My Superpower Is Kind of Cute

Chapter 22: The Supernatural Abilities Guild

With Qi Yun leading the way, we pinpointed the location of Xu Weijie’s room and climbed the stairs toward his apartment. Qi Yun led the way, constantly glancing back at me and sniffing the air—just like a starving dog sniffing out a fragrant pile of shit. He exclaimed with delight, “Mengmeng, I can actually sense spiritual energy coming from you now. I really didn’t misjudge you.” “You never even gave me a proper look before.” I shot him a glance. We didn’t even know the true nature of those people yet—what was there to be so happy about? Besides, my right arm felt a little numb, as if it had swollen another size. When I arrived at Xu Weijie’s doorstep, I tentatively knocked on the stainless-steel security door. After a long while, there was still no response. I didn’t even have to think to know that the kid had probably taken off somewhere with his crappy gourd to scam people out of money again. I frowned, feeling a wave of sadness at my current situation, and couldn’t help but give the door a hard shove. Qi Yun whispered from behind me, “Mengmeng, you have to control yourself…” Before Qi Yun could finish her sentence, there was a loud “crack”—I’d actually smashed that stainless-steel security door open with a single shove, and it lay forlornly on the floor inside Xu Weijie’s apartment. I shuddered and stared at my right hand in utter bewilderment. It had just been an instinctive shove, yet I’d actually managed to break through the door—proof that the quality of security doors really is getting worse and worse these days. Come to think of it, I wonder if doing something like this will get me invited in for a “cup of tea” by the police… “Mengmeng, your spiritual energy is spilling out,” Qi Yun sighed, slipping into Xu Weijie’s apartment on his own while warning me, “If you don’t come in and put the door back in place, we’ll really get caught.” Only then did I snap out of it. I’d snuck in so quietly I hadn’t dared use much force, so I carefully propped the door panel back up as if nothing had happened. Once that was done, I finally had a chance to look around Xu Weijie’s room. Hmm, just as I’d imagined—he really was a total otaku. The room was filled with all kinds of anime and manga stuff, and I actually found it pretty interesting. Qi Yun was slumped on the couch, looking at me meaningfully as he said, “Mengmeng, I can sense that your spiritual power is very strong. For someone your age to have acquired spiritual power like this is… well…” I looked at his face, which had been silent for quite a while, and asked curiously, “It’s what, exactly?” Qi Yun hesitated for a moment, seemingly at a loss for the right words. After a long pause, he finally said, “It’s kind of like having a child late in life.” “Damn it, if you can’t say it right, just don’t say it at all.” I glared at him, exasperated. “At worst, it’s ‘late bloomer.’ What’s this ‘late-in-life child’ nonsense? Dude, I’m only twenty-four, okay?” I waited and waited, but Xu Weijie still hadn’t shown up. Bored out of my mind, I was watching TV when I suddenly felt hungry. Luckily, he had my go-to meal—instant noodles—so I didn’t hesitate to grab some and eat. Halfway through, I felt a pang of guilt. I pulled a few coins from my wallet and placed them on his desk. As expected, I’m still an upright young man who can’t bring myself to take advantage of others. I’d finished the bowl of instant noodles, but he still hadn’t shown up. Just as I’d grown tired of watching TV and was wondering whether to go into his room for a nap, there was a loud “crash”—that stainless-steel security door had fallen to the floor again. Standing at the doorway was Xu Weijie, just as he was about to stick his key into the lock. He froze in that moment, looking completely bewildered, still unsure of what had just happened. I was startled by the noise too. Sitting on the couch, I glanced at him sheepishly and said, “Hi.” “It’s you?” It took him several seconds to react, and he instantly turned ashen with fear. I could faintly see his legs trembling; he was bracing himself against the doorframe with both hands to keep from collapsing to his knees. Then he let out a bitter laugh. “What are you doing here? We don’t have any major beef, do we?” Judging by his expression, he probably thought I’d come to kill his whole family in revenge. I shook my head, stood