In Academy City, the Paradise Project begins.

Page 81

"How could this be! You must have misheard! This is the girls' dormitory in Tokiwadai! How could there be any boys here!"

As she spoke, she subtly positioned herself slightly in front of the wardrobe.

"Yeah, yeah! Dormitory supervisor! There's absolutely no way there could be any boys!"

Kuroko quickly chimed in. Although she was jealous of Higashino's favor with her older sister, now was not the time to betray him. If she were exposed, her older sister would never forgive her!

The dormitory supervisor didn't speak, but walked into the room with precise steps. Her gaze swept over the neat desk, the perfectly made bed, the tightly closed balcony door... and finally, it settled on the wardrobe.

The air seemed to freeze, with only the sound of the dormitory supervisor's footsteps remaining.

Hey.

Hey.

Hey.

Every step felt like it was treading on Mikoto and Kuroko's hearts. They felt their blood freeze, their palms and backs were drenched in cold sweat, their minds went blank, and only one voice echoed repeatedly: "We're doomed, we're doomed, we're doomed..."

The dormitory supervisor's hand finally rested on the wardrobe doorknob. Mikoto closed her eyes in despair, unable to imagine what would happen next. Kuroko covered her face, barely daring to look.

Click.

The wardrobe door was slowly pulled open.

Inside... it was completely empty.

Only the Tokiwadai uniform and a few skirts hung quietly, with the neatly folded clothes below them in perfect order; everything seemed normal.

The dormitory supervisor's sharp eyes carefully scanned every corner of the wardrobe, then he looked down at the clean bottom of the wardrobe.

She was silent for a few seconds, seemingly wondering if there was something wrong with her hearing.

In the end, she found nothing.

"Keep things tidy, turn off the lights on time, and don't watch TV so late."

The dormitory supervisor thought that the sound she had just heard might have been the sound of the man on TV while the two of them were watching TV, and that there was nothing wrong with her ears.

He glanced at the two of them one last time, then turned and left the room, gently closing the door behind him.

Only when her footsteps completely disappeared at the end of the corridor did Mikoto and Kuroko feel as if their bones had been removed, their legs went weak, and they both collapsed onto the floor, panting heavily, as if they had survived a catastrophe.

"No...that's all?"

Kuroko looked at the open wardrobe with lingering fear.

Mikoto stared blankly at the empty cabinet. Only then did she realize that Higashino could teleport away and escape; she had been far too hasty.

hum~

Just then, Mikoto's phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out with trembling hands, and on the screen was a new message from "Yu".

"I've slipped away safely, goodbye Mikoto. I hope I won't be visiting your dorm at this time next time; I was so busy sneaking away that I didn't have time to properly look around. (P.S. Some of your clothes in the closet are really cute, and they smell just like Mikoto.)"

Mikoto burst out laughing, then blushed and quickly replied with her fingers flying across the keyboard:

"Idiot! There won't be a next time. I'm not bringing guys back to my dorm! Cuteness is none of your business! And don't you dare smell my clothes!!"

After posting it, I realized my tone was too emotional, so I posted another one:

"...Thank you for today. The strawberry parfait was delicious."

Under the streetlights outside the window, Higashino looked at the messages popping up one after another, smiled and shook his head. He took one last look at the outline of Tokiwadai dormitory, then turned and disappeared into the night.

Chapter 106 Boys can also be attacked when walking alone at night.

After leaving Tokiwadai, Higashino Yu walked slowly home with his hands in his pockets.

Guangzi should be able to arrange accommodation by tomorrow, and then it will be time to move.

"What a fulfilling day..."

Higashino Yu rubbed his temples, his mind filled with memories of his "date" with Mitsuko, his duel with Yomi Kawa, and his "confession" to Mikoto. A smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

Just then, he suddenly stopped.

Twelve dark figures appeared like ghosts from alley entrances, rooftops, and corners, instantly blocking all escape routes.

They were dressed in uniform black combat suits, their helmets covering their entire faces, and their movements were swift and agile, clearly indicating that they were a professionally trained combat team.

"Oh?"

Higashino raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over the group of uninvited guests. He hadn't expected to be attacked by people so late at night.

"When did the security situation in Academy City become so bad?"

The man at the head of the group stepped forward, holding a palm-sized communicator. A digitally altered voice came from the communicator: "Higashino Yu, we've been waiting for you for a long time."

Higashino narrowed his eyes. He remembered the voice; it was the voice of the person in the Giant Spider's base.

He was thinking he'd have a chance to get rid of the other party, but they came knocking on his door first. I guess I've been too lazy lately.

But there's nothing that can be done about it; he only has so much time, and there are just too many things he needs to do.

"Once I get rid of you, no one can stop my plans."

The voice on the communicator continued, tinged with a hint of smugness.

“I’ve specifically studied your abilities. These helmets are specially made to prevent your brief hypnosis. And…”

A burly combatant lifted his coat, revealing a device at his waist that flashed with blue light.

"A specially designed enhanced ability suppressor that can suppress even Level 5 Gemstone users."

The voice on the communicator grew increasingly arrogant, as if it had Higashino completely under its control.

"I also learned that your ability has a limited range, so I positioned a sniper 800 meters away, using special ammunition specifically designed to counter ability users. This time, you're dead!"

After listening to this long declaration, Higashino Yu couldn't help but sigh: "Do all villains like to explain themselves like this? And didn't we already try it last time? Do you really think this ability suppressor will work on me?"

He rubbed his temples, thinking this guy was an absolute idiot. Did he think it didn't work on me last time because I was a raw gem?

"Besides... the information you got is way outdated, isn't it? Could it be that you were tricked by someone?"

Although my abilities are indeed related to the mental system, and the library records it that way, I am actually a rule-based person!

