The System Arrived Four Years Early, but the Anomaly Is Still a Juvenile - Chapter 178

“Stay away from the blood dripping from the ceiling! Everyone, move to the areas on either side of the main hall doors. If you want to live, don’t go outside!” Shen Ge scanned the hall and commanded in a low voice.

With the high frequency of eerie incidents, even without formal training, the public heard the Special Response Department’s “Eerie Response Protocol” repeated daily on news broadcasts until they were sick of it. It was rare for people to panic uncontrollably and hinder the department’s efforts.

Especially after several incidents where individuals who disobeyed orders worsened the situation and faced consequences, non-cooperation became even rarer.

The survivors in the hall crowded into the open spaces on either side of the doors as instructed, pushing tables previously laden with wine and desserts forward as a makeshift barrier.

However, the blood dripping from the ceiling didn’t flow towards the crowd. Instead, it gathered in the center and slowly moved towards the stage.

The faceless head’s split smile was grotesque, like a lump of molded candle wax with a slash cut into it.

As soon as it finished speaking, the Eerie Sleeping Bag Shen Ge held bulged and writhed. The captured faceless strange man’s body was struggling to break free.

But this “Eerie Sleeping Bag,” modified by Shen Ge and Li Xiang, was estimated to be capable of restraining even a Tier 3 non-strength-type eerie, let alone this strange man whose body Shen Ge had dismantled.

A sudden chill ran down Shen Ge’s neck. The faceless head on the table melted, and threads of waxy filament shot out, slicing towards Shen Ge and Cheng Shengnan beside the table.

This level of attack didn’t even require Shen Ge to deploy his Eerie Domain. When the waxy threads were half a meter away, crimson filaments extending from their wrists severed them.

Little Seven, the AI integrated with the Corrupted Flesh Armor, didn’t suffer from human fatigue from prolonged concentration, providing constant warning and defense for Shen Ge and Cheng Shengnan.

Unless Shen Ge completely depleted the armor’s eerie energy, Little Seven might “shut down.” But after the upgrade to the “LiXiangIII Red Mist Armor,” Li Xiang had essentially solved the energy issue, so Little Seven running out of power was impossible.

“You had your chance, and you blew it.” Shen Ge raised his hand. The Corrupted Flesh Armor coated it, forming the Eerie Bone Hammer, which he smashed down on the faceless head.

Splat! The melting head instantly turned into a puddle of mud. Shen Ge then swept the waxy sludge into the Eerie Sleeping Bag with it.

Just then, Anti-Eriere Team 2, having received Cheng Shengnan’s message, began sweeping upwards floor by floor under Yang Yuxin’s command, while Yang Yuxin herself led a squad to the main hall.

“Investigator Shen!”

“Investigator Shen!”

Yang Yuxin and her team stopped before Shen Ge, saluting him in unison.

After the Special Response Department’s “expansion,” Anti-Eriere agents were graded. A full team consisted of one Captain, one Vice-Captain, four “Elite” agents, eight standard agents, and twenty-four Anti-Eriere soldiers.

Additionally, during missions, Captain-level agents had the authority to mobilize military forces for area blockade and assistance.

In operations without a Captain, “Elite” agents could act as acting captains, assigning tasks and directing personnel.

Post-expansion, Rong City’s Anti-Eriere force was second only to headquarters, comprising four full teams: one Chief Captain, eight Captain-level agents, twenty-one standard agents, thirty-seven “Trainee” agents, and over a hundred Anti-Eriere soldiers.

…Plus one “strongest” external personnel.

Although all Special Response Department teams wore standardized “Eerie Energy Combat Suits,” Captain-level insignia and styles had subtle differences.

Yang Yuxin, now in a Captain’s uniform, was followed by 1 Vice-Captain, three Elite agents, four standard agents, and seventeen Anti-Eriere soldiers.

The department’s current status was undeniable. Even someone like Mrs. Cheng, with little direct contact, understood what a Captain-level position meant.

But Cheng Shengnan had told her mother that Shen Ge was just an ordinary frontline soldier. Normally, he should salute a Captain. Yet, the entire team stood at attention, saluting him. This stunned not only Mrs. Cheng but everyone else in the hall.

Yang Yuxin’s team had entered with imposing presence, fully armed. Combined with the department’s recent “act first, report later” authority, it felt like a return to an era where officials wielded absolute power.

“A Tier 3 strange man, already contained. But I suspect other eerie presences are lurking, roughly detected on the top three floors.”

