Inside the conference room, the atmosphere was solemn, and everyone held their breath.
“Following discussions by higher leadership and a multi-party vote, the decision has been made to assemble an elite team and establish the ‘Special Incident Investigation Section’ here in Qianli City.
I will serve as Section Chief, while Director Ma Mingyuan will act as honorary Deputy Chief and Political Commissar.
All special cases under Qianli City's jurisdiction will be handled entirely by the Special Incident Investigation Section.
Members of the previously formed temporary ‘Special Investigation Team’ will be directly integrated into the section.
All section members will hold independent professional titles, and our work will be reported solely to Director Ma and myself, which we will then convey up the chain of command.”
Qin Yue closed the folder in her hands, her gaze sweeping across the room and pausing briefly on each face:
“Allow me to introduce the core personnel of our section.
He Xiaoyi, Teacher He, a researcher of folk culture whose understanding and knowledge of supernatural phenomena surpasses most people present.
Therefore, through the organization’s review and decision, Teacher He has been specially recruited as an Honorary Consultant to the investigation section.”
Applause broke out, and the wizened old man with white hair and wrinkled skin beamed with a genial smile.
He stood up and nodded to the crowd:
“Hehe, Chief Qin is too polite. I was just invited to serve as a consultant. You can all just call me Old He from now on.
If anyone needs my services in the future, you get a flat twenty percent discount. Of course, if you have any private business on the side, feel free to refer them to me—we can split it seventy-thirty!”
The applause hitched for a split second.
He Xiaoyi truly hadn't expected that a rogue like him would one day join an official government organization.
Even if it was just a “consultant,” putting the word “official” before any title immediately made it sound prestigious.
Just look at those masters and experts out there—as long as they had even a shred of official backing, their rates shot through the roof!
He had struck gold this time.
From now on, when He Xiaoyi went out to do jobs for clients, he’d be swimming in appearance fees alone.
So Qin Yue wasn't wrong at all. He had been dealing with ghosts for thirty-seven years—if that wasn't “extensive experience,” what was?
Qin Yue nodded slightly, her eyes shifting to a young man:
“Zhao Daxian, top disciple of Taoist Master Dingyi, the master of Taisu Monastery, and a graduate of the Great Xia Taoist Academy.
He is currently a doctoral student in ‘World Mysterious Culture and Folklore’ at Qianli University, and currently serves as the Action Group Leader of the Special Incident Investigation Section.”
“Hello everyone, my name is Zhao Daxian. You probably wouldn't get the hang of my Daoist name anyway.
Just call me ‘Daxian’ from now on; that's what everyone who knows me calls me.”
Clad in a peach-pink tracksuit, the young man leaning lazily back in his chair tilted his chin, though his eyes never strayed from his phone screen:
“I'm male, twenty-seven years old. My hobbies include skydiving, cord-free bungee jumping, and occasionally fishing and gaming.”
Zhao Daxian clutched his phone, his slender fingers tapping away at the screen with a completely irreverent demeanor:
“Personally, I'm not really interested in all this ghost and spirit business. But my master told me to come, so here I am.
Since we’re going to be working together for a long time, let me make things clear upfront: I can be a bit willful.
I hope you’ll bear with me. Unless it's an emergency mission, please avoid contacting me outside of working hours.”
This time, the applause in the conference room was rather hesitant.
This Action Group Leader...
sounded a bit unreliable.
Besides, having a Daoist serve as the Action Group Leader...
wasn't that a clear mismatch of qualifications?!
Qin Yue paid Zhao Daxian no heed and simply continued with her introductions:
“Fang Zijiang, the youngest double-doctorate medical PhD in the history of the Great Xia Academy of Medical Sciences. He has served with Doctors Without Borders and participated in peacekeeping missions alongside Great Xia peacekeepers on multiple occasions.
He currently serves as the Inspection Group Leader of the Special Incident Investigation Section, responsible for trace evidence examination and supernatural artifact analysis.”
“Section Head Qin flatters me.”
The man who had spoken earlier stood up and pushed up the gold-rimmed glasses hooked over his ears. He smiled warmly, putting people at ease like a spring breeze:
“It is my honor to join the special section. You can just call me Zijiang from now on.
