The Eldritch Files

”So, what the hell was all that about?”

Han Su collected his small black leather case and stood at the entrance of the Disaster Management Bureau base. Bathed in the bright sunlight and feeling the free-blowing wind, he felt a bit dazed.

He couldn’t find Zhang Chiguo. Once the groups were assigned, the members of the D1 and D2 Groups were promptly kicked out.

’This whole week has been so bizarre.’

’Let’s see... I met Song Chushi, got a Spell, and then was dragged into an incident involving a Ghost Truck and dead people. After that, I went through a week of training, downloaded an app, got a small notebook, and was handed an electric baton.’

’And just like that, my identity has changed?’

’And in the midst of it all, there was my own Flashing experience. The more I think about it, the more surreal this past week feels.’

”Let’s go!”

But just then, a woman’s voice called out, ”I’ll give you a ride!”

Han Su turned around and saw someone unexpected. It was the female secretary in the black suit who was always with Zhang Chiguo. She was dressed in the same way, in a black suit and black leather shoes, but from the detailed pattern on the fabric, he could tell she had changed into a fresh set of clothes.

’Is she the type of woman whose closet is just a long row of identical black suits?’

Han Su’s mind wandered for a moment before he came to his senses and asked curiously, ”Where’s Uncle Zhang?”

”He needs to prepare some things. I’ll take you back first.”

Hearing this, Han Su couldn’t help but frown. ”Then when can I see him?”

The female secretary in the black suit, Cui Qiao, didn’t answer. Her small leather shoes went CLACK-CLACK as she led the way. Arriving at the parking lot, she got into a large black SUV and asked, ”Where do you live?”

”Takahashi District.”

Han Su replied, ”A small rented place. It’s very cramped and narrow, on a high floor, and it’s not convenient for shopping.”

He paused, then added, ”Uncle Zhang should know. I don’t have any money. Even though I applied for a scholarship, I still need to work part-time to support myself, so I can only afford a small place like this.”

Cui Qiao paid no mind to his words, simply saying, ”Now that you’ve joined the Executioner Division, your financial situation will improve.”

”By the way, it’s quite surprising that you were assigned to the D2 Group. This reflects your personal potential, your probability of survival, and your prospects for promotion to Investigator.”

”For the next few days, get some rest and get used to the change in your identity.”

”If you had been assigned to the D5 and D6 Groups, or even the D3 and D4 Groups, you would’ve had to suspend your studies and even sever your social ties to serve in the Disaster Management Bureau. But since you were placed in the D1 and D2 Groups, you can keep your current social connections.”

”Just be careful. No information from within the Disaster Management Bureau can be spread casually.”

Cui Qiao instructed him while driving. ”Due to certain considerations, the Disaster Management Bureau has adopted a relatively hands-off management style for Executioners with the potential to be promoted to Investigators. This is a new experiment.”

”But I hope you understand that this isn’t because the Disaster Management Bureau is incapable of strict, militarized management. If you get demoted for making a mistake, you will lose many of your rights as a human being.”

”...”

Han Su understood what she was saying.

’Weren’t the members of the D5 and D6 Groups kept at the Disaster Management Bureau for direct supervision?’

’And what about the mysterious D7 Group I heard people mention during training but have yet to even see?’

As the two talked, Cui Qiao’s car had already passed through the crisscrossing overpasses and bridges of Qinggang City, gradually entering the Takahashi District where Han Su lived. When they arrived downstairs from his building, she stuck her head out to take a look.

Her expression was a little strange. ”This is your ’small place’?”

”Yeah, it’s cheap.”

Han Su got out with his bag on his back, saying, ”Several hundred a month!”

Cui Qiao pursed her lips and also got out of the car. She followed Han Su through the heavily secured ground-floor lobby, onto a high-end elevator with ornate tile flooring, all the way up to the top floor, and into a well-proportioned and comfortably laid-out small apartment. She slowly turned around.

”A high-end apartment in a bustling commercial district, with a dedicated concierge and security, plus a full maintenance staff on rotation... and the monthly rent is as much as...”

”...’several hundred’!”

”Well, that’s pretty reasonable. To be fair, while the layout is comfortable, the place really isn’t that big.”

”...”

”Exactly.”

Han Su said, ”It’s on a high floor, and it’s inconvenient for shopping... Food deliveries can never get through security, so I always have to go down and get them myself.”

Cui Qiao was already a little annoyed. ’Want to trade?’

”But a friend of mine set me up with this place.”