“Initial suspicion is that the target is Mrs. Cheng Jinci. Continue the floor-by-floor sweep per procedure. You escort Mrs. Cheng to the Special Response Department for routine questioning about her recent activities.”

Mrs. Cheng was still reeling from Shen Ge’s status and him assigning tasks to a Captain when she heard she was the target, freezing in shock. Cheng Shengnan was equally surprised but trusted Shen Ge’s judgment, quietly reassuring her mother.

“Certain auction items might also be targets. I’ll leave the rest to you. I’m going upstairs to check the Eerie Space,” Shen Ge told Yang Yuxin.

“Yes, sir.” Yang Yuxin saluted in acknowledgment.

Shen Ge then gave Cheng Shengnan a few more instructions regarding safety, and then explained the situation to Cheng’s mother: “Auntie, don’t worry, going to the department will only involve some simple routine questioning to see if any illegal organizations are targeting you. Until the investigation is complete, you’ll have to stay in the special operations department’s dormitory for the next couple of days. Nan, I’m going upstairs to check things out. You two go back to the special operations department first, and be careful.”

“You too, be careful,” Cheng Shengnan urged.

Shen Ge nodded, exited through a side door into the stairwell, and headed upstairs.

After assigning tasks to the other agents, Yang Yuxin prepared to escort the Cheng mother and daughter back. “Director Cheng, Mrs. Cheng, Investigator Shen is handling this. It’s safe now. Let’s proceed to—”

She was cut off by a faint rustling sound. Her right hand, clad in a black eerie leather glove, reached back and drew a one-foot-long black Eerie Bone Knife from her waist.

The dozens of headless mannequin bodies under the stage began to stir, slowly rising, twisting to face the stage.

The scattered faceless heads also turned towards the stage, a deeply unsettling sight.

“Ah—”

“ARGHHH!!!”

Li Lin and others still on stage, who thought they were safe after the department’s arrival, screamed in terror as the previously decapitated mannequin strange men “revived,” scrambling towards Yang Yuxin.

“Lao Zhang, Zhao He, escort the survivors on stage to the gathering point by the door. Everyone else, focus fire. They’re after the thing in the Eerie Sleeping Bag.” Under Lin Yin’s tutelage, Yang Yuxin had progressed rapidly in just a few months, even surpassing Tu Doupi, hence her young age as Captain.

She immediately recognized these strange men were after the contained Tier 3 strange man, waiting until Shen Ge, whom they couldn’t defeat, had left.

Having handled Tier 3 eerie incidents, Yang Yuxin faced no real danger from these Tier 1 strange men.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Under Yang Yuxin’s command, the soldiers split into two teams forming defensive lines. The named agents, Lao Zhang and Zhao He, quickly ushered Li Lin and the others to the door.

Seeing the headless strange men hadn’t moved yet, Yang Yuxin decided to strike first. She used her Eerie Fire Gauntlet to burn the blood in the hall’s center, then led the team with her Eerie Bone Knife to eliminate the headless strange men.

These headless strange men were only slightly stronger than basic Parasitized individuals. Lacking the Parasitized’s bizarre heads, they posed little threat.

Holding the Eerie Sleeping Bag in one hand and the Eerie Bone Knife in the other, Yang Yuxin had others protect the Cheng mother and daughter while she and two agents cleared the area.

Shen Ge, informed by Little Seven about the hall situation, didn’t return. Instead, he proceeded to the top floor, trusting Yang Yuxin’s competence and the “sub-unit” Little Seven had with Cheng Shengnan. The Eerie Space situation was more urgent.

If it continued expanding at this rate, the entire hotel could be pulled in within ten minutes, trapping everyone.

“Little Seven, report the latest scan.” Shen Ge wondered how long the system would sleep. Was it really knocked out for months just by integrating “Traceless” and “Misfortune”? After a year, it’s still as unreliable as ever.

If the [Map] system worked, he could simply scan for the eerie creating the Eerie Space, find it, and eliminate it.

But without scanning, he had to search manually.

“Master, the surrounding eerie energy density is rising rapidly. Tier 2, Tier 3… now approaching Tier 4! Still increasing!”

As Little Seven spoke, Shen Ge felt a surge of intense eerie energy. He almost instinctively activated the Immovable Eerie Domain, triggering “Bullet Time.”

The clash between his domain and the Eerie Space created violent spatial distortions, as if two immense forces were pulling space apart.

