The Amazon had never seen such a flurry of activity.
Researchers from the United States scoured the jungle, eager to uncover anything of value. They were privy to the footage of the dragon after signing confidentiality agreements and had been briefed on the entire incident.
Their excitement palpable, they scrutinized every corner of the jungle. The discovery of magic and mythical creatures in a world believed to be governed by science ignited a fire of youthful passion and disbelief that could revive the spirit of any person.
The main focus of the investigation was the initial and final appearances of the dragon. A team in hazmat suits collected charred wood and soil scorched by the dragon's breath, hoping to unravel the nature of the faintly golden magical flame.
Another group assessed the destruction left by the dragon's 'electric beam,' aiming to quantify the creature's threat level while also transporting the bodies of the deceased back home. These individuals, who first encountered the magic and mystery, could rightly be honored as heroes.
While researchers photographed the scene and bagged soil samples, they found nothing of note, leaving them shaking their heads in disappointment.
At the site of the dragon's disappearance, a different team of researchers snapped photos where the mystical portal had opened, hoping to discover some secrets of the magic. However, they soon faced disappointment as there were no material traces to be found; the portal seemed to have been purely energetic, devoid of physical substance.
"Look over here!"
Suddenly, an excited cry from a researcher drew the others. They gathered around and, upon seeing the object embedded in the soil, their faces lit up with joy.
A dirty golden scale lay in the dirt, unmistakably from the dragon, as those who had seen the footage could attest.
"Quick, collect it!"
A researcher, dressed in protective gear, squatted down and carefully picked up the scale with tweezers, placing it into a sealed container.
After securing the container and setting a passcode, they immediately notified the military. Soon, several helicopters arrived, and armed soldiers swiftly took the container away. This dragon scale was the greatest find of the day, destined to serve as evidence of the existence of dragons and magic.
Unbeknownst to all, the placed scale in the container flashed with a magical rune that appeared and disappeared so quickly, it seemed to merge into the scale itself, leaving no trace of its presence.
After the helicopters left, several covert teams packed away their long-range cameras.
"Captain, that's all we could get. I also spotted intelligence teams from Russia, France, England, and other countries."
A young Chinese agent whispered to his middle-aged superior as he stowed away his equipment.
"Understood," nodded the captain. "The US government's sudden large-scale operation here has certainly caught the attention of other nations. They weren't trying to hide it from us, which means there must be something of significance in the Amazon they can't afford to ignore."
The captain stroked his chin thoughtfully, watching the retreating American helicopters.
"Let's send this information up the chain. What comes next is not our concern."
"Got it, Captain!"
The young photographer acknowledged and began transferring data via his laptop.
Intelligence divisions from various nations were simultaneously engaging in similar activities. The US government's hasty deployment to the Amazon suggested a significant discovery, one that required immediate firsthand data collection.
However, the need for espionage soon became moot as the reason for the US's Amazon mission spread rapidly online.
...
In the Imperial Capital of China, Gui Bin stretched lazily and got out of bed. After yawning and drawing back the curtains to let in the morning sun, he ordered breakfast delivery and headed to the bathroom to freshen up.
To the outside world, Gui Bin was a freelancer involved in writing, photography, and video editing. But his covert role as an operative under a mysterious division of the Ministry of National Defense tasked him with investigating paranormal events worldwide.
It sounded glamorous, akin to working for an organization like S.H.I.E.L.D., battling supernatural incidents daily. However, in reality, this division was a bureaucratic backwater, understaffed and underfunded, existing in name only.
Such departments existed globally, searching for supernatural phenomena in a scientifically driven world. Yet, despite years of searching, no genuine cases of superpowers had emerged. Claims of supernatural abilities were largely fraudulent, and the few individuals with seemingly genuine talents were merely more perceptive than average, not possessing actual superpowers.
As interest waned, these departments became increasingly irrelevant, barely maintained by minimal funding. Due to their nature, these divisions were shrouded in secrecy, governed directly by defense ministries, and unknown to many within the system itself. They were a contradiction to the official stance against superstition, a potentially embarrassing misallocation of taxpayer money.
As a result, Gui Bin, though part of the system, lacked formal status and was not bound to a desk job. His department even allowed him to freelance, supplementing his modest government salary with outside work. He enjoyed the laid-back life of a freelancer, waking and sleeping at his leisure.
After freshening up, Gui Bin sat at his computer, opened Bilibili, and browsed for interesting videos while waiting for his delivery.
The first video on the trending list caught his attention.
"Huh? A new video uploaded today? And such high views."
Gui Bin noticed the title —
"Shocking discovery in the Amazon Jungle: A Real-Life Dragon Found!"
"Clickbait," he thought, but curiosity got the better of him, and he clicked on the video anyways.