The System Arrived Four Years Early, but the Anomaly Is Still a Juvenile - Chapter 69

Fortunately, the Special Tactics and Strategy Department (STSD) staff were already used to Shen Ge’s eccentric behavior. When they saw him acting strangely, they simply ignored him.

In the end, the STSD used “sanitation violations” as a pretext to confiscate all the restaurant’s ingredients, sealing the place shut with official notices.

According to Deng Yuqi, the investigation into the Western restaurant would continue—both the people behind it and the source of their supplies needed to be scrutinized. The so-called “regenerative pork” was clearly problematic.

The fact that it had been safely imported into the country with all the necessary certifications suggested that those involved had not only power and connections but also some knowledge of the supernatural.

At present, the STSD had no way of handling supernatural entities before they fully manifested, let alone determining whether the meat had been processed before or during the transformation. Only by tracing the supply chain could they uncover the truth.

The thought that this might involve internal corruption gave Deng Yuqi a headache.

Back at the STSD, the logistics, medical, and technical teams worked tirelessly to examine the restaurant’s customers. Even though the supernatural energy hadn’t fully manifested, consuming tainted meat could have severe consequences. No one knew what would happen to those who had ingested it.

Since Cheng Shengnan hadn’t eaten anything from the restaurant, the technical team gave her a quick checkup before letting her wait in the lobby.

As she sat scrolling through her phone, footsteps approached. A figure stopped in front of her, and Shen Ge’s teasing voice rang out: “Hey, beautiful. Wanna grab some late-night snacks?”

“Sure. What are we having?” Cheng Shengnan looked up.

Nearby, the “Three Musketeers”—busy processing documents for the restaurant’s customers—saw Shen Ge return and were about to greet him when they noticed him walking straight toward a gorgeous woman and boldly inviting her out.

And she agreed without hesitation.

Disappointed, the trio sighed in unison. The world really does favor the good-looking—men and women alike… Sigh.

Just as they were lamenting their fates, Deng Yuqi appeared behind them without warning and remarked dryly, “You three idiots. It’s obvious they know each other.”

“Ah! Chief, you’re back?”

“Chief, you scared us! You walk so quietly!”

“Yeah, we nearly had a heart attack!”

The three immediately straightened up and began reporting the test results. So far, most customers showed no abnormalities.

Those with physical issues might have had pre-existing conditions, but the majority of affected individuals were long-time patrons of the restaurant.

As they spoke, Shen Ge walked over. “Chief, my friend didn’t eat anything from that place and has already been checked. Can she leave now?”

“Go ahead,” Deng Yuqi nodded.

Cheng Shengnan was practically a “regular” at this point—this was the third supernatural incident she’d been dragged into since meeting Shen Ge. His ability to attract trouble was truly impressive.

“I’ll see her home,” Shen Ge said, turning back toward Cheng Shengnan.

Deng Yuqi called after him, “Please go straight home afterward. No more wandering around. I don’t want to deal with another supernatural incident before we’ve even wrapped up this one.”

“No promises.”

…..

To avoid another supernatural encounter, Shen Ge and Cheng Shengnan chose a nearby barbecue joint.

Over skewers and beer, they chatted about work—revisions for old clients, design ideas, company updates.

When the topic turned to colleagues, Cheng Shengnan suddenly asked, “Has Xiao He contacted you recently?”

“No. Why?” Shen Ge replied.

“Last week, when she came to resign, I told her the company was relocating and asked if she wanted to stay. She seemed… off. Exhausted, dark circles like she hadn’t slept in days. She said ever since that incident, she keeps dreaming about those monsters.”

“She mentioned seeing a huge dog wreathed in black smoke lurking near her apartment’s dumpsters a few times. Now she’s too scared to go out at night.”

“I told her to talk to you, and she agreed. But it doesn’t seem like she ever did.”

A dog?

Black smoke?

Shen Ge frowned. Although Xiao He had been trapped with Cheng Shengnan during the supernatural incident, she’d never actually seen the entity.

If she was seeing black smoke, that meant the dog had fully manifested—at least a Rank-1 supernatural entity.

