Chapter 53: The Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs (Comic Story)
In the comic, Yanju, who had been strategizing and planning everything, had an alarmingly pale face. She gripped the medicine bottle tightly, perhaps because of the pain, or perhaps because she was all alone, which made her appear unusually weak.
After drinking the potion, Yan Ju closed his eyes slightly and frowned. A drop or two of liquid remained rolled at the bottom of the empty bottle, glistening in the sunlight like shattered gold reflecting light.
【What the heck is wrong with my wife?! ...
[Is Director Yan alright? He seems so weak.]
[What did my wife drink? She was perfectly fine just now.]
Hey jerk, listen up! I'm spending money to see my wife's beauty, not to get ripped off.
Don't kill my wife! Don't kill my wife! Don't kill my wife!
Yanju stood there for a while, then finally gripped the empty medicine bottle and walked out.
Right after she left, a note floated down from the shelf and landed on the ground empty.
Life-restoring medicine.
I have a bad idea...
[Me too, Director Yan didn't drink the Life Repair Potion to repair the world barrier, did he? Waaaaaah!]
[The power of words is indeed too overpowered; it would be more reasonable to pay an equal price for it to be effective.]
[But the price I paid was my wife's life... No wonder she hesitated for so long when she heard that setting up the formation would take at least five hours.]
[Knowing it would cost him his life, he still used the Word of Power. Director Yan must be worried that the delay in repairs will affect the surface world, sob sob]
Yan Shi: ...
Is this how things are going to develop...?
Wasn't she drinking cold medicine on the swing downstairs...?
What is the Life Repair Potion? And there's even a note attached to it. How come she didn't see it?
Moreover, she didn't hesitate at all; she couldn't understand anything, a silence born of illiteracy from the other world.
Yan Shi read those two pages again.
In this page of the comic, Yanju appears unusually weak, yet this does not diminish her mysterious power. On the contrary, the preceding events only add to her mystique.
She would have believed it if Yan Shi hadn't been the person involved.
After Yanju leaves the room where the medicine was kept, the next scene in the comic is a completely black panel. Dark blood slowly drips from the top of the page.
Below it was a line of large, equally blood-red characters: “Summer has arrived again.”
Then came the gray sky, with dark clouds pressing down on the ruins, as if another storm was about to descend.
The streets were littered with torn corpses and limbs, the blood long since congealed and seeping into the ground. Broken shields and shattered weapons were stuck in the bricks, a testament to what was once a bustling, if not prosperous, city-state.
The clock tower is now only half standing. The massive pendulum has broken off and crashed to the ground, creating a deep crater. Stones are scattered all around, and the spire of the clock tower is embedded in a collapsed building in the distance, like a giant tombstone.
The central fountain had long since dried up, and the statue lay on the ground with half a knife stuck in it.
A leopard cub struggled to crawl out from under the corpse of its elder and sat blankly on the ruins, staring at the broken statue.
"There's a surviving cub!" a shout came from afar, and then a woman in a Bureau of Eccentricities uniform flew over and carefully picked up the leopard cub from beside the corpse.
The cub was tucked into a warm towel and, after a moment of dazed contemplation, slowly came to its senses. Tears first rolled down its cheeks, and then it burst into loud sobs.
The Cero City Bureau of the ...
The biggest difficulty, besides the search and rescue operation, is the lack of money.
“Master Meng,” the woman who had been holding the leopard cub stood outside the temporary shelter, staring blankly at the dilapidated building, “the special grant hasn’t arrived yet.”
“These cubs may not have food tomorrow after they finish eating today. They need warm blankets, clean medicine, and shelter from the wind, but our Cerro City branch can’t provide any of these.”
"The battle report was submitted to the headquarters a long time ago, and the system shows that the funds have been allocated, but where is the money?"
The woman slowly squatted down on the ground, leaning against the outer fabric of the makeshift shelter. "I'm so useless. I'm definitely the most incompetent leader in the history of the Cero City branch."
"How could that be! You've already done your best. I've sold all the alchemical products this year, and the money should arrive in a couple of days. Then I'll have the money." Surprisingly, the person speaking on the other end of the phone was a baby-faced boy.
The girl had a buzz cut, and every aspect of her appearance exuded a fierce and unruly air, yet it was still clear that she was quite young.
[What's going on? Why did Yanju's biography switch to the battlefield?]
