Chapter 63: Investigation and Settlement
Leader’s encouragement and grand promises might not soothe the physical and mental fatigue caused by overtime work in the Otherworld, but paid leave certainly does.
Two unlucky operatives walked out of the office with faces full of joy, leaving Song Cheng to sit behind his desk, letting out a long sigh before returning to his gloomy contemplation of the computer screen.
Just then, he noticed a small icon at the corner of his screen begin to flash. In the next moment, a video window abruptly appeared.
A young woman in a white suit with a gray-white ponytail appeared on the screen, her pale gray eyes staring at Song Cheng as if all color had faded from them. “Finished yet?”
The greater Leader had arrived.
“Director,” Song Cheng immediately straightened his posture, tension subtly tightening his expression. “You haven’t clocked out yet?”
“I’m working overtime today,” Bai Li Qing replied calmly. Her voice was as devoid of warmth as her faded eyes. “I just saw the materials sent over from the Archive Department. I wanted to hear your opinion.”
“About that ‘Yu Sheng’?” Song Cheng frowned slightly, pondering for a moment before shaking his head. “I don’t think we can draw any conclusions just yet. We need to formally engage with him to assess what kind of… individual he really is. The problem lies in whether we approach him as a ‘person’ or as an ‘Entity’…”
“As a person,” Bai Li Qing said without hesitation.
Song Cheng looked visibly surprised.
“Because his self-identity is ‘human,'” Bai Li Qing said, her tone even and patient. “Regardless of whether he truly is one, we must ensure that he continues to think of himself that way.”
“…Maintaining the target’s self-identity?” Song Cheng murmured thoughtfully, beginning to understand the Director’s reasoning. “You’re worried that… if his self-identity shifts, it could lead to serious consequences?”
“We can’t yet determine what abilities he possesses or how he might influence the Borderland’s future. However, the more we have standing on the ‘human’ side, the fewer will align with the ‘non-human’ side. Naturally benevolent Otherworld Entities are rare—especially one who has supposedly ‘lived’ in the Borderland for such a long time. We should consider it a stroke of luck.”
Song Cheng nodded at once. “Understood, Director. I will arrange the approach to ‘Yu Sheng’… I’ll go personally.”
Bai Li Qing gave a slight nod before adding, “Regarding the recently appeared ‘Dark Angels,’ the Council has been informed. It is almost certain that they are new.”
Song Cheng’s pupils shrank instantly.
“No old records?” he leaned forward instinctively, his expression exceptionally grave. “What about records from other factions?”
“We’ve already consulted the Alglade Astrological Society and the Academy. Neither has any official records of a Dark Angel matching the description of the colossal eyeball that covered the sky. The Bamosa Hermit Society hasn’t responded yet, but if even the Academy has no record, it’s unlikely that Bamosa would. While we can’t rule out minor factions having encountered it, the probability is low,” Bai Li Qing shook her head.
Song Cheng’s brows furrowed deeply, anxiety etched on his face.
“This is troubling… A completely unrecorded new ‘Angel,’ vanishing before we could gather any intelligence, and on such a grand scale,” he muttered. “Covering the entire sky above Night Valley… Based on official records of Night Valley, it’s likely that this thing has been parasitizing that Otherworld for a very long time.”
“Yes, high-level camouflage, deep parasitism—to the point that early Investigators even believed the sky there was naturally that way, hence the name ‘Night Valley,'” Bai Li Qing said slowly. “In terms of physical size alone, this newly appeared ‘Dark Angel’ might rank among the top three known Angels.”
Song Cheng sank into contemplation, eventually murmuring, “According to intel gathered by my two operatives, the Demon Fox Maiden named ‘Foxy’ by Yu Sheng seems to have been trapped in Night Valley for a considerable time. She might know something about that ‘Dark Angel.'”
“A potential breakthrough, but proceed cautiously with the investigation.”
Song Cheng gave a slight nod. “Understood.”
Bai Li Qing made a faint sound of acknowledgment, seemingly preparing to end the call when Song Cheng abruptly spoke up.
“One more thing, Director.”
“Go ahead.”
“…I plan to take a ride on the ‘Train’ to see if I can gather information related to ‘Yu Sheng.'”
“…Approved—but be cautious. Even with relatively rational and friendly Entities, maintain vigilance.”
“Understood.”
…
In the cozy little room, Yu Sheng suddenly sneezed several times in quick succession, startling Irene, who was balancing herself on the bed’s footboard.
