Chapter 61 If You Miss Me, I Will Come

Chapter 61: If You Miss Me, I Will Come

The Administration's underground office building is actually quite large.

It was already 10 p.m. by the time they reached the Containment Zone.

After working a full day and suffering from sleep deprivation over the past couple of days, Lin Jianyuan was starting to feel drowsy.

However, the moment Shi Shaoning brought him to a special area, Lin Jianyuan immediately perked up.

The terrain here was unusually complex.

At first glance, it resembled an inverted spire.

Each floor was isolated from the others, connected only by chaotic, winding paths.

It looked like a web spun by a crazed spider shrieking with laughter.

"The Containment Zone," the roommate said with a faint, mocking smile. "Are you really sure you can trust me to guard the heretics?"

Shi Shaoning: "Why not? With Lin Jianyuan working here, we’re not worried about you causing trouble. Or do you have some connection with someone inside?"

Lin Jianyuan chimed in: "I don’t think it’s about connections—I think he’s worried he won’t be able to control himself and might end up binging on them."

The roommate said coyly: "~"

Shi Shaoning: "…"

After a brief silence, Shi Shaoning replied: "Fine. Escapees or disobedient ones—you’re allowed to eat them."

The roommate and Lin Jianyuan had received two different assignments.

The roommate was in the Containment Department, while Lin Jianyuan was assigned to the Field Operations Department.

The Administration is largely divided into three major departments:

Field Operations Department, Internal Affairs Department, and Containment Department.

In a way, the Containment Department could also be considered a form of internal affairs, as its members typically don’t go on field assignments.

However, since containment is a central focus of the Administration, it operates as an independent department.

Before coming here, Lin Jianyuan had carefully reviewed his contract.

His job responsibilities were similar to Shi Shaoning’s—essentially, fighting monsters and saving the world, as traditionally understood.

In principle, heretics must be contained.

Beating them to incapacitate them before containment also counts as containment.

In other words, alive or dead—both are acceptable.

The "beating and neutralizing" part falls under the Field Operations Department’s duties.

After the field team captures the heretics, they hand them over to the Containment Department for containment.

It’s somewhat like the relationship between a criminal investigation unit and prison guards.

Shi Shaoning led the way and remarked casually, "The Containment Zone is actually the core of the Administration. It’s divided based on heretic classification levels. It’s easy to get lost here, so make sure to check the map on your mobile terminal regularly."

Lin Jianyuan opened the mobile terminal on his wrist.

With a ding, a projection appeared before him.

Shi Shaoning continued, "The map doesn’t have positioning/navigation functionality yet, but in the next major update—"

Lin Jianyuan cut in: "Eyeball, memorize this map. Navigate for me next time."

Angel Eyeball: "Received."

Shi Shaoning: "…"

Only after assigning the task did Lin Jianyuan come to and ask, "Huh? What were you saying?"

Shi Shaoning suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and said, "Nothing. Just keep up."

Lin Jianyuan: "Okay, okay."

The roommate: "~"

He secretly smirked.

They stopped before a massive black device. Shi Shaoning said, "Evil Domain, registration here."

Lin Jianyuan looked up: "What is this?"

It was a strange, large machine resembling an oversized printer.

Shi Shaoning: "It’s a printer."

Lin Jianyuan: "…"

Shi Shaoning: "It uses PUA technology—"

A staff member beside the printer suddenly shouted: "It’s PCR! PCR!"

Shi Shaoning smoothly corrected himself: "...PUR technology to replicate the Mark of heretics and add them to the system’s whitelist. This prevents Evil Domain from destroying a bunch of detectors every time he takes action."

Lin Jianyuan: "."

What's all this gibberish? I’m too tired to focus.

Lin Jianyuan had already worked a full day, and now, at 10 p.m., he had to listen to Shi Shaoning talk about some PAR technology.

Enough is enough.

"Mmhmm," Lin Jianyuan nodded numbly and cooperatively.

After briefly explaining, Shi Shaoning instructed the staff by the printer: "Register Evil Domain."

Then, without turning back, he said quickly, "Lin Jianyuan, continue following me."

But Lin Jianyuan stared at the humming machine, scrutinizing it with a frown. "Does this thing hurt? Could it harm the heretic’s body? How long does it take? I’ll wait here."

The roommate’s appendix swayed back and forth.

Shi Shaoning’s eyes rolled 60% upward before he forced them back down. Calmly, he said, "It doesn’t hurt. It’s harmless. Ten minutes. Quit your damn dawdling and hurry up. I swear I'll drop dead right in front of you."

