NOVPUB"A phone number? And a secret that only I know?" Brooks was taken aback.
If one could simply share a secret with someone else, would it still be a secret?
His brows knitted in confusion, "What’s the purpose of this?"
Daniel patiently explained, "I will use Time Rewind to travel back and call you, directing you to save Alex. Hence, I need a secret that only you know so that the past you would believe me."
Brooks’ eyes widened in astonishment upon hearing this, almost certain he’d misunderstood.
Time Rewind, going back to the past?
It wasn’t that he was easily startled, but such an ability sounded profoundly unimaginable.
Though they were all Evolvers, at the end of the day, they were still human.
Could a human truly possess such an extraordinary power?
Doubt filled everyone present.
It was then Julia interjected, "Brooks, given how things stand, why not do as Daniel suggests? Things can’t get any worse than they already are."
Brooks hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
If it meant saving Alex, revealing a secret was a small price to pay.
Leaning in close to Daniel, he whispered so that only Daniel could hear, "The secret I’m about to reveal is known by only two people in this world: Alex and me."
Everyone in the conference room strained their ears, curious about the secret Brooks was about to disclose.
Brooks, seemingly unconcerned about the eavesdropping, slowly divulged, "The secret is... Last week, there was a persistent, terrible stench in the Investigation Bureau’s office. Everyone thought it was due to some Cthulhu-like creature, but in reality, Alex had a stomachache and... well, he had an accident in his pants."
Silence.
The atmosphere in the room became immediately still.
All eyes turned to Brooks, their expressions a mix of astonishment and disbelief.
Most were beginning to wonder if Brooks was just pulling their leg.
Mike cautiously inquired, "Captain Brooks, but that foul smell in the Investigation Bureau’s office happened three times last week, didn’t it?"
Brooks nodded, confirming, "Yes, it happened three times."
In an instant, the room fell into stunned silence.
They never would’ve imagined that Captain Alex, who stood unmatched below Level 4, would have accidents like this, and not just once, but three times!
Following this revelation, Brooks touched his nose, clearly embarrassed, "Actually, the diarrhea was my doing."
"After a disagreement over something, I cursed Alex, using my power, to have these accidents three times. Unexpectedly, an ability that usually has a low success rate worked flawlessly that time."
The room fell silent once more.
No one had anticipated that Captain Brooks, with his prominent brows and commanding presence, a proud Level 3 Evolver no less, could act so childishly.
Feeling the disdainful stares from around the room, Brooks retorted defensively, "He started it! He cursed me to wet myself first."
However, his demeanor soon became melancholic once more as he murmured, "Alex..."
Daniel could sense Brooks was drifting back to his somber memories, but he didn’t have time to indulge in sentimentality.
He quickly interjected, "Alright, that secret should be enough to convince the past you."
"However, was there anything at that time that might have prevented you from answering the phone?"
Brooks thought briefly, then shook his head. "Not really. I was in the bathroom browsing TikTok, and my phone was fully charged, so I definitely would’ve answered."
Daniel nodded in satisfaction. "Good." This would ensure a foolproof way to reach Brooks.
But then, Daniel noticed an unusual silence, punctuated by the expectant stares of everyone in the room.
Their eyes were burning with anticipation, as if awaiting some incredible event.
One minute...
Two minutes...
Three minutes...
Five minutes passed, and an exasperated Daniel finally asked, "What are you all looking at?"
Brooks responded, "We’re waiting to see you use Time Rewind, to go back to the past."
Daniel stared at Brooks as if he had said something preposterous. "You didn’t think I was going to do it right now, did you?"
"And also, surely you don’t believe that when I use Time Rewind, it will be like in the movies, with flashy special effects making me suddenly disappear?"
The crowd nodded hesitantly. Wasn’t that how it worked?
Daniel rolled his eyes, visibly unimpressed with their reaction. "You are all supposed to be highly skilled individuals, some of you even Evolvers who’ve unlocked the Gene Lock. Theoretically, you should be smarter than this."
Brooks, growing anxious, asked, "Then when do you plan to act? Didn’t you mention there’s a time constraint?"
Daniel replied calmly, "Everything is under control. Just wait a few more minutes. Once the lottery center announces the results, I’ll make my move."
