After representatives from all the countries had arrived, the “Opening Banquet” of the Asian Paranormal Research Association officially began. Although it didn’t feature the kind of dance performances beloved in the Land of Gimchi, like that “G-G-G-G-G-G” routine, it did showcase many artistic performances with characteristics unique to the Great Celestial Dynasty.
Unfortunately, these performances had to both embody national traits and carry positive, educational messages. This combination ended up being an awkward mishmash. For foreign guests who had never seen them before, they were still somewhat engaging, but for the domestic agents, it was pure, dull torture.
Under normal circumstances, Shen Ge would have quipped, “Great for helping you sleep.” But this time, he was here to root out Supervisor Chen, so he couldn’t let his guard down.
Besides Shen Ge, there were also Deng Yuqi, Fang Mingyue, and several investigators she had assigned to look into Supervisor Chen. They were all closely watching their surroundings. The rest were like Wang Han—no matter how hard the performers on stage tried, they were utterly bored, only struggling to stay upright for the sake of appearances.
After all, this was the Great Celestial Dynasty’s home turf. If even their own people showed no respect, wouldn’t that make them a laughingstock in the eyes of agents from other countries?
Just then, a system notification chimed in Shen Ge’s mind—
[A Level 5 Aberrant (Trait: Three Heads and Six Arms) has been detected. The target is adept at concealing its aura and has used special paranormal equipment for disguise. Please attempt to locate the target using “Scan” and “Paranormal Eye.”]
[Crisis Mission triggered — “Hunt the Aberrant.” This Aberrant (Trait: Three Heads and Six Arms) possesses the ability to create multiple paranormal spaces. Please subdue the target before it deploys its paranormal space and a large number of anomalies.]
[Time limit: — Two hours.]
[Reward: Trait Enhancement Point x1, System Points x1000.]
“Huh?”
Shen Ge was instantly alert. First, he hadn’t expected the system to actually come through for once, managing to detect a hidden Aberrant. Second, upon detecting the Aberrant, it had quite considerately issued a Crisis Mission, rewarding a long-lost “Trait Enhancement Point.”
He knew that as raising his rating became harder and harder, obtaining Trait Enhancement Points had also become increasingly difficult. Shen Ge would agonize over which paranormal domain to upgrade with just a single point before using it. Now, a Crisis Mission directly offered him one—truly a case of getting a pillow delivered right when he was dozing off.
There had been Crisis Missions rewarding Trait Enhancement Points in the past, but each one had been extremely tricky, which was enough to show that this Level 5 Aberrant wouldn’t be easy to catch.
Shen Ge raised his glass and clinked it with Deng Yuqi’s. She immediately understood. As they drank, their eyes scanned the surroundings, searching for suspicious figures.
“Found anything?” Deng Yuqi asked in a low voice, using her glass as cover.
After working with Shen Ge for so long, they had long developed a tacit understanding. Moreover, after getting familiar, she also knew some of his habits.
Normally, he definitely wouldn’t initiate a toast, much less “offer a drink” to her, his superior.
Shen Ge replied in the same hushed tone, “From the start of the banquet until now, have you noticed any suspicious people appearing, or anyone new entering the venue?”
Shen Ge figured that since the system had only just now detected the Aberrant’s presence, the possibility of the target having just entered was far greater than it having been hiding in the venue all along and only now being exposed.
Although he had also been carefully monitoring the surroundings, so far, apart from the waitstaff coming and going, he hadn’t actually spotted any suspicious figures.
Someone like Supervisor Chen posing as a waiter seemed a bit far-fetched. Moreover, the target was the item the Sakura delegation had brought this time. This was a banquet; it was highly unlikely the Sakura delegation would bring the item to the banquet hall. They would likely wait until the Asian Paranormal Research Association meeting officially convened to bring it directly to the conference venue.
Therefore, if the Aberrant organization’s target really was the item in the Sakura country’s hands, attacking their accommodations would be far more plausible than making a move at the banquet hall.
And to prevent the Aberrant organization from actually going to raid the hotel where the Sakura delegates were staying to “steal” the item during the banquet, both Deng Yuqi and Fang Mingyue had stationed people around the hotel. The hotel was also rigged with an inescapable net, just waiting to catch the turtle in the jar.
“The waitstaff? The only people who can enter and exit freely during this time should be the waitstaff. To find the person, Fang Mingyue had Elder Fang arrange many informants. At a time like this, if delegates or paranormal agents from other countries made a move, they would definitely be noticed,” Deng Yuqi replied.
