Survived!

Supply Section. Ye Huan picked up two sets of black uniforms bearing the bureau insignia, a cap, a pair of leather shoes, a revolver, and five rounds of ammunition. —Along with a copy of *Basic Combat*. He flipped through it casually, skimming the rudimentary techniques inside. —The basics were utterly run-of-the-mill, though better than nothing. With his current eye and skill, he found the material woefully inadequate. *Iron Hand*, on the other hand, boasted three distinct fighting routines. "Iron Sand," "Dragon Hammer," and "Iron Hand Blocks the River." Exhilarating stuff. Indeed, those martial arts were captivating—just like the action movies he used to watch back on Earth. Yet far more powerful than anything on film. That was that. Next, report to Investigation Section One! *Knock, knock, knock—* "Come in." Ye Huan stepped into the room and immediately saw the full-bearded man. "You're here! Take a seat and wait a moment. The captain will be back shortly." The bearded man greeted him warmly. "How should I address you, sir?" Ye Huan asked. "I'm Zhao Qiang. Just call me Old Zhao." The bearded man clapped him on the shoulder. His name really was Zhao Qiang. Just as the "mimic" had said. Ye Huan looked around the office. There were five people in the room. The young man from that morning was among them as well. Above each person's head, labels popped up in succession: "Junior Investigator," "Intermediate Investigator," "Intermediate Investigator," "Black Tide Cultist," "Black Tide Cultist." Two cultists... Not too bad; at least three were clean. As long as he stuck close to the genuine investigators, he might manage to steer clear of trouble. Just as Ye Huan was musing to himself, the door swung open. "Good morning, Captain!" All five stood up and greeted the newcomer in unison. Ye Huan turned to look. Two men were walking in from outside. The one in the lead looked to be in his forties, with a square jaw, gentle features, and an amiable smile on his face. The young man standing behind him wore a stern expression, sizing up Ye Huan the moment he entered. "You must be Ye Huan. Welcome to our team." The middle-aged man smiled at Ye Huan. Just as Ye Huan was about to speak, a line of text floated above the man's head: *Black Tide Cult Priest.* A line of text also appeared over the young man's head: *Black Tide Demon Guard.* Four to three! This middle-aged man was the head of Investigation Section One, holding real authority—and his strength appeared formidable as well! "Greetings, Captain. I'm Ye Huan. I'll be in your care from now on." Ye Huan kept his composure, speaking neither servilely nor arrogantly. "Mm. A fine young man indeed," the middle-aged man said. "It just so happens we are tasked with escorting a mutated martial artist today. Come along with us." "Yes—" Ye Huan hesitated. Noticing his reluctance, the middle-aged man asked, "Is there a problem?" "It's nothing, just that my paperwork isn't fully processed yet. The General Affairs Office asked me to stop by once more," Ye Huan said. In truth, it was already finished. Yet he knew with absolute certainty that he could not go escort that prisoner with them! That was a death trap! He had been uncertain before. Now that he had seen them in person—good heavens, even the captain of Investigation Section One was an infiltrator. What was there left to consider? —He had to find a way to extricate himself from this affair! "Your paperwork isn't done yet?" the bearded man asked in surprise. "No matter. The bureau operates with great efficiency. Go handle your paperwork now; I imagine it will take only a few minutes to sort out," the middle-aged man said with a smile. "Thank you, Captain. I'll go finish running the paperwork right away," Ye Huan said gratefully. "Go on, take your time. There's nothing pressing at the moment anyway." The middle-aged man smiled. —Had he not known the man's true identity, Ye Huan dared say his first impression of this captain would have been exceptionally favorable. Leaving Section One, Ye Huan walked down the long corridor and knocked on the door of the General Affairs Office. "Come in!" Xia Li was not busy at the moment; holding a teacup, she was watching a video on her phone. "Sister Li." Ye Huan greeted her with a smile. "Oh? You're here. Just the person I wanted to see—I have something for you." Xia Li locked her phone and handed him a slip of paper tucked beneath her keyboard. It was a long pay slip printed with rows for *Base Salary, Position Allowance, Performance Bonus, Other Subsidies, Insurance...