"The Crystal Skull organization?"
After seeing Zhang Chiguo off, Han Su returned to his apartment and sat quietly for a long time, his mind still filled with the information Zhang had reluctantly given him.
So Zhang Chiguo had seen that woman while investigating an incident connected to the mysterious Crystal Skull organization?
That meant she really had been in Qinggang City all along. Maybe she hadn't even been far from him.
An uncontrollable mix of agitation and gritted-teeth frustration stirred in him, but in the end, it all suddenly eased. She'd been so close, yet hadn't shown herself once in ten years. It was all rather interesting.
Now there was only one question: when should he go looking for this mysterious organization?
Zhang Chiguo had insisted that he wait until he became an investigator before looking into these things. Of course he had to listen.
But then again...
If he didn't really investigate and only took a little peek, that wouldn't be a problem, would it?
Feeling lighter, he drew the curtains, locked the door, then sat down at his computer desk and turned on his brand-new secondhand computer.
He messaged the woman with the Black Rose avatar: [I'm back.]
Black Rose: [!!! You got dragged back into the past again? It's only been eight days! Your interval has already gotten that short?]
Han Su: [...]
[No, it's not that. I went on a business trip and just got back to Qinggang City.]
Black Rose: [What's that got to do with me?]
Han Su: [...I thought we were friends.]
[Fine!]
Black Rose replied: [I just remembered, actually, I have something to tell you too. The Public Security Bureau just canceled your consultation fees and took all your records. They wouldn't even let me keep a backup.]
[They told me to delete our chat history too.]
[Heh. But I'd already deleted it before they even asked. I wouldn't want our chats getting leaked.]
[...]
"Is it because I joined the Disaster Management Bureau and my file was classified?"
Han Su wondered to himself. Then he found her tone a little strange. What was there about their chat history that needed to be hidden? Apart from the fact that he got dragged back into the past...
Huh? That was a problem, actually.
Earlier, Han Su hadn't been afraid to tell people about being dragged back into the past. After all, it had happened again and again, and he'd nearly died each time.
It was only after meeting Zhang Chiguo and learning some things that he'd started keeping it a secret. Now, thinking about it, he even wondered if he should take out Black Rose to silence her.
He tapped out a message: [None of that matters anymore. Do you remember when I was disfigured and went blind?]
[?]
Black Rose sent him a giant question mark: [When were you ever disfigured? If you weren't so good-looking, why would I have bothered talking to you?]
[And I wasn't flirting with you in those chats. We were having a perfectly proper conversation. You'd better delete them too!!]
"As expected, she's forgotten everything."
It was only then that Han Su realized what she was worried about.
On this Life Path, he hadn't been disfigured or lost an eye. He still looked pretty good. At least, Black Rose was much friendlier toward him.
Every now and then, she'd say that chatting online was no fun and tell him to visit her office.
She'd also said she kept a cat in her office that could do a backflip...
He quickly shook his head to clear those thoughts, then considered things for a moment before raising a topic he cared about:
[Do you know of any groups in this city, or nearby, that worship mysterious powers? Something to do with crystals and skulls?]
[?]
Black Rose was very displeased by his question: [I'm a psychologist, you know. And a psychologist who can barely get any clients. Do you think I know everything?]
A little while later, she sent another message: [There are lots of groups around Qinggang that worship mysterious powers. In certain social circles, believing in mysterious powers is really popular, okay?]
[You're not talking about the Crystal Skull organization, are you?]
[It seems to be a well-known group among mystery enthusiasts. They worship a crystal skull excavated from a ruin.]
[They believe that this ancient work of art has mysterious powers. I don't know, maybe it gives people energy, grants eternal life, or brings them good luck or something. Anyway, it was very popular. Lots of important people were believers back then. But they've disappeared from Qinggang City...]
[Why?]
[They got caught in a crackdown!]
[...And you say you don't know anything?]
[It's just a hobby...]
[...]
[If the Public Security Bureau won't pay for me anymore, can I still consult you?]
[Of course!]
Black Rose answered without hesitation, then added: [You just have to pay yourself.]
[All right!]
Han Su settled on an arrangement with her and wasn't worried about the money, even though he didn't have any yet.