"Cut the nonsense!"

The voice on the communicator suddenly rose, sounding somewhat annoyed by Higashino's reply.

"Go! Take care of the eighth one, and your commission will double!"

Upon hearing that the commission had doubled, the twelve combatants' morale soared instantly, and they pounced at the same time, moving as swiftly as cheetahs.

At the same time, Dongye heard a barely audible gunshot from afar. It was the sniper that guy had arranged to fire from 800 meters away.

"Sigh, this is utterly nonsensical."

Higashino murmured, a silver light swirling in his pupils. An invisible force field instantly enveloped the space within a two-hundred-meter radius centered on him.

Time seemed to slow down tenfold.

The bullet stopped abruptly thirty centimeters from the back of Higashino Yu's head, as if it had hit an invisible wall. The movements of the twelve combatants also became sluggish, like Luffy in One Piece who had been hit by the Slow-Slow Fruit, moving slowly and hesitantly.

"First, let's correct a few mistakes."

Higashino slowly walked toward the combatant holding the communicator, each step landing precisely on the intervals between the other's heartbeats, leaving those secretly observing him utterly horrified.

"First, although I can hypnotize, it doesn't count as mind control."

He snapped his fingers lightly.

The helmets of all twelve combatants shattered simultaneously, revealing horrified faces beneath. They were horrified to discover that they could no longer control their bodies, as if these bodies no longer belonged to them.

"Second, the ability suppressor?"

Higashino chuckled and casually removed the device from the waist of the nearest combatant, examining the gadget that was supposedly useful for users of the Primal Stone ability.

"This stuff is useful to me, but not much."

The device, flashing blue light, suddenly transformed in his palm, turning into a metal butterfly that fluttered into the air.

"As for the snipers..."

Higashino looked up at the tall buildings in the distance. The sniper scope was still pointing at him through the sights, seemingly not having given up and planning to find an opportunity to continue the attack.

"The bullet will hit the user."

The bullet, suspended in mid-air, suddenly changed direction and returned along the same path at fifty times the speed of sound. A muffled thud came from afar, followed by the sound of a body falling to the ground.

"impossible!"

The voice on the communicator became terrified.

"This doesn't match the intelligence at all! You're clearly only a Level 5 Cognitive Interference Ability User! How could such a low-level ability as cognition possibly accomplish something like this!"

In his understanding, cognitive intervention is just a common mental ability, at most a form of group hypnosis, which is far less versatile than the fifth one.

Higashino Yu sighed: "You're hopelessly stupid. I don't really understand where you get the courage to go against me."

He weighed the communicator in his hand, somewhat suspecting that the person on the other end wasn't actually the mastermind, but perhaps just a pawn sent to test him.

"Although we're not sure who you are yet, rats in the gutter always have a chance to show themselves eventually. So why don't you enjoy your last few days of life?"

Silence fell on the other end of the communicator.

Don't you want to answer?

Higashino Yu shook his head, crushed the communicator in his hand, and threw it aside.

"Then, that's the end of it."

He raised his right hand, fingers spread: "You guys should get some sleep first."

The twelve combatants' eyes simultaneously went blank, then they all collapsed to the ground, falling into a deep sleep. Higashino took out his phone and dialed Yomi Kawa Aiho's number.

"Hey, Mr. Huang Quanchuan? There are more than a dozen unconscious armed men on B-3 Street in the 7th School District. Could you please handle this?"

He paused and continued.

"Also, check the security team's surveillance footage for me and see if you can find any clues about these guys."

After hanging up the phone, Higashino looked up at the distant sky, his eyes becoming deep and thoughtful.

He stroked his chin, a playful smile playing on his lips: "It seems my presence has already affected some people's plans."

Behind him, beside the twelve unconscious combatants, a metal butterfly gently landed on the wreckage of the communicator, turning into a wisp of smoke and dissipating in the wind.

At the same moment, the secret research institute of the Seventh School District

The red warning "Mission Failed" flashed incessantly on the holographic projection screen, reflecting Tenjo Ayumi's distorted face. He abruptly swept the instruments off the lab table, the sound of shattering glassware particularly jarring in the confined space.

"Trash! They're all trash!"

He ripped open the collar of his white coat and angrily pounded on the table to vent his frustration.

"So many high-level mercenaries and snipers using special ammunition, yet they couldn't even take down a mere ability user!"

Tenjo Ayumu slammed his fist heavily on the control panel: "What did that damn tree diagram designer say half a month ago? 'Higashino Yu's chances of becoming a Level 6 are 300% higher than Accelerator'! Those so-called experts also think this guy has more potential than Accelerator, it's simply incomprehensible, just a mere psychic guinea pig!"

He repeated the number through gritted teeth, as if he wanted to chew each syllable to pieces.

"Those higher-ups actually want to halt the Absolute Ability User Project!"

The holographic screen automatically switched to display Higashino's file photo from Tokiwadai. The young man in the photo had a smile on his face, but his eyes sent a chill down Amai Ayumi's spine.

"Even if the tree diagram designer was destroyed... no one has brought up stopping the project for the time being..."

He nervously bit his thumbnail, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

"As long as this guy exists, my plans will always be subject to change."

"We need to find a way to provoke Accelerator into a conflict with him. Our opponent is the strongest esper in Academy City, so we can definitely take him down and make the higher-ups realize that the previous tree diagram designer's judgment was wrong!"

Chapter 107 A well-behaved, cute, and capable little girlfriend is just so useful.

The next morning, the warm sunlight streamed through the clean glass windows into Higashino's living room, and the air was filled with the faint aroma of black tea.

Chu Chun Shiri sat on the sofa, head slightly bowed, holding an exquisite teacup in both hands, and comfortably took a sip of black tea.