* "This is...?" Ye Huan looked at the numbers on the slip, hesitating. It was a pay slip, of course he recognized it. But why give it to him now? "I noticed your wages for the past few months had been in arrears. I checked with the mining company just now, and they immediately processed the payment. It's already been deposited into your account," Xia Li said with a smile. Ye Huan paused slightly, then immediately understood. The crux of her words lay in "checked with the mining company." Xia Li had pressured them into releasing his wages! She was doing him a favor! Perhaps it was merely an effortless gesture to forge goodwill. Was that it? *Tch.* Those who managed to hold the position of office director were indeed masterfully tactful. "Thank you, Sister Li. Money has been tight for me lately, so I really don't know what to say. I'm truly grateful." Ye Huan clutched the pay slip, an expression of touched gratitude appearing on his face. This was acknowledging the favor. "It's all part of my job, no need to take it to heart," Xia Li said dismissively, before abruptly shifting the subject. "Have you been to Section One?" "Yes, I just met the captain and the others," Ye Huan answered honestly. "What is your section's assignment today? Well, if you feel it's inconvenient to say, don't worry about it," Xia Li said. Ye Huan smiled faintly. As the bureau's General Affairs director, she had information flowing to her from every quarter, yet she didn't know Section One's assignment? Perhaps she needed to cultivate her own insiders to keep tabs on various matters. Or perhaps... This was simply a minor test on her part. Yet as far as he was concerned— An olive branch had been extended; how could he not grasp it firmly? This might well be the final lifesaver within reach. "If Sister Li is asking, how could I keep it from you?" Lowering his voice, Ye Huan said, "Our section is escorting a mutated martial artist today." Xia Li's eyes brightened slightly. With just a couple of words, he had demonstrated his loyalty. —He had placed personal rapport above departmental protocol, solely to answer her question. A clever young man! And a clever young man willing to stand on her side! The corners of Xia Li's mouth curled upward. Sizing up Ye Huan, she lowered her voice as well. "That fellow is extremely dangerous. He's the one who slaughtered over a hundred people in your mining district." "It was him?" Ye Huan looked surprised. "Yes, that very one," Xia Li confirmed. Ye Huan hesitated briefly. "Sister Li." "Hm?" "I nearly died at that man's hands. I'm still traumatized by it, and to be honest, I really don't want to see him again." As Ye Huan spoke, he let out a heavy sigh, his face clouding with dread. Not wanting to see him again. In other words, he did not want to carry out this assignment. —Ye Huan felt he had made himself crystal clear. Seizing the moment, he handed over his hospital discharge summary. Xia Li glanced at it and smiled. "Head still hurts?" Ye Huan nodded dutifully. "Remember what happened last night?" Xia Li asked again. Ye Huan shook his head emphatically. —He truly had no memory of it; that much was genuine. "Seems like quite a severe concussion..." Xia Li murmured under her breath, setting the document on her desk. The office fell silent. Ye Huan weighed his thoughts and refrained from speaking further. —As a newcomer, he could hardly make a formal plea to Xia Li. A trainee who had just joined the bureau making operational requests to the General Affairs director? Completely improper. Bribery was even less realistic. He had no idea what kind of person she was, and this was their first real interaction; clumsy bribery would only backfire. Dropping that hint and presenting an authentic discharge summary, however, was above reproach. —After all, his predecessor truly had perished at that mutated martial artist's hands! Thus, his remarks could only be seen as an adolescent's genuine emotional reaction. Entirely pardonable. No one could fault him for it. Physically, his injuries were indeed unhealed, and his memory had genuine gaps. None of that could be faked. The wall clock in the office ticked out the seconds. Time felt agonizingly stretched. Xia Li turned around, her fingers flying across her keyboard. She simply left Ye Huan standing there while she tended to her work. Ye Huan kept quiet, standing in place without a word. A few moments later. Xia Li suddenly turned, glared at him with her fine eyes, and barked loudly: "What is wrong with you? Can't even handle a simple thing like this?" Her voice was booming, carrying clearly out into the hallway. "What? What happened, Sister Li?" Ye Huan looked utterly bewildered. The printer stirred to life. A document quickly rolled out. Xia Li swiftly grabbed a dossier envelope, pulled out one sheet and hid it inside her drawer, then shoved the freshly printed document into the envelope. She sealed the dossier in a flash and flung it outward— The envelope flew out the doorway, smacked against the corridor wall opposite, and dropped to the floor with a sharp slap. Along the hallway. The doors to other offices opened a crack. Xia Li slapped her desk, her tone dripping with