Chapter 60 Visiting the Management Bureau

Chapter 60: Visiting the Bureau

Having retrieved the initial documents from Yu Xiuli, Lin Jianyuan successfully avoided the misery of pulling overtime on his last day of work.

For reasons unknown, Yu Xiuli was also absent the entire afternoon.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Sweet!

Lin Jianyuan finally got to fling his resignation letter right into Jiang Chen’s face.

Jiang Chen had been happily playing Candy Crush in his office.

Suddenly confronted by Lin Jianyuan’s bold move, Jiang Chen snapped, jumping to his feet and yelling, "Lin Jianyuan! You—"

Before he could finish, he caught sight of the three words on the paper that had fallen from his face:

Resignation Letter.

Jiang Chen instantly performed a dramatic change of expression, putting on a smarmy smile as he said, "Oh, Lin Jianyuan, why are you resigning? What a shame, tsk…"

Lin Jianyuan: "So I shouldn’t resign?"

Jiang Chen snatched the phone and called headquarters: "Yes, right now, push it through now… What do you mean, report a month in advance? Lin Jianyuan is our branch’s star employee! Whatever he wants must be expedited! Yes! I said it! Right now!!! Do it immediately!!!"

Jiang Chen was so overjoyed about Lin Jianyuan’s resignation that he was almost dancing with joy.

…Logically speaking, following wish-fulfillment tropes, Jiang Chen shouldn’t be this happy right now.

But none of that mattered anymore.

The company didn’t matter. Whether his stupid boss was happy or not didn’t matter.

What mattered was Lin Jianyuan and his lover, and the life they would have from now on.

And so, just like that, easily and happily—

His last day at this goddamn company came to an end~

"Alright, see you around, everyone!"

Lin Jianyuan waved to his colleagues with a smile. "Let’s grab a meal together sometime!"

His partner stood front and center: "~"

Lin Jianyuan happily held his wife’s pinky and left work.

Behind him, a group of colleagues watched him leave with tears in their eyes, as if at a funeral.

"This can’t go on! Bro Yuan’s condition is getting worse!" Pei Shuo said with reddened eyes. "And Bro Yuan is living by himself. What if something happens to him when he’s at home?"

Everyone fell silent.

Because they all thought it was very possible…

If Lin Jianyuan were just losing his marbles, that would be one thing.

But the key issue is that he’s now eating nothing but air!

If he were really just eating air, that would be one thing… but hell no!!!

Miss one meal and you’re ravenous! How many days has it been since Lin Jianyuan last ate?! Can his body even handle it?!

And who knows if what he’s eating at home is actually just air!

What if he ends up eating something disgusting like frogs or rats?!

What should we do?!

The more they imagined it, the more tragic it seemed.

They couldn’t help but discuss setting up a rotation to go to Lin Jianyuan’s house and cook for him.

Lin Jianyuan, you really make it impossible for us not to worry!

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

The subway at peak hour.

Today, Lin Jianyuan got off work on time, so he also made it just in time for the evening rush.

The subway was crowded, packed like sardines, so packed it was hard to breathe.

But Lin Jianyuan was happy.

Because his wife was nestled safely in his arms.

Lin Jianyuan stood in a corner, one hand holding onto the overhead handrail. Using his body, he created a small space for his wife.

—Most humans can’t see unseen beings.

So they might accidentally bump into his wife.

His wife is so tiny, soft, and pink—how could she take being squished?

What if she gets crushed?!

So Lin Jianyuan braced against the pressure from behind.

He carved out a small, breathable space for his wife in the corner of the subway car.

His partner was glued to the window, watching as the subway entered and left stations, the tunnel outside turning completely dark.

Suddenly, with a loud rumble.

Light flashed before their eyes.

It turned out the ad panels in the tunnel had lit up.

"Wow," his partner said in amazement. "The ads are chasing the subway!"

"No, no. The ads aren’t chasing the subway," Lin Jianyuan explained with a laugh. "The entire tunnel is lined with LED light pillars. By lighting up different pillars in sequence, they create the visual illusion that the ads are chasing the subway."

Partner: "..."

Partner: "I don’t get it."

Lin Jianyuan chuckled.

Roommate: "But you're amazing. How do you know everything?"

Lin Jianyuan: "<3"

Aww yeah! Babe!

You're going to melt me into a puddle, babe!

Lin Jianyuan was internally ecstatic.

He felt even more like a hero, shielding his babe in the crowded subway!

And so, they happily headed home.

Happily stopped by to buy groceries on the way.

Happily finished shopping and went home to prepare dinner.

