Chapter 57

Chapter 57 – Sea Without Light Part 57

“Good morning, Kui Xin,” said Jiang Ming with a yawn. “It’s unusual for Lanya not to be the last one arriving.”

“Morning, Kui Xin.” Liu Kangyun lifted his face from behind his desk. “She actually arrived on time today.”

Xueyao Shu stood by the coffee machine holding a cup. “Would anyone like some coffee to wake up?”

“Everyone good morning,” Kui Xin sat down in her own seat. “Could you get me a cup of coffee too, Captain?”

“My home is too far, I had to run here even to catch the first hover tram,” said Lanya. “I need coffee as well, Captain.”

Xueyao made coffee for each of them and brought it over.

“This schedule of night and day being reversed is tough on the body,” he said handing Kui Xin’s coffee. “Have you adjusted your sleep cycle?”

“I’ve almost got it, I slept until three in the afternoon yesterday, then at midnight. Today, I feel a bit better.”

“Youth is the best thing, I feel myself aging faster lately, often feeling aches and pains. Right after graduation, I was in top shape, able to stay up all night,” said Jiang Ming.

“But aren’t you only twenty-six?” Xueyao sighed helplessly. “Where has the time gone?”

“Excessive fatigue accelerates bodily aging. We security officers frequently suffer from injuries which wear down our health,” offered Lanya. “The injuries don’t show, but every injury consumes our stamina.”

“That’s right, those who haven’t suffered severely usually won’t be offered the healing potion, so if this continues long-term it could cause significant damage.” Liu Kangyun added, “I hope Kui Xin’s extraordinary abilities don’t come with similar downsides.”

“I’m not sure,” Kui Xin replied. “I have to observe their effects. Injuries hurt, and I hope I never have to experience my extraordinary abilities’ impact fully.”

Jiang Ming rubbed his chin. “Once you have super-healing capabilities, would you still catch common colds and fevers? Perhaps all minor illnesses would heal rapidly?”

“Perhaps the healing ability could improve immunity,” responded Kui Xin.

“That would mean Kui Xin’s extraordinary abilities are quite unreasonable,” Liu Kangyun noted. “It’s unknown how they’ll develop once you progress.”

Recalling times past, would the same occurrences repeat themselves?

When Kui Xin wondered about this before, she now found her answer. Humans were unpredictable, as were the paths of fate.

On the morning of August 5th, when she arrived early for a daytime shift at the coastal security office last year, she had gotten there by seven-thirty, an hour earlier than her required start time. Without encountering Lanya en route, she was punctual.

This time, for the August 5th of the present year, Kui Xin had overslept due to a restless night after dreaming. She arrived at work later than usual, just before eight o’clock, meeting Lanya at the front gate.

In the office, the conversations had shifted away from job-related discussions to other matters.

These slight changes showed that small actions could have significant impacts, much like the butterfly effect. Kui Xin’s trajectory might bring forth unpredictable future changes.

As patrol time approached, another squad remained in the office that day, leaving the entire Seventh Squad responsible for street patrols.

Armed, they split into two groups, one riding motorcycles while the other walked the streets. Kui Xin rode with Xueyao on a motorcycle last year, but now wanted a change.

“I want to take part in the street patrols instead of riding the motorcycle, because it’s uncomfortable,” she suggested.

Since shifts were variable, Kui Xin’s request was easily accommodated.

Xueyao nodded. “Alright, I’ll team up with Jiang Ming and Kui Xin. Lanya and Liu will ride motorcycles.”

“Understood,” Lanya affirmed, putting on her helmet and giving Xueyao a thumbs-up.

Once the assignments were settled, Lanya and Liu rode off on motorcycles. The group moved according to routine patrols, with Kui Xin.

“The number of misdeeds is decreasing,” Jiang Ming muttered, “not as busy as before…”

“The new face might have a role to play. When you weren’t around, a late-night patrol caught a thief breaking in,” Xueyao related to Kui Xin. “The thief immediately surrendered upon seeing the patrolmen and feared gunshots. They later learned the thief mentioned someone called a new harbor security officer was formidable, making surrendering the only safe option.”

“It seems your reputation precedes you, Kui Xin!” Jiang Ming chuckled. “Even shadowy criminals fear you.”

Kui Xin pondered. “So I must stay alert. Such fame might make me a target for hate.”

