The Eldritch Files

While the temporary containment center was being assaulted by Mechanical Ghosts, in Central City, Qinggang.

A dark council hall with an extremely high ceiling.

The long, rectangular table and chairs had a mysterious, vintage style. A light shone down on the tabletop, leaving the surroundings shrouded in darkness.

Zhang Chiguo sat at the lower end of the table, in the only chair on his side. With a serious expression, he reported to the several figures seated across from him:

"I have only two recommendations:"

"First, request to release one of Miss Ai’s locks!"

"Second, reject the Drunkard Investigator’s application for promotion to Independent Investigator."

"He’s too clever for his own good. He is still under the Disaster Management Bureau’s jurisdiction, yet he’s already using his status in the Hidden School to form cliques, establish an Investigators’ club, and even teach ordinary Investigators certain unsafe methods for enhancing Spiritual Activity."

"Once he’s promoted and gains the authority of an Independent Investigator, I highly doubt that he, like the current Independent Investigators, will be willing to bear the responsibility of guarding the secret prison!"

...

Three figures sat opposite Zhang Chiguo. Behind them, several screens were arranged on the wall.

Each screen represented someone listening to the meeting’s proceedings without revealing their face.

After Zhang Chiguo finished speaking, the figure on the right spoke softly, "This is the first time you’ve voluntarily returned to the Qinggang Council Hall to report on your work, and it’s just to say this?"

Zhang Chiguo said, "I believe this is the most important issue."

The person opposite him fell silent for a long moment, their knuckles tapping lightly on the desk. "We have our own considerations regarding the Drunkard’s promotion. You need not concern yourself with it."

"Furthermore, Miss Ai’s permissions cannot be loosened any further. However, the purge within the Disaster Management Bureau must be completed by you in short order."

...

Zhang Chiguo just listened quietly. When the speaker finished, he set down his pen, leaned back slightly, and said slowly:

"Then what if I can’t complete this task?"

The person opposite him was clearly angered. "Your current attitude toward your work is inappropriate."

Zhang Chiguo looked up at the figure, his pupils constricting slightly. "Then why don’t you come over here and tell me how I should do my job."

"You!"

Meeting Zhang Chiguo’s gaze, the person across the long table suddenly calmed down somewhat.

He realized something.

This was different from before. They weren’t communicating through a projector.

Among the first batch of Qinggang’s Investigators, Zhang Chiguo was famously stable, disciplined, and had the lowest risk of losing control. It was often easy to forget that he had once been active on the front lines, fighting against aberrations.

But now, meeting those placid, well-like eyes, the words on the tip of his tongue somehow refused to come out.

"Heh heh, we’re just discussing work. There’s no need to get personal."

Just then, the figure on the left chuckled and said, "Old Zhang, I can tell you’ve been quite frustrated with your work lately!"

Zhang Chiguo said slowly, "Not frustrated. I’ve gotten used to it."

"But I have my own judgment on whether a job can be completed. If you won’t approve any of my requests, then I’ll consider this an impossible task, and I will have to request a transfer from this position."

...

The figure on the left smiled. "Perhaps you simply lack a deep Understanding of your work."

Zhang Chiguo frowned slightly. "Hm?"

"We didn’t explain everything beforehand because we genuinely wanted you to succeed at this task."

The figure on the left spoke with a smile in his voice, his words much clearer now. He said directly, "To let the Disaster Management Bureau grow, we granted it significant power. And to be frank, to help it carry out its work, we were even planning to grant it more."

"But the Disaster Management Bureau needs to deliver results, to prove it is worthy of this power. That was the task we originally assigned you."

"If it could be completed, that would naturally be for the best."

"If not, you just need to report back truthfully."

The figure on the left continued, "To put it bluntly, sending you there was less about you actually reforming the Disaster Management Bureau and more about having you perform an evaluation."

"You’re aware of the situation in Qinggang, and indeed, across the entire Supernatural Defense Line."

"Previously, the Ancient Nobles, the Hidden School, and the Mysterious Organizations effectively maintained a balance. And though there was always a price to pay, we did successfully resist several Tides."

"Now, however, the establishment of the Disaster Management Bureau is merely an experiment!"

"And since it’s an experiment, success and failure are both acceptable outcomes."

"If you feel you can no longer continue with your current work, I can have you transferred back to the secret prison. Before you leave, you just need to provide me with an evaluation. This result can be as simple as..."

He paused, then slowly continued, "...simply telling us whether or not the Disaster Management Bureau needs to exist!"

...

Hearing this, Zhang Chiguo’s head snapped up. "So, the situation is that the Disaster Management Bureau must either take on greater responsibility or be disbanded entirely?"

