Since Yue Shi had already agreed to join the Amber City Investigation Bureau, Ling Xun immediately stood up to take him to complete the onboarding process.
The Investigation Bureau was located in the city center, housed in a very conspicuous building. Ling Xun drove in silence, and they arrived quickly.
However, they didn't use the main entrance. Instead, they took a special passage directly to the top-floor office, not encountering a single soul along the way.
The office was spacious and bright, with a minimalist yet tasteful decor. Ling Xun sat with Yue Shi on the sofa, casually flipping through a contract.
Opposite them, a middle-aged woman sat behind a massive oak desk, which was neatly stacked with various documents.
She was the director of the Amber City Investigation Bureau, Tang Zhuhe.
Despite her high status and power, her attire was quite casual—a loose beige knit sweater paired with leisure pants. Her shoulder-length hair fell naturally, and while time had left its marks on her, it only added to her elegance and intellectual beauty.
“Ling Xun has mentioned you several times in my presence. Now that I’ve actually met you, I see you’re... a bit different from his descriptions.”
Tang Zhuhe wore a gentle, leisurely smile, her eyes sparkling as if they could pierce through Yue Shi’s handsome exterior and strike directly at his dark, twisted core.
Yue Shi didn't mind. He simply said, “The contract is fine.”
Then, he picked up the pen and signed his name.
“Great! Welcome to the team officially!” Ling Xun reached out his hand.
Yue Shi reached out and shook it.
Tang Zhuhe spoke up, “There’s plenty of time ahead. I hope we get along well.”
“Ling Xun will discuss the work details with you. He is the leader of our Investigation Bureau's Special Operations Section.”
Yue Shi nodded.
Ling Xun then stood up and led him out of the office to register his personal information and process his credentials.
Ling Xun handled the entire process personally. It wasn't until he had the ID in hand that Yue Shi asked in confusion, “Where are the other staff members? Surely a section leader like you doesn't need to handle such trivial matters personally?”
“They all went home early today. Right now, only you, me, and the director are in the entire bureau,” Ling Xun said.
“?!” Yue Shi’s guard instantly shot up to the maximum.
“Don’t be nervous, let me explain.” Ling Xun spread his hands, making a harmless gesture.
“The official transcendents in Amber City aren't very busy. There isn't much to handle, and general supernatural incidents are outsourced to private organizations. Of course, if we have to step in, it means the situation is very troublesome.”
“Besides handling supernatural matters within the city, we are sometimes given special missions and temporarily reassigned elsewhere.”
Yue Shi: “Get to the point!”
Ling Xun rubbed the bridge of his nose awkwardly. “Currently, the Amber City Investigation Bureau is short-staffed. Even including you, there are only a few transcendents in total.”
“Furthermore, Zhu Qunqing made a major mistake during a previous mission, and I’m afraid he won’t be able to continue working with us...”
Yue Shi: “The point! The point! The point!”
“I want you to act as an undercover agent in Tulip Security Company.” Ling Xun spoke as if the words burned his tongue, closing his mouth immediately after finishing the sentence.
The air fell silent for a brief moment.
Yue Shi let out a soft chuckle. “No wonder you were dilly-dallying, beating around the bush and avoiding the main topic.”
“Being an undercover agent is difficult and full of danger. If Tulip Security Company really has been secretly watching me, the risk of going undercover now is even greater. I’ve barely secured my official position, and I’m already expected to perform such a ‘high-level’ mission?”
Ling Xun peeked at Yue Shi’s expression and explained cautiously, “You’ve been working at that company for a while now and have some understanding of its members. You’re the most suitable person for this mission—to investigate clues regarding the dark forces behind the scenes.”
“To prevent your exposure, I intentionally sent everyone else in the bureau away. Only the director and I know your true identity. Rest assured, there will be no shortage of benefits once the job is done. Of course, we must follow your will first. You can refuse; I absolutely won't resort to guilt-tripping.”
Yue Shi waved a hand. “No problem. I’ll do my best to complete the first mission the Investigation Bureau has given me.”
Seeing him agree so readily, Ling Xun felt a strange sense of unease instead.
He looked at Yue Shi’s face and saw no sign of resistance or negativity. Ling Xun had to swallow all the persuasive arguments he had prepared, but he found the situation increasingly odd.
In a sense, his intuition was correct.
Who didn't know how to sell a pipe dream?
“Tulip Security Company has multiple transcendents. You only came for me; you didn't think about recruiting the others to work for the Investigation Bureau?” Yue Shi tested him.
Ling Xun’s eyes crinkled into slits as he smiled. “How could they possibly compare to you?”
Yue Shi voiced his total agreement. “True. After all, not everyone can possess both looks and strength like I do.”
Ling Xun felt a wave of second-hand embarrassment so strong he wanted to curl into a ball. Suddenly not wanting to let Yue Shi have his moment, he changed his tune. “Their social relationships are too complicated. You are the most suitable.”
Yue Shi rolled his eyes.
The playful banter seemed to bridge the gap between them invisibly. Yue Shi took the opportunity to ask, “Even though I’m undercover, I should still be able to use the Investigation Bureau’s weapon resources and information channels, right?”
“Of course.” Ling Xun gave an affirmative answer. Without waiting for Yue Shi to ask, he proactively provided him with a gun and ammunition.
Feeling the cold firearm in his hand, Yue Shi asked again, “Can private organizations use guns too? Yesterday, I saw several Dawn Technology employees carrying guns, but Tulip Security Company doesn't have that kind of equipment.”
Ling Xun said, “In theory, as long as a private organization applies to the Investigation Bureau for a gun permit and registers, they can use them. After every shot fired, the specific destination and use of the bullet are verified. But that’s only in theory. You should be able to understand that, right?”
Yue Shi understood instantly. He immediately thought of those hard-to-manage Chaos Zones and powerful large-scale organizations—they likely all possessed firearms and other weapons...
Ling Xun took out his phone and gave Yue Shi a URL. “This is the Supernatural Forum. it’s the world’s largest and safest anonymous communication platform for transcendents. You can post information, ask questions, communicate with other users, and pay for classified intelligence.”
“Note that the existence of the Supernatural Forum is quite special. It is not fully controlled by the Investigation Bureau. Aside from official announcements, you’ll have to judge the truth of other information yourself. Any losses are your own responsibility.”
Yue Shi was puzzled. “Wasn't this forum established by the authorities?”
Ling Xun: “I can’t explain it in just a sentence or two. Once you log in, check the pinned common-sense posts, and you’ll understand everything.”
“Alright then.” Yue Shi shifted the topic. “There’s one more thing...”
Ling Xun: “Why do you have so many questions?”
Rate on N.U.