And then he received a call from Shi Shaoning.

"Off work yet?"

Shi Shaoning's voice was so grim it felt like sludge.

"Duty calls. Report to the Management Bureau."

Lin Jianyuan: "..."

Listen to what you're saying—is that even human?

Just answering the call made Lin Jianyuan feel like dark, gloomy ooze was about to flow into his ears, and he couldn't help but shiver.

Plus, the creepy stuff Shi Shaoning said.

It was hard not to suspect that Shi Shaoning had been driven insane by work.

It was rush hour, and the roads were congested, so of course Shi Shaoning couldn't come pick him up.

Lin Jianyuan asked Shi Shaoning for the Management Bureau's address, checked the route with his babe, and then warped directly there.

Huh? Wait.

His babe could teleport—how had he forgotten again!

He took the subway on the last day of work for the vibes, but there was no point in that after work, right!

Though squeezing into the subway with his babe meant he could tuck him against his chest, letting him nestle close like a kitten~

Heh heh.

That was still worth it!

The Management Bureau was located in the boonies. A very remote place.

Surrounded by farmland, overgrown with weeds, it looked left to rot.

In short, it was a place very suitable for secret ops.

"There aren't even any takeout options around here." Lin Jianyuan shook his head.

Roommate: "I can bring you lunch."

"Not for me." Lin Jianyuan laughed, unable to resist reaching out to tweak his roommate's side. "I'm just curious how people who work here eat. They must have a mess hall, right."

"Yes."

A voice that sounded half-dead spoke gloomily.

Lin Jianyuan was startled and turned around.

Sure enough, he saw Shi Shaoning, who looked like a ghost dude, standing behind them.

Your average ghost: all cuddles and energy vampirism.

Actual ghost: stuck working overtime, filled with bitterness, bags under his eyes big enough to pack for a trip, eyes swirling like black holes, deep like endless voids.

Lin Jianyuan: "..."

Quietly fished out a box of Shexiang Baoxin Pills and Coenzyme Q10.

"Just bought these." Lin Jianyuan said sympathetically. "Try them."

"Already on them." Shi Shaoning said gloomily. "Let's move."

The ghost dude's aura was too strong.

Even a crazy person would obediently follow.

The entrance to the Management Bureau was in a very hidden spot, requiring several ID checks to enter.

Inside, it led all the way underground.

This was a massive subterranean complex.

Before coming here, Lin Jianyuan had already guessed the Management Bureau was underground.

Otherwise, it would be hard to keep such a large institution secret—some urban explorers or vloggers would definitely come to film vlogs.

Lin Jianyuan had imagined it would be shaped like a Bagua diagram or an octopus, with a large central plaza and various passages extending in all directions.

But reality was way lamer than he’d imagined.

The Management Bureau headquarters was an underground office building.

Yes, that's right.

It was just an office building.

Just buried underground.

When Shi Shaoning brought them to the bank of elevators, Lin Jianyuan immediately felt his stomach drop.

Because.

Here.

Taking the elevator.

You. Had. To. Wait. In. Line!!!

"Shouldn't such a high-end place have a few high-speed elevators?!" Lin Jianyuan exclaimed in shock. "Why is the elevator so slow! So hard to wait for! How can you save the world while waiting around for elevators!"

"There are high-speed elevators, just not here," Shi Shaoning said expressionlessly. "Resources are limited; high-speed elevators are only used when necessary. We're here. Get in."

Lin Jianyuan sighed.

He was truly afraid of waiting for elevators.

Well, considering he only works four days a month, a non-high-speed elevator is fine.

The group was piling into the elevator.

His roommate suddenly said, "Is 【Hesitation】 (she) also here?"

Shi Shaoning glanced at him.

Roommate: "It seems like she's about to escape."

Everyone: "?!!"

Shi Shaoning was startled and reached out to stop the elevator.

In an instant, a meaty red shadow enveloped the entire area!

The elevator lights dimmed, and the surroundings seemed to sway silently like tentacled anemones.

The next second, the roommate smiled.

"Shoved her back. She's still in her original cell."

The facility-wide alarm sounded finally.

A second later, it paused.

Everyone's mobile terminals on their wrists began going crazy with alerts.

The message content was the same:

"【Hesitation】 (she) attempted to escape but was slapped back by an unknown red tentacle."

The roommate kept his gentle demeanor, yet exuded a powerful and eerie presence.

Only then did Lin Jianyuan really grasp the reality that "my wife is a Class S."

Other members of the Management Bureau around the elevator were also staring in shock.

