awakening?”
He tightened his fists. “But now, I think differently.”
“Why?” Sha Ye asked.
Gao Yang looked at the four of them in turn and asked seriously, “What cause do we have to believe that regular, unawakened humans will be able to live their whole lives in peace?”
Sha Ye fell into deep thought.
“We know nothing about this world.” Gao Yang felt helpless in this regard. “Who can say for sure that the rules will remain the same, that monsters won’t break the rules one day and kill all humans? Or that the world will remain as it is? Livestock never foresee their slaughter until it happens.”
The room was quiet for a few seconds.
“He’s right.” Officer Huang sighed and finally lit his cigarette. “In truth, we’ve encountered such a monster. In the Rune Cave in Gu Family’s Village, a half-human killed a family of regular humans with extreme cruelty.”
Sha Ye’s coffee had long gone cold. She tightened her hands around the mug, her knuckles white.
After ten seconds or so, she looked up with newfound determination in her eyes.
“Thank you. I’ve decided. I will not entrust my daughter’s life to this fucking world! I’ll have her take control of her own fate!”
Everyone was taken aback.
Sha Ye frowned in confusion. “What? Have I said something wrong?”
“Oh, no.” Gao Yang chuckled. “I just didn’t expect you to swear.”
Sha Ye shook her head with a self-deprecating smile and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I’m a widow taking care of a daughter. It’s better to be considered foul-tempered than an easy target for exploitation.”
Gao Yang allowed the moment to linger before moving on to another topic, “How are you going to awaken your daughter, Sha Ye?”
Sha Ye paused. “I haven’t given it a serious thought.”
“I’ve always wondered about the conditions of awakening,” Gao Yang voiced his question.
“That I can tell you,” said Sha Ye. “The Hundred Rivers Union did a survey on how awakeners awaken. We have a sizable sample, and generally, there are three different scenarios.”
“First, one simply acquires a Talent one day.”
“Second, one comes to suspect the reality of the world, or is told the truth by an awakener.”
“Third, one witnesses an attack by a monster or becomes a victim themselves.”
Officer Huang nodded. “I’m the first type. I acquired my Talent first. Then the second scenario happened.”
“I’m the second type,” Qing Ling said. “Then I acquired my Talent not long after.”
Gao Yang sighed. “I’m the second type and then the third type. After that, I acquired my Talent.”
Sha Ye took a sip of coffee. “According to our study, we speculate that the three scenarios are merely the results of the cause rather than the cause itself. There is one important preceding condition.”
“What is it?” asked Gao Yang.
Sha Ye hesitated for a second. “We’ve just published an internal report, and the Qilin Guild has basically agreed to share the results soon. It should be fine for me to tell you now.”
Please just tell us already, lady.
Gao Yang was feeling impatient.
Sha Ye extended a hand. “For a human to awaken, they must come into physical contact with an awakener.”
Gao Yang stifled a gasp. Right, why didn’t I think of that? It’s so simple!
He turned to Officer Huang. “I got into contact with the man said to be mentally-ill, and for Qing Ling, it must be her cousin. What about you?”
Officer Huang shook his head. “I don’t know, but given my job, I get into contact with all sorts of people every day. It’s very likely for me to run into an awakener without realizing it.”
“That makes sense.” Gao Yang lowered his head deep in thought before looking up at everyone. “I have another question. How did the first ever awakener awaken then?”
Sha Ye shook her head.
Officer Huang smiled wryly. “You’re getting ahead of yourself. How long has it been since your awakening? Yet you are so eager to find all the answers to your questions. What are you, the chosen savior in a rush to get your KPI up?”
Gao Yang smiled in embarrassment. “That’s a bad habit of mine.”
“I was just like you back then and kept risking myself for answers.” Officer Huang clicked his tongue. “I was lucky to run into Sir Jiang, or I’d already be six feet under, and the weed around my grave would’ve been two-meter tall already.”
Sha Ye didn’t know who Sir Jiang was, but she got the gist of what Officer Huang was saying. She nodded in agreement. “There are too many mysteries about the world, too many answers that are beyond our ability to reach. Perhaps it’s safer for us to learn them later.”
