Closer to Revealing My True Self
Chapter 106 - 96 Mid-Autumn_1

Chapter 106: Chapter 96 Mid-Autumn_1

"Where are you running off to?"

Feng Yi clapped a hand on the shoulder of the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man who had been hanging his head, ready to leave, jumped in surprise. He looked like he didn’t understand what Feng Yi was saying and immediately tried to bolt with a swift lift of his foot.

Feng Yi grabbed the back of the man’s collar, lifting him up and flinging him towards the brawny man who’d been knocked down earlier.

The 1.8-meter-tall brawny man was rubbing his chest, struggling to get up from the ground when a person came flying towards him, smashing him back down to the floor.

Onlookers were discussing, trying to figure out what exactly had happened. Some were taking pictures with their phones.

Feng Yi pulled down the brim of his hat and made a call to the police. A stolen wallet certainly shouldn’t be let go so easily, especially since the coordination between these two thieves clearly showed they were old hands at this.

Police quickly arrived on the scene.

Feng Yi also noticed some plainclothes officers mingling in the crowd before leaving.

Plainclothes police had been staking out near the ATMs at various banks recently.

Feng Yi figured out why.

In the past, abnormal weather periods had caused many unexpected incidents and various disasters. Electronic payments had failed, and there were times with no internet access or poor network connections, making shopping a hassle and snatching up goods impossible.

During such periods of abnormal weather, cash transactions increased. Consequently, major banks raised the withdrawal limits on ATMs, though it required user customization. For even larger withdrawals, the customers had to go to a teller if the ATM couldn’t handle it.

Even though the period of abnormal weather had passed, some habits stuck with those who had lived through that time.

Every time there were "unusual signs in the sky," whether it was the weather or birds flying overhead, some people always grew nervous.

This time was no different. The incident involving the small swans had raised public concern, with some people wondering whether there might be a change in the climate. If the climate were to change for the better, that would obviously be desirable, but in case of another anomaly, having some extra cash on hand was reassuring.

As a result, it had become uncommonly common recently to see people queueing up at banks and ATMs to withdraw cash—a sight rarely seen in normal times because cashless payments were so convenient, and carrying cash came with the constant worry of theft.

Some said that it was a kind of stress response. Upon seeing relevant news, they would become anxious and felt compelled to withdraw money to be at ease; otherwise, they couldn’t even have a good night’s sleep.

Being aware of this behavior, banks always prepared for it and ensured cash availability.

With more people withdrawing cash, thefts and muggings naturally increased, prompting the police to step up anti-pickpocketing efforts, with surveillance both visible and undercover.

Cautious, these thief rings would track a few individuals for a while before making their move.

With the increased bank traffic, Feng Yi didn’t stand out at all.

If there was anyone conspicuous, it was him—in the eyes of some, Feng Yi carrying that bag seemed to have withdrawn a lot of money and was alone, appearing like a recent college graduate with low vigilance, an easy target.

Most other customers withdrawing cash did so accompanied by others. Even those who were alone acted more discreetly and cautiously, unlike Feng Yi, who seemed careless and naive.

While Feng Yi was giving his statement, a police officer advised him to not go withdrawing large sums by himself in the future, as it made him an easy mark. Although Feng Yi had caught the two thieves this time, sometimes these criminal groups operated in more than pairs; there might be many more of them.

Feng Yi didn’t argue, merely acknowledging with his words.

Both men Feng Yi had thrown to the ground had criminal records; they were seasoned thieves.

Typically, they’d approach from behind to snatch a bag. Presumably, seeing Feng Yi’s youth and decent height made them fear a direct approach would be difficult, so one of them planned to distract by bumping into him.

Unexpectedly for them, the moment the 1.8-meter-tall brawny man tried to act, he was sent flying three meters back.

At that moment, both of them were dumbfounded.

When the police reviewed the surveillance footage, they thought the crooks had updated their modus operandi to something resembling a staged accident, albeit an exaggerated one.

As for the true situation...

Feng Yi had done it on purpose.

Before the two even got close, Feng Yi could sense the malice emanating from them.

If it had been before his body was fully enhanced, he might have had to wait until the two approached closer before detecting it. But now, from as far as 10 meters away, he could sense it quite clearly.

Feng Yi’s ability to distinguish scents had also tremendously improved.

Following the overall enhancement of his body, his brain had upgraded as well.

Back then, when Lu Yue and his colleagues were evaluating leather goods at their company warehouse, he would have needed to take several breaks. But not now!

With his current brain, the efficiency and precision of analyzing and processing data were much higher!

So, when he sensed the other party coming towards him, Feng Yi didn’t dodge but gently bumped back...

And then he got a preliminary grasp of his current physical condition.

After completing his statement, Feng Yi didn’t immediately drive home but went straight to a residential area in the city center, to the apartment where he used to live.

Due to the arrival of several migrating swans in the Yue Xiu neighborhood, the resulting heightened security measures imposed too many restrictions, and the swans were too noisy. Feng Yi’s apartment was very close to the river, but that also meant the sounds from the river came clearly through.

The flock of swans seemed unusually active and lively for some reason. Research teams and related organizations would no doubt be happy to see such energetic wild waterfowl, but the people living there were less thrilled.