Shen Ge watched his mental energy plummet. But being near Tier 4 himself, he wouldn’t exhaust himself after just a few seconds of contesting the Eerie Space.

Not only did he not exhaust himself, he seemed to be gaining the upper hand. Combined with “Bullet Time” slowing everything, the spatial distortions appeared in slow motion.

“Hiding in an Eerie Space, huh?” Shen Ge’s voice turned cold. If you like hiding, I’ll dismantle the Eerie Space along with you.

He stepped back, retracting the Immovable Domain. As his side relented, the Eerie Space rapidly expanded, trying to swallow him.

The moment it touched him, Shen Ge’s Intangible Eerie Domain flared, contesting the Eerie Space again.

“Master, the target’s eerie energy density has exceeded Tier 4,” Little Seven reminded.

Shen Ge could sense it through his mental energy consumption. About a fifth of his mental energy was depleted after half a minute of contesting.

With Little Seven reporting continued expansion, meaning the Eerie Space was still growing, Shen Ge fully deployed his Intangible Eerie Domain and activated “Collapse”—

Instantly, the top three floors of the hotel twisted into a massive vortex, sucking in the surrounding space.

Within the completely distorted space, Shen Ge glimpsed a figure struggling to maintain the Eerie Domain against his “Collapse.”

Pinpointing the enemy, Shen Ge instructed Little Seven to deploy the full-body armor, directly switching to “Red Mist Form” for energy conversion.

Red Mist Eerie Domain!

Collapse!

Enhanced by the Red Mist Form’s energy conversion, the Intangible Eerie Domain expanded rapidly, instantly pulling the figure into it.

Shen Ge shot forward like a cannonball, propelled by the Red Mist energy-enhanced Eerie Leather Shoes. Shielded by his domain, he phased through walls, arriving before the figure in a blink.

He retracted the Intangible Domain just as the distortions were about to stabilize and the figure tried to regain control of the Eerie Space. Simultaneously, he deployed the Immovable Eerie Domain, trapping the figure.

Although Shen Ge had been “slacking” these months, he hadn’t been “idle.” His control and switching of Eerie Domains had become as smooth as a certain brand of condom.

The figure clearly didn’t expect Shen Ge’s speed. Escape was impossible. Trapped in the Immovable Domain, Shen Ge dragged her out from the distorted space.

Shen Ge expected this “eerie” or “strange man” controlling an Eerie Space to be from The Twelve Branches, wearing their uniform. Instead, it was a woman!
A… blonde bombshell?

And not just any blonde bombshell, but one who embodied “blonde,” “bombshell,” and “babe” separately yet perfectly.

Her beauty was devastating, but Shen Ge focused not on her face, but on the crimson wound running from her jaw down beneath her clothes. It looked like she had nearly been split in two and hastily stitched back with crude thread.

With each breath, the stitches seemed strained. Shen Ge worried her organs might spill out if she breathed too hard.

He also noticed a pool of blood at her feet, which had previously spread throughout the Eerie Space but retracted once she was trapped.

Shen Ge connected it to the blood seeping from the ceiling downstairs, clearly linked to this blood pool during the Eerie Space’s expansion.

Shocked to see Shen Ge, the woman tapped the invisible barrier. “This… is your ability?” she asked coldly.

Shen Ge ignored her, looking at the blood pool. “Is this yours?”

“…”

The woman snorted. “The intel was wrong. There’s a strange man here who’s mastered Eerie Power too. Who are you with?”

“Xiao Family of Rong City. Eerie Power, Third Stage,” Shen Ge replied.

The woman was clearly thrown off, even trying to recall when Rong City had an “Xiao Family.”

And what was “Eerie Power, Third Stage”?

For strange men, transplanting specially treated eerie corpses to control eerie energy and gain abilities was called “Eerie Abilities.”

This term was cumbersome, so “Eerie Power” was used instead, but it wasn’t graded in stages. Ratings depended on the strange man’s overall strength.

“Seems you’re not with The Twelve Branches,” Shen Ge observed. His joke was also a test; her reaction confirmed she didn’t even recognize him.

Shen Ge was The Twelve Branches’ “number one enemy,” his wanted poster even in “12” branches. Members hated him deeply, hence Yin Hu’s desperate, life-risking secondary mutation for revenge.

“You know The Twelve Branches?” the woman asked, surprised.

Shen Ge countered, “They’re not exactly top-tier. Knowing them isn’t strange. But you, not being one of them, yet a ‘strange man’… that surprises me.”

