Chapter 62: The Ghost Living in the Borderland
Li Lin had never seen Captain Song, usually so composed and reliable, look this grim and tense.
“So… that eyeball-shaped Dark Angel just left the Otherworld it was parasitizing without a sound? No attempt to corrupt or control anyone, no ‘offspring’ left behind?” Song Cheng asked after a long silence, finally breaking his thoughtful pause as he listened to the report from the two Special Affairs Bureau Operatives. “During the entire process, you didn’t hear any ‘higher-dimensional whispers’ in your minds?”
“No,” Xu Jiali shook his head, his voice low. “But that thing definitely noticed us. There was a moment when I could clearly feel that sense of being ‘watched.’ Its gaze was fixed on our hiding place, as if…”
Song Cheng frowned. “As if what?”
Xu Jiali hesitated for a moment, unsure of his own conclusion. “As if it was looking for something.”
Song Cheng tapped his fingers irritably on the desk, caught in his own contemplation. After a dozen or so seconds, he let out a long breath and turned his gaze to Li Lin.
“When you made contact with that man who called himself ‘Yu Sheng,’ did you sense any ‘anomalous presence’ from him? From your gut feeling, did he seem more like a Human or… something else?”
“A Human. At least in terms of speech, behavior, and social norms, he appeared entirely human. If he were an Entity disguised as one, it would be an almost flawless disguise—perfect enough to pass as an actual person,” Li Lin answered confidently.
“But he’s been ‘living’ at Wutong Road No. 66, a place that doesn’t exist in any official records—an Otherworld. Only Entities can be generated in the Otherworld, not Humans,” Song Cheng sighed, the frustration evident in his voice.
Xu Jiali remained silent for a moment before adding, “There are some Entities out there that possess intelligence and can communicate—some even exhibit a certain friendliness or desire to interact with Humans. Entities like the ‘Storyteller’ and ‘Passenger No. 22’ sometimes even display human-like traits…”
“But the ‘Yu Sheng’ you’re talking about is fundamentally different in terms of ‘human impersonation,'” Song Cheng interrupted, shaking his head. He looked straight at Xu Jiali. “Are you sure he’s the same ‘Door Opener’ you encountered on Ameyn-IX?”
“I’m sure, but he didn’t recognize me at all,” Xu Jiali nodded. “Back then, I was wearing full Powered Armor and had a mental barrier activated. It seems his perceptual abilities can’t penetrate such equipment.”
“Limited perception, highly human-like personality traits, the ability to open any ‘Great Door’ at will, capable of countering a Hunger Entity significantly enhanced by Dark Angel influence… yet his exact combat methods remain unknown. It feels like he’s deliberately concealing his fighting style…” Song Cheng mused aloud, summarizing the intelligence gathered so far. “And one more thing…”
“He’s very friendly toward Humans,” Li Lin interjected.
“Yes, overly friendly—even willing to take the initiative to approach Special Affairs Bureau operatives,” Song Cheng nodded slightly, as if trying to piece something together. Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway outside, interrupting his train of thought.
A knock on the door broke the momentary silence, and a short-haired, petite Young Lady stepped inside holding a file folder. “Captain Song, the Archives Department has sent the data over.”
Song Cheng’s eyes widened slightly. “…There’s really data on that ‘Yu Sheng’!?”
“There is, but when you search the system, it shows as ‘canceled.’ The cancellation date coincides with the day the Borderland Population Archive System was established—meaning from the start, this person never ‘existed.’ In fact, his status was canceled even before his recorded birth date. Yet somehow, even after the cancellation, his identity records remained ‘active,’ as if the word ‘canceled’ was just a minor watermark on the system’s display,” the Young Lady explained, placing the folder on Song Cheng’s desk with an expression of disbelief. “It even contains recent shopping transactions, social interactions, and transportation logs—all conducted while the system showed his status as canceled.”
Song Cheng picked up the folder with a bewildered look. “A bug that severe, and the system didn’t trigger any alarms?”
“No, the Information Center is already arranging for tonight’s overtime. I passed by and saw Director Wu emitting his signature high-pitched blast…”
“…Let him blast away. He has to do it a few times every month anyway.” Song Cheng shook his head and glanced down at the file in his hands.
