Tianxiao and Liu Yun both knew that if a person did not have internal energy as a factor, activating superpowers would inevitably draw on the vital energy within the body, and repeated occurrences would inevitably harm the person's body.
Zhang Lei clearly hasn't practiced any martial arts. Judging from his appearance, this is probably the reason his body is so weak. However, it's truly a miracle that someone without internal energy hasn't been killed by the power after using it so many times.
"Brother Liu Yun, do you think he also has some kind of internal energy? Otherwise, there's no way an ordinary person could reach such a high level of superpowers!"
Superpowers also have a level of proficiency. This superpower index reflects both the strength of the superpower and the level of proficiency.
So far, no one has been found to have a superpower starting with over 500, and a sudden increase in proficiency isn't easy. It's not that using it will necessarily improve it, nor is it that improving it will only result in a slight increase. Take Tian Xiao for example. It's been over a year since her superpower was discovered, and she has cultivated internal energy. She practices as soon as she has enough internal energy, yet she still hasn't reached 1000.
Reaching 1,000 is a dividing line. Most superpowers below 1,000 are basically ineffective against experts. Before that, auxiliary superpowers still have some use, but those directly used in combat are practically useless. However, once a combat-oriented superpower index exceeds 1,000, if combined with previously practiced internal energy martial arts, the power it can unleash is terrifying.
This is certainly not a coincidence; there aren't that many coincidences in the world. The unit was originally defined by dividing the value of this point into a thousand equal parts. It's like a meter; it's not that the king's exact step was a meter, but rather that the distance of a meter was determined based on the distance of his step.
"Actually, I guessed it, but I didn't expect it to be this high. I'm still below 1300." Liu Yun said somewhat disheartenedly. After exceeding 1000, each point represents a different level, making it much more difficult to improve. Even Liu Yun, as the team leader, hadn't reached 1300, so one can imagine how astonishing 1500 was.
"Although Zuo Jian is not very capable in the Zuo family, his Iron Shirt Kung Fu is not something he has practiced for nothing. His family has always required that one be able to use their internal energy to block a Type 54 bullet, or at least leave a bullet tail outside, in order to be allowed to go out for training! Even the highest level of hitting a cow through a mountain might not be able to turn Zuo Jian's heart into mush. Moreover, Zuo Jian is not a wooden man. To be honest, it would be strange if he did not have a superpower value of 1,500."
"With such high numbers, as long as his ability isn't useless, I'm sure the higher-ups will treat him like a treasure. I wonder how he trained it?" Tian Xiao looked at Zhang Lei curiously from behind. "Captain, how do we find out what his ability is?"
"Hehe, let's get straight to the point, no need to hide anything!" Liu Yun changed direction, keeping a distance from Zhang Lei. "When he gets to a less crowded area, we'll stop him and talk to him. According to the intelligence below, he should take a small road next to the elementary school on his way home, and there aren't many people on that road at this time."
...
"Excuse me, can we talk?" Just as Liu Yun had expected, they successfully stopped Zhang Lei on the path. The elementary school had already let out for the day, and there was practically no one on the path.
"What are you doing?" Zhang Lei clutched his pocket. "I don't even have enough money for myself, don't even think about taking a single penny from me!"
Liu Yun nearly choked. He, the captain of the first squad of the supernatural ability group, whose credentials would make even the police chief wary, was being mistaken for a highway robber by this little brat. Little did he know, if he had, he probably would have coughed up blood. Zhang Lei hadn't actually mistaken him for a highway robber; Zhang Lei had seen him as a Shanghai specialty—a stubborn little hooligan.
"Hehe, don't be so nervous, little brother. My brother isn't trying to rob you. If you answer our questions honestly, we'll give you money too, okay?"
Just as Liu Yun was about to stop her, Tian Xiao took out a stack of banknotes that were neither too thin nor too thick and started waving them around. The silver threads on the banknotes reflected the sunlight faintly, and Zhang Lei's eyes seemed to be gleaming with golden light.
"Ask away any questions you have, one cent per question!" Zhang Lei's family was relatively well-off, but that was in a small town in Northeast China. In a small town in Northeast China, there weren't many places to spend money, especially for students. Spending five cents to play a game of billiards was already a great treat.
But where is this? This is Shanghai. Earning money in a small town in the Northeast and using it in Shanghai is never enough. Even if the power plant has higher revenue, that won't work either.
Although Zhang Lei lives with his maternal grandmother, he can't rely on her to support him. His mother provides for his living expenses and has also hired a nanny to help take care of the elderly woman and the young boy. As a result, Zhang Lei has very little pocket money left.
With this little money, Zhang Lei also had to cover his own breakfast, lunch when the school cafeteria was closed, and unexpected expenses at school. Zhang Lei had long felt that money in Shanghai was really too easy to spend.
Now, Zhang Lei can't even afford to treat people like he did in elementary or middle school. He's even reluctant to buy himself a cold drink. If he does buy one occasionally, it's always the cheapest one. No wonder he's so eager to see the money in Tian Xiao's hand. On the contrary, Tian Xiao himself is much less attractive to him.
Zhang Lei didn't mind Tian Xiao calling him "little brother." Although Tian Xiao's face was still youthful, few people would think she was an underdeveloped little sister based on her figure. As for the issue of ambiguity, Zhang Lei could forgive it no matter who had so much money.
Liu Yun originally wanted to stop this rich girl who had nothing better to do with her money. According to the information, Zhang Lei's pride was exceptionally strong, but Zhang Lei's reaction was completely unexpected.
