Looking at the "soul" hand stuck below the abnormal line on the watch, Aquarius Director shook his head and said,
"It was impossible now.
If it was right after his wife had died, perhaps I could have given him a push. But after all these years, his soul had become thoroughly numb, covered with a thick layer of dust, and no longer met the conditions to become an abnormal person."
"So that's how it is..."
After sighing together, the middle-aged man got up and said,
"Then let's go see the next person. Over the years, I've met quite a few people who might become abnormal. Since you came to find me, we might as well meet them together!"
"Sorry, I'm afraid there's no time."
Looking at the watch on the other hand, Aquarius Director shook his head and said,
"There will soon be an internal inquiry targeting me. If I don't pass the inquiry, I will have to undergo a memory reading by the bureau, so I must return early to prepare. There's no time to look at each one."
An internal inquiry by the Purification Bureau?
The middle-aged man was stunned for a moment, then frowned and asked,
"What's going on? Aren't you one of the twelve directors with the most power? Why are you being subjected to an internal review? Who can review you?"
"Of course, it's the other directors."
Aquarius Director said with an indifferent expression,
"I have done so many things outside over the years, though I have always been very cautious and never even used my real face, but there are inevitably some traces left. With so much talent in the Purification Bureau, someone was bound to notice something wrong.
Or rather, that I made it until now before being questioned was beyond my expectations. From the Serpent Bearer... um... from a major past event, the world had become more chaotic in recent years, with many Outer Gods growing restless, causing the bureau to lose quite a few excellent talents. Otherwise, I think I would have been exposed much earlier."
"I don't understand these things."
The middle-aged man shook his head and said,
"I just want to know when you'll probably be back?"
"If things go fast, one or two weeks."
Aquarius Director added with an indifferent expression,
"You should be able to guess that for such a large and loose organization like the Purification Bureau, to complete an inquiry on a senior member within one or two weeks is surprisingly quick."
"And if it goes slow?"
"If it goes slow, then I might never come back!"
As if recalling something amusing, Aquarius Director chuckled and said,
"This time, those initiating the inquiry on me include not only the top three-ranking directors in the bureau but also several directors from the Zodiac Branch Office. If I can't get through it, I probably won't even have the qualification to run; I will be taken down on the spot.
Hmm... putting it like that, let's set a two-week limit. If I'm not back in two weeks, you should assume I've been dealt with, and then run or hide as you see fit. After all, with your ability to conceal yourself, there aren't many in the bureau who could actually find your location."
*You really are... quite straightforward.*
The middle-aged man clicked his tongue speechlessly, then said expressionlessly,
"Then let's wait for you to successfully come back from the inquiry! I'll look after those people first."
"Well... if you want to check the qualifications of those people, you don't necessarily have to wait for me to come back."
Hearing what the middle-aged man said, Aquarius Director thought for a moment, then surprisingly removed the strange watch with six hands from his left wrist and tossed it to the Rebel leader.
"This thing is called the [Dream-Seeking Wristwatch]. Its original ability was to realize dreams, but after my modification, it can also check whether a person has the potential to become abnormal. It only requires a drop of blood or hair or something like that as a marker."
While speaking, Aquarius Director extended a finger to point at the watch's cover, indicating the hands below as he explained,
"These six hands are divided into three groups, representing past and future, body and soul, character and emotion. Among these three groups of hands, if each group has one that reaches the abnormal range, it proves that the person has the quality to accept a 'seed.'
For example, that gentleman across the table, Mr. Old Baskin, has his 'past' hand and 'emotion' hand both reaching the abnormal range, but the 'soul' hand did not reach the mark. So, he lacks the conditions for the seed to sprout and is unlikely to become abnormal."
Past, future, soul, body, character, emotion?
After carefully remembering the meaning of these six hands, looking at the three groups of strangely patterned hands, the middle-aged man couldn't help but ask in confusion,
"Why is it enough for just one in a group to move for someone to become abnormal?"
"Well... it's a bit hard to explain... How about this, you can understand the world as a piece of canvas, and each person as a brush."
Aquarius Director thought for a moment, dipped his finger in coffee, and drew a coffee-colored line on the tablecloth, then continued to explain,
"A person's past experiences, and future development are the traces they have drawn and will draw on the world; whether they have a unique soul or a miraculous body determines the technique used by this brush when drawing, whether it's realistic or abstract.
As for character and emotion, the former determines how a person treats the world, while the latter is the feedback they give the world after experiencing it, equivalent to the color of the marks this brush leaves on the canvas."
Seeing the middle-aged man who looked somewhat confused, Aquarius Director sighed and said,
"To put it more simply, these three groups of hands are probing what kind of picture a person is drawing on the world, what technique they use to draw it, and what kind of paint they use.
So within these three groups of hands, if each has a type of 'abnormality,' it ensures the picture drawn by this brush is also 'abnormal.' Then, I need only provide a little help for this abnormal brush to draw a picture called 'abnormal'...
"I kind of got it..."
With not much confidence, the middle-aged man nodded and asked curiously,
"Then if all six hands start moving, what kind of anomalous object could such a person produce?"
"If someone indeed makes all six hands move..."
Aquarius Director frowned and said,
"That would be a painful past, a great future, a strong body, a pure soul, an obsessive character, and frenetic emotions... To be honest, if you meet such a person, I suggest you run as quickly as possible."
"If such a person existed, whether they were good or evil, they would be destined to completely change the world and stir up incredibly terrifying waves.
The anomalous object derived from such a person would be like a magnificent painting drawn with the most brilliant and chaotic colors, using the most free and unrestrained brushwork... Of course, it could also be a scroll of total destruction."
"In short, change is terrifying, especially for people like you and me who are not very good. Trying to follow him and add fuel to the fire might be a path of nine deaths and one life; standing against him trying to hold back the tide would be certain death.
So, if you encounter such a person, don't think about anything unnecessary, don't do anything extra, just run and hide as far as you can."
"Also, this watch isn't left with you for free."
Looking at the middle-aged man who seemed a bit dazed, Aquarius Director raised his hand and gestured towards the police department, saying seriously,
"Apart from investigating the potential for others to become abnormal, this thing can also help you find the anomalous objects I've created... Don't forget what you promised me!"
"Are you talking about... the thing in the redheaded director's drawer?"
Aquarius Director nodded, earnestly instructing,
"There's something very important to me kept in that woman's drawer, it roughly looks like a photograph.
Normally, you wouldn't have an opportunity, but one of the people initiating the inquiry on me is her, so when the inquiry starts, you can take advantage of her absence to sneak into the Purification Bureau using the [Gate of the Other World].
After that, the [Dream-Seeking Wristwatch]'s hands will automatically lead you to the photo I want. If you can successfully bring it back to me, I will certainly give you a reward that satisfies you."