From start to finish, it appeared to be just an ordinary resident file—standard records of daily consumption and lifestyle. But across every page was a glaring red ‘CANCELLED’ watermark, along with the address ‘Wutong Road No. 66’—a location that should not exist within the archival system at all.
Song Cheng swiveled his chair, turned on the computer on his desk, and entered a few keywords—‘Wutong Road No. 66’—into a specific internal application within the Special Affairs Bureau. The result: an error message flashed on the screen.
“A Ghost… A Ghost living in the Borderland, casting an indelible shadow in our meticulously complex population management system. He didn’t just appear recently, either. According to his own statement, ‘Yu Sheng’ claims to have lived in this city for over twenty years, which matches the records in the file.” Song Cheng muttered softly, his face reflecting a weariness largely attributed to frequent overtime. “No one noticed, not even the Director with his sharp eyes—until he willingly stepped forward and made contact with us.”
Li Lin and Xu Jiali exchanged glances, both detecting a trace of gravity in each other’s eyes.
—Fortunately, this ‘Ghost’ doesn’t seem interested in causing trouble. He even believes he’s just a ‘normal human.’
At that moment, Song Cheng’s gaze fell on a certain entry within the file.
“…A writer?” He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “This Ghost has a job?”
“A freelance writer—contributing stories to small magazines and media accounts, mostly horror tales or third-rate scripts. He’s not well-known, and lately, he hasn’t written much at all.”
Song Cheng pondered for a moment. “…A failed writer?”
The short-haired Young Lady replied earnestly, “As long as he can support himself, he’s not entirely a failure.”
“…What kind of stuff does he write?”
“There’s a short story at the end of the file. I found it in a magazine from last year—I thought you might find it interesting.”
Song Cheng quickly flipped to the last page and skimmed through it.
The short-haired Young Lady looked at Captain Song with a hint of anticipation. “How does it feel?”
After a brief silence, Song Cheng’s expression grew awkward. “I… don’t really understand the tastes of the Young Men nowadays.”
He coughed twice and discreetly closed the file, his face returning to a serious demeanor. “Anyway, this is a lead worth investigating. Assign someone to gather everything this ‘Yu Sheng’ has written—analyze his psychology and personality profile. Also, keep an eye on his future… uh, ‘creative output.’”
He hesitated briefly before adding, “A presumed ‘Entity’ who believes himself to be human—thinking and even creating like one. His works will inevitably reflect his truest thoughts and emotions. This is unprecedented—take it seriously, but don’t let him catch on.”
“Understood, Captain Song.”
The short-haired Young Lady left with the file. Song Cheng shifted his focus back to Xu Jiali and Li Lin.
“Did you ask about how the ‘Spatial Rift’ was formed in the Borderland?”
Li Lin looked embarrassed, glancing at Xu Jiali beside him, who showed no intention of speaking up. Left with no choice, Li Lin braced himself and said, “…I forgot to ask.”
“You forgot?! How is that even possible?”
“It might be due to mental stress—likely from witnessing the Dark Angels,” Xu Jiali finally spoke, skillfully rescuing the rookie Li Lin. “Though we didn’t ask directly, we did hear some intel while retreating with ‘Yu Sheng’s’ two companions.”
“You mean the Doll and the Demon Fox?”
“Yes. Based on their conversation, the so-called ‘Spatial Rift’ seemed to be just… ‘Yu Sheng’ trying to open a Door to rescue the Demon Fox trapped in the Otherworld.”
Song Cheng widened his eyes. “…Just that?”
“Seems like it.”
“…Just to find a path, opening and closing Doors, shaking the entire Borderland into chaos?”
Xu Jiali tugged at his facial muscles. “Actually… it only disturbed the Bureau…”
Noticing the Captain’s expression, he promptly stopped talking.
Song Cheng sat behind his desk, fuming, before finally waving them off, looking exhausted. “Alright, you two are dismissed for now. This is too big; I need to consult with the higher-ups.”
The two glanced at each other before Xu Jiali hesitated and spoke up, “Regarding the formal contact with ‘Yu Sheng’… do we follow standard procedures?”
“Leave that to me. This likely needs the Director’s approval,” Song Cheng sighed. “If that guy was just an ordinary human, I’d have sent the two of you to deal with it. But now it’s more complicated. Go get some rest—and don’t forget to visit the Treatment Room for a check-up and paperwork. I’m giving you three days off starting tomorrow.”