The System Arrived Four Years Early, but the Anomaly Is Still a Juvenile - Chapter 111

Knock, knock!

Hearing the door, Wang Han, who happened to be standing nearby, casually opened it. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of the woman outside. “Huh? You’re… Fang Mingyue, the investigator from headquarters, right?”

“Hello, I’m here to see Investigator Shen,” Fang Mingyue said.

“…” Obviously. This is Shen’s room—who else would you be here for?

But given Shen Ge’s current… situation, Wang Han forced a polite smile. “Sorry, Investigator Shen is a bit… occupied at the moment. Maybe come back later?”

Fang Mingyue was about to nod when an odd noise from inside caught her attention. She tilted her head slightly to peek past Wang Han—and what she saw shattered her worldview.

There, in the flesh, was Deng Yuqi, the composed, dignified, and ever-stoical head of the Rong City branch—currently straddling one of her subordinates and pummeling him relentlessly.

“Hey! Hands off the face! Keep this up and I’ll fight back!” the pinned investigator (Shen Ge) protested, desperately shielding his head.

Deng Yuqi abandoned the punches and opted for strangulation instead, looking fully prepared to murder him on the spot.

Shen Ge and Deng Yuqi were technically “from the same martial arts school,” but while Deng had once scoffed at their shared master’s techniques, her Tai Chi was frighteningly refined. Shen Ge, a novice in Baji Quan, was getting a brutal lesson in the concept of “soft overcoming hard.”

On top of that, Deng Yuqi was also a master of Five Elements Fist and Tiger-Crane Style. Her hybrid grappling techniques—a fusion of multiple disciplines—were downright supernatural. Within ten moves, Shen Ge, relying solely on Baji and military combat skills, found himself pinned.

Though the fight lasted barely ten exchanges, no one in the room underestimated Shen Ge. If anything, they were stunned by his growth.

Deng Yuqi’s skill could be summed up with a line from Fearless: “This fist has twenty years of mastery behind it—can you handle it?” Except in her case, it was even more extreme. She’d started training at three. Twenty-five years of relentless discipline had honed her body to the absolute peak of human capability.

In the entire department, only one person could withstand a full-force assault from Deng Yuqi for ten moves—and it wasn’t Chief Chen, nor veteran instructors like Feng Chengxiu or Yu Tiexiong. The sole exception was Lin Yin, a freak of nature who could still dual-wield pistols after being shot in both arms.

Sure, Deng Yuqi might have been holding back a little today. But those first three exchanges? Pure, unadulterated aggression—yet Shen Ge had countered every single move.

A “newbie” who’d studied Baji for less than two months. A “rookie” who’d joined the department only four months ago. And here he was, trading blows with the strongest combatant in the Special Response Division.

Even Feng Chengxiu was floored. In just over a month, Shen Ge had progressed at a ludicrous rate. If they fought now, Feng estimated his odds of winning at barely 30%.

Had Deng Yuqi stuck to Baji alone, she might not have subdued Shen Ge in ten moves. But twenty-five years of relentless training wasn’t for show. The moment she switched to grappling, Shen Ge was done.

“Uh… what’s going on here?” Fang Mingyue’s expression turned complicated. The woman currently attempting to murder Shen Ge was the same legendary figure she’d once idolized—the one she’d spent years chasing, desperate to surpass. And the man being throttled? The investigator she admired most in the entire division.

“Oh, just some internal drama. No big de—” Wang Han’s explanation was cut short by Feng Chengxiu smacking him upside the head.

“Shut your mouth. You’ll make it sound like our branch is full of infighting. Investigator Fang, don’t mind them. The chief and Investigator Shen were just… sparring,” Feng Chengxiu clarified.

“…Right.” That’s some intense sparring.

Fang Mingyue’s face twitched.

“Ah, Fang’s here? Come in, have a seat. I’ll deal with you after I’m done beating this idiot.” Deng Yuqi gave Shen Ge’s neck a final squeeze before releasing him, standing up and dusting herself off as if she hadn’t just been trying to strangle a man. In an instant, she was back to her usual composed, authoritative self.

Fang Mingyue struggled for words before finally managing: “Uh… Seventh Sister, your branch’s work culture is… unique.”