irritation. "Your domicile registration form is printed all wrong—a full half-page of errors!" "If a personnel file like this got into the bureau's records, I'd become the laughingstock of the place!" "You'd better go run this errand yourself!" "Huh? What do I need to do?" Ye Huan raised his voice as well, lacing it with a hint of trepidation. "Head back to the mining company and have them draw up a proper domicile registration form, put it in the dossier, and bring it back to me!" Xia Li's clear, resonant voice carried directly into the corridor outside, ensuring every office heard her loud and clear. —Understood! Ye Huan's mind cleared instantly. The mining company headquarters was clear on the other side of the city; getting there from the bureau would take quite some time. Once there, he would have to pull his identity records, obtain certifications, verify the details, reprint the papers, track down a supervisor for a signature, and visit their office for an official seal. —Running administrative errands was a tedious ordeal. By the time he finished this run, the day would be practically over. He might not even finish it this afternoon! Which meant... He would neatly miss today's mission, spared from accompanying Investigation Section One on the escort of that mutated martial artist! And best of all, everything complied strictly with procedure—no one could find fault. —Deflecting a thousand catties with four ounces of force! Ye Huan opened his mouth and silently mouthed, "Thank you." Xia Li gave him a quick wink and jerked her chin toward the door, signaling him to hurry along. She looked entirely relaxed, amusement dancing in her eyes. The hallway outside remained dead silent. The General Affairs director had blown her top; no one wanted to step out and invite her wrath. Ye Huan nodded to Xia Li once more, then turned and left. Of course. To this office director, it had cost nothing more than lifting a finger. Perhaps she viewed it as a modest favor, or a small token of reciprocity. Yet it had saved Ye Huan from a life-or-death crisis. Ye Huan walked out, retrieved the dossier from the floor, and put on a dejected front, though his pace grew faster with every stride as he strode briskly out of the Bureau of Investigation. The moment he stepped past the bureau gates, a line of information surfaced in his mind: *You were one step away from death, but by forging a relationship with an influential figure, you extracted yourself from the vortex of death.* *Evaluation +1.* *Rewards will be enhanced based on your evaluation during tomorrow's settlement.* Survived! Ye Huan's eyes flashed before instantly returning to normal. Wearing a faint look of frustration, he sighed as he looked down at the dossier in his hands, shook his head, and crossed the street. He was on his way. ... A few minutes later. General Affairs Office, Bureau of Investigation. Xia Li's hands flew across her keyboard as she drafted a document. The captain of Investigation Section One walked in, accompanied by two of his men. "Director Xia, is there a problem with my new recruit?" the captain asked with a smile. "Let me tell you," Xia Li said testily, "the way that mining company handles business is thoroughly amateurish." "The mining company's at fault?" the captain asked curiously. "The personnel file they sent over was full of misprints. Tell me, who does paperwork like that?" Xia Li complained. The captain did not reply. Still typing away, Xia Li continued, "If the file has errors and we accept it as is, that's a serious breach." "If inspectors come down from above and catch it, both you and I will take the heat." Meeting the three men's gazes, Xia Li turned solemn, her tone chilly. "Worse still, it would signal one thing—that our bureau's personnel management is on the same abysmal level as that mining company's." "I refuse to lose face over something like that." The three fell silent. The matter wasn't catastrophic. Yet taking flak over a sloppy personnel file was indeed not worth the trouble. Therefore— The office director had discovered a flaw in a newcomer's paperwork, refused to accept it, and sent him back to rectify it. From an administrative standpoint, she was entirely in the right. "I was thinking of taking him along on our afternoon assignment, but it seems that won't work out," the captain said, his gaze calm and tone mild. "Tomorrow, then. It's not like he can run off—personnel files are a serious matter directly tied to our bureau's dignity. We can't afford mistakes," Xia Li huffed. No concession. And... Judging by her demeanor, she was clearly in a foul mood. Was it worth provoking the office director over such a minor matter and making her feel challenged? Besides, she was ostensibly upholding proper administrative procedure. A smile returned to the captain's face, and he nodded. "You're right. That makes good sense."