Black Rose wasn't particularly good at her profession, and she didn't believe that mysterious powers really existed, but Han Su was still happy to talk to her.
For one thing, she might not be a great psychologist, but she was very good at keeping things confidential.
For example, even if the Public Security Bureau asked her about the counseling Han Su had received, she would only tell them the outcome, not what they'd discussed. She was even more tight-lipped than the priest in the confession booth.
Another thing was that Han Su was starting to wonder: how could someone who didn't believe in the supernatural give such representative advice on the subject?
There were still plenty of things he wanted to ask about, like the Ghost Truck, impostors, and the Cipher Incantation. But he'd just joined the Disaster Management Bureau and didn't understand how things worked there yet, so he decided to hold back for now.
After making sure that this woman could still serve as his decidedly unprofessional adviser, he closed the chat window.
The mysterious organization really existed. But Black Rose and Zhang Chiguo had described it in completely different ways:
"Since there's an organization like the Disaster Management Bureau, which tries to stop certain things from seeping into our world, there are also organizations that worship the mysterious and would do anything to let those things in."
"Of course you'll be in danger at the Disaster Management Bureau. But if you rashly approach those organizations, you'll be in even greater danger."
"So until you can protect yourself, if you see them, stay away."
"..."
Han Su was familiar with that feeling. Back in the Ancient Castle, he hadn't dared to enter a corridor without first seeing what was inside.
Now that he had decided to get to the bottom of this, looking at Qinggang City's vast supernatural world made him feel as if he were about to step into another unknown corridor in the Ancient Castle.
Maybe the corridor would be full of dangers, but beyond it might be a door leading to hope.
"Beep!"
Just as he was thinking about all this, he suddenly heard a crisp notification.
It took him a moment to react. Then he hurriedly picked up his phone and saw that the Disaster Management Bureau app had sent him a message:
[E3 level commission: From 1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m., go to the third streetlight from the right end of Chunhua Street. Record the exact times when the streetlight turns off and on, and submit the corresponding data!]
"My assignment's here?"
Han Su needed a moment to understand what was going on. He checked the time. It was already eleven at night.
He didn't waste time. He immediately got up, put on his clothes and shoes, then picked up the Briefcase he'd received from the Disaster Management Bureau.
He went downstairs and took a taxi. It took only about half an hour to reach Chunhua Street. Many shops were still open, and there were snack stalls along the road, so he found a spot to sit and watched from a distance.
It was an ordinary streetlight, with a black pole and a retro-style lamp cover.
It was shining steadily, with insects circling around the lamp. Nothing seemed unusual.
It wasn't time yet, so he didn't rush to do anything. He waited patiently.
About half an hour later, the air on the street seemed to grow chilly. Passersby began to walk faster, and even the drunks seemed to sober up a little. As midnight approached, the shops started closing too.
About ten minutes later, a group of Public Security Bureau officers came by on patrol. After they left, even more people appeared on the street.
Han Su waited by the roadside until 12:50 a.m. When he looked around, the whole street had become deserted, as if the entire city had emptied out.
Only that streetlight remained, quietly shining over the empty world.
He picked up the Briefcase and walked slowly to the roadside, stopping beneath a tall plane tree to look up at the light.
The wind had grown cold, and there was no sign of anyone around.
The air seemed to be filled with tension.
But the streetlight still looked perfectly normal. Then, at 1:27, it flickered slightly, as if the power supply were running low. Han Su noted the time.
Then he waited patiently.
By the end of the night, he had recorded three flickers. Twice, the light had gone out briefly: once for two minutes and twenty-three seconds, and once for three minutes and fifty-six seconds.
Apart from that, nothing happened.
Han Su stayed there until 5:00 a.m. A light fog had begun to rise from the road, and early risers walked past, looking at the strange man standing beneath the streetlight with a Black Suitcase.
When the time came, the streetlight silently went out. Han Su turned and disappeared into the morning fog.
Nothing had happened that night.
Han Su didn't feel disappointed. He simply submitted the data he'd recorded.
As he got on the bus, the app beeped. Han Su saw that his record had been submitted successfully and the assignment marked complete.
[Miss Ai: Thank you, Mr. Butcher, for your efforts to protect the reality barrier. Your initial rating is being raised. Keep up the good work!]
Before you continue