THE TRUTH ABOUT FATHER GU.

Xi Chen and the father-daughter pair walked into the living room and settled down, eagerly awaiting an explanation from Father Gu. He entered last, looking weary and burdened, as if the weight of sharing this story was heavy on his shoulders. Father Gu pulled a chair from the dining room and sat down, facing the inquisitive eyes of the trio. Unsure of where to begin, he simply looked at them, unsure of what to say first.

Uncle Lin, sensing Father Gu's discomfort, decided to start with a straightforward question: "Xichen's dad, you're familiar with transcendants, right?" Father Gu nodded in response. Uncle Lin followed up with a slightly less obvious question: "Are you a transcendant?" Father Gu remained motionless for a moment, then extended his hand slightly. The light in the room suddenly started to gravitate towards his outstretched hands, causing the room to dim as he absorbed the light and then formed a ball of lights that just sat in his palm. After a while, he pushed the light back, then retracted his hand. The light ball that was just pushed out shattered, causing the room to brighten again. "Well, that answers that question," Uncle Lin remarked casually. "But you're not a registered transcendant," he continued. Father Gu nodded once more. "You obtained the sensor from an acquaintance," Uncle Lin deduced. Father Gu nodded again. "Why did you conceal your power?" Uncle Lin asked. Father Gu replied with a simple statement, "To protect my family," without any hesitation.

After the incident involving my brother, I cannot allow the same fate to befall me. Who would take care of my family if something were to happen to me?" Father Gu lamented. Xi Chen, shocked and taken aback by all the hidden secrets that had been kept from him, finally mustered the courage to ask, "Who is your brother, and why have I never heard of him?" "I apologize for keeping you in the dark, son. We both agreed to keep our relationship a secret. We erased any evidence of each other's existence from our lives and concealed all interactions. It was the only way to ensure the safety of both sides, and I have continued to maintain that secrecy even after his passing." Gu Xichen was at a loss for words, exhausted and overwhelmed by the sudden influx of information. All he wanted was to go to bed, escape into sleep, and avoid having to process the complexities that had infiltrated his home. His sanctuary had become even more convoluted than the school. As he pondered this, Uncle Lin's voice interrupted his thoughts. "I assume you received the sensor from your brother. So, who exactly is or was your brother?" he asked, peering curiously at Father Gu. Father Gu took a deep breath, preparing to reveal the truth once and for all. Father Gu was struggling with disclosing the name. While they patiently awaited the answer, an absurd notion began to form in the minds of Xi Chen and Uncle Lin simultaneously. It was a name that Xi Chen had only heard for the first time today, but to Uncle Lin, it held legendary status. They both couldn't believe it. "That's impossible," Uncle Lin reasoned silently. The life history, connections, and everything else about this person were widely known. There was no way he had a brother; not even the premier knew, unless the records had been tampered with. And the only person with the authority to alter the records was the premier himself, who, coincidentally, was the former premier who was gone now and probably took that secret to his grave. As Uncle Lin thought about it, everything started to make sense. If their enemies had discovered his family, they would have gone to great lengths to capture them as leverage or to harm them as a means of revenge against him. It made perfect sense for him to keep them hidden away. However, all of this was still mere speculation on his part, as Father Gu had yet to confirm anything. He turned to Father Gu, seeking confirmation, "You don't mean..." Before he could finish his sentence, Father Gu nodded solemnly, "As you may have already guessed, I am Gu Yichen's younger brother, Gu Yuchen."All three individuals in the room were taken aback, their eyes widening in shock. While they had suspected it, having their suspicions confirmed made a significant difference. For a moment, they were left speechless, as if their minds had just been blown. It was astounding to discover that the brother of the renowned hero led such a modest life and held such an ordinary job. How many people would be capable of doing the same, knowing that merely acknowledging and confirming their identity would bring wealth and prestige? Furthermore, based on what they had observed earlier, it was evident that he possessed great transcendent power himself. How could he resist the allure of such temptation, even if it was to protect his family? It seemed too modest.

