On the street.
The night breeze blew quietly.
Shen Heng and Wei Leyang sat on the ground, quietly practicing their breathing.
Not far from them, Fan Hong chatted with two police officers.
"Captain Fan, how do you get into the Supervision Bureau?" one of the slightly younger officers asked.
Fan Hong glanced at the officer and teased, "What, Xu Kai? You only just joined our squad, and you're already thinking of jumping ship?"
"Hehe, people climb higher, just as water flows lower! Now that I've seen another world, isn't it only natural to want in?" Xu Kai nudged the other man beside him with his elbow. "Don't you think so, Xiangwen?"
Tian Xiangwen nodded. "Yeah!"
Hearing both of them say that, Fan Hong nodded a little wistfully.
"Yeah, I really am getting old. I don't have that youthful drive of yours anymore! Twenty years earlier, I might not have chosen this liaison work. I would've joined the Supervision Bureau instead!"
"Hehe, Captain Fan, how are you old? I reckon you could keep working another thirty years!" Xu Kai said with a laugh.
"All right, enough of that flattery!"
Fan Hong chided him with a laugh, then turned serious.
"Getting into the Supervision Bureau isn't that easy. First, they have to be short of people. Then you have to rank near the top of the police squad. Only then do you have a chance of getting in!"
"Rank near the top of the police squad..." Xu Kai murmured.
Fan Hong added, "And that's assuming the Military Department doesn't slot anyone in. If they do, you'll have to move even farther back in line!"
"Mm, understood!" Xu Kai nodded earnestly.
Fan Hong glanced at Xu Kai. Seeing that he seemed determined to get in, he cautioned him again.
"Don't go thinking the Supervision Bureau is some cushy job. You never know when you'll run into a stronger Calamity Beast and lose people. Forget losing a few people-even a total wipeout isn't out of the question!"
"Hehehe..." Xu Kai chuckled. "It's fine. Since I've chosen that path, I'll naturally bear the consequences that come with it!"
"Let's hope so!" Fan Hong nodded a little wistfully.
"Captain Fan, that guy's moving!" Tian Xiangwen raised a hand, interrupting their conversation.
Fan Hong looked over and saw that Shen Heng had finished cultivating and risen from the ground.
Noticing Shen Heng's movement beside him, Wei Leyang also stopped his breathing exercises and opened his eyes to look at him.
"What, you're done with your breathing exercises?"
Shen Heng looked down at Wei Leyang and replied, "They're back."
"Oh? Is it dealt with?" Wei Leyang's eyes lit up, and he rose from the ground too. "How did it go? Was anyone hurt?"
"Han Ling's hurt. The captain and Wu Cheng seem fine!" Shen Heng replied. He had just been roused by the sound of Han Ling coughing underground.
"Huh? Han Ling's hurt?" Wei Leyang's expression grew a little grave. He had only asked casually, not expecting someone to actually be injured.
"Mm!" Shen Heng nodded in confirmation.
The two waited quietly above.
Several minutes later, Wei Leyang copied Shen Heng, leaning his head slightly toward the manhole.
A swaying light appeared below, rapidly drawing closer.
Soon, Wu Cheng appeared directly beneath them, followed closely by Wang Hai, who was supporting Han Ling.
"Wei Leyang, Han Ling's hurt. Hurry and lower a few threads to pull her up!"
"Got it!" Wei Leyang immediately replied.
Shen Heng looked curiously at Wei Leyang, wanting to see how he would do it.
Wei Leyang quickly spread his hands, brought them together, then pulled them apart again. Thread after thread appeared between his hands.
Without giving Shen Heng a chance to get a clear look, his hands began moving swiftly. Moments later, a strip of cloth woven from who knew how many threads appeared in his hands.
"I'm lowering it!"
As he spoke, Wei Leyang lowered the strip of cloth made of white threads.
Below, Wang Hai took the strip and wrapped it around Han Ling, accompanied by repeated coughs from her.
Soon, Wang Hai finished wrapping the strip around Han Ling. He tugged on it. "All set. Pull her up, slowly!"
"Understood!" Wei Leyang replied, carefully pulling Han Ling upward.
Soon, Han Ling appeared at the manhole opening.
Seeing the dust covering her and the traces of blood on her body, Shen Heng immediately crouched down and carefully helped her out of the manhole to sit on the ground.
After Han Ling came up, Wang Hai and Wu Cheng jumped out of the manhole right behind her.
Shen Heng was just about to ask how the mission had gone when his gaze was involuntarily drawn to Wu Cheng's fair, exposed flesh.
"Uh... why are you... like that?" Shen Heng asked, the corners of his mouth a little stiff.
"Hehe..." Wu Cheng laughed awkwardly. "From using my ability!"
"Isn't your ability Spark? How can it make your clothes burst off too? Do you have a second ability?" Shen Heng asked in confusion.
"What second ability? I took my clothes off and burned them as firewood!" Wu Cheng replied.
"As firewood?" Shen Heng frowned, not quite understanding.
Wang Hai explained from beside them, "There were no lights down there, and we ran into a Third Tier Calamity Beast this time. It knocked out all the lights we brought down, so afterward, we had Wu Cheng figure out a way to make a light."
"Oh, I see!" Shen Heng nodded in realization.
Meanwhile, seeing Wang Hai and the others come up, Fan Hong also approached them.
"Captain Wang, is it dealt with?"
"Yes. Sorry for the trouble, but we'll leave the corpse down there to you!" Wang Hai nodded.
"Of course. That's part of our job!" Fan Hong smiled.
"All right, let's head back to the bureau first. I've asked Le Gu Nan to come there to treat Han Ling!" Wang Hai turned to Shen Heng and the others.
Everyone nodded.
Wang Hai helped Han Ling lie down across the back seat, then gave his instructions. "Wu Cheng, come back with us to change your clothes. Wei Leyang, bring Shen Heng back later."
"Go back later?" Wei Leyang asked, puzzled.
Shen Heng looked at Wang Hai with the same confusion. If they were going back, why not go together?
"Yes. The people who reported this are over there repairing the traffic light. Wait until they're finished, follow procedure, then come back!" Wang Hai pointed off to the side.
There, the traffic light lay quietly on the ground, with two workers still inspecting and repairing it.
Procedure? What procedure?
Just as Shen Heng was puzzling over it, Wei Leyang suddenly gave a contemptuous chuckle.
"Heh..."
"What are you suddenly laughing about?" Shen Heng looked at Wei Leyang in confusion.
Wei Leyang folded his arms across his chest, staring straight at the traffic light lying on the ground in the distance.
"The young lady who once stood high above everyone, ordering people around with a tilt of her chin, can now only lie on the ground and let others ravage her. How pathetic!"
"..."
Shen Heng silently turned his head and glanced at the three, who seemed completely used to it. Suddenly, he felt that perhaps he was still too young.
Wang Hai started the car expressionlessly and drove away.
Watching the car gradually recede, Shen Heng turned to Wei Leyang and asked, "What was that procedure the captain mentioned just now?"
"You'll find out in a bit!"