Chapter 34: Yun Zhi and Ziji Join the Bureau of Unusual Affairs

Before Gu Yaya and Si Ming transmigrated, they both came from middle-class families. When they lost contact, their families sensed something was wrong and reported it to the police.

It has now been two months since the time of their death.

Yun Zhi had Tao Qi ask an acquaintance at the public security bureau in the two victims' hometown to check their families' missing persons reports under the guise of being their friends. The police concluded that they were simply missing persons. The authorities stated that investigations were ongoing, but due to a lack of leads, there had been no progress.

One day, Yun Zhi invited Zi Ji out for lunch. They dined at a well-known private kitchen restaurant in Haicheng. After the meal, once Yun Zhi confirmed the waitstaff were out of earshot, she whispered her opinion: "It’s not as good as what my mom and Sister Lou Yun make."

Lou Yun was another head chef recently hired by Ran Yao. Following a divorce due to her husband's infidelity, she lived with her elementary school-aged son. Her culinary skills were excellent, but as a woman, it was difficult for her to become a head chef at renowned restaurants, and she lacked the capital to open her own shop. Ran Yao, being a female chef herself, naturally held no gender bias.

Zi Ji, who had sampled Ran Yao's cooking several times, nodded. "Indeed, it isn't as good as what the auntie makes."

Seeing him make no effort to lower his voice, Yun Zhi quickly gestured for him to be quiet. Zi Ji didn't care. "Psh, I'm just telling the truth. What are they going to do, beat me up?"

The floor manager walked over, wearing an awkward but polite smile, and asked courteously, "Mr. Lu, and friend of Mr. Lu, may I ask which dish was not to your liking? Please share your feedback; we will certainly strive to improve!"

This private kitchen restaurant was not cheap, targeting the mid-to-high-end market, so they placed great importance on guest feedback. Zi Ji actually reeled off a list of reasons: this ingredient wasn't fresh enough, that dish was overcooked...

Once they left the restaurant and got into Zi Ji’s sports car, Yun Zhi asked, "Since when did you become a food critic? I had no idea."

Zi Ji replied without batting an eye, "I just made it all up."

Yun Zhi: "...?" *I didn't realize you’d learned how to lie!*

Zi Ji: "Didn't you say that sometimes you have to say polite things so people don't lose face? I couldn't just tell the truth—that their chef is incompetent, the menu is worse, and the prices are ridiculously expensive, right?"

Yun Zhi: ...Alright, he may have learned a little bit about social graces, but not much.

In the car, Yun Zhi brought up the task commissioned by Gu Yaya and Si Ming. Before even hearing the reward, Zi Ji was already incensed by the details of their suffering. "Damn it, those scumbags! Scum of the earth!" He then added, "This mission is still quite dangerous for you. Even if you succeed, it will likely consume many of your precious life-saving resources. If you really want to do it, I'll go with you!"

He offered to help before Yun Zhi even had to ask. Yun Zhi had invited him out specifically for this reason, so she didn't stand on ceremony: "That’s exactly what I intended. I want to ask you to do the mission with me. The reward for this mission is..." She explained that Gu Yaya and Si Ming had bound themselves to a system capable of providing "Luck Cards" and "Life Extension Cards."

Zi Ji had been catching up on the common knowledge of this world and had read some popular novels, so he knew what a "system" was. He mused, "I didn't expect such things to actually exist. Where do their rewards come from? Does binding these travelers and having them complete tasks benefit the systems?"

Yun Zhi felt a headache coming on. Was now really the time to discuss the origin of systems? However, regarding the Chat Group System she had encountered, the group spirit's original form was the "Tongtian Xuan Mirror." Its tasks likely required helping travelers who had crossed into different worlds fulfill their wishes, which in turn helped the system achieve its own goals—increasing its influence and merit index across the heavens and myriad worlds. Of course, this was just Yun Zhi's private speculation.

As for the original intent behind other systems... who said there had to be a benefit? Perhaps they were just experiments or minigames tossed together by powerful figures from higher dimensions. Much like the Tongtian Xuan Mirror, an immortal treasure that was likely forged by some great power in the immortal realm.

Yun Zhi shared her thoughts with Zi Ji. The task was urgent, but not so urgent that they couldn't take the time for proper preparation. It wasn't worth rushing. Zi Ji agreed, given that he himself came from "above."