Gao Yang understood that Officer Huang was worried about him. He nodded and didn’t say anything else.
Bam!
Then the door slammed open, and Chen Ying rushed in.
“Come with me! Jiang Hao’s awake!”
“The greater the despair, the more we need hope,” Sha Ye confessed.
Officer Huang was quiet, while Gao Yang and Qing Ling looked bemused.
Lowering her head slightly, She Ye looked at the platinum wedding band on her ring finger.
“Wang Fei and I didn’t really have a choice. We needed hope, needed salvation, needed a purpose to keep holding on. So we had a child. She gave us a new outlook on life.”
Sha Ye smiled bitterly. “I know it’s selfish, that it’s more arrogance and foolishness than anything. One day, our child may come to resent me, but I don’t regret it.”
Officer Huang shook his head, his eyes glinting with emotions and respect. “Thank you. I’ve gotten the answer I’m looking for.”
Gao Yang could understand Sha Ye’s response logically, but emotionally, he couldn’t resonate with her like Officer Huang did. Now that the topic had been brought up, however, there was something he would like to ask.
Gao Yang asked directly, “Sha Ye, when Chen Ying was talking to you about your daughter, was she hoping that your daughter would awaken?”
Sha Ye nodded openly. “Yes. That’s what most members of the organization hope for.”
“Awaken?” Officer Huang was shocked. He couldn’t understand. “She can’t be old enough for that!”
Sha Ye calmly explained, “As you know, the Hundred Rivers Union consists of weaker awakeners, and we only got to where we are today by banding together. Now that the second team has been wiped out, we need new blood to compensate for the serious blow we suffered.”
“Then find them elsewhere!” Officer Huang insisted. “Your daughter is still young. This is nonsense!”
“It’s easier said than done.” Sha Ye shook her head. “Awakeners with a higher-ranking Talent and even those with two or three Talents have all been recruited by the two major organizations. The Hundred Rivers Union only gets awakeners with Talents ranked a hundred and lower.”
She leaned in and continued in an even lower voice, “You’ve heard about it, haven’t you? About the bottleneck for leveling up.”
Officer Huang and Gao Yang shared a confused look.
Qing Ling coolly said, “Talents after serial number 100 can at most reach level 4.”
Sha Ye nodded.
“Really?” Officer Huang was surprised. “I didn’t know that.”
“War Tiger told me during training,” said Qing Ling.
Is War Tiger your trainer, Gao Yang grumbled silently, or your personal information broker?
“Correct.” Sha Ye looked regretful. “Most members of the Union have a Talent after serial number 100. No matter how hard they work, they can only get to level 4.”
Gao Yang was suddenly reminded of his Lie Detection and Lucky. Was level 4 really the limit?
He quickly asked, “Is that proven?”
“There’s no guarantee, but,” Sha Ye went on to ask, “Have you ever heard of an awakener with a 100 or lower Talent reaching level 5?”
Gao Yang’s heart sank. He had never heard of a case like that.
“Even so, you shouldn’t go for a child!” Officer Huang went back to their previous conversation.
Sha Ye gave Officer Huang a look. “I think differently. If she has to awaken sooner or later, it’s better to awaken sooner.”
Gao Yang thought about it for a moment and agreed, “I think the same. It’s better to awaken early provided there are adults to protect her.”
“I agree.” Qing Ling was all for awakening. It was no surprise that she would hold the same stance.
Sha Ye nodded. There was a flash of conflicted emotions in her eyes. “But what I’m debating isn’t having her awaken early or later.”
Gao Yang came to the realization. “You’re thinking about whether to let her awaken at all.”
“Yeah.” Sha Ye looked lost. “Sometimes, I wonder if it’s better to live as a regular human and lead a life of blissful ignorance.”
After some hesitation, Gao Yang decided to voice his thoughts. “I believed the same when I first awakened. Wouldn’t it be better if I had lived my whole life in blissful ignorance, without awakening?”
He tightened his fists. “But now, I think differently.”
“Why?” Sha Ye asked.
Gao Yang looked at the four of them in turn and asked seriously, “What cause do we have to believe that regular, unawakened humans will be able to live their whole lives in peace?”
