The shadow came to life.
The visitor was Ace of Spades, and he had heard too much about Fang Xiu recently.
"Fang Xiu, the foreseer," a cold voice echoed in the empty street.
Fang Xiu frowned instantly, for the voice came from behind him. His hand slightly dropped, and a scalpel fell from his sleeve into his hand, shimmering with a cold light.
Fang Xiu tightened his hand around the scalpel, ready to turn and strike. However, at that moment, he found himself unable to move. He could only move the muscles in his face and his eyes.
A mocking laugh came from behind, "It seems your foresight isn't that great, failing to foresee my arrival. Oh, that's right, with your weak Spiritual Energy, you probably don't dare to use your foresight casually."
As soon as the voice faded, Fang Xiu found he could move again. But he felt like a puppet, being controlled to turn around.
When he turned, he was stunned to see a person made of shadows, wearing an Ace of Spades mask.
The shadow under Ace of Spades' feet was connected to him like water.
Fang Xiu's brow furrowed slightly. Although he had never met Ace of Spades, he had already learned about him and the Pokers organization from Yang Ming.
Lin Ziyang's transformation into a Specter had things to do with King of Spades. Moreover, Yang Ming's breakthrough to the third-tier, and the recent Nightmare event, were all Ace of Spades' doing.
From this information, Fang Xiu could infer that Ace of Spade' strength was at least at the third-tier, possibly even the fourth-tier.
It was nearly impossible for third-tier psychics to block off the entire Greenvine City with their power alone, so Fang Xiu guessed Ace of Spades might be a fourth-tier psychic. Of course, there were chances that he was a third-tier psychic, but with special abilities or Specter Gadgets.
No matter what tier the guy was at, however, Fang Xiu was no match for him at the moment.
Fang Xiu was well aware. Although he had reached the second-tier, capable of leveraging more Specter power and enhancing it in multiple ways, in terms of sheer strength, he clearly couldn't beat Ace of Spades, who could block off the entire Greenvine City.
And he had a feeling that Ace of Spades' strength might even surpass Yang Ming and Bai Qi.
Facing such a formidable opponent, Fang Xiu stood no chance to win, unless, he used death rewind to find the opponent's weakness.
"Oh? It seems you know about me," Ace of Spades said with interest.
"Is there something you want?" Fang Xiu asked calmly, looking at him.
"Not bad for someone who resolved Grade-S Specter events. Even when your body is controlled, you don't seem to panic."
"So, you came here just to chat?"
Ace of Spades' smile faded instantly, and his gaze turned icy cold. "Fang Xiu, you should be grateful. If you weren't of some use to me, you'd be dead for speaking to me like that."
"Are you done? Then make your move."
"How dare you!" Ace of Spades was furious. He realized Fang Xiu couldn't tell who was in control of the situation.
"Good, I like you more and more," Ace of Spades suddenly laughed, showing how quickly his mood could change. "I came here today for one reason: to invite you to join the Pokers organization. You don't have to rush to refuse."
"Okay, I'm in."
"The Pokers organization is... wait, what did you just say?" Ace of Spades was taken aback.
"I said, I'm in," Fang Xiu calmly repeated.
Ace of Spades was even more stunned. "Do you realize that joining the Pokers is like betraying the Investigation Bureau?"
"I don't care."
"Do you know what the Pokers organization is about?"
"Not really."
"Then why would you want to join it?"
"I feel like it."
Ace of Spades was at a loss for words. He couldn't believe how readily Fang Xiu had agreed. He hadn't even started to brag about how awesome the Pokers were or the benefits of joining, and Fang Xiu had already agreed.
Fang Xiu had just solved a Grade-S Specter event, and his reputation had reached the headquarters of the Investigation Bureau. His future was bright, yet he was so willing to give that up.
"Are you messing with me?" Ace of Spades was suspicious.
"Believe it or not, that's up to you."
In truth, Fang Xiu meant what he said about joining because he knew that the Pokers organization had intricate connections with Zhou Qingfeng. He thought that by joining, he might be able to better understand the truths of this world.
After a moment of silence, Ace of Spades said, "To join the organization, you must first pass a test."
"What test?"
"The test is to prove your ability to foresee the future. The content is simple. You claim to foresee the future, right? Then predict why I invited you to join the Pokers."
"Because I can foresee the future."
Ace of Spades was at a loss for words. "Well… That… I meant the deeper reason! Think carefully before you answer. You only have one chance, and a wrong answer means death!"
Fang Xiu started to ponder. When Nightmare wreaked havoc in the city, Ace of Spades helped Nightmare evolve, indicating his goal was to create powerful Specters. Moreover, according to the Investigation Bureau, when the headquarters sent people to rescue, the King of Spades intervened.
All these reasons suggest that the Pokers organization is anti-humanity, clearly siding with the Specters.
Lin Ziyang's transformation into a Specter was also related to the King of Spades. This indicated that the Pokers organization might control the method by which psychics could become Specters.
'If you can't beat them, why not join them?' The thought suddenly struck Fang Xiu's mind.
He gradually connected the dots to the ultimate goal of the Pokers organization.
Contrary to Fang Xiu's desire to create a world without Specters, they aimed to forge a world without humans. To achieve this goal, the Investigation Bureau was an obstacle they couldn't bypass.
Fang Xiu's resolution of the Nightmare event had made him a rising star within the Investigation Bureau. If they could turn him and utilize his abilities, they could surely deal a heavy blow to the Bureau.
Given these considerations, Fang Xiu felt the reason Ace of Spades invited him to join the Pokers was becoming evident. The reason was so clear that he didn't even need to use death rewind to easily guess it.
Thus, Fang Xiu said lightly, "You're inviting me to be a spy because your organization's goal is to turn humans into Specters. If you can't beat the Specters, then join them. The Investigation Bureau is an obstacle you can't get around.
"Your previous support for Nightmare was to create chaos and weaken the Bureau's power. You saw my potential in resolving the Nightmare incident, which gave you a better plan—use me against the Investigation Bureau.
"As a rising star of the Bureau, I'll soon be sent to the headquarters for training. In the future, I'll be heavily relied upon, making me the perfect choice for a spy."
Hearing this, Ace of Spades paused, "Is that so? Your plan sounds good, but it's not the reason I invited you to join."
Fang Xiu suddenly felt he might be dealing with a fool. Or perhaps, his own thoughts were just too far ahead than Ace of Spades'.