Chapter 66 Lin Jianyuan! You Deserve a Monthly Salary of 200,000!

Chapter 66 Lin Jianyuan! You Deserve a 200K Monthly Salary!

Lin Jianyuan rushed to the Administration Bureau in 5 minutes.

He spent 2 minutes figuring out what was going on.

And another 3 minutes coaxing his husband.

After a total of 10 minutes, Lin Jianyuan turned to the director and said, "Psh, I thought it was something serious. It's fine, he's just in a mood. See, my husband is easy to calm down."

The director: "…"

The rest of the Administration Bureau staff who had hurried to the scene: "…"

S-o e-a-s-y t-o c-a-l-m d-o-w-n.

Lin Jianyuan, do you want to review the surveillance footage before saying that?

Anyway, with the soft coaxing of Caretaker Lin, the Class S heretic successfully turned back into a baby.

But a baby is still a baby.

The baby still doesn’t want to work overtime.

"I want to go home," the roommate said gloomily. "I want to hold you and sleep."

The roommate wasn’t actually sleepy; he was just in a bad mood.

Lin Jianyuan could tell.

After all, even his appendix was swaying listlessly.

"Director, will Lin Jianyuan really agree to let Evil Domain be deployed?" a subordinate quietly stepped forward and whispered to the director. "Should we emphasize the danger of Regret to Lin Jianyuan again…"

The director waved a hand, cutting off the subordinate’s words.

The director didn’t say much, just stood with his hands behind his back, quietly observing from afar.

To everyone's surprise, Lin Jianyuan actually walked over and asked, "What’s it called? Regret? Hmm, anyway, that new Class S you mentioned. Where is it?"

The subordinate immediately provided the files.

The director said solemnly, "We appreciate your effort!"

— The location where "Regret" was detected was Taoran Street Night Market.

This was also the reason why Lin Jianyuan ultimately decided to bring his partner along.

The roommate wasn’t sleepy; he was unhappy.

The reason for his unhappiness was simple.

— Who the hell would be happy about working overtime on the first day of the job!

Lin Jianyuan understood this very well and could totally get it.

(Although he still wanted to laugh a little.)

Damn, even heretics have to work overtime.

And indeed, even heretics can't stand overtime!!!

Honestly, if the task location weren't a night market, Lin Jianyuan might not have agreed so quickly.

But this is Taoran Street!

The trendy night market street!

Isn't this perfect?

A chance to unwind and complete the task at the same time.

Plus, night markets are crowded.

When it's packed with people, no one will notice him leading a string of pink offal—or rather, seemingly holding nothing—while sweetly strolling around.

The two teleported to the entrance of the night market.

"So many people!"

The roommate exclaimed like a popular meme.

Lin Jianyuan also wanted to say: So many people!!!

As expected of a trendy night market street! This isn't just crowded—it's practically a sea of people, packed like sardines!

Lin Jianyuan felt like he wouldn't even need to walk once inside; he’d be swept along by the crowd.

"Babe, grab my hand, stay close, and don't get lost, okay?" Lin Jianyuan instinctively reached for his roommate's hand.

The roommate, however, suddenly chuckled softly.

Lin Jianyuan also suddenly realized and scratched his head, muttering to himself, "Ah, what was I thinking? Even if you got lost, I could just call out to you in my mind, and you'd come, right? Just like before."

Just like before.

From a hundred meters in the air, he called out to his lover in his heart.

And his lover came.

Lin Jianyuan was being silly.

But the roommate perked up immediately.

Lin Jianyuan could feel the roommate's mood noticeably improve.

Because that cat-like tail of his started swaying again.

Tsk, tsk, tsk, see? What did I tell you?

His roommate is so easy to please~

The night market was bustling, with vibrant lights.

Lanterns illuminated the bluestone-paved streets, as old-fashioned styled shops and stalls loudly promoted their goods.

The entire pedestrian street was bustling and lively, filled with the aromas of barbecue, soufflé pancakes, crayfish, roujiamo, and all kinds of food.

There were also countless small accessories, creative cultural products, and trendy toys. It was a dazzling array.

Every stall is pretty much irresistible, every shop makes you wanna check it out.

The air is filled with nonstop laughter and chatter.

The atmosphere is thick with the buzz of everyday life.

The two of them walk hand in hand, taking their time walking through the bustling crowd.

It's clear that the roommate is at a place like this for the first time.

