Chapter 57: Regular Day

Lin Xiao was awakened by the alarm. He stood up, went to the washroom, took a shower, and got ready for school.

Despite his superpowers, he knew he couldn't afford to miss school for two days in a row. Having a photographic memory didn't exempt him from the routine of daily life.

He went downstairs and, as expected, found his mother cooking breakfast and his sister, Meiying, already at the table. However, Meiying's eyes seemed vacant, lost in thought.

When she saw him, her eyes lit up. She motioned for Lin Xiao to sit with her and began whispering hurriedly, "Was everything that happened yesterday real?"

Lin Xiao was momentarily speechless but eventually nodded. "Yes."

Lin Meiying's eyes widened. "Does that mean you really have powers?"

Lin Xiao nodded again, thinking internally, "I should have just erased her memories,"

He told her, "Let's talk about this later. Finish your breakfast first."

Meiying reluctantly agreed, and they ate in relative silence. After finishing their meal, they said goodbye to their mother and headed out together.

As soon as they stepped outside, Meiying's excitement bubbled over. She started asking questions one after another. "How did you get those powers?"

Lin Xiao recounted what Li Jing had told him. "It's due to our bloodline," he said, conveniently omitting any mention of the system.

Hearing about the bloodline, Meiying's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Does that mean I will have powers too?"

Lin Xiao hesitated before replying, "Maybe, but awakening powers is a one-in-a-million chance."

He said this to temper her expectations. The truth was, he had gained his abilities from the system, not from any inherent bloodline trait.

As they walked to school, Lin Xiao tried to keep the conversation light and hopeful.

Lin Xiao dropped Meiying at her school and started running towards his own school. Realizing he was much faster than expected, he reached the school in just a few minutes.

Entering the classroom, he saw Zhang Wei and Li Na talking happily. A twinge of envy hit him, but he waved to them.

Chen Manyao was reading as usual and nodded at him when he acknowledged her. However, he noticed that Wang Lei was not in class.

Right as he wondered about Wang Lei's absence, the system notification popped up:

[Find Wang Lei - Rewards +200 Exp +1 Intelligence]

Lin Xiao was shocked and stood staring into space for a few seconds before heading to his seat. He decide to ask Zhang Wei and Li Na if they knew where Wang Lei was.

"Hey Zhang Wei, do you know where is Wang Lei?" Lin Xiao asked, trying to sound casual.

"I don't know, he was absent the previous day as well," Zhang Wei replied.

Li Na also claimed she didn't know, but her facial expression suggested she was hiding something.

Suspicious, Lin Xiao decided to use his domain to scan both of their memories. In just a few seconds, he saw that both were telling the truth.

However, Li Na had spoken with Wang Lei the day before yesterday, during which Wang Lei had confessed his feelings to her.

Li Na had rejected him, and Wang Lei had been devastated. He had accused her of leading him on, to which she replied, "Who would like you?" and told him to get lost.

Since then, Li Na hadn't seen Wang Lei.

Processing this information, Lin Xiao felt a pang of sympathy for Wang Lei. His friend's heartbreak and subsequent disappearance were troubling.

Lin Xiao decided to investigate more after school ended. When the break came, Lin Xiao went to the tree he always sat beside. Soon, he saw Chen Manyao approaching him.

"Hi," she said. "I didn't see you at school yesterday."

Lin Xiao was surprised that Chen Manyao approached him. "Hi," he replied, lying, "I was sick."

"Are you alright now?" she asked.

"Yes," Lin Xiao replied.

Chen Manyao just responded with "Oh," and the air became a little awkward. To ease the tension, Lin Xiao opened his lunch box and asked, "Would you like some?"

Chen Manyao accepted and tasted the food, surprised at how good it was. "Your mother is a good cook," she said.

"Yeah, she is," Lin Xiao replied with a smile.

The conversation flowed smoothly, and soon the break ended, and they went back to class.

Lin Xiao found it pleasant to talk to Chen Manyao and appreciated the brief respite from his worries about Wang Lei.

After school ended, Lin Xiao was ready to investigate Wang Lei's disappearance further. He knew he needed to be cautious and methodical.

Remembering the information he gathered earlier from scanning Li Na's and Zhang Wei's memories, Lin Xiao decided to start with the places Wang Lei frequented.

First, Lin Xiao headed to Wang Lei's home, hoping to find clues or talk to his family. When he arrived, Wang Lei's mother greeted him with a worried expression.

"Hello, Auntie," Lin Xiao began, "I'm Lin Xiao, one of Wang Lei's friends. He hasn't come to school for two days now, and I was worried, so I came here to check on him."

Wang Lei's mother sighed, her worry evident. "I don't know where he is. I have already reported it to the police. I'm so worried. Do you know where he might be?"

Lin Xiao felt a pang of sympathy but didn't know Wang Lei well enough to predict his whereabouts. "I'm not sure, Auntie, but could I check his room? Maybe there's something there that could help."

Wang Lei's mother hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Go ahead. It's upstairs, the first door on the left."

Lin Xiao thanked her and made his way to Wang Lei's room. The room was tidy, with posters of basketball players on the walls and a desk cluttered with books and stationery.

He methodically began his search, starting with the desk. He flipped through the notebooks, looking for any notes or hints but found nothing unusual.

Next, he checked the shelves, examining the contents of various drawers. Again, nothing seemed out of place.

He moved to the bed, lifting the mattress to see if anything was hidden underneath, but it was empty.

He then checked the closet, rifling through the clothes hanging there and searching the pockets of jackets and pants. Still, there was no sign of where Wang Lei might have gone.

Lin Xiao's gaze fell on Wang Lei's laptop on the desk. He tried to turn it on, but it was password-protected. Frustrated, he realized he wouldn't be able to access any information there.

As he was about to leave, an idea struck him. He took one of Wang Lei's shirts from the closet and discreetly hid it in his backpack. He remembered Xiaoyu, the girl with the ability to track people by their scent, whom he had met last night. She might be able to help.

Lin Xiao went back downstairs, where Wang Lei's mother was anxiously waiting. "Did you find anything?" she asked, hope flickering in her eyes.

"Not yet, Auntie," Lin Xiao replied, trying to sound reassuring. "But I'll keep looking. I'll do everything I can to find him."

Wang Lei's mother nodded, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Thank you, Lin Xiao. Please find my son."

"I will," Lin Xiao promised before heading out. Once outside, he took out his phone and called Li Jing to ask her for Xiaoyu's number and tell her he might not be able to make it to the military base today.