31 Chapter 31 (Two in One)
◎I've taken away the trash for you, no need to thank me◎
Old Li nodded. "The [Waving Shadow Puppet] has been packaged and will be given to her later. Finance is calculating available funds. The survivor who came out with Xiaobai is suspected to have experienced other strange events with Ye Ping'an before, but has concealed many details. Once the information is compiled, we'll distribute the bonuses together."
"That classmate Xiao Xia? As long as the result is good, there's no need to delve into it."
The two of them discussed the arrangements in a low voice, and the sounds from outside the wall were completely blocked. The young woman sitting in the inquiry room under the light had bright eyes and a sincere smile.
Whether it was the polygraph or her body movements, it could be seen that she cooperated quite well with the work inquiries and had no resistance or concealment at all.
…sometimes my eyes would wander around, and I was quite concerned about whether there would be a reward for reporting clues.
Her thoughts were clear at a glance; her only concern was making money and running the store well.
If you have never been to a ghost cave, anyone who sees him will know that he is just an ordinary good citizen.
There were several strange files lined up in Lao Li's hands. They were all strange things that had recently appeared in Jiang City and whose whereabouts were unknown.
"Unless she got this strange object from somewhere else, she must have gotten the [Life-Buying Money]. She used this as a bargain to temporarily avoid other strange attacks, so she didn't feel like she was under any strange attack. Now that I think about it, when we were tracking the [Sleeping Paralysis] case, Boss Ye asked me if I wanted the money. Maybe that was a hint at the strange object she found back then."
"Impossible. With her passion for making money, she can't resist the law of [Life-Buying Money]. She will be the first one to be killed."
Captain Hu shook his head and sighed, "My health is deteriorating, and my observation skills are getting worse. I didn't realize she was a ghost controler."
"We didn't notice it. It's not just the captain's fault. Maybe it's a special weirdo."
Old Li pondered, "She's unwilling to mention the artifact, nor does she want to join the Investigation Bureau, just like many folk ghost tamers who accidentally obtain artifacts. Judging from its condition, the artifact shouldn't be too expensive, most likely an E-level artifact."
Captain Hu agreed, "If you don't know the specific cost of using the weird thing, try to avoid mentioning weird things in front of her to avoid the weird thing backlash.
"According to the archived records of E-level strange creature users, we will observe them for a period of time. If she doesn't want to join the Bureau, then let her go. We will gradually get to know her. As long as she doesn't break the law, she will eventually become one of us."
At the same time, another round of inquiries was also underway.
"...Yes, it was Boss Ye who discovered the spy camera. That's all I know."
Realizing that Ye Ping'an and the Investigation Bureau were not in the same group, Xia Zihan kept his mouth shut.
Boss Ye didn't admit there was a ghost, so there must be a reason. She survived by clinging to her thighs, so she had to know what to say and what not to say.
After filling out the questionnaire, Xia Zihan couldn't help but ask, "With so many strange things, it might be for our own good to keep the news secret. But does that mean ordinary people can only wait for death when they encounter a strange thing? Is there no way to kill them?"
She felt a little regretful after she said it, as her tone was too harsh, but after encountering so many strange things one after another, she couldn't suppress her fear.
Reserve investigator Yao Qing was assigned to take the statement. He looked at her calmly and said, "You are about the same age as my daughter. I understand how you feel."
Yao Qing raised his splinted arm. "A little over a week ago, I was rescued from a strange incident and received my daughter's ashes. Once I felt better, I decided to join the Bureau. When I was dying, I wondered why no one came to save us, why the authorities didn't care."
"You're in great shape. Just give your nod and you can join the reserve investigator training. You'll be considered half a member of our team, so there's no need to keep this information secret from you. It wasn't until I joined the Bureau that I realized they were in charge, but they just couldn't handle it all."
"Ever since the weirdness revived decades ago, weird forbidden areas have appeared one after another, and weird incidents have increased at an extremely fast rate.
There are already nearly 100,000 confirmed D-level paranormal phenomena worldwide, and the number of E-level paranormal phenomena has likely already exceeded one million. No one knows the exact number of paranormal phenomena, but the number of unnatural deaths and disappearances is increasing every year.
Jiang City is considered safe nearby. There are only two people who have the ability to directly deal with the strange power, and Bai Xian is just an auxiliary.
The city-level action team is standardly equipped with at least one D-level ghost control expert, but when dealing with strange incidents throughout the city, there is no spare capacity to take care of every aspect.
