"Is the pay good? Do you provide meals? Are there benefits and a housing fund?"
As soon as he said that, the entire room once again fell into an eerie silence.
A young Special Cases Department officer couldn't hold it in and snorted with laughter, but under Shen Bingyue's icy glance, he immediately clamped a hand over his mouth and lowered his head.
A tiny crack finally appeared in Shen Bingyue's frost-cold expression.
She had met all kinds of rogue supernaturals—some arrogant and conceited, others looking to seize the chance to extort them.
But someone like Qin Feng, who so openly cared about salary and benefits, was absolutely a first.
This man's thought process seemed to be wired differently from ordinary people's.
"Yes."
Shen Bingyue took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the absurdity churning within her, and regained her professional calm.
"Once you pass the assessment and become a Probationary Agent, your base monthly salary will be fifteen thousand. Your benefits and housing fund will be paid at the highest standard. Field assignments also come with substantial subsidies and Merit Point rewards."
Qin Feng's eyes instantly lit up, and even his breathing quickened. Fifteen thousand!
"What about... food, clothing, housing, and transportation?" he asked tentatively, like a cautious job applicant.
"The organization covers it all."
Shen Bingyue was concise, then immediately threw out an even more tempting offer.
"More importantly, you will receive resources beyond anything ordinary people can imagine.
"That includes systematic combat training, instruction in mystical knowledge, and authorization to use equipment far beyond the technological level of the outside world.
"With every promotion, you can exchange for more powerful abilities and items, giving you the means to survive in this increasingly dangerous world."
Qin Feng's heart pounded uncontrollably.
To a poor student driven by rent into delivering takeout to haunted houses, those words were practically heavenly music.
The temptation of money was so naked, so effective.
A sincere, uncontrollable longing appeared on the face written all over with "poverty" and "social anxiety."
Seeing the expression on Qin Feng's face that practically screamed "I'm in," Shen Bingyue relaxed slightly.
But her next words were like a bucket of ice water, extinguishing Qin Feng's enthusiasm.
"However." Her tone suddenly turned grave.
"Rights and obligations coexist. Becoming a member of the Special Cases Department means dedicating both your life and loyalty to this country.
"When anomalous incidents break out, you must obey command headquarters without condition and head for the most dangerous front lines."
Her sharp gaze swept over Qin Feng as she emphasized each word.
"Most importantly, to maximize agent survival rates, all field missions must be carried out by standard teams of at least two people.
"Solo action driven by personal heroism is absolutely prohibited!"
Shen Bingyue pointed at the wreckage on the floor, her voice carrying an unquestionable force. "You only survived this time because you were lucky. You encountered nothing more than two lowest-level E-class Anomalies.
"Your improvised methods will only get you killed faster when facing higher-level threats. Having partners who can cover for each other is what guarantees survival."
"A two-person team..."
Those words were like a rusty iron lock, snapping shut around Qin Feng's restless heart.
A scene even instantly appeared in his mind: he was painstakingly fighting a fanged, blue-faced evil ghost, just about to land the finishing blow, when some "useless teammate" beside him shouted, "I'll help you!" and stole the kill with a Psionic Bullet.
And then? His system panel's [Cleansing Points] would remain completely unchanged, while [Legendary Armament] would be nowhere in sight.
Then what the hell was the point?!
Making a player with wallhacks, aimbot, and infinite-ammo cheats play support for a newbie who couldn't even figure out WASD was not only stifling—it could expose the fact that he was "cheating" at any moment.
The longing and excitement on his face receded like the tide, turning back into that somewhat timid awkwardness.
"Um... ma'am," Qin Feng said, rubbing his hands together and avoiding her gaze. "I... I might not be very used to working with people. I've always been a loner since I was young. I'm afraid... afraid I'll hold my teammates back."
"Just not used to it?"
Shen Bingyue's gaze became scrutinizing. She stepped half a pace forward, her presence oppressive.
"Qin Feng, I need the truth. Is it because you're not used to it, or because you have secrets that make it inconvenient for you to travel with others?"
Qin Feng's heart tightened. This woman's intuition was too sharp.
He could only force himself to play his "social anxiety" persona to the end. "I... I'm just a student. I haven't seen much of the world, and my studies are pretty demanding too... I'm afraid a job where lives are on the line would put too much pressure on me, and I'd break down. Then not only would I be unable to help, I might even hurt others."