The roommate also said softly, "Go ahead. If anything happens, I'll be right there."

Shi Shaoning: "?"

Lin Jianyuan: "Alright."

Only then did Lin Jianyuan reluctantly say goodbye to his roommate.

Though it was just ten minutes, it was still in an unfamiliar environment.

And this was the Management Bureau.

Strictly speaking, the Management Bureau and heretics were mortal enemies.

Feeling uneasy on some level, Lin Jianyuan followed Shi Shaoning for a few steps but couldn't help saying, "You're not trying to get me out of the way so you can ambush my wife, are you?"

Shi Shaoning: "Would we need to get you out of the way to ambush them?"

Lin Jianyuan instantly eased up: "True. Anyway, you guys can't beat my wife. My wife is super strong. Hehe."

Shi Shaoning: "...###"

Eye-roll progress: 70%.

After passing through a vast expanse of crazy spider webs, Shi Shaoning led Lin Jianyuan to another area.

"Labor Reform Zone."

Lin Jianyuan: "..."

So it really is a prison!

Shi Shaoning: "This is the [Labor Reform Zone], full name [Labor Reform Zone]. It means exactly what you think. Heretics who are captured and once their weak points are pinpointed can choose to come here for hard labor."

"Weak points?" Lin Jianyuan keenly caught the key term.

"Right," Shi Shaoning said calmly. "Because they'll be taken on assignments, briefly leaving the Management Bureau. While on duty outside, to prevent heretics from escaping, the handlers are given the authority to take them out on the spot."

Lin Jianyuan: "Got it. So it's like prison guards taking inmates out for yard time but installing bombs around their necks, huh."

Shi Shaoning: "Not yard time."

Lin Jianyuan corrected himself: "Hard labor."

Shi Shaoning seemed too worn out to keep this up, looking weary as he said, "Alright, now this is really the final step. Go in and choose your Pokémon. You've just joined the Management Bureau, so you're at Class D. That means you can only pick Class D heretics."

Lin Jianyuan: "?"

Lin Jianyuan: "?"

He stared blankly at the small toys in his pocket.

Stress ball, Class A.

Small stone, Class A.

Big fluttering eyeball, Class A.

Cheeky big mouth, Class A.

Blood thread used as a stress punching bag at the company, Class B.

And an Eye Vine left at home because it didn't do much.

Class C.

Oh, now it's probably Class B too, since it's been soaking in goji berry, chrysanthemum, and cassia seed tea.

Lin Jianyuan: "."

Lin Jianyuan went quiet for a moment. Shi Shaoning read "bored out of his mind" on his face and instantly snapped: "Hurry up! You have to pick one! Once you're done, we can get off work!!!"

Lin Jianyuan darted in.

Face scan, bio check, browsing the list, inspecting the shelves.

A whole bunch of various heretics on the shelves excitedly hollered at him.

Their tones full of longing to get out.

Lin Jianyuan darted in.

Lin Jianyuan bolted back out.

"Let's go." Shi Shaoning looked like he would actually die if he didn't get off work soon. He had zero interest in what Lin Jianyuan had picked and just urged, "Go, go, go! Hurry up! Get off work!!!"

Lin Jianyuan quickly followed.

After going through another vast expanse of crazy spider webs, they finally returned to the big black printer at the entrance.

The roommate had just finished getting his Mark verified.

Shi Shaoning's leather boots clacked briskly as he led the way ahead.

He was dying to get home.

The newlyweds whispered quietly behind him.

"Wife, wife, turns out there's a Labor Reform Zone inside where they can use reformed heretics as minions," Lin Jianyuan excitedly recounted his experience to his roommate.

"I've heard of that," the roommate said, his lips quirking up. It seemed as long as Lin Jianyuan was around, his smile never left. "So who did you pick?"

"You guess."

"No idea."

"Eh, really? Then I'll give you a hint—it's Class D."

"There are lots of Class Ds. So hard to guess. Just tell me."

Shi Shaoning: "...###"

Eye-roll progress: 80%.

"Just take a guess! I'll give you another hint—bzzz bzzz bzzz..."

"Bzzz bzzz bzzz? Well..."

"It's summer now! What else goes bzzz bzzz?" "What is it? I really can't guess. Just tell me, stop teasing me."

"Is this me bullying you? How is it bullying? I'm not bullying you, just asking you to guess."

"Stop messing around, just tell me."