Xia Zihan shuddered at the thought of what the huge disparity in numbers meant.
Yao Qing: "To avoid panic, the news is generally kept secret. But for those who encounter strange things, there are actually ways to seek help."
"What?"
"Call the police."
"?"
Yao Qing confirmed, "Yes, that's the one you know about calling the police. The information department has three main areas of focus when investigating strange incidents: one is connecting with the police, the other is connecting with online public opinion. The last one, you've actually already come across."
"Officials can't promote spooky things on a large scale, but they also have to be wary of those cult organizations spreading nonsense and deceiving people. Those with limited knowledge or who have encountered ghosts actively search for information and will find a horror story page full of real-life spooky things or creatures. If they frequently read it within a short period of time, a helpline will pop up in the "Contact Us" section, and the Bureau of Investigation will dispatch investigators to investigate."
Xia Zihan was surprised, "So that website belongs to the Investigation Bureau!"
She was able to survive the ghost car thanks to Boss Ye, but those horror stories that followed certain patterns also taught her a lot.
Xia Zihan asked hesitantly, "So, the weirdness really can't be killed? Doesn't that mean there will be more and more ghosts and fewer and fewer people? Even the Investigation Bureau can only use weird things. Sooner or later, they will all..." They will all become ghosts...
Just like what Bai Xuan said when she collapsed: The myth of gods is dead.
The world is dying.
Xia Zihan couldn't help but feel despair after only catching a glimpse of the cruel truth of the world.
These people in the Investigation Bureau seem to be normal.
"Negative emotions like hatred, pain, despair, and fear always last longer and appear more easily than positive emotions like happiness and joy. We can only rely on willpower and our positive emotions to persevere while being devoured by the monsters, to confirm that we are still human beings and continue to fight against the weirdness."
Yao Qing smiled. "But at least there's still some power, right? Scientists have even discovered that the entropy of the universe is increasing, and it's bound to be destroyed in the end. We can't just act like the world is ending tomorrow and give up."
The middle-aged woman subconsciously fumbled for the photo of her daughter on her phone screen. "We can't change the world. But at least, if we hold on for just one more day, children like Nannan's age can live a little longer."
"Your daughter must be a very good person." Xia Zihan quietly wiped the corners of her eyes. "Sister Yao, did you just say 'reserve investigator training'?"
Yao Qing came back to his senses. "Yes, you can become a reserve investigator by passing the training assessment. A small number of people participating in the training are talents selected from within the system, and the majority are survivors of strange events like you and me.
Surviving proves that you can resist the influence of strange auras and will not go crazy or collapse in strange events.
Medical assistance for survivors is provided by the government. Those willing to join the Investigation Bureau will receive generous benefits. Passing the reserve assessment will allow you to be employed by the Bureau, earning 8,000 yuan per month, including five insurances and one housing fund, and field allowances are calculated separately."
Xia Zihan was dumbfounded, "Is there a plan already?!"
During graduation season, she struggled to find a job, but all she could find was a slave or a slacker. The one that matched her major would pay 3,000 yuan, and if she asked any more, she'd be told she didn't want to do the job because there were plenty of other people doing it.
I worked part-time here and there to make money, and now my iron rice bowl is falling on my head!
You don’t even need to take the civil service exam. Is there such a good thing?
Xia Zihan couldn't wait to ask, "How do you calculate the process of becoming a regular employee?"
Yao Qing didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "To become a regular investigator, you need to survive three strange incidents and pass the mental scale. The minimum monthly salary for a regular investigator is 15,000 yuan."
"Done!" Xia Zihan said firmly, then asked a little embarrassedly, "Sister Yao, you passed the exam so quickly, you're amazing. Can I borrow your notes to study? And about the Ghost Bender, can you tell me more about what a Ghost Bender is?"
Xia Zihan asked a lot of questions, and when he left, the excitement of hearing about the investigator's treatment had faded, leaving only full enthusiasm and worry about the Ghost Controller.
As soon as a B-level strangeness appeared, the entire investigation bureau was busy.
Xia Zihan, who decided to participate in the assessment, was also drafted into the army and followed Yao Qing, responsible for contacting and confirming the situation.
She looked around curiously, "Sister Yao, why are there so few men in the bureau? It seems like less than one-fifth of them are men?"
"Most of the investigators were survivors of strange events."