Or rather, it's the first time he's just wandered around slowly like a human.

His mood's getting better, too.

He's even starting to use that cutesy voice again when he speaks~

Although the night market trip was meant to cheer up his partner (who he calls "wife"), Lin Jianyuan hasn't forgotten his mission.

—After all, you take someone's money, you owe them.

Thinking about it now, the Director is really a sly old man.

Lin Jianyuan recalls what the Director told him before they set out:

"Your fighting skills are totally A-Class. Whether it's your mental resistance against heretics or the heretics that do whatever you say—you absolutely have the strength of an A-Class Fighter."

Long story short:

You weren't promoted just to work overtime!

It's truly because your ability has reached that level!

Your strength fully deserves that A!

Alright, alright.

So it's the A in "A-Class PUA," huh.

Whatever, A it is.

Lin Jianyuan never gave a damn about promotions anyway.

The key point is that they just paid him earlier today.

Now, Lin Jianyuan is starting to figure out—man, was this all part of the Director's plan?

First, pay him 100,000 during the day. Then, suddenly promote him and add another 100,000 at night.

Now there's really no way to refuse.

He can only grudgingly take it and owe them.

After all, the Management Bureau is paying way too much.

If it were his previous company, where he only made barely over 100,000 a year combined, or if it were Jiang Chen making the request, even if the sky were falling, Lin Jianyuan would never have left home just to come back out and work overtime.

No other way.

The Management Bureau actually pays him!

They even offer on-duty subsidies!

10k per shift!

...What can you do. Ever since finding out his monthly salary jumped to 200,000, 10,000 doesn't seem like a lot anymore.

After all, 10,000 is only one-twentieth of his monthly income, equivalent to just 1.5 days' earnings...

This is messed up. His sense of money is completely warped!

Gotta stop thinking about it!!!

Back to work!

However, even though Lin Jianyuan is patrolling seriously, trying hard to multitask—both accompanying his "wife" and searching for the so-called "Regret"—

he hasn't seen a single sign of a heretic.

Taoran Street is a viral night market. It's packed.

It's already staffed with police and Management Bureau members to prevent any emergencies.

And precisely because the security here is so tight, there isn't even a pickpocket around, let alone any heretics.

The longer Lin Jianyuan walks around, the weirder it seems.

Once they've almost reached the end of the street, Lin Jianyuan finally says, "Baby, haven't you sensed 【Regret】 yet?"

Roommate: "Huh?"

Lin Jianyuan: "The Director said S-Class heretics are good at hiding their Marks, so mobile terminals can't detect them. We have to rely on you to sense 【Regret】."

Roommate: "I can't sense it either."

Lin Jianyuan: "Huh???"

Lin Jianyuan is totally confused, his face full of surprise.

The roommate says: "I can't sense 【Regret】."

"Wait, let me wrap my head around this." Lin Jianyuan raises a hand, signaling he's thinking. Two seconds later, he says, "But didn't you beat up 【Hesitation】 as soon as you entered the Management Bureau? You couldn't see it back then either—how did you know it was trying to escape?"

Roommate: "【Hesitation】 showed its Mark on purpose, so I knew it was there. 【Regret】 is hiding itself intentionally, so I can't find it."

Lin Jianyuan: "..."

Lin Jianyuan, baffled: "Wait, what? 【Hesitation】 was trying to break out and actively exposed its Mark? Why? What was it thinking?"

Roommate: "No idea."

Lin Jianyuan: "..."

Roommate: "..."

Roommate: "Now what?"

Lin Jianyuan: "No idea."

The two look at each other and can't help but laugh.

"Maybe Regret actually ran away long ago." Lin Jianyuan found a quiet alley, sat down, and opened the mobile terminal to check the intel sent by the Containment Department.

The fragments of "Regret"'s Mark popped up briefly on Taoran Street.

This "brief" was seriously brief, lasting only about 0.1 seconds.

The report even described: the possibility of misjudgment cannot be ruled out.

Since this was the first time "Regret" had been detected having a Mark, and it was only a very brief Mark fragment, the Containment Department simply couldn't track it.

So they could only count on Xie Yu, another Class S heretic.

Turns out, even among Class S, there are differences.

Class S can choose whether to reveal themselves to humans.

Same with Marks. They can hide or reveal them as they wish.

