The boss Yang chuckled at my barrage of questions, saying, "You're asking so much I can hardly keep track. How about I introduce myself first? My name is Yang Zhifeng, and I'm the President of the Beijing Supernatural Research Association."

I nodded and replied, "My name is Hu Erwan, my ancestral home is in Chengdu, I studied in Beijing, and I'm a biology researcher."

Hearing my name, Yang Zhifeng paused, then remarked, "How much did your parents love playing Mahjong?"

I managed a wry smile, thinking that I'd asked the same question of that other person before.

Seeing only my smile, he continued, "Alright, our Supernatural Research Association was originally just a group composed of UFO enthusiasts, wilderness explorers, lightning storm research buffs, and the like. Most of the time, we just organized things like international tours and supernatural seminars; we didn't have any concrete function. But three years ago, when I was assigned by the Ministry of State Security to take over the association, we started receiving at least two people a day who had just discovered their superpowers and sent them here to become members."

"Three years ago?" I recalled carefully. Three years ago, I was still in university, and nothing particularly unusual had happened within China.

But Yang Zhifeng stated, "Three years ago, a meteorite fell in the Greater Khingan Range in Northeast China. However, the Astronomical Bureau issued no warning before it landed. The resulting forest fire was severe, but the troops sent to fight it used tanks and aircraft. As for where that meteorite truly came from, we still haven't figured that out."

Hearing this made me falter, because a meteorite falling to Earth without any prior warning from outer space wasn't the only instance; I had experienced something similar in Kobe, Japan.

I couldn't shake the feeling that meteorites falling to Earth weren't simple accidents, but perhaps omens of something else.

"Then tell me about Incident Six," I continued, pressing on. "What does that actually mean?"

Yang Zhifeng gripped the steering wheel with one hand and extended the other toward me, saying, "Hand it over."

I paused, confused as to what he meant, and asked, "Hand over what?"

Yang Zhifeng gave a slight smile. "Don't play dumb. After all I've told you, you don't seriously think I brought you here just for a chat, do you? Take out your ID for registration."

I smiled resignedly. "To be honest, I'd love to join, but I don't have an ID card."

Yang Zhifeng frowned. "Why no ID? Are you a foreigner or a wild man?"

I shook my head. "That's a long story. I'm neither foreign nor wild. To be precise, I might just be an extra person in this world."

Yang Zhifeng burst into laughter upon hearing this. "Fine, I believe you. Then just put your fingerprint on this piece of paper."

Saying that, he opened the glove compartment in front of him and pulled out a pre-prepared sheet of paper.

I glanced at the printed content. It was nothing more than terms and conditions—things like not using abilities carelessly in public, not committing illegal acts, not intimidating ordinary citizens, and so on.

After reading it, I placed my fingerprint beneath the agreement.

Yang Zhifeng took it back, examined it, and seemed quite satisfied. "What rank should we assign you? Telekinesis, plus night vision... you might already surpass me. You have two A-level abilities; you can be classified as an S-level operative."

I asked, "What about you?"

Yang Zhifeng chuckled conspiratorially. "Mine isn't that high, just SS-level."

A dark line appeared on my forehead. I paused before asking, "What's the highest level?"

Yang Zhifeng replied, "The highest is X-level, above SSS. Those individuals receive key attention from National Security and are usually subject to restrictions on their freedom—my old man, for example."

What he was saying sounded like a myth to me; I had never heard of the Celestial Dynasty assigning ranks to superhumans. It felt like something out of a movie.

But the world is vast and full of wonders. Supernatural powers are usually something the average person never encounters, making them hard to believe. Yet, if you step into this circle, you might discover how boundless it truly is.

Perhaps that seemingly dull classmate sitting next to you can fly freely at night and shoot lasers from his eyes.

Since you can't monitor everyone's life entirely, you'd never discover such things. At least today, I’ve already seen people whose fingers glow, who can turn invisible, or even shed their skin to change their appearance. Doesn't that prove that superpowers genuinely exist?

At this point, Yang Zhifeng said, "Our family's abilities are hereditary. My grandfather and father can both teleport. My father is special, though; he can move into enclosed spaces. If he wanted to steal state secrets or rob a bank, it would be effortless. So, he's extremely dangerous."

As he spoke, he pulled a photograph from the drawer. "Look, this is a picture of my grandfather taken from the top of the Statue of Liberty."

