Chapter 5

The Sentinel remained silent for a moment before producing a badge and showing it to Shen Shu. "Please cooperate."

Xie Guichi, S-rank Sentinel, Executive Officer of the National Special Affairs Department.

"There's a document that requires your signature," Xie Guichi said expressionlessly.

"Let's go upstairs first," Shen Shu suggested, gesturing toward the stairs. After all, such a national-level document likely required confidentiality, and it was probably only he who needed to sign it—likely related to the Sentinel from earlier that morning.

Otherwise, they could have had all relevant personnel sign it at the hospital earlier.

Seeing the two of them head upstairs, Gouzi snatched the last chicken wing from the floor and bounded playfully into the space between them, trotting after them with determined steps.

Click. The lights came on. Shen Shu entered first, followed by Gouzi—though, since Mental Bodies don't shed, it was allowed inside.

Once they were seated, Xie Guichi handed over a document. As expected, it was about the Sentinel from earlier that morning, requiring Shen Shu to maintain absolute secrecy about anything he had overheard. Failure to comply would result in a minimum sentence of ten years, up to the death penalty.

Perhaps because he hadn't left the decontamination zone promptly, this document had been generated. Although Shen Shu hadn't heard anything, he signed it without hesitation.

Xie Guichi took the document, glanced at it, and scanned it to transmit it back to headquarters. He put the document away and nodded. "Thank you for your cooperation."

"You're welcome." Shen Shu subtly pushed the dog, Gouzi, which was gnawing on his trouser leg right beside his leg, away. "Is there anything else you need my cooperation with?"

Xie Guichi paused for a moment before saying, "Hello. My Contamination Value is currently too high. According to Article 2, Section 3 of the Sentinel-Guide Special Act, please perform emergency channeling on me."

Article 2, Section 3: When an S-rank Sentinel's Contamination Value exceeds 85%, they have the right to request emergency channeling from any Guide capable of channeling.

Shen Shu instinctively replied, "Okay... huh?"

What the hell? Emergency channeling?

Shen Shu's gaze fell on the cheerfully wagging dog beside him. Normally, Mental Bodies could be withdrawn into the body; in fact, it was normal for them to remain within the body. This dog had already been quite embarrassing since its appearance, yet it was still gnawing on his pants. This clearly indicated a loss of control over its Mental Body.

A common symptom among Sentinels with a Contamination Value above 85%, it was merely their Mental Body running wild. But on the battlefield, it was a life-threatening problem.

Shen Shu looked up at the Sentinel opposite him, offering a gentle smile. The cautious cooperation he'd shown officers had transformed into calm composure. He raised a hand slightly. "Alright, please sit beside me."

"Channeling begins?" the Sentinel asked.

"Yes, please sit..." Before Shen Shu could finish speaking, the tall Sentinel loomed over him. He leaned down and precisely kissed Shen Shu's lips. Shen Shu's back pressed against the sofa, his shoulders pinned by the Sentinel's hands. He instinctively tried to push away, his hands gripping the man's arms, but they were as unyielding as steel bars, immovable.

The Sentinel's lips traced his, and in the next instant, a tongue slightly cooler than normal slipped between them. It seized his own, stimulating his saliva to flow freely in a desperate bid to extract more Guiding Substance.

A soft swallowing sound echoed.

Shen Shu and the Sentinel were so close he could see the intricate patterns of the Sentinel's iris. The ice-blue eyes, like frozen flames, showed a faint thaw under the warmth between them.

In that instant, Shen Shu regained his consciousness and released his grip on the Sentinel's arm. The Sentinel immediately noticed, pressing a knee against Shen Shu's thigh and tilting his head to deepen the kiss.

Shen Shu didn't feel particularly violated. After all, with a difference in rank, kissing was far more effective than ordinary physical contact or actively releasing Guiding Substance.

What concerned him more was his original plan to test the Sentinel's acceptance of his Guiding Substance through physical touch. Though his Guiding Substance was highly compatible, some Sentinels still suffered severe allergic reactions. If, he thought, this S-rank Sentinel had a severe allergic reaction and died on the spot, with no chance of rescue, would he be held legally responsible?

I'd probably end up in military court.

After all, there were fewer than ten S-rank Sentinels in the entire country.

Shen Shu's free hand even pulled out his phone to check the time, intending to record the start of the channeling session. The Sentinel seemed displeased by this. He gripped Shen Shu's jaw, forcing him to focus on him, his tongue teasing the roof of Shen Shu's mouth. Unconsciously, Shen Shu swallowed and bit down on the root of the Sentinel's tongue.

No matter how strong a Sentinel might be, his mucous membranes were always soft.

In an instant, a faint metallic tang filled their mouths.

At that moment, Shen Shu tasted the fragrance of roses—dry, rich, even with a mellow, wine-like depth. This was followed by a warm, woody note, tinged with a hint of medicinal herbs. The rose scent softened the bitterness, making it utterly gentle.

The pheromones in the blood were too concentrated.