Breaking the silence that pervaded the room, Uncle Lin was the first to speak. "But isn't your name Jianyu?" he asked, almost realizing the answer to his own question as he asked it. "I changed it because my real name sounded too similar to my brother's, and someone might be able to piece together our identities," he explained, confirming Uncle Lin's suspicions. Xi Chen found himself at a loss for words, thoroughly confused about what to say next. He sank back into his seat, uncertain even of his own thoughts. "So, what are your plans for the future?" Uncle Lin inquired to divert attention, recognizing that Xi Chen needed some time to digest and come to terms with all the information that had just been unloaded on him. "Well, it's not as if I can conceal myself any longer," Father Gu replied, noting that Xi Chen was young and based on the subtle signs from Mr. Lin and the sensors reaction, his abilities must be exceptional. "I suppose we'll have to relocate to a secure facility, and I'll need to undergo retesting and registration as well." Uncle Lin nodded in agreement, acknowledging Father Gu's theory. "However, I do have a few requests," Father Gu added. Uncle Lin patiently awaited his request. "Firstly, I would like to keep the relationship between Yichen and me a secret. Only those present in this room should be aware," he stated. Uncle Lin furrowed his brow, realizing that it was a significant request right from the start. It was both an easy and difficult request, as keeping silent meant only the people in the room would know, but if the truth were to come out later, Uncle Lin would bear the consequences of withholding that information. Father Gu understood the dilemma but continued to gaze at him, waiting to see what decision he would make. After much contemplation, Uncle Lin asked, "What if I were to inform the premier?" Father Gu smiled faintly and replied, "I would prefer if you didn't, but if you absolutely had to, then letting only the premier know would be acceptable, I suppose." As Father Gu remained silent, Uncle Lin pondered further on what to do about the request. After some time, Uncle Lin added, "Honestly, I believe that informing the premier would also be beneficial for you, as he can provide you with the protection and benefits you deserve." Father Gu nodded slowly, acknowledging Uncle Lin's perspective. "However," Father Gu continued, "I can receive those benefits just by being Chen's father, without the added risk of people knowing my brother's identity." "That's true," Uncle Lin agreed, nodding. "It's not that I don't trust the premier," Father Gu explained, "it's just that the fewer people who know, the better. One mistake is all it takes, and loose lips sink ships." Father Gu finished. Uncle Lin agreed with his first request. "Secondly, I would probably test into the S class atleast but I don’t want a warrior position. I would like to request a logistical job so that I can stay close to my family," Father Gu requested. Uncle Lin immediately nodded, as this was not an issue for him. It could be arranged. "Anything else?" Uncle Lin asked. Father Gu smiled and replied, "That's all for now. I'll let you know if I think of anything else."

