Chapter 15

Chapter 15

What a truly captivating statement.

Lin Juan’s heart was swayed by money for a fleeting second. For that brief moment, he felt that continuing life with Lu Yanzhou was indeed an excellent decision.

But it was only for a second.

He cleared his throat. "This doesn't feel right. How could I possibly accept your money to pay off a debt, completely out of the blue?"

From his tone, it was clear he had to exert considerable self-control to resist agreeing.

A faint smile flickered across Lu Yanzhou’s face. "Given our relationship, can it truly be considered 'out of the blue'?"

*What relationship do we have?*

Lin Juan mused inwardly.

*We have a pure relationship; don't make it sound so ambiguous.*

Lin Juan’s expression turned serious, and he was about to righteously refuse when the man interrupted him. "You could first inquire if they even expect compensation from you."

Oh, right.

What if the Paranormal Special Affairs Office was as generous as the Lu family?

The Lu family hadn't asked him for compensation.

Lin Juan planned to find a private moment to ask Zhuang Yufeng.

With the hospital crisis resolved, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. After bandaging a colleague’s wound, Zhuang Yufeng noticed Lin Juan standing nearby, seemingly with something to say.

He finished his task and walked over to Lin Juan. "Mr. Lin, were you looking for me?"

"Yes, there is one thing."

Lin Juan’s serious expression made Zhuang Yufeng’s heart involuntarily leap.

What could make this young man, who remained unfazed even when confronting a Class C Anomaly, appear so solemn?

It had to be something critically important, something extremely urgent.

Zhuang Yufeng steeled himself for bad news, his face growing considerably graver. "Tell me."

"Well," Lin Juan stammered, "um, I wanted to ask—didn't I smash your pollution detector earlier? You mentioned it was very expensive. How should I compensate you?"

*That’s it?*

Zhuang Yufeng rubbed his ear, doubting he had heard correctly, and hesitantly repeated, "You’re asking about compensation for the pollution detector?"

"Yes," Lin Juan affirmed. Now that he had spoken, the rest was easier. "I didn't realize what I was holding at the time…"

If he had known it was such an expensive item, he wouldn't have worried about getting dirty and would have just used his fists.

Once he understood the situation, Zhuang Yufeng couldn't help but laugh. "Mr. Lin, what are you talking about? You rendered a great service in this incident. Forget about compensation; we should be the ones thanking you."

Wow!

He really didn't have to pay!

Lin Juan’s face lit up with joy.

Seeing his delighted expression, Zhuang Yufeng’s mood also brightened. "Regarding this incident, Mr. Lin, you performed a great deed. We will apply to the bureau for a reward for you. Once the specific details of the reward are internally discussed, we will present it to you along with the reward from the previous 'Magic Mushroom' incident."

"I get a reward too?!"

The people in this world were so generous; he liked that.

"Is it a cash reward?"

Having been utterly penniless and terrified of poverty in his previous world, Lin Juan had unknowingly developed a hoarder's mentality. Even though the Lu family now covered all his expenses and there was no immediate need to spend money, seeing the growing balance in his account still brought him immense joy.

"Of course. Our Special Affairs Office always rewards and punishes fairly. How could we possibly discourage a hero, right?" Zhuang Yufeng said with a playful tone.

Lin Juan nodded repeatedly. "That’s an excellent system."

Leaving Lin Juan with a favorable impression of the Paranormal Special Affairs Office, Zhuang Yufeng prioritized the reward matter, intending to discuss it with Director Liu later.

From their brief conversation, it was evident that Lin Juan had a fondness for money. Such a preference, for them, was undoubtedly a good thing.

A love for money was far easier to satisfy than other complicated desires.

Lin Juan returned with a visibly joyful expression, and Lu Yanzhou knew then that the people from the Paranormal Special Affairs Office were very astute, having earned Lin Juan's considerable goodwill.

Because Lu Yanzhou had proactively offered to help with the debt, even though it was no longer necessary, Lin Juan’s favorable impression of him remained high. He eagerly shared the good news.

"Mr. Lu, I'm about to receive a substantial bonus!"

"Congratulations," Lu Yanzhou offered.

"Thank you," Lin Juan reciprocated. "Once the bonus comes through, I'll treat all of you to a meal."

Lu Yanzhou: "All of us?"

Lin Juan counted on his fingers: "You, Old Mr. Lu, Eldest Brother Lu, sister-in-law, Lu Mingxuan—everyone!"

With matters concluded, they could depart.

Lin Juan pushed Lu Yanzhou’s wheelchair, following behind.

The surroundings were strewn with debris.

It wasn't that the hospital buildings themselves were destroyed; rather, scattered everywhere were the shells of the "Wuchang Snail."

"These shells are incredibly hard," Lin Juan pointed out the tough, bluish-gray fragments around them to Lu Yanzhou. "It took a lot of effort to smash them."

After the Wuchang Snail died, its "shells" became visible. Apart from those Lin Juan had broken, the remaining parts still encircled the entire hospital like colossal walls.

To prevent panic, Director Liu had a superpower user with illusion abilities cast a spell over the "shells" around the hospital, rendering them invisible to ordinary people.

As for the fragments Lin Juan had broken off, they weren't individually concealed.

Those were what Lin Juan was showing Lu Yanzhou.

