Chapter 24

Chapter 24

“We’re heading out on field duty tomorrow. The Director and Shen Huaizhou will stay behind, so you’ll see him then,” Ye Anran said.

This was precisely what Ling Fang had arranged.

The evasive way Ye Anran and the others spoke left Xie Qingling feeling that something was strange.

Just what kind of person was Shen Huaizhou, for the other members of the Department to react so… oddly?

She soon stopped thinking about it, however.

Meeting Shen Huaizhou was only a matter of time. All she had to do was wait.

Ye Anran took out paper and pens and said gloomily to Xie Qingling, “Come on. Let’s write and copy together.”

Oh. Their self-criticisms and copies of the workplace rules.

Xie Qingling pursed her lips, then sat beside Ye Anran and began copying as well.

Everyone worked silently on their own tasks. Roughly ten minutes later, Dai Xingyu’s keyboard fell quiet.

He pushed the laptop in front of Xie Qingling and gave her a radiant smile. “Here, take a look. The Logistics Department wrote this article especially for you.”

Xie Qingling found that baffling, but she took the laptop anyway. On the screen, she saw the following:

“Shocking! You Won’t Believe What Happened at a Local University!

Why Did the Teaching Building Spontaneously Catch Fire? Why Did Its Walls Collapse?

Shoddy Construction Goes Unsupervised – The Building Market Is in Urgent Need of Regulation!

…

Several specimen rooms at the school were damaged during the accident due to improper storage conditions.

Fortunately, none of the school’s teachers or students suffered any casualties.

Say no to shoddy construction. Change begins with you and me.

Relevant authorities are still investigating the precise cause of the safety incident. Our reporters will continue following this story…”

A smaller section followed, containing interviews with victims of the “fire and building collapse.”

Male Student A: Here’s what happened. I’m a second-year student working part-time in the school office. When the incident occurred, I was on duty in the campus broadcast room. I didn’t hear an alarm, so I couldn’t evacuate in time. Fortunately, a kind student who wishes to remain anonymous carried me out over a shoulder. If I remember correctly, he was an exceptionally tall and valiant male student. I felt incredibly safe while slung over his shoulder. I hope this warmhearted student who wishes to remain anonymous will contact me soon. I would like to thank you properly in person.

Female Student B: Although my experimental specimens unfortunately perished in the fire, the important thing is that no one was hurt. My adviser has already agreed to extend my assignment deadline.

Reporter: May I ask what your experimental specimens were?

Female Student B: Sterile fly larvae cultivated in the laboratory.

“…”

Xie Qingling silently pushed the laptop back.

Xie Qingling, who wished to remain anonymous, asked, “Is this part of your job too?”

“The Logistics Department is mainly responsible for concealing traces afterward. I just cooperate whenever they need material. If certain details don’t line up, the public will notice something is wrong.”

Xie Qingling nodded, gaining a deeper understanding of the Special Incident Response Department she belonged to.

More accurately, her Department was only a small branch of a vast organization.

Apart from her own Department, which handled field operations and eliminations, Xie Qingling currently knew of the Logistics Department and the Technology R&D Department.

Who could have imagined that beneath the seemingly normal and peaceful surface of modern society, such a vast organization was quietly operating in secret? It never saw the light of day, yet remained active before everyone’s eyes in the most ordinary of forms.

And no one ever truly recognized them.

Ye Anran pulled Xie Qingling aside again and told her about some of the Department’s daily routines and points requiring attention.

After roughly an hour, Xie Qingling had gained a fairly complete understanding of the Department.

“That’s about all for now. There’s nothing else to say, and I can’t think of anything at the moment. Once you’ve accompanied us on a few missions, you’ll understand everything you need to,” Ye Anran said, scratching her head.

Xie Qingling nodded and continued copying the workplace rules.

Workplace Rule One: Ensuring the safety of Department members is the Director’s responsibility.

Workplace Rule Two: Unconditionally following the Director’s orders during operations is the core duty of every Department member. Anyone who disobeys orders without cause will be punished according to the severity of the consequences.

Workplace Rule Three: Under all circumstances, residents’ right to life takes precedence over everything else. As long as you remain capable of fighting, do not allow a single resident to fall before you do.

Workplace Rule Four…

Even when the sun sank toward the horizon and dusk approached, Xie Qingling had yet to finish copying the workplace rules.

Ten copies came to thirty thousand words. She certainly would not finish anytime soon.

Unlike Ye Anran, a seasoned veteran who had copied them countless times before, Xie Qingling did not dare be perfunctory. She wrote every word and sentence with complete seriousness, not daring to be careless in the slightest. Her handwriting was clear, and every page was neat.

As a rookie, she at least possessed some self-awareness.

The workday had ended. Yu Wei left the office with his broadsword on his back, and Dai Xingyu departed with his laptop.

Even after clocking out, however, they kept their earpieces in, ready to respond at any moment.

Ye Anran was leaving too, but before she did, she made sure to remind Xie Qingling, “We’re heading out. You’ll be living here alone, so be careful and stay safe.”

“Okay.”

Once the three left, the office became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

Xie Qingling went to the kitchen and found a packet of instant noodles in the refrigerator. She would make do with that for today.