[Show me my wife! How is she? Is the life-restoring potion working?! I see her constantly straining her throat; could it be from the Word of Power?]
[I haven't even explained my wife's situation yet! You old thief, come out here, I promise I won't kill you (smile)]
[This battlefield looks so intense, but the Special Funding from the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs hasn't arrived yet, what's going on?]
[Trying to understand, is it war funding that's encountered some problems midway through?]
What does "selling alchemical products" mean?
Yan Shi's heart sank as he looked at the battlefield in the comic.
She had only learned about the summer conflict from the financial department's estimated war reports, and knew that the casualties were heavy, but she had never experienced such a direct and visually shocking event.
Vast stretches of wreckage, ruins, and blood everywhere.
There were also cubs crying in sorrow.
For comic book readers, this scene might just be a fancy panel for showcasing comic book techniques.
But for her, this was reality, the tragic situation that was actually happening within her jurisdiction.
The records of influence that Meng Shi sent her may only be the tip of the iceberg.
Yan Shi sighed. Just as Master Meng had said, things would get better in the future.
She took a closer look at Meng Shi in the comic, and he was very different from what she had imagined; he looked so young.
Looking at Meng Shi's baby face, Yan Shi suddenly understood why Duan Yunchen and Meng Shi seemed to have a pretty good personal relationship.
Perhaps it's because both of them look quite young.
In the comic, after hanging up the phone, Meng Shi's face suddenly darkened, and he looked at his phone for a while before answering a new call.
There was silence on both ends of the phone call.
Then the scene cuts off, and on the other side is Director Yan.
Yan Ju's expression was unusually solemn. Several reports were laid out on the table, the top one being the previously mentioned, the estimated battle report.
It's my wife!! She seems to be in a bad mood.
"Interested in making a deal with the Bureau of Extraordinary Management?" Director Yan asked, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table.
Meng Shi sneered: "What deal? Are you referring to the Bureau of Alien Affairs refusing to provide any special funding after the Free Alliance helped the orphans of the Giant Jaw Plain out of kindness, and instead coercing us to exchange alchemical products for money to help them?"
Director Yan's expression darkened further, and a rare hint of anger appeared between his brows. "The General Administration has never shortchanged us on special funding in any year. Including the year we built the long-distance teleportation array."
【!! I understand. Director Yan approved the money for the branch office, but it was all embezzled through layers of bureaucracy, so the branch office didn't receive a single penny. Then, Master Meng is a third party who, out of compassion, is selling alchemical products to support the cubs.】
[This is outrageous! How many people in the Bureau of Extraordinary Management are embezzling? It doesn't seem like a legitimate organization at all. I see Director Yan is usually quite busy with official duties.]
[This must have happened a long time ago, before my wife took office. My wife hadn't been in office for very long.]
Let's see how Director Yan handles this first. This painting is in Director Yan's biography, so it's probably quite important.
After exchanging a few more words, Director Yan hung up the phone. Her usual expression was cold and distant. Now, with her eyebrows lowered, her sharpness was amplified.
She stood up slowly, put on her coat, and buttoned it up. She stretched her wrists and walked out of the office.
A storm is brewing.
[My god, my wife is so intimidating. She's like a thug in a suit, is this something I can just say?]
[Are you going to beat up that corrupt branch office manager I mentioned earlier? (starry-eyed with anticipation) I've never seen my wife fight before.]
I've never seen that before. Usually, the opponent is already on the ground before the wife even makes a move.
Kirina meticulously depicted the events that had just occurred this afternoon in various panels of her manga.
Yan Lan had previously torn open the world barrier to reach the Cero City branch prison. This time, Director Yan was doing the same thing, but he seemed to do it more casually and effortlessly.
"God said, go to Lingkong City." As soon as Yan Ju finished speaking, a gash was torn open in front of him.
[Yan Lan really did borrow Yan Ju's spell, didn't she? Yan Ju's ability is the power of words, but there seems to be a difference between a spell and an ability.]
Is Director Yan really that indulgent towards his younger sister? She's always at his beck and call.
[Judging from the inner thoughts of the execution team, tearing apart the world barrier is almost impossible. Suddenly realizing Director Yan's extraordinary abilities.]
This scene has many large-scale scenes and shots.
The next episode is about Lingkong City.
The ancient building is towering and magnificent, its roof covered with shimmering obsidian tiles. Huge stone pillars support the soaring dome, each carved with ancient totems.
