Yu Duanhong was currently editing a lukewarm unboxing video. A new smart desk lamp sent by a certain brand was one of the meager perks of his status as an influencer.
The advertisement claimed this smart lamp was exceptionally intelligent—solar-powered so it required no electricity, and programmed to turn off automatically a while after the user fell asleep.
After testing it, Yu Duanhong discovered the lamp only seemed to work during the day. Despite this, he had to shower it with praise in front of the camera.
Cashing in on junk really did pay well.
Lividity spots were spreading across the back of his hand. This was a normal symptom of the restless ghost inside him, and he had long since learned to ignore it.
Just then, a call from an unsaved number popped up on his phone screen.
He answered.
“Mr. Yu Duanhong, this is the Personnel and Special Talent Recruitment Office of the Forging City Branch of the Anomaly Management Bureau.”
“Following a comprehensive evaluation, we are formally notifying you that you have been specially recruited by our Bureau’s ‘Department for Special Incident Response and Research.’ You have been granted a position as a junior investigator.”
“Please report to the seventh floor of the branch building at 9:00 AM tomorrow. Bring your identification documents and all relevant materials.”
The voice on the phone was steady and professional. There was no room for negotiation or explanation; it was simply a notification.
Yu Duanhong was stunned, nearly dropping his phone.
Special recruitment?
An official position!
The combination of those words felt like a windfall from heaven.
He couldn't believe such a stroke of luck had actually hit him—and landed right in his lap. It was so absurd he wondered if the ghost inside him was conjuring an illusion.
Lately, he had felt like an insect trapped under a glass dome, cautiously playing the part of a law-abiding citizen while every move was magnified and analyzed under surveillance.
He had assumed his end would be either permanent monitoring until he lost control and was ‘handled,’ or a quiet disappearance in some ‘accident.’
He never expected it to be like this.
“Why?” he heard his own dry voice ask.
“The specific evaluation criteria are internal information and cannot be disclosed. This recruitment notice is mandatory. Refusal to comply will be viewed as a violation of Article 17 of the Supplementary Provisions of the ‘Regulations for the Management of Abnormal Individuals.’ You will be held responsible for the consequences. Tomorrow at nine. Please be on time.”
The call ended, leaving only the rhythmic beeping of the dial tone.
Yu Duanhong sat before his computer. The editing software was still open, and the smart lamp emitted a soft glow in the broad daylight.
A wave of icy cold washed over his arm; the ghost within him was still restless.
That mysterious long-haired man from before had mentioned he might be specially recruited to snag an official identity.
He had thought it was a joke, but it had actually come true!
After a brief moment of joy, Yu Duanhong’s heated mind quickly cooled down.
‘There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Why would such a good thing happen to me?’
He couldn't figure it out.
But he knew he didn't have a choice.
...
The next day, at the Forging City Branch of the Anomaly Management Bureau.
After passing through three security checks, Yu Duanhong was led to the seventh floor by a gentle female clerk.
Wait...?
The atmosphere felt a bit strange, different from the last time he was here.
The hallways were noisier than before. Staff members hurried past clutching documents, and the faint sounds of emotionally charged arguments drifted from the corners.
The person handling his onboarding was a young woman who looked barely older than him. Her badge identified her as an administrative assistant.
Her movements were efficient, but her gaze was flighty. She kept stealing glances at a male colleague at the water dispenser across the way, her cheeks flushing slightly.
That male colleague, however, was quietly eyeing another male colleague, his own face turning a deep crimson.
And that other male colleague was busy flirting with the cleaning lady.
Yu Duanhong’s hand trembled.
Was he seeing things?
No, he had to look again.
What kind of messy four-way love polygon was this!
On his way to record his biometric information, Yu Duanhong passed a conference room with the door left ajar.
A discussion seemed to be underway inside. A middle-aged section chief was speaking, sharply criticizing a certain task for poor execution.
One of the team members he called out suddenly stood up, his face turning beet-red. He slammed his tablet onto the table with a loud crack and blurted out:
“Liu! Don't think I don't know! You were having a secret liaison with Sister Li from the archives at the South City Hotel last weekend! You’re the one who delayed the mission, and now you’re trying to pin it on me?”
The conference room fell into a deathly silence, followed by an immediate explosion of commotion.
The administrative assistant leading him quickly pulled Yu Duanhong away, muttering under her breath, “What is wrong with everyone lately? Every single person has conduct issues...”
When it came time to collect his gear, the storekeeper—an old man with thinning white hair—was wearing reading glasses and sighing over a book with a garish cover.
