Chapter 1 A Brief Introduction

White lights brightly illuminated the room. The tabletop was cold, with only a cup of water on it, condensation beading on the inside of the disposable paper cup. Two uniformed police officers sat across from him, having explained a few things beforehand. Now, one was asking questions while the other typed up the record.

A camera on the back wall blinked with a red light.

“Name?”

“Grace Brooks, the ‘Chen’ with the ear radical, and ‘Shu’ as in comfortable.”

“Age?”

“Twenty.”

“Place of origin?”

“Yuanzhou, Baishi, Jinghai District.”

“Specific address.”

“Building 3, Unit 2, Room 404, Qilin Garden, Wutong Road, Jinghai District.”

“Occupation?”

“Still a student.”

“Do you have any religious beliefs? Have you ever become a registered cultivator in the Daoist or Buddhist sects, or anything like that?”

“No.”

“Any political background?”

“None.”

“Alright, I see here that you purchased a first-tier Spirit Sea Opening Potion from Blue Light Company last October. Is that correct?”

“My older sister bought it for me.”

“Did you use it?”

“I already used it.”

“What was the result?”

“It was successful.”

“Not bad…”

The older police officer raised his eyebrows, then continued, “Have you studied any restricted spells? Or had any contact with them in any way?”

“No! How could I?”

“Don’t be nervous, this is just routine questioning.”

“I’m just worried it’ll affect my college entrance exams.”

“As long as it’s not you, it won’t affect anything.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll continue then,” the older officer said. “Half a year ago, you and Richard Thompson had a… traffic accident, right? Afterwards, you didn’t issue him a letter of forgiveness. Is that correct?”

“That’s right. He was driving drunk, I didn’t want to sign.”

“In the past half year, have you had any contact with him?”

“No.”

“Do you know he’s been released from prison?”

“Yes.”

“Were you, at 17:13 yesterday afternoon, near Anning Furniture City in the southern suburbs, involved in any act of retaliation against Richard Thompson and his father? I must inform you, if you did break the law, confessing truthfully can result in a lighter or reduced sentence.”

“Absolutely not, and it’s completely impossible!”

“Understood.” The officer paused. “Then, where were you at 17:13 yesterday afternoon?”

“On my way home from school.”

“Did you get out of school early that day?”

“No.”

“Oh…”

Grace Brooks had excellent grades. Usually, at this time of year, he’d get some special treatment at school, but the police didn’t ask further. The target of this attack was already obvious. In the end, this was just a routine inquiry, required by procedure.

“Last question: During your questioning, did the public security authorities guarantee your normal meals and legal rights?”

“Yes.”

The printer buzzed to life.

“Take the statement, read it carefully, and see if it matches what you said. If there’s no problem, sign and stamp it.” The officer turned and pointed to the camera on the wall behind him. “Then, face the camera and say, ‘I have read the above statement and it matches what I said.’”

“I have read the above statement and it matches what I said.”

“Alright.”

“All done?”

Grace Brooks glanced at the window to his right. It had still been light when he arrived, but now it was dark. Outside, rain poured down in sheets, the raindrops driven by the wind streaking down the glass like little transparent worms.

“Alright, I’ll have a colleague take you home so it won’t affect your studies.”

“A police car…? That’s not necessary.”

“We also have unmarked cars.”

“I’ll just call a cab.”

“It’s fine, really, don’t be nervous, don’t be afraid. Students about to take the college entrance exam are our top priority. With grades like yours, if we don’t take good care of you, society will blame us.” The older officer stood up.

“O-okay.”

Walking out the police station doors, the sound of rain suddenly became clear and deafening, the smell of wet earth rushing in. The steps were soaked by splashing rain. Standing at the entrance, Grace Brooks couldn’t help but take a step back.

“Let’s go.”

The younger officer raised a black umbrella, kindly putting his arm around Grace Brooks’s shoulders. The two of them stepped forward, into the rain.

Grace Brooks followed him to an old white sedan. After just a few steps, he was already soaked.

The car started up silently.

Still uneasy, Grace Brooks asked, “Officer Clark, am I a major suspect? You know the culprit can’t be me—this is obviously the work of the Prolos. They’ve been carrying out these attacks a lot lately.”

“Don’t worry too much. Just focus on preparing for your exams.”

“Alright then…”