’No wonder. The problems in the Disaster Management Bureau have become so severe, yet the higher-ups are turning a blind eye as if they’re all in a daze. No wonder they rejected all my requests without a second thought.’

But then, a new question occurred to him. "The Penetration is already on the rise, and signs of a new Tide are becoming increasingly obvious. If the Disaster Management Bureau is abolished now..."

"To face the Tide, we have three lines of defense."

The figure on the left smiled and said to Zhang Chiguo, "The Disaster Management Bureau was what we intended to be our fourth line of defense."

"Precisely because the Tide is approaching, and with such ferocity, we must make a decision quickly. Either we establish this fourth line of defense in short order to effectively resist the Tide, or we stop wasting our energy on it altogether."

...

Zhang Chiguo hesitated, realizing the crux of the issue. "Then Miss Ai..."

The person across the table stated flatly, "Miss Ai is just a weapon!"

"And a dangerous one at that!"

"The sharpest of blades must be kept sheathed. If the Disaster Management Bureau is deemed unnecessary, then there’s no need for Miss Ai to remain in the real world, of course."

...

They had finally laid their cards on the table. Listening to them, Zhang Chiguo was stunned, remaining silent for a long time.

He had been unwilling to start a war among the Disaster Management Bureau’s Investigators, which was why he had come to report directly to the Council Hall.

But the outcome of his report was far crueler than he could have anticipated.

Suddenly, red lights started Flashing in the office. A shrill alarm blared throughout the building, accompanied by a stern electronic voice:

[QINGGANG CITY IS FACING AN A+ LEVEL THREAT!]

[REPEAT: QINGGANG CITY IS FACING AN A+ LEVEL THREAT!]

[...]

"What?"

The sudden alarm silenced the office for a moment, followed immediately by an eruption of panic.

The figure across the table shot to his feet. Without saying another word, he bellowed to the people outside, "Go find out what’s going on!"

Someone was standing guard outside the council hall and replied at once, "Miss Ai issued the alert!"

"We’ve received no warnings from the Independent Investigators or the patrol units!"

...

"How could a Super A-Class threat appear near Qinggang before the Independent Investigators or the patrol units detected it?"

The voice of the figure across the long table cracked slightly. His brow furrowed as he shouted, "Miss Ai, what exactly is going on?"

[A+ LEVEL THREAT! A+ LEVEL THREAT!]

Miss Ai did not provide a detailed answer as usual. Instead, she just repeated the electronic warning, which even seemed to stutter, as if she were suffering from a rare lack of Computation Power.

The last time this had happened was during Song Chushi’s invasion of Qinggang.

Meanwhile, secretaries from outside began streaming in to report new intelligence, such as, "A Mother Divine Tree threat, one of the ten great disasters from the No. 01 Scroll, has appeared thirty kilometers outside the city," "A covert operative is suspected of betrayal," and "Bai Senmang’s entire family has been killed."

Zhang Chiguo also sensed something was wrong and took out his phone.

Everything looked normal at first, but he realized he hadn’t received a single message in nearly an hour.

The realization that something was wrong hit him suddenly, but before he could speak, the staff member who had come in to report rushed over to him and said urgently:

"Director Zhang, Secretary Cui Qiao is waiting for you outside."

Zhang Chiguo strode out. Rushing toward him was Secretary Cui Qiao, beads of sweat on their forehead and a few strands of hair plastered to their skin.

From a distance, they called out, "Something’s happened!"

"Butcher has left the city!"

"The Red Light District Group has also mobilized a large number of its members. I suspect they’re going to face off outside the city."

"I was just trying to call you, but I couldn’t get through!"

Thick veins bulged on Zhang Chiguo’s forehead. He didn’t say anything more. Instead, he snapped his head up to look at a security camera in the hallway and said grimly, "Miss Ai, what in the world are you doing?"

The camera, naturally, gave no response.

Zhang Chiguo’s eyes grew increasingly cold. In a low, heavy voice, he said, "I know you’re watching. If anything actually happens to that kid, you’d better believe I’ll put a bullet right through your servers."

The camera seemed to shudder, then it slowly panned away from him.

But just as Zhang Chiguo was about to leave, he heard a shout from afar. He saw the same figure from the meeting hurrying toward him. "There’s a problem outside the city! A special operative has defected, and it’s highly likely to trigger a genuine A+ threat!"

"Zhang Chiguo, the higher-ups have entrusted you to handle this matter personally!"

...

Zhang Chiguo nodded and turned to go. "I’ll take action."

"No..."

But the figure stopped him again, sweat beading on his forehead. "The higher-ups don’t want you to take action personally. But they have approved a special case for you!"

"It’s only temporary. After you’ve resolved this issue, you must bring the case back intact!"

"Or destroy it!"

...

Zhang Chiguo suddenly understood what this was, his expression one of surprise.