The Logistics Department regularly replenished all the supplies in the small Western-style house, including some tools used in combat, so Xie Qingling did not need to worry too much about daily necessities.
After some thought, Xie Qingling decided to treat the office as her home.

The place was spacious and rent-free. The Logistics Department took care of it and fulfilled virtually any request. Living here was extremely convenient.

The other members of the Department rarely used the rooms here, so Xie Qingling staying behind was not much different from living alone.

Before going to sleep, Xie Qingling lit the benzoin incense Ye Anran had left for her.

A warm fragrance tinged with medicine immediately spread through the room.

Xie Qingling inhaled deeply and felt her entire body relax. Then she lay down and drifted off to sleep.

The abilities nearly drained dry during her battle with the Carrion Ghost had more or less recovered after a full day and night of rest.

As a Spirit Wielder, she possessed both exceptional explosive physical power and a remarkable ability to recover.

She slept through the night without dreaming.

When Xie Qingling woke the next day, her body had returned to full health.

Following Ye Anran’s instructions, she treated herself as the staff member on duty at the office. The first thing she did after getting up was go to the third floor and offer incense at the shrine.

The deities honored in the shrine had all been observed and officially recorded by the Department.

Naturally, all of them were righteous gods.

It was best not to worship evil gods or deities of unknown origin. Doing so could bring terrifying and immeasurable consequences.

Only after offering incense did Xie Qingling go take care of breakfast.

By then, it had just turned eight thirty in the morning.

There was still half an hour before the workday began. Ling Fang and Shen Huaizhou would arrive then.

After some thought, Xie Qingling used the time to continue copying the workplace rules she had yet to finish.

Half an hour later, Xie Qingling rubbed her slightly stiff wrist and stopped to rest.

At that moment, footsteps sounded outside the office.

Someone had arrived.

Xie Qingling stood and looked toward the entrance.

Ling Fang walked in first.

He was dressed somewhat more casually today in a black combat uniform, though he still wore black leather gloves.

As he walked, Ling Fang looked over his shoulder and discussed something with the person trailing half a step behind him.

Soon, the person behind Ling Fang came fully into view.

It was a stunning beauty with a slender, statuesque figure, waist-length hair, and black locks cascading like a waterfall.

The beauty appeared a little taller than Ling Fang and wore a black dress. On that tall frame, the dress carried all the poise of a supermodel and projected an imposing presence.

The only issue was the cold expression, which made the beauty seem difficult to approach.

This was…

Xie Qingling’s mind went blank for a moment. By ordinary logic, the person who had appeared alongside Ling Fang and seemed to be discussing matters with him should be Shen Huaizhou, who was scheduled to remain on duty today.

So Shen Huaizhou was such a breathtaking beauty?

The mature, domineering type, no less.

The Department truly was full of hidden talents.

While her thoughts ran wild, Ling Fang brought the beauty over to Xie Qingling and said, “Let me introduce you. This is Shen Huaizhou, the last member of the Department you haven’t met. And this is our new member, Xie Qingling.”

After introducing them to each other, Ling Fang left the lobby and headed into the kitchen –

He was accustomed to brewing himself a cup of coffee before work to sharpen his mind.

Only Shen Huaizhou and Xie Qingling remained in the first-floor lobby, facing one another.

Confronted with such an aloof, queenly beauty, Xie Qingling instinctively felt that Shen Huaizhou would not be as easy to get along with as Ye Anran, and she could not help growing a little nervous.

Shen Huaizhou seemed to have quite a personality.

“Hello,” Xie Qingling said in greeting. “I look forward to working with you.”

Difficult to get along with or not, Shen Huaizhou probably wasn’t anyone too strange. Ling Fang had said that their standards for selecting teammates were extremely strict. Shen Huaizhou’s character, at least, should be above the passing line.

Before long, Shen Huaizhou spoke.

“Hello. I’m Shen Huaizhou.”

In that instant, Xie Qingling’s entire body stiffened where she stood, as if struck by lightning.

“…”

Xie Qingling froze, thinking she had misheard. “You…”

Then the deep, mellow voice of a man sounded again. “I’m Shen Huaizhou.”

Xie Qingling: “…”

Shen Huaizhou…

He was actually a man!!!!

For a moment, Xie Qingling had no idea what expression to make. But she had always been composed, and courtesy and good upbringing kept her from reacting dramatically. After a brief flash of shock, she quickly calmed down.

Perhaps this was simply a personal preference of his.

There was no need to make a fuss.

Shen Huaizhou, meanwhile, unexpectedly studied her for several moments without speaking, still maintaining his exceptionally aloof demeanor.

At that moment, Ling Fang emerged from the kitchen carrying his coffee.

Seeing that both of them looked fairly composed, Ling Fang assumed they had not introduced themselves yet. He explained to Xie Qingling, “Shen Huaizhou’s identity is somewhat unusual. Despite his appearance, he’s a man. He dresses this way because he’s an illusionist in training – and this is also a deity’s blessing.”

[Graceful are the white foxes, magnificent their nine tails. The long-dormant Tushan Clan bestowed a divine ability upon a man in the mortal realm. Nine-Tailed Foxes, peerless in beauty and skilled in enchantment and allure, must draw the gazes of others at all times. They are born powerful. Beauty, too, is their weapon.]

Xie Qingling: “…”