Resignation Letter
Dear Bureau Leadership,
Today was my first official day on the job, and I was delighted to formally submit my resignation to the Bureau at this time.
I had already spent half a year at the agency undergoing initial training. In all that time, the Bureau hadn't helped me with a thing. Going to work every day felt like attending a funeral, and every Monday left a knot in my stomach.
Here, I had gained a maze of tedious approval procedures and bureaucracy at every turn—but hardly any pay.
I really didn't want to waste my life in a job that didn't suit me. I also wanted a change of scenery and to see what lay beyond the horizon.
To hell with it.
Of course, it wasn't because the agency paid poorly, because the working conditions were dangerous, or because they'd assigned me to the logistical Support Department as soon as I officially joined.
I was reluctant to leave the Anomaly Bureau. I'd miss the leaders' bureaucratic favoritism and the way my colleagues sucked up to them.
I'm delighted that I can no longer contribute to the leaders' bright future.
I'd also like to suggest that, when promising young people the world, you stop using lines like, "The leaders have noticed your hard work."
Over time, people might get the impression that all the leaders have cataracts.
Sincerely,
Respectfully,
Resigning employee: Li Fan
Li Fan set down his pen, flicked the resignation letter he'd just finished, and smiled with relief.
He casually tossed the notice—"Training assessment: E. Spirit power level: E. Assigned post: trainee investigator, Dissection Department, Support Center"—into the trash.
He'd been reborn in this world a little over a month ago.
He'd been an antiques dealer in his previous life, but now he'd transmigrated into the body of a trainee investigator at some Anomaly Bureau Southwest Branch.
He hadn't inherited the previous owner's memories and had gone straight into training.
After more than a month of closed training, he'd been completely lost. In the end, he'd been given the lowest rating and assigned to the worst department.
If the closed training hadn't prevented him from leaving, and if he hadn't wanted to figure out what his predecessor had been like, he would've resigned long ago.
Today was the first day of work after completing training—and the day he'd finally quit for good.
He really wasn't suited to a life of constant nerves, working nine to five and having nightmares.
He didn't care about keeping his permanent position, either.
Li Fan folded the resignation letter into an envelope, left the dormitory, and headed toward the office building with a spring in his step.
The welcome ceremony for all new recruits was about to begin in the auditorium. Even from a distance, he could see the electronic banner announcing it.
There were also warning slogans around the courtyard, such as:
"If your mind goes blank, report it immediately! Beware the Cleaning Association!"
"Those whose hearts are spotless are often not human!"
"The calmer your mind, the further you are from humanity!"
When he reached the office building and slipped his resignation letter into the bureau chief's mailbox, Li Fan felt the weight finally lift from his heart.
From now on, none of this had anything to do with him. He'd be completely free.
Then he turned around and went to the staff cafeteria for breakfast.
The cafeteria was already bustling with people.
Although they'd all trained together just a few days ago, after being assigned departments and positions, the people eating in the cafeteria had already split into clearly distinct groups.
The brightest, most comfortable spots near the windows belonged to those assigned to the frontline Investigation Department, the people most likely to become Awakened.
They wore crisp uniforms and spoke loudly, their eyes bright as they chatted with one another. Every so often, they burst into laughter. There weren't many of them, but their voices filled the entire cafeteria.
A few people who'd once been on familiar terms with Li Fan merely glanced at him when they saw him, as if they didn't know him at all.
The social divide had already taken shape.
Next was the middle section, where the Political Work Department members sat, their faces steeped in bureaucracy. Their spirit power didn't meet the standard for becoming Awakened, but they worked in a department with real authority.
Finally, there was the area tucked away in the corners along the edges.
Everyone there had been assigned to the Support Center. They might spend their entire lives as trainee investigators, with low ranks, low pay, and poor benefits—the triple-low crowd.
The trainee investigators from the Support Center ate quietly, keeping a low profile.
A bunch of losers.
"Brother Fan, over here! Over here!" someone called.
Li Fan had just picked up a serving of fried dough sticks and soy milk. He followed the voice and saw Zhao Lei waving excitedly at him from the Support Center dining area.