“Are you with the Special Response Department?” she asked.

Shen Ge said flatly, “While ‘ladies first’ is gentlemanly, I’ve asked several questions, and you’ve answered none, instead questioning me. Isn’t that a bit inappropriate?”

The woman examined Shen Ge’s red Corrupted Blood Armor, her eyes widening as it matched a description in her mind. “You’re Shen Ge from Rong City Special Response Department! But… they said you were two meters tall, built like an ox, face like a butcher, with eight arms, dark as coal… Why do you look like this?”

“?”

The Red Mist Armor retracted into Shen Ge’s wrist, revealing his true face. “What kind of description is that? Never mind… Since you know who I am, I’m honored to inform you, you’re under arrest… Miss Strange Man.”

Shen Ge had little interest in interrogation; the department had more skilled experts. Her identity could be determined back at headquarters.

As he spoke, he contracted the Immovable Domain’s barrier, using Corrupted Blood tentacles to bind her hands behind her back, trussing her up like a zongzi.

“What are you—” Her words were cut off as a tentacle gagged her.

Dragging her downstairs, Shen Ge said, “You didn’t want to talk before. No need now. Someone will interrogate you slowly back at the department.”

“Mmph! Mmph!” She struggled frantically, but bound hand and foot, her abilities blocked by the Immovable Domain.

By the time Shen Ge reached the first floor, Yang Yuxin had already escorted the Cheng mother and daughter back. Vice-Captain Zhao He of Team 2 was in charge.

Seeing Shen Ge dragging a bound “zongzi woman,” Zhao He immediately offered assistance.

“This woman has strength comparable to a Tier 3 strange man. Normal containment might not hold her. Get me a vehicle; I’ll take her to the department,” Shen Ge said.

“Yes, sir.” Zhao He promptly arranged a vehicle.

Back at the department, Shen Ge, along with Feng Chengxiu and others, contained the woman under the highest security protocols, then went to report to the Director.

In the office, Cheng Shengnan was still talking with Deng Yuqi. Seeing him enter, Deng Yuqi said, “While you and Captain Feng were at containment, Operations reported you brought back a woman suspected to be a Tier 3 strange man?”

Shen Ge nodded, briefly explaining the situation. “I didn’t expect new organizations creating ‘artificial eeries’ to pop up in just a few months, besides The Twelve Branches. I suspect she and the faceless strange man Yang brought back aren’t from the same group. They need thorough interrogation.”

“Lin Yin is handling the faceless strange man. As for the woman… I’ll take that. You two must be tired after tonight. Get some rest. I’ll have your… ahem, your AI, update you,” Deng Yuqi said.

“Okay.”

Leaving the office, Shen Ge and Cheng Shengnan discussed Mrs. Cheng’s statement.

According to Mrs. Cheng, her recent months in Australia were business as usual: investigating global disasters, coordinating charities, managing funds… Not only had she not conflicted with anyone, she had even successfully collaborated with several listed companies.

She couldn’t imagine who would target her using strange men.

“My mother owns several companies. She often says having enough money is fine; beyond that, it’s just numbers without meaning. Since dedicating herself to charity, she’s focused on non-profit work, rarely having business conflicts… Why do you think the strange men were after her?” Cheng Shengnan explained, equally puzzled.

Shen Ge said, “Tonight’s charity auction had many Rong City political and business elites. But the strange men ignored them, heading straight for the main stage. I initially thought The Twelve Branches were targeting you. But after observing, they persistently tried to capture your mother, even against Little Seven’s defenses.”

“After I subdued the parent body of the faceless strange men, it tried to parasitize your mother under the guise of melting, but my Corrupted Blood tentacles caught it.”

“That confirmed she was the target. I intentionally left the Eerie Sleeping Bag with Captain Yang and went upstairs. Little Seven kept me updated. As soon as I left, the thing used its remaining power to control the decapitated mannequins for a final attempt.”

“It might not be a business grudge. For The Twelve Branches or these organizations, money might truly be just ‘numbers.’ They might want something among your mother’s assets, or her business intersects with theirs.”

As the Logistics Department’s Executive Director, Cheng Shengnan had handled similar cases. “True. My mother’s information is submitted. The Info Department should find any business links to strange men within days, maybe uncovering clues.”

“You said your mother’s foundation is based in Australia, focusing work overseas. Why did she return suddenly?” Shen Ge asked curiously.

