Can a Naive Man Be a Heartthrob in a Bizarre World? Chapter 54

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Chapter 54: The Puppy-like Purifier

Luo Shizhen was stunned.

He pointed at himself: “Me?”

The young man grew excited, a small blush quickly coloring his cheeks: “Am I… am I really that amazing?”

Luo Shizhen instinctively looked toward Chen He-an, the mentor he trusted most.

Chen He-an’s heart softened at the sight of those sparkling eyes, and he stroked the boy’s head:

“Yes, you really are that amazing.”

His gaze remained warm and loving, but there was a hint of complexity in his eyes.

As an Awakener, he was naturally happy that a Purifier now had offensive capabilities.

This meant that perhaps future Energy Users could also have offensive power, and frontline Guardians whose Pollution values had completely exceeded the limit and entered the Alienation stage would have more hope of survival.

But as a teacher, he felt anxious about whether his student could handle the change in identity.

If Luo Shizhen were just a simple Purifier, his most likely future after graduation would be to choose a powerful, mature team he liked and carry out various missions under the protection of his teammates.

Those missions might be dangerous, but everyone in such a powerful team would protect him thoroughly. He wouldn’t even need to face Anomalies directly.

He would be well-protected, just like he was at school.

But things were different now. It was very likely that Luo Shizhen would also need to face Anomalies head-on. While this was good in that he would have the ability to protect himself and grow faster, it didn’t change the outcome.

The thought of this child—who was always so well-behaved and seemed like the type to only ask “Why did you hit me?” if someone punched him—one day having to face a bloody battle still brought a slight pang of sorrow to Chen He-an.

He was long used to the sorrow of sending students to the battlefield, but Luo Shizhen was too different.

Compared to all other students, he was too well-behaved, too obedient, and appeared too non-aggressive. Consequently, Chen He-an couldn’t help but focus more of his mind on him.

In the end, however, the little bird had to fly from the nest.

While Chen He-an was still wrestling with his worry, the object of his concern, Luo Shizhen, had already quickly stepped into his new role.

“Then what do I need to do?”

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There was no trepidation, no anxiety—only pure sincerity.

The senior investigators were once again flattered by Luo Shizhen’s cooperation.

They had once been young themselves, so they naturally knew how difficult young Awakeners could be.

Luo Shizhen’s easygoing personality was like a Samoyed appearing in a pack of wolves.

“You might need to accompany us back to Yongzhou for more detailed examinations and various experimental tests once you’ve rested.”

“The experiments will likely involve staff releasing a bit of Pollution for you to use your purification ability under safe conditions to see if it truly has offensive properties. If you’re uneasy, you can designate a teacher or a relative to go with you.”

The investigators explained very clearly, even pulling up a PowerPoint to show him the experimental environment.

Unlike the cold, sterile experimental settings in films, the environment Yongzhou used for testing abilities was quite colorful, with murals even painted on the walls.

There had once been a popular doomsday movie from a certain country where people with supernatural abilities were captured by the local government for human experimentation.

Since then, in doomsday-themed films, whenever people with special abilities appeared, there would be research institutes and human experiments.

This led some newly awakened individuals to distrust Yongzhou when they first came into contact with it. The mere mention of “experiments” made them feel as if they were about to become lab rats the next moment.

Yongzhou was helpless in this regard.

First, currently, only Awakeners could deal with Anomalies.

Second, Awakeners were essentially humans who were only half-polluted. Under external Pollution and internal psychological shock, they would mutate into Anomalies on the spot.

Furthermore, negative energy itself could give birth to Anomalies. To put it in idealistic terms, an Awakener’s negative thoughts could potentially give rise to a new Anomaly.

Weren’t there already enough Anomalies in the world? They weren’t crazy; why would they want to provoke a new batch of powerful Anomalies themselves?

Combat personnel were already a headache when they were half-mad; no one in their right mind would want to forcibly provoke them into full-blown madness.

These were all experiences the Awakener Center had slowly gathered over thirty years.

Usually, Yongzhou tried its best not to provoke these Awakeners and improved their benefits and treatment as much as possible.

Looking at Luo Shizhen’s age, it was clear he would surf the internet. Fearing he might get the wrong idea, the investigators carefully introduced the experimental environment and the staff to him.

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However, Luo Shizhen hadn’t thought about any of that at all.

He nodded and agreed immediately.

Indeed, he had never seen those doomsday movies.

In his nineteen years of life, the only thing he had watched much of as a child were cartoons.