“What a sin,” he grumbled. “What is this garbage? No sense of shame.”
Seeing Yu Duanhong, he flusteredly hid the book and went into the warehouse to find a uniform in the right size.
Yu Duanhong caught a glimpse of the title on the cover. It said Kele...
No, wait, it was Leke.
Yu Duanhong also saw two staff members from different departments bump into each other at a stairwell landing. Their gazes were syrupy enough to draw threads before they quickly pulled apart, both of them blushing furiously with racing hearts.
A stern-looking middle-aged section chief emerged from the restroom with a male subordinate, their clothes slightly disheveled.
“It’s so messy,” Yu Duanhong whispered to himself.
This was the Anomaly Management Bureau, an institution renowned for discipline and order. Why did it feel like he had walked into some gossipy company with overly complicated interpersonal relationships?
Yu Duanhong observed in silence. The nervousness he felt about entering a government agency was gradually being replaced by utter confusion.
He was assigned to a temporary office for four people, but he was currently the only one there.
A thick stack of regulations and confidentiality manuals sat on the desk.
Before leaving, the administrative assistant whispered a warning: “Keep your head down and watch yourself. Don't wander around if you don't have to. Familiarize yourself with the regulations as quickly as possible.”
The door closed.
Yu Duanhong sat in the office chair, looking around the brand-new room.
Outside the window was the roof of the Bureau’s internal training ground.
What exactly was going on here?
Had they specially recruited him because he had performed well enough, or was it something else?
He didn't know.
But he knew he was already in the game. No matter how murky or deep this water was, he had to at least grab whatever benefits he could!
During the lunch break, he went to the restroom.
“Holy crap, why is there a hole in the stall door?”
He suddenly remembered the administrative assistant’s warning to “watch himself and not wander around.”
Could it be because of this?!
Yu Duanhong clenched his glutes, terrified as he took care of his business.
Could he really get any benefits out of the Anomaly Management Bureau?
...
Meanwhile, in the top-floor office of the Wang Group.
Yue Shi had just finished listening to the Ghost’s report on the progress of the “technical improvements” for several mechanical bionic prosthetics production lines.
The improvements were subtle, merely causing the prosthetics to carry a tiny bit of encapsulated Extreme Evil power.
After multiple tests, the improved versions did not affect the normal function of the prosthetics and could pass quality inspections without issue.
However, once Yue Shi activated the Extreme Evil power, the mechanical prosthetics would subtly warp the wearer’s psyche.
“The first batch of improved civilian models has already entered the market through distribution channels. They are primarily flowing toward workers in high-risk industries and people with disabilities who have lost limbs in accidents.”
The Ghost paused here, his tone turning strange. “And then there are those with unrealistic fantasies about their own appearance and performance—specifically referring to the mechanical dongs.”
Yue Shi’s expression turned a bit peculiar.
The Ghost continued with a sigh, “Who would have thought the best-selling mechanical bionic prosthetic from the Wang Group would be the mechanical dong!”
“There are actually so many people willing to discard their natural parts to replace them with a mechanical one!”
“Even though the surface is covered with a layer of bionic skin that’s indistinguishable from the real thing, it’s still a fake in the end.”
Yue Shi replied, “You’re just an information lifeform. You probably can't understand the thoughts of high-quality human males.”
The Ghost: “...”
“Better than you! Before I turned into an information ghost, I was a normal human for many years. And you, my friend, are just a pseudo-human who doesn't even know how to handle manual labor.”
Yue Shi grabbed the black cat by the scruff of its neck and gave it a vigorous rub. “Don't use a kitty’s mouth to say such filth to me next time.”
“I am a white moonlight; I cannot be defiled.”
The cat possessed by the Ghost looked speechless. A black moonlight, more like?
No, a fallen white moonlight.
Yue Shi let go of the cat. The Ghost straightened his fur and said, “According to my investigation, when the technology for mechanical bionic prosthetics was first invented on the Deep Red Continent, it was all intended for the disabled.”
“But as the technology developed, the functions of bionic prosthetics became increasingly comprehensive. Not only could they connect to nerves without affecting tactile sensation, they could even perform precision operations far beyond human limits. Consequently, some people began discarding their original limbs to switch to mechanical ones.”
“A normal person with a mechanical arm equipped with various weapons can significantly boost their combat power in a short time. Mercenary teams and security companies in many regions outside of Zhongzhou love to recruit such cybernetic humans. They even have a complete chain of interests.”