Yao Qing reminded her, but seeing she didn't react, he continued, "From a scientific perspective, men have weaker tolerance, endurance, and willpower. They're more likely to act impulsively and be affected by strange hallucinations. Fewer men survive, and even fewer become investigators."
Yao Qing pushed her along, "Be curious later. Let's go confirm this part of the work first, and I'll take you to get the training materials while we're at it."
After a busy day, Xia Zihan happened to see the investigator accompanying Ye Pingan out of the interrogation room. "Boss Ye! Are you okay?"
She looked at him carefully and secretly, but couldn't see how Boss Ye was similar to the description of the ghost controller she had just learned.
——Boss Ye must be the stronger Trickster! Sigh, I heard that the stronger the Trickster, the shorter his life span. I hope good people live longer.
Xia Zihan said excitedly, "I'm going to apply for a job here. Boss Ye, let's keep in touch in the future."
Being an investigator didn't prevent her from currying favor with others! Since Boss Ye was a folk ghost fighter, they complemented each other perfectly.
After not seeing each other for a while, he decided to go ashore? But what does it have to do with her?
Ye Pingan nodded casually, "Congratulations. You can come to my restaurant when you want to host a banquet."
Xia Zihan: ...
Boss Ye is always trying to solicit business, and he is very ambitious.
Walking through the hall of the Investigation Bureau, even the busiest people couldn't help but stop in front of the large display screen for a moment and talk about it.
"It's Consultant Tushan! He's already in the restricted area at the newly announced operation site!"
"The General Administration confirmed that the [Hundred Eyes] was leaking from the Forbidden Zone. The True Spirit Society has truly gone insane! Not only did they sacrifice a B-level revival here, but they also reached Forbidden Zone 1. Fortunately, Advisor Tushan activated the Ghost Suppression Stele and suppressed the aura of Forbidden Zone 1 that was also moving at the same time."
"As expected of a top-tier demon controller, as long as we can hold on, we'll be able to stop them one day..."
Trickster? Forbidden Zone? What the hell?
Maybe it's the code name for the special operations of the police in this world?
Ye Ping'an passed by and glanced at the big screen.
I don’t know which temporary worker took this photo, but the picture is so blurry as if it were covered with eight hundred layers of gauze.
All you can see is that in front of a group of high-rise buildings that have mostly collapsed, the ruins are dazzlingly bright as if they don't have to pay electricity bills.
A thin, white-haired figure, much smaller than it, stood below, seemingly at eye level with it.
The blurry image quality does not affect his unique temperament overflowing the screen, like a cold and solid snow mountain, blocking the endless ruins.
Ye Ping'an suddenly realized.
I see, it’s police propaganda.
I guess the guy they chose was pretty handsome, and the filming turned out pretty good, no wonder everyone was so excited when they saw a blurry trailer.
The investigator who escorted Ye Ping'an out felt his scalp tighten, remembering the deputy captain's instructions. He casually shifted his position to block the screen, "Ms. Ye, this way."
The investigator breathed a sigh of relief after successfully escorting the person out.
Fortunately, he probably didn’t hear the previous discussions, so Ye Ping’an’s attention was not affected by words like “weird”.
She went back to the bureau, printed out an extra copy of the photo she had kept for the Ghost Controller, put it behind her phone case, and handed another copy to Yao Qing.
Xia Zihan spotted Ye Ping'an's photo with her sharp eyes and asked, "Sister Yao, what are you doing..."
"Hush." Yao Qing held her back and lowered his voice. "I've looked at the records. Boss Ye is either hiding her strength or has ridiculously good luck. The way this B-level incident ended was bizarre. And looking at her, I always feel like she's a nice person. Would you like to take a photo and try to improve your luck?"
Open the phone case and there is a thick layer on the back.
There are all kinds of things like amulets, small notes with the names of ancestors written on them, and paper cranes praying for daughters. It doesn't hurt to have a few trustworthy items.
Xia Zihan: ...I didn’t expect you to be such a Sister Yao.
"Yes!" Xia Zihan decisively took off the phone case to put the photos in.
No one here understands Boss Ye’s value better than her!
From the shady window on the first floor of the Investigation Bureau, Captain Hu watched Ye Ping'an drive away, then turned around and saw Lao Li coming back with a specially made box of strange things.
Captain Hu was puzzled. "The [Waving Shadow Puppet]'s transformation into a strange creature must be related to Ye Ping'an. Didn't we tell her that she deserved it?"