There is one thing I’d like to ask of everyone: during future operations, please try to preserve the scene intact so that our inspection team can collect samples.
Of course, even if the original site is disturbed, we can still gather samples.
It just becomes somewhat more difficult.
I personally dislike trouble, so I hope no one gives our inspection team extra trouble. Thank you for your hard work.”
For some reason, even though Fang Zijiang was smiling, everyone present felt a sudden chill run down their spines.
“Understood. I will have them preserve the scenes as much as possible.”
Qin Yue nodded, then continued:
“Zhang Yue, whom most of you should know, was recruited directly into the section by me.
Although she had no relevant prior work experience, having spent this time working together, I believe everyone has witnessed her dedication.
Going forward, she will be in charge of logistics and clerical work for our group. Does anyone have any objections?”
Welcoming applause rang out continuously; no one voiced any objection.
“Thank you! Thank you, everyone! I will work doubly hard from now on and never let down the organization, Chief Qin, or the trust you all have placed in me!!”
Zhang Yue’s face flushed red, her expression noticeably more confident and spirited than before:
“Please feel safe leaving the logistics in my hands—I guarantee I won't disappoint anyone!”
Thunderous applause filled the room, continuing for a long time.
—Compared to the first few—the money-grubbing consultant, the unreliable group leader, and the smiling-tiger doctor—this comrade was visibly far more dependable!
“Of course, our investigation section has another comrade in unique circumstances: Chen Ping.”
Qin Yue waited for the applause to die down before rapping her knuckles on the tabletop:
“As most of you probably know, his situation is exceptional—in fact, the only case of its kind across the entire country.
I won't elaborate further on his details. Following deliberation by our superiors, Comrade Chen Ping has been appointed to the Special Incident Investigation Section to serve as Information Group Leader.”
Hearing the name “Chen Ping,” those present showed mixed reactions.
He Xiaoyi was counting on his fingers, tallying his future appearance fees.
Zhao Daxian raised an eyebrow, looking surprised.
Fang Zijiang pushed up his glasses, a flicker of excitement gleaming in his eyes.
Zhang Yue was bursting with drive, clenching her fists in eager anticipation.
“I hope everyone understands that our Special Incident Investigation Section answers directly and reports vertically to higher authorities.
No official agency or organization within Great Xia has the authority to access our confidential files.
Furthermore, during operations, higher leadership has granted us maximum authorization to mobilize all security and police resources within Qianli City.
Prior to this, we must prepare contingency plans. If an unavoidable extreme situation arises, our superiors have permitted us to request military assistance.”
Qin Yue took in everyone’s reactions, though she said nothing of it.
“I know what you are all thinking. This authority is immense—unprecedented, a historic first.
However, this does not mean we can act recklessly. On the contrary, we must proceed with even greater caution.
With great power comes great responsibility, and correspondingly, the scrutiny we face will be thousands of times greater than that of ordinary agencies.
It is no exaggeration to say that the Special Incident Investigation Section is likely just a pilot project.
The mission assigned to us by our superiors is to chart a course suitable for the future of Great Xia, and even for adapting to global changes and environmental shifts ahead.
In the future, we will face far more supernatural cases, and dealing with everyday civilians will become routine.
Countless eyes will be monitoring us; the gaze of all Great Xia will be focused squarely upon us.
How to maintain stability, how to handle relations with the public, and how to balance our relationship with other departments are matters we cannot afford to overlook.
The path we tread is destined to be rough, treacherous, and strewn with thorns.
If we succeed, we will be the trailblazers. If we fail...”
She exhaled deeply, her eyes scanning the faces of everyone in the room inch by inch.
Though she left it unsaid, everyone understood what Qin Yue meant.
If they did well, the Special Incident Investigation Section would be a bellwether; everyone would earn merits and promotions, and even if they made the ultimate sacrifice, their names would live on in history.
If they did poorly, the section would be disbanded on the spot, everyone sent back to where they came from to slink away in disgrace.
What they would face in the future was not just bizarre, grotesque supernatural incidents.
They also had to ease public panic as much as possible, guiding society through a smooth transition in perception.
In this ever-shifting global climate, they had to carve out a path forward for the Special Incident Investigation Section.
The pressure was as heavy as a mountain—and as vast as the open sea.
Rate on N.U.
