Chapter 73: The Convenience of Official Organizations
Bai Li Qing didn’t press for more details about the “another accident” Yu Sheng mentioned, nor did she dig deeper into the matter of Irene.
She simply offered a general explanation regarding Alice’s Little House.
“The Dolls of Alice generally drift beyond the bounds of the Borderland. They maintain equilibrium in other realms and rarely meddle in the affairs of the Special Affairs Bureau. That said, they do have a stable line of communication with the Borderland. There’s a contact platform at the city outskirts—though common folk cannot find it, and the Dolls typically do not accept strangers.
“Still, I can send someone to inquire about Irene. If there truly is such a Doll lost in the world… they should be willing to meet you.
“However, it won’t be fast. Dolls are very busy, bound by their missions, and the Border Communication Platform isn’t always staffed. You may have to wait a while.”
Yu Sheng didn’t mind. “That’s fine. As long as the Special Affairs Bureau is willing to help, I’ll thank you on Irene’s behalf.”
“A minor effort,” Bai Li Qing replied calmly. “Offering aid to those who fall into trouble after contact with the extraordinary is one of the Special Affairs Bureau’s duties. If you have other matters needing help, feel free to tell me.”
That immediately caught Yu Sheng’s attention. “Actually, there is something.”
“Oh?”
“Can you help get two identity documents? One will do if two is too much—and preferably real ones.”
Bai Li Qing: “…?”
“You probably know, there’s someone new with me. I saved her from the Otherworld. She doesn’t remember her homeland and has no legal identity here,” Yu Sheng explained. “I wanted to ask if the Special Affairs Bureau could arrange something for her. As for Irene, she has no legal identity either, but it’s not urgent—with her current size, she couldn’t operate a Door on her own anyway, even with ID.”
Bai Li Qing’s expression turned oddly nuanced, likely because in all her years as Madam Director, no one had made this kind of request to her. But she nodded. “It’s not my department, but I can assist. If that Doll truly needs one, arrangements can be made. Of course, as you said, it would be more of a keepsake… though it might prove useful in some circumstances.”
Yu Sheng thanked her profusely. He was now certain this seemingly youthful Female Bureau Chief was truly approachable—and genuinely helpful.
So he brought up another matter. “One more thing—it’s also about the one I rescued from the Otherworld. I wanted to ask… can the Special Affairs Bureau help locate her homeland? Since you cover such a vast region, your intelligence should far surpass mine.”
“Tell me about her,” Bai Li Qing didn’t reject him. “The report had few details. I only know she’s a humanoid with beast-like traits. We have records on hundreds of such races.”
“That many…” Yu Sheng was surprised, but quickly began recalling what Foxy had told him of her homeland. “She said she came from a place where Immortals and ‘demonic beasts’ coexisted. From her description, the civilization sounded incredibly advanced. She also mentioned a group called the ‘Heavenly Ones,’ who enlightened those living on the ground…”
He conveyed as many details as he could remember, including the chaotic and rambling ones. But considering Foxy’s mental state at the time, he added a caveat. “Take this all with a grain of salt. She was just a child when she left and had been trapped too long. Her memory and thinking are a bit fuzzy, so there might be errors or exaggerations.”
“I… understand.” Bai Li Qing hesitated slightly as she nodded. Though her face remained expressionless, her uncertainty was clear. “What you describe sounds… fantastical. I can’t say whether our archives contain such a place.”
She was tactful, but Yu Sheng understood the implication.
The Special Affairs Bureau likely had no records matching that description.
“Do your best. If nothing turns up, that’s fine,” Yu Sheng sighed. “She has no family left, and she’s not fixated on returning. Finding her home is more of a personal wish of mine.”
“You seem very kind-hearted,” Bai Li Qing remarked.
“Kind of?” Yu Sheng scratched his head, slightly embarrassed. “My kindness ends up troubling you guys.”
“The Special Affairs Bureau deals with ‘trouble’ as a rule. Honestly, we prefer people like you,” Bai Li Qing said with a sigh. “If all our cases involved clients like you, our work would be much easier—at least the communication part would be a breeze.”
Yu Sheng raised a brow. “Really?”
“Clear-headed, communicative, non-violent, doesn’t drop dead mid-conversation,” Bai Li Qing listed with an open-handed gesture. Clearly venting the woes of working life, she appeared unusually human in that moment. “Scoring even three out of those four already makes you a rare ‘high-quality client’ by our standards.”