His words sounded both "sincere" and cowardly. Several Special Cases Department officers showed regret. Such a formidable rogue supernatural, yet with such poor mental fortitude—it was a waste of those unfathomable abilities.
Shen Bingyue watched him silently for more than ten seconds, seemingly judging whether his words were true.
"I understand."
In the end, she nodded and did not press him any further, making Qin Feng breathe a sigh of relief.
But then she changed tack. "The state will not force any citizen. However, your abilities have already awakened. Remaining outside the organization poses a potential risk to both you and society.
"So, we have another cooperation model, specifically for people like you who are unwilling or unable to join. We call them—'Collaborators.'"
"Collaborators?" Qin Feng looked up curiously.
"We have established an independent system of cooperation and incentives for Collaborators."
As she spoke, Shen Bingyue took a strangely designed black phone from her tactical vest pocket. Its screen had none of the usual apps, only a dark-gold software icon resembling an ancient totem.
"This is an internal app developed by the Special Cases Department specifically for all registered supernaturals. Its codename is—'Yellow Springs.'"
She held the phone out before Qin Feng and brought up an interface resembling a mission bounty board.
[Emergency Incident: A D-Class Anomaly 'Faceless Man' has reportedly been sighted at the chemical industrial park in the western suburbs of Donghai City. It is suspected to have already caused disappearances. Recruiting official agents to handle the situation. Merit reward: 80 points.]
[Investigation Task: Seek the latest leads regarding the 'Little Girl in Red.' Submit valid intelligence to receive 15 Contribution Points.]
[Resource Purchase Request: The Shen Family of Ice City is seeking a ten-year-old Heart of Lightning-Struck Wood. Price negotiable.]
As Shen Bingyue operated the phone, she explained in her cool voice, "You can think of it as an official 'supernatural community.'
"You may selectively accept non-mandatory tasks, or report anomalous incidents you discover in exchange for Contribution Points.
"Contribution Points can be exchanged for anything you want in the internal mall."
As she spoke, she opened another section of the app—[Exchange Mall].
A dazzling list instantly popped up, glowing faintly and leaving Qin Feng wide-eyed.
[Exorcism Talisman (Finished Product) — 10 Contribution Points]
[Heart-Cleansing Jade Pendant (Ordinary Grade) — 30 Contribution Points]
[Psionic Bullet (Standard Type) x10 — 50 Contribution Points]
[Golden Light Incantation (Beginner Volume) — 200 Contribution Points]
[Portable Grievance Detector (Third Generation) — 500 Contribution Points]
Qin Feng's Adam's apple bobbed unconsciously. Wasn't this just the official PLUS version of his [Sin Cleansing Mall]?!
"Your circumstances are special. You have consecutively dealt with two E-class incidents, so I will apply for special approval for you to skip the lowest-level Ghost Soldier probationary period and be certified directly as a Soul Reaper-level Collaborator."
As Shen Bingyue spoke, she had already installed the "Yellow Springs" app on Qin Feng's phone and completed his initial registration.
"Your starting Contribution Points are zero, but I will report your merit for handling The Thing Under the Bed. Once the review is approved, roughly fifteen points should be credited.
"As for the Slit-Mouthed Woman... since you acted in passive self-defense and did not report it immediately, it cannot be recognized retroactively."
Qin Feng inwardly sighed at the pity of it, but getting fifteen points for free was already a huge profit.
"Remember, the existence of the 'Yellow Springs' app is top secret. You must never reveal it to any ordinary person."
Shen Bingyue gave one final stern reminder. "Take care of yourself."
With that, she did not linger. Turning around, she gave her officers a crisp wave. "Pack up."
The group had come quickly and left just as quickly. A specialized logistics department would handle the aftermath here.
The whole world seemed to return to calm.
Qin Feng stood there blankly, staring down at the dark-gold "Yellow Springs" icon on his phone screen, feeling as if he were dreaming.
He opened the app, looked through the dazzling exchange list, then pulled up his own system panel and looked at the 30 newly credited points and the total of 50 [Cleansing Points].
One path was the official "broad road," stable and safe, where Contribution Points could be exchanged for vast resources and intelligence.
The other path was his own "single-log bridge," high-risk and high-reward, where he could gain unique growth through hunting and plundering.
Dual systems?
Qin Feng grinned.
Only poor students had to make choices. He wanted it all!
Before you continue