Chapter 73: The Convenience of Official Organizations
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation
Bai Li Qing didn’t press Yu Sheng about what he meant by “another incident,” nor did she ask much about Irene. Instead, she briefly explained to Yu Sheng about “Alice’s Little House.”
“Most of Alice’s Dolls roam beyond the Borderland. They maintain balance in other places and almost never get involved with the Special Affairs Bureau. However, they do have a fixed line of contact with the Borderland, and there’s a contact point on the city’s edge—although it’s not easy for ordinary people to find, and the Dolls usually don’t accept strangers.
“But I could send someone to check with them about Irene. If there is indeed a Doll wandering on her own, they might be willing to meet you.
“However, it won’t be quick. The Dolls are very busy with their own missions, and the contact point in the Borderland isn’t always manned. You may have to wait for a while.”
Yu Sheng didn’t mind. “That’s fine. As long as the Special Affairs Bureau is willing to help, I’m already grateful. I’ll thank you on Irene’s behalf.”
“It’s no trouble at all,” Bai Li Qing said calmly. “One of our main tasks is to help people who have encountered difficulties due to exposure to the supernatural. If you need any more help, feel free to ask.”
Yu Sheng perked up at that. “Actually, I do have another request.”
“Oh?”
“Could you help me get two ID cards? One would be fine, if it’s too much trouble—but it has to be real.”
Bai Li Qing blinked. “What?”
“You know I have someone with me now, the person I saved from the Otherworld. She doesn’t know where her home is, and she doesn’t have any legal status here,” Yu Sheng explained. “I was hoping the Bureau might have a way to arrange something for her. And for Irene too—though that’s less urgent, seeing as she’s too small to go out by herself even with an ID.”
Bai Li Qing’s expression became slightly complicated. It was probably the first time in her years as the Bureau’s director that someone had asked for something like this. But she quickly nodded. “This isn’t the Bureau’s usual work, but I can help. If the Doll needs an ID, I can arrange that too. Of course, like you said, it’ll mostly be a formality… though it might come in handy in certain situations.”
Yu Sheng thanked her repeatedly, feeling certain now that this young-looking director was genuinely helpful and willing to lend a hand.
So he decided to bring up another matter. “There’s something else too, about the person I rescued from the Otherworld. I was wondering… could the Bureau help me find her hometown? You have access to a lot more information than I do.”
“Tell me what you know about her,” Bai Li Qing didn’t refuse. “The report had very few details. All I know is that she’s a humanoid creature with animal traits. In our records, there are over a hundred different groups with similar characteristics.”
“Whoa, that many?” Yu Sheng was surprised. But he quickly collected himself and began to recall what Foxy had told him about her home. “She said she came from a place where Immortals and demons coexist. From her descriptions, it seemed like the civilization there was very advanced. She also mentioned a group called the ‘Heavenly Ones,’ who enlightened the people on the ground…”
Yu Sheng tried to recount as much as he could, even the messy details. But considering Foxy’s confused mental state when she spoke of her past, he added a reminder. “Take it all with a grain of salt. She seemed to be just a child when she left home, and she’s been trapped for so long—both her memories and her thinking are muddled. There might be mistakes or exaggerations in what she told me.”
“I… understand,” Bai Li Qing nodded hesitantly. Though her face was expressionless, her uncertain demeanor suggested her thoughts were complicated at that moment. “Indeed, what you’ve described sounds a bit… far-fetched. I’m not sure if there’s anything in the Bureau’s records that matches.”
She phrased it gently, but Yu Sheng got her meaning. The Bureau probably didn’t have any matching information.
“Just try your best. If you can’t find anything, that’s fine too,” Yu Sheng sighed. “She doesn’t really have any family left, and she’s not too attached to her old home. Finding her homeland is more my wish than hers.”
“You seem very kind-hearted,” Bai Li Qing suddenly commented.
“I guess so?” Yu Sheng was a bit embarrassed. “But my ‘kind-heartedness’ ends up troubling you all.”
“The Bureau often deals with ‘troubles,’ and compared to others, we prefer interacting with someone like you,” Bai Li Qing said. “If all our cases were like yours, our work would be much easier—at least the ‘interaction’ part would be simpler.”
