Die, Replay, Repeat -
Chapter 37: This Isn't Predicting the Future, It's Clearly X-ray Vision!
Facing the curious and somewhat suspicious looks, Fang Xiu continued to explain with a certain air of confidence, "Miss Shen, your special ability is to control and manipulate flames, and your body measurements are 85, 63, 80."
Shen Lingxue's face instantly changed to a shade that clearly showed her discomfort. "My ability isn't a well-guarded secret. People who have had a bit of interaction with the psychic community might have picked up on it. As for the measurements, well, anyone could make a good guess by just looking, but not many can guess as precisely as you did."
"Miss Shen, you hold a secret others aren't aware of. Would you like me to reveal it?" Fang Xiu asked teasingly.
Li Wenhao perked up, his interest clearly piqued.
"Go ahead and speak. I assure you, I don't have any secrets that cannot be uncovered." Shen Lingxue declared, her voice tinged with a hint of defiance.
"Miss Shen, you greatly adore the color pink. All your underwear and inner garments are in shades of pink, and you even sport a pink tattoo..." Fang Xiu ventured further, his voice trailing a bit.
BOOM!
Suddenly, a fierce blaze erupted from Shen Lingxue's delicate hand, instantly sending a wave of blistering heat across the entire vicinity.
Her face was a mixture of extreme embarrassment and anger as she exclaimed, "You are not predicting the future. It's plain to see that this is x-ray vision! You and Zhao Hao are alike. Neither of you have any good intentions!"
Facing the furious flames head-on, Fang Xiu spoke calmly, "Firstly, allow me to clarify: the power to foresee the future isn't quite how you picture it, where I can understand and see every event that will unfold in the future willingly.
"Sometimes, it's just fragmented images that come to me. For instance, last night, I witnessed snippets of both of you making your way here, and I used a bit of my spiritual energy to focus and foresee both of your actions.
"I glimpsed a few scenes involving both of you, gathering some tidbits of information. I saw Mr. Li engrossed in reading a love letter late into the night, and I observed Miss Shen carefully organizing her underwear at her home."
The flames that Shen Lingxue conjured slowly started to subside, but the annoyance and mistrust remained in her eyes. A nagging suspicion lingered that Fang Xiu might have witnessed more than he let on, especially considering where that tattoo was situated...
"What you are saying right now cannot be verified. This isn't true foresight," she retorted, sounding skeptical.
"So, in your opinion, what would be considered genuine foresight of the future?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Shen Lingxue responded, "Predict tonight's winning lottery number."
Accepting her challenge, Fang Xiu picked up a paper and pen, scribbled down a series of numbers attentively, and handed them to Shen Lingxue.
She inspected the numbers scribbled on the paper, her expression filled with doubt and suspicion.
"Miss Shen, I'd like to caution you beforehand that the future isn't set in stone. Every little decision we make now can alter the future pathways. For example, if you use your influential position in the Investigative Bureau to modify today's lottery numbers, then obviously, the numbers I just wrote won't be the winning ones.
"Therefore, if you genuinely want to test the validity of these numbers, avoid taking any steps that could potentially manipulate the future, and most certainly do not buy a ticket based on them," Fang Xiu remarked, his expression unchanging, projecting a facade of absolute certainty, as if he truly had a glimpse of the forthcoming events.
But in truth, this was all a fabricated story. His strategy was to turn back time after watching the night's lottery results.
Observing Fang Xiu's unwavering confidence, Shen Lingxue found herself swaying towards belief, albeit with a sprinkle of skepticism.
She, however, couldn't fully suppress her doubts and voiced them, "Fang Xiu, I sincerely hope you're telling the truth. If I discover that the numbers didn't win, which would mean you deceived me, then you—"
Interrupting her mid-sentence, Fang Xiu declared boldly, "If they don't win, I'm willing to bet my life on it."
This declaration left Shen Lingxue momentarily speechless, not anticipating Fang Xiu to exhibit such resolute confidence.
At this point, Li Wenhao leaned in to inspect the numbers more closely. After scrutinizing them briefly, he couldn't help but express his surprise.