What he didn't know was that Zhang Lei's greatest strength was finding and adapting to his environment; the first lesson he learned in the metropolis was the harsh reality.
"Can we start asking questions now?" Although Tianxiao was speaking to Zhang Lei, her face was actually looking at her brother Liu Yun, her little face full of pride and a desire to take credit.
In her eyes, Zhang Lei was just a silly boy. Although he was about the same age as her, Tian Xiao was much more mature. Only the more mature Liu Yun could give her such a fatal attraction.
Zhang Lei wasn't stupid, so of course he would seize the opportunity. "Okay, thank you, Sheng Hui!" he said, taking a bill from the stack of money that Tian Xiao was shaking.
Although it was just a small saving, and Tianxiao's stack of money wasn't in hundred-yuan notes, but only in ten-yuan notes, Tianxiao still felt he had lost a lot of face, especially in front of Liu Yun. Seeing Liu Yun's barely suppressed laughter, Tianxiao wished he could devour Zhang Lei.
“Kid, let’s get straight to the point. We’re here to ask you a few questions. Remember that kidnapping case when you were in the Northeast? We…” Liu Yun patted Tian Xiao’s hand, which was hooked around his arm. This wasn’t the time to cause trouble. Once Zhang Lei’s superpower was activated, its power was probably not to be underestimated. Although they didn’t care about the small amount of money, Liu Yun was still a little annoyed that a kid had taken advantage of him so openly.
"I remember! Thank you!" Zhang Lei took another card from Tian Xiao's hand, who was in a daze.
Liu Yun felt like the two of them were fools, especially himself. He could say that Tian Xiao was careless and the little girl was inexperienced, but when it came to him, he could only be described as an idiot. Now he was so angry that he wanted to kill Zhang Lei for the Zuo family.
"What is your superpower?" Liu Yun didn't waste any more words. Who knew when this cunning kid would catch him off guard again? The information said that Zhang Lei had a high IQ, which seemed to be true.
His question was direct, but not thoughtless. He didn't ask Zhang Lei if he had superpowers; instead, he directly asked what Zhang Lei's superpowers were. This was tantamount to telling Zhang Lei, "We know you have superpowers; there's no need to make up excuses."
"What did you say? What superpower?" Zhang Lei was completely taken aback. This was a secret he had always kept strictly confidential, one that even his parents didn't know. How could these two people in front of him know? For a moment, Zhang Lei felt as if he had been stripped naked.
"Hehe, let me tell you the truth, we are from a government department!" Liu Yun felt that he had won the round now. He didn't know why he would argue with such a young kid. Maybe it was the number 1,580 that made him unconsciously start comparing.
As he spoke, Liu Yun took out a red-covered ID card, opened it, and placed it in front of Zhang Lei.
Zhang Lei didn't take the notebook to examine it closely. Even if he did, he wouldn't understand it, so there was no need to pretend to check it carefully. However, the photo on it was indeed of the person in front of him, at least he wasn't being fooled by someone else's ID.
"The National Special Abilities Bureau? Never heard of it?" Zhang Lei scratched his head, feigning confusion. "Is it a bureau composed of people with supernatural abilities?"
"Hehe, now we're paying you to ask us questions, and if you want to ask us questions, you'll have to pay too!" Tianxiao finally had a chance to chime in. She felt this was her chance to turn the tables, as she was always unwilling to lose to the brat in front of her.
"Oh, then I won't ask!" Zhang Lei swung his backpack and walked forward.
"Hey, stop right there! You took the money, and you think you can just leave without answering my questions? Do you have any morals at all?" Tianxiao was so focused on stopping Zhang Lei that he didn't even bother to hold onto Liu Yun's arm anymore. Liu Yun finally managed to get some relief from the pain in her arm; she couldn't take it anymore. Even if she felt bad for her brother, she had to consider her own physical needs.
"Oh?" Zhang Lei looked at her as if she were a fool, and in fact, he really thought he was looking at a fool. "I took two of your points and answered two of your questions, isn't that right? Our accounts should be even!"
"You!" If it weren't for Zhang Lei's somewhat frightening ability index of at least 1,580, Tian Xiao would have already rushed up and slapped him across the face.
Liu Yun stopped Tian Xiao, who was pretending to rush forward but whose feet didn't move at all.
"Hehe, maybe you're still a little wary. How about I demonstrate my superpower to you first!" Liu Yun knew that those who possess superpowers usually treat it as their biggest secret, and they would even keep it from their closest relatives, for fear of being seen as a monster or captured for some kind of dissection research. Those who truly have superpowers would not go around performing.
If it weren't for Zhang Lei and Zuo Jian's situation, they would never have discovered that Zhang Lei might be a superhuman, and they wouldn't have used a special machine to verify it. In that case, this person who was likely to possess powerful superpowers would have been let go.
The instrument used to detect superpower indexes is the same one Liu Yun and his team used before. It only works when it's attached to a person's body, making it quite troublesome to use. They couldn't possibly stick it on everyone on the street, and besides, the superpower team members are very busy. Therefore, the already small number of superpowered individuals are even fewer that have been discovered and found.
Aside from families with long-standing ties to the government, large martial arts clans, or those like Zhang Lei who happen to attract attention through special events, most people with superpowers remain undetected. This is especially true among the reserved Chinese, which makes such individuals all the more precious. Offending a powerful family like the Zuo family for someone like that is not out of the question.
Liu Yun's superpower is the fire-based superpower that is easiest to perform. The blue-green flames, as if they were shooting out of a welding torch, shot out from between his middle and index fingers, and were more than half a meter long. Zhang Lei could clearly feel the heat on them from a distance of more than a meter.