New Recruits for the Squad (Please Keep Reading)

Yang Wenqing did not hesitate. He went straight to the team leader's office and knocked on the door.

After entering, he found Deputy Director Gao seated behind his desk, his gentle smile unchanged. When Yang Wenqing came in, he pointed at the chair opposite him, signaling for him to sit. Then he took out a document marked "Top Secret—Destroy After Reading" and handed it to Yang Wenqing.

"Some materials retrieved from the provincial department's archives. You may only read it once. After that, it will destroy itself."

Yang Wenqing's expression turned solemn, and he nodded seriously. "Yes, Deputy Director Gao."

He took a deep breath, stood up, accepted the document, broke the seal, and pulled out the files inside. The title read: <City Defense General Bureau Forbidden Object Files—No. 329—Partial Information on the Soul-Absorbing Crystal>

Below was a list of the core and supplementary materials needed to refine a Soul-Absorbing Crystal. Every item made Yang Wenqing's eyelids twitch. Its vessel required a Basic Soul Jade, while various yin-aspect spiritual materials were used to construct a flesh-and-blood furnace to refine it. The document listed twenty relatively common yin-aspect spiritual materials.

"The provincial department can't possibly give us all the data. Being able to obtain the materials needed to refine it is already the limit. If the refining method for this thing were to leak, it would be a disaster."

Deputy Director Gao spoke in a teasing tone. What he was mocking was the refining method itself, which was no secret within certain evil cultivator organizations.

After memorizing the materials in the document, Yang Wenqing returned it to Deputy Director Gao. "Our province consists of separate islands. Although we are on the coastal frontier, the outer waters are covered with dense monitoring arrays, and there are monitoring arrays between the islands as well. Contraband simply can't be transported back and forth. It must have been refined locally. We only need to investigate according to the materials listed in this document."

Deputy Director Gao nodded in satisfaction. With a slight tremble of his hand, the document turned to ashes. "That's right. Previous cases were investigated this way as well. And many times, some investigators deliberately left the clues in place, quietly watching their prey complete their rituals step by step..."

He smiled. "Just like the previous Spiritual Energy Riot. If their ritual was completed, they could refine quite a few good things. As I said before, even if a monster really was created, that might not necessarily be a bad thing."

He lightly tapped the desk with his left hand, then shifted the subject. "But since you want to investigate, as your direct superior, I will certainly support you. After all, the greatest taboo in cultivation is an unresolved state of mind."

Then he fixed his gaze on Yang Wenqing. "I'm not saying this to encourage entrapment. If you're discovered, not only you, but everyone along your chain will be purged by the General Bureau. The General Bureau's eyes tolerate no sand."

Yang Wenqing nodded as though he understood. He was still only a police captain, doing his best to figure out the rules for surviving within the city defense system while also trying to understand this superior of his. Yet the more he interacted with him, the more complex the man seemed.

Just as Yang Wenqing was about to take his leave, Deputy Director Gao added, "I told you to fill out Third Squad. It's been over a month now. Do you have any candidates to recommend? The Police Alert Center has complained many times already that no one from your squad is on night duty."

As he spoke, he took out another stack of files from a drawer. "I found several people for you. Two are veterans who were promoted to senior security officers last year, another two entered service at the same time as you, and there's also an externally hired communications specialist. Have Liu Qin train her for a month first, then assign her to the night shift."

As Yang Wenqing accepted the files, Deputy Director Gao took out another document. "This is a recommendation slot for the city's Security Academy. It doesn't require an exam. You can consider selecting someone from your family's younger generation, but be quick. Submit it before registration closes in July."

This made Yang Wenqing hesitate.

"Take it."

Deputy Director Gao emphasized.

Yang Wenqing had no choice but to reach out and accept it.

When he returned to the Third Squad office, Wu Yan had already gone out to handle a case, while Liu Rong and Liu Qin were on duty.

Yang Wenqing returned to his desk and began flipping through the files. The one on top was for the externally hired communications specialist. The photo showed a young woman wearing glasses. Her file stated that her name was Lin Wan, twenty-four years old, a graduate of the Municipal Communications Academy. Her professional skills had all been rated "excellent," and she had worked at the County Administrative Office for two years.

He then looked through the files of the four security officers. One of them made him pause—it was Zhao Qin. Clearly, Zhao Qin's family had pulled some strings for him. The connection just was not strong enough, since he had ended up being transferred under Yang Wenqing's command.

This proved that the others did not have the powerful connections Yang Wenqing had imagined, either. Someone had merely called in favors with Deputy Director Gao and sent over some valuable gifts.

"Ah Rong, take these files to the Archives Division for filing. Then have them speak with these people as soon as possible and get them to report in within three days." Yang Wenqing handed the five files to Liu Rong.

As Liu Rong accepted them, Yang Wenqing picked up another stack of files. "These files are no longer useful. Take them back as well and have them refiled."

After Liu Rong left, Yang Wenqing took out a blank sheet of paper from his drawer and quickly wrote down the names of the twenty yin-aspect spiritual materials he had seen in the top-secret document. To ensure safety, he did not note their uses and merely listed their names.

After finishing, he got up and walked over to Liu Qin. Handing her the sheet, he said, "Access the City Defense Bureau's materials management system and commercial registration database. Search for all companies and merchants registered within Thousand Reef County that mine, process, or trade these materials in bulk."

With that, he took out his identification badge and lightly touched it to Liu Qin's communications badge. Spiritual light flowed between them, completing a temporary authorization grant. "I've given you the relevant search permissions. Report directly to me once you have the results."

Liu Qin felt the faint pulse of authorization activation coming from her badge. Seeing how serious her captain was, she carefully accepted the talisman paper, quickly scanned the unfamiliar material names on it, and said softly, "Yes, Captain!"

Yang Wenqing returned to his desk and continued refining the reports for several previous cases. Ever since Third Squad had gotten busy, he had not stopped working on this stuff.

Near the end of the workday, Liu Qin approached Yang Wenqing's desk with a report in hand.

"Captain, the search has produced results." She handed him the report and lowered her voice. "After cross-referencing the list, I found three companies."

Yang Wenqing took the report and read through it carefully.

Liu Qin explained from the side, "Zhenyuan Mining primarily mines various types of stone. Last year, it applied for an exploration permit beneath the waters of Port District, and our geological data shows that it discovered a small Soul Jade vein there."

"Chen's Woodcraft has long included small quantities of Sunken Yinwood in its raw-material procurement list. Haifeng Chemicals mainly produces water-treatment agents, and its purification workshop purchases large quantities of Deep-Sea Chilled Water every month."

Yang Wenqing merely nodded slightly and put away the file. "Organize the information on these three companies into a report for me. Then you can get off work."