Shen Shu patted the Sentinel's arm, signaling him to release his grip. While this simple method of extracting Guiding Substance was effective, it was hardly enough under the circumstances.

After all, kissing stimulates dopamine secretion, which in turn triggers the production of Guiding Substance, transmitted through bodily fluids. When he was numb to it, his brain's dopamine secretion would be disrupted, rendering the effect limited.

—For instance, Shen Shu was preoccupied with whether his breath smelled of garlic-marinated fried chicken and whether he might face a military tribunal... Accepting the kiss was primarily to stabilize the Sentinel's emotions.

The Sentinel silently released his hand. Shen Shu, maintaining his composure, gestured for him to sit nearby. "My level is quite low... Would you be able to accept an injection?"

"...Yes," the Sentinel replied.

Shen Shu gently placed his hand on the Sentinel's, then added, "Then would you come with me to get it from the refrigerator?"

The Sentinel didn't answer, but he gripped Shen Shu's hand, stood up, and followed him to the refrigerator. As they reached the appliance, he released Shen Shu's hand and opened the freezer door for him.

It was well-known that Guiding Substance could be extracted. Shen Shu pulled out three vials of azure-blue liquid from the freezer, their contents shimmering like fine gemstones under the refrigerator's cold light.

The official government issued all Guides a viscous solution that absorbed Guiding Substance. Direct injection was harmless to the human body; the substance was simply placed in a special device at home. Once the solution was saturated, it could be removed and replaced with a fresh one. Submitting these Guiding Substances to the state earned a cash reward, though participation was entirely voluntary.

"What's your Contamination Value?" Shen Shu asked.

"86.4% three days ago," Xie Guichi replied, knowing what Shen Shu was getting at. "My Mental Body lost control this morning at ten."

Shen Shu nodded in understanding. "Do you feel any discomfort from my Guiding Substance right now?"

"No."

"Good." About ten minutes had passed; if he were going to have an allergic reaction, it would have happened by now.

Shen Shu placed his hand on Xie Guichi's waist. The Sentinel turned his back in response to the pressure. Shen Shu patted his waist. "Now, place your hands on the sideboard."

The Sentinel complied, gripping the sideboard. Shen Shu set the Guiding Substance aside and placed his other hand on Xie Guichi's back, pulling down his combat pants to reveal a patch of pale skin. The defined muscles stretched the skin into smooth curves. In this position, Shen Shu wiped the area with two alcohol pads, then retrieved the Guiding Substance and drew the viscous fluid into a syringe. "I'm going to inject you with Guiding Substance now. Three doses in total... Relax your muscles."

The Sentinel nodded silently.

The silver needle tip pressed against the pale skin, smoothly sinking into the gluteal muscle. The thick Guiding Substance was slowly injected until the needle was fully submerged. Shen Shu expertly withdrew the syringe, replaced the Guiding Substance, and injected again. "Now for the second dose."

"Third dose."

The syringe was withdrawn, and Shen Shu pressed a clean cotton pad to the spot, gesturing for Xie Guichi to take over. As Shen Shu washed his hands nearby, he instructed, "Hold it for three minutes, or you might get sore muscles tomorrow."

"Get treatment at a proper facility as soon as possible. Mental Body instability isn't a good sign." Shen Shu glanced around; the large white dog had vanished, indicating the Guiding Substance was already working to stabilize the Sentinel's mental state.

"Thank you." Xie Guichi turned, his expression unchanged. Shen Shu studied his face before his gaze fell on his earlobe, which was unusually red. He frowned. "Allergic reaction?"

He instinctively reached out to touch the earlobe, but the Sentinel dodged.

"No." The Sentinel stepped back, pulled out his phone, and tapped a few times. "Thank you. I'll get treatment right after my mission."

Before Shen Shu could respond, his phone chimed with a pleasant notification: "Alipay transfer of 200,000 yuan received."

Shen Shu: "......"

He found it increasingly difficult to maintain his calm, composed demeanor. The resentment he'd felt about working overtime vanished completely, and his voice softened involuntarily. "If you have time, you can come to the First People's Hospital after work. Just give me a heads-up, and I'll get you a fast track. All the tests can be completed in a minute. If it's nothing serious, it shouldn't take more than half an hour."

"Thank you." Xie Guichi gave Shen Shu a peculiar look before leaving.

The moment the door closed, Shen Shu hissed, realizing why Xie Guichi had looked at him strangely. He'd gotten too excited by the sound of the money transfer, causing his Guiding Substance levels to spike. How could a Sentinel in the same semi-enclosed space not notice that?!

Shen Shu awkwardly dug his toes into the floor.

Even if he could keep his face composed, how could he control this damned dopamine surge?!

Major cringe.

Beep beep beep! The collector next to the sofa chimed. Shen Shu glanced at it, feeling even more embarrassed. What the hell did he get so excited about that he filled the collector?! Huh? No, wait—it must have been full already, just a coincidence!

But that was two hundred thousand! Who could resist being happy?!