Most Class S, like Xie Yu and "Regret," choose to hide their Marks to avoid detection by the Containment Department.

Meanwhile, "Hesitation" sometimes shows its Mark.

There's no rhyme or reason—it just hides and reveals randomly.

If it happens to be feeling like showing it, even during a jailbreak, it'll still show it.

Quite bizarre.

The other extreme is "Delirium."

"Delirium" is not all there mentally and doesn't get how to hide.

Wherever it goes, it leaves its Mark scattered all over the damn place, leaking everywhere.

That's why "Delirium" was the first Class S heretic whose Mark was completely figured out by humans.

"I've noticed humans know very little about Class S heretics," Lin Jianyuan said, rubbing his chin. Years of work habits made him start analyzing. "Like your solidification ability. Like how Class S can actively choose to hide or expose their Marks. The Containment Department knows nothing about these things."

"Of course," his roommate said lazily, leaning against him. "Because we don't offer that up."

"True," Lin Jianyuan laughed, suddenly wanting to tweak his nose.

But then he remembered his roommate didn't have a nose.

Lin Jianyuan settled for patting his roommate's liver instead.

His roommate giggled, his guts shaking with laughter: "What now?! That tickles!"

"How are you both such a lightweight and ticklish..." Lin Jianyuan was about to tease him further when he suddenly heard his roommate's gallbladder went "beep—"

Lin Jianyuan: "?"

Why does the gallbladder keep making that noise?

His roommate also froze, then said angrily: "Again!!!"

His roommate furiously opened his gallbladder and pulled out the mobile terminal inside.

Only then did Lin Jianyuan realize his roommate had stashed the terminal with his phone.

An urgent red alert popped up on the terminal.

"Class S heretic 【Hesitation】 is escaping! 【Evil Domain】, report to Containment immediately to assist with containment!"

"Repeat! Class S heretic 【Hesitation】 is escaping! 【Evil Domain】, report to Containment immediately to assist with containment!"

Roommate: "..."

Lin Jianyuan: "..."

Now Lin Jianyuan was pissed too: "Again!!! What does it want!"

His roommate stood up, said flatly: "I'm going back to kill it."

Lin Jianyuan angrily said: "No, why go back? Is there no one else in the Containment Department? Does it always have to be you handling this? How did they survive before you came?"

This is too fishy.

It's only been a few days—how has "Hesitation" escaped so many times?

And every time, Xie Yu has to rush back to deal with it?

Is the entire Containment Department relying on Xie Yu alone to do all the work?

What are the others even doing?

If this keeps up, will Xie Yu never get off work? Even if he punches out, will he be yanked back any minute? Just like today?

Lin Jianyuan initially thought today was an emergency, a rare special circumstance, which was why he helped the director persuade his wife (Xie Yu).

But the more he thought about it, the more something felt off.

What's going on?

If containment breaches happen so easily, why haven't they improved their containment measures?

Are they just riding his wife?

Do they want to run his wife into the ground?!

Lin Jianyuan grew angrier the more he thought. With one arm, he hugged his roommate and gently patted his liver to soothe him; with the other, he pressed the emergency line to contact the director.

"Director, what's going on again?" Lin Jianyuan fumed, his temples throbbing. "How many times are you going to call my wife in tonight? Seriously, I don't get it. How did the Containment Department even function before my wife started working??? You mean to tell me you couldn't stop a Class S every single time?! You just let them escape and waited for the field agents to recapture them?!"

The director on the other end of the line seemed swamped too, speaking urgently: "Things haven't been normal lately. 【Hesitation】's activity has clearly increased... How are things on your end? Did you find 【Regret】?"

Lin Jianyuan: "No!"

Director: "In that case, come back first. Have Evil Domain assist us with containing 【Hesitation】."

Lin Jianyuan shot back: "Back and forth—so all emergencies have to be handled by my wife, is that it? Hell, no wonder I understand how you drove Shi Shaoning insane! Who the hell could take this kind of crap!"

The director was still trying to explain when the liver in Lin Jianyuan's hand suddenly squirmed away.

His roommate jumped to his feet and smashed the nonstop beeping mobile terminal onto the ground.

"I'm going back to kill it," his roommate said darkly. "I'm going back to kill it right now!"

Lin Jianyuan: "Wait!"

Before the words could fully leave his mouth, his roommate's figure had already vanished.

Lin Jianyuan: "..."

