Chapter 17: The Absolute Anomaly

"What's wrong?" Chen Meiyue asked, noticing the complex expression on Chu Cheng's face.

"It's nothing. I was just thinking, is it safe to have such a massive base up in the sky?" Chu Cheng replied honestly.

Upon hearing his words, Chen Meiyue burst into laughter.

"You can rest assured about that," she said with a smile. "The airborne base is very secure. In fact, it may be the safest place in the world, where no outsiders can possibly infiltrate."

Chu Cheng's expression became even more complicated upon hearing this.

He vaguely remembered people commenting on the security system of the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier in the Marvel movie sets. However, it was widely known that the security system of the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier was as effective as a sieve, allowing anyone and anything to come and go as they pleased, even more freely than a public restroom.

Of course, that was just superstition, and not everything flying in the sky was necessarily doomed. Chu Cheng sincerely hoped that this gigantic ship beneath his feet could break free from the curse.

Following Chen Meiyue, Chu Cheng navigated through the complex metal corridors and soon arrived at a spacious office.

The office was located by the window on the ship. It was neat and tidy, with a clean desk and a row of metal file cabinets neatly arranged against the wall. A water dispenser stood beside the cabinets.

Behind the desk sat a man in a white lab coat. Chu Cheng's first impression of him was that he looked refined.

He was well-groomed, with a meticulously trimmed mustache, and his eyes sparkled behind the thick round lenses of his glasses.

As Chu Cheng entered the room, the man immediately looked up and enthusiastically approached him. "Ah, you must be the latest discovered anomaly," he said.

"This is Professor Miyazaki, an expert in studying infected individuals," Chen Meiyue explained. "He will be responsible for conducting a series of physical tests on you."

"Physical tests? Like a medical examination?" Chu Cheng asked.

"Rather than calling it a medical examination, it's more like a physical fitness test," Professor Miyazaki replied with a smile as he extended his hand. "Don't worry, we just want to check if your body is healthy or not."

When Chu Cheng shook his hand, he noticed that the professor had a firm grip and seemed physically fit. As the professor approached, Chu Cheng also caught a whiff of a subtle perfume scent.

The professor's refined appearance, coupled with the scent of perfume and the unmistakable expression of anticipation that seemed to say, "Let me take a look," instinctively made Chu Cheng feel the need to keep his distance.

The professor seemed quite flamboyant and effeminate.

Fortunately, as the professor had mentioned, the tests were mostly focused on physical fitness. The main activities included running, jumping, boxing, and even shooting.

For the 100-meter sprint, Chu Cheng closed his eyes, gathered his strength, and sprinted with all his might, panting heavily, completing it in 13.38 seconds. Professor Miyazaki checked his stopwatch, stared at the number for a while, and his facial expression clearly conveyed the message, "Is that it?"

In the 3,000-meter run, Chu Cheng pushed himself to the limit, barely managing to finish. He figured that his improved physical endurance from playing games for the past two days was the only reason he could persevere. Otherwise, with his sedentary lifestyle as a typical otaku, he might have collapsed before completing the 3,000 meters.

The subsequent jumping and boxing tests were uneventful, demonstrating a relatively above-average level of physical ability for a student. Such skills might earn him a place on the school team, perhaps even an excellent rating, but ultimately, it was still at the level of a student.

Finally, it was time for the shooting segment.

As a researcher handed the weighty handgun to Chu Cheng, he reluctantly expressed, "I haven't touched one of these before."

"No worries, just give it a try," Professor Miyazaki said. "According to our records, some anomalies have a natural talent for shooting, so you might pick it up quickly."

So, Chu Cheng reluctantly took the gun and made an effort to aim at the target ten meters away. He squinted his eyes and took his time aiming before finally pulling the trigger.

A series of gunshots echoed in the enclosed space.

The entire magazine emptied, and after observing the results on the monitor, Professor Miyazaki fell into silence.

High emotional intelligence: Not a single ant on the shooting range escaped.

Low emotional intelligence: Even a monkey with a banana tied around its neck might do better than this.

