Special Affairs Bureau Interview

The old stairwell was dim, the lights flickering, filled with a damp, musty smell.

Lin Yun insisted on seeing Jiang Mian to her door.

"Thank you, Teacher. About today... sorry for the trouble."

Jiang Mian turned around and gave Lin Yun a slight bow.

She clearly remembered that before she had transmigrated here, Lin Yun had mentioned offering her some "financial assistance" several times, but the original "her" had always refused.

Even in her previous life, this Teacher Lin had cared about her just as much.

Although she knew full well that the two weren't strictly the same person, they were both good people.

"What are you saying? It's the teacher's fault for not taking better care of you."

Lin Yun looked at the girl in her oversized yellow jacket, then at the worn-out security door behind her, and couldn't help asking:

"That lock looks old. Is it safe?"

"It's... it's fine." Jiang Mian said vaguely.

Lin Yun sighed. This kid, still the same as always.

She had clearly approved her leave, telling her to rest well, but she still went out to earn a living, and then ran into that mess with Li Hao on the way back...

"Jiang Mian."

Lin Yun sighed, her tone turning serious:

"Listen to the teacher. The Public Security Bureau will handle Li Hao's case, but his family... has some connections. He probably won't be locked up for long."

"Once he's out, he'll definitely come looking for you again. It's not safe here anymore. You'd better move somewhere else as soon as possible."

As if worried Jiang Mian would argue, Lin Yun added:

"If it really doesn't work out, you could stay at the teacher's place for a few days..."

"No need."

Jiang Mian shook her head.

She had already been planning to move. This place was cheap, sure, but it was also a wreck—riding a bike here rattled her butt numb.

She had wanted to put it off, save up a bit more money, and move after this month.

Now, with no idea when that guy would get out, she had to move it up. She still had enough money on hand, and she could handle a change of place.

But as for where to go, she'd have to look into it.

"Teacher, I know. I'll try to find something in the next few days."

Hearing Jiang Mian's definite answer, Lin Yun finally nodded and left.

Jiang Mian returned to the small room, locked the door behind her, and the timidity on her face completely faded, replaced by an eerie calm.

After acting all day, she felt a bit tired too.

She tossed her jacket aside, walked over to the bed, and sat down.

"Still nine Calamities short..."

She had been lucky today to run into one. Searching for them one by one took way too much time.

The Special Affairs Bureau—that name surfaced in her mind again.

The salary didn't matter much; she was mainly after those corpses.

If she got lucky and got her hands on a "fresh" corpse that had just been killed, it would be like a buffet for her.

Besides, they were hiring outsourced workers, or rather, temporary staff. That identity made it easy for Jiang Mian to cut and run whenever she wanted.

Jiang Mian fumbled for her phone and looked at the contact info for the middleman she'd gotten from those delivery guys earlier.

She sent him a greeting, had a brief chat, and he sent her a location.

"Base City No. 144 Special Materials Processing Bureau, address... in North City, hmm... a bit far. I'll head out early tomorrow."

Jiang Mian put down her phone, lay back on the bed, and stared at her own slender, fair hand, a faint dark-gold light glowing in her eyes.

After acquiring the core, if she didn't actively suppress it, the power of [Doom] would gradually seep through and strengthen her body.

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Especially when her energy was full, this strengthening would speed up, but it would also make her "hungry" faster.

"Fuel... still not enough."

The next afternoon.

Jiang Mian followed the navigation and stopped in front of what looked like a factory gate.

On the iron door hung a sign reading "Special Materials Processing Bureau - Branch No. 144."

It was hard to imagine that an entire city's "special materials" were handled by such an unremarkable factory.

Because space within the city was limited, building layouts were always compact. It was no small feat to have carved out such a large plot of land.

The air seemed to carry a faint smell of smoke and dust, and occasionally a transport vehicle marked with the Special Affairs Bureau logo would pass in and out, the atmosphere oppressive.

After registering at the guardhouse, she entered the adjacent office building, which housed a simple workspace. The person in charge of the interview was a middle-aged man in work clothes, his face etched with exhaustion.

"Jiang Mian? Here to apply for a porter?"

The man gave Jiang Mian a strange look. "Little girl, do you know what we do here?"

"I know. It's... handling those things."

"Good that you know, but this job isn't easy. And sometimes... you have to piece together broken parts. Even a lot of grown men can't handle it. Are you sure you want to do this?"

The man frowned as he took in Jiang Mian's slender arms and legs, her glasses, and her quiet and gentle demeanor.

This kind of work—let alone a young girl like Jiang Mian—even some tough guys couldn't stomach it.

"I... need the money. I'm not afraid of hard work. A little dirt... doesn't matter."

Needs money, huh...

The man didn't press further. He'd already warned her enough; if she couldn't take it and quit the next day, that was her problem.

He went through the terms routinely:

Sixteen an hour, no subsidies, but insurance would be provided. Work intensity was irregular, and no pay for days not fully worked.

Jiang Mian listened and gave a slight nod.

Sixteen an hour here was indeed very low, but for her right now, money wasn't the priority.

"Alright, sign this first. Be here at six tomorrow morning for a simple training session."

Seeing Jiang Mian's still resolute expression, the man sighed and pulled several agreements from his drawer—a temporary employment contract and a confidentiality agreement.

Jiang Mian took the pen and signed her name. The handwriting was neat and elegant, just like her.

When she left the Special Affairs Bureau, it was still early. Jiang Mian walked around the area to familiarize herself with the surroundings.

Unlike the chaotic and crowded West City, the roads here were flat and wide, and the air was filled with all sorts of strange odors.

If West City could be called the manufacturing district, then North City was the energy hub—power stations, waste treatment plants, and special government units like the Special Affairs Bureau were all concentrated here.

Compared to West City, this place was even less suitable for living.

But for a temporary stop, renting a room here was quite cheap, worth considering.

The next day, before dawn, Jiang Mian arrived at the Special Affairs Bureau on time.

The so-called training was very simple—just emphasizing safety regulations and confidentiality rules.

The person in charge of the training repeatedly reminded them not to be curious, not to ask too many questions, and to strictly follow instructions.

The facility was divided into four groups, handling Calamities, Aberrants, Awakened, and ordinary people.

Groups Two and Three had the least work, and as a newcomer, Jiang Mian was assigned to Group Two to first get familiar with the job, then be transferred wherever needed.

The four groups had four zones. Zone Four was open to the public, like a funeral parlor. Zones Two and Three were like morgues, with freezers requiring cold-weather suits. Zone One was where the large incinerators were.

Jiang Mian followed a taciturn veteran employee to Zone Two. The deeper they went, the heavier the indescribable smell in the air became.

The middle-aged man, called Old Zhang, pushed open a metal door and turned to Jiang Mian:

"Xiao Jiang, right? You're new today. Just follow my instructions."

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