64: Chapter 64 Official File: Chen Wu, "Potential Special Talent"

While the police station's electronic screens were still scrolling with the surveillance restoration announcement, a red alert suddenly popped up on the central database of the Special Incident Response Department. An encrypted file numbered "SP-20250617" was automatically generating. Next to the words "Potential Special Talent" on the file cover, a holographic image of Chen Wu floated—cyan-gold Qi Energy circulated around him, showing a 98.7% overlap rate with the energy spectrum of the Tomb-Guarding Beast in the database.

"Permission level elevated to Grade A." The Chief of the Execution Division's fingertips swiped across the console, and bronze data streams poured down like a waterfall, forming Chen Wu's basic information on the first page of the file: "Chen Wu, Male, 27 years old, descendant of the Tomb Guardian, Qi Energy purity Grade SS, proficient in Baji Fist and Nine Palace Steps, holds a heart fragment of the Tomb-Guarding Beast." Every word carried the Special Incident Response Department's highest-level anti-counterfeiting mark, perfectly consistent with the file format of his grandfather from 1987.

The Minister's holographic projection suddenly appeared in the main control room. The old man's fingers tapped on the virtual keyboard, pulling up all the data from Chen Wu's live streams: "The backend of the Global Martial Arts System shows that every time his Qi Energy erupts, it can stabilize areas of Qi imbalance." On the projection screen, the rate of abnormal incidents in Shanghai over the past three months showed a cliff-like drop, perfectly overlapping with Chen Wu's activity trajectory. "This has already exceeded the scope of an ordinary Martial Artist and meets the core criteria for 'Special Talent'."

The second page of the file automatically refreshed with the "Capability Assessment" column. The System generated a 3D model based on the live stream footage: "The Nine Palace Steps can interfere with electronic equipment; the Qi Energy possesses characteristics such as neutralizing Shadow Beast toxins and repairing genetic damage, and he demonstrates extremely high tactical literacy and restraint in actual combat." A red button next to the assessment conclusion shimmered—this was the access point for "Mandatory Conscription," which required authorization from the Minister and three standing committee members to activate.

"We can't follow the old path." The Chief of the Execution Division suddenly pressed the Minister's wrist, and her bronze token projected the 1987 meeting minutes onto the console: "Forcibly inviting Mr. Chen Jianguo to join back then caused violent energy fluctuations in the Tomb-Guarding Beast, leading to seven small earthquakes in the Qinling Mountains within three months." Her fingertip brushed over the "Free Will" annotation in Chen Wu's file. "His Qi Energy is highly correlated with his emotions; oppressive management will only be counterproductive."

The database alarm suddenly blared. Hackers from the Gray Shadow Organization were attempting to breach the file System. On the firewall's defense logs, the attack code bore clear Shadow Beast toxin signatures. The Chief of the Execution Division's bronze token resonated with the System, and a cyan-gold defensive wall formed instantly—this was the "Qi Energy Encryption Technique" Chen Wu had shared just yesterday, now perfectly blocking the attack from abroad.

"He is already helping us." The Minister looked at the pulsing cyan-gold code on the defensive wall and suddenly checked the "Flexible Contact" option in the file's "Cooperation Intent" column. "Sync this assessment report to the Global Martial Arts System and have them add a 'Special Talent Certification' channel—establishing a connection in a way he can accept is more effective than the clauses in a dossier."

When a decrypted email suddenly popped up on Chen Wu's tactical tablet, he was practicing a variation of the "Cross-Strike" on a wooden dummy. The official account of the Global Martial Arts System had sent a PDF file titled "Special Talent Assessment Questionnaire." The moment it opened, his cyan-gold Qi Energy resonated with the file's code, and the shield emblem of the Special Incident Response Department emerged on the edge of the screen.

"It's a copy of their official dossier." Lin Mo's fingertip slid across the tablet, highlighting the trap questions in the questionnaire in red. "'Are you willing to sacrifice personal freedom for the national interest?' This kind of question is clearly testing your bottom line." The boy pulled up the backend code and found that each option was linked to a different permission level. "Selecting 'Cooperate within the legal framework' will unlock Grade B cooperation permissions, while selecting 'Depends on the situation' will instead trigger the highest level of attention."

Grandpa Wang's dry tobacco pipe tapped on the tablet, and ash fell on the "Source of Qi Energy" column. The old man's Qi Energy spread along the pipe stem, writing the words "Tomb-Guarding Beast" on the screen before crossing them out and changing it to "Family Martial Arts": "In 1953, when I filled out a similar form, I wrote 'Internal Skill' as 'Health Preservation Method' just so I wouldn't be treated like a monster." His pipe bowl tapped the "Potential Risk" assessment in the file. "These people fear loss of control most; you have to let them know you have a sense of propriety."

