Credentials

At the mention of money, Shi Yu felt even his head grow lighter. He scrambled to his feet and followed Shen Bai, who had started heading back, without forgetting to turn and call to the other two.

"What are you waiting for? Come on, don't keep Shen Bai and the others waiting."

Han He and Hu Zihao exchanged a glance and followed.

Liu Yiyi stayed behind with He Siying to check their surroundings one last time. Only after confirming that nothing had been damaged too badly did they return to the factory.

The factory's interior was considerably larger than Shi Yu had imagined.

Beyond the entrance was an enormous workshop floor. Following Shen Bai across the workspace, now so empty it was unsettling, they turned into a corridor. The offices along its sides still retained the style of bygone years, but the seals on their doors, bleached white and turned brittle with age, told passersby that this place had long been abandoned.

"It's huge..."

Hu Zihao looked up at the broken windows beside them. There was even a railing running around the second floor.

Shen Bai nodded and said:

"Back in the day, this was the only factory of its kind in the country. There was a particular material that could only be produced here, so it enjoyed a period of tremendous success. But later, it gradually fell behind because of its location."

Shi Yu reached out and lightly touched a patch of wall that looked relatively free of dust. Its cracks and peeling paint felt rough beneath his fingers.

Strange... is there no dust here? Everywhere else is so dirty.

Shi Yu tilted his head slightly. The door of a room facing them at the end of the corridor was gone.

"What's up, Shi Yu?"

Hu Zihao asked when he noticed Shi Yu suddenly slowing down. Han He also followed Shi Yu's gaze toward the room without a door.

"Nothing. Just spaced out."

Shi Yu came back to his senses, stopped thinking about all that miscellaneous stuff, and caught up with Shen Bai again.

Shen Bai led them around several corners before finally stopping outside an office in the middle of the second floor.

"Here we are."

As he spoke, Shen Bai reached out and gently brushed at the air, then turned the door handle and walked inside.

Shi Yu and the other two followed him in and found that this room was far cleaner than the others.

A large round table stood in the center of the room, with three sealed bags on top and stools neatly arranged around it.

Standing beside the table, Shen Bai gestured for the three of them to sit wherever they liked.

Shi Yu chose a stool near the window, and Hu Zihao and Han He sat down right beside him. Just then, Liu Yiyi and the other two also entered the room.

Seeing that everyone was there, Shen Bai made an inviting gesture, and the three bags slid in front of Shi Yu and the others as though pulled by something.

Shi Yu picked up his bag and opened it at Shen Bai's signal. Inside were a set of credentials and two bank cards.

Shen Bai then said:

"The credentials inside are your police credentials. They grant special authority. Showing them will give you free access to most places, and they carry one rank higher authority in cases involving supernatural phenomena."

Shi Yu opened his credentials and saw his photograph and name. At the very bottom was the designation:

"Stars. Snow Cedar: Anomaly Handling Specialist"

On the back of the credentials, besides the national emblem, there was another emblem.

Six four-pointed stars sat at the top of the design. Beneath them, several lines rose from a low point, like meteors flying in reverse. Around them, patterns resembling little hands intertwined to form a border.

The emblem of "Stars."

Another, slightly smaller emblem was printed beneath "Stars." Its design was very simple: a line drawing of a pine tree.

Without a doubt, this represented 597. Snow Cedar.

Shi Yu asked:

"What do you mean by one rank higher...?"

Shen Bai adjusted his glasses and said:

"No matter how high the other person's police rank is, as long as they aren't an Anomaly Handling Specialist, your authority to issue orders during that incident will be one rank higher than theirs."

"Holy shit. We've hit the jackpot."

Hu Zihao had initially picked up his credentials and turned them over to inspect them, but after hearing Shen Bai's explanation, his movements suddenly grew careful, and he meticulously closed them.

Shen Bai continued:

"One of those two bank cards is from the police department. Your regular salary will be deposited there. The other is for our usual 'allowance.' You can also charge additional purchases to it, as long as you don't go overboard."

"Ah..."

This time, it was Shi Yu's turn to be careful. He cradled the two thin, light cards in both hands, as reverently as though holding his faith, then pressed his palms together with the bank cards between them and slowly, ever so slowly, tucked them into his pocket.

Thank you. Thank you.

Watching the three put away their credentials and bank cards, Shen Bai stepped back a little and took the bag Liu Yiyi had brought into the room.

More benefits?

The bag Shen Bai had taken immediately caught Shi Yu's interest, and he instantly sat ramrod straight.

Under the three men's gazes, Shen Bai slowly unzipped the bag.

As Shen Bai moved, the mystery of the bag began to unravel.

"Holy..."

Hu Zihao's eyes widened the instant he saw what was inside, and he turned toward the two beside him.

Looking at the contents of the bag, Shi Yu's happy mood rapidly cooled.

Guns.

Black casings, sleek lines, and a metallic finish that gleamed coldly in the morning sunlight.

How could he describe that feeling?

Later, Hu Zihao said something to Shi Yu that perfectly explained why he had suddenly sobered up.

"It's like wandering around in a game, and just after picking up two bottles of jelly beans, you find a huge pile of weapons up ahead, with an interactive cabinet sitting by the door."

Shen Bai, however, paid little attention to their reactions. He simply took the guns out of the bag and had Huo Qiuliang hand them to Shi Yu and the other two.

"These are standard-issue equipment. One each. The bullets are specially made and can effectively injure and kill low-level Evil Sins."

Shi Yu took the gun from Huo Qiuliang. The cold gun made his hand tremble slightly, and it was heavier than he had imagined.

"Guns aren't actually the best choice for you, but while your fighting styles are still unclear in these early stages, they're certainly the most convenient. Later, Yiyi and I will customize equipment to suit your fighting styles."

Huo Qiuliang picked up where Shen Bai left off:

"You guys are seriously lucky. People out there line up for things made by Yiyi and Shen Bai, you know, but we get them for free."

Shi Yu stroked the gun, and his sense of unreality faded a little more.

Looking at the three young men with their guns, Liu Yiyi strode over, knocked on the table, and said:

"Don't let it weigh on you, boys. It's not like you'll be shooting people. Get into the swing of things soon. I've got your backs!"

Shi Yu and the others acknowledged Liu Yiyi's words. She said nothing more and turned to look at Shen Bai.

Shen Bai checked his watch again. Good, it hadn't taken too long.

"Yiyi's on duty today. The rest of us will stay here for some basic tests, and I'll tell you about our day-to-day work."

After saying that, Shen Bai also made sure to catch Huo Qiuliang, who was trying to sneak away.

"Xiao Liang, don't forget your doubled training."

"Ah, no!"