Deng Yuqi’s thoughts were almost identical to Shen Ge’s. But now that the system had issued a warning, it meant the target had already successfully infiltrated.
According to Shen Ge’s speculation, there were only three possibilities. One: the Aberrant organization’s target wasn’t actually the item in the Sakura country’s hands, so they didn’t choose to raid the hotel and were instead preparing to cause trouble at the banquet, similar to the incident at the Asian Paranormal Research Association event in the Land of Gimchi. Two: they were planning a diversion, striking at both the banquet and the hotel simultaneously. If they could pin Shen Ge down here, their chances of success would increase dramatically.
And the third possibility—the one Shen Ge least wanted to see—was that the Sakura delegate attending the banquet had the item on their person.
In truth, no one knew exactly what the Sakura delegation had brought. They had only intentionally leaked intelligence about countering anomalies and a special anomaly corpse that could lead to a major breakthrough in paranormal research. But it was hard to say there wasn’t any “smoke and mirrors” involved.
However, if it was an anomaly corpse or a piece of paranormal equipment, considering “size,” it logically shouldn’t be something casually carried on one’s person.
“You keep an eye on the situation here. If you find anything, let me know through the communicator. I’ll go take a look outside,” Shen Ge said.
Deng Yuqi nodded. Just as she was about to ask what excuse Shen Ge planned to use to leave, she saw him openly stand up and head towards the exit.
Shen Ge’s status was well known. At least half the people at the banquet had heard of his name, the “Number One Paranormal Agent of the Great Celestial Dynasty.” At that moment, everyone was openly or covertly observing his every move. His standing up immediately drew attention.
When Shen Ge reached the exit, a hotel manager and a waiter immediately approached to ask if he needed assistance. He waved them off and walked straight out, leaving the crowd staring after him in utter confusion.
The “Number One Paranormal Agent of the Great Celestial Dynasty” just walked out so brazenly in the middle of his own country’s banquet, showing such disregard for face?
At such an important international event, even if someone needed the restroom, they’d hold it in. Simply walking out was unheard of.
For a moment, Shen Ge’s action sparked numerous speculations.
The man in question, however, couldn’t care less. In his eyes, finding Supervisor Chen and the Aberrant Association was far more important than some damn banquet.
“Shen Tan!”
As soon as Shen Ge stepped out of the exit, the paranormal agents and paranormal squads guarding outside saw him. They immediately stood ramrod straight and saluted.
Shen Ge waved his hand dismissively and looked at the leading captain. “During the time since the banquet started, has anyone other than the waitstaff gone in or out? Any delegates from other countries, or paranormal agents?”
The guard captain shook his head and said, “Reporting, Shen Tan. Since the banquet began, there has been no entry or exit other than the waitstaff.”
“What about the other exits?” Shen Ge asked again.
The guard captain immediately pulled out a tablet, pulled up the data to check, and then said, “The other exits also had no entry or exit apart from the waitstaff.”
The Special Policy Department placed great importance on this Asian Paranormal Research Association meeting. Coupled with the incident at the Ping’an Hotel not long ago, they had naturally set up multiple layers of security for this banquet.
Although these guards all wore the uniforms of the Special Policy Department’s paranormal warriors, they were actually elites selected from the Paranormal Mechanized Force. If any paranormal incident occurred or any Aberrant started trouble, the paranormal mechs parked in the hotel’s backyard would all activate for rapid support.
“Alright, nothing then. Keep up the good work.” Shen Ge was about to look around.
The guard captain was also a “Captain rank.” Shen Ge hadn’t officially taken the position of “Chief Captain” of the Rong City Division, so strictly speaking, the two were of “equal rank.”
But while the rank was “equal,” their statuses were worlds apart. Furthermore, Shen Ge’s “legendary tales” had been passed around and embellished into a god-like version. Now, in some departments, a trend had emerged where, before going out to handle paranormal incidents, they would first pay respects to a statue of Shen Ge.
And this guard captain before him was also a follower of this “trend.”
So, seeing a “living deity” appear before him, he could barely contain his inner excitement. It was obvious from his stiff salute and even his report, his tone trembling slightly.
“Shen, uh, Shen Tan!” The guard captain suddenly stood bolt upright and shouted.
This sudden shout—luckily Shen Ge hadn’t brought Little Seven or the Red Mist Combat Armor with him, or it might have triggered their alert mode and earned the captain a big slap.
“What is it?” Shen Ge turned back, puzzled.
The guard captain said, somewhat nervously, “Oh, no, nothing. Oh, Shen Tan, where are you headed? Is there anything I can help with?”