He proposed another perspective: "Perhaps the person who forged the Tongtian Xuan Mirror was me in the 'higher' world? These people with 'gold fingers' might be reincarnations of great figures from high-dimensional worlds, sealing their memories to experience the complexity of life and temper their state of mind. But not wanting to be too miserable during this tempering, they left themselves a fallback—a system or some other kind of cheat. The cheat might fall to the figure's own reincarnation or to someone helpful to them, commonly known as a 'Chosen One'."

Yun Zhi: ...Zi Ji’s imagination was quite vivid! And that "Chosen One" he mentioned was clearly referring to her.

Zi Ji continued, "Of course, it’s also possible that you, Yun Zhi, actually have an identity 'up there' as well. Perhaps we were good friends in the 'higher' world..."

Yun Zhi: "Stop, stop, stop!" If they kept going, they would be a hundred thousand miles off-topic. "Let's talk about the distribution of the mission rewards."

Zi Ji curled his lip. "What’s there to talk about? For something like a Luck Card, you definitely want to save one for Lu Zijie. I do all the work, and he just sits back and reaps the benefits! Hah!"

Yun Zhi: ...This guy couldn't go one meeting without dissing Lu Zijie, could he? One would think they were bitter, lifelong enemies.

Yun Zhi: "I want one Luck Card for myself, and two Life Extension Cards for my parents." Yun Zhi was still young, and the body-cleansing pill she took earlier had life-extending effects. She was also a Level 1 esper, and as her level increased, her lifespan would naturally extend. Furthermore, once she unlocked cross-world travel, she might even be able to cultivate immortality. Therefore, the Life Extension Card was merely a bonus for her. The Luck Card, however, was more important; she went on missions frequently, and without a boost to her luck, she might encounter a streak of bad fortune, end up wasting her effort, or even capsize in the gutter. Her parents ran a private kitchen at home and rarely encountered situations that required "luck." The Life Extension Cards were better suited for them. Even though they had already extended their lives by ten years, who would ever complain about having too much life?

Yun Zhi: "You put in half the effort, so you get two Luck Cards and one Life Extension Card. The mission reward is split fifty-fifty. You decide how to use them. Of course, if you don't want to give anything to Lu Zijie, I have no objection. By the way, if you want me to deliver the Luck Card to him, you'll have to pay for shipping. Hmm, at least one million—otherwise, I'm not doing it!"

Zi Ji: ...Zi Ji irritably tugged at Yun Zhi’s ponytail. "You’re generous when you shouldn't be; you’ve already given me half the benefits, and now you’re haggling over shipping fees? And only for that much!"

Yun Zhi glared at him: "Are you paying it or not?"

Zi Ji laughed: "Fine, fine, I'll pay you one hundred million in shipping. Happy? That way, you won't have to keep having Tao Qi sell off gold and jewelry just to get cash. Selling too much in a short time draws suspicion."

Yun Zhi: "It won't. I told Brother Tao to slow down the sales, at most a few million a month, and through multiple channels." However, knowing that Zi Ji had inherited Lu Zijie's wealth—with hundreds of millions in liquid assets alone, not counting investment accounts—she realized that asking for one million was indeed too little.

Yun Zhi said gleefully, "Alright, one hundred million as agreed; I'll take it." To the Lu family, money was just a string of numbers that couldn't be spent in several lifetimes.

To ensure Yun Zhi’s success, Gu Yaya and Si Ming had provided half of the reward in advance—three Luck Cards were already in Yun Zhi’s personal space. She took out two, handing one to Zi Ji and using one herself. The Luck Card was about the size of a standard bank card, silver all over, shimmering with starlight that seemed to flow, with the number "10" written on the front.

Yun Zhi silently willed it to activate, and the card transformed into silver starlight that merged into her body. She felt a momentary lightness, but nothing more.

Zi Ji held his Luck Card, examining it repeatedly, unable to make a decision. Yun Zhi asked, "Why aren't you using it? I know you're saving the other one for Lu Zijie, so I didn't take it out since I'll have to pass it to Brother Lu later. For the Life Extension Card, you're probably giving it to Old Man Lu. You aren't planning on keeping any for yourself, are you?"

Zi Ji sighed, "I really haven't decided who to use this on. A Luck Card is very important to people in the immortal realm, and it's also important to the Lu family. Perhaps I should give it to one of my six masters or twenty-something senior brothers and sisters from my past life. Or maybe giving it to Lu Ziping would be more appropriate than using it myself; after all, he is the current leader of the Lu family..."