“If an ordinary person wants to make fast money or achieve a class leap through cybernetic modification, they’ll take out loans to buy a mechanical arm, take out loans for the surgery, and then find an agent to join a mercenary team.”
“But in reality, the lending institutions, the surgical clinics, the agents, and the mercenary teams are all part of the same group. Even the brainwashing ads that lure ordinary people into cybernetic modification are marketed by them.”
“Once an ordinary person starts down this path, they can only keep running frantically on the road of cybernetic modification.”
“Because the transplanted mechanical prosthetics require maintenance and repair, and the technology iterates every so often. Using an old model of a mechanical arm might lead to being ostracized by the mercenary team. A huge portion of the money they earn is forced back into updating and maintaining their mechanical prosthetics.”
Yue Shi smiled. “How tragic.”
The Ghost shook his head. “Some people don't think it's tragic because they firmly believe that ‘flesh is weak, mechanical ascension.’”
“And cybernetic modification is indeed a way for ordinary people to gain power in a short time.”
“In a sense, it’s like being a wicked cultivator. But if there’s truly no other way, even wicked cultivation is still cultivation. Who says a wicked cultivator can't become a god?”
Yue Shi suddenly thought of something. “The endpoint of cybernetic modification should be the complete abandonment of the physical body. In that case, is your current state as an information ghost the ‘ascension’ they pursue?”
The Ghost was silent for a few seconds. “Perhaps?”
“Forget it, let’s get back to business.”
“The land of Zhongzhou has a cultural philosophy that ‘one’s body, hair, and skin are received from one’s parents.’ Initially, the public didn't really accept cybernetic modification. They only accepted the installation of prosthetics for the disabled; they wouldn't cut off healthy limbs to replace them with machines.”
“Zhongzhou’s government actually acted accordingly at first. Only disabled individuals could apply to use mechanical prosthetics, and medical institutions were forbidden from performing cybernetic modifications on healthy limbs.”
“But later...”
“What happened later? How did it become like this?” Yue Shi asked.
The Ghost said, “Zhongzhou failed to hold the high ground. First came a cultural invasion, with movies and manga featuring cybernetic protagonists everywhere.”
“Then, some impressionable teenagers were lured into self-mutilation so they could apply for mechanical prosthetics as disabled persons.”
“After these teenagers got their mechanical prosthetics, every single one of them thrived, seemingly changing their fates. Such stories were heavily publicized.”
Yue Shi understood instantly. “External invasion, internal collusion, and people on the inside pushing for it.”
The Ghost nodded. “Later, Zhongzhou’s laws opened a loophole, allowing certain specific groups who passed strict reviews to undergo cybernetic modification.”
“Then it became unstoppable. It slid from ‘special needs’ to ‘universal rights,’ and the bottom line kept dropping. Various cybernetic modification clinics blossomed across this land, and the Wang family rose during this period.”
“Although there are many manufacturers of mechanical prosthetics in Zhongzhou now, the Wang Group remains the leader. The mechanical dongs they produce offer the best user experience.”
“Uh... the secret to the Wang Group’s competitive edge is actually in that area?” Yue Shi teased.
The Ghost said, “The technology for mechanical arms, legs, and eyes originally came from the same R&D team and was intended to improve the lives of the disabled.”
“But the mechanical dong isn't. This thing has a separate technical source. Technically, it’s quite different from a mechanical arm; it’s meant for entertainment.”
“The Wang family holds the core patent for the mechanical dong. As for how that patent actually came to be, I surprisingly couldn't find out.”
“You can use your current fake identity to look into it. It should be a closely guarded secret of the Wang family.”
Yue Shi stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.
“Why bother looking into such a useless secret? I’m just using the Wang family’s influence to stir up trouble.”
“However, I could build a mechanical body for you. We’ll use the group’s production line, build it to the highest standards, and equip it with all sorts of thermal weapons.”
At the mention of this, the Ghost immediately became interested. “Weapons are secondary, but the robot must have bionic skin. I want eight-pack abs, and the face must be molded to my liking.”
Yue Shi: “Yeah, yeah, whatever you want.”
“Oh? I have a question. If a healthy, normal person with talent for cultivation undergoes cybernetic modification, can they still cultivate?”
The Ghost: “How should I know? There’s no information on that online.”
“But I think in certain supernatural systems, once the body becomes incomplete, there will definitely be negative effects—like for those practicing martial arts.”
Yue Shi: “Practice brings true knowledge. Let’s find someone to test it on...”
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