Deng Yuqi laughed. “I like to keep things relaxed. Prefer to blend in with my subordinates.”

Literally.

Fang Mingyue couldn’t argue with that logic.

Deng Yuqi sat on the couch, glanced at Shen Ge, then turned back to Fang Mingyue. “Fang, you’re young, but you’re a seasoned investigator. Tell me—what’s the protocol when an investigator disobeys orders?”

Fang Mingyue stood at attention. “Disregarding orders warrants military discipline… but, if Investigator Shen did so, there must be a reason. Given his experience, I refuse to believe he’d make such a basic mistake. He must’ve had a deeper strategic assessment of the situation.”

Deng Yuqi nearly choked. She leaned toward Shen Ge and whispered, “Damn. When did you turn Fang into your personal hypewoman?”

“Overcompensation. Definitely overcompensation,” Shen Ge whispered back.

Their not-so-subtle exchange had Feng Chengxiu and the others fighting to keep straight faces. You two realize we can hear you, right?

But Fang Mingyue wasn’t fazed. With complete sincerity, she continued, “I’ve worked with Investigator Shen before. During a Grade-4 anomaly, I was trapped multiple times. He saved me every single instance. He’s the one who made me realize blind adherence to orders is foolish—that the bigger picture matters more.”

For the next few minutes, Fang Mingyue delivered what could only be described as a glowing review of Shen Ge’s character and skills. By the end, even he looked baffled, as if thinking, Are you sure you’re talking about me?

Deng Yuqi, struggling to keep a straight face, patted Shen Ge’s shoulder. “Well, since you’ve got company, we’ll leave you to it.”

With that, she made a swift exit, the others following suit before Fang Mingyue’s relentless praise could make the atmosphere any more awkward.

Shen Ge sighed and turned to Fang Mingyue. “What did you need?”

Fang Mingyue shook her head. “Nothing urgent. I just thought sticking close to you would let me learn more. If it’s inconvenient, I can leave.”

“…”

You can leave if you want, but could you not look like a kicked puppy doing it? People will think I bullied you.

Shen Ge gestured to a chair. “Sit. Speaking of, where’s Old He? I figured he’d be at an event like this.”

“He’s getting on in years. These conferences are exhausting. And honestly, the past two days have just been countries showing off their anomaly-tech. Total waste of time,” Fang Mingyue said, taking a seat.

“What about that Chen Guang guy? I heard he was attending too.” Shen Ge remembered him—seemed like a pushover at first, but he’d stepped up when it mattered.

He’d meant to ask Fang Mingyue about him over dinner yesterday, but after two exhausting days, he’d scarfed down his food and passed out.

“Got into a scuffle with some South Korean soldiers during the chaos in downtown Seoul yesterday. Now he’s benched with disciplinary action.” Fang Mingyue explained how a group of investigators and soldiers, after seeing the news, had decided to “join the fun.”

Shen Ge sighed. “They’re still lacking experience.”

Fang Mingyue blinked. “Huh? What do you mean?”

Shen Ge adopted a mentor-like tone. “You never reveal your identity as a Chinese investigator in situations like that. Me? I’d charge in yelling, ‘Bakayarou! You little kimchi-munching punks dare disturb my shopping? You wanna die?’ Then start the fight. That way, you’re in the clear.”

Fang Mingyue stared, then nodded solemnly. “I see. You’re saying we must always maintain cover, leaving no openings for the enemy. If they had even a tenth of your experience, they wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“Exactly.” Shen Ge had mostly been joking, but Fang Mingyue seemed to take it as gospel. He nodded approvingly.

“Noted.” Fang Mingyue’s expression was dead serious. Every word Investigator Shen says is profound. Coming here was the right call.

Shen Ge asked, “Chief Deng mentioned that because of yesterday’s incident at the Seoul base, they’re investigating whether any investigators ‘relocated’ an anomaly corpse during the operation. We’re stuck here for at least two more days until it’s resolved. Any plans?”

Fang Mingyue scoffed. “Serves them right. Investigators from multiple countries risk their lives to clean up their mess, and this is how they repay us? As if we’d stoop to their level—stealing whatever isn’t nailed down. Bet they staged this whole thing to pin it on foreign investigators.”

“…” Okay, dial back the insults a notch.