Truthfully, when Yun Zhi first met Zi Ji after he woke up, her impression wasn't great. He seemed far less mature than Lu Zijie—a bit "chuunibyou" and rather annoying. But she hadn't expected someone from the immortal realm, who valued luck and destiny above all else, to be able to resist the temptation of a "Luck Card" already in his hand! He was actually thinking of giving it to the master who raised him in his past life or the Lu family who raised his current body.

Yun Zhi said, "The Lu family is already a top-five industry leader. At this level, long-term success doesn't depend on the personal luck of the CEO or chairman, but on whether the leader has a conscience. Do the projects they take on and the products they launch ensure quality and benefit the country and its people? If Lu Ziping can't do these basics, no amount of luck will keep the Lu family prosperous. And as for your masters and seniors in the immortal realm, they were good to you before, but they also used your name as the 'number one genius' to recruit more disciples. Besides, Lu Zijie has already taken on the karma of your immortal identity and bears the responsibility of saving the world. You don't owe them anything."

"This Luck Card should be yours. You are no worse than Lu Zijie. Why can he use one, but you can't? Just because you are the eighth incarnation and will die sooner, you don't deserve good luck? If your luck is bad and you die early before your state of mind is fulfilled, he’ll just blame you for being incompetent and dragging him down!"

Zi Ji: ...*Damn it, that sounds exactly like something Lu Zijie would say!* Every night, Lu Zijie would spend an hour in his dreams berating him, saying he was useless, couldn't even date properly, and was a disgrace. He really didn't want to admit he had such an incompetent past or future self. The disdain in that tone was palpable! Otherwise, Zi Ji wouldn't have such a grudge against him. Thinking that Lu Zijie would use his Luck Card and then mock him in his dreams, Zi Ji immediately activated his own card.

"Yun Zhi, you are truly my best friend! If you hadn't scolded me awake, I would have been mocked by Lu Zijie for decades! Tell you what, I'll add another hundred million as a thank-you fee! It's Lu Zijie's money anyway; I don't feel a thing spending it."

Yun Zhi: ...*Getting a hundred million for scolding someone? I’ve really hit the jackpot.*

Yun Zhi: "This mission has far-reaching implications. The criminals are not only operating within the country but also colluding with dark forces in Mian-dian. We can lead the charge, but it's best to cooperate with the authorities and let the 'Motherland' be our solid backup." Given that this world had faint esper energy, perhaps there were many other espers besides her and Zi Ji; they just didn't know it. Yun Zhi hadn't dealt with the authorities before, but the Lu family should have channels for that.

Zi Ji understood her concerns. "I only found out these last two days: the government has an 'Esper Management Bureau,' or 'EMB' for short, nicknamed the 'Dragon Team.' I’m bored to death staring at Old Man Lu at home, so I want to apply to join! I invited you out today to ask if you want to join with me as freelance agents. It’s not very restrictive, and the benefits... well, those can be ignored. The main thing is that with an official status, we won't have to be too restrained when using our powers against bad guys; there will be people to handle the aftermath."

Zi Ji had taken Yun Zhi’s advice. When Old Man Lu got angry and chased him with a cane, Zi Ji stopped dodging and let himself get hit—using exaggerated acting to make it look like it hurt ten times more than it did. Old Man Lu knew he was faking it but insisted on calling a doctor to check him. He even scolded him: "You're usually so quick on your feet, why didn't you dodge this time? Are you stupid?"

Zi Ji felt that while the Old Man didn't like this "grandson" who popped up out of nowhere as much as he liked Lu Zijie, he still felt some affection and treated him like family. With that conclusion, Zi Ji slipped a Beauty Pill into the old man's soup. The next morning, Old Man Lu woke up looking like he was in his fifties instead of his sixties, transformed from an average-looking old man into a very handsome one. Old Man Lu immediately guessed who was responsible and beat Zi Ji with his cane again!

*I made the old man younger, didn't get a thank you, and got my butt kicked instead? Is there no justice?* He couldn't live this rich-kid life anymore; the old man was forcing him to learn social niceties every day!

