Chapter 33 He Zhao's voice was very soft, but occasionally he would speak a little louder when talking to people, this...

He Zhao's voice was very soft. Occasionally, he would speak a little louder when talking to others, but none of this bothered Qiao Yanyu. To Qiao Yanyu, those sounds were more like a lullaby.

Sometimes her eyebrows would furrow involuntarily, and some of her more outgoing colleagues would tell Qiao Yanyu that she looked somewhat fierce at these times. Coupled with her solitary nature, the younger members of the Paranormal Investigation Bureau always felt that she was not easy to talk to.

Qiao Yanyu couldn't change it, because she didn't even know if she would furrow her brows. She also didn't know that at this moment, her eyebrows, eyes, and body were all relaxed, even her shoulders were slumped, clearly indicating that she was sleeping soundly.

He Zhao lowered his voice, only exchanging a few words with the customer, and then asked them to keep their voices down as well.

Her extra-spicy white rice also sold out completely. There were always some fearless and skeptical people who insisted on trying it out. Just as they were about to start wailing at the top of their lungs, He Zhao interrupted them: "Go cry somewhere else, why are you making a scene here? If you dare to make a sound, don't come to my stall again. I won't serve you."

"..."

Ghosts sometimes doubt whether what's in front of them is a human or whether they themselves are ghosts. But since He Zhao has done this, if they still want to eat the dead, they'll have to obediently listen to him.

He Zhao didn't even need a system; he had already mastered the blacklist intimidation technique on his own.

Waiting for the sunrise, He Zhao woke Qiao Yanyu up, and then the two prepared to leave. He Zhao turned off the heater, tucked it back into the attic, and shivered from the cold. The air was exceptionally cold in the early morning, especially after removing the heater.

She had this feeling yesterday, but it felt even colder this morning.

Qiao Yanyu reminded her, "Wear more clothes. The temperature is getting lower every day. You stayed up all night and still have to ride your bike back. Drive slowly and don't let the wind blow on you, or you'll catch a cold."

"And you're one to talk, Sister Qiao. Your motorcycle is definitely faster than mine, so you should be careful too."

"good."

The two then parted ways and went home.

Qiao Yanyu returned home but didn't rest. After washing up, she sat in her study wearing only light clothing and started writing a report on her computer. Halfway through, she thought it was hot and went to the refrigerator to get a bottle of mineral water.

At that moment, she couldn't help but wonder: Is He Zhao's small rented room, which has no central air conditioning or underfloor heating, quite cold?

For a fleeting moment, she even had a slight urge to have He Zhao stay at her place. Qiao Yanyu lived in a large, single-level apartment that she had bought herself. The rooms were plentiful but empty. She had furnished the guest room, but no one had ever stayed there. It inevitably felt a bit lonely with only herself in it.

But she quickly dismissed the thought, telling herself that He Zhao was just a target of her mission, and the two of them shouldn't have any more private contact.

Moreover, she is an investigator, someone who always puts her life on the line. She has too much contact with He Zhao, and if she were to die in the line of duty one day, He Zhao would be very sad.

Not wanting to hurt He Zhao's feelings, she simply decided not to build a closer relationship with him.

Qiao Yanyu was unaware that she was actually running away from something out of fear.

After grabbing a bottle of mineral water, Qiao Yanyu returned to her desk to continue writing her report. Reports were a real headache for her; she'd rather battle a giant monster than write one. Just as she was finishing, she received a call from the bureau chief, asking her to come to the bureau.

Qiao Yanyu replied that she had sent the report to her own phone and the director's email, changed her clothes, and went to the Municipal Countermeasures Bureau.

The bureau chief had been waiting for her for quite some time. Seeing her arrive, he gestured for her to sit down. Qiao Yanyu sat opposite the bureau chief and heard him begin to speak. The first thing they discussed was He Zhao's matter.

"You've been in contact with He Zhao for about a week now. What do you think of He Zhao?"

Qiao Yanyu nodded and began to describe He Zhao. The director initially listened attentively, but the more she listened, the more something seemed amiss. She interrupted Qiao Yanyu: "Investigator Qiao, what I want to hear isn't about her personality or how she conducts herself. What I want to know is whether you think she lied about being a visitor from another world, what kind of assessment can be made about her stall, and whether she poses any danger to ordinary citizens?"

The director's words were somewhat offensive, causing Qiao Yanyu to unconsciously furrow her brows. However, considering that this was the director's job, she thought for a moment and then began to answer: "Regarding He Zhao's identity as a visitor from another world, I believe the director has also conducted some investigations and should have reached a conclusion. From what I and He Zhao have deciphered, she is definitely not lying on this point."

"And her food cart is indeed unusual. She can use high-powered appliances all night long, far exceeding the battery capacity of an electric scooter. And many ghosts come to her food cart, and they don't seem to be affected by the concept of earthbound spirits, which is really unusual."

