, Third Superpower—Mind Suggestion

Lin Chen had just swiped his boarding pass at Ross City Airport when he sensed something was wrong.

A long, winding line formed at the security checkpoint, where heavily armed FBI agents patrolled back and forth with grim expressions.

All passengers were required to remove their hats, glasses, and masks for strict facial verification, and some were even randomly invited into small rooms for secondary biometric identification.

On the huge electronic screen, scarlet subtitles scrolled continuously:

"In light of the recent spate of major thefts of supplies and unusual incidents at military facilities within the country, the entire nation is now on Level II alert. Effective immediately, all non-essential international flights are suspended, and enhanced screening of departing passengers will be implemented."

An invisible tension permeated the air.

Lin Chen stood in the shadows at the edge of the crowd, a cold smile subtly curving his lips: "Heh, finally realized it? Too bad—too late."

Forcing its way in is definitely not the best strategy. The United States today is like a powder keg, where any spark could ignite the entire nation.

Flights to East Asia, in particular, have likely already been placed on the FBI and Department of Homeland Security's key monitoring list.

He stroked his chin, his gaze seemingly passing over the faint outlines of the Great Lakes outside the window, and landing on the land to the north covered with maple leaf patterns.

"If flights are blocked, then... let's change direction and go through Canada."

Having made up his mind, he took action that very night.

Under the cover of the thick darkness, he returned to the Great Lakes.

The lake shore, which he had recently "baptized," was muddy and the exposed lakebed gleamed wetly in the moonlight.

"shuttle!"

The figure vanished in an instant, then reappeared a hundred meters away; without pausing, it flashed again... This cycle repeated itself, drawing an invisible zigzag line across the silent North American wilderness.

Four hours of high-intensity space jumps had almost drained his strength. When he arrived at a secluded roadside in Canada, his legs felt weak and his temples throbbed.

He simply wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, took a short breath, and continued heading towards the town lights.

There were no piercing alarms, no border guards—in this seemingly orderly world before the apocalypse, the border was an impregnable fortress for ordinary people, but in the eyes of this reborn individual who possessed unconventional methods, it was nothing more than a dotted map that he could traverse at will.

The nights in Canada are peaceful and serene, like something out of a fairy tale.

Lin Chen randomly found a cheap hotel to stay in.

He took a hot shower and threw himself onto the soft but slightly thin mattress. He stared at the tiny cracks in the ceiling, his thoughts churning.

"At midnight, the third superpower will be unlocked," he muttered to himself, a calculating glint in his eyes. "This time, I hope it's an ability to 'manipulate people's minds.'"

The lessons of his past life were etched in his memory—too many times, he was not defeated by a lack of strength, but by a pointless reverence for the rules, a naive trust in order, and those “loyalties” that seemed especially ridiculous in the apocalypse.

In the apocalypse, there are no rules, only the law of the jungle for survival and the cruel truth shrouded in lies.

"Invisibility? Too passive, only good for hiding. Lightning? Powerful but too conspicuous, making me a target. Healing? I don't need to play the savior."

His gaze gradually sharpened into a dagger in the dim room. "What I need is to make people willingly follow my will, and even to make them genuinely believe that it is the right choice."

As the hands of the clock quietly overlapped, midnight arrived.

The Primordial Creation Pearl deep within the sea of ​​consciousness trembled slightly, and a familiar, warm energy surged forth once more, flowing through the limbs and bones, ultimately leaving a new imprint on the consciousness:

[S-Level · Mind Suggestion (Level 1)]

Effect: Increases mental strength tenfold. Through brief eye contact, a clear command can be implanted into an individual with lower mental strength. The target will perceive the command as a reasonable and voluntary action. The effect lasts for 10 minutes.

Limitations: It cannot command the target to commit suicide or engage in behavior that severely violates their survival instincts; after the command is completed, the target will have a vague memory of the relevant information, but there is no mental anguish caused by forced manipulation.

"Perfect." Lin Chen's eyes flashed with a sharp light, almost chuckling aloud. "This isn't simple hypnosis... it's a higher-dimensional consciousness guidance, a meticulously woven 'reasonable' trap."

At this point, he could basically conclude that the Primordial Creation Pearl was by no means an inanimate object, and that there must be some kind of intelligence or supreme rule behind it.

One or two times might be a coincidence, but this third awakening of his superpower, which so accurately responded to his inner desires, is already conclusive evidence.

The next morning, he changed into a well-pressed light-colored shirt, his hair was neatly combed, and he looked every bit the young businessman as he walked into Toronto Central Station.

The goal is clear: to buy a connecting flight ticket to Tokyo.

The difficulty lies in the fact that he needs to face a series of checkpoints, including passport verification, visa verification, and exit inspection.

This is an almost impossible task for an ordinary person, but he now has a "cheat code".

Behind the ticket window was a smiling, blonde, blue-eyed young female employee whose name tag read "Emily".