"New colleague," Shi Shaoning said with an impatient expression that seemed to say, "There you go showing off again." "Everyone, welcome him."

"Hello, everyone," the roommate said kindly. "I'm the new Class S heretic 【Evil Domain】 (he)."

Everyone: "..."

After two seconds of silence, they started greeting him one by one.

Lin Jianyuan: "~~~"

Whoa! My wife is so cool!

I never knew my wife had such a badass side!

I can't handle this. How does my wife manage to surprise me every day~

After giving the entire Management Bureau a little Class S shock treatment, Lin Jianyuan and the group continued their tour.

The Management Bureau's setup is seriously hardcore, Shi Shaoning explained. The security here is tight, with high-level security personnel on duty around the clock.

Most heretics that come in don't get out.

Lin Jianyuan jabbed, "Didn't one almost escape just now? If it weren't for my wife..."

Shi Shaoning: "That one was Class S too. The reason I said 'most' is because the last one to escape was also a Class S. 【Delirium】 (he)."

Lin Jianyuan: "...My bad."

Wait?

Lin Jianyuan suddenly had a thought and whirled toward his wife, stunned.

"That one was Class S too? But you shoved her back in her cell without moving a muscle???"

"I did move," the roommate said cheerfully, his appendix (she) giving a little sway. "Just a little."

Beep.

Shi Shaoning's mobile terminal on his wrist rang.

Shi Shaoning looked at it and said, "Yeah. You moved just a little, and the Management Bureau fried 217 sensors."

Nice work.

Don't do that again.

"So Class S is this powerful..." Lin Jianyuan was having trouble processing.

"Yeah~" the roommate said with a curved smile. "I'm incredibly powerful."

Lin Jianyuan immediately chimed in: "~~"

Shi Shaoning, inexplicably force-fed some couple's sweetness: "?"

Shi Shaoning cut in bluntly to the couple: "We're here."

Lin Jianyuan looked up smiling.

A massive...

A huge office spread out before them.

Open-floor plan with no cubicles, people buzzing around.

Brightly lit, with overhead lights making the entire office as bright as day.

A huge screen displayed a fake window display, faking that there are windows.

But in reality, it was just a windowless... seriously windowless room.

Lin Jianyuan: "……………………"

He immediately stopped smiling.

What the heck is this?!

Is this Xwei?! Xdong?! XXbaba?!

Or Xpaper XXgames?!

Why does it give off the vibe of an internet giant where no one ever clocks out!!!

Lin Jianyuan’s PTSD was triggered, and he nearly turned to run. Fortunately, Shi Shaoning said, "This is the Internal Affairs Division, which is broken down into several departments. For example, the Technical Department and the Public Relations Department."

Lin Jianyuan asked cautiously, "Oh, so I’m not assigned here...?"

Shi Shaoning: "You’re in Field Ops. Same as me. Let’s keep moving."

Only then did Lin Jianyuan let out a sigh of relief.

Then he arrived at another huge...

Huge recreation center!

Hot springs, a spa, fitness equipment.

A water bar, buffet, traditional massages.

Ah! Isn’t this exactly what he imagined...

Big company perks!

He couldn’t believe it. Do field operatives really get such good treatment?

Having been beaten down by life, Lin Jianyuan began to feel a bit insecure again.

He cautiously asked, "So, what exactly are my monthly work tasks when I’m on call..."

Shi Shaoning: "You’ll be called to capture heretics. You need to be on call 24/7."

Lin Jianyuan: "Oh, okay."

Shi Shaoning: "But usually, jobs are assigned to the nearest field op."

Lin Jianyuan: "Oh, okay."

That sounds a lot like food delivery.

Shi Shaoning’s expression was deadpan: "Except for me. Because I have a Senior Professional Title."

Lin Jianyuan: "Oh, okay."

A Senior Professional Title should indeed come with some special perks...

Shi Shaoning: "No matter where I am or how far away, I get pulled in at any time. Because. I. Have. A. Senior Professional Title."

Lin Jianyuan: "..."

So the special perk is being able to work even more overtime, huh!

Lin Jianyuan said decisively: "Alright, alright, I get it."

Shi Shaoning glanced at him: "Get what?"

Lin Jianyuan glanced around sneakily and whispered: "With great power comes great responsibility. Unless absolutely necessary, avoid getting promoted."

"Hmph. I didn't say that."

Shi Shaoning let out a dismissive snort.

But the corner of his mouth curled up slightly.

The two working stiffs shared an unspoken understanding.

Shi Shaoning said: "Let’s keep going. There’s one last area to show you. The 'Containment Zone'."