Translator: RogueKat | Editor: RogueKat
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Taking a deep breath, Zhang Yuanqing tried to keep his tone calm: "Officer Li, it's me, Zhang Yuanqing."
"Oh, it's you," the other person laughed. "What's the matter, why are you calling me in the middle of the night?"
Zhang Yuanqing spoke in a low voice: "I have some information to report. Actually, before Brother Bing disappeared, he sent me a card."
"Why didn't you say anything earlier?" There was no surprise in Li Dongze's tone.
Zhang Yuanqing hesitated for a moment and then explained his speculation about Brother Bing's disappearance in detail to Li Dongze.
After a moment of silence on the other end, the person laughed and said: "Kid, you sure know how to put on a show."
Guan Ya was correct in her assessment: Zhang Yuanqing was naturally solitary. As a normal, optimistic college student, he had a cheerful personality and wasn't particularly guarded.
"Sorry..." Zhang Yuanqing felt a little embarrassed and immediately changed the subject, or rather, got to the point: "I encountered some strange and hard-to-understand things tonight. Can you understand what I’m saying?"
"It seems that you have successfully come out of the Spirit Realm." Li Dongze's tone was slightly relieved.
Yes, he had just come out and almost died there… Hearing this reply, Zhang Yuanqing felt relieved.
The other person really knew about the Spirit Realm.
Li Dongze said: "Congratulations on becoming a Spirit Realm Walker, that's what we call ourselves. The difference between us is that I am an official one, while you are a rogue one."
Spirit Realm Walker… Zhang Yuanqing savored the words and asked: "What is the Spirit Realm?"
He had too many questions and wanted answers, but he could only start from the basics.
"I can't tell you right now. If you want to learn about the Spirit Realm, you have to make a choice," Li Dongze said in a solemn voice.
"The attitude towards the Spirit Realm within the government can be divided into two types: First is recruitment and training, while the Second is regulation and control. The former represents joining us and becoming an official Spirit Realm Walker.”
“The latter represents being a rogue one. You only need to register with us and promise not to use y our abilities to violate the law, and we won’t interfere with you. Of course, you won’t be receiving any help from the government either.”
"The official attitude towards the Spirit Realm can be divided into two types. One is absorption and cultivation, and the other is supervision and control. The former represents joining us and becoming an official Spirit Realm Walker."
"The latter is to be a solitary cultivator. You only need to register with us, promise not to use your abilities to violate discipline, and we won't interfere. Of course, you won't be able to get any help from the government either."
Without hesitation, Zhang Yuanqing said: "I am willing to join the organization and fight for the country and the people."
Li Dongze laughed and said: "As expected from someone who comes from a family of law enforcement officers. You have great awareness."
For a moment, Zhang Yuanqing couldn't tell whether the other person was being sarcastic or praising him.
"Then get some rest early. I'll pick you up tomorrow at 8 a.m." Li Dongze said.
Huh? Not now? Zhang Yuanqing hesitated for a moment and asked: "Tomorrow?"
“Or what? What time is it now? If you want to fight for the organization, you have to wait until we're in the office," Li Dongze replied.
You don't want to talk about it on the phone, afraid that I would change my mind and exploit the information for free? So you want me to wait until tomorrow we meet in person... Zhang Yuanqing could only sigh and say: "Okay."
After hanging up the phone, he looked at his mobile phone, which showed 11 pm. Time in the Spirit Realm passed at the same pace as the outside world.
Successfully contacting the official organization, Zhang Yuanqing felt relieved. At this moment, the exhaustion from struggling to survive in the Spirit Realm washed over him.
He lay down on his bed, and set the alarm clock, his eyelids getting heavier until he fell into a deep sleep.
The following day at 7:15 a.m., Zhang Yuanqing was startled awake by his alarm clock and nearly had a heart attack. As he turned off the alarm and yawned, he got out of bed.