Feng Yi wasn’t interested in the swans, but their noise did affect his sleep. He had considered moving to the swimming pool complex, but living at the pool wasn’t very comfortable either, so Feng Yi decided to alternate between the pool and the city apartment.

If the lease on the swimming pool was up and the migrating birds at the Yue Xiu neighborhood were still there, or if one group left and another arrived, he might temporarily move into the urban apartment.

He had already learned how to rely on his instincts to predict possible changes in his body, so he wouldn’t be caught off guard.

When there were no significant changes, he could simply stay in his city house, but once his instincts told him there would be trouble, he would leave and find another suitable place.

Yue Xiu was under too much surveillance, so to avoid exposure, Feng Yi needed to find another place.

When he checked his bank balance while withdrawing money earlier, he realized he could afford another house, but it wasn’t necessary.

Therefore, Feng Yi thought that if he found a suitable house, he could just rent it. Getting through the tumultuous days of evolution and mutation would only take a few days; there was no need to buy another place.

He still needed to save money to build a lab and a swimming pool!

After parking his car in the neighborhood, Feng Yi glanced at Wu Ji’s shop from the outside. It was crowded, and several delivery men were waiting.

Feng Yi didn’t go in immediately; he went home to tidy up first.

The last time his place was damaged due to evolution, the whole house looked like it had been soaked in water, and a lot of furniture was ruined.

The house had been renovated, and he had bought a new set of furniture.

The house was dirty from being unoccupied for so long.

But he didn’t smell any rats.

Some traces of rats lingered upstairs and downstairs, but his house had neither cockroaches nor rats, probably because the renovated house had no residents and no food supply for these creatures. With so many choices upstairs and downstairs, they would definitely not pick his place.

No rats meant less trouble; otherwise, Feng Yi would have had to spend time cleaning and disinfecting.

The furnishings in the house were simple, making the cleanup effortless. Feng Yi spent two hours tidying up and then drove to the supermarket to buy some basic living supplies.

After sleeping for a while, Feng Yi went downstairs to Wu Ji’s shop.

By then, dusk had settled, and the shop was less crowded.

Seeing Feng Yi, Wu Ji was first taken aback, then walked over, laughing. "How come you’re here today? You didn’t even give a heads-up."

"I had some things to take care of in the city. I was here during the day, but I saw your shop was too busy, so I didn’t go in. Plus, I needed to clean my place—it’s been a while, and there’s a layer of dust."

"So, are you heading back tonight, to your little villa?" Wu Ji asked.

"Not going back."

"Ha! Great! Let’s call up Qian Feiyang and the three of us can have dinner together. It’s been a while since we’ve gathered!"

"Sure."

Wu Ji sent a message to Qian Feiyang and asked, "You must have a clear view of the swans from that small villa of yours, right? Why come here? I was talking with Qian Feiyang yesterday about when we could visit your place to see the swans. But then we heard that Yue Xiu’s neighborhood is under strict control, and outsiders have to register, which is too much hassle, so we didn’t contact you."

"They’re cygnets, not the big swans; they barely fly over this way. If you guys ever want to see the swans, just let me know. You can watch from the balcony, but I don’t think those cygnets are worth watching."

"It’s just curiosity; I’ve never seen wild swans before."

Remembering what he had seen today, Feng Yi remarked, "Your shop is doing quite well."

"Of course! The success of the shop still depends on the quality of the goods. No matter how poetically named, who would buy it if it tasted bad? Oh! Speaking of which, I just remembered. Mid-Autumn Festival is coming, don’t buy any mooncakes—I’ve prepared a box for you."

"Mid-Autumn Festival?"

If Wu Ji hadn’t mentioned Mid-Autumn Festival, Feng Yi would have forgotten about it entirely.

He didn’t have family to reunite with, and when he was still in school, most students didn’t make much of Mid-Autumn Festival—just a phone call home, a mooncake, and it was over.

Feng Yi had mostly spent it working part-time.

Last Mid-Autumn Festival, Feng Yi celebrated with his studio colleagues, which was quite lively. This year felt colder, with friends turning into foes, and everything seemed changed.

After dinner with Wu Ji and Qian Feiyang, it was already very late when Feng Yi got home.

Standing on the balcony, he gazed at the crescent moon in the sky.

Compared to the suburbs, the city was noisier, and even late at night, the continuous flow of traffic on the roads beside the neighborhood was audible.

In the neighborhood, there were sounds of quarrels, children crying, dogs barking, and more. No hooting of forest owls, nor the night chirping of many insects. The aura of the wild was far away.

Feng Yi silently watched the moon in the sky, thinking of the Mid-Autumn Festival Wu Ji had mentioned.

The full moon of Mid-Autumn brought no sense of festivity or wistful sorrow for Feng Yi.

He pondered—

Mid-Autumn Festival was a night of a full moon.

In the myths, werewolves would howl and transform on the night of the full moon.

Would he reveal his true form with a hiss on the night of the full moon of Mid-Autumn Festival?

Probably not.

The butler had said, he was a high-level creature!

Besides, his instincts didn’t suggest anything like that.