Cheng Shengnan explained, “Domestic procedures are complicated, and she didn’t meet the criteria. Her family has assets in Australia, making it easier to operate there. She returned partly due to issues with funds supporting the Capital Eerie Disaster relief, and also because I told her I had a boyfriend. She wanted to meet you and ‘check your suitability.'”

“Oh—So I must have made a good impression?”

“Passable.”

“Your tone sounds rather reluctant.”

“She said our place is too small, that we can’t live in ‘dorms’ after marriage, so she’s considering us moving.”

“?”

Wow, rich people. Even the department’s five-star hotel-level “dorms” get looked down on.

Cheng Shengnan glanced at him, her tone matter-of-fact. “She initially offered us a villa in Deer Lake Water City, but after hearing about the incident there, suggested ‘making do’ with one in Jinhu City instead.”

“…”

Even with Shen Ge’s wit, he was momentarily speechless.

“But I refused. I told her we live in the dorms not because we can’t afford better, but for safety. Your identity is special, and me being exposed could be dangerous. You want me here for protection,” Cheng Shengnan said.

This was true. With Shen Ge’s current status, even through proper channels, getting a villa wasn’t hard.

But he stayed partly because he was often “on business trips,” like the Tuokou City disaster lasting months. The department was safer for Cheng Shengnan.

“Don’t worry, my mother isn’t snobbish. Besides, you’re the number one Anti-Eriere agent. That’s not something money can buy. She just wants to ensure we’re comfortable and tries to help. She secretly bought a building on the adjacent street, plans to convert it to a villa so we can live closer to work. So don’t think she’s being meddlesome.”

Shen Ge cut her off. “Nonsense, meddlesome?… Our mother is just being thoughtful.”

“…” Cheng Shengnan shot him an exasperated look. If not for his poisonous tongue, he’d be perfect.

As Mrs. Cheng was staying in their dorm temporarily, Shen Ge moved to another room.

Investigating Mrs. Cheng’s extensive assets was expected to take time, but the Info Department was efficient, linking one of her Australian businesses to a local “12” branch within two days.

Regarding the two strange men, Lin Yin and Deng Yuqi’s “efforts” yielded important intel.

The faceless strange man was indeed from The Twelve Branches, a product of their latest “strange man research,” on its first mission.

Mrs. Cheng’s assets in Australia were substantial, including family businesses from her grandfather’s era that attracted unwanted attention. An Australian underworld organization, seeking to dominate the underground scene, had approached her for cooperation two years prior.

Focused on charity, Mrs. Cheng refused and forgot about it. Unbeknownst to her, “12” expanded globally this year, forming business ties with that organization.

The organization promised The Twelve Branches half its assets to fund experiments if they could capture Mrs. Cheng and force cooperation with “12” in Australia.

The Twelve Branches, wanting to test new “strange men” and targeting Rong City—a place of past “humiliation and heartbreak”—to gauge the branch’s response, planned the attack.

As for the woman, she initially refused to talk. Deng Yuqi had Li Xiang extract genetic samples. Cross-referencing with the department database via Little Seven identified her.

Before becoming a strange man, she was an International Anti-Eriere Organization member named… let’s call her “Bogon” for simplicity. She was presumed dead in a mission.

In reality, Bogon was critically injured, not killed. Recognizing her contributions and during their “Rebirth” experiment, the organization used her as a test subject.

The experiment involved a “fusible” red, mysterious tumor-like substance combined with an eerie’s rapid regeneration to create a “new organ.” Implanting this organ allowed control over eerie energy and access to mysterious abilities.

The “blood seam” from her jaw downward was an actual incision from jaw to… lower regions, splitting her open. This wound never healed, requiring periodic suturing with special eerie flesh threads.

So far, the “Rebirth Project” had experimented on thirteen agents and over a hundred soldiers.

Eerily, only three cases succeeded, all women: Bogon, another agent, and a female soldier.

Bogon’s mission was directly assigned, based on intel about new strange man activity in Rong City, to capture one for study.

Hearing this, Shen Ge felt The Twelve Branches were playing a convoluted game, like the left hand fighting the right.

Based on future intel, The Twelve Branches controlled the International Anti-Eriere Organization. Besides them, only the green-cloaked woman in Sakura was involved in strange man projects.

Previous investigations revealed “12” clubs worldwide, also controlled by The Twelve Branches for research funds.

So, “12” sent people to kidnap; the International Organization sent people to kidnap the kidnappers. A very novel game indeed.