"This material is that hard?" Lu Yanzhou asked.

"Extremely hard," Lin Juan nodded. "Tougher than any known material."

"Excellent for defense."

Lu Yanzhou seemed quite interested in these matters and asked Lin Juan a few more questions, which Lin Juan answered one by one.

Lin Juan received the bonus from the Paranormal Special Affairs Office a week later.

Along with the bonus, there was also a commendation banner.

With his youngest son awake and his daughter-in-law proving capable, Old Mr. Lu was in high spirits due to the happy events, cheerful all day, and his health had significantly improved.

He accepted the commendation banner from Zhuang Yufeng, beaming. "It brings honor to the family, truly brings honor to the family."

"Xiao Juan, where would you like to display these?" Old Mr. Lu considered several locations. "The main hall would be perfect—everyone who visits will see it."

"I'm fine with anything; you can decide," Lin Juan said, clutching his bonus with stars in his eyes. "Just don’t put it in the bedroom."

He didn’t want to wake up to two commendation banners first thing in the morning.

That would be far too embarrassing.

Just look at what was written on those banners?

Lin Juan felt it was excessive, praising him to the point of discomfort.

Seeing his satisfaction, Director Liu smiled and said, "There’s one more thing. I wonder if Mr. Lin would be interested in working for our Paranormal Special Affairs Office?"

Oh?

Lin Juan had been in this world for some time now and hadn't yet found a job. Curious, he asked, "What would I need to do? Would it be very busy? Would there be overtime? What about the benefits?"

Director Liu replied, "Your abilities are unique. When paranormal incidents occur, you’ll need to go on missions with the special operations team. How busy it is depends on the situation. When there are no paranormal incidents, it’s not busy. Overtime follows the same pattern. We offer comprehensive insurance and pension, an official civil service position, housing allocation, and bonuses after each mission completion, with varying amounts."

Lin Juan was tempted but declined. "No, I prefer a freer lifestyle."

He had roughly analyzed it—working for the Paranormal Special Affairs Office would be akin to joining the military. He was accustomed to a free-spirited life and wasn't suited for such work.

Director Liu had anticipated the rejection. When Lin Juan declined, he didn’t press further. With the increasing frequency of paranormal events, some superpower users had emerged among the public, and not all were willing to be recruited by the authorities.

The more powerful they were, the more independent their personalities.

Later, Lu Yanzhou privately asked Lin Juan, "Are you truly not interested?"

Lin Juan tilted his head. "If I were tempted, I would’ve agreed already. Do I need to imitate Zhuge Liang and wait for three personal invitations?"

Lin Juan had considered it carefully. Joining the Paranormal Special Affairs Office was a good option, providing him with a secure footing in this world. But at the same time, once he agreed, he would be bound to the government. He didn’t mind occasionally lending a hand to the authorities, but he didn’t want to be tied down.

He had grown up freely in the mountains and detested constraints.

Moreover, the Lu family had given him so much money. Before the crisis surrounding Lu Yanzhou was resolved, he felt obligated to ensure his safety.

What if he went out on a mission and Lu Yanzhou was harmed again?

Lin Juan wouldn’t voice all these considerations. He knew that one day he would leave the Lu family, and before that, he needed to save as much money as possible.

Director Liu had, however, reminded him—he needed a job independent of the Lu family.

What should he do?

Lin Juan sought out Lu Mingxuan.

"Uncle, you were looking for me?"

"Yes, do you know how to design business cards?"

"Uncle’s company has specialists for that. Why didn’t you ask Uncle?" Lu Mingxuan cautiously observed Lin Juan’s expression. "Did you two have a fight?"

That wouldn’t do.

Lu Mingxuan was determined to protect the relationship between his uncle and uncle-in-law, ready to inquire about the reasons and help resolve any conflicts.

"No," Lin Juan said, exasperated. "Why would you think that?"

"Good that you didn’t," Lu Mingxuan dramatically patted his chest. "Uncle, leave it to me. I’ll definitely handle it well. Who is the business card for? Any style preferences?"

"For myself. Director Liu plans to gradually inform the public about the existence of the paranormal. I want to create a business card to take on commissions for handling paranormal events," Lin Juan explained his plan.

"Oh, that’s wonderful! Are you starting a studio, Uncle? You can ask Uncle for help~"

"Why do you keep bringing up your uncle in every sentence?" Lin Juan regretted asking him.

"Just joking. Any other requirements, Uncle?"

"Not for now."

Lu Mingxuan took on the task and immediately went to find his uncle, who was working in the study, to tell him about Lin Juan’s plan.

After finishing, Lu Mingxuan winked. "Uncle, I’ve given you this opportunity. Make sure to seize it."

"Mind your manners," Lu Yanzhou said mildly, clearly not genuinely angry.

Lu Mingxuan spoke earnestly. "Uncle, I’m serious. Don’t take this lightly. Uncle-in-law has both looks and ability. Right now, he’s just staying at Lu Manor, keeping to himself, so his reputation isn't widespread. Later on, there will surely be countless people pursuing him."

Catching his breath, Lu Mingxuan took a deep breath and emphasized his final point: "Uncle, don’t let the moon slip away right under your nose!"

Author's Note:

Happy Labor Day, everyone! [Throws flowers]