Chapter 16: You’re Really Something, Huh?
“Hello, may I ask if you are Li Ye?”
When Li Ye went down to the second floor, a staff member was already waiting there.
This person was wearing a black uniform with a Sanitation Bureau badge on the sleeve, in his thirties, wearing a pair of glasses, refined and smiling warmly.
As Li Ye nodded, he reached out and shook Li Ye’s hand. “My name is Sun Shun, Information Section Chief of the Disinfection Bureau. Director Pan just called and asked me to bring you onboard. Please follow me.”
He led Li Ye forward, very enthusiastically: “Let me introduce our bureau. The third floor has the Bureau Chief’s Office and the offices of the two Deputy Bureau Chiefs, but right now only Director Pan is here. Director Zhao and Director Ren are out on missions.”
He casually opened several doors along the way, letting Li Ye see the spacious area inside filled with computers where a group of people in uniforms were intently reviewing the screens.
“The second floor is for our Information Officers, who specialize in detecting potential demonic creature threats across the city. After organizing the information, they report confirmed demonic creature sightings. Besides the people here, there are Information Officers stationed at various office points throughout the city, specifically detecting signs of demonic creatures.”
“The first floor is where the Disinfection Officers stay, and they are the ones who clean up the demonic creatures. It’s very convenient on the first floor. Normally, they go out in groups of three.”
After touring several offices, Sun Shun led Li Ye to his own office, invited him to sit down, and personally brewed him a cup of tea.
Li Ye quickly stood up. “I can do it myself.”
“No problem, it’s what I should do.”
He turned back to his seat, faced Li Ye, and handed him a form. “Director Pan said just fill out this form. If I may be so bold, what is your relationship with Director Pan?”
“We’ve only talked twice, no real relationship.”
Li Ye picked up a pen and filled in the basic information.
Sun Shun still smiled cheerfully: “Our Director Pan is the best at spotting talent. You must be talented.”
That expression clearly showed disbelief.
Hired after just two meetings, and it’s a part-time job.
Where does the Disinfection Bureau get part-time jobs from?
This is obviously just a perk.
But he couldn’t say anything. This was the Disinfection Bureau, the department with the greatest power, where life and death were decided at a whim, especially by the Bureau Chief—who would dare to have an opinion about him?
“Done.”
Li Ye finished filling out the basic information, handed it to Sun Shun, and also offered him a cigarette. “Smoke?”
Sun Shun took it while looking at the information, and clearly looked stunned at the education section.
Seventeen? High school?
Then he looked at the cigarette in his hand.
Whoa! Gold cigarettes! Special supply!
And this is called no relationship?
“Great! A hero emerges from the young. To be spotted by Director Pan at seventeen—your future is limitless! Let’s talk about the treatment first.”
The smile on Sun Shun’s face grew even brighter. “Information Officers are divided into three levels by title, from One Dragon Gate to Three Dragon Gates. Salaries are eight thousand, ten thousand, and twelve thousand. Your cultivation is One Dragon Gate, so we can only assign you to Level 3 Information Officer.”
“Director Pan said no need for the five social insurances and one housing fund, so we’ll convert it to subsidy. You know our insurance contribution standard is basically equal to the salary. The subsidy will be another eight thousand, totaling sixteen thousand a month.”
“You’re part-time. I see you’re still a student, probably focusing on martial arts training, so no need to report in every day. Just come over when you have time to guide us. Does that work for you?”
The string of words left Li Ye a bit stunned.
What does “does that work for you” mean?
He had thought this part-time job would just be a token two or three thousand, a subsidy as a reward.
Ningjiang City’s average salary was only around four thousand, and now this meant he could just lie at home and get sixteen thousand a month?
“Isn’t this too good?” Li Ye even felt a bit embarrassed.
“You’ve got it wrong!”
Sun Shun’s expression turned serious. “Whether the treatment is good or not depends on the nature of the work. In our Disinfection Bureau, Disinfection Officers have the most dangerous job, but Information Officers aren’t much safer either.”
“True, we sit in the office collecting information, but the videos sent in, the materials delivered, or even a simple photo could carry demonic creature pollution. Dragon Gate Realm can resist pollution, sure, but it’s resistance, not immunity. Too much or too heavy pollution will still affect you, and in worse cases…”
He sighed. “Ten years ago, when I wasn’t yet Section Chief, my Section Chief just looked at a photo and drowned the next day.”
Li Ye frowned uncertainly. “Flood disaster?”