up, and walked over to him to help him prop the door back up. I don’t know if it was because I’d eaten my fill and my strength had returned, but before I knew it, I applied a little pressure with my right hand—and the moment I picked it up, a deep handprint appeared on the doorframe. Seeing this, Xu Weijie reacted like a startled bird, staring at the handprint and unconsciously taking several steps back. If he hadn’t seen me standing right next to the door, he would have definitely taken off running. After a moment of silence, Xu Weijie spoke with a hint of tears in his voice, “Big brother, we really don’t have any beef, do we? If you’re after my money, this is all I’ve got left—I’ll give it all to you. If you’re after me, I’ll take it, but please, don’t kill me.” With that, he turned around and stuck out his little butt. I kicked him right in the butt and snapped, “Why would I put myself through this for no reason? If you wanted me, I wouldn’t even give it to you. Just now, I just couldn’t control my primal rage, but I’m fine now. Don’t worry—I definitely didn’t come here looking for trouble.” After hearing my words, Xu Weijie first let out a sigh of relief, then cast a worried glance at the broken door, the empty instant noodle box on the table, the TV that was still on, and the slightly askew action figures. His face was full of resentment—he clearly didn’t believe a word I’d just said. Qi Yun quietly leaned in close to my ear and whispered, “Mengmeng, let’s get down to business.” “Have a seat,” I said to Xu Weijie, pointing to the sofa behind me. Xu Weijie nodded repeatedly and cautiously sat down in the spot farthest from me, then tentatively asked, “What brings you here today?” I scratched my head. “Nothing major—I just wanted to ask about those guilds you mentioned earlier.” “You don’t know?” Xu Weijie looked at me in astonishment, as if I had a piece of shit on my face. I frowned without saying a word, thinking to myself, Of course I don’t know. Strictly speaking, I only just became a man with spiritual power today. Counting the time since I met Qi Yun, it’s been just over a week. How could I possibly know about these mysterious underground organizations? It’s not like I’m playing a video game where those damn guilds are all over the place. Seeing this, Xu Weijie thoughtfully covered his tracks, saying, “A psychic of your caliber has probably been devoting yourself entirely to cultivation. It’s only natural that you wouldn’t know.” I almost burst out laughing, but I had to keep a straight face and not give anything away. I nodded enigmatically—it seemed he really did take me for a big shot. Xu Weijie explained slowly, “Among us psychics, there are two guilds.” “Wait a minute,” I interrupted Xu Weijie, looking at him in confusion. “Only two?” In manga, there are at least dozens of them—with power struggles breaking out every now and then. How come it’s so pitiful in the real world? Xu Weijie looked at me and asked, “Do you think this is a video game where you can just build guilds whenever you want, and they’re all over the place?” I blushed—I’d actually thought that just now, but there was no way I was going to admit it. I waved my hand, gesturing for him to continue. “One is the National Institute for Supernatural Abilities, funded by the government to research supernatural powers and assist in handling various tricky situations. The other is the ‘Mystery Club,’ founded independently by a group of idle supernaturals.” I scowled. “Let’s set those two guilds aside for now—the point is, both names sound so lame.” Xu Weijie pretended not to hear me and looked at me questioningly. “So, which guild are you planning to join?” “Do I have to join?” I asked, somewhat reluctantly. Just like with schools—one public, one private—they all seemed pretty much the same to me, and I wasn’t particularly interested. Xu Weijie shook his head. “It’s not mandatory—it’s up to you. But once you join a guild, you can receive a basic living allowance, which provides some financial security, and you’ll expand your social circle. It doesn’t prevent you from living an ordinary life; you just need to show up when there’s a problem. But for ordinary people, you absolutely must keep your guild membership a secret.” I looked down and thought for a moment. After a few seconds of contemplation, I looked up at him and said, “Why does this feel so much like a pyramid scheme?”