Exposed!

"...Dear colleagues, comrades-in-arms, after half a year of training, you are finally stepping into brand-new positions to embark on a brand-new journey. I wish you a brilliant future and great achievements!"

On the podium, the balding Director Zhao Yifeng was beaming, full of spirit and passion, drawing thunderous applause from the thousands of people in the venue.

The venue was clearly divided. The first few rows on the far left were occupied entirely by trainee investigators in grey training uniforms.

To the right were members of the support department in white protective suits, looking relatively more lethargic.

To the center-left were the bureaucrats from the political and personnel departments, looking as if they were incapable of doing any real work.

To the center-right sat the combat department, dressed in crisp black tactical gear and radiating a murderous aura; though many looked delicate and handsome, their eyes were filled with killing intent.

In the very front row sat eight people in casual clothes, scattered about—men and women, old and young.

There was a middle-aged man in heavy makeup, a burly young woman, and even a little girl wearing glasses and carrying a large schoolbag.

These people were the backbone of the Southwest Branch of the Anomaly Bureau.

Awakened ones who mastered spiritual power.

Li Fan sat in the last row, hands in his pockets. In one hand, he gripped the resignation letter he had just fished out of the director's mailbox with tape; in the other, he held a detonator, surveying the members of the Anomaly Bureau present.

He had firmly memorized the list of undercover agents for the Cuckoo Project before burning the paper to ashes.

The names on the list shocked him deeply; he had never imagined that the Cleaning Association's infiltration of the Anomaly Bureau had reached such a degree.

There were nine moles from the Cleaning Association within the Anomaly Bureau.

However, according to "Father," these infiltrators were all on single-line contacts and did not know who their superiors were.

In other words, Li Fan knew of their existence, but they did not know of Li Fan's existence, nor did they know of each other.

Many were merely peripheral members of the Cleaning Association, obvious cannon fodder.

It was a pity that the identity of the Collector was too shocking; otherwise, Li Fan would have wanted to take the path of reporting them to clear his own name.

Beside him, Zhao Lei nudged Li Fan with his elbow and whispered:

"Brother Fan, why did you just get here? The meeting is almost over."

Li Fan slumped, leaning over the table as he said:

"My parents came to see me, I just sent them off. Besides, I've already been assigned to the Autopsy Department, so it doesn't matter if I attend the meeting or not."

Hearing this, Zhao Qianxue, who was sitting in front, turned back, frowned, and whispered:

"Li Fan, what is wrong with you? Your training scores were in the top tier just a few months ago, so why have you suddenly let yourself go? Look at Ouyang. He used to be overshadowed by you, but now he has awakened his ability and become the strongest among us. He's even going up to give a speech as a representative of the newcomers later; he's definitely going to make it into the frontline department."

As she spoke, the girl with the ponytail wore an expression of disbelief, looking somewhat frustrated that he wouldn't live up to his potential.

The handsome man with a firm face sitting beside her was Ouyang, who glanced at Li Fan but said nothing.

They had already joined the frontline investigation department and would soar from here on out; they were no longer on the same path.

Being able to say these few words was already out of consideration for their past relationship.

The director on the podium finally finished speaking and began calling names:

"Ouyang, Zhao Qianxue, Hong Botao, Sun Zhenglong, Zhao Qinqin, Zhang Jiaju... The thirteen trainee investigators mentioned above, please come to the podium to receive the Outstanding Trainee Award!"

The trainees whose names were called beamed with joy, while some who had performed well but weren't called felt a sense of injustice, muttering things about it being "all about connections."

The thirteen trainee investigators lined up on the podium to receive their outstanding trainee certificates from the bureau leaders.

These certificates had bright red backgrounds with gold-stamped covers, looking both tacky and festive.

Upon receiving the certificates, the group of outstanding representatives couldn't help but open them, becoming strangely mesmerized.

Director Zhao Yifeng on the podium smiled with satisfaction and said:

"Colleagues, it is truly gratifying that you have achieved such excellent results in your training. The emergence of anomalies has plunged the entire world into turbulent waves. Upon entering the Anomaly Bureau, you must put humanity first and prioritize the maintenance of social stability and development..."

The next second, his tone suddenly shifted, and he said in a deep voice:

"...Regrettably, according to information held by the bureau, some spies have taken this opportunity to infiltrate our ranks of investigators."

A gasp erupted throughout the venue!

Li Fan's eyes widened abruptly, his hair standing on end.

Immediately after, dozens of armed investigators rushed onto the podium, their guns aimed at the thirteen trainee investigators waiting to receive their awards!

A series of heavy door-closing sounds echoed as iron shutters slammed down at every entrance to the venue, sealing it off completely!

Meanwhile, the few awakened ones sitting in the front row had appeared at various exits at some point, standing, sitting, or even crouching, watching everyone in the venue with predatory eyes.

It was as if they were looking at a group of prey.

The director, who had previously looked lethargic, now had eyes like a hawk, scanning the crowd as he said slowly:

"Upon investigation, these thirteen people come from the Cleaning Association, the Unity Society, and the Soul Suppression Bureau, harboring malicious intent and waiting for an opportunity to act."

As soon as these words were spoken, another wave of gasps broke out.