He remembered that year the Yangtze River’s water level was extremely high, possibly turning into a flood disaster. The city had already issued warnings for orderly evacuation.
Because it was such a big deal, he still remembered it. At the time, he had wondered if it was purely flooding or if demonic creatures were involved.
Someone drowning was probably related.
“It was a Flood Demon!”
Sun Shun gave Li Ye a meaningful look. Knowing about this meant the other wasn’t simple either.
“At the time, the entire Disinfection Bureau mobilized, losing twenty Information Officers and nine Disinfection Officers before confirming the Flood Demon’s location. The military came too, and only then did they kill that big demon.”
“So the high pay isn’t that high compared to risking your life. Everyone’s working with their heads on the line. Look at these Information Officers—none are old. We retire early: ordinary people at sixty-five, us at fifty. Any later and our qi and blood decline, and we really can’t handle it.”
Hearing this, Li Ye could only nod. “I’ll follow the arrangements.”
With things said this far, there was no reason to refuse.
“Can I try my hand now? I’m very interested in demonic creatures.”
Maybe he could even spot some demonic creatures with divine-level traits.
“Of course. I’ll take you to the information room.”
Sun Shun led Li Ye to the information room, but this time, he seemed even more attentive.
Arriving at Information Room One, after entering, Sun Shun clapped his hands first. When the dozen or so Information Officers looked over, he cleared his throat and said:
“Let me introduce—this is Li Ye, personally selected by Director Pan to observe work in our information room. Everyone, give him a warm welcome.”
Warm applause erupted instantly.
Director Pan’s connection.
This is a big shot.
One perceptive person immediately stood up and smiled: “Hey, don’t mind if I offer my workstation first.”
Before Li Ye could speak, Sun Shun waved his hand: “You do your work. I’ll show Li Ye around.”
Then he turned to Li Ye with a smile: “Li Ye, this computer is a bit high-intensity. Let’s start with some photos and videos to get a look.”
This was distrust, but it was normal.
Li Ye’s eyes flashed, and he nodded with a smile.
If they suddenly gave him a workstation, it would instead make Li Ye suspicious—how could they so easily hand over matters concerning the safety of the entire city to a nepotism hire.
This Sun Shun seemed flattering, but he was clear-headed on important matters and knew priorities.
Li Ye followed Sun Shun to a spare computer. Besides the computer, there were fax machines, landlines, tablets, and other equipment prepared for emergencies. The desk and walls were neatly stacked with photos and information.
“Here, colleagues from the district offices and our head bureau cross-review to confirm suspect points.”
Sun Shun opened the computer. On the three screens, the middle showed surveillance video, the left a row of recorded videos, and the right a row of continuously refreshing photos.
Every Information Officer’s setup was like this, all constantly watching these screens for problems.
This was the basic safeguard of Shenzhou’s security!
“At the city head bureau, we basically review pre-screened material. Suspects can be pulled directly. Look at this segment.”
He skillfully opened a photo on the right screen: it showed the inside of a trash can, piled full of rotting food.
“For this photo, we need to judge if there’s any demonic creature emerging from factors like mold and rot, such as…”
“Filth Worm.”
It was Li Ye who finished the sentence.
Amid Sun Shun’s astonishment, he pointed at the video footage zooming from far to near on the trash can interior and said:
“There are black spots, gray spots, gray-green spots, or dark yellow spots on the rotting matter. This is a gray spot, but look closely, and you can still make out one corner of its original appearance—it’s a rotted potato.”
The spot he pointed to was a small exposed surface of the rot, exactly like a potato.
“It’s actually not rotting; the gray spots are just covering the surface, making it look rotten. Look closely, and you can see some protrusions. This needs video—if that ‘gray spot’ is moving, and the internal structure shows thread-like and small particle shapes, then there’s a high chance it’s a Filth Worm.”
“As for why I’m so sure this is a Filth Worm…”
He took over the mouse himself, closed the enlarged image, and opened another one.
It was a photo showing only half a trash can, next to what seemed like a back door.
Li Ye pointed at the connection between the trash can and the back door, saying:
“I noticed this earlier: oil forming a film with faint reflections, reflections containing tiny black spots, and most importantly…”
He moved his finger to point at a black line in the door’s bottom gap—not very noticeable, seemingly blending with the surroundings but extending out.
Normally, it just looked dirty and messy.
“No mold around rules out similar Five Plagues Ghost possibilities. Then this Black Thread Worm is the sign of a Filth Worm!” Li Ye called out.
Sun Shun hurriedly opened the related video on the left, and sure enough, in the footage, the surfaces of those rotting matters with slight protrusions showed signs of wriggling.