Chen Wu's pen hovered over the questionnaire for three minutes before he finally wrote in the "Scope of Capability Application" column: "Limited to self-defense and rescue; no participation in any form of armed conflict." As soon as the cyan-gold ink hit the paper, an anti-counterfeiting watermark was automatically generated—this was the "Trace-Leaving Technique" from the Basic Footwork, which would cause any tampering to leave behind obvious Qi Energy fluctuations.

The encrypted channel of the Special Incident Response Department lit up simultaneously. Looking at the watermark that suddenly appeared in the file, the Chief of the Execution Division's lips curled into a rare smile. "He knows how to protect himself better than his grandfather did." She synced Chen Wu's response to the Minister, with an attached analytical report showing that this conditional cooperative attitude actually lowered the System's risk assessment more than complete compliance. "Just like the Tomb-Guarding Beast, it's safer when there are clear boundaries of activity."

The doorbell of the training hall suddenly rang. Two people in Zhongshan suits stood at the door holding a mahogany box, the words "National Special Talent Management Bureau" on their IDs gleaming with a low-key golden light. "Mr. Chen, this is a small token of the Bureau's appreciation." The middle-aged man leading them opened the box, revealing a set of testing instruments made of pure gold that could precisely measure Qi Energy purity. "The Director said the official dossier will take effect after you finish the questionnaire. From now on, all your reasonable needs can be resolved through a green channel."

Chen Wu's Qi Energy swept over the surface of the instrument, and the cyan-gold energy flow condensed into the number "99.9" on the dial. The moment his fingertip touched the instrument, a hidden compartment popped out of the mahogany box. The microchip inside resonated with the tablet—it was a "Qi Energy Communicator" from the Special Incident Response Department, capable of maintaining contact in areas with no signal without tracking his location.

"Tell the Director I accept the instrument." Chen Wu handed back the completed questionnaire, the cyan-gold watermark shimmering in the sunlight. "But as for the word 'Potential' in the file, I will prove through my actions whether it should be removed." The wooden dummy made a soft sound, and a pattern identical to the chip emerged in the seventh fist print, as if bearing witness to this tacit understanding.

Half an hour after the Global Martial Arts System's "Special Talent Certification" channel opened, a golden badge was added to Chen Wu's personal homepage. The System announcement stated that Martial Artists who passed the certification would receive "Priority Allocation Rights for Qi Energy Resources," but would also need to undergo annual capability assessments. The discussion in the bullet comments exploded instantly: "Official certification is confirmed!" "Let's see who dares to question the Tomb Guardian now!"

Panic posts suddenly appeared on the Dark Web forum of the Gray Shadow Organization. Someone uploaded a screenshot of Chen Wu's official dossier, claiming that the "Special Incident Response Department is forming a hunting squad centered on the descendant of the Tomb-Guarding Beast." However, it was quickly refuted—in the file summary synchronized by the Global Martial Arts System, the "Non-Violence Principle" was highlighted in bold, completely contradicting the image of a "Hunter" described by Gray Shadow.

"They are intentionally creating conflict." Lin Mo's tablet monitored the Dark Web trends, finding a large number of IPs forwarding tampered file content. "But it's having the opposite effect; now more people believe you are a righteous force recognized by the authorities." The boy pulled up the latest public opinion poll; Chen Wu's support rate was as high as 87%, exceeding all active public officials.

In the training base of the Special Incident Response Department, thirty-seven newly recovered Modified Ones were practicing Chen Wu's Nine Palace Steps. The Chief of the Execution Division's bronze token projected the Qi Energy spectrum from the file, letting the students compare their own energy flows: "See the gap? It's not a lack of power, but a lack of control precision." Her gaze fell on Li Meng; this boy, who had once almost faced amputation, now had a Qi Energy purity reaching Grade B. "Mr. Chen has agreed to serve as an honorary coach and will come for live-streamed teaching every week."

The most unexpected reaction came from the International Martial Arts Federation. The Chairman personally sent a video email, hoping to promote Chen Wu's dossier as the "New Era Martial Artist Standard": "We have studied all your live streams and found that you perfectly balance power and restraint—this is exactly the quality most lacking in modern martial arts." The attached cooperation agreement showed that the International Martial Arts Federation was willing to provide special funds to support Chen Wu in establishing global traditional martial arts teaching points.