"Wait a minute! This isn't accurate! Aren't lottery numbers supposed to be a seven-digit combination? Why have you penned down only six here?"
"What?! Are you sure it's seven digits?" Shen Lingxue asked, her skepticism mounting.
"I'm completely sure; I've done the lottery many times before."
Immediately, Shen Lingxue's demeanor changed to one of irritation, "Fang Xiu, you're clearly trying to fool me! The lottery consists of seven digits, but you wrote down only six. There's no way this could win!"
To their amazement, Fang Xiu casually strolled over, picked up the pen, and added a "1" to the end of the six-digit string with a casual flick of his wrist.
He placed the pen down and addressed the visibly startled duo, "My apologies. It seems I forgot to jot down one number earlier. Now it's rectified. These will indeed be tonight's winning numbers."
Witnessing how relaxed and assured Fang Xiu was, both Shen Lingxue and Li Wenhao felt somewhat insulted, as though he was making a mockery of their intelligence.
Truth be told, over his lifetime, Fang Xiu hadn't done much in lottery purchases.
Unconvinced, Shen Lingxue challenged, "If you really possess the ability to foresee the future, how could you omit a number?"
Maintaining his composure, Fang Xiu replied, "Your role now is to patiently wait, not to cast doubts. Once the truth unveils itself, all doubt will dissolve."
At this, Shen Lingxue countered sharply, "If you genuinely can see the future, there shouldn't be a need to wait for the lottery announcement. You should be fully capable of predicting my very next move."
Fang Xiu replied calmly, "You must understand, as a first-tier psychic, I don't have the luxury of predicting the future at will. And why should I feel obligated to validate my abilities to you?
"If I prove myself to you now, won't I then be expected to demonstrate my powers to higher officials in the bureau? I simply foresee certain events; I'm not all-knowing or all-powerful."
Shen Lingxue's face reddened with frustration, "You—"
Seeing the situation escalating, Li Wenhao intervened, "Shen, let's not jump to conclusions. By tonight, the lottery results will give us our answers. Mr. Fang, could you share more about what happened in the Willow Hill Specter Zone?"
Nodding, Fang Xiu clarified, "That so-called Specter Zone is known as the Green Mountain Mental Hospital."
Li Wenhao's brow furrowed in confusion, "Green Mountain Mental Hospital?"
Shen Lingxue retorted coldly, "Deciding the names for the Specter Zones falls under the jurisdiction of the investigative bureau."
Choosing to ignore Shen Lingxue's comment, Fang Xiu continued, "The Green Mountain Mental Hospital manifested suddenly, taking the place of the Willow Hill sales office. By the time we became aware of it, everyone was already trapped within the confines of the mental hospital."
Li Wenhao probed, "How can you be so certain it's a mental institution?"
Fang Xiu responded, "The environment resembled a hospital, and I distinctly remember a signboard that read 'Green Mountain Mental Hospital.'"
Fang Xiu then narrated the incidents that transpired inside the Specter Zone. He was wise with the details, understanding that as a first-tier psychic with the unique power of foresight, he had to exercise caution with what he revealed. He left out details regarding the surgical knife—a rare Specter Gadget, knowing that its mention could stir unwanted complications.
After patiently listening, both Shen Lingxue and Li Wenhao appeared pensive.
Shen Lingxue, clinging to her previous stance, asked, "Fang Xiu, are you suggesting that within this Willow Hill Specter Zone, besides the doctor Specter and the dream-weaver Specter, there could be additional Specters lurking? Did you see this in your future vision?"
She stubbornly referred to the Green Mountain Mental Hospital as the Willow Hill Specter Zone, much to Fang Xiu's amusement.
He thought to himself that psychics, by their nature, sometimes had eccentric personalities, and Shen Lingxue was no exception.
Compared to other psychics, Shen Lingxue was relatively well-adjusted. She didn't exhibit any violent tendencies. Instead, her quirks lay in her arrogance, quick temper, stubbornness, slight pettiness, skepticism, and dismissiveness.
But these were merely minor imperfections in Fang Xiu's eyes. Nothing too alarming."
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