Chu Cheng felt a slight embarrassment from the outcome, but it was within his expectations and made sense.

After all, this gun was different from the ones he was accustomed to, and it was normal not to perform well when it didn't feel comfortable in his hands.

The test results seemed to disappoint Professor Miyazaki, and he quickly came to a conclusion.

"Incapable anomaly," he said. "They possess dual immunity to the mental and physical effects of the infection source. Any form of infection source will have no impact on them."

Afterward, Chen Meiyue promptly explained to Chu Cheng that while such cases were rare, they were not entirely unheard of, and the Special Task Force Nine also had personnel with similar conditions.

Most anomalies only had immunity to the mental effects of the infection, while their bodies would undergo enhanced modification and awaken special abilities. However, for a small number of individuals, it was different. Their minds and bodies were completely immune to the infection, and they would be indistinguishable from ordinary people.

They were referred to as "Absolute Anomalies."

With the tests completed, Tang Li led him to complete the various procedures for employment. The efficiency of Special Task Force Nine was commendable, as they quickly went through several departments, obtaining necessary approvals and stamps. In no time, his enrollment was confirmed.

"Here, your identification," Tang Li said in a soft and gentle voice, handing Chu Cheng the freshly issued identification card.

Chu Cheng was somewhat surprised. "Why are there three IDs?"

"One is our genuine identification from Special Task Force Nine. The other two are from the Public Security Bureau and the Intelligence Investigation Bureau," Tang Li explained patiently upon noticing his confusion.

"Special Task Force Nine is currently a covert organization, and in certain situations, our own IDs may not be sufficient. Therefore, agents can present the appropriate identification as needed for the mission."

Ah, understood. It meant they had aliases. On one hand, it facilitated their work, and on the other hand, it made it easier to shift blame if necessary.

As for the Public Security Bureau and the Intelligence Investigation Bureau, it seemed like they had inherited a lot of trouble that had unknowingly been attributed to them over time.

"With that, everything is pretty much taken care of," Tang Li smiled. "Welcome to our team. Since you're still a student, you don't need to report to work regularly. Just remember to stay in touch at all times."

"In that case, is there anything else for me to do?" Chu Cheng asked.

After completing the onboarding process, Chu Cheng found himself earning a hefty salary each month, without the need to go to work or report in every day. The money felt like hot potato in his hands.

"Your specific position will take some time to finalize, but based on your qualifications and abilities, it's highly likely that you'll be assigned to an administrative role. In the meantime, you can familiarize yourself with the materials or assist other field agents with their tasks, such as conducting interviews, taking notes, and learning from them," explained Tang Li.

"By the way, Detective Luo, who visited your school yesterday, is currently working on a case. He's about to leave soon. Why don't you join him and learn from his experience for now?"

Upon entering Detective Luo Yajun's office, Chu Cheng discovered that the bald detective was not present. Following Tang Li's advice, Chu Cheng decided to wait for him inside the office.

Once Tang Li finished giving him the instructions, she left to attend to her own duties.

Left with nothing else to do, Chu Cheng took the opportunity to explore the office.

In comparison to Professor Miyazaki's immaculate office, this workspace was relatively small. The desk occupied nearly half of the room, and its surface was littered with disorganized files labeled "Internal." Adjacent to the files sat an open bag of potato chips.

He noticed a photo frame on the desk, containing an old photograph. Two individuals wearing security officer uniforms were standing shoulder to shoulder, facing the camera with radiant smiles.

"I looked pretty dashing when I was young, huh?" a voice sounded from behind Chu Cheng. He then realized that Detective Luo Yajun had entered the room at some point.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry," Chu Cheng quickly apologized.

"It's fine," Luo Yajun waved his hand and glanced at the photo. "Those were the younger days, back when I was still with the security bureau. Look at how great I looked, with this physique and muscles."

Chu Cheng nodded in agreement, "And you had hair."

"Yes, I had hair," Luo Yajun's voice trailed off, as if he had been reminded of something saddening.