“Pull the information!”
A roar erupted.
The Information Officer who had offered his spot typed rapidly, speaking at top speed: “North City District, Jianghe Road No. 65, back alley of Rural Home Cooking Restaurant. Matches the suspect point and description exactly. Preliminary confirmation is Filth Worm… No, confirmed—it’s really a Filth Worm!”
On that person’s screen was the enlarged photo Li Ye had pointed to, plus a very clear video segment.
He quickly pressed a key. “Alert address sent. The nearest Information Officer can handle it.”
Then he turned to Sun Shun: “Section Chief, just a lesser demon showing initial signs—spray some insect repellent and it’s done.”
“Is this a spray-insect-repellent matter? We’ve repeatedly emphasized hygiene and cleaning. Rural Home Cooking Restaurant, right? Seal it!”
Sun Shun tsked. “We’ve had several Filth Worms lately, and last time one had fully formed! The pressure isn’t enough yet. Notify relevant departments—citywide recheck. Seal them for three days even if nothing’s wrong!”
“Yes.” The person picked up the landline and dialed.
Li Ye watched, utterly amazed.
This power… it’s really not small.
After giving the orders, Sun Shun turned back, looking at Li Ye in astonishment.
You have to know, these Information Officers might lack talent, but each is a general knowledge expert. For a high school student to have this reaction and perception—better than some under him.
Even he, the old Section Chief, hadn’t spotted it first.
And the general knowledge shown seemed pretty good too.
Not here just to gild his resume?
“You really know your stuff?” Sun Shun asked.
Li Ye smiled: “A little.”
Sun Shun blinked, thought of something, and asked: “Previously at Green Water Fragrant Shore Residential Community in East City District, there was a Five Plagues Ghost we misidentified, discovered by a student— that wasn’t you, was it?”
“That was me.”
……
As the sky gradually darkened, Li Ye finally left. This time Sun Shun personally saw him out, and at parting, Sun Shun’s expression was much more sincere.
He gripped Li Ye’s hand warmly, earnestly urging him to come often.
After watching Li Ye leave, he turned and went up to the third floor, knocking on the Bureau Chief’s Office door.
“Old Sun… Did that kid Li Ye not do well? Just treat it as training.”
The first thing Pan Zhengyang said upon seeing Sun Shun was this.
Sun Shun quickly waved his hands, smiling: “Director Pan, not that he did poorly—he did too well, beyond imagination. You wouldn’t believe it: Li Ye spotted a demonic creature clue right away. After that, he explained every possible demonic creature trace perfectly, on par with our Information Officers’ general knowledge level.”
“Oh?”
Pan Zhengyang smiled, beckoning Sun Shun to sit and handing him a cigarette. “That kid’s general knowledge is that good? I thought he was still a bit green. A high schooler matching your exam-qualified ones, heh.”
“Exceptional talent.”
Sun Shun took the cigarette with both hands, smiling: “Director Pan, you’ve brought a capable subordinate to our Information Section— and so young. He’ll definitely take my place in the future.”
“No need for such formality with me, Old Sun.”
Pan Zhengyang shook his head, recalling what Li Ye had said before, and smiled: “That kid’s competitive. If he can’t make Information Officer, he’ll definitely be on the front lines of demon extermination.”
Sun Shun chuckled and made a slapping-his-own-face gesture. “My mistake, my mistake. Definitely.”
Front lines of demon extermination… Starts at Six Dragon Gate.
Sun Shun instantly lost any desire to probe his background.
Director Pan’s words were a guarantee—even if force-fed, he’d become a Six Dragon Gate.
With this honor, background didn’t matter.
“How’s the investigation in Yunxiu County going?” Pan Zhengyang suddenly asked.
Sun Shun’s expression sharpened, his posture straightening a bit. “Sorry, Director Pan, no leads yet. All clues have gone cold. Seems like just an ordinary accident.”
Pan Zhengyang sneered: “Accident? So many accidents. If you can’t find anything, forget it. Seal the martial arts training industries these days, and by the way, seal the Ren Family’s industries too.”
Sun Shun was stunned. “Director Pan, won’t this cause influence?”
“Influence my ass!”
Pan Zhengyang cut him off roughly: “Don’t you know what these people are like? Execute ten, and some innocents; execute every other, and some slip through. I’ve been here so long, and they haven’t restrained at all. Seal a few industries—what’s the big deal?”
“Seal them! If they’re not happy, let them come find me!”
“Yes.”