Lin Chen stepped forward, handed over his passport, and said in a gentle and polite tone, "Hello, I need a plane ticket to Tokyo for today, the sooner the better."

Emily took the passport, flashed her usual professional smile, and prepared to operate the system.

The moment she looked up, Lin Chen leaned forward slightly, his gaze meeting hers.

A faint, ghostly light seemed to flicker in the depths of his pupils for a fleeting moment, so quickly that it seemed like an illusion.

"Look me in the eyes, Emily." His voice was deep and steady, with a strange, comforting power.

Emily paused almost imperceptibly for half a second while typing, a fleeting glimpse of confusion crossing her eyes before returning to "normal"—except that her smile seemed more genuine, even tinged with a personal warmth.

"Mr. Lin, your passport information... there's a slight delay in the system's processing." Her voice remained gentle, yet she proactively offered a solution, "Please don't worry, I can activate a special channel for manual processing for you. Are you traveling for urgent business?"

"Yes, there is a very important meeting." Lin Chen nodded in agreement.

"Understood." Emily's fingers flew across the keyboard. "I found the next flight for you with a layover in Vancouver... Ah, there's just one seat left in first class. I'll upgrade you for free. I hope you have a comfortable journey."

Lin Chen could barely suppress the corners of his mouth from turning up – this was no ordinary ticket seller; she was clearly a thoughtful personal travel concierge.

Less than ten minutes later, he walked out of the station with a brand-new boarding pass and itinerary in hand.

Behind him, Emily waved enthusiastically, saying, "Have a safe journey, Mr. Lin! Looking forward to serving you again!"

He turned around and gave her an impeccable smile: "Thank you, Emily. Remember... to drink plenty of hot water during your breaks and take care of yourself."

When Lin Chen stepped out of Tokyo Narita Airport, it was already late at night.

Customs inspections at Xiao Rizi are much more lenient than in the United States—after all, who would have thought that this seemingly ordinary young tourist had recently caused half of North America's supplies to "mysteriously evaporate"?

He checked into a capsule hotel with a strong local flavor.

During the day, he perfectly embodies the role of a curious backpacker: posing for photos in front of the Kaminarimon Gate of Senso-ji Temple, lingering in the electronics district of Akihabara, and pausing to admire the luxury goods in the shop windows of Ginza.

As night falls over the city, he transforms once again into "the ghost of winter Kyoto".

Convenience stores? From the checkout counter to the warehouse, everything was emptied.

Drugstore? Take the shelves and inventory directly away.

An ordinary-looking weapon model shop? Real guns and ammunition hidden in a basement compartment? I'll gladly accept it.

He even sneaked into the secret warehouse of a large conglomerate—mountains of Koshihikari rice, vintage sake, premium miso, and freezers of top-grade Wagyu beef... as if he had encountered the most thorough moving service in history.

At Yokosuka Port, he set his sights on a Maritime Self-Defense Force replenishment ship that was on standby.

"You will be the mobile maritime stronghold of the future." He gently patted the cold hull, his thoughts enveloping the giant ship, which vanished without a trace.

In just five days, Tokyo, Osaka, and Meikokuya were all affected.

The convenience store owner stared at the empty shelves, tears welling up in his eyes: "Where are my rice balls? They didn't even leave me a single piece of the seaweed wrapper!"

The police report stated, "It is suspected that the robbery was systematically carried out by a highly organized and technologically advanced overseas theft group..."

Online discussions about Xiao Rizi (小日子) are even more imaginative and unrestrained:

"They must be aliens! Didn't our American daddy confirm it?"

"Would aliens even want your toilet paper and rice balls? This is clearly a crime committed by superpowers!"

"Hahaha, the world's about to descend into chaos, isn't it? Troubled times breed heroes, and my chance has come!"

As for netizens in China, they were overjoyed when they found out:

"666, great god yyds."

"Our ancestors have shown their power."

"We ordinary people are truly, truly happy."

Meanwhile, Lin Chen, at the eye of the storm, was calmly sitting in a quaint teahouse in Kyoto, leisurely sipping slightly bitter matcha, his fingertips swiping across his phone screen, browsing the latest news:

"The 'Urban Cleaners' have been spotted in Tokyo, and their modus operandi is highly similar to the 'Ghost Cases' in North America. Experts speculate that it may be the work of the same international criminal organization..."

He took a sip of tea, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes: "Take your time with the deductions, detectives. My vacation is over."

Ultimate goal: Return to Guangzhou. Only five days remain until the apocalypse!

"The old way is the safest." He squinted.

That night, at Osaka Kansai International Airport, another Japanese ticket seller had a brief moment of distraction before enthusiastically processing a first-class ticket for a passenger named "Lin Chen" to Guangzhou, China.

Lin Chen straightened his collar and, under the other person's respectful gaze, swaggered towards the boarding gate.