On the other end of the mobile terminal, the director picked up on something: "Has Evil Domain returned?"

Lin Jianyuan rolled his eyes and snapped irritably, "He said he's going back to kill Hesitation."

The director: "..."

After a moment of silence, the director said, "Well... that might work. If we really can't contain it, neutralize it is the only option. We can't just let it roam free and harm people. The contamination spread by an S-class heretic is far too dangerous..."

"Director, I'm really starting to regret this," Lin Jianyuan suddenly found it hard to control his emotions. Clutching the mobile terminal, he paced back and forth in the quiet alley, fuming. "Everything was fine before! My wife and I had our quiet life, happy every day—and then your Bureau had to mess it all up! I never should have joined you. I shouldn’t have gone to that damn mall for that damn meal that day. Damn it, I really shouldn’t have... I should have kept him at home, never let him out... I should have... I..."

Overwhelming emotions surged up, and Lin Jianyuan grew more agitated as he spoke, even feeling a sting in his eyes.

"Lin Jianyuan?" On the other end, the director paused suspiciously for a second before realizing something and exclaiming, "Lin Jianyuan! Look around quickly! Is there anything unusual!"

"Unusual?" Lin Jianyuan’s nose was now stinging too. He wiped his eyes roughly, sniffled, and glanced around. "What counts as unusual? You tell me! My wife being dragged back to work overtime again—does that count as unusual? Damn it, I never should have believed your nonsense. I shouldn’t have let that bit of money ruin his..."

His steps halted.

Lin Jianyuan’s eyes and nose ached terribly. An uncontrollable sense of regret hit him like a sledgehammer, slamming straight into the bridge of his nose.

It sent him spiraling into his emotions.

"So... unhappy," he muttered to himself. "My wife usually has such a good temper. He’s always so emotionally stable, never gets angry... It’s all because of me. If I’d known earlier, I would have... I would have..."

"Lin Jianyuan!"

The voice from the mobile terminal grew distant, faint. "Lin Jianyuan! Get a grip! Do you have any potion? Use the Sobering Potion! Quick..."

Lin Jianyuan’s nose stung. He looked up and suddenly noticed everyone around him was wailing and crying.

"I never should have enrolled in this damn school!" two girls cried, holding each other. "16-person dorm! No air conditioning! Infested with bugs in summer! Sixteen people fighting for one bathroom in the morning! Even showering means waiting in long lines! Boo-hoo... I can’t take it anymore. They won’t even let us move out and rent our own place. What kind of damn school is this? Why?! With my grades back then, I could’ve gotten into any school. How did I end up choosing this damn place?!"

The two girls cried until they started slapping themselves.

After a few slaps, probably because it hurt, they began slapping one another.

Lin Jianyuan: "?"

His tears choked back.

"I’m so stupid, really," a young man dressed bohemially kicked over a beer bottle, laughing and crying hysterically as he wailed, "I knew studying art had no future, but how was I supposed to know I’d only make three thousand yuan a month after graduation? That’s even less than what my childhood art classes cost. Haha, haha, studying art is great, studying art is wonderful. Next lifetime, I’ll study art again, hahahaha..."

As he spoke, he bent down to pick up the beer bottle he’d just kicked over, tilted his head back, and pretended to chug it.

Lin Jianyuan: "??"

The sting in his nose choked back too.

"Why didn’t I understand Xiao Qian’s feelings back then?" an elderly but spirited man with graying hair tearfully slapped his own thigh and wailed, "Xiao Qian even gave me that poetry collection. How could I not have thought to open it and take a look? No—maybe it’s better if I never looked, never in my life! I’d rather never have known her feelings! But now I’m 76! And Xiao Qian is 73... No, I should divorce A-Ling! There’s no love between us anymore... But after all these years, we’re an old married couple. It’s turned into a comfortable routine! I’m 76—what’s the point of talking about divorce now?... No, no, I can’t think like that! I’m 76. How many years do I have left? If I don’t pursue true love now, when will I? But if I really go for it, will I find love? Or will I end up with nothing?"

Lin Jianyuan: "???"

Wait, sir, you???

From the way you talk, you’re clearly an educated man. How could you not have thought to glance at that poetry collection back then?

Lin Jianyuan suspiciously scanned his surroundings and realized everyone was wailing, everyone was regretting.

Everyone was regretting the paths they’d taken.