Li Fan carried his tray over and sat down. Zhao Lei immediately launched into gossip.
"Brother Fan, which department did you get? I was assigned to the Equipment Department at the Support Center. I heard Zhao Yaqing got into the second squad of the third team in the Investigation Department. Man, I had no idea she was that good. I wonder if I'll get to see her again when she comes to pick up equipment."
Li Fan took a bite of fermented bean curd. "I was assigned to the Dissection Department."
Zhao Lei nearly spat out his soy milk. He choked and coughed repeatedly.
The coworkers beside them edged their plates back a little, instinctively moving farther away from Li Fan.
The Dissection Department was no good place. It was basically the worst department in the Anomaly Bureau.
Every day, its people dealt with bizarre corpses. There was no hope of promotion, raises were hard to come by, and the workload was supposedly brutal.
They also said that spending too much time around the corpses could drive you insane. People ended up acting deranged.
The Dissection Department rarely lost staff, usually to suicide. It only hired a handful of people each year, so you hardly ever heard of anyone going there.
The coworkers who'd felt they were in the same boat as Li Fan now looked at him with a hint of superiority.
The biggest loser among the losers.
"Brother Fan, how badly did you do on the test? Still, the Dissection Department isn't so bad. At least... at least it's stable." Zhao Lei seemed at a loss for how to comfort him.
The others chimed in with words of consolation, saying things like, "Your starting point isn't your finish line," and, "Work hard, and the leaders will notice."
Li Fan didn't mind. After all, he'd already submitted his resignation.
On the TV mounted on the wall, the latest episode of Anomaly Briefing had begun.
"A mass anomaly infection has broken out in Maple Valley City. The Anomaly Bureau Northeast Branch responded swiftly..."
"The Phantom Spirit Party attacked a Mo Country military convoy, leaving 131 dead..."
"The Soul Suppression Bureau discovered nearly a hundred burial grounds belonging to Native American spirit churches and is struggling to suppress them..."
"Thirty-five days ago, the Collector, one of the Cleaning Association's Twelve Knights, raided the Advent Society's Man City headquarters. He killed thirty-five Spirit Descenders on the spot, including seven powerful Spirit Descenders possessed by anomalies. None of their heads were recovered..."
Li Fan whistled.
The Cleaning Association really was the largest criminal organization made up of Awakened. It was downright sinister—no, the Collector was downright sinister.
Thirty-five Spirit Descenders. Thirty-five Awakened, wiped out without a trace. What did that even mean?
No wonder he was notorious and ranked near the top of the Awakened wanted list. Supposedly, he'd assassinated the presidents of seven small and medium-sized countries.
Fortunately, after quitting, Li Fan would settle down as an antiques dealer. There was no way he'd ever run into the Collector in this lifetime.
A man from the Equipment Department across the table spoke in a low voice.
"I heard the Collector has principles. He never targets civilians. His targets are all Awakened or government officials... Who do you think would win in a fight, our bureau chief or the Collector?"
By "bureau chief," he meant Zhao Yifeng, the head of the Anomaly Bureau Southwest Branch.
Zhao Lei lowered his voice, too.
"Isn't it obvious? Bureau Chief Zhao Yifeng is a top-tier Awakened. His rating supposedly reached A! I reckon the Collector would need at least three rounds to kill him, right?"
A pretty young woman beside them covered her mouth and laughed.
"That's harsh. Couldn't our bureau chief just surrender? I heard the Collector is incredibly handsome, but nobody's ever seen his true face..."
Zhao Lei said, "That's a paradox. If nobody's seen him, how do they know he's handsome? Man, the Cleaning Association's been expanding its power way too fast... What do you think, Brother Fan?"
Li Fan shook his head. "The Collector is too powerful. He's becoming a threat to his own superiors. That's not good for the Cleaning Association."
The words "Awakened Wanted List" appeared on the screen, followed by the top ten Awakened criminals. In first place was the Collector, shown only as a silhouette!
"Holy crap, the Collector's rank went up again! He's all the way at number one!"