“Do you have her number?” Shen Ge asked.

Cheng Shengnan nodded, pulling out her phone and handing it to him. Shen Ge dialed immediately.

The call connected quickly.

“Hello, Manager Cheng?”

“Xiao He?”

“Uh… who is this?”

“Shen Ge.”

“Oh! Brother Shen! Why are you using Manager Cheng’s phone? Are you two together?”

“Yeah, grabbing a bite. Manager Cheng mentioned you haven’t been sleeping well—said you’ve been seeing a dog surrounded by black smoke?”

“Mhm. Just two nights ago, I saw it digging through the trash. It looked so terrifying I just ran. The next day, I told the property manager, but the security footage showed nothing.”

Shen Ge pressed for details—the dog’s appearance, when it showed up. Based on Xiao He’s description, it was likely a Rank-1 entity.

But what puzzled him was that no one else in the apartment complex had seen it.

After reassuring her, Shen Ge—who happened to have the next day off—arranged to visit Xiao He and investigate the “ghost dog.”

Hanging up, he handed the phone back.

“When are you going tomorrow?” Cheng Shengnan asked.

“Around noon.”

“I’ll come with you. I’ve been meaning to check on her anyway, and I’m free tomorrow. You handle the supernatural stuff; I’ll keep her company. Won’t get in your way.”

“Works for me.”

They agreed to meet at Tianchuan Plaza the next day. After seeing Cheng Shengnan into a cab, Shen Ge headed home.

Midnight.

Lying in bed, Shen Ge opened the [Log].

[January 20, 2028]
The organization believes you must infiltrate the enemy’s supernatural division to uncover how many of their agents are embedded within our ranks. This is no small matter—a detailed plan is required. The captured woman is key to initiating this operation. However, since you’ve rejected their offers twice, a direct approach would raise too many red flags. Thus, the higher-ups have decided to craft a script for you.

[Weekly Mission]
In this apocalyptic world overrun by supernatural entities, you must quickly increase your rank to unlock more system functions.
Rank-Up Mission: *Kill at least one Rank-3 supernatural entity.*
Rewards: *500 System Points, 3x Random E-Grade Recovery Items, 10% Free Attribute Points, Rank Promotion to Tier 2.*

A Rank-Up Mission?

Shen Ge hadn’t expected the jump from Tier 1 to Tier 2 to require a mission. Finding a Rank-3 entity wouldn’t be easy.

Previously, he’d assumed the four-year gap between the system’s timeline and the present meant that future Rank-6 or Rank-7 entities would currently be Rank-3 or Rank-5. But the emergence of Formless shattered that theory.

Moreover, based on Li Xiang’s research—that supernatural entities grew faster by consuming others—it was clear that current entities didn’t directly correlate with future ranks.

It was survival of the fittest: the more they consumed, the faster they evolved.

But supernatural entities weren’t exactly common yet. “Feeding” one to Rank-3 would take considerable effort, making such entities far rarer than expected.

For now, though, the priority was dealing with the suspected Rank-1 ghost dog. It’d be a good chance to test Silent’s compatibility with Formless, as well as explore the operational limits of Formless’s domain.

……

The Next Day

Shen Ge stuffed his satchel with gear. Since he’d already briefed Deng Yuqi, he avoided overly conspicuous weapons like miniguns or AK-47s. But “low-key” equipment—a cleaver, a pistol—was fair game.

Arriving at the meeting spot, he found Cheng Shengnan already waiting on a bench, scrolling through her phone.

She wore a sleek black dress today, her poised demeanor accentuated by wire-rimmed glasses that added an air of quiet intellect.

“Waiting for someone, beautiful?” Shen Ge teased as he approached.

She looked up. “Mhm. You. You’re thirteen minutes late. Company policy deducts 130.”

*”How about I bribe you with a 200-yuan lunch to let it slide?”*

After a moment of faux contemplation, she nodded. “Deal.”

As they headed toward a nearby restaurant, a familiar voice called out from behind:

“Tsk tsk tsk. No wonder you turned down Mom’s famous soup today—you’ve got a date!”