"Then sneak in a kiss. Shh, keep your voice down so Shi Shaoning doesn't hear. Hey, are there cameras here? Speaking of which, ordinary cameras can't detect you, but can the Bureau's surveillance catch you?"

"Not sure... *chu~* [transliterated kiss sound] Just tell me already. I'm so curious."

"Really that curious? Hehehe, then I'll tell you~"

Shi Shaoning: "...[censored swearing]"

Eye-roll progress: 90%.

But he couldn't take it anymore!!!

Shi Shaoning halted, turned around, and immediately pointed at Lin Jianyuan, cursing furiously:

"You fucking @!#! love-addled idiot, can't you stop @#!#! Goddammit, when I told you to pick a battle support, and you picked a fucking @#!#￥ the *Summon*! Are you out of your mind? Are you @!#@!# still making people guess, guess, guess, guess your mother's #!&*@￥ ah!!"

Then he turned to the Class S heretic whose appendix was swinging up to the sky.

"Your mother's @%% not only are you love-addled, you also...! %@ green tea bitch, are you insane? You're a Class S, how could you not tell the fucking @%@!￥￥ Class D *Mark*? Goddammit, I can't listen to this anymore! And you with that fake baby voice, your mother's just pretending, still fucking %!@ 'dy~ing~ of~ curi~osi~ty~' I'm curious about your mother's @!@#%￥% ah!!!!"

Lin Jianyuan: "..."

Xie Yu: "..."

The handful of Class A trinkets in the pocket: "………………"

A certain Class D newbie that attracts mosquitos: "Buzz buzz."

Too low-level to understand human speech, so it can only buzz.

Shi Shaoning's satisfying tirade eventually made Lin Jianyuan somewhat embarrassed.

Lin Jianyuan explained: "Well, you see... my wife attracts mosquitos easily, so I thought if I got something that attracts mosquitos even better, then the mosquitos wouldn't come to bite him."

Shi Shaoning: "?"

What the actual hell, a Class S heretic attracting mosquitos.

What mosquito could break through a Class S heretic’s defense? Are you implying our Management Bureau is useless?

Say it!

But the roommate seemed to remember something and suddenly burst into laughter.

Lin Jianyuan asked, surprised: "Wife, what are you laughing at?"

Roommate: "Attracting mosquitos, hahaha, I attract mosquitos, hahahaha..."

Lin Jianyuan: "?"

Shi Shaoning suddenly realized too and snapped: "Lin Jianyuan! That’s not toilet water!!! Did you fucking think it was toilet water? Damn it! It’s not!!!"

That’s a Sobering Potion specifically used to suppress heretics and reduce mental pollution, for fuck's sake!

The roommate couldn’t stop laughing.

After Lin Jianyuan figured it out, he also burst into laughter.

Shi Shaoning: "...####"

Eye-roll progress: 99%.

No wonder people say Shi Shaoning is an idealist.

Even after being pissed off like this by these two jerks, Shi Shaoning still managed to compose himself, lower his voice, and scold sternly:

"Lin Jianyuan! Take this seriously! Missions are serious business! Don’t think just because you have Class A heretics in your hands you can do whatever you want! I’m telling you! All of those are support-class! None of them can fight! If you really run into a combat-class heretic, you're dead meat!"

Lin Jianyuan: "?"

He pulled his wife closer. "I have my wife."

Isn’t his wife a combat-class Class S?

Shi Shaoning roared: "Your wife has to work too!"

Lin Jianyuan froze.

Oh right. He forgot—he and his wife are in different departments now.

He catches heretics outside; his wife guards the prison.

At least four days a month, they won’t see each other for the entire day.

A full four days!!!

"It’s okay."

The roommate suddenly smiled, leaned in, and took Lin's hand.

Then lowered his head and bit his palm.

Bit down gently.

Leaving teeth marks.

"If you miss me, I’ll come."

The roommate said.

Lin Jianyuan: "..."

"Damn." Whoa. Something’s off.

So cool.

My wife's so badass.

Even though it’s just a set of pink offal.

How is he this cool!!!

Lin Jianyuan gazed dumbly at the teeth marks on his palm.

His brain felt like it had been pried open, violently flooded with raw emotion.

All those swirling thoughts eventually condensed into just two words.

So handsome.

So handsome, wifey!!!

Shi Shaoning: "..."!

Full-on eye roll.

I can't take this! I really can't take this anymore!!!!

Lin Jianyuan, I'm seriously warning you, don't flaunt your mooching so loudly!!!

Because I can't get any!!!

I'm seriously going to turn green with envy!!!!!

Fuck!!!!!!!