The next day.
Yu Xian and Zhang Shou attended class as usual.
Because the blockade area was isolated by a formation, most people in Silver City were unaware of yesterday's major battle.
However, there were some rumors in Superpower Academy, such as treasures appearing outside the city, and many superhumans engaging in a massive melee over the forbidden fruit, all described in an exaggerated manner.
Especially Chen Ling, the gossip queen, mysteriously revealed the information she had gathered to the two of them. Zhang Shou and Yu Xian could only offer polite smiles after listening.
For the next three days, Yu Xian and Zhang Shou went to school and returned home as usual.
The two of them kept an eye on the latest news on the Kylin APP, especially when Jin Sheng would be able to rejoin the team.
Yu Xian also added many friends, greatly expanding his network. Through friends in the Zhan E Squad, he met members from many different squads across the country and was even added to various mutual aid groups.
After getting familiar with the members of a mutual aid group, a young woman stationed in Yanjing told Yu Xian some bad news: Jin Sheng's injuries were more troublesome than expected, and he probably wouldn't be able to recover enough for normal activity in a short period.
Yu Xian and Zhang Shou both felt a bit heavy-hearted, unsure of what the Evil Extermination Squad's ultimate fate would be.
The fourth day.
Yu Xian and Zhang Shou both received a text message from Qing Niao, asking them to go together to the building next to the South City Security Bureau.
When the two arrived at the office, Qing Niao was already waiting for them in the corridor. Then the three of them entered Jin Sheng's former temporary office together.
Inside the office, Gong Qian was sitting in Jin Sheng's chair; because she wasn't tall enough, only her head was visible.
The three of them wanted to laugh at this sight but managed to hold it in.
Seeing everyone present, Gong Qian spoke, "Because Captain Jin Sheng is temporarily unable to lead the Evil Extermination Squad, Minister Yu Lie has appointed me as... Deputy Captain, temporarily in charge of all matters concerning the Evil Extermination Squad."
"You got demoted, huh?" Zhang Shou couldn't help but tease upon hearing this.
Gong Qian's face immediately darkened, and she glared fiercely at Zhang Shou. Zhang Shou quickly looked away, whistling nervously, pretending he hadn't been the one who spoke.
However, Gong Qian was indeed demoted.
Although she played an extremely significant role in killing Demos, earning her a first-class merit was undeniable, it was also a fact that her squad was almost completely wiped out.
It was heartbreaking for Qilin Headquarters to lose so many talented individuals.
Merit is merit, and fault is fault; there is no such thing as offsetting one with the other.
Therefore, after discussion, Qilin Headquarters arranged for her to serve as Deputy Captain in the Evil Extermination Squad. Additionally, Qilin Headquarters also considered that her cooperation with Yu Xian could unleash stronger combat power, which was why this arrangement was made.
In fact, Qilin Headquarters had considered promoting Yu Xian to temporary captain and having Gong Qian assist him, but considering how short a time Yu Xian had been with the Evil Extermination Squad, they ultimately decided against it.
If Yu Xian had been with the Evil Extermination Squad for over a year, it would definitely be Yu Xian sitting in Jin Sheng's position now, not Gong Qian.
"So what's our squad's mission now?" Yu Xian asked proactively, seeing Gong Qian glaring at Zhang Shou.
Gong Qian retracted her gaze and replied, "There are no collective missions for now. The Minister's intention is for us to first get accustomed to working together and also to familiarize ourselves with each other's abilities."
In fact, Yu Lie had earnestly told her to listen more to Yu Xian's opinions when encountering issues and not to act impulsively.
Although Yu Xian had been with Kylin for a short time, his performance during this period had been very impressive. His abilities were strong, and he was both courageous and resourceful, never failing at critical moments, but rather proving quite dependable.
After the memorial service and the awarding of merits, Yu Xian would not only move up in rank but also receive various rewards and benefits.
"So, Deputy Captain, do you have any plans?" Yu Xian asked, looking at Gong Qian.
Gong Qian shook her head, and Yu Xian immediately smiled, "Since there's no plan, why don't we go catch some rats tonight!"
Catch rats?
Everyone present was stunned and looked at Yu Xian.