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Uncle Lin smiled, acknowledging this. "Why are you okay with telling me this if you want to keep it a secret?" Uncle Lin asked. "Well, I had no choice," Father Gu responded. "You found out and its not like I could come up with another excuse at the moment”, Uncle Lin nodded. “Besides I trust you” .Father Gu continued “you have been good to us through the years”. Father Lin smiled ”well I owe him a lot” he looked at Xi Chen, expressing gratitude towards him. Xi Chen looked at Uncle Lin with confusion, capturing Uncle Lin's attention. "Don't you remember?" he asked, surprised. "Remember what?" Xi Chen inquired curiously. Father Gu interjected, "Chen has no recollection of that day." Both Uncle Lin and Xin Yi stared at him in shock. Xin Yi spoke softly, "You saved my life, and I never had the chance to thank you. Thank you." She stood up and bowed to Xi Chen. He was taken aback for a moment but helped her up. She trembled at his touch, but he disregarded it and straightened her out. "It's no problem," he assured her. "Besides, I can't remember anyway." Uncle Lin looked at Xin Yi, who was blushing, and decided to support his daughter. "See, Xin Yi? I told you he was alright, he wasn’t mad at you, he wasn’t ignoring you or anything, you could just go see him if you missed him”. “But you were convinced he hated you; insisted on not meeting him, only sending him presents every year." You see, you thought wrong, he just forgot” father Lin finally finished speaking. Xin Yi stared at her father as if he had grown three heads. Why would he say that? Unable to handle it any longer, her expression turned stoic again. She excused herself, smiled awkwardly at Xi Chen, bowed to Father Gu, gave her father an angry glance, and walked out the door. It was then that Xi Chen noticed something, the sensor did not activate for her. He stood up and walked past the gate, and then the sensor suddenly started blaring again. His father turned to him, then walked over to the wall, and pressed a button to completely turn off the sensor. "Why didn't it go off when she or any of you crossed it, but it did when I did?" Xichen questioned. "We were trained to control our powers," Father Gu replied before Uncle Li could say anything. "Just imagine yourself as a vacuum cleaner. Your powers are like dirt particles all over you. Create a vacuum in the middle of your belly button and suck in all the particles, bringing them inside you." Xi Chen tried it, and surprisingly, he could feel movement from all over his body converging towards his belly button area. "You were supposed to be taught this immediately after testing, before you walked out of the room," Father Gu couldn't help but comment. "That would be our fault," Uncle Lin added. "We were too astonished by his abilities that we didn't give the testers time to properly communicate this to him at the end." "What were his results?" Father Gu asked. "Three major abilities: light, shadow, and strength. Plus multiple other minor abilities. His Three Major abilities are all rated XS, while his multiple minor ones are between B and SSS, He is a rare being," he finished. Father Gu stared at him, completely flabbergasted, completely speechless and unsure of what to say about that. He knew he would be special since the first time he saw him, but not this special. Before Father Gu could utter another word, Xi Chen had successfully contained his powers. "I think it's done," he said with a sense of accomplishment. Father Gu turned the sensor back on and instructed Xi Chen to walk past it once again. This time, nothing happened. Father Gu smiled, pleased with the outcome. It was at this moment that Father Gu finally found the words he had been searching for. "Is there any way we can conceal his abilities from the general populace?" he asked Uncle Lin, adding another condition to their agreement. Uncle Lin responded, "I'm afraid the news has already gotten out, but we will try to find a way to minimize the extent of his true abilities revealed, we would downplay and reveal just a little without revealing everything." Father Gu pondered the situation and realized that this was the best they could hope for under the circumstances.

Xi Chen watched in silence as Father Gu and Uncle Lin discussed his future, feeling unsure of what to say. Suddenly, his stomach growled, reminding him of his previous hunger. He had had enough of this conversation and politely asked to be excused. Bidding farewell to Mr. Lin and his father, who were engrossed in their discussion and ignoring him, he made his way to the dining area to find some buns that his mother had left for him. He quickly grabbed them and opened the fridge to grab a drink before retreating to his room. He threw himself onto his bed, reflecting on what an incredibly tiring day it had been. As he sat up to eat from the plate he had placed on his bed, he heard a knock at the door, wondering who it could be since his family was usually the only ones who entered his room and they didn't knock. He stood up, walked to the door, and opened it to find Xin Yi standing there. She asked if she could join him because her father was engrossed in a lengthy discussion with his own father, and she didn't want to wait in the car any longer. He stepped aside to let her in and offered her a seat. Xin Yi sat at the edge of his bed and he offered her some food, to which she took one of the buns and began munching on it. They both ate in silence for a while until he asked her what she would like to drink before he went to get it for her. When he returned, they continued eating in silence. Unable to bear the silence any longer and wanting to relax, he suggested watching a movie. She nodded in agreement, so he asked her to sit back against the headboard while he went to grab his laptop. As he reached for his laptop, he noticed the presents that were still unopened from his birthday. He set them aside for later and joined Xin Yi on the bed. After opening his laptop, he selected a movie since apparently she didn't know what to pick because she hadn’t watched many of them. They both reclined and began the film to pass the time.