Yu Sheng: “Is the Special Affairs Bureau’s work environment really that perilous?!”
Bai Li Qing said nothing, only sighed again.
Yu Sheng had never worked for the Special Affairs Bureau, but he instantly understood what that sigh meant. Still, he didn’t have the heart to admit that he only truly fulfilled three out of the four qualifications…
Bai Li Qing quickly returned to her usual businesslike demeanor. “I’ve answered many of your questions. Do you have any others?”
“None for now,” Yu Sheng said, adjusting his sitting posture after a moment of thought. “Should we proceed with the ‘registration process’ you mentioned earlier?”
“Ordinarily, any ‘ordinary person’ who has had contact with the Otherworld must register and undergo basic checks and evaluations at a Special Affairs Bureau office, accompanied by our assigned personnel throughout. However… given this special circumstance, I can exercise a little of my authority as Bureau Chief to skip the red tape,” said Bai Li Qing, her colorless eyes scrutinizing Yu Sheng. “But first, I want to hear what plans you have for the future.”
Yu Sheng bowed his head in contemplation, then looked up seriously. “If I register as a Spirit Realm Detective or an independent Investigator, what kind of benefits would I get?”
Bai Li Qing showed no sign of surprise, as though she had expected this turn. She nodded slightly and replied, “In simple terms, you would receive access to intelligence shared by the Special Affairs Bureau regarding all lawful transcendent organizations or individuals within the Borderland, the right to use many support facilities, a communication platform to connect with other parties, a ‘legitimate identity’ recognized by other forces, and most importantly—passage permissions.”
Yu Sheng instinctively leaned forward. “Passage permissions?”
“There are many points in the Borderland that connect to the ‘Distant Realms,’ and most of these are regulated. Activating these connection points or entering certain restricted areas requires passage permissions. Of course, I suspect your ‘Door’ can bypass such issues, but legal passage grants you more intelligence support. If you’re planning to interact with the Otherworld, information is often more valuable than any combat prowess. Besides…”
“Besides?”
“Besides, spare a thought for those of us working overtime at the Special Affairs Bureau,” Bai Li Qing sighed. “In the future, if a place can be accessed by swiping a card, don’t open a Door.”
Yu Sheng immediately felt awkward.
Fortunately, he had thick skin and recovered quickly. Putting on a straight face, he nodded. “I’m always happy to uphold order.”
Bai Li Qing said nothing more, as though taking his words at face value.
Then she looked him straight in the eyes. “Any more questions?”
“What are the requirements for registering as a Spirit Realm Detective or an independent Investigator?”
“Becoming an independent Investigator is fairly simple: a clear mind, mental readiness to face death, some experience surviving in the Otherworld or basic knowledge thereof, and confirmation that you’re not doing this out of sheer madness. Meet those, and you’re qualified. The Spirit Realm Detective role has slightly higher standards. In addition to the requirements for Investigators, one must also be part of a legally registered organization.”
“A registered organization?” Yu Sheng pondered. “Ah, like that Fairy Tale Organization behind Little Red Riding Hood?”
“That’s a fair comparison,” Bai Li Qing nodded. “Most who survive the Otherworld and want to continue interacting with the supernatural world start as independent Investigators. Finding a group willing to accept a complete stranger is difficult. In many dangerous Otherworlds, an inept newbie poses more risk than an Entity. That said, there are exceptions, like a group encountering an Otherworld together and surviving as a unit—though such cases are rare.”
“Are there registration restrictions for these organizations?” Yu Sheng asked curiously.
“At least two members with Investigator qualifications, at least one member with experience in fighting Entities, a stable contact location and method, and—the name must not include anything offensive or special punctuation. Beyond that, just a declaration of lawful operation and non-disruption of Borderland order and safety. That’s all.”
Yu Sheng blinked in surprise. “…That’s it? Nothing else?”
A faint smile seemed to appear on Bai Li Qing’s face.
“This is a struggle against the Otherworld and Entities. To face things beyond Human reason and survive is the only real ‘standard’ we need. No other thresholds are necessary. Survival is the greatest threshold of all.”
Yu Sheng gave an “oh” and rubbed his chin. “Sounds like a pretty low threshold then…”