Yu Sheng raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
“Clear-headed, communicative, not violent, not suddenly dropping dead,” Bai Li Qing sighed, spreading her hands. It seemed that venting about work was the most sincere part of any job, and her gesture at that moment made her seem quite human. “If someone meets three out of these four criteria, they’re already a ‘premium client’ compared to what we usually see.”
Yu Sheng was stunned. “Is the Bureau’s work environment really that dangerous?!”
Bai Li Qing didn’t say anything, just sighed again.
Yu Sheng had never worked for the Bureau, but he understood that sigh instantly.
Bai Li Qing quickly returned to her businesslike demeanor. “I’ve answered a lot of your questions—is there anything else you’d like to ask?”
“No more questions, for now,” Yu Sheng thought for a moment and adjusted his posture. “So, is it time for that ‘registration process’ you mentioned earlier?”
“Typically, ordinary people who have come into contact with the Otherworld need to register at the Bureau’s office and undergo a basic examination and evaluation, accompanied by our contact personnel. However, given the special circumstances, I can use my authority as director to skip the red tape,” Bai Li Qing said, her colorless eyes scrutinizing Yu Sheng. “But I’d like to hear first about what your plans are for the future.”
Yu Sheng lowered his head in thought, then looked up seriously. “If I register as a Spirit Realm Detective or an independent investigator, what benefits would I get?”
Bai Li Qing showed no surprise, as if she’d anticipated this. She nodded slightly and answered, “In simple terms, you’d gain access to information shared by the Bureau with various legitimate supernatural organizations and individuals in the Borderland. You’d also be able to use a wide range of support facilities, access communication platforms to connect with other groups or people, obtain a legally recognized status, and most importantly—travel permissions.”
Yu Sheng leaned forward instinctively. “Travel permissions?”
“There are many points in the Borderland that connect to ‘far-off places,’ and most of these points are restricted. Using these connections or entering certain controlled zones requires travel permissions. Of course, I’m guessing that your ‘door’ could bypass these problems. But legal access means you’d get more information support. If you plan to deal with the Otherworld, ‘information’ is often more valuable than any fighting skills. Besides…”
“Besides?”
“Besides, think of the people like us who have to work overtime at the Bureau,” Bai Li Qing suddenly sighed. “If you could swipe a card instead of opening a door, please do it.”
Yu Sheng felt instantly embarrassed.
Luckily, he was thick-skinned. After a moment of awkwardness, he managed to recover, nodded, and said solemnly, “I’ve always been happy to maintain order.”
Bai Li Qing didn’t say anything, just listened as if she believed him.
Then she looked him directly in the eye. “Anything else you want to ask?”
“Are there any requirements for registering as a Spirit Realm Detective or an independent investigator?”
“Registering as an independent investigator is simple. You need a clear mind, the psychological readiness to face death, and some experience or basic knowledge of surviving the Otherworld. We also need to confirm that you’re not doing this out of madness. That’s all it takes. Becoming a Spirit Realm Detective has slightly higher requirements. Besides the skills needed for investigators, you also need a legitimate and effective ‘registered group.’”
“A registered group?” Yu Sheng thought for a moment. “Oh, I get it, like the ‘Fairy Tale’ group behind Little Red Riding Hood, right?”
“That’s correct,” Bai Li Qing nodded. “Most people who survive the Otherworld and want to continue dealing with the supernatural start as independent investigators. Finding an organization willing to take in an unfamiliar rookie is difficult—in many dangerous Otherworlds, a clumsy newcomer is even more dangerous than encountering an Entity. Of course, there are exceptions, like a group of people who all survive an encounter together. But that’s rare.”
“Do these groups have registration requirements?” Yu Sheng asked curiously.
“At least two members must meet the qualifications of an investigator. At least one member must have experience fighting Entities. The group must have a stable contact point and communication method. Also—the group name must not contain offensive words or special symbols. Apart from a few basic rules like ‘legal operations’ and ‘not threatening the safety and order of the Borderland,’ that’s about it.”
Yu Sheng listened, wide-eyed. “…That’s it? No other requirements?”
For a moment, Bai Li Qing seemed to smile.
“This is about confronting the Otherworld and Entities—surviving against things beyond human understanding is the only valid ‘standard.’ We don’t need to set barriers. Survival itself is the biggest barrier.”
Yu Sheng nodded, rubbing his chin. “Sounds like a pretty low barrier…”