“You scared me!” the little doll glared at him.
“Nose itches,” Yu Sheng rubbed his nose and grabbed Irene, tossing her onto the bed casually. “Stop just watching—come help. Sit in the middle so I can pull the sheets.”
“Okay!” Irene happily plopped down cross-legged in the middle of the bed, looking up at Yu Sheng bustling around.
Foxy, standing a bit further away, fidgeted uncomfortably as she watched her Benefactor making the bed for her.
“Benefactor… I can help too,” the Demon Fox Maiden wrung her hands nervously, her tail swaying with unease. “Tidying up a room is simple, I’ve watched how to do it!”
“Then you can tidy it yourself next time,” Yu Sheng didn’t even look up. “I’m almost done with this one.”
Foxy let out a small “Oh” as she suppressed the uneasy feeling of being cared for, carefully and curiously examining her new room.
This was the room on the second floor that used to be cluttered with a lot of miscellaneous items. Now, all the cardboard boxes holding those odds and ends had been cleared out and moved to the basement. After a simple cleaning, the place had been restored to a livable state. Well, “livable” might be a stretch—the furnishings were still quite sparse. Apart from the bed and a table that were already buried under the previous mess, the only other piece of “furniture” left was a single chair in the corner.
To make it a bit more functional, Yu Sheng had just fetched a folding wardrobe from the basement and spent quite a while figuring out how to assemble it with Irene. The awkward combination of iron pipes and canvas had finally come together, forming what could be considered the fourth piece of furniture in the room.
However, Foxy didn’t really have any clothes to put inside. She hardly had any personal belongings—just the tattered “dress” she had brought from the Valley, which was now more like a pile of rags. She couldn’t bear to throw it away, so after washing it clean, she folded it neatly and placed it at the very bottom of the ugly folding wardrobe. It became her first possession in this new “home.”
Yet despite the humble, even shabby state of this Little House, Foxy couldn’t contain her happiness.
She could finally sleep in a bed. She had already tried lying down on it earlier—it felt softer and smoother than the plushest haystack. Above her head was a solid roof, and walls sheltered her from the wind—the room was warm and cozy, unlike the Valley where coldness seeped through every crevice. There was even a bright electric light hanging from the ceiling, far more radiant than her Fox Fire.
But most importantly—no matter what she did here, that monster wouldn’t show up. And if she got hungry, there was always food to be found.
Right now, her tail was full of food.
Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Foxy wore a bright, joyful smile.
Yu Sheng, who had just finished spreading the bedsheet, turned around and saw the Demon Fox Maiden grinning foolishly on the floor.
“Why are you sitting on the floor again? There’s a chair right next to you. And what’s got you grinning like that?”
“Oh!” Foxy scrambled to her feet and moved to sit on the chair, a little flustered. “I’m just happy.”
“Well, you should be happy,” Yu Sheng nodded in agreement, straightening up with a faint sense of accomplishment as he surveyed the room.
Although the furnishings remained minimal, a lot of effort had gone into cleaning and organizing. After all, it had taken them more than two hours to make it presentable.
—But it still looked a bit too bare.
“Tomorrow, we’ll head to the Shopping Mall and get you an extra set of bedding and a couple of outfits,” Yu Sheng planned aloud. “We’ll also replace those curtains—they’ve got holes in them. The folding wardrobe will have to do for now. A new one’s pretty expensive, and funds are tight lately. Eventually, we can add a nightstand and maybe a small lamp.”
“No, no, that’s too much,” Foxy hurriedly waved her hands, clearly overwhelmed. “It’s already great as it is.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Yu Sheng dismissed her concern with a casual wave. “It’s just everyday stuff—what you should have. You’re going to be my number one enforcer, after all. Can’t let your living conditions be too shabby.”
Sitting in the middle of the bed, Irene raised her head upon hearing this and shot Yu Sheng a glance.
“Before you think about buying furniture, maybe figure out how to get it delivered to your ‘Wutong Road No. 66’ first,” she remarked dryly. “No way a new TV’s gonna make it here either—delivery’s out of the question. Or are you planning to open a ‘big’ Door and haul a bunch of furniture back yourself?”
Yu Sheng’s enthusiasm for making plans suddenly cooled. His expression turned slightly solemn.
He recalled the words spoken by those Special Affairs Bureau Operatives before they left.
…That’s right. Delivery would indeed be an issue.
After all—Wutong Road No. 66 doesn’t exist.