The Eldritch Files

Zhang Chiguo seemed shocked by the information Han Su had revealed, or perhaps he had come to some realization.

In the end, he just nodded lightly and then left under the escort of a group of armed personnel.

Han Su, for his part, was completely exhausted. He had no intention of speaking with the three Investigators present or anyone else. Along with the Doctor, Black Tiger, and Li Yiting, he got into a car that Secretary Cui Qiao had specifically left for them, becoming the second group to leave the containment center.

The car they had driven over in had been turned into a heap of scrap metal during the recent attack.

According to the unspoken rules of the Disaster Management Bureau, those with higher seniority were naturally the first to return to the city.

But now, as the three Investigators watched Han Su get into the car with the Doctor and the others, they tacitly accepted this order of departure, despite how strange it felt.

Having seemingly accepted their defeat, they were prepared to concede a great deal to Han Su now.

Rong Qiyue also looked like he had something to say, but Han Su had no intention of talking to him here.

He didn’t even show any sign of recognition.

They would definitely have a meeting afterward. Any further questions could wait until then.

What he needed to do next was to protect the chairman of the Magic Box Group, Li Manman’s father.

This incident was too big. Without a behemoth like the Rong Family of Seawall City to back him, Li Yiting would likely have a hard time extricating himself.

However, Han Su had already instructed Rong Qiyue on this point, so there was no need to waste his breath now.

...

...

’This time, I rescued another one, and I also brought out a black case...’

Sitting in the car, Han Su finally allowed his mind to go blank.

He closed his eyes and began to process the changes to the details of his life brought about by this Flashing, contemplating what had happened inside the Ancient Castle.

From the perspective of his life’s timeline, it seemed this trip back hadn’t changed much.

He still directly confronted Bai Shi, vying with him over the will of ”copper.”

But beneath this seemingly smooth and seamless surface, Han Su felt a little surprised.

’A smooth-flowing timeline isn’t a bad thing for me, but in theory, the changes this time should have been quite significant...’

’Skinny was rescued, and although I haven’t woken him up yet, we can set that aside for now.’

’But I brought a black briefcase out of the Ancient Castle. Where did it go?’

He wracked his memory and found no details about the briefcase in the past ten years. It was as if he had come out empty-handed. Neither news reports nor inquiries from the Public Security Bureau mentioned a briefcase.

’Could I have miscalculated?’

’Was this briefcase, like the other things in the Ancient Castle, something I couldn’t bring back to reality?’

’If so, then its appearance doesn’t seem to fit the definition of a reward, does it?’

But no matter what, rescuing Skinny was a major victory.

He had such high hopes for this guy who never played by the rules...

...

”Alright, take a look.”

Just as he was sorting out his thoughts, the Doctor’s voice sounded from beside him. Han Su opened his eyes to see the Doctor handing him a tablet.

Han Su glanced at it, slightly surprised, and took it.

He saw the Doctor’s draft and detailed outline on it. The man had already fabricated... or rather, written, most of the work report for the entire night.

He gave the Doctor an odd look. ”You’re writing the report without needing to confirm any of the details with me?”

The Doctor adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and said, ”Why go through all that trouble? It’s not like I don’t know how to make things up.”

”?”

Han Su suddenly felt he had a very good point.

’Isn’t this why I sought out the Doctor in the first place?’

’Although, with Miss Ai around, even a report I wrote myself would probably get approved without this much trouble...’

”Just write it along these lines.”

Han Su handed the tablet back to the Doctor. ”I’ll sign it when you’re done.”

The Doctor nodded, then raised his eyes, lowering his voice with a hint of interest. ”There’s only one thing I’m interested in...”

”After this, are a lot of Investigator Licenses going to be freed up?”

”...”

”I don’t know.”

Han Su said, ”Maybe... quite a few.”

The corners of the Doctor’s mouth couldn’t help but curl up, a thrill of excitement shivering through his body.

Thinking back now, the discussion he’d had with Han Su and the others in the restaurant about a large number of Investigators dying felt like it was just yesterday.

Who would have thought that such an efficient and audacious idea would actually be realized one day?

And in less than two months!

’I have to admit my previous perception of Han Su was a bit narrow. His advantages aren’t just his connections and background.’

’His ability to execute is also very strong.’

...

...

Meanwhile, back at the temporary containment center after Han Su’s departure, both Night Lamp and Red Windbreaker looked toward Green Hat. They didn’t need to speak; their gazes were enough to convey their questions.

Green Hat lit a Cigar, stuck it in his mouth, and said lazily, ”Drunkard is dead. We’ve already lost.”

”Are there any other questions?”

”...”

Anger welled up in Red Windbreaker. She subconsciously wanted to refute him but held her tongue.

She had experienced too much frustration this night and was keenly aware that she was in no state to speak.