Sha Ye fell into deep thought.
“We know nothing about this world.” Gao Yang felt helpless in this regard. “Who can say for sure that the rules will remain the same, that monsters won’t break the rules one day and kill all humans? Or that the world will remain as it is? Livestock never foresee their slaughter until it happens.”
The room was quiet for a few seconds.
“He’s right.” Officer Huang sighed and finally lit his cigarette. “In truth, we’ve encountered such a monster. In the Rune Cave in Gu Family’s Village, a half-human killed a family of regular humans with extreme cruelty.”
Sha Ye’s coffee had long gone cold. She tightened her hands around the mug, her knuckles white.
After ten seconds or so, she looked up with newfound determination in her eyes.
“Thank you. I’ve decided. I will not entrust my daughter’s life to this fucking world! I’ll have her take control of her own fate!”
Everyone was taken aback.
Sha Ye frowned in confusion. “What? Have I said something wrong?”
“Oh, no.” Gao Yang chuckled. “I just didn’t expect you to swear.”
Sha Ye shook her head with a self-deprecating smile and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I’m a widow taking care of a daughter. It’s better to be considered foul-tempered than an easy target for exploitation.”
Gao Yang allowed the moment to linger before moving on to another topic, “How are you going to awaken your daughter, Sha Ye?”
Sha Ye paused. “I haven’t given it a serious thought.”
“I’ve always wondered about the conditions of awakening,” Gao Yang voiced his question.
“That I can tell you,” said Sha Ye. “The Hundred Rivers Union did a survey on how awakeners awaken. We have a sizable sample, and generally, there are three different scenarios.”
“First, one simply acquires a Talent one day.”
“Second, one comes to suspect the reality of the world, or is told the truth by an awakener.”
“Third, one witnesses an attack by a monster or becomes a victim themselves.”
Officer Huang nodded. “I’m the first type. I acquired my Talent first. Then the second scenario happened.”
“I’m the second type,” Qing Ling said. “Then I acquired my Talent not long after.”
Gao Yang sighed. “I’m the second type and then the third type. After that, I acquired my Talent.”
Sha Ye took a sip of coffee. “According to our study, we speculate that the three scenarios are merely the results of the cause rather than the cause itself. There is one important preceding condition.”
“What is it?” asked Gao Yang.
Sha Ye hesitated for a second. “We’ve just published an internal report, and the Qilin Guild has basically agreed to share the results soon. It should be fine for me to tell you now.”
Please just tell us already, lady.
Gao Yang was feeling impatient.
Sha Ye extended a hand. “For a human to awaken, they must come into physical contact with an awakener.”
Gao Yang stifled a gasp. Right, why didn’t I think of that? It’s so simple!
He turned to Officer Huang. “I got into contact with the man said to be mentally-ill, and for Qing Ling, it must be her cousin. What about you?”
Officer Huang shook his head. “I don’t know, but given my job, I get into contact with all sorts of people every day. It’s very likely for me to run into an awakener without realizing it.”
“That makes sense.” Gao Yang lowered his head deep in thought before looking up at everyone. “I have another question. How did the first ever awakener awaken then?”
Sha Ye shook her head.
Officer Huang smiled wryly. “You’re getting ahead of yourself. How long has it been since your awakening? Yet you are so eager to find all the answers to your questions. What are you, the chosen savior in a rush to get your KPI up?”
Gao Yang smiled in embarrassment. “That’s a bad habit of mine.”
“I was just like you back then and kept risking myself for answers.” Officer Huang clicked his tongue. “I was lucky to run into Sir Jiang, or I’d already be six feet under, and the weed around my grave would’ve been two-meter tall already.”
Sha Ye didn’t know who Sir Jiang was, but she got the gist of what Officer Huang was saying. She nodded in agreement. “There are too many mysteries about the world, too many answers that are beyond our ability to reach. Perhaps it’s safer for us to learn them later.”
Gao Yang understood that Officer Huang was worried about him. He nodded and didn’t say anything else.
Bam!
Then the door slammed open, and Chen Ying rushed in.
“Come with me! Jiang Hao’s awake!”
