After hearing him out, Lin Jin fell silent for a few seconds.
Then he spoke.
"I am interested in the Demon Suppression Bureau's duties."
Delight lit up Wang Zhenshan's eyes.
"But..."
Lin Jin paused.
"I don't like being tied down."
Wang Zhenshan froze for a moment.
Beside them, Su Qianxue couldn't help laughing.
She had expected this all along. This man couldn't even be bothered to join the Paranormal Bureau. How could he possibly join the Demon Suppression Bureau so easily?
Wang Zhenshan quickly recovered. Rather than getting angry, he smiled.
"You certainly have a mind of your own, Mr. Lin." He thought for a moment. "Then how about... we find another way to work together?"
Lin Jin looked at him.
"Let's hear it."
Wang Zhenshan smiled. "You could join the Demon Suppression Bureau as a specially appointed consultant for our Central China region."
"You won't occupy a regular staff position or keep office hours. When a mission comes up, we'll ask you first. You can accept it if you want, and we'll pay you accordingly. If you don't want it, we absolutely won't force you."
"Besides that, our bureau has a dedicated mission platform. You can freely pick up missions there and receive the corresponding rewards upon completion."
This was the second proposal he had prepared after talking with Director Chen and the others before coming here.
"That works." Lin Jin nodded.
Still smiling, Wang Zhenshan held out his hand.
"Then here's to working together."
Lin Jin looked at him and extended his hand as well.
The two shook hands.
Watching from beside them, Su Qianxue felt an inexplicable emotion well up inside her.
This man had gone from the taciturn "mystery man" she had first met to a specially appointed consultant whom a Demon Suppression Bureau team leader had personally come to recruit.
How long had it even been?
A month?
She suddenly found herself looking forward to seeing how many more surprises he would bring her.
Chen Zhenshan gave a light cough beside them.
"Well... Team Leader Wang, now that you've finished talking, shouldn't we let Mr. Lin rest? He did just fight a major battle last night."
Wang Zhenshan slapped his forehead.
"Right, right. That was an oversight on my part." He withdrew his hand and looked at Lin Jin. "Get some rest, Mr. Lin. In a few days, I'll have someone deliver your consultant credentials and the relevant materials. We'll contact you if any missions come up."
Lin Jin nodded.
Wang Zhenshan turned, took two steps, then looked back.
"Oh, one more thing, Mr. Lin."
Lin Jin looked at him.
A meaningful glint passed through Wang Zhenshan's eyes.
"There may be more behind that S-rank entity from last night than meets the eye. Dark Moon caused such a huge disturbance in Jiangcheng and lost so many people and entities this time. They won't let this go easily."
"Be careful."
A cold glint flashed through Lin Jin's eyes, but quickly vanished.
"Understood."
Wang Zhenshan nodded and strode away.
Chen Zhenshan also said goodbye to Lin Jin and followed him out.
Only Lin Jin and Su Qianxue remained in the room.
They looked at each other for a few seconds.
Su Qianxue spoke first, her voice soft.
"Well... I'll head back now. There's still a lot to deal with at the bureau."
Lin Jin nodded.
Su Qianxue turned and took a few steps, then stopped.
Without turning back, she said softly,
"About last night... thank you."
"And..."
She paused.
"I'll treat you to a meal when you're free!"
With that, she hurried away.
Lin Jin stood in the doorway, watching her figure disappear at the end of the hallway. A trace of complicated emotion flickered in his eyes.
During his years in Hokage World, he had experienced war, slaughter, death, and loneliness.
He had thought his heart had long since grown cold.
But now...
He recalled that embrace last night, and that woman's tearful voice.
He recalled her retreating figure just now. In some corner of his heart, something seemed to be quietly melting.
Lin Jin withdrew his gaze and looked at the property deed in his hand.
Purple Garden Villa District, in the eastern suburbs, nestled between mountains and water.
He remembered what Su Qianxue had just said: a detached villa, with its own courtyard and underground training room.
It really was a nice place.
At least it was much better than this shabby rental.
Lin Jin put his things away, walked over to the wardrobe, and began packing.
He didn't have much: a few changes of clothes, some miscellaneous trinkets, and...
He took a picture frame out of a drawer.