Everyone was consumed by regret, constantly crumbling under the weight of it.

Lin Jianyuan finally understood.

—"Regret"!

This is "Regret"!

Where is it? Where is it?!

Lin Jianyuan picked up his mobile terminal to scan, but it persistently displayed "Contaminant Level: 0."

He tried to make a satellite call—the director’s call had already ended at some point. When he tried dialing again, all he heard from the terminal was static, like interference in a horror movie.

The surroundings were already horror-movie material anyway.

All along Taoran Street, a two-kilometer-long pedestrian street, thousands of people were wailing and crying.

So noisy!

It’s deafening!

Lin Jianyuan’s head throbbed from the noise. He reached into his pocket and pulled out—

The squeeze toy, the small stone, the angel eyeball, and the Maw of the Abyss.

Lin Jianyuan said, "Eyeball! Fly up and check! Where the hell is that idiot Regret—"

"Waaah!" the angel eyeball burst into tears!

Lin Jianyuan: "?"

Angel eyeball: "I never should have, never should have had bad ideas about Evil Domain’s belongings! I was so full of myself! That’s an S-class! How could I ever think I could take it on? I overestimated myself way too much!"

Lin Jianyuan: "??"

Squeeze toy: "Oh no! Why me! Why did I have to pass by the studio that day? Everything was fine! How did I, the great Time Thief, fall to this state? Oh no! Woe is me! If only I’d chosen a different path back then, I wouldn’t be here today! I refuse to accept this!"

Lin Jianyuan: "???"

Small stone: "It wasn’t me, I didn’t do it, I didn’t block your door, I was just passing by, really, just passing by! Hehe, just kidding. Eek, boo-hoo, it wasn’t me, really, I didn’t, don’t blame me! Don’t say it was me! Blame someone else! Eek, boo-hoo!"

Lin Jianyuan: "?????"

Maw of the Abyss: "I..."

Lin Jianyuan instantly lost his patience and slapped the Maw of the Abyss twice!

Maw of the Abyss: "?"

What the—?

Why hit me for no reason? I haven’t even said anything yet!

...Wait, what was I going to say again...

Damn, my memory's been getting worse lately...

Lin Jianyuan grabbed the squeeze toy again and—squelch!—violently squished it!

The squeeze toy was still desperately wailing.

Squelch! Squelch! Squelch!

Lin Jianyuan squeezed it fiercely several more times.

Squeeze toy: "Gack—!"

It nearly vomited up last night's dinner.

Squeeze toy: "Hey, what's happening to me... Urp—I'm gonna be sick, what's going on—Ugh!"

Next was the little stone.

Lin Jianyuan bent down, picked up a large rock from the ground, and—smash!—smashed it down.

Little stone: "Ah!"

The large rock shattered. Lin Jianyuan picked up another large rock.

Smash!!

Little stone: "Ahh!"

After several rounds of this, the little stone, smashed to pieces, screamed frantically, "Stop! No more smashing! I'm up! I'm up! Really up!!!"

As for the angel eyeball.

Lin Jianyuan grabbed it by the wing base, about to slam it hard to the ground—

The familiar terrifying pressure snapped the angel eyeball awake instantly!

"Wait, wait, wait! Don't hit me, I'm awake too!" the angel eyeball screamed, fluttering its wings frantically begging. "I'm awake, I'm awake, really, I'm awake, don't—Ah!"

Too late.

Lin Jianyuan had already executed an over-the-shoulder throw to slam it hard to the ground!

"Umph—splat!"

The little stone, which had just begun to reform after being smashed to pieces, was shattered again by this heavy blow.

It let out a gurgling wail.

After all this activity, Lin Jianyuan was completely limbered up.

He flexed his wrists, glaring coldly at the little toys strewn about crookedly on the ground.

"All awake?" Lin Jianyuan loomed over them, his tone cold. "Anyone else need to wake up a little more?"

The little toys all shook their heads frantically, shivering in terror.

"Good that you're awake."

Lin Jianyuan frowned as he looked at the frantically wailing crowds filling the entire street, his expression growing increasingly furious and dark.

So the S-class pollution range is this big.

We haven't even seen a fucking shadow yet, and it's already affected a whole street with over a thousand people!

Even Lin Jianyuan and his little toys got caught in it!

"Everyone, get your shit together!"

Lin Jianyuan bellowed,

"Management Bureau Field Operations—move out!"