Chapter 163: Life is Made Up of So Many Baffling Little Moments!

Chapter 163: Life is Made Up of So Many Baffling Little Moments!

After Chi Shen's departure, the agency looked as if it had been hit by a storm, leaving everything in disarray.

Thankfully, no one was injured. Chi Shen had warned everyone to stay back. Even though the morning's events were quite shocking and the damage extensive, it just seemed like a confusing show for the staff. The sacred space they had set up was reduced to ruins, looking more like a dump.

"What on earth was that?"

Even though Chi Shen had left some time ago, Uncle Ge couldn't help but voice his doubt.

Many had witnessed the scene in the ritual space earlier. Chi Shen was surrounded by a pitch-black fog. Soon after, a soft white light began to glow from its center. Everyone thought that Chi Shen was undergoing a purification, but the white hue quickly turned bloody. A bloody apparition then manifested in the center of the room.

It looked like a vision from hell.

Winding rivers of blood, a crimson sky, and countless screaming spirits seemed ready to break free from the illusion.

The sanguine apparition was not vast in scale, roughly the size of a door. From a distance, it might not be clearly visible, but Li Shuan and his group, who stood close by, saw every detail.

As the horde of ghosts surged forth, the blood-red vision vanished suddenly, dissipating without a trace as if it had never existed.

At that moment, Xiao Yuan cast a deliberate glance at Chi Shen and saw a calm demeanor on his face, as if lost in thought. Then Chi Shen looked up and smiled at them.

That smile, though brightened by the morning sun, sent chills down their spines. Everyone remained silent.

Chi Shen gestured to them, announcing he was off to work, and left.

"We're just letting him leave?" Xiao Yuan murmured to himself, his voice barely audible, as if he was questioning himself rather than others.

"Who would stop him? You? Dare you?" Someone retorted from nearby, their tone curt.

Xiao Yuan shot the person a glance and said nothing, walking away lost in thought.

By noon, the aftermath at the special security agency was tidied up. Those in the earlier meeting dispersed, each with their own intentions, either preparing a token for Chi Shen or aligning their families to acknowledge him as the acting clan leader.

Meanwhile, Li Shuan continued to preside over the agency. As the most senior member of the Hong City special security agency, it was his duty to command.

Making Chi Shen the acting head of the Li clan was straightforward for Li Shuan. After all, he was the clan leader. After several phone calls and discussions with his family, they decided to grant Chi Shen a titular role without any real power.

Once the discussions ended, a drained Li Shuan rubbed his temples, thinking of catching a quick nap in his office. Just then, his phone rang again.

With fatigue evident, Li Shuan answered, "The arrangements have been made. Given the current situation in Hong City, we need to heed his..."

There was no response from the other end, only eerie silence. Alerted, Li Shuan quickly checked the unfamiliar number displayed.

"Oh? Clan Leader Li, what are you orchestrating?" Recognizing Li Shuan's suspicion, the voice on the other end didn't wait for a reply but questioned directly.

"Bai Ximing." Li Shuan put the phone down and activated the recording feature, a habit he had picked up from the police.

A scoff came from the other side. "No matter what you're plotting, it won't work. You tried something this morning, didn't you? Of course, it failed. This is Hong City, Bai territory!"

Overwhelming fatigue prevented Li Shuan from probing deeper, yet instinctively, he asked, "What have you set up in Hong City?"

A chuckle was the response. "Regardless of our preparations, your actions today angered me. I'll present additional terms."

Li Shuan's voice grew icy. "What terms?"

"I want to test the sincerity of your special security agency. I demand you, along with Clan Leader Zhang, personally deliver Chi Shen to me."

Li Shuan paused momentarily, attentively listening for background noise on the line, but beyond the eerie cries of specters, there was no identifiable sound to hint at the caller's environment.

"What's the matter, unwilling?" Bai Ximing inquired from the other end.

"I need to consult with the Zhang family first," Li Shuan replied contemplatively.

"Ha, alright," Bai Ximing chuckled from the other side. "But know this: your hesitation will come at a price."

Sensing urgency, Li Shuan quickly interjected, "Wait—"

But the line had already gone dead.

Almost immediately, someone beside him announced, "We couldn't trace the call's origin."

This was a technician from the police, dispatched for support. As soon as Li Shuan received the call, they'd rushed over. Li Shuan's deliberate, measured responses were intended to buy them time to pinpoint Bai Ximing's exact location.

Hearing the technician's report, Li Shuan showed no surprise, waving his hand tiredly. "It likely wasn't a regular phone. A spectral call... What is he up to?"