“Huh?” Shen Ge was visibly taken aback by the guard’s sudden “goodwill.” As a paranormal agent in the Rong City Division, aside from Fang Mingyue’s faction, the others weren’t exactly on good terms with their division, as evident from the attitude of those from the First Division when he had first arrived in the capital.
Plus, Shen Ge had offended the faction led by Song Zhengjun. The First Division saw him as a thorn in their side and had always been looking for a chance to regain face.
And according to what Fang Mingyue had mentioned before, the guard unit assigned to this banquet consisted entirely of elites from the First Division’s Paranormal Mechanized Force.
So, not only was this guard captain not looking for trouble with Shen Ge, but he was actively offering help? It felt to Shen Ge like a weasel wishing a chicken a happy new year.
The guard captain noticed Shen Ge’s reaction and immediately realized something. He instantly stood even straighter, saluted respectfully, and said, “Shen Tan, my name is Cai Hua. I was among the batch of captains promoted under the Captain’s Plan half a year ago. Although I belong to the First Division, I’m actually with the Paranormal Combat Unit. I’ve always looked up to you as my idol. It is my honor to see you today. My admiration has only grown. If there’s anything I can do for you, Shen Tan, please do tell. I would be deeply honored!”
Cai Hua was so nervous he was a bit incoherent. Shen Ge saw this and smiled, patting him on the shoulder. “Cai Xin? I bet you’d get along great with our division’s two captains, Yang Yuxin and Tudou Pi. For now, I don’t need you to do anything. Just do your duty and pay close attention to everyone entering or leaving.”
“Yes! I guarantee to complete the mission!” Cai Hua shouted with the force of a heroic sacrifice, as if he had just received some top-secret assignment.
Shen Ge exchanged a few polite words before heading towards the stairwell. Because there were too many guards along the way, he couldn’t openly summon his Paranormal Eye to check. He had to use the System Scan to search first.
However, “Scan” found nothing. After circling the area, he still found nothing amiss. After thinking for a moment, he followed the stairwell all the way up to the rooftop.
The rooftop door was locked with a keypad lock. Although without Little Seven’s help, Shen Ge admitted he couldn’t yet open the door without triggering the alarm, but a single door clearly couldn’t stop him.
“Collapse.”
With his intangible paranormal domain activated, Shen Ge passed directly through the metal door onto the rooftop.
The night sky hung low, dark clouds like heavy curtains obscuring the starlight and moonlight, leaving only a few oppressive streaks of afterglow struggling on the horizon. The air was thick with moisture, heralding an approaching storm.
It had been clear when Shen Ge and the others arrived at the banquet. That the weather had changed in just over an hour gave him an uneasy feeling.
Standing at the edge of the rooftop, Shen Ge activated his “Paranormal Eye” and looked around. The cloud-filled sky wasn’t as simple as it appeared. The churning clouds were actually formed by a black mist of paranormal energy. He couldn’t help but think of the system’s “Crisis Mission” prompt: the Aberrant had the ability to deploy multiple paranormal spaces.
Clearly, the target was about to make a move.
At the same moment Shen Ge was on the rooftop searching for traces of the Aberrant, a female delegate from another country, accompanied by her bodyguards, left the banquet hall and entered the restroom.
However, shortly after the female delegate entered the women’s restroom, a scream rang out from inside. Upon hearing it, the bodyguards didn’t bother with propriety and immediately rushed in.
They found the female delegate collapsed on the floor, pointing at the mirror above the sink in terror. “A ghost! There’s a ghost! There’s a ghost!”
The bodyguards instinctively looked at the mirror. They saw their own reflections, but eerily, the reflections of the bodyguards stood woodenly, their faces pale and bloodless, their eyes nothing but black, empty sockets—utterly terrifying.
And the female delegate sitting on the floor—in the mirror, her reflection was standing, hair disheveled, eyes dark and hollow. With that face, she could play Sadako without any makeup. No wonder she had screamed about a ghost.
Click.
Click.
Suddenly, with a strange noise, the lights in the restroom flickered erratically before all going out, plunging the entire space into darkness.
Total darkness would have been one thing, but the reflections of the female delegate and her bodyguards in the mirror suddenly seemed illuminated by a spotlight, appearing even more horrifying under a dark green glow.
Bang!
At that moment, a loud crash came from the doorway. A paranormal guard unit, drawn by the noise, kicked the door open. A team of fully armed paranormal warriors charged into the restroom.
However, the restroom was empty. The lights were working fine, the mirror was completely normal, but the female delegate and her bodyguards were nowhere to be found.