Everyone in the room focused intently on Daniel, not wanting to miss a single moment.
At that point, an impatient Martin barked, "Julia, Mike! Take this madman downstairs and keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn’t do anything erratic."
"Understood!"
Mike and Julia approached Daniel.
With a slightly apologetic smile, Mike said, "Dan, looks like you’ll have to come with me for a bit."
Daniel exited the conference room with a calm demeanor.
He never considered resisting.
Surrounded by so many Evolvers, and especially with Brooks, an elite Level 3 Evolver around, any reckless move from his end would surely spell his demise.
Dying before seeing the lottery results would be a waste of the Echo Stone’s usage.
Deep down, he understood Martin’s thought process.
If Daniel was merely spouting nonsense, the very fact that the Global Supernatural Investigation Bureau was played by a single individual would forever stain the Bureau’s reputation.
But if Daniel truly possessed the power of Time Rewind, such an unimaginable ability would become the Bureau’s topmost secret.
Martin thought along the same lines.
By having Julia take Daniel away, he ensured that he could control the outcome, no matter what it might be.
Julia and Mike led Daniel to a small office.
A quick glance at the photo on the desk, and Daniel deduced it was Julia’s workspace.
Without a word, Julia walked up to her desk and laid the photo frame face down.
She then sternly warned, "You’d better behave. If you try anything, know that I won’t hesitate to use force."
Her words were meant to intimidate Daniel, ensuring he didn’t stir up any further trouble.
Yet, with a mild curiosity, Daniel inquired, "Could you share more about Alex with me?"
Julia seemed reluctant at first, but a subtle glance from Mike prompted her to exit the room.
Mike then began, "Calling Captain Alex the strongest Evolver below Level 4 isn’t mere hearsay. His ability is, for lack of a better word, freakish. Some say he possesses the mightiest offensive power amongst Evolvers."
Daniel’s eyes shifted slightly.
Such praise meant that Alex indeed had formidable capabilities.
Noticing Daniel’s intrigued expression, Mike continued with enthusiasm, "Captain Alex’s power is damage amplification."
"At Level 1 as an Evolver, he had a double damage amplification. At Level 2, it increased to five times the damage. Now, as a Level 3 Evolver, Alex boasts a terrifying tenfold damage amplification. With just one punch, he’s unmatched by anyone below Level 4."
"Some even speculate that the day Alex advances to Level 4 will be the day he becomes the most formidable Evolver in the world."
Damage amplification?!
Daniel blinked in surprise.
Wasn’t that quite similar to his own power of damage multiplication?
However, his power of a hundredfold damage came as a special reward from the system for recycling items.
Alex’s ability, on the other hand, was acquired after unlocking the Gene Lock through his Life Gate.
Being at tenfold damage in Level 3, even reaching Level 4 would likely not exceed twenty times the damage.
Comparatively, the system seemed a tad more impressive.
A mere financial sacrifice had granted him the power of a hundredfold damage.
Daniel couldn’t help but feel a bit smug.
Then, Mike continued to brief Daniel on other matters.
For the investigation operation at the central superstore, Martin had initially tasked both Alex and Brooks.
However, Brooks suffered a bout of diarrhea right before they were set to leave.
Alex, being too impatient to wait, decided to venture out alone.
Due to insufficient intel, Alex hadn’t anticipated that most of the plastic mannequins in the superstore had turned into monsters under some eerie power, leading him to be caught off-guard.
Mike mused, "Had we known that those mannequins were monsters, Captain Alex and Captain Brooks should have set the place ablaze. They’re merely plastic models, after all. Even if transformed into monsters, they’re still made of plastic; they wouldn’t withstand an inferno."
Daniel’s eyes lit up upon hearing this, making a mental note. It might come in handy.
After a few minutes of conversation, the office door was suddenly kicked open.
In strode Martin, and behind him, Julia, her face livid with rage. "Who are you, really? You can’t predict the future. Why deceive us?"
A perplexed look crossed Daniel’s face. "What do you mean?"
Julia slammed a piece of paper onto the table.
On it were five sequences of numbers.
"These are tonight’s winning numbers. Not a single digit you wrote matches!"
