MI9

In Bekeland, in the Qiaowude District, an ambulance slowly pulled up in front of the hospital. The back door of the ambulance was suddenly flung open, and a patient completely wrapped in Restraint Clothes slid out along with a stretcher. The medical staff, who were already prepared, immediately took the stretcher and, with practiced ease, rushed it into the hospital. Soon after, several medical workers, who seemed to have finally breathed a sigh of relief, stepped out of the ambulance and slowly walked into the hospital.

However, once these doctors entered the hospital, they immediately changed their demeanor. They took off their white coats, revealing smart and practical clothing. At this moment, they no longer had the air of medical workers; instead, they looked more like... well-trained soldiers.

Nester Mental Sanatorium, on the surface, is a top-tier mental sanatorium with hospital qualifications, catering exclusively to the upper class and specializing in treating wealthy mental patients. The fees listed on its price list alone are enough to leave ordinary people speechless.

But in reality, it has another identity—

Victoria's MI9 Bekeland.

This refers to the official organization in Victoria that deals with Weird Tale stories.

"Thank you for your hard work, Miranda." In the director's office, a woman whose age was hard to guess from her appearance waved to the shapely Miranda.

"It's all thanks to C-21." Upon hearing this, Miranda handed over her handbag, and her allure subsided. Although she still possessed a perfect figure that made people want to commit a crime, the unique charm that made it impossible to look away at a glance had vanished without a trace.

Only then did Miranda seem to breathe a sigh of relief, relax her body slightly, and casually complain:

"This thing is useful for attracting criminals, but it's just too disgusting. It feels like being constantly licked!"

"Using extraordinary power always comes at a cost." The woman, whose exact age was unclear, shook her head slightly, placed her handbag into a black safe, and as the complex lock clicked shut, she pressed a piece of semi-molten sealant onto the side of the box, stamping it before continuing:

"How was the harvest?"

"The 'Shadow Ghost' has been captured. We found three Magical Item on him. His ability to move in the shadows likely comes from his bodysuit, which can be presumed to be B-class Item. The functions of the other two items still need to be tested, but there shouldn't be any storage items or 'Companion Item' found. We may have acted a little too soon."

Miranda shook her head with a hint of regret. The woman, whose age was difficult to discern, looked up as she scribbled something on a piece of paper and said:

"There's no way around it. This idiot is too flamboyant. The Bekeland Police Department needs to give the public an explanation, and the impact he's made is already quite significant. If the news media hypes it up, we might even have a chance to get some 'Companion Item'."

At this point, the woman changed the subject again:

Is the C-103-2 any good?

"While its effectiveness isn't as good as Flashbang, its effectiveness against shadow-type Magical Item and ghosts has been proven, and it has minimal impact on friendly forces with few side effects. It should be able to be deployed in large quantities."

After listening to Miranda's report, the woman nodded, made a few notes on the white paper, and then said:

"You've worked hard these past few days, go and rest. You and C-21 have the best chemistry, and we might need you to participate in the capture of the 'Kitchen Demon' later."

Miranda was about to leave, paused slightly upon hearing the words "Kitchen Demon" before asking, "Um, sir... do you really think the 'Kitchen Demon' is a ghost?"

"I don't know, but judging from his behavior, it fits our current understanding of the behavior of ghosts." The officer's tone wasn't entirely certain, so Miranda immediately pressed for more information:

"Judging from the eyewitness accounts circulating so far, he is completely different from known ghosts. He has the ability to communicate with humans and seems to have no hostility towards them, which seems to contradict our established model of ghosts..."

Upon hearing Miranda's words, her female superior remained silent for a moment before speaking, "The abilities of Magical Item are incredibly diverse. It's not impossible for them to possess abilities like telepathy. Besides, these ghosts aren't stupid. It's not surprising that one or two can learn Victorian. You haven't been in this business for very long, so you might not know that more than twenty years ago... well, back in the 1990s, there was a ghost called 'AIDS Mary'..."

"'AIDS Mary'? Isn't it 'Harry'? And isn't that legend about AIDS patients taking revenge on society?" Miranda's face showed surprise, but her female boss shook her head and said:

"In reality, it was a ghost that spread its influence by exploiting people's fear of AIDS. It must be said that it was very clever, knowing how to link its own legend with a fearsome disease. At that time, we did not have a clear understanding of ghosts, so much so that even after it had become bizarre and spread completely, we were unable to take effective measures to deal with it."

At this point, the female boss picked up her water glass, gulped down a few mouthfuls, and then continued under Miranda's inquisitive gaze:

"In reality, this AIDS Harry herself did not have AIDS, and the men who had relations with her were all eventually proven to be just scare tactics, but that does not mean that it was without any harm."

"Since the rumors of 'AIDS Mary' spread, discrimination against people with AIDS has increased in society. The darkness in the hearts of those patients who were already discriminated against was awakened by this incident, which led to many patients becoming copycats after her."

"Initially, the ghost had no 'illness,' and the gift it gave was just a malicious joke. But after it, countless Harrys, Hahn, Marie, and Marlene appeared. The negative impact of this event far exceeded that of a thug like the Shadow Ghost who only knew how to break into homes and kill people."

Hearing her boss's deep voice, Miranda felt a lump in her throat and immediately said:

"Are you worried that this Kitchen Demon will also turn into a monster like AIDS Mary?"

"Who knows?" The female boss shook her head and replied calmly.

"If you ask the section chief, he'll give you a long lecture about the sanctity of our work and our protection of the people. But all I'll tell you is to capture those ghosts, seize their Magical Item, and study their secrets. As for the rest, you can think about that when you're in my position. Understand?"

"Yes, sir!"