Lu Xin gave it some serious thought. Reporting this to the security bureau didn't seem appropriate.
And shooting someone, of course, was out of the question—he wasn't crazy.
That left only the second option. But even then, he felt a little uneasy. When Chen Jing had told him about this back then, she had been very serious. Still, was it really appropriate to trouble a superior from one job over matters concerning another?
After thinking it over for a while, he couldn't come up with a better solution. So, he pulled out the only number he had and dialed.
"What happened?"
The phone rang only twice before being picked up.
Chen Jing's voice was alert and composed, though there was an inexplicable tension to it.
"Uh, Colonel Chen, sorry to bother you..."
Lu Xin spoke as politely as he could. "It's just that I have a bit of a problem on my end."
"What kind of problem?"
He heard faint noises in the background—like an entire room of people suddenly pausing their work, plunging into extreme silence.
The atmosphere made him a little nervous, so he quickly explained, "Here's the thing. I always finish my work on time and then patrol the streets—I swear I don't leave early. I just finish my tasks and clock out as scheduled... but my company suddenly wants to fire me."
On the other end, there was dead silence.
After a moment, Chen Jing's voice came through, "Patrol?"
"Yeah!" Lu Xin said. "I just keep an eye out for any psychic anomalies on the streets, just in case. I don't even do it during work hours—it's always after I clock out, really. But the company still fired me. The manager wants to give my job to someone else..."
Chen Jing's tone carried both relief and exasperation. "So you called me because of this?"
Lu Xin hesitantly answered, "…Yes!"
Chen Jing seemed to have a lot to say but ultimately just let out a slow sigh. "Wait a bit."
Since she told him to wait, that meant she would handle it, right?
With no other choice, Lu Xin patiently waited downstairs, silently smoking a cigarette as he waited for his satellite phone to ring again.
"Shall I turn them into toys for you?"
His sister appeared beside him at some point. She crawled restlessly around him, her body twisting more than usual. Her long hair draped down, covering most of her face, but the eye that remained visible grew ever brighter.
Excitedly, she asked, "Brother, they actually dared to bully you. Shouldn't we just kill them all?"
"Mom would be happy to help with this..."
"Maybe even Father would lend a hand..."
People were walking by nearby, so Lu Xin pretended not to see his sister, instead turning his gaze toward the legs of a passing woman.
About a minute later, Lu Xin suddenly saw his manager rushing down the stairs, followed closely by two panicked figures. The manager wiped his sweat as he hurried down, spotting Lu Xin squatting by the roadside, smoking.
Rushing over, he grabbed Lu Xin's hand and exclaimed, "Ah, Xiao Lu, why didn't you say something sooner?"
Lu Xin had no idea what he meant and simply let him shake his hand.
"Since you know Director Liu from Bogu Technology in the main city, why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Lu Xin still had no idea what to say—he didn't know any Director Liu.
Seeing his silence, the manager seemed a little guilty and forced a smile. "Director Liu just called. He said he really admires your work ethic and even wants to give us a logistics project. He specifically requested that you be in charge. The chairman personally called me! What a misunderstanding, haha. Come back to work right away. I'll treat you to dinner after hours..."
Lu Xin didn't know what to say, but at least he knew he had his job back.
The two people who had followed the manager down stepped forward. One was a young woman in a pearl-studded blouse, her expression filled with displeasure—it was the manager's daughter, Xiaoqing. Since she always acted high and mighty in the office, everyone secretly called her "Princess Xiaoqing."
The other person was Lü Cheng, who frequently pestered Lu Xin to teach him things.
Lü Cheng forced a smile and shook Lu Xin's hand. "Xiao Lu, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to take your job..."
"It's fine, it's fine..."
Lu Xin quickly withdrew his hand and said, "I understand. In this world, things aren't easy for anyone."
Lü Cheng hadn't expected Lu Xin to be so forgiving. His eyes lit up as he asked, "Xiao Lu, can I help with the new project?"
Lu Xin looked at him.
From the manager's reaction, this project must be significant. If it went well, the bonuses would probably be substantial.
So, he answered seriously, "No."
Lü Cheng's smile froze instantly.
Princess Xiaoqing looked like she wanted to throw a fit, but since she wasn't sure about Lu Xin's background anymore, she just rolled her eyes and kept quiet.
Connections to the main city… That meant deep backing.
After repeatedly assuring the manager that he would return to work soon, the manager finally wiped his sweat and nervously led his daughter and Lü Cheng back to the company.
At that moment, Lu Xin's satellite phone rang again.
Chen Jing's voice came through. "Is the issue resolved?"
Lu Xin nodded but then realized she couldn't see, so he added, "It's resolved."
"Good."
Chen Jing paused for a moment before continuing, "You're already recruited by us and receive a generous subsidy. Why are you still working this job?"
Lu Xin answered softly, "Your rules never said I couldn't have another job…"
Chen Jing was silent for a moment before suddenly asking, "Why do you patrol?"
Lu Xin was taken aback. "Isn't that what you're paying me for?"
Chen Jing sighed, sounding a little troubled.
"Since you're so enthusiastic about working, I have something for you to handle."
There was some rustling on the other end, as if she had covered the receiver while asking for documents. After a while, she spoke again.
"I just had a subsidiary of Bogu Technology offer your company a logistics contract. Using this as an opportunity, I want you to get in touch with Qin Ran, the owner of Sifang Transport."
"Find out if there's anything suspicious about him and report back to me promptly."
Lu Xin was surprised that she was giving him an assignment but also felt a bit pleased.
Getting direct tasks from leadership—this was a good sign!
So, he asked, "What kind of suspicious activity?"
Chen Jing replied, "Intelligence reports link at least seven or eight recent homicides to his company. I need you to check whether these cases are just ordinary murders or something else…"
"Seven or eight murders?"
Lu Xin was a little shocked. "What if they are murders?"
Chen Jing answered, "If it's just murder, then we won't worry. You can come back."
After a brief pause, she added, "But if it's something else, report immediately!"
Lu Xin hesitated. "You'd actually be relieved if it were just murder?"
He was momentarily stunned before understanding what she meant. A strange, absurd feeling welled up inside him.
To these people dealing with contamination, even multiple homicides were a minor concern?
After a while, he cautiously asked, "Is it dangerous?"
Chen Jing replied, "Yes. Whether it's murder or contamination, those people are dangerous—but only to ordinary people."
"With your abilities, you should be fine."
Then, with a slight smile in her voice, she added, "Regardless of the outcome, there's a reward."
Lu Xin agreed.
Later, when he returned to the office, he found his belongings neatly placed back, including his banner.
His colleagues, including Sister Sun, were secretly watching him while pretending to