——

Chi Shen felt he'd had a delightful day—a day off work meant pure leisure, and such days were always joyful.

This buoyant mood carried over to the next morning as he headed to the office.

The previous day, right before quitting time, Chi Shen had actually woken up from his nap. Though too lethargic to move, he'd briefly checked on Ji Xingchen's work progress, noting that all was in order. While Ji had merely revised Chi Shen's prior plans, his efficiency seemed remarkably higher.

Hence, Chi Shen was contemplating a proposal: having Ji work alternate days with him, splitting the salary based on hours worked. However, it was merely a thought—he hadn't voiced it out loud.

Once settled in his office, barely ten minutes after booting up his computer, Chi Shen couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. Dipping his hand into his own shadow, he whispered, "I wanted to discuss something with you. What if we take turns—"

"Chi Shen," a gentle female voice interrupted.

Nonchalantly raising his hand, Chi Shen turned to the speaker—a familiar face from the company's reception desk.

The receptionist stood slightly bowed, her blushing ears visible from Chi Shen's angle. Speaking in a soft, mellow tone, she hesitated, "Um, are you free tonight? I wanted to thank you for yesterday... perhaps treat you to dinner?"

As she finished, the receptionist seemed to muster significant courage, taking a deep breath.

"I've got plans tonight, sorry," Chi Shen replied, uncertain of the exact context but declining nonetheless.

The receptionist appeared a tad disheartened but nodded in understanding and left.

Chi Shen wasn't particularly familiar with the receptionist. Their interactions were limited to casual greetings—nothing more. For some reason, it seemed like she was a bit apprehensive around him. Though Chi Shen wasn't well-versed in the intricacies of relationships, he keenly sensed that he might not be the one she wanted to invite.

No sooner had the receptionist left than another female colleague approached, one from the art department. She placed a dainty cake on his desk, "I'm grateful you pointed out that illustration error yesterday; you saved me from potential embarrassment. This is to thank you."

He knew this colleague slightly better. They typically addressed each other in a chummy manner, so her current coyness was a first.

After she departed, Chi Shen gazed at the cake on his desk, lost in a prolonged silence.

"What were you about to say earlier?"

Looking up, Chi Shen saw Ji Xingchen leaning beside his desk. Dressed in a suit, Ji's tall, slender frame was accentuated, and with glasses on, he exuded an air of scholarly charm, especially when adjusting them.

Chi Shen hadn't noticed these details before, but today, for some reason, they caught his attention.

"Oh, I was saying I fancy having scrambled eggs with flowers tonight. What about you? We can each pick a few dishes and share... well, I'll help you eat them." Chi Shen said, his eyes unwavering.

"Whatever you decide is fine."

"I want to get to know your preferences..."

"Hmm, then scrambled eggs with tomatoes it is."

"Is it because that's the easiest dish for you to prepare?"

"No, I genuinely enjoy it."

……

Chi Shen's days continued as usual, marked by the uneventful routine of going to and from work.

When leaving work, he noticed fleeting glances from a few female colleagues. In the elevator, a young man, who had previously maintained a neutral relationship with Chi Shen, enthusiastically greeted him as "Brother Shen."

Chi Shen acknowledged each one with a friendly nod and smile. As he leisurely made his way to the supermarket, he couldn't help but ask, "What on earth did you do yesterday?"

He had placed too much trust in Ji Xingchen. Little did he expect that Ji, after covering for him at work for just one day, could bring about such a shift in people's attitudes towards him. For Chi Shen, who never put effort into networking, this seemed extraordinarily far-fetched.

"I barely spoke," Ji Xingchen's voice whispered from behind, as if he was speaking right into Chi Shen's ear.

"My colleague..."

"She made a rudimentary mistake, and I merely pointed it out to her."

"The reception desk..."

"She was approached by a man, and she seemed uncomfortable. I just inquired about his income and property details, and he left abruptly."

"...Why ask about his income and property?"

"If the intent is marriage, understanding both parties' financial status can prevent future complications. If not, he's not worth the time."

"Alright then, and that new member from the art team..."

"I'm not sure. I didn't speak with him yesterday, just helped him with a package delivery."

Even the ghost couldn't help but interject, "You call that doing 'nothing'?!"

"These are just mundane tasks," Ji Xingchen's voice was calm, "nothing noteworthy."

Chi Shen remarked sarcastically, "When you go to the market, I bet the vendors round down the prices and throw in some extra green onions, don't they?"

"Indeed, but they work hard too. You aren't short on money, so I didn't accept the extras."

Chi Shen: "...I'm tired. I'll take a nap; you can do the shopping."

"Goodnight."