Han Su continued, ”Actually, I used to live in a low-rent house in the slums. But my friend said this apartment of his had been empty for too long and was worried it would lose its ’liveliness,’ so he asked me many times to come and stay here.”

”But I still pay him rent. After all, even close brothers need to keep their finances straight.”

”...”

Cui Qiao looked as if she wanted to say something but held back. ”And you think that’s keeping things straight?”

”Of course it’s not straight. The guy is intentionally doing me favors. Even my laptop was a second-hand one he gave me.”

Han Su laughed. ”But it doesn’t matter. I wouldn’t accept it if he just gave me money directly. But since he found a different way to help me out, I accepted. After all, he went to all this trouble to persuade me, going around in such a big circle. Wouldn’t it be disrespectful if I refused?”

”By the way, are you staying for dinner?”

”All I have is instant noodles. I can make a pack for you?”

”...”

”No, thanks.”

Cui Qiao snapped out of her daze from Han Su’s peculiar logic. She shook her head, deciding to ignore the nature of his friendship with that wealthy friend of his, and slowly turned around.

Her gaze fell on a power outlet on the wall. She walked a few steps forward, and with a flick of her nimble fingers, the white cover popped off, revealing the socket’s core with its copper wires.

Then she extended the index finger of her right hand and lightly touched a copper wire inside.

”?”

Han Su was completely stunned.

’This woman offered to bring me home, and I accepted. She followed me upstairs, and I didn’t object. When she didn’t leave, I thought maybe she wanted to stay for a meal. But who would’ve thought she’d actually stick her finger in a live socket?’

But before he could step forward to stop her, the moment Cui Qiao touched the socket, a faint numbing sensation flashed through the room.

It was as if an invisible electric current had instantly filled the entire room.

Han Su saw that even her hair seemed to crackle with electricity. A few strands floated up lightly and remained suspended in the air.

”Just as I thought.”

Cui Qiao held this position for a moment before stopping. She turned, walked to the corner of Han Su’s room where a desk lamp was placed, pulled out a component connected to some wires, and tossed it lightly onto the floor.

After that, she moved to several other spots in the room, pulling out similar components from various hidden locations.

She even found a camera.

She even took apart Han Su’s ”brand-new” second-hand laptop and, sure enough, found a data-stealing device inside.

The moment she found the first component, Han Su already knew what was going on.

’So those clever-by-half private investigators and bounty hunters really did come to my place and plant listening devices because of that bounty. Zhang Chiguo must have guessed this would happen and sent her back with me specifically to sweep for bugs.’

”It’s clean now.”

Cui Qiao threw everything she had found onto the floor. Then she squatted down, and with a light tap of her finger, a faint electric spark appeared at her fingertip. The devices were instantly scorched and destroyed.

At the same time, in various dark corners of the sprawling city, some people were listening to something, watching something, or simply using machines to record information.

They were suddenly hit by a chaotic signal. Some heard a piercing noise in their headphones and dropped to the ground, clutching their heads in pain.

Others saw strange images flash across their screens before their minds went blank and they collapsed.

Some machines suddenly went haywire, their expensive hard drives fried.

All the eavesdroppers were punished in that instant. But the source of the punishment, Secretary Cui Qiao, said nothing about it. She just said to Han Su, ”It’s all clear now. But you should still be more careful in the future.”

”It’s one thing if people see your browser history, but if it leads to a leak of Disaster Management Bureau intelligence, then you’ll have a serious problem.”

”...”

”Got it...”

Han Su nodded, took out two packs of instant noodles, and said, ”You really won’t stay for a bite?”

”I won’t!”

Cui Qiao looked at the instant noodles in his hand, smiled, and just shook her head slightly. She then resumed her business-like tone. ”By the way, now that you’ve joined the Disaster Management Bureau, you might receive a mission soon.”

”The initial missions are usually just an adaptation period, but be careful. Any mission worth issuing by the Disaster Management Bureau, even an E Level one, can be dangerous.”

”And no matter how boring or tedious the mission is, you must complete it diligently. It will affect your evaluation.”

”Only when your evaluation is high enough, going from your initial C+ to an A+, will you have a chance to receive Mysterious Power training and become a true Investigator.”

”...”

Han Su grew curious. ”What you just used... was that the result of receiving Mysterious Power training?”

”Yes.”

Cui Qiao nodded. ”It’s the second clause of the Tier Three Encrypted Spell, obtained with the Disaster Management Bureau’s approval after completing Spiritual Penetration training.”

”You could say it’s my ability.”