Chen Wu's tactical tablet suddenly received a special file. It was the recovery assessment report for Little Li's father, sent by the Special Incident Response Department in the encrypted format of the file System. It detailed the process of the old man using the Nine Palace Steps to channel Qi Energy. On the last page was a handwritten note: "Qi Energy purity increased to C+; possesses basic teaching ability." Next to it was a photo of the old man teaching other students at the recovery center, his peace lock gleaming gold in the sun.

Grandpa Wang hung a newly made plaque at the entrance of the training hall. The five characters for "Tomb Guardian Martial Arts Hall" were written in cyan-gold paint, the edges carved with the same anti-counterfeiting patterns as the official dossier. The old man's tobacco pipe pointed at the crowd queuing to sign up: "When I opened a hall in 1955, I only had three disciples. Now you have thirty million people waiting to learn in your live stream room." His pipe bowl tapped the file projection on the wall. "This piece of paper isn't important; what's important is that the common people recognize your brand."

Late at night in the main control room of the Special Incident Response Department, the Minister held his first encrypted video call with Chen Wu. In the holographic projection, the old man pointed to the "Emergency Deployment Clause" in the file: "We can delete this one, or modify it to 'Requires personal consent'." His finger swiped across the energy spectrum of the Tomb-Guarding Beast on the screen. "This was what your grandfather resisted most back then; we don't want to repeat the same mistake."

Chen Wu's Qi Energy drew two intersecting circles on the projection screen. One represented official authority, and the other represented personal freedom. In the overlapping part, he wrote "Protecting Together": "The clause can stay, but the scope of deployment must be limited to 'Qi Energy Imbalance Incidents'." His fingertip pointed to the location of the training hall on the Shanghai map. "Just like these two circles, only by guarding our respective boundaries can we coexist for a long time."

The Chief of the Execution Division suddenly joined the call, holding a new file: "This is the implementation plan for the 'Modified Ones Rescue Project,' and we need your Qi Energy data as a reference." The budget sheet in the document showed that the Special Incident Response Department had applied for three hundred million in special funds for the mass production of nine-turn soul returning ointment. "The Minister has already signed it, and the procurement list includes the medicinal herb supplier you recommended—the Old Herb Farmer from Changbai Mountain mentioned by Grandpa Wang."

The notification sound of the Global Martial Arts System rang simultaneously. Fifty million suddenly appeared in Chen Wu's points account, labeled by the System as a "Special Talent Subsidy." But as soon as his Qi Energy touched the transfer button, he received a message from the Minister: "This is what you deserve, to be used for updating teaching equipment. We checked your account; all your income has been spent on rescuing the Modified Ones—it's not written in the dossier, but we all saw it."

The wooden dummy in the training hall shimmered with cyan light under the moonlight. When Chen Wu's "Crushing Fist" landed, the electronic code of the official dossier emerged in the fist print before gradually merging into the wood grain—this was his promise to himself: no matter how the dossier defined him, he would always be that Tomb Guardian who protected freedom and justice. Lin Mo's tablet showed that 137 martial arts halls worldwide had already applied to join the "Non-Violent Martial Arts Alliance," with each hall's plaque carved with the same anti-counterfeiting pattern as Chen Wu's.

When the first ray of morning light pierced through the clouds, the central database of the Special Incident Response Department automatically updated Chen Wu's dossier. Next to the "Potential Special Talent" label, a bronze remark was added: "On June 18, 2025, a flexible cooperation agreement was reached. Both parties agreed to carry out deep collaboration in the field of Qi Energy balance, respecting personal freedom and professional ethics." On the last page of the file, a photo of Chen Wu in the training hall was attached, with the "Tomb Guardian Martial Arts Hall" plaque in the background shining brilliantly in the sun.

Chen Wu stood at the hall entrance, watching the figures of students practicing the Nine Palace Steps. Among them were police officers, Modified Ones, ordinary citizens, and even a few blond-haired, blue-eyed foreign Martial Artists. Each person's Qi Energy fluctuations were different, yet they reached a perfect resonance in the belief of "Stopping conflict through martial arts." He knew that this official dossier was only a beginning; what truly mattered was the agreement beyond the file—using the wisdom of traditional martial arts to guard the world and infecting people's hearts with a free Soul.

Just like the current homepage recommendation of the Global Martial Arts System, the title of Chen Wu's live stream replay had been changed to: "The Ordinary Daily Life of a Special Talent." The footage contained no heart-pounding fights, only trivial scenes of him teaching children the Horse Stance and helping the elderly regulate their Qi Energy. The bullet comments flying by, saying "This is the hero we need," spoke louder than any official certification—true specialty has always been hidden within the most ordinary persistence.