Chapter 16: Guidance and Education

“Boss, are you serious?”

Mu Yu, dressed in a black suit, sat face to face with Mo Yan. Unlike last time, Mo Yan wore a light, casual outfit and carried a handbag, looking just like a young man still in school—fresh and full of youthful vigor.

After sending Mu Qing and Gu Zi off to school, Mu Yu had gone home for a shower and dug out the suit he’d bought for his university debate competition from the wardrobe. After all, meeting his future boss called for a more formal appearance.

But when Mu Yu arrived at the agreed location, he was dumbfounded.

The city’s famous office tower... and the nearby street food stall.

Unlike most stalls that only open at night, this one also served breakfast. Though the options were simple, the steaming aroma made one's appetite soar.

Yet Mu Yu’s carefully chosen black suit stood out awkwardly.

“Boss, why didn’t you tell me earlier? You made me wear such heavy clothing in this heat,” he grumbled, loosening his tie as he felt the steam from the nearby steamer wafting into his collar.

“…I never asked you to dress formally,” Mo Yan replied, a bit speechless. He’d promised to do a preparatory briefing, purposely choosing a laid-back spot to match Mu Yu’s temperament and even put on less serious clothes himself.

Yet Mu Yu insisted on showing up in a suit! Would he ever understand the way this man thought?

“Anyway, have you eaten?”

“…Not enough,” Mu Yu answered.

Mo Yan’s temple twitched. Either you’ve eaten or you haven’t—what does ‘not enough’ mean?

Mo Yan, always prone to overanalyzing others, felt exhausted.

“One bowl of spicy tofu pudding and two meat buns,” Mo Yan ordered.

“One bowl of soy milk and two fried dough sticks!” Mu Yu added.

“Alright, just a moment,” the owner replied.

Once the owner had left, Mu Yu looked at Mo Yan with curiosity.

“Boss, are you fully recovered? Eating spicy and greasy food like this?”

“I’m fine. Headquarters has some special medical methods—you’ll learn about them later… But why are you so fixated on this? Aren’t you curious why I asked you out?”

Mu Yu looked untroubled, his face radiating confidence despite his clueless air. He shrugged.

“Boss, whatever you tell me to do, I’ll do.”

“Develop your own judgment. In our line of work, relying on others won’t get you anywhere,” Mo Yan said, frustration in his voice.

“Let’s eat first. I’ll take you to the base afterwards.”

Although Mo Yan had deliberately chosen a secluded corner for their meeting, there were still things best not discussed outside.

“Boss, you make it sound like we’re in the underworld when you talk about our work,” Mu Yu muttered as he took the tray from the owner.

“Just eat. You talk too much,” Mo Yan replied, stirring his tofu pudding and rolling his eyes.

Being around Mu Yu always felt like a heart attack was imminent.

Yet Mo Yan’s mood was much more relaxed.

Guiding new recruits was rarely part of Mo Yan’s schedule, but headquarters had ordered him to take a break, leaving the hospital incident to Liu Hui.

Unable to sit idle, Mo Yan had replaced the pretty mentor originally assigned to Mu Yu.

Mu Yu would surely be moved to tears if he found out.

Silently, Mo Yan gave himself a mental pat on the back as a diligent team leader. He lowered his head and, with a slurp, finished half a bowl of tofu pudding.

Despite his delicate appearance, Mo Yan ate much faster than Mu Yu, but never seemed impolite.

By the time Mu Yu was soaking his second fried dough stick in soy milk, Mo Yan was already dabbing his lips with a napkin, his cheeks tinged red from the spice, drawing frequent glances from two girls at the neighboring table.

“Let’s go.”

Mu Yu had just finished his soy milk and looked up to see Mo Yan had already paid, standing at the table with his bag.

“Alright,” Mu Yu replied, following Mo Yan out the stall’s door toward the nearby office tower.

It was odd—this tower stood abruptly amid an old neighborhood. The tallest nearby building was a five-story apartment block, dwarfed by the tower like an insect at its feet.

“Boss, our base is here? It’s so conspicuous,” Mu Yu asked, curious. An organization as secretive as the Investigation Group should be hidden away, with no one aware of its existence.

“Don’t overthink it. We’re a legitimate organization, no need to hide,” Mo Yan stopped. Two soldiers at the entrance saluted crisply and opened the access doors.

Mo Yan nodded and led Mu Yu inside.

The lobby was bright and spotless, with a handful of people in trench coats moving about.

“Usually, the organization’s base is disguised with a certain object, which lowers its presence to prevent public panic.”

