Volume One, Chapter 77: Schemes.

"The Chosen One? What’s a Chosen One, anyway?" A big question mark seemed to pop up above Xu Congcong’s head.

He had been at Institute 509 for quite some time, yet he had never heard of anything called a Chosen One.

Jiang Chen looked at the group and said, "Your Institute 509 really needs to step up its science education. How can you not even cover something like this?"

Fang Longcheng rubbed his nose. "Didn’t they give you an encyclopedia during training at Institute 509? It’s all recorded in there—these special kinds of humans. When this mission is over, you’d better go back and study up."

Xu Congcong’s wide eyes brimmed with innocence. "What? I’ve never even heard of it, and you’re all being so mysterious. Brother Jiang Chen, hurry up and tell us about them!"

Hearing her call him "Brother Jiang Chen" made Jiang Chen’s heart blossom with delight. He basked in it for a moment, just about to explain, when Su Yike shot him a fierce glare.

"You have something going on with her too?!" Su Yike gritted out through clenched teeth.

Jiang Chen hurried to clear himself. "Don’t talk nonsense, I’m upright, devoted, and faithful!"

Su Yike wanted nothing more than to shove his head into a toilet. Faithful and devoted, my foot—he flirted with every girl he met.

As captain, Fang Longcheng felt utterly exhausted by this point. He said, "The so-called Chosen Ones are humans born with abnormal changes in their brains. Each of them has a special ability."

"Isn’t that just like us? Supernaturals and cultivators," Xu Congcong asked.

"No, there’s a big difference. Chosen Ones are also ranked by level. The most powerful Chosen One in our country is now strategizing at the center of Great Xia. Every major shift in the last century has borne his mark."

"Moreover, this Chosen One, like the one at the heart of Great Xia, is a person whose brain has undergone a complete transformation. They both belong to the same level—the Wisdom Class."

"Wisdom Class? That sounds like a tongue-twister," Jiang Chen remarked wryly.

Xu Congcong was full of doubts. "But that doesn’t make sense. What’s the use of wisdom? At best, you’re just a bit smarter. Without protection, you’d still be vulnerable, maybe not even as good as the lowest-level supernatural."

What made supernaturals powerful was their innate ability to use powers others could only envy. With cultivation, the gap between them and ordinary cultivators widened even further.

"You really are hopelessly dense. Good thing you’re not Wisdom Class, or the nation would be doomed," Xue Qi rolled her eyes.

Xu Congcong retorted, "If you’re so smart, why don’t you explain it then!"

Xue Qi fixed her with a stare. "Let me ask you a few questions. If you were going out to eat, would you choose a pancake roll or fried rice?"

Xu Congcong actually pondered it. "Let me think..."

"Think my foot! Just pick one."

"I’ll go with the pancake roll."

Xue Qi continued, "So you pick the pancake roll, but if I wanted to make you eat fried rice instead, do you think that’s possible?"

"I guess so."

"Guess so, my foot! You’re supposed to say no."

"Then, no," Xu Congcong replied, feeling wronged.

Xue Qi sighed. "So your plan is to go out and eat a pancake roll, but within a hundred meters you run into a car accident, an earthquake, a building collapse, a robbery—by the end, there are no pancake rolls left and you have no choice but to eat fried rice. Do you think that’s possible?"

Xu Congcong spread her hands. "How could there be so many coincidences?"

Xue Qi snapped her fingers. "But that’s exactly how many coincidences there would be. A Wisdom Class Chosen One can orchestrate the grand scheme, laying plans that may span ten, a hundred, even a thousand years, so that at this very moment, today, you have no choice but to eat fried rice!"

After this clear explanation, everyone shivered—not because of the logic, but because it was genuinely terrifying.

"Is... is that even human? How is that different from a god?" Su Yike exclaimed in shock.

Xue Qi smiled faintly. "You may not realize it, but people like this existed in history—Zhuge Wolong, the Sage of Destiny, Guiguzi—they were all Wisdom Class. They just never appeared in the same era."

Jiang Chen was genuinely awed. To be able to command the fates of all with such ease—Wisdom Class was powerful beyond reason.

If two such people appeared in one era, and this high school student couldn’t be brought under their control, it could spell disaster for Great Xia.

"Troubled times are upon us. We must secure this kind of talent. Even if we can’t, we mustn’t let other nations or powers take them," Fang Longcheng said gravely.

Jiang Chen tapped his fingers lightly on the table, lost in brief thought. When his gaze met Su Yike’s, he understood her instantly.

She wanted him to take the child away and bring him to their side.

That was his intention as well. He urgently needed a strategist. Even with the Underworld Hall as his backing, if he wanted to protect everyone in the coming chaos, he had to be able to plan ahead. At the very least, before the chaos arrived, he needed to ensure the safety of everyone he cared about.

But he faced a problem—how to bring this child under his wing.

This was someone Institute 509 had their sights on.

Fang Longcheng seemed at ease. "Fortunately, all we have to do is provide intelligence. The higher-ups will send top experts to take the child. We just need to wait for them and relay the information."

Jiang Chen asked, "If the child is so important, won’t this stir up a storm? Are those you’re sending really up to the task?"

Fang Longcheng was full of confidence. "Absolutely. This time, the person coming is one of Institute 509’s top leaders, a powerhouse. He’s coming here specifically to take the child, so there’s nothing to worry about."

Now Jiang Chen was troubled. If the incoming people were so strong, even if things broke out into a fight, it wouldn’t be resolved quickly. And if he did make a move against them, he might win, but if both sides ended up unhappy, that would be no good.

When the others had left and only Jiang Chen and Su Yike remained, Su Yike cupped his face in her hands. "Worried?"

Jiang Chen pulled her into his arms, planting a gentle kiss on her cheek. "Of course. In this situation, I don’t know if I should make a move or not. I want this person too—right now I’m desperate for talent. He’s crucial for me."

Su Yike giggled. "How about this: if you give me a kiss, I’ll tell you my plan?"

Jiang Chen thought, What a great deal! and promptly kissed her on the lips.

Su Yike blushed. "Actually, you can retreat without offending anyone, and Institute 509 might even be grateful to you—and then they’ll bring the person right to you."