Shapeshifters

Liang Yingwu still looked the same, scholarly and handsome, a real lady-killer, adored by middle-aged women. Remembering the last incident, I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself. No one would imagine such a person was involved with the X Organization, dealing with supernatural matters. “Was that your colleague? You got a ride, no wonder you agreed so readily,” I teased Liang Yingwu, probing. “Yes, a colleague from school, not very close. He was coming this way, so I hitched a ride,” Liang Yingwu replied, his eyes slightly evasive. Observing his expression, I was sure he wasn’t telling the whole truth. Although Liang Yingwu was one of my best friends, he was very clear about separating personal and professional matters, sometimes for my safety. Thus, I concluded Ruan Xiwen must also be from X Organization. From the attitude of the Cultural Relics Management Association earlier, it was likely that even the leader didn’t know what “the relevant party” truly was, just that it was very important and secretive. In that moment, many thoughts raced through my mind. After much hesitation, I decided not to mention the Zhidan Garden matter to Liang Yingwu. Since Ruan Xiwen was from X Organization, it meant X Organization was directly involved, and I wasn’t sure if Liang Yingwu was part of it. Although Liang Yingwu was good at physics, the essence of the Zhidan Garden excavation was unclear. Liang Yingwu was very principled, and X Organization’s consistent policy was to ensure absolute confidentiality. Even if he wasn’t involved, he would keep secrets from me. If he knew I was particularly interested in the Zhidan Garden case, they might become wary of me or even attempt to erase my memory, so bringing it up was not a good choice. I hoped for a normal life. Although I had never visited X Organization in person, from Liang Yingwu, I had some understanding of how they operated; I knew they would never allow ordinary people to meddle in their affairs. Their tasks were indeed arduous, maintaining social safety, the current scientific understanding, and the order of the entire Earth, including some unknown regions. If information leaked out, potentially causing serious consequences, they would resort to extreme measures.