Once he started school and realized how dismal his talent for studying was, he spent almost all his spare time working hard on his studies.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have had to wait until Xiao Shan told him what “straight man” meant to understand its meaning.

He simply felt that since he was receiving a “salary” from the school, he should naturally listen to the “boss.”

His quick agreement surprised the investigators once again.

They had been surprised too many times today. Accustomed to dealing with tough customers, they found themselves a bit unadapted to this soft, freshly baked piece of bread.

Chen He-an: “How about Teacher accompanies you?”

“Okay!” Luo Shizhen agreed instantly. He had originally wanted to ask if Chen-laoshi could go with him.

Sui An suddenly spoke from the side: “I’ll go along too, to be responsible for protection.”

The investigators also felt this was feasible.

Even if Luo Shizhen didn’t have mutated abilities, the fact that he purified an Awakener with a 94% Alienation value was a reality. Such an important Purifier naturally needed to be well-protected.

Just as Hua Yi was about to say he wanted to go too, his subordinate, Luo Qi, pushed forward impatiently.

“For the experiments! You’ll also need polluted Awakeners as subjects, right?!”

“Can I sign up my Gandie? His Alienation value has already reached 85%. He’s barely maintaining his sanity through willpower, but his body is already mutating.”

Luo Shizhen precisely caught the word “Gandie” and turned to look at Luo Qi.

Luo Qi tried hard to squeeze out a fawning smile.

Receiving the signal, Luo Shizhen immediately returned a big, friendly smile.

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This actually made Luo Qi pause; he hadn’t expected Luo Shizhen to be willing to smile at him.

The investigators didn’t agree rashly.

“The decision of which experimental subject to choose should be made by the Purifier himself. We have no right to interfere.”

It had always been the right of the Energy User to choose whom to heal.

This significantly increased the chances of the Energy User successfully healing the Awakener.

Luo Qi looked at Luo Shizhen with apprehension and pleading.

He opened his mouth, ready to say what he was willing to give in exchange for this opportunity.

Luo Shizhen, however, had already nodded: “I’m fine with that. If your Gandie is okay with it, then let it be him. But I can’t guarantee if I can purify him.”

Luo Qi was practically weeping with joy. This tall man with a crew cut wished he could rush up and give Luo Shizhen a kiss.

“Thank you, thank you! I know! It’s enough that you’re willing to try!”

Luo Shizhen felt embarrassed and proactively reached out to pat him on the shoulder in comfort:

“No need to thank me. I’m a Purifier; I’m supposed to purify patients anyway.”

Although everyone meant for him to rest before leaving, Luo Shizhen felt he was already completely rested.

He was high-spirited! His body was strong! Eating that Gu insect was like taking a supreme tonic; his whole being felt comfortable!

The group went out to wait for him. Lu Qiujin didn’t move; he just stared at Luo Qi’s tall frame and handsome features, his brow furrowing deeply.

Luo Qi’s looks were in the same style as Xiao Shan’s—both had a hint of fierce temperament.

The difference was that Xiao Shan was naturally fierce-looking, while Luo Qi had a scar running from his eyebrow to his cheek, adding a layer of ferocity.

Lu Qiujin remembered that when Luo Shizhen first met Xiao Shan, his face was also written with “like.”

Did he like this kind of look?

He watched Luo Shizhen as he got up and prepared for a quick shower, asking as if casually:

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“You seem to like that Luo Qi quite a bit. Did you have a good impression of him at first sight?”

“Yeah.”

Luo Shizhen had already walked to the sink to wash his face. Covered in droplets of water, he said with a chuckle:

“I think he’s a very nice person.”

“Why?” Lu Qiujin’s hand touched his own face with some uncertainty. “Do you like his kind of looks?”

“Looks? What do looks have to do with anything?”

Luo Shizhen was confused. “I like him because seeing him made me think of you guys.”

Lu Qiujin froze. Before his reason could react, his breathing quickened slightly, and the tips of his ears turned a faint red.

“You like him because he made you think of me?”

He automatically removed the “guys” from “you guys.”

Luo Shizhen didn’t notice, still earnestly lathering soap on his hands.

“Yeah, didn’t you hear what he said? He begged me for the sake of his Gandie. He almost cried when he talked about him. What a great relationship between a godfather and a godson. I thought of you guys as soon as I saw it.”

Lu Qiujin: “…”

He already knew what Luo Shizhen was thinking.

Sure enough, Luo Shizhen began to daydream with a “hehe” laugh:

“Once my child is born, the relationship between you and him/her should be just as filial, right?”

“So, seeing him made me especially happy. In the future, we have to keep being this good to each other.”

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