Enforcer Manual
Chapter 553 - 554: Your Destiny is Paid Time Off

Chapter 553: Chapter 554: Your Destiny is Paid Time Off

The timeline had changed once again.

On her way home, Lu Xiang, according to Song Lan’s narration, learned about a story that had happened in another timeline, which was much easier for her to accept this time, having already experienced it once before.

Purple Wisteria Academy once had an outstanding principal who spent decades of effort finding a way to transcend human limitations and achieve Ascension.

Lu Xiang felt somewhat dazed looking at the story recorded in the memo on her phone.

If it hadn’t been for Song Lan mentioning the existence of the principal, she might never have imagined that such a person ever existed in this world.

In the real world, Dr. Kulin took over the position of principal, and she and her team became an indispensable backbone of the Purple Wisteria Group. After "Justice" exposed the secrets of Purple Wisteria Academy, she had no choice but to frantically handle a series of troublesome issues.

The Conservative Faction naturally would not miss this golden opportunity. They were sparing no effort through public opinion and other channels to retaliate against the Purple Wisteria Group, as if they wanted to vent all their frustrations from the past few months through this incident.

Before departing, Dr. Kulin was still urgently drafting the differences between thought correction therapy and provocative experiments, trying to legalize thought correction therapy through scientific reports. In this way, they might be able to hold the high ground in public opinion, and the parents who came forward to plead for the academy to resume classes soon provided strong support.

However, whether the Purple Wisteria Group could ultimately legalize thought correction therapy or not, they would go through a long process.

The introduction of new legislation would require the review of the Foster Family, and as a central force of the Conservative Faction, they would definitely try their best to oppose the Ragus Foundation.

The struggle between the two factions was intense. As for who would win in the end, that was not for her to consider.

What truly left Lu Xiang dumbstruck was the thickness of Song Lan’s face.

According to Song Lan’s account, the decisive duel that determined fate ended with the principal’s victory.

Because "Justice" received incorrect information about abilities, it nearly became a "battery" on the principal’s path to Ascension.

So, in this "real" world, the fact that Angle could leave Purple Wisteria Academy and reveal its secrets was all thanks to Song Lan. After experiencing a shift in memory, Angle and the journalist named Ante unknowingly took the blame for Song Lan.

As for Song Lan...

This very culprit actually had the nerve to visit Dr. Kulin before leaving, putting on a completely clueless face about what had happened. The most outrageous part was him joining Dr. Kulin in her office to vigorously denounce Angle’s actions, and he even consoled her, expressing his sincere hope that Purple Wisteria Academy could weather this storm.

"You’re really getting better at playing dumb."

Lu Xiang glanced sideways at Song Lan.

Ever since arriving home, this lazy fish had returned to its dwelling—his bed.

With no desire to work hard during the day, he hid under the covers, leaving only his head outside.

"This is a win-win outcome," declared Song Lan from underneath the blankets, the warm quilt always brought him a sense of security and strength. "Angle and that female journalist got the news material they wanted; we learned a lot about Psychic Abilities; Dr. Kulin smoothly became the principal; the academy suspended classes, and the citizens got to vent their frustrations."

In this matter, there were no losers. Everyone got satisfactory results.

Or perhaps the only loser was his good friend, the former principal, who ultimately missed the train to the new world.

For that outcome, Song Lan’s heart was filled with regret.

He was genuinely grateful to the principal. The principal’s foresight helped him to recollect some past events to some extent, and in his subsequent communications with Dr. Kulin, he also learned some little-known news.

Before now, he had always been mistaken; "foreseeing the future" was not a byproduct of disruptive Psychic Abilities.

It seemed to be a byproduct of the changes in the timeline as well.

Like an ethereal dream, details were suddenly remembered at an uncertain future point in time.

With the help of Lu Xiang, Song Lan gradually understood some characteristics of the abilities.

After a time reversal, most things that had happened wouldn’t change, only some details would differ slightly from those in the deleted timelines. Sometimes these differences were so slight that perhaps not even he would notice them, and these details would ultimately become a "prophetic dream," the future that could be foreseen.

For anyone, the thought that the future had already been experienced once would become an indelible Shadow deep in their hearts, but Song Lan was completely unaffected by this. After returning home, he continued his usual routine of lying in bed, with his mind fully preoccupied with what to eat for dinner.

Lu Xiang interrupted his thoughts about food, asking, "The principal believed that fate was a ’higher plane’s’ projection onto the real world. What do you think about that?"

She read over again the story Song Lan had mentioned about the previous timeline and found some inconsistencies that didn’t add up.

She had never witnessed the existence of the "upper world," but according to Song Lan, it was as desolate as a graveyard, long devoid of any signs of life.

So, if what Song Lan and the principal said were both true, who then was guiding destiny at this moment?

Or perhaps Song Lan, perceived by the principal as a higher form of life, had always been covertly manipulating destiny?

However, Lu Xiang soon dismissed this thought.

Because she saw Song Lan in bed with his eyes closed, his head seemingly empty.

A person too lazy to even get out of bed, how could he possibly have the inclination to control someone else’s destiny? And this also didn’t match her personal experience.

Lu Xiang was somewhat skeptical of the principal’s view of "superior life forms."

At the end of the day, Song Lan was human, at best a human with invincible powers. This knowledge came through practical experience, far more grounded than those elusive scientific theories.

"I have no opinion."

An answer typical of Song Lan’s style.

Lu Xiang had no choice but to change her line of questioning, "So, what if you did think? Could you, as the principal said, influence the destiny of this world?"

"Let me try..."

To Lu Xiang’s surprise, Song Lan actually sat up straight in bed right before her eyes.

She had to admit that when Song Lan got serious, he did possess a bit of the aura of the ultimate villain, which was probably why he could so convincingly portray Chai Ke, a character with such a charismatic villainous presence in the movies.

Silence stealthily spread through the bedroom as countless thoughts flooded Lu Xiang’s mind.

She couldn’t help but wonder, if Song Lan truly could steer the fate of the world, what would he do with that power?

Time passed, and eventually, Song Lan opened his eyes.

A strange brilliance twinkled in his gaze, his tone imbued with an unusual fervor, "I see it, I have captured the trajectory of destiny!"

A tightness gripped Lu Xiang’s heart.

For she noticed Song Lan was staring straight at her.

Song Lan...

To where exactly had he directed the destiny of this world?

"For the next week, I’ll be on paid leave!"

Song Lan’s passionate tone composed this symphony of fate, "The one to accompany me on my paid leave will be you, Director Lu!"

...

The atmosphere in the bedroom visibly grew colder at a rapid pace.

From their locked gazes, Song Lan sensed an imminent crisis, but...

It made no sense.

How did Lu Xiang see through the destiny he had just made up on the spot?

However, Lu Xiang didn’t give him much time to think, as she swiftly moved to the bed, pressed down on Song Lan, propped herself up on his arms, and pinned his legs with hers.

The combat techniques Lu Xiang had learned always seemed to come in handy in the strangest of places.

"Old Lu, what are you doing?"

"Accompanying you," came the chilling voice from behind Lu Xiang, "didn’t you want to go on paid leave?"