Something Wasn't Right

At the alarm on his Positioning Glasses, Jiang Qian stopped training.

It meant there was an emergency nearby and backup was needed.

But the alarm was only C-level—A was the highest—so although help was needed, the risk was manageable.

Thinking of Xiao Xuebai, all alone and anxiously stamping her feet, Jiang Qian couldn't help finding the image amusing.

"I'll go take a look. Let's call it a day."

"Yes... Master." The Sorrow Demon's clone spoke in a funereal tone, then slipped back into Jiang Qian's pants pocket.

Jiang Qian left the gym and headed toward the elevator, calling Snow White as he went.

As the glass-walled elevator descended, Jiang Qian spotted Xiao Xuebai getting ready to answer her phone. Then she noticed him. Delight spread across her sweet, fair cheeks, and she hurriedly waved at him!

With her other hand, she pressed the elevator button.

The doors opened, and Xiao Xuebai jogged over to Jiang Qian, her eyes bright. "Jiang, you haven't left yet?"

"Yeah. I just spent some time lifting weights in the gym. I heard the alarm—what happened?"

Snow White wore an expression that was hard to describe. "A false alarm! It was at a Wanzhong employee's home. I called the people involved to check, and the homeowner confirmed they hadn't triggered the alarm. It's probably a mechanical fault."

"So what now?"

"Even though it was a false alarm, the Security Department still has to inspect the site and file a report to ensure employee safety. We need to determine what caused the false alarm and repair and maintain the device."

After passing probation, License Holders serving at Wanzhong Group could apply to have an alarm device installed at home. That way, they could quickly seek help from Wanzhong Group—or even the official Special Affairs Center—if they encountered an extraordinary incident.

For risks below B-level, Wanzhong Group's Security Department could handle them. Alerts rated B-level or higher required the Special Affairs Center to step in.

Xiao Xuebai finished explaining with a serious expression, then blinked. Her voice and manner turned soft and bashful.

"Um, Xiao Jiang, would you mind teaming up with me? I have to work overtime on short notice. That awful Da Lang must be out drinking again! I can't get hold of him at all right now... The rules say we have to work in pairs on field assignments."

"Actually, this isn't a complicated job. I only need to check the alarm, and I can manage on my own. But following the fieldwork rules is a red line for the Security Department. If they catch me going alone, I'll be disciplined..."

Jiang Qian caught on. "You don't want to expose Da Lang's negligence, but you're also worried you'll cross a line if you handle it by yourself?"

Xiao Xuebai was both surprised and embarrassed that the intern had seen right through her. "Da Lang's already been disciplined twice this year. One more time, and he'll be demoted. I just can't..."

Seeing her at a loss, Jiang Qian sighed. "All right, I'll go with you. But I still suggest you tell your supervisor what really happened. Hurting a colleague's feelings is the least of it. Repeatedly ignoring safety procedures could lead to a disaster one day. You can't keep covering for him."

As he spoke, he headed for the elevator.

Xiao Xuebai followed, nodding obediently.

Then she came to her senses. Wait, I'm the senior here! Why am I taking orders from a new intern?

The elevator descended to the parking garage. Xiao Xuebai picked up a company car, and the two of them quickly set off for the scene.

On the way, Xiao Xuebai tried to reclaim her sense of authority as the senior by carefully explaining how to use the office-issued stun baton. She warned him to be extremely careful and never point the prongs at himself, in case he accidentally injured or poisoned himself.

Jiang Qian agreed aloud, but privately found it amusing. He'd already spent the whole afternoon playing with the thing, with zero harm done—to Ye Xiaojing, the Sorrow Demon's clone, or himself.

Wanzhong's License Holders really weren't like the regular troops in the Operations Department of the Special Affairs Center. I can't let myself get too comfortable here, Jiang Qian reminded himself.

The false alarm had occurred not far from the Wanzhong building, in a residential neighborhood.

The couple involved were both longtime Wanzhong Group employees. The miniature alarm device had been installed in their home for quite a few years, so it was reasonable to think it might have malfunctioned.

Before long, the car pulled into an upscale residential complex.

After parking, Jiang Qian and Xiao Xuebai followed the directions to the target home and rang the doorbell.

"Coming, coming!"

A middle-aged woman with short hair and a plump build opened the door. Apologizing profusely, she invited Xiao Xuebai and Jiang Qian inside.

The husband was home as well, and seemed just as uneasy.

"We're so sorry to have caused trouble for the Security Department!"

"It's our job," Xiao Xuebai said directly. "Where's the alarm? We'd like to take a look."

The couple led Xiao Xuebai and Jiang Qian into the living room and opened a concealed compartment in the TV wall, revealing the alarm device.

"Built-in?" Xiao Xuebai asked, looking slightly puzzled. She turned to the couple. "How did it get triggered by mistake? Who triggered it?"

Jiang Qian noticed that when she asked, both their expressions froze. Then the wife's gaze darted away.

"That was my fault. I accidentally triggered it while cleaning today. I'm so sorry!" The woman looked guilty again.

"It's all right. Let's check the device first." Xiao Xuebai put on gloves, took out her tool kit, and carefully began removing the alarm casing. "Nothing looks wrong on the outside. Let's check inside."

While Xiao Xuebai took the device apart, Jiang Qian used Spirit Vision to survey the entire house.

It was a two-bedroom apartment with a living room, but he couldn't see into either bedroom. It was as if some kind of "shielding" device kept his vision out.

There was another strange thing, too.

He couldn't see many traces of life anywhere in or around the house. Some corners, in particular, looked unnaturally clean despite being obvious places for dirt and grime to collect.

Taking the opportunity to speak with the couple, Jiang Qian pulled out his notebook and made a show of being ready to take notes.

"When the alarm went off, were the two of you the only ones home?"

"Oh, yes, yes," the wife replied, her gaze unconsciously darting aside again.

"Relax. This is just routine documentation. We need to rule out any possible risks," Jiang Qian said, gently reassuring her.

Only then did the wife nod and manage a faint smile.

Her husband frowned in irritation. "Your carelessness causes trouble. Could you try using your head for once? If not for you, our colleagues wouldn't have had to make a wasted trip!"

"I'm sorry..." The woman lowered her eyes and apologized again.

But her husband's expression remained dark.

"It's all right. There's no need to blame your wife," Jiang Qian said, quietly taking in the answers Secret-Seeking Notebook had given him about the couple's cards.

By then, Xiao Xuebai had reassembled the alarm.

She wiped the slight sheen of sweat from her forehead. "I didn't find any obvious fault. It should work normally."

The couple exchanged glances. The wife seemed a little relieved, but the anxiety and guilt on her face remained.

Jiang Qian patted Xiao Xuebai as she packed up her tools, then addressed the couple. "In that case, we won't keep you any longer. Please be sure to handle the alarm properly from now on."

"Of course, of course."

"Thank you both. We're so sorry to have troubled you!"

"Hold on a moment!"

Just then, Xiao Xuebai closed her toolbox and looked up. "Would it be all right if we checked the other rooms, too?"

At her words, the couple—who had already started toward the door—both stopped, though in different degrees.

Jiang Qian frowned slightly. The girl hadn't understood his hint.

"I'm sorry, but we need to include those details in the report for this visit. We'd really appreciate it~"