Inside was an old photo of him and Zhou Yan, taken back in high school.
The two boys had their arms slung over each other's shoulders, grinning without a care in the world.
After organizing everything, he put it all into the Kamui Dimension.
Lin Jin opened the door and walked out.
He turned for one last look at the rental he had lived in for less than a month, sent his landlord a text saying he was moving out, and left.
Purple Garden Villa District, in Jiangcheng's eastern suburbs.
A detached villa occupying five hundred square meters stood quietly in the sunlight.
Several osmanthus trees grew in the courtyard, with a neatly trimmed lawn beneath them.
Green mountains rose in the distance, and a lake lay nearby. The scenery was picturesque.
At the villa's entrance, a middle-aged man in a property management uniform waited with the keys in hand. He had been informed that a new owner would be moving in today.
Apparently, it was a young man with quite a background.
He hadn't waited long before he saw a figure approaching from nearby.
Short black hair, dark casual clothes, hands in his pockets, an unhurried stride. His face was very young, but those eyes...
The instant the middle-aged man met those eyes, an inexplicable chill ran through him.
That gaze was too calm, far calmer than someone his age should have been.
As though he had seen too much life and death, weathered too many storms.
He hurried forward to greet him.
"Excuse me, are you Mr. Lin Jin?"
Lin Jin nodded.
The middle-aged man respectfully offered him the keys.
"Hello, Mr. Lin. I'm the manager of Purple Garden Property Management. My surname is Zhang. Here are the keys to your villa. Shall I show you around?"
Lin Jin took the keys.
"No need. I'll manage on my own."
Manager Zhang paused, but quickly recovered and tactfully nodded.
"Of course, of course. Take your time getting familiar with the place, Mr. Lin. If you need anything, contact property management anytime. We're available twenty-four hours a day."
He bowed and withdrew.
Lin Jin stood at the villa's entrance, looking at the house before him.
He was silent for a few seconds, then stepped into the courtyard and unlocked the door.
Lin Jin stood in the middle of the living room and looked around.
Then the corners of his mouth lifted slightly, and he called Zhou Yan.
Upon hearing the news, Zhou Yan rushed over immediately. He made three circuits inside and out, constantly muttering, "Holy shit."
"Little Lin! You've fucking made it!" Standing before the floor-to-ceiling windows of the second-floor master bedroom, he stared wide-eyed at the mountain scenery outside. "Fifty million! A villa! When the fuck will I get to live like this?"
Lin Jin sat on the living room sofa, leafing through a Demon Suppression Bureau handbook Wang Zhenshan had left before departing.
"Move in if you want. There are plenty of empty rooms anyway."
"Really? I'm taking you at your word!" Zhou Yan ran downstairs and plopped down beside him.
"By the way, Little Lin, what's the background of that Team Leader Wang from today? Even Director Chen was really polite to him."
"He's the leader of the Demon Suppression Bureau's East China Special Operations Group."
"The Demon Suppression Bureau?" Zhou Yan scratched his head. "What's that? Even more badass than the Paranormal Bureau?"
"You're a member of the Paranormal Bureau, and you don't even know about the Demon Suppression Bureau?"
"Simply put, it's also a department that handles supernatural incidents, like yours, but its duties are somewhat different."
Zhou Yan froze for a few seconds, then slapped his thigh.
"Holy shit! Then what did they want with you? Were they trying to recruit you?"
Lin Jin nodded.
Zhou Yan's eyes lit up. "So you agreed?"
"No."
"Huh? Why?"
Lin Jin closed the handbook and looked at him.
"I don't like being ordered around."
Zhou Yan thought about it and decided that made sense.
How could someone like Little Lin obediently follow someone else's orders?
"So what happened afterward? They just left it at that?"
"He proposed working together on a consultancy basis," Lin Jin said. "They can come to me with missions, but I have to be paid for taking action."
Zhou Yan froze for a second, then gave him a thumbs-up.
"You really know how to play it."
He leaned closer and asked with a cheeky grin, "Then if I get a mission I can't handle someday, can I ask you to step in? At a friends-and-family rate?"
Lin Jin shot him a glance.
"The missions you get are too low-level to warrant my involvement."
Zhou Yan: "..."
There was no having a conversation with this guy!
Before you continue