Ethan White stretched lazily in front of the window, then turned to look at the open laptop on the desk. On the screen was a screenshot of a news article from three years ago, the bold black headline perfectly clear—

"Direct Appointment by the International Supervisory Authority, the Background of the New Chief Supervisor Remains a Mystery."

The accompanying image was a photograph.

In front of the International Supervisory Authority building in Basel, Switzerland, a young man wrapped head to toe in a black coat stood under an umbrella, shaking hands in farewell with the Director-General.

A fine rain was falling from the sky, the black umbrella obscuring his face. The camera captured only the lower half of his profile—skin cold and pale, features striking, thin lips pressed into a straight, emotionless line.

Ethan White narrowed his sharp eyes slightly.

"…Evolvers possess extremely high physical qualities and various supernatural abilities, so they have always been seen as a threat. But in reality, for us evolvers, it is humanity that is truly powerful and full of danger…"

That was an evening three years ago. The setting sun shone through the stained glass skylight of a church, casting light onto a grand round marble table of white and green. Young evolvers of various skin tones sat scattered around the table, all watching an elderly British man with white hair seated at the head.

"Is it because of the vast difference in numbers, 'Bishop'?" Ethan White lounged in his seat, his long legs crossed in a relaxed manner, raising his hand to ask.

The old man glanced at him: "No, it's because, compared to the disunited evolvers, ordinary humans possess far more unified goals."

The young students all looked puzzled.

"The goal of survival is reproduction, and the end of reproduction is evolution. When a shortcut to evolution is placed before them, any gene research that is anti-humanitarian or against universal values could happen in secret…"

The old man reached out to switch the projector, and a news article appeared on the screen.

"The International Supervisory Authority just issued an appointment yesterday, listing this person as one of the UN's ten permanent chief supervisors," the old man pointed at the screen, "Brian Sullivan."

Ethan White's pupils dilated slightly.

That was the first time he saw Brian Sullivan in a photo—the hardline supervisor who would later become famous for his rare beauty and iron-fisted style.

By law, the media was required to blur supervisors' photos, so the image was not very clear, but the elegant jawline and slender neck could still be discerned beneath the black umbrella.

A buzz of whispers rose around the table. After a moment, a white student raised his hand: "Is this Brian Sullivan also an evolver, Bishop?"

The old man shook his head.

"No, he is a confirmed ordinary human who cannot evolve. But from another perspective, he may represent the genetic pinnacle that humanity can reach on its own. From what we know, he holds at least two doctoral degrees and is highly authoritative in the field of genetic engineering. He was appointed as the chief director of Country C's Central Research Institute at a very young age. Although his research projects are top secret, there have long been rumors that he conducted many inhumane and abusive experiments on evolvers."

"Two months ago, a meteorite with an extremely high evolutionary energy value was discovered in Qinghai, Country C. A three-person team was sent to recover it, including one S-class, one A-class, and Brian Sullivan. During the mission, the evolutionary source exploded violently due to an 'operational accident,' resulting in the A-class evolver being seriously injured and the S-class evolver Kevin Foster dying on the spot."

There are only about twenty S-classes in the world. Everyone at the table erupted: "That Asian Kevin Foster died?"

"An accident? What kind of accident?"

"Impossible! Just an explosion—how could an S-class die so easily!"

…

"The Round Table tried everything but couldn't uncover the real cause of the explosion, nor what Brian Sullivan's top-secret research project actually was. But one thing is certain."

The old man took a breath, his tone heavy as he continued, "After the explosion, Brian Sullivan suddenly gained some powers similar to evolution."

"Or rather, he acquired a portion of the power that originally belonged to Kevin Foster."

The implication of this statement was so chilling and sinister, it was as if a cold current swept overhead, making everyone at the table shudder.

"After Kevin Foster's death, Brian Sullivan was completely demoted and expelled from the research institute. But strangely, the International Supervisory Authority suddenly broke with precedent, ignoring the outcry from evolver protection organizations worldwide, and forcibly appointed Brian Sullivan as one of the UN's ten permanent chief supervisors. He will soon be sent to take office in the Shenhai district."

"Let me remind you all, there are over ten thousand evolvers living in Shenhai City—over ten thousand of our fellow brothers and sisters."

The old man looked solemnly around at every young face at the table.

"All of you here are high-level evolvers, many of you A-class, some even S-class. No matter your skin color or race, remember this—"

"Evolvers are a minority on this planet. If conflict breaks out, we will inevitably be the ones wiped out."

"You have a responsibility to protect the weaker of your kind, just as the lead wolf protects its own pack."

…

"Shen, Jian, Cha." Ethan White propped his chin with one hand, looking down at the news photo, murmuring with a smile.