"As for whether it is harmful or not..."

Qiao Yanyu took a deep breath, met the director's gaze, and said with a very serious and solemn look: "I don't think He Zhao will pose any threat to the citizens. On the contrary, He Zhao herself is just an ordinary person. She was just innocently caught up in the abnormal event. In the end, she is also an ordinary citizen that we should protect."

The director nodded: "Investigator Qiao, I hope you can calm down. I already know that He Zhao has left a good impression on you. I'm asking these questions just to be on official business."

Qiao Yanyu already knew what the director was saying, so she listened attentively. However, what the director said next was something she couldn't accept. The director succinctly told Qiao Yanyu that she had an overseas assignment that required her to go on a business trip for five days, and during this time, another investigator would take over her job of protecting He Zhao.

Hearing these words, Qiao Yanyu couldn't help but get agitated: "He Zhao is already used to me being by her side. It would be a bit much to ask her to accept another investigator so abruptly, especially for an ordinary person who has just come to this world." She even analyzed He Zhao's mindset: "She is dependent on me, which is also related to the fact that I am the first official she has come into contact with. She has a bit of a 'young bird' complex towards me. Our relationship has just started to improve. If I leave like this, it will greatly reduce He Zhao's trust in me."

The director wasn't unaware of these things, and she pointed out the crux of the problem: "But this mission is more suitable for you, otherwise I wouldn't have assigned it to you. Furthermore, I investigated He Zhao's social situation in our world, and her social circle is too narrow. Although she has a relatively harmonious relationship with the shop owners near her rented apartment, it's mostly out of self-interest. She's much more genuine with you."

"Besides, not only is she dependent on you now, but you're also letting her become dependent on you, which isn't a good thing for her. Strengthening her social connections with the world is also very important. Furthermore, you've been at her stall for so many days, and the customers coming and going around her aren't actually that dangerous. Having an excellent Level 1 investigator like you following her is a waste of your abilities."

Qiao Yanyu wanted to argue; she didn't think it was a waste of her time to protect He Zhao and be her bodyguard. But the director said, "Of course, you can refuse my assignment, and I'll find another investigator to take over. But I still hope you can calm down. Qiao Yanyu, I remember you're a loner, but in just a few days, you've developed an unusual concern for He Zhao. I hope you can use these few days on assignment to calm down and cool your head."

Qiao Yanyu pursed her lips and simply said, "I'll think about it some more."

She admitted that the bureau chief had a point, but she still didn't trust anyone else to protect He Zhao. In Qiao Yanyu's eyes, He Zhao was a girl who was somewhat clever but also easily trusted others. On their second meeting, she was able to cling to her leg and reveal that she was from another world and possessed a system.

During his time with Qiao Yanyu, he would also sell the system directly and tell her everything.

He Zhao is far too easily deceived. She wasn't speaking ill of the investigators in general, but the investigators within the Paranormal Investigation Bureau are truly a mixed bag. As mentioned before, there are very few truly unproductive investigators like Qiao Yanyu; most investigators don't get much work done in a month because that's how they were treated before they were formally recruited.

They might not make any business for six months, but once they do, they'll be eating for six months straight. Who wouldn't prepare lavish gifts when hiring a master? Some of the investigators aren't exactly of good character either; they've even been known to have a history of raising ghost spirits for wealthy businessmen to bring them good luck.

The Paranormal Investigation Bureau only recruits investigators who haven't caused any harm or death, but that doesn't mean all investigators are good people. What if... what if the investigator reassigned by the director is someone with malicious intentions?

The mere thought of this possibility made Qiao Yanyu feel like an ant on a hot pan, extremely anxious.

But the director was right; Qiao Yanyu had also realized to some extent that she and He Zhao were getting too close. When she was at home, she had thought that she absolutely couldn't get that close to He Zhao. Everyone dies eventually, and Qiao Yanyu didn't think she would have a peaceful end. Someone in this line of work, with such a strong sense of justice, would one day die fighting against the great demon.

Don't form too deep a connection with people, so that when you die, He Zhao won't be too sad.

She sighed, still thinking about the matter as she left the director's office. She was actually somewhat wavering; otherwise, she wouldn't have replied that she needed to consider it after the director finished speaking. Given her dedication to her work, she should have either refused outright or accepted.

She refused because she was responsible for He Zhao's safety, and she wouldn't accept a new job until the current one was finished; she accepted because she also valued the new job very much. Only a Level 1 investigator could handle a job that was directly assigned to her, and she would never refuse such a job under normal circumstances, especially when it was clear that someone would take over her current job.

Qiao Yanyu surely knew the priorities.

But now, faced with this assignment, Qiao Yanyu is at a loss.