But the lessons weren't entirely in vain. He realized the old man was worried about him being too high-profile and inviting disaster. To explain his sudden youth, the old man had to dye his hair, start working out, and control his diet. He even invested in a medical aesthetics company and turned a guest villa into a "beauty clinic." He canceled all social invitations and planned to stay home for a month or two. If anyone asked why he looked twenty years younger, the answer was exercise, swimming, and medical aesthetics! He was terrified of anyone discovering "black technology" like Life Extension Pills or Beauty Pills and having the research institutes dissect Lu Zijie. Even the existence of the Dragon Team was something the Old Man had painstakingly discovered after Zi Ji accidentally absorbed electricity from a socket in front of him.

*Oh god, how many more heart-attack-inducing things does this rebellious grandson have?* Unfortunately, the Old Man was healthy; no matter how angry he got, he wouldn't faint. The Old Man had been trying to "hand him over to the state"—or rather, get him into the Dragon Team. Zi Ji also felt that joining the Dragon Team was more interesting than watching the old man's worried face all day.

Yun Zhi: "Wow, there really is an Esper Bureau and a Dragon Team? I thought that was all made up in novels!"

After the shock, Yun Zhi realized the convenience of having an official status while maintaining freedom. After learning that freelance agents had a base salary of 2,500, no benefits, no mandatory missions, and that tasks were voluntary—provided they reported any use of powers in public or against criminals—she agreed. "Alright, I'm in!"

...

The next morning at ten, a man and a woman arrived at Jin Yuan, the duplex apartment where Yun Zhi lived, to interview her. The man looked thirty, with a crew cut and a rugged build. "I'm Qin Lei, team leader of the Second Group of the Haicheng Branch of the EMB. My power is strength enhancement and partial metallic body transformation."

Yun Zhi: "Wow, like Wolverine!"

The woman was a cool, stylish lady with a bob cut, bright red lipstick, a black tank top, a short skirt, and black high heels. "I'm Feng Na, deputy leader of the Third Group." She didn't state her power, but with a flick of her hand, a fireball appeared in the air before quickly extinguishing.

Yun Zhi’s eyes lit up. *A sister who plays with fire, so cool!*

Qin Lei got straight to the point. "Enough talk, show us your power. If it's too weak to meet the minimum standards, you'll sign a non-disclosure agreement and get a training manual. You can re-apply once you're stronger."

Yun Zhi didn't expect level requirements. She had been practicing water-type power control in her villa's pool or by the river at night, but her strength was... average. Currently, at Level 1, she could only condense a basketball-sized water sphere from the air in an indoor environment. She could accurately hit someone from about ten meters away, but any further was difficult. Her speed wasn't fast, making it easy to dodge. Ice shards were possible, but they were soft and weak—they could pierce a pillow but only leave shallow marks on a wall. She could only control two at a time. An ice wall? She could only manage a shield about 2cm thick.

Yun Zhi demonstrated her various techniques. Unsurprisingly, she saw disappointment on their faces—the look of "come back in a year or two." Yun Zhi felt frustrated. She had only awakened a few days ago, had no teacher, and had to practice in secret. This was already pretty good! But the attack and defense... were indeed underwhelming.

Yun Zhi waved her hand, and the indoor water spheres and shards turned into nearly invisible water mist, enveloping Qin Lei and Feng Na. Silently, she infused the mist with a few drops of a sedative she had prepared. Qin Lei noticed the smell and held his breath, but Feng Na was caught off guard and fainted on the sofa.

Qin Lei, who was about to tell her to sign the NDA and come back later: ...*I thought you were a bronze-level rookie, but you have a killer move hidden up your sleeve!*

Taking advantage of Qin Lei's distraction, Yun Zhi lunged forward and pressed a fruit knife (still in its sheath) against his forehead.

Qin Lei: ...*A novice water-type esper with such high agility and speed? And skilled at sneak attacks?* Though, he had been distracted by the mist and Feng Na fainting.

By now, Yun Zhi had passed the test. However, Qin Lei wanted to see her limit. He grabbed the sheathed knife, trying to snatch it away with his superior strength. He used 30% effort—it didn't move. 50% effort—still nothing! At 70% effort, it moved slightly, but Yun Zhi used even more force to pull the knife away, leaving Qin Lei holding only the plastic sheath.

Qin Lei looked at Yun Zhi, who now stood empty-handed. "Where's the knife?"