Old Li had a complicated expression: "I said it cryptically."
Captain Hu frowned. "Rejected? But how can you really not give it to me? You can't let people down."
Old Li wiped his face and said, "No. Ye Ping'an threw it into the trash can when he left..."
Hu Tu:?
-
At one o'clock in the afternoon, Ye Ping'an drove out of the downtown police station, which was already past the usual opening hours.
However, the police were very generous and gave compensation for lost work based on the average value of the entire day's business.
It is said that once the reporting clues are verified, a bonus of at least five figures will be paid out in a few days.
The police funds were probably used to pay bonuses and compensation. When Ye Ping'an left, he wanted to take the draft paper from the interrogation room, but failed.
Good guy, he said "You deserve it" and took the paper so quickly that he even forgot his small garbage bag on the table.
Ye Ping'an helped them throw it away.
After all, the Jiang City police have a lot of work to do, even having to shovel away junk cars and garbage on the road, so she just considered it a good deed and no need to thank them.
When I turned on my phone and started navigation, new messages kept popping up in the background.
The calls from the food delivery platform were all urging the store to open. Lao Liu didn't wait for her to pick up the delivery that morning, so he sent a message saying he had finished his inspection and would deliver the goods again that evening.
That's a good feeling.
Ye Ping'an changed his route and returned home with a cart full of shopping mall prizes.
There were already people squatting outside the Xile Restaurant. The students who had come to eat there looked resentful, their stomachs growling with anticipation. "Boss! When are we going to serve dinner? I thought opening at noon was our unwavering agreement, but it turned out to be a mistake."
Ye Ping'an touched his nose and said, "Something delayed me today. It will take a while to prepare the food. Would you like to try the freshly soaked radish?"
"Add one more!"
I bought some white radish in late spring and tried to soak a jar of it before. However, after using the seasoning from this world, the taste was still a bit lacking, so I ended up re-seasoning it and stewing it with pickled fish.
Kimchi is all about being refreshing, which is perfect for summer.
The newly soaked ones are red and white radishes. The thin strips of white radish are sandwiched between the round cherry-red radishes. It is a small piece. When you take a bite, it tastes sour and spicy, appetizing, crispy, and more fragrant than the old-fashioned snacks.
The investigator who quietly followed Ye Ping'an back to observe couldn't help swallowing.
Hmm... observing diners should be possible too?
As soon as the Xile Restaurant opened, more than a dozen people sat down.
The warm yellow light remained on until night, and a large truck drove towards the intersection.
When the car dealership owner, Old Liu, got out of his car, he noticed the shop had already hung a closing sign. He circled the van at the door and said, "Boss Ye, business is booming. You've taken such good care of your car. It's so shiny and looks newer the more you look at it."
Ye Pingan was confused. "Maintenance? Oh, maybe the municipal sprinkler truck has been passing by a lot recently, so it washed my car."
Old Liu gestured for the others to unload the goods, then turned and asked nervously, "You said this morning you were going to the newly opened mall? I heard there was an incident there, someone was murdered? You didn't run into it, did you?"
Speaking of shopping malls, Ye Ping'an's mouth corners quickly rose, "I don't know either. I didn't come across any, but I was lucky enough to win a car of prizes."
"...a car? A prize?"
What kind of luck is this!
Old Liu was silent for a moment, then changed the subject. "Last time I heard you say you had pickles for sale. Would you sell me a spoonful? After unloading the goods, Old Ji still has to drive the long-distance highway in Lin Province. He's too tired and has no appetite, but he can't skip meals often. Give him a bite of the bread and let him eat it on the way."
The middle-aged man unloading the goods behind Lao Liu was skinny, so thin that his cheeks were sunken, but he had a pot belly, and it was obvious that he had a physique caused by sitting frequently.
Old Ji shook his head dully, "I just need to go home early, my wife is waiting for me at home for dinner."
Old Liu glared at me. "It'll be tomorrow afternoon when you get home. How can you not eat? What if you get hungry on the way and something happens? How am I going to explain to my sister-in-law? Bring some bread with you, at least to fill your stomach! Just listen to me and fill him up with whatever you want."
Ye Ping'an thought for a moment, "I still have some use for the remaining Chinese toon sauce. Would you like salty or spicy food? I have shrimp paste and the newly made chili sauce for diced chicken, or some kimchi?"