"Looks like even the Advent Society has put out a bounty on him. Both sides of the law are after him now."
"Does the Cleaning Association have that much clout? Every one of the Twelve Knights is that strong..."
Amid the exclamations, Li Fan finished breakfast, said goodbye to Zhao Lei, and returned to his dorm to pack.
The welcome ceremony for new recruits would begin in just over ten minutes, but he couldn't be bothered to attend.
He'd already resigned. There was no point making polite small talk with people.
He'd only been packing for a while when the phone suddenly rang. It was the guardhouse at the entrance.
"Li Fan, your parents are here to visit. Regulations require an employee to escort their visitors inside."
Li Fan froze, his expression softening as he looked at a photo frame on the table.
It held a family portrait of three. Unlike in his previous life, he had parents and family in this one.
Although he hadn't inherited his memories, a glance at the stern-looking father and kind-eyed mother in the photo was enough to tell him he'd been born into a warm family.
They'd only spoken over the phone so far, and he hadn't met his parents in person yet. He hadn't discussed his resignation with them, either. He hoped they'd understand.
Composing himself, Li Fan met his parents at the guardhouse.
"Xiaofan, have you been eating properly? Why have you gotten so thin?" his mother said worriedly, dressed in a floral skirt. "Come on, take your dad and me to see your dorm. We brought you a whole bunch of tasty food."
"The kid looks like he's got more energy now. Seems he did well during training," his father said with a satisfied smile, patting Li Fan on the shoulder. "You've grown up..."
Li Fan felt a warmth in his heart. In this life, he wasn't alone anymore.
"Mom, Dad, let's go to my dorm." Smiling, Li Fan took the heavy luggage from them.
They each had a rolling suitcase, as well as a large backpack. They'd brought quite a lot.
He could even catch the faint smell of cured meat and sausages.
As he led his parents through the Anomaly Bureau's courtyard with a light step, Li Fan felt much more at ease.
It felt good to have family.
For their sake, he should leave the Anomaly Bureau and live a safe, ordinary life.
He just didn't know whether his parents would mind him giving up his permanent position.
Li Fan decided he'd explain his decision to them once they reached his dorm. He hoped they'd understand.
"The bureau's holding its welcome ceremony for new recruits today. Everyone's at the auditorium," Li Fan said with a smile.
His parents exchanged a glance, still smiling without saying a word.
They only occasionally remarked that it was strange the courtyard didn't have a single guard.
Soon they reached the dorm. Li Fan opened the door and set down their luggage. He was about to get them some water when his parents' smiling faces suddenly turned solemn.
Had they somehow found out he was quitting?
They closed the door and stood respectfully before Li Fan.
Their expressions showed that they were deeply afraid of him, while their eyes burned with fervent devotion.
As Li Fan stood there in confusion, they suddenly raised both hands over their heads and bowed to him, chanting in unison:
"Humanity's souls will be purified. The polluted world will be cleansed. The Lord of the Abyss will descend!"
Then his father lowered his head and said gravely to Li Fan:
"Reporting to the team leader: the first phase of the Cuckoo Project has been completed. All 323 psychic bombs have been planted in the Anomaly Bureau Southwest Branch. Once activated, they will cripple sixty percent of the branch's operational capacity in a short time, while releasing the anomalies held here and causing widespread infection. The Cuckoo Squad's infiltrators are all standing by and ready to launch the general assault at any time."
His mother stepped forward and respectfully lowered her hands.
"Shall we activate the first phase immediately? With just one explosion, all the investigators will be purified. It's truly a flawless plan. Please accept your subordinate's praise. May the world be cleansed, and may the Lord of the Abyss descend."
"Also, your weapons and equipment are ready..."
A large suitcase was opened, revealing several rows of human heads hanging inside. Each one had been preserved, and after drying and shrinking, they were only about the size of a palm.
Some still bore colorful facial tattoos. They were unmistakably the same Spirit Descenders from the Advent Society shown on TV earlier.
His father and mother smiled eagerly, their faces full of obsequious devotion. Together, they said:
"...We will defend your orders with our lives..."
"...Revered Collector!"
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