Having soldiers stationed at the entrance alone would soon attract reporters like sharks smelling blood.

“Wait, didn’t you notice anything odd?”

“What’s odd?” Mu Yu replied, his face blank—no sign of pretense, which made Mo Yan frown.

Normally, new recruits approaching the building would ignore the most obvious things from afar, this visual anomaly sometimes causing discomfort in those with sharper senses.

But Mu Yu showed no reaction.

Was the object ineffective on him, or was he just dull?

Mo Yan shook his head and didn’t pursue the matter.

“Forget it, it’s nothing.”

Mu Yu blinked in confusion and followed Mo Yan into a closed room.

Unlike the cold hardness outside, this room was decorated in warm beige tones, quite out of place for such a building—more like a kindergarten nap room.

Mo Yan sat down at the central table, set his bag down, and motioned for Mu Yu to sit opposite.

Mu Yu noticed even the chairs were soft, as if they might swallow him whole.

“Ahem, this room is mainly for orientation sessions with new recruits, so the style is more soothing,” Mo Yan explained, seeing the question in Mu Yu’s eyes, slightly embarrassed.

Previously, there was no such room, but as incidents had increased in frequency, it doubled as a therapy space, letting psychologists help adjust team members’ mental states.

“Before we begin, I need to confirm once more.”

“Mu Yu, are you certain you want to join the Investigation Group?” Mo Yan’s expression turned serious, the childlike decor unable to soften his tone.

“You could die, and your family might not even receive a body afterward.”

“Are you sure?”

No need for much explanation—Mu Yu had witnessed the brutality of incidents firsthand. Those vibrant lives, with no room even to struggle, faded away silently.

“I’m sure,” Mu Yu said without hesitation. The decision he’d made, he’d already weighed the price he’d have to pay.

“Welcome aboard,” Mo Yan’s expression softened, a smile appearing.

“Here are some forms—sign your name, and the orientation will officially begin.”

This was standard procedure, as Mo Yan had said. Though the work was supernatural, they were government staff, and the paperwork was rigorous.

Mo Yan took the thick stack of documents from Mu Yu and neatly placed them in his bag.

“Our Investigation Group stands alongside the Combat Group and Medical Group as the three main organizations.”

“We handle investigation, monitoring objects, and assisting in resolving incidents.”

“Main organizations?” Mu Yu asked.

“Yes.”

“The three major groups each branch into other departments, like our Investigation Group has a disciplinary division under it.”

Mu Yu was amazed at the organization’s scale—so large, yet not a whisper of it in society.

“We’re independent, so even law enforcement and the military don’t have our information,” Mo Yan explained, noticing Mu Yu’s surprise.

“To make things easier, our members are registered at local police stations within our jurisdiction, so you needn’t worry about your identity.”

After all, the Investigation Group entered incident scenes immediately. If the police blocked them because of ID issues, it would be a joke.

“What is an incident?” Mu Yu asked the question burning in his heart.

This recurring term seemed a dividing line in the world.

“That’s what we want to know, too.”

“Twenty years ago, objects and events beyond human comprehension began appearing. We call these ‘incidents.’”

“Like yesterday?”

“More or less, but you don’t need to look so pale,” Mo Yan comforted Mu Yu, seeing his ashen face.

“Incidents as dangerous as yesterday’s are rare—maybe a few a year. They happen suddenly, and the Combat Group often can’t break in. Generally, the Investigation Group’s survival rate is still quite high.”

“How high?”

“About thirty percent.”

Mu Yu’s face grew even paler.

“Of course, if that doesn’t mean much to you, I have some objects here you can try out.”

Mo Yan reached into his bag and began introducing the items.

“E-class object, number 106: Copy Pen. Whoever holds this pen, whatever they write will appear identically on the next page of their notebook.”

“E-class object, number 92: Dream Painting. Stare at this painting for two hours, and you’ll recall last night’s dream.”

“E-class object, number 128: Recorder. When turned on, it reveals a secret from the person’s heart who switched it on.”

“D-class object, number 12: Fitness Fruit. Consuming it slightly improves physical condition.”

Mo Yan didn’t stop, pulling out another item.

“There’s one more, strictly for level-eight personnel, but since you saw it yesterday, you’re an exception.”

Mu Yu’s mind flashed to the blood-red room, his breathing heavy.

“That room…”

“Yes. A-class object, number 04: Immortal Pocket Watch. The holder, when subjected to fatal attack, will not lose vital signs, but all sensory perception is heightened one hundredfold.”

Mo Yan placed the pocket watch on the table, saying nothing.