Shen Ge wanted to question Bogon further about The Twelve Branches and the International Organization, but when he visited containment, she was… “processed” beyond recognition, requiring joint “resuscitation” efforts by Research and Medical departments.

As the International Organization’s latest “strange man research” product, she might still hold research value after some… repairs.

Once the strange men’s motives were clear, the focus shifted to protecting Mrs. Cheng. Her reputation was high both in Australia and domestically.

She had donated a tenth of the Capital Eerie Disaster reconstruction funds and secretly supported national development. Even without Shen Ge and Cheng Shengnan, the Celestial Dynasty would protect her.

Shen Ge expected a trip to Australia, but before that was finalized, someone from the Korean Peninsula arrived.

One morning, after breakfast, as Shen Ge headed to Research to discuss upgrading an eerie energy device with Li Xiang, Deng Yuqi summoned him.

“Trouble on the Korean Peninsula,” Deng Yuqi stated bluntly.

“What happened?”

“After the last Asian Eerie Research Conference, Hanseong’s Eerie Response Department restructured and expanded—new name’s a mouthful, let’s just call it the Peninsula’s department. They recruited many new trainees during reorganization.”

“But you know their military’s hazing issues. It led to a recruit snapping, shooting up a camp, then hiding in the mountains. There, he found a strange man research organization and made a deal for human experimentation.”

Deng Yuqi showed a report with photos of the red tumor-like substance.

“After modification, the recruit became a strange man. Driven by hatred for Peninsula soldiers, he began attacking their bases.”

“The Peninsula responded immediately, even using missiles, but found the strange man possessed a peculiar… Trait.”

Shen Ge’s interest peaked at “Trait.” “A Trait? Besides The Twelve Branches’ ‘multi-headed, multi-armed’ Traits, I haven’t heard of strange men having them. What is it? Two heads four arms? Three heads six arms? Four heads eight arms?”

Deng Yuqi said gravely, “According to them, this Trait is troublesome. It seems similar to an ‘Undying’ type.”

“Huh?” Shen Ge was dumbfounded, wondering if he misheard.

Undying?

How undying?

Deng Yuqi sighed, serious. “Yes, ‘Undying.’ You heard right… Specifically, whether their agents shoot him full of holes with eerie energy guns, dismember him with eerie equipment, or even blast him to bits with eerie missiles… he always comes back to life.”

“You mean, after being killed, an identical one appears later?” Shen Ge asked.

Deng Yuqi nodded. “Essentially.”

“How do they know it’s not just clones, releasing one after another? If they can create strange men, cloning a few shouldn’t be hard,” Shen Ge reasoned.

“The Peninsula thought so too. But their research shows the strange man’s behavior and memory seem consistent, like the same person. You previously agreed to help with one incident. They invoked the agreement. Given it involves a ‘Trait,’ I didn’t refuse outright, wanted your opinion.”

Post-eerie outbreak, inter-departmental cooperation and “borrowing” personnel became common. With the Peninsula just across the sea, collaboration had increased.

Headquarters, upholding friendly relations, readily agreed to the request. But Rong City Branch was different. For other branches, a transfer order sufficed.

Rong City was a “special case.” Shen Ge, the top agent, might “accept orders but not summons,” but the Branch Director was also defiant, accepting neither.

Reasoning with her might work; force resulted in ignored calls at best.

Headquarters tried replacing Deng Yuqi, wanting control over the powerful branch and Shen Ge.

The replacement arrived before the transfer order. Chief Captain Lin Yin resigned on the spot, citing danger and wanting to “return to factory work.”

Shen Ge was more absurd, requesting twelve months of marriage leave.

Other agents ignored the replacement, carrying on as usual.

The replacement achieved nothing, essentially giving Deng Yuqi a break.

After that, headquarters stopped meddling, using persuasion, emotion, and incentives when needing Rong City.

For this Peninsula request, headquarters offered generous “incentives” and gave Deng Yuqi the final say.

Deng Yuqi initially didn’t care about the Peninsula’s “fair-weather friendship,” but recalling Shen Ge’s interest in “Traits,” consulted him.

While Shen Ge had little fondness for the Peninsula, the incident seemed bizarre: a mountain lab, a recruit coincidentally participating in successful strange man research?
Despite the oddities, if an “Undying” Trait truly existed, it was incredibly appealing!

After careful consideration, Shen Ge decided to accept the mission!