"Holy crap, is this for real? Ouyang and Zhao Qianxue are spies? Didn't Zhao Qianxue just diss you a moment ago?" Zhao Lei said, his face full of shock as he muttered to himself.

Li Fan also wore a dazed expression, while simultaneously using his peripheral vision to quickly observe the situation around him.

There were nine people on the list in total, and seven of those on the stage belonged to that list.

There were still two Cleaning Association moles who hadn't been exposed.

The most critical question was: had he been exposed himself?

If his identity as the Collector were truly revealed, it certainly wouldn't be something he could explain away with a few lines like, "I'm a transmigrator, this has nothing to do with me!"

For a moment, he felt a mix of relief and anxiety.

He was relieved that the Anomaly Bureau wasn't as fragile as he'd thought, but anxious about his own exposure.

However, he reasoned that the Anomaly Bureau couldn't be targeting him; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to show up late as he pleased and would have been under surveillance long ago.

"Director, what are you talking about? What spies? I don't understand at all! You're framing an innocent person!" Zhao Qianxue shouted loudly.

This action drew support from most of the thirteen people, and the crowd began to shout in protest.

Furthermore, they discovered that their feet seemed to have lost control, making it impossible for them to move even a single step from where they stood!

The Director shook his head slightly and signaled to a female investigator standing beside him, who was wearing a trench coat and a mask.

The female investigator immediately walked up to the detained group and asked in a soft voice:

"Who are you? Tell the truth."

Her voice was gentle, and as it reached their ears, it seemed to pluck at their heartstrings, causing the previously noisy venue to fall silent instantly.

"I am... I am Zhao Qianxue!"

"I refuse to answer such an insulting question."

"Hong Botao!"

"Zhang Jiaju, intern investigator from the Anomaly Bureau's Southwest Branch!"

"I am..."

The woman in the trench coat nodded and continued, "What are your true identities? Where do you come from?"

"My true identity is an intern investigator for the Anomaly Bureau!"

"I am a local from Gu City..."

"I am not a spy! I was framed!"

"..."

The woman in the trench coat shook her head slightly, looking somewhat disappointed as she said:

"Those who lie will be condemned by their conscience and must pay a price."

No sooner had she finished speaking than the thirteen people present, including the two who had refused to answer, suddenly felt a surge of intense guilt rise within them, as if they had committed the most regrettable and shameful act of their lives.

That remorse and guilt were so overwhelming they could barely breathe!

They had lied!

Without prior agreement, all thirteen of them put their left index fingers into their mouths and began to bite down desperately.

The sharp pain that followed instantly eased the agony in their hearts, and the harder they bit, the more their inner torment was relieved.

Then, while fully conscious, all thirteen of them bit off their own left index fingers!

At this moment, they suddenly realized that from the very moment they had received those certificates, they had been hypnotized!

The horrific scene unfolding before them dealt another heavy blow to everyone's mental defenses!

Just as the group was entangled in guilt, remorse, fear, and confusion, the woman in the trench coat spoke gently once more:

"What is your objective?"

This time, the thirteen people, already on the verge of collapse, answered in unison.

Seven of them replied, "To welcome the arrival of the Lord of the Abyss," four replied, "The salvation of the Lord of Unity," and the remaining two answered, "To suppress evil spirits and protect the present world."

These were the signature slogans of the Cleaning Association, the Unity Society, and the Soul Suppression Bureau, respectively.

The venue erupted into an uproar.

Clearly, the status of these thirteen as spies had been confirmed.

The thirteen were now speechless and unable to argue; they were handcuffed and led away under the control of the woman in the trench coat.

Li Fan's expression was grave; this was the first time he had seen an Awakened from the Anomaly Bureau in action.

That bizarre form of hypnosis, which lacked any discernible internal logic, was truly alarming.

He asked himself if he would be able to resist such hypnosis, and he suspected he would have confessed on the spot.

As it stood, although the Anomaly Bureau had found some of the spies, there were still fish that had slipped through the net, and the three hundred or so psychic bombs had yet to be located.

Once the thirteen on the podium were led away, the Director, Zhao Yifeng, said with a solemn expression:

"Comrades, our world is facing an unprecedented transformation, and we are living in an unprecedented era. This is a cruel battle—a battle of life and death. I hope everyone can steel their resolve and understand who they are and what they must do! Understand what it means to be human, and how to maintain one's humanity amidst the anomalies! Let us encourage one another, everyone! Meeting adjourned!"

The metal gates of the venue opened, and the crowd immediately stood up with a roar, calling to their friends and walking toward the exit, chatting about everything that had just transpired.

Today, they had felt the cruelty of their work for the first time.

It was truly an eye-opening experience!

Li Fan released the master switch of the detonator, snapped the cover shut inside his pocket, and merged into the crowd, rising to head toward the exit.

On the podium, Director Zhao Yifeng watched the departing crowd in silence before asking in a low voice:

"Was there any detection of unusual mental fluctuations just now?"

The bespectacled, scholarly-looking man beside him shook his head:

"None. If there are still moles, they certainly aren't among these small fry we've already caught... However, a trainee investigator arrived very late during the meeting, and his parents came to the bureau to look for him today, which is a bit strange."