Fate keeps turning its wheel. No one escapes its call.
The director’s bittersweet smile could not hide his regret.
But orders are orders. The higher the rank, the stronger the pressure.
That same day, three black vehicles arrived from the central agency.
Chen Wei, as my personal assistant, rode with me in the central car, whose dark-tinted windows obscured the inside.
I tapped the glass. "Is this bulletproof?"
My mouth responded without hesitation, "Yes, your life is valuable now."
Sounded familiar. Hadn’t the director said the same?
"Expert Xiao, please put on the bulletproof vest."
A SWAT officer handed us heavy vests for the first time. Though cumbersome, they brought a comforting sense of security.
The car started moving and the director waved goodbye, urging me to visit.
Do all leaders love to say that?
Two escort vehicles flanked us, the guards visibly armed.
I waved farewell in a practiced fashion, trying to portray a reluctant goodbye.
But my mouth betrayed me.
"No time for that."
I forced a sheepish smile.
The director gave an awkward laugh and watched us fade into the distance.
On the way to the airport, Chen Wei tried to calm my nerves.
"Xiao, it’s just changing workplaces, nothing major."
He sat beside me, unnaturally nervous yet warm in his smile.
I was not anxious, but he clearly was.
His words came out all jumbled.
My mouth answered again, "We’re serving the country, no worries. You, though, stop shaking your legs."
Chen Wei threw me a complicated look, mostly admiration, I think.
Arriving at the airport, we boarded a special government plane.
One hour later, we landed in Jingcheng, the capital city.
This time, there was no welcome ceremony.
Chen Wei and I were taken to the secret Special Department base.
There, I encountered many astonishing colleagues: a genius mastermind with perfect memory, a white-haired feng shui master, even a child who could imitate dozens of voices.
The Special Department gathered the nation’s elite talents.
Each fulfilled a unique role, under heavy protection and only deployed for critical missions.
I had not interacted much with them, but Chen Wei had learned about all of them from me.
The white-haired feng shui master eyed me in disbelief.
"You’re reading minds?"
My mouth quickly answered,
"No, I suffer from a curse of only speaking the truth aloud, and it’s incurable."
The others looked on curiously.
They soon realized I was the very expert the upper echelons had mentioned.
But was this supernatural ability really that impressive?
Only the child approached with innocent excitement.
"Sis, will there be seafood for lunch?"
"Sorry, little one, we do have seafood, but you have a cold constitution and internal heat. You can only have medicinal porridge."
My mouth spared no mercy.
The child’s face froze and fell silent.
Others seized the moment and bombarded me with questions.
"Expert Xiao, what’s our latest research achievement?" "What are the parameters of our newest equipment?" "Where is Jingcheng’s best feng shui spot?" "What kind of car did I just leave in?"
I answered flawlessly every time.
A hush fell over the vast underground base.
All present looked at me with astonishment and unmistakable respect.
This was not mind reading. It was sharp-tongued prophecy.
END
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