After the Sona Ghost extermination battle, everyone understood that those old, busted missiles really were completely useless.
The only ones in storage now were the missiles near Mount Sona. There were still piles of missiles around the world waiting to be destroyed.
Although disposing of this junk was quite a headache, there was something even more important on Director Sawai's mind.
Sitting before him was a burly man who looked like he could crush Sawai with one punch, perched on a tiny stool like a bear.
"Ahem. I'll call you Ah Hong, if you don't mind."
After clearing his throat, Director Sawai got the conversation started.
Zhou Hong shook his head. "I don't mind. That's what everyone calls me."
Director Sawai folded his hands and got down to business.
"I'd like to know how you knew about the Sona Ghost. Well, this isn't an interrogation. It's just an old man's curiosity."
He put it very nicely, and Zhou Hong had no intention of hiding anything. He launched straight into an explanation.
"Stories from various myths and legends aren't actually legends. They're accounts of things that really happened, though they may have changed a little as they were passed down."
"But generally, they don't stray too far from the truth."
"If you look at it that way, Director Sawai, perhaps you can understand."
The local legends and the people's accounts of Gakuma and the Sona Ghost had already proved that much. But whenever Director Sawai thought about the countless supernatural beings out there, he felt a headache coming on.
How much manpower and how many resources would it take to sort through all those records, when they didn't even know which ones were true? Just thinking about it gave Director Sawai a headache.
Myths and legends weren't exclusive to this little country.
He rubbed his aching temples and looked the man before him over once again.
TPC headquarters had pulled up the residents' records. Aside from a fake ID made by a certain man, there were no records of his birth or anything else. The metropolitan system had no information whatsoever on the man in front of him.
It was as if he'd sprung from a crack in a rock.
But everyone left traces just by living. There were no invisible people in this world.
Unless they were aliens.
After he'd joined the team, they'd tested his blood, analyzed his sweat, and even examined his hair. No matter what they checked, he was still human.
He was so strong he barely seemed human, but Hibiki Gousuke had told him about swordsmen from the past who could fight the Sona Ghost with swords. Perhaps Zhou Hong wasn't all that unbelievable after all.
If he were an alien, Director Yoshioka might pull some stunt like holding a laser gun to his temple. But since he was human...
Perhaps it would be—
"Who the hell dares lay a hand on my man!" His beloved little folding fan snapped in two, and the exposed eye gleamed with a blood-red, murderous light.
Anyway, Zhou Hong was a tough one to deal with. Director Sawai had a very good understanding of just how stubborn his old rival could be.
"So, how much do you know about these myths and legends?"
Zhou Hong didn't know much about the various issues within TPC, but he could answer that question.
"I know a tiny bit about the usual myths and legends," Zhou Hong said modestly.
After thinking for a long while, Director Sawai smiled. "Then how about I invite you to become GUTS' mythology and folklore consultant?"
What kind of bizarre, outlandish position was this?
What was the point of that job? Did TPC even have such a position?
Zhou Hong looked completely bewildered, making Director Sawai chuckle. "It's a position that's been sitting unused. You'd only need to provide a little advice when something related to mythology or folklore comes up."
As if he'd suddenly remembered something, he added, "It's only a part-time position. It won't affect your duties as deputy captain of Rookie Squad."
Zhou Hong understood. "So I'll be deputy captain of Rookie Squad, and then moonlight as some kind of consultant in my spare time?"
Director Sawai felt rather awkward about it. He smiled but didn't resort to his usual tactic of offering more money.
When he'd looked into Zhou Hong's personal records, he'd accidentally come across that huge sum of money. After tracing the transfers, he'd realized something.
That money was extorted, wasn't it?
Oh, he'd extorted the Kyrieloid. In that case, never mind. Spend it however you like.
If they tried to seize that massive sum, Director Sawai honestly thought a whole lot of people would fight them to the death.
But if they didn't take the money back, he couldn't offer Zhou Hong anything worthwhile in exchange.
The passion to protect others would eventually be worn down and slowly extinguished by the merciless realities of life. He didn't want to see that happen.
But Zhou Hong was a man of unknown origins. He'd protected people several times already, but no one could guarantee he'd keep doing so forever.
Or that he didn't have some ulterior motive.
At the upper-level meeting, some had said he was trustworthy. But in the end, they'd decided to play it safe.
"I accept."
Director Sawai hadn't expected that answer. He was momentarily stunned, then his slightly furrowed brows relaxed. He smiled and held out his right hand to Zhou Hong.
"Then I look forward to working with you."
Zhou Hong took Director Sawai's hand and gripped it tightly, not letting go. The old man looked at him in surprise.
"Director, as that whatever-it-is consultant, should I start doing my job now?"
Director Sawai kept smiling. "Of course."
"Then please don't be scared by what I'm about to say."
Director Sawai chuckled. As an old man who'd lived through the turmoil of the old era and welcomed the new one, he'd seen every kind of storm.
Even when monsters appeared right before him, he didn't panic.
Seeing that the old man didn't look the slightest bit prepared, Zhou Hong didn't bother to warn him. He simply said,
"Well, there are actually quite a lot of youkai."
The hand clasped in his suddenly grew cold. The old man clearly wasn't prepared enough after all.
He smiled wryly. "That really is bad news."
Zhou Hong, however, was smiling. "But compared with the Sona Ghost, the other youkai I know aren't actually that bad-tempered."
"If they ever come out and cause trouble, it'll definitely be because something crossed their bottom line."
Director Sawai pressed his lips together and thought for a moment before saying, "Youkai live far longer than humans."
"The world has been developing so fast these past few years that even I, as director, feel a little lost."
"If there's anything troubling you, you can tell me now. I'll do my best to help."
Zhou Hong clapped his hands. "Then let me treat you to a bowl of noodles made the old-fashioned way tonight. We can talk while we eat."
"I'm quite particular about my food." As if he were talking to one of his own nephews, Director Sawai smiled and followed Zhou Hong out.
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