He hadn't slept well the night before and had had several nightmares, all of which were related to ghosts and monsters, causing him to wake up several times.
In the living room, his Grandpa sat on the couch watching the news. His tall, stern figure was accentuated by his silver-white hair and sparse strands.
Meanwhile, his Grandma was busy making breakfast in the kitchen, while his aunt sat on a chair beside the long dining table, pouting her cheeks like a cute hamster while playing with her phone.
"Waking up so early?"
Zhang Yuanqing's aunt scrutinized her lethargic nephew and mumbled: "You look like you've been indulging yourself. Did you do something bad last night? I'm going to check your trash can."
Usually, Zhang Yuanqing would have retorted with a sarcastic remark like: ‘To find food?’
But right now he was preoccupied with the Spirit Realm and the upcoming meeting with the official organization and didn't have the energy to argue with his aunt.
Sitting listlessly next to her, he stared blankly ahead, waiting for breakfast.
Soon, his Grandma brought out a steaming bowl of porridge, fried dough sticks, boiled eggs, and a basket of meat buns.
After taking a sip of hot porridge to moisten his throat, Zhang Yuanqing looked at his grandfather and asked tentatively: "Grandpa, I remember that when the construction team disappeared in the She Ling Tunnel years ago, the Police Department organized a search team, and you were part of it."
"Hmm," his grandfather replied confusedly: "That's all ancient history. Why are you asking about it now?"
"I read that story online again yesterday. Do you know how the worker who was found is doing now?" Zhang Yuanqing asked.
"I don't remember. It's been so long; I can't recall," his grandfather replied, furrowing his brow.
"But didn't he disappear again?" Grandma interjected, joining the discussion with interest. "And it was a mysterious disappearance. The incident caused quite a stir in the public back then, and even the leaders of the Police Department had to personally come and pacify everyone."
"Is that so?" Grandpa denied it.
"Old Chen, have you gotten senile in your old age? You told me about it yourself." Grandma was confident in her words.
…Grandpa lowered his head and drank his porridge, saying: "Believe in science, and don't be obsessed with superstitions. The older you get, the more gossipy you become."
Zhang Yuanqing felt a bit down after hearing about how the worker was found but disappeared again... He took a sip of his porridge.
Clearly, the survivor entered the spiritual realm again after 36 hours, but this time, he didn't come out alive.
As he expected, the death rate in the Mountain God Temple was extremely high, and the second main mission was very, very dangerous.
Relying on the authorities to survive was the most sensible decision.
After finishing breakfast and cleaning up, Zhang Yuanqing took the elevator downstairs and waited for over ten minutes at the entrance of the residential area.
A black business car slowly pulled up, and the door automatically slid open. Li Dongze sat on the white leather sofa, propping his cane and crossing his legs, dressed in the same attire as yesterday; a black suit, black vest, white shirt, slicked-back hair, and a delicately trimmed mustache.
"Get in the car, college student," Li Dongze said with a smile.
"Okay, investigator," Zhang Yuanqing responded with a smile.
After he got in the car, the black business car merged into traffic and drove steadily on the morning streets. Li Dongze opened the car fridge and asked, "What do you want to drink?"
"Cola!"
"Then you can go to the supermarket yourself later," Li Dongze poured himself a glass of whiskey, dropped a piece of ice, held the glass, leaned back on the seat, and leisurely said: "I'll take you to handle your entry procedures and give you some basic training. First, let me introduce myself. I'm Li Dongze, a third-level Spirit Realm Walker, from the Songhai branch of the Five Elements Alliance, the second team leader of the Kangyang District. My profession is a scout."
A scout? Are there any other professions besides Night Walkers? Although he was curious, Zhang Yuanqing didn't interrupt.
As a socially savvy person, he knew that interrupting someone was impolite, and he didn't want to lose points over trivial matters.
Li Dongze took a sip of his drink and said, "First, let me tell you what the Spiritual Realm is!"
Zhang Yuanqing immediately perked up.