“Indeed… this place is very chaotic,” Jiang Ming remarked. “I dare say, the harbor zone is the most chaotic area in Hei Hai City, even more so than the slums.”

“Being so close to the port likely contributes,” Xueyao commented.

“After taking on this job, I’m always on edge,” Kui Xin shared. “Sometimes, I take extra measures when heading home, avoiding routes where I might be followed. I’ve seen the ruthless nature of the port gangs firsthand.”

“We should all remain cautious. There were cases where gang members attempted to use human bombs against security officers,” Xueyao said. “Although those situations were resolved, they certainly heightened everyone’s awareness.”

Kui Xin murmured softly.

“Our new hires have much to learn. As things calm down, we’ll guide them,” Xueyao continued. “You’re mature already, perhaps it’s easy to forget that you’re new. If unsure, ask openly. We will clarify anything within our knowledge.”

“Yeah, Kui Xin. You shouldn’t be shy about asking,” Jiang Ming concurred.

“Hmm, I have a question.”

Xueyao glanced at her.

“I haven’t seen the department head or deputy head around the office often. Who are these characters?” asked Kui Xin, expressing her curiosity.

The Mechanized Dawn’s data included basic information on them.

The head of the Investigation Bureau was a woman nearing sixty who wielded significant power for decades, nearing retirement age. Her deputy was a young man, only in his thirties, holding high rank despite age, indicating significant influence.

Kui Xin heard the deputy in a communica-tion channel aboard the Kraken shortly before retreat.

“The bureau head is currently in meetings at headquarters in another city,” Jiang Ming shared. “The deputy, however, is often out of town. But he should return soon. We meet monthly, and he’ll speak then, so you’ll see him soon. Head of Bureau… they’re busy with retirement transfers. Our officers retire at forty-five due to risks and health issues, though the head worked up until fifty.”

“Will we get new leadership if the current head retires?” Kui Xin wondered aloud.

“Too young, the deputy is likely to get a transfer from headquarters or a promotion within our ranks. Until announced, all is uncertain,” Jiang Ming summarized.

“A field operations’ leader named Wei Zhi might fit the profile,” Xueyao offered.

“Isn’t advancement supposed to be step by step? The deputy holds senior rank above Wei,” Kui Xin questioned.

“Actually, the Bureau deals with thankless tasks,” Xueyao stated. “Ambitious individuals don’t typically stay long since working here builds valuable experience for higher governance.”

Jiang Ming stared, baffled. “Why mention this so plainly? Isn’t understanding such things left to newcomers?”

Kui Xin raised her eyebrows. “That’s unfair, Jiang. Newbies don’t always receive such clarity.”

They reached a patrol intersection. While previously sticking to Adam’s routes, today Kui Xin explored a different route.

“It’s repetitive using the same path. We should change it to avoid alerting criminals,” she suggested.

“Valid argument. Updated route set. Follow it,” said Adam.

The visor illuminated a new map, a green dotted line indicating the patrol route.

Moving along, Kui Xin faced a pivotal choice.

“The coast security office reports malicious activities at a nearby restaurant two hundred meters away. Proceed immediately. The suspect might be armed with high-caliber weapons.”

“Copy that,” Xueyao signaled to Kui Xin and Jiang Ming.

They rushed towards their destination.

…

“I think we should move quickly, the situation could turn sour with security,” muttered Silverface unhappily.

He glanced sadly at a spilled bowl of white noodles, wanting to retrieve and eat them despite hunger. Last night they installed explosives consecutively without food. Now, famished, they had procured food from a restaurant.

There, local thugs harassed Thorn Rose, whose fierce temper prevented any mistreatment, shooting them. The owner, alarmed, triggered an alarm, fleeing.

“Our efficiency isn’t great,” Thorn Rose muttered, securing her firearm.

As alarms blared, they left quickly, erasing traces to avoid trouble. Then, encountered Kui Xin’s trio.

“What…” Silverface froze.

Thorn Rose, unaware of Kui Xin’s identity or her work at the coast security team, drew her weapon.对面的隗辛脸色一沉，也将枪举起。

“…”

銀面感到了恐懼。

“保持冷靜！” 威芝透過無線電說，試圖讓所有人穩定下來。

三人緊張對峙。

“…”

銀面感到了恐懼。

“保持冷靜！” 威芝透過無線電說，試圖讓所有人穩定下來。

三人緊張對峙。