I took the photo he offered and indeed, on the raised torch of the Statue of Liberty in America, a figure stood atop it. The person in the picture was quite blurry, though, because the photo was taken from below, elongating the statue and making it look grander, while the silhouette on the torch appeared indistinct.

Yang Zhifeng explained, "A friend of my grandfather’s happened to be traveling in the US at the time. After taking this picture, he noticed something strange. The more he looked at the person on the torch, the more they resembled my grandfather's attire. So, when that friend returned home, he sent the photo to Grandpa. In reality, Grandpa knew exactly who it was—it was him. He deliberately appeared when his friend was taking the picture to trick him, because it was April Fool's Day. Grandpa can teleport anywhere in the world in less than a second. He likes to visit the peak of Mount Everest for a stroll, sunbathe on the back of the Sphinx, have afternoon tea on a Hawaiian beach, and finally sleep in a hotel in Venice. Quite the carefree old man, he says if I cultivate diligently, I can reach his realm too."

I was thoroughly bewildered and asked, "So what is your grandfather doing now?"

Yang Zhifeng replied, "Working for the country, of course. The Academy of Sciences designed a specialized room where superhumans cannot release their powers. Grandpa is effectively under house arrest there. He is only ordered to teleport to designated locations when a mission arises. But it doesn't matter; Grandpa always wanted to contribute a small part to the nation anyway."

"Is it really right to treat an old man like that?" I couldn't help but frown.

Yang Zhifeng relaxed slightly. "My grandfather isn't old; he's been practicing martial arts since childhood, and his physique is even stronger than mine, so you don't need to worry."

After saying that, he continued, "Oh, right. All S-level operatives are classified as civil servants, participating in special missions. The bounties are extremely high, but the risks are too. You still have time to back out if you want to."

I noticed him retracting the signed paper slightly as he spoke, clearly not wanting me to change my mind. I figured since I was currently idle anyway, being able to use my abilities to do something useful and earn a substantial amount of money—why not? Perhaps during a mission, I could even find clues regarding the matter I was currently investigating.

So I told Yang Zhifeng, "To contribute to the nation, I certainly cannot refuse."

Yang Zhifeng nodded. "Excellent, Brother Hu, I chose correctly. One more thing: all operatives ranked S-level and above are assigned a codename. Mine is Wind Weasel. You need to think of one for yourself; I'll report to my superiors tomorrow."

I thought for a moment, and several cool names popped into my head, but they all felt too flashy and insubstantial. Then, I suddenly recalled the Yu I encountered deep underground in Lop Nur. That name felt full of mystery and also quite imposing, so I said, "My name will be Yu."

Yang Zhifeng nodded. "A good name. And your number is 10."

I asked, "What is the number?"

Yang Zhifeng explained, "It's nothing much, really. It just means you are the tenth S-level operative on the mainland. From now on, Number 10, Yu, is sure to cause quite a stir within the community of operatives, because judging by your abilities, you are at least above Seven and Eight."

I was confused again. "Are Seven and Eight people? Then what are you?"

Yang Zhifeng said, "I was originally Five. Unfortunately, Four died not long ago, so the sequence shifted."

I quietly tallied it up in my mind. So this guy was Four. If the ranking was based on ability, this guy was among the absolute top powerhouses in the entire country.

After a period of silence, I asked, "Alright, now that I'm one of you, can you tell me what Incident Six means?"

Yang Zhifeng smiled. "It's simple. Actually, any incident with a designated number is something the police cannot handle; it requires military intervention or us. Number 1 refers to human incidents, Number 2 to supernatural phenomena, Number 3 to witchcraft/sorcery incidents, Number 4 to spiritual/paranormal incidents, Number 5 to Ranger incidents, and Number 6 refers to Class Three Contact events, or biological invasions."

I realized that the Class Three Contact he mentioned referred to events unrelated to Earth's biology. So that little horse was actually connected to non-human intelligent life.

But I didn't understand Incident Number 5, so I pressed further, "So what exactly is a 'Ranger'?"

Yang Zhifeng explained, "Operatives who serve themselves and do not join any organization. They are usually very strong, some possessing S-level abilities. Of course, some of these individuals want to be heroes, but others are driven by money and might commit bad deeds. If they cause trouble, it requires the mobilization of our Ninth Division—oh, wait, now the Tenth Division."

I nodded. "Oh, I see..."