The buildings were all spaced a certain distance apart. Even though Yan Ju was already quite tall, he still looked tiny standing in front of the gate.
The enforcement team that came with her stood not far behind her.
Putting everything else aside, the old thief's scene drawing is really good. There are already so many different cities in the alternate world.
Moreover, the large-scale scenes are incredibly detailed; even passersby have faces and are depicted in various poses. The building materials also appear to be different.
[This old thief's drawing skills are amazing; it would be perfect if she didn't kill off my wife.]
Director Yan looked up at the plaque at the entrance.
[Different Management Bureau]
Suddenly, Director Yan laughed.
Yanju had a pair of very beautiful peach blossom eyes. They always made her look solemn, but now, with a smile, the corners of her eyes turned up, carrying a strange mockery and arrogance. In just an instant, the smile vanished.
She reached out, then turned her palm down and pressed it gently.
The blazing sun, which had just been high in the sky, seemed to be pressed down by this hand, and then quickly fell towards the branch office of the Foreign Affairs Bureau in front of Yanju.
The afterglow of the blazing sun gradually touched her eyebrows, eyes, and hair, but her eyes remained devoid of warmth, unfathomable.
It's the scene from the cover art.
[Oh my god!!! I'm speechless!!! Director Yan is so handsome!!!]
[To raise a hand and suppress the scorching sun—is this a power even a human can achieve?]
That laugh just now! Oh my god, it was so amazing, I want to kneel down and beg my wife for it!
Is this absolute power? Forget about corruption, all sorts of affairs, he just physically gets rid of his wife.
As the blazing sun suddenly disappeared, the Lingkong City branch was completely absorbed by it, leaving not even ashes behind.
The once towering and magnificent building is now just flat ground.
Standing before the now-flattened branch office, Director Yan remained unhurried, taking out his phone from his coat pocket and snapping a picture of the flat ground.
[Yanju, you're so mean, hahaha!]
[Gu Feng in the background seemed stunned. First, he razed the branch office to the ground, then posted it on the homepage of the Bureau of Extraordinary Management's intranet. Was this a case of making an example of someone?]
How could Gu Feng maintain such a completely unchanged expression? I almost thought it was standard procedure at headquarters, until I saw that the faces of the members of the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs behind her were all contorted.
No, this should be Yan Ju's basic procedure. That's why Gu Feng is the captain and the others are team members.
Soon after Yan Ju finished taking the photos, people from some prominent families in Lingkong City arrived with a large medical team.
This contrasts sharply with the situation on the Giant Jaw Plain, where injured cubs had to share a single packet of medicine among many of them.
Yanju's expression grew increasingly cold and stern, reaching its peak when Mingsong questioned her.
Ming Song: "Director Yan, this is how the world is. You should know that the strong decide everything."
"Does the strong decide everything?" Yan Ju said. "Then I decide to protect them as the strong."
Her brows and eyes were heavy, and just her standing there alone seemed to represent the entire Bureau of Evil Affairs.
The true significance of the establishment of the Bureau of Dissidents.
"All living beings are born equal. We should not define everything by talent."
Author's Note: This is a small extra chapter; today's chapter is 500 words more than the standard 3,000 words (feeling a bit guilty).
I'll try to add another chapter tomorrow.
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 00:01:02 and 23:59:42 on July 11, 2024!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: I, He Aotian, swear to protect Qin's BE (bad ending) to the death;
Thank you to the little angels who irrigated the nutrient solution: 77 bottles of the same name; 42 bottles of 69062740; 30 bottles of Bububububu; 20 bottles of Wangjunbeixing and Yaoyao's Little Wine Pot; 10 bottles of Wohangnengshui, Guguangzizhao, Xian, and Qingfengxiliren; 7 bottles of Wuxianyu; 5 bottles of Renjianshige, Mianhuabushitang, Yuan, Woheaotianshishishouhuqinbe, and Dianvhua; 2 bottles of 73148446 and °baijia-; 2 bottles of 72234433, Lanjunqishicaise, Shanganjinli, Yuan Yiqi's Little Wife, Qiannian, Liaoguo's Wangxun, Dongjiu, 52909358, Huangmiao, Xiaotaiyang, Chouchangmuyanchui, Tiaoti de Lizhi, Yanyantietie, Yuluo, Dajudali, Yiyun, and Yubanmo.
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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