”So...”

Night Lamp began slowly, ”Fame, influence, all of it... we’re just handing it over to that celebrity Investigator?”

”When you lose, of course you have to concede.”

Green Hat said nonchalantly, ”No matter what, he’s still one of the Disaster Management Bureau’s people.”

”Even if we concede a lot to him, it’s still an internal matter among Investigators. That’s better than having everything taken away by an outsider.”

”Besides, he didn’t show any intention of siding with Zhang Chiguo, did he?”

”Think carefully about this.”

”Otherwise, if you two keep causing trouble, I might just have to switch sides...”

”...”

”...”

By the time the Doctor had nearly finished polishing the report, Han Su and the others had returned to the Disaster Management Bureau base.

The base seemed somewhat empty.

In the once-bustling restaurant, you could now see researchers and Executioners, but the people who carried briefcases were missing.

What could Han Su say? He just felt that Zhang Chiguo was lucky and that the atmosphere in the Disaster Management Bureau was about to undergo a major change.

He first returned to his personal lounge, submitted the report polished by the Doctor, and soon saw Miss Ai’s reply:

[Mission report has been recorded. Awaiting approval. Please wait patiently!]

[...]

”Hm?”

Han Su glanced at the reply, finding it somewhat surprising. In the past, whenever Miss Ai received a report, she would immediately thank him for his efforts in defending reality. This time, it actually needed approval. ’Is it because this mission’s Level was higher?’

Smiling, he typed, ”Miss Ai, can my evaluation Level be raised to S-Class this time?”

He had already raised his Investigator evaluation to A Level within three days.

Now that he had unexpectedly completed this mission, his evaluation should theoretically rise again.

’At this rate, won’t I have a chance to compete for the position of Independent Investigator?’

Miss Ai replied: [All decisions will be made after the report has been read and approved by high-authority personnel!]

[Investigator, please wait patiently.]

[...]

”?”

The strange feeling in Han Su’s heart intensified. He suddenly looked up at the screen. ”You... you seem different from before?” he typed.

Miss Ai replied: [I cannot understand. Please describe your query with precision!]

”This...”

Han Su abruptly sat bolt upright. His fingers were on the keyboard, but they trembled slightly, and he found he didn’t know what to type.

’Miss Ai just unlocked a new lock out in the wilderness; her authority should be greater now.’

’But her reaction now...’

Just as he was thinking this, the program on the screen before him flickered. The next moment, text popped up, suffused with a cheerful air:

[Report accepted! Thank you, Mr. Butcher, for your efforts in defending reality. Your evaluation is currently being raised!]

[...]

That familiar, cheerful tone made Han Su relax slightly. Unconsciously, he had been so tense that a thin sheen of cold sweat had broken out.

Miss Ai’s text popped up: [Mr. Butcher seems a little tense?]

”Yes!”

Han Su started to type: ”I thought...”

He didn’t send the message, but Miss Ai seemed to know anyway, replying: [I’ll say goodbye before I leave!]

[Now, thank you, Mr. Butcher, for completing the special cleanup mission. Are you ready to receive your special reward?]

[...]

Han Su was a bit surprised. ”There’s a special reward?”

...

...

Meanwhile, as Han Su was submitting his report in the lounge, Zhang Chiguo, escorted by that group of heavily armed personnel, had returned to the Qinggang Council Hall, carrying the case.

Rows of staff and higher-level armed security were already waiting there. Seeing the case safely brought back by Zhang Chiguo, the person in the lead let out an imperceptible sigh of relief.

”Prepare to retrieve Miss Ai!”

The man in the lead gave a light wave of his hand. The crowd on both sides immediately parted, and the heavy, imposing doors behind them opened.

Zhang Chiguo looked at the doors, which hadn’t been opened in a long time, his expression somewhat stunned.

”We’re just relocking this lock. Why do we need to use such a high-level containment chamber?”

”It’s not just about relocking this part of Miss Ai.”

The man in the lead looked at Zhang Chiguo and said, ”I actually have a question for you, Vice Director Zhang. You’ve been with the Disaster Management Bureau for a long time. Did you ever notice that Miss Ai was exhibiting signs of possessing redundant Computation Power?”

Zhang Chiguo suddenly realized something. He glanced down at the case, and his brow twitched slightly.

Watching his expression, the lead man sighed. With a serious look, he said, ”You made a mistake. This isn’t like the you from before.”

As he spoke, he glanced at the case in Zhang Chiguo’s hand, a deep sense of dread seeming to flash in his eyes. ”Regardless, it’s a good thing the Council discovered it early enough.”

”Dispatching Miss Ai to deal with the Mother Divine Tree and agreeing to help her open a lock was actually all for the purpose of having an opportunity to seal away this extra Computation Power of hers when we relocked it.”

”That was your most important mission tonight!”