Yun Zhi shrugged. "I have a storage space. It's not big, about 100 cubic meters. It can't be upgraded and can't hold living things." She had heard from Zi Ji, who had already joined, that the EMB had powerful space-type espers who could make "space buttons" using special minerals. So, she felt safe revealing her small space. Zi Ji had also claimed his storage ring was 100 cubic meters. Otherwise, it would be too strange if they could pull any tool out of thin air.

Qin Lei: ...*I thought the Lu family heir who woke up with lightning powers and a 100-cubic-meter space ring was heaven-defying. This little girl I recommended is also a hidden expert!*

Yun Zhi blinked her pretty eyes innocently. "Actually, I store large rocks, gasoline that can make people trip and also acts as an accelerant, trash cans to trap people, watermelon knives, stun batons, baseball bats, steel rods, chainsaws... all of which I can take out to fight when necessary... hehe!"

Qin Lei: ...*And you conveniently forgot to mention the sedative.* Damn, such a high-destructive-potential novice esper must be recruited! If left to roam free, any criminal who provoked her would have a worrying future.

Feng Na, who had woken up after washing her face, wasn't angry. Instead, she asked happily, "That sedative is nice. I think I can use it with my fireballs to evaporate it into the air! Do you have any extra, Little Yun? Give some to your sister! I won't take it for free; I'll buy it!"

Qin Lei: ...*Feng Na was supposed to be responsible for recruitment, but she was too flighty. I came along to prevent her from leading the rookie astray, but it turns out the rookie is leading her further astray.*

Just like that, Yun Zhi and Zi Ji became freelance agents for the EMB. After joining, Yun Zhi reported her plan to investigate the whereabouts of Gu Yaya and Si Ming, whose case had been filed as "missing." The EMB initially opposed it, arguing that the water was too deep and that the Haicheng branch shouldn't be involved in a case thousands of miles away in Y Province. Especially since they were both novices who should be training.

But Yun Zhi, the wealthy woman, brought out Hemostatic Healing Pills and sedatives. After demonstrating their effectiveness, she placed a formal commission with the EMB. Zi Ji added a thirty-million mission bonus!

EMB: ...*Investigate. This must be investigated! Coordinate with the Y Province EMB and police to prioritize this!*

However, Yun Zhi couldn't set off for Y Province immediately. She had just received the training guide for water powers and wanted to make her abilities a bit more lethal first. She also needed to give the authorities time to investigate.

That day, Yun Zhi waited for her second opportunity to trade with Chi Xiaoyu. Chi Xiaoyu traded six large crates of imperial-kiln porcelain, two crates of high-quality paintings and ornaments, two crates of exquisite embroidery, and two books of light-footwork techniques and eight martial arts manuals. In exchange, Yun Zhi provided a batch of daily necessities, gourmet food, a peace talisman, three Hemostatic Healing Pills, three detox pills, and a small packet of sedative powder. She earned another 100 points.

Seeing the brand-new porcelain and embroidery, Yun Zhi noticed a blind spot. She asked in the chat group's new customer service page: "Why do these look brand new, but when I got the 'National Mountains and Rivers are Red' stamps from Tang Panpan, they had such an aged feel?"

The system replied after a long while, sounding very resentful: "Of course, I paid out of pocket, consuming energy to add forty-two years of 'time buff' to those stamps! It was because I was afraid you wouldn't be able to sell them for a good price and would stop doing missions! You aren't short on money now, so you want me to pay out of pocket to turn these into antiques? If I added a thousand-year time buff to the embroidery and martial arts manuals, there wouldn't be anything left!"

*Cat-cursing-in-the-background.jpg*

Yun Zhi: ...Alright, let's pretend that never happened.

Yun Zhi kept a small batch of the best items for herself and friends, gave the rest to her parents for the restaurant, and began studying the martial arts manuals. Lu Zijie had said that after taking the body-cleansing pill, she would be a genius at martial arts. Yun Zhi had thought he was exaggerating. It turned out that once her mental power and physique reached their peak, learning these techniques was easy. As for the internal energy required, her esper energy served as a perfect substitute.

In just three days, Yun Zhi mastered two light-footwork techniques and eight martial arts moves. Now, she just needed practical experience.

By this time, the Haicheng EMB, in coordination with the Y Province authorities, had identified several likely hideouts where Gu Yaya and Si Ming might have been taken—the drug traffickers' dens!