The Tan Family home.
With his parents returning from their business trip, Tan Linyan moved back to the old estate to stay with them.
While answering his parents’ caring questions in the living room, a clear voice suddenly rang in his ears.
“It seems I’m late.”
“Uncle Chiguang?” Tan Linyan turned his head in astonishment.
Earlier today, he had gone to Minister Xu to recruit Bian Ying into his team, only for the minister to tell him that she had failed to become a permanent employee.
The culprit behind this was the man standing right in front of him: his uncle, the Chief of the Wuhai City Deceit Investigation Bureau, Huo Chiguang.
“Why didn’t you let Bian Ying become a permanent employee?”
Bian Ying?
It was a girl’s name.
Mr.
and Mrs.
Tan exchanged a look, their eyes filled with excitement.
Their son had finally caught on to romance!
Ms.
Huo coughed lightly, shooting her younger brother a meaningful glance.
“Chiguang, what’s going on?”
“Lin Yan, you seem quite concerned about this junior of yours,” Huo Chiguang said with a smile, not answering his sister directly.
Tan Linyan frowned.
He had no intention of pulling strings for Bian Ying; she genuinely deserved the position.
“Uncle Chiguang, Bian Ying is very capable.”
“I know that, of course.” Huo Chiguang’s tone was laced with a smile.
“Almost completely unaffected by Deceit concentration, and able to keenly and accurately sniff out the rules within a Deceit Domain…
Such a talent is incredibly rare, even within the World Federation.”
Tan Linyan’s frown relaxed.
“Then why did you—”
“That is exactly why she cannot be made a permanent employee yet,” Huo Chiguang interrupted calmly.
“She is too special, Lin Yan.
Her uniqueness has even affected you…
I imagine that your ability to remain normal after this last mission was also thanks to her.”
Although phrased as a speculation, his tone was entirely certain.
Tan Linyan was startled.
“Uncle Chiguang…”
“The First Squad attracts too much attention.
If you don’t want your junior to be poached, her temp worker status is the best protective umbrella.” Huo Chiguang snorted softly.
He had a sharp eye and unusually keen intuition; otherwise, he wouldn’t have secured the Chief position at such a young age.
Tan Linyan gradually realized his intention and calmed down again.
If a human emerged who was nearly impervious to Deceit concentration, her existence would be broadcasted to the whole world, and she might even be sent to a research institute…
“I understand, Uncle Chiguang,” Tan Linyan said, pursing his lips in agreement.
Seeing this, Mr.
and Mrs.
Tan hurriedly asked about Bian Ying’s situation.
Invite her over for dinner when she’s free.”
“Mom…” Tan Linyan glanced at his mother, instantly knowing what she was scheming, and helplessly rejected the suggestion.
On Monday, Bian Ying showed up at her desk looking half-dead.
Her weekend had been nothing short of a harrowing ordeal.
While meticulously calculating how to survive half a month on two hundred and fifty yuan, she also had to exhaust herself stopping the Eight Evils from attempting various extreme acts, like robbing banks and assassinating leaders.
Bian Ying had just sat down when Zhou Haizhi appeared in front of her the very next second.
“Bian Ying, get ready for fieldwork.”
“…” Bian Ying stared at him with resentful eyes.
Zhou Haizhi coughed lightly.
“Don’t worry, there’s overtime pay, settled daily.”
“Settled daily?” Bian Ying was startled.
She had assumed she would have to suffer until the next month.
Was the Investigation Bureau always this generous?
“Overtime is always settled daily,” Zhou Haizhi confirmed with a nod.
“Additionally, because of your outstanding performance last time, I applied for a bonus from the higher-ups.
It should hit your account this week.”
Fieldwork for the Deceit Investigation Bureau was naturally related to Deceit.
The previous promotion event at Wuhai University had been the easiest possible task.
The vast majority of field missions were riddled with mortal danger—surviving to return was never guaranteed—so the Bureau wouldn’t skimp on these expenses.
There was a bonus too?
Bian Ying’s eyes lit up as she expectantly asked, “Mr.
Zhou, how much…
is this bonus?”
“Ten thousand.”
Ten thousand!!!
That was worth more than three months of her salary!
Who said fieldwork was bad?
She absolutely loved fieldwork!
WHOOSH!
Bian Ying sprang to her feet.
“There’s no time to lose.
Mr.
Zhou, let’s head out right now!”
“…Heh.” Zhou Haizhi already knew this subordinate of his was an unapologetic money-grubber.
He let out an exasperated scoff.
“Go to the Logistics Department to pick up your gear first.”
“Orders received!”
Bian Ying gleefully headed to the Logistics Department.
After verifying her identity, a colleague shoved a huge pile of items into her arms.
Bian Ying was dumbfounded.
Healing Spray, Purification Agent, a Deceit concentration detection wristband, a wireless communication headset, and…
an Energy Gun.
“Are you sure this isn’t a mistake?” She exchanged uncertain looks with the Logistics colleague.
Had the benefits for temp workers improved?
To put it bluntly, they were expendable fodder.
Faced with powerful Deceit, the Bureau needed a massive amount of manpower to probe the threats and gather intelligence.
Because of this, the pool of temp workers was exceptionally large and constantly being replenished.
A single Deceit outbreak would sacrifice many lives.
When going on fieldwork, they were usually issued a wireless headset and a bottle of Healing Spray at most.
Nothing more.
“No mistake.” The colleague shook his head.
“The Energy Gun was requested by Captain Tan of the Operations Department.
Use it with peace of mind.”
“…Alright, thank you.”
Hearing that Tan Linyan had requested it, Bian Ying accepted the gear.
Although the Energy Gun was compact, it was extremely effective—practically a one-hit kill against low-risk Deceit.
By the time Bian Ying returned with her supplies, Zhou Haizhi was already prepped.
She stared in silence at an electric scooter parked outside the Investigation Bureau building, where Zhou Haizhi sat waiting for her.
Last time she went on fieldwork, they had a minibus.
Had they been downgraded to an electric scooter this time?
“What are you spacing out for?
Get on, we need to go to New Moon Port.”
“…Riding a scooter to New Moon Port will take an hour, right?” Grumbling, Bian Ying resignedly climbed onto the backseat.
Zhou Haizhi handed her a helmet, chuckling.
“Don’t worry, my old buddy here might be getting on in years, but he’s no slouch when it comes to speed.” With that, he twisted the throttle and drove Bian Ying away from the Bureau.
On the way, Zhou Haizhi explained the details of their field mission.
New Moon Port was a harbor on the outskirts of the Upper City District.
Over a decade ago, it had been a glorious and bustling place, but its location was too close to the Lower District.
After several Deceit incidents erupted in the Lower District, the port was abandoned.
“Have you ever heard of the Deceit Net?”
“…The black market?” Bian Ying paused in surprise.
“Pretty much.
The crowd on the Deceit Net is complicated.
Many people secretly traffic Deceitful Devices, or even Deceit themselves.”
Deceitful Devices were items stripped from the bodies of Deceit.
They held immense value and were essentially priceless on the market.
After all, their utility was far too great.
Whether for studying Deceit or other purposes, they drove many people into a frenzy to obtain them.
Where there was a market, there were people willing to risk their lives.
The sudden and explosive rise of the Deceit Net only cemented this fact.
But the forces behind the Deceit Net were too massive and intricate—or perhaps its implications were too vast—so it had never been eradicated to this day.
More than twenty years after the descent of Deceit, many dissenting voices had already emerged within humanity.
The Deceit Investigation Bureau’s coverage was always limited; not all Deceit could be discovered and resolved by them.
Every place unreached by the light became a vassal of the dark.