Yu Xian formed a needle-sized bubble on his finger and explained, "You all know my ability; my Space Bubbles are interconnected, so theoretically, sound can also be transmitted through the bubbles to each other.
I've had nothing to do these past two days, so at night, I've placed many of these bubbles in various corners of the city, and through them, I've heard some interesting news.
For example, tonight, a group of idiotic thieves plans to target a silver shop. We can wait there for them and catch them all in one fell swoop."
As Yu Xian spoke, he parted his hair, revealing a bubble hidden in his ear like an earplug.
"It can be used like that!" Zhang Shou said, looking at the bubble in Yu Xian's ear with surprise.
Yu Xian smiled faintly; this was just the beginning. He didn't need to sleep at night, and these past few days, he had been pondering more uses for the bubbles, experimenting with a large number of interesting techniques.
Moreover, by adjusting the size of the bubbles, his energy consumption was very, very low.
The bubbles he released usually remained needle-sized, and when they needed to expand, he would transmit energy to the tiny bubbles through the principle of interconnected space, instantly turning a needle-sized bubble into a large bubble with a two-meter diameter.
This way, each of his teleportation points was not only extremely energy-efficient but also highly discreet. When necessary, they could also serve as a means of gathering information, truly achieving multiple benefits.
Additionally, the bubbles no longer required him to constantly control their movement with his mind. He could also attach the bubbles to a specific coordinate, and when that object moved, the bubble would be carried along with it.
The bubble in his ear was like this; otherwise, he would have to meticulously control the bubble in his ear to move with him every step, which would be too mentally taxing.
Next, Yu Xian attached a bubble to each of their ears, allowing them to communicate anytime, anywhere.
"Can you hear me?"
Zhang Shou ran outside the office and asked in a low voice.
Inside the room, the three of them could clearly hear Zhang Shou's words. Qing Niao asked curiously, "Xian Yu, Death Doctor's voice wasn't loud, so why can we hear it so clearly?"
"Because the bubbles in our ears are elastic bubbles; their internal space has stronger resonance capabilities. Once the sound exit of the bubble is set inwards, the sound we hear will be very clear and loud," Yu Xian explained.
Actually, he hadn't considered this problem at first.
Because his hearing, strengthened by Silver Blood, was extremely keen; he could hear even very, very faint sounds clearly.
It was only later at school, when Zhang Shou several times couldn't hear him clearly due to the surrounding noise, that he realized not everyone's hearing was as strong as his. So, after research, he made many adjustments.
Additionally, there was one more thing he didn't mention: he could set which sounds were allowed to enter the bubble.
These bubbles were originally designed for both offense and defense. Without his permission, other creatures would die crashing into the bubble's surface but would never be able to enter. Even if they had the ability to break the bubble's barrier, the result would only be the bubble's destruction.
By deeply developing this function, Yu Xian could designate whose voice could enter the bubble, while other sounds would be isolated outside the bubble, thus allowing him to obtain pure, noise-free sound.
After Zhang Shou returned from outside, the four of them discussed and agreed upon a meeting time for that evening, then adjourned the meeting.
Yu Xian walked out of the temporary office, and a bubble appeared out of thin air in front of him. He entered the bubble, and the next second he was back home. The bubble at the office quickly shrank, landing back in a small, inconspicuous depression on the ground.
Abilities can be developed in a 'large' direction.
They can also be developed in a 'small' direction. Sometimes, small is not necessarily inferior to large.
Especially after mastering micro-control, one can win against stronger opponents through skill, turning the tide in minutes.
As Yu Xian continuously practiced, his control over the energy within his body became increasingly proficient, and his command over the bubbles grew stronger. Through the ultra-small bubbles hidden in his fingerprint ridges, he could perform many incredible operations, playing with Space Bubbles to achieve various effects.
For example, by placing a bubble in space, he could even directly banish enemies into space.
He even thought of an extremely damaging tactic: placing a teleportation point at Qilin Headquarters. If he encountered an enemy he couldn't defeat, he would send them to Qilin Headquarters, letting the enemy experience a group beating from justice.
However, thinking that if he did that, the big shots who air-dropped into Silver City would definitely come after him, he immediately squashed this suicidal idea.