July 31st, John F. Kennedy International Airport was bustling with activity. As Norman arrived at the airport, a tall, well-built man waved to him. The man bore a striking resemblance to his father—it was his second uncle. Norman immediately embraced him. It had been a long time since they last met. Ever since the year of Hong Kong's handover, when both uncles decided to emigrate, the three families had not gathered together for ages.
His second uncle arranged for him to stay temporarily in his cousin's room. His cousin had rented a place when attending university and had since married and moved out. Currently, only his second uncle and aunt lived in the house; another cousin had also moved away. After Norman arrived, his second uncle asked with concern, “Norman, you mentioned you were attending university. Which one exactly?” Norman's heart sank, knowing the lie could no longer be concealed. He had falsely claimed to be in college to reassure his family, though he had actually dropped out long ago. He lowered his head and confessed everything. Sure enough, last week Uncle and Aunt, unable to contain their worry, had searched using the university name he’d provided—only to find no such student registered. Furious and anxious, they’d feared Norman had gone astray.
When Norman pulled out the letter from Timing Police Commander Joseph Gavrikov from his backpack, Uncle and Aunt were stunned. Aunt gasped, “Do you realize who wrote to you? Joseph Gavrikov! He's a famous man!” Second Uncle meticulously examined the wax seal, signature, and emblem on the envelope, confirming the letter's authenticity. After all, many people could forge signatures and emblems, especially since student IDs were easily counterfeited.
Norman replied, “I want to prove to everyone that even with poor grades, you can still make something of yourself. And I need to thank someone—the person who recommended me for the Timing Police. If I refuse him, he'll be deeply disappointed. That person is Dario Mong Mo Yan. The boy with the pink-orange hair in the photo I sent you yesterday—that's him.” Though uneasy, his second uncle supported Norman's decision. Before Norman left, his second uncle said, “Control your own power. Your super strength can hurt someone. Is your power meant to help others? Or to harm them? That's for you to prove. Remember, don't let the voice from the purple necklace influence you.”
On the day of the interview, Norman underwent a rigorous physical examination for enlistment, including blood tests, urine tests, and X-rays—nothing was skipped. Among these, Dr. Hans Zimmermann discovered an anomaly: Norman's muscle density was twice that of an average person, which might be the source of his extraordinary strength.
Another challenge was the physical fitness test. Failure meant rejection from the military. The assessment included 2-minute push-ups, plank holds, and a 3000-meter run. Norman easily passed the push-ups and plank holds with his extraordinary physical capabilities. However, after sprinting the full 3000 meters, he suddenly experienced severe breathing difficulties, accompanied by a sharp wheezing sound in his windpipe. The medical team immediately examined him and ultimately confirmed no signs of infection or asthma in his lungs.
During a rest period, Norman consulted the Book of Huyan Hu. To his surprise, he discovered that the use of superhuman strength was restricted. Overuse would cause members to develop wheezing. According to the records, no member had a history of asthma. Beyond this issue, members experienced significant emotional fluctuations. When emotions erupted violently, they entered a state of extreme hunger, triggering their demonic genes. This caused them to indiscriminately attack humans to absorb blood.
This left Norman deeply troubled, making him question whether he should marry or have children. Upon learning of his concerns, his second uncle advised, “Don't set the bar too high for yourself. Emotional volatility is closely tied to the use of supernatural strength. Mastering that power is key. Conversely, letting emotions affect your strength harms your body. Frequent adverse reactions like these can even shorten your lifespan.” Norman asked, “Then can I marry and have children in the future?” His aunt informed him that the medical examination showed no evidence of malignant hereditary diseases or carriers of harmful genes, so it wouldn't affect his ability to have children. Relieved, Norman resolved to focus first on his military duties before considering starting a family. He decided to marry and have children sooner rather than later, knowing that after age 30, his wife would face greater difficulty conceiving. Even if pregnancy succeeded, the risk of the child inheriting a genetic disorder would be significantly higher.
Life in the military was extremely tough, but Norman persevered. On one hand, he wanted to prove to everyone that he wasn't useless; on the other, he didn't want to disappoint Dario. Norman got along very well with his fellow soldiers. They often chatted about popular topics, their hometowns, or future plans. Several mentioned they hadn't been home in a long time. Homesickness was actually quite common in the barracks, mostly stemming from worries about whether their families were safe and sound. Although Norman fretted that his relationship with Cordelia might change due to the distance separating them, he knew deep down that Cordelia would never betray him.
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and then Add to home screen.