The chicken she brought back had laid eggs for a few days, but every time she went to get it, the chicken would tremble and its wings would flare up, and it wouldn't grow any meat.
There is not much free-range chicken and the meat is firm. If it is any thinner, it will be inedible.
Ye Ping'an was kindhearted and stewed most of the chicken into chicken soup that day. He also took the chicken legs out of the pot and put them into a large bottle of sauce.
Old Liu waved his hand. "Shrimp paste is too expensive. Let's have chili sauce. It's satisfying and filling on the road."
A large glass bottle of meat sauce, with crispy peanuts and sesame seeds on the side dyed red with chili peppers, and piled high with large pieces of chicken.
When you unscrew the bottle, a fragrant and spicy smell hits you in the face, and the chili pepper can't block out the rich meaty aroma.
Old Liu smiled as soon as he saw it, "Boss Ye is really generous with the ingredients. This is the real diced chicken chili sauce. The others are just looking for diced chicken in the chili!"
After finishing the pancakes and unloading the drinks, Ye Ping'an checked the amount, paid the bill, saw off the last customer of the day, and went out to drive the van.
He went to the mall and bought a lot of things. When he returned, there were already customers waiting. Ye Ping'an only had time to pack up the bag of seasonings and frozen ingredients he bought and put away the gold. Most of the things were still in the car.
Ye Pingan took out a binder clip and clipped the remaining coupons and a few flyers together. As long as they were not expired, they could be used again next time he went to the supermarket. By then, the lottery machine should have been restocked with the new batch of prizes.
There were more than a dozen plush toys of various sizes piled up in the carriage, a pile of new mobile phones, headphones and IPADs were pressed under the dolls, and mixed with a bunch of cute doll key chains.
Ye Ping'an picked out an IPAD with the largest screen and hung it on the bathroom wall.
The smart mirror in the bathroom had a problem once, and now there is no place to repair it. It will be troublesome to replace the mirror later, so I simply don’t use it to watch videos.
There are many food documentaries and animations in this world that she has never seen. The mobile phone screen is a bit small for watching videos, but she can turn on the TV in the bedroom, and now she can continue to brush her teeth while washing up.
There was still a lot left. Ye Pingan took a photo and sent it to Xia Zihan. "I can't use up all these electronic products. Xiao Xia has a lot of part-time jobs, so I should be able to find someone to buy them back. If the price isn't good, just list them on the platform and sell them."
Only one person lived on the second floor. Half of it was a storage room, and the other half was her room and bathroom.
Everything he didn't need was stuffed into the storage room. Ye Pingan picked out the stuffed animals and unpacked his coat, then threw them into the washing machine. The food court wasn't adjacent to the residential complex, so washing clothes in the middle of the night wouldn't bother anyone else.
The car door opened again, and the shriveled eyeball squeezed in the corner of the seat turned a little, but before he could roll out, the door bounced back and closed.
A thin black mist rose around the eyeball, and the lines under the driver's seat twisted into a greedy look, secretly peeking into the black mist, but when it saw the eyeball and the half-open door, it shrank back in fear.
There was no movement in the van, as if the door had no other purpose.
The packed carriage gradually emptied, and the eyeball was forced to continue shrinking to the corner. It retracted the black mist, turned, and stared at the driver's seat.
After moving the things, Ye Ping'an was about to leave when he suddenly heard a slight collision sound under the driver's seat.
"...Could it be that a rat got in?"
The gap under the seat was small, making it difficult to inspect. Ye Pingan pulled up the adjustment lever and the driver's seat moved along the track.
No living creature came out.
Ye Ping'an felt a little relieved: there was no need to clean and disinfect the entire car.
It would be really disgusting if rat droppings got mixed into the truck transporting food.
The track beneath the driver's seat was exposed, and a faint, stick-drawn pattern remained on the floor between the tracks. A round, flat nightlight sat wedged against the edge of the pattern, as if stuck in the track.
"I almost forgot I pulled out this ugly thing. How did the lamp roll under the seat?"
I picked up the nightlight and moved the driver's seat back to its original position. The floor's ridges were once again hidden by the seat, and the shrunk ridges slowly unfurled.
Ye Ping'an went upstairs and stuffed the night light on the counter. Such an ugly night light couldn't be sold, so he used it as a fill light.
The door of the Xile Hotel was locked, and the van was parked quietly in the parking space, with black faintly crawling on the silver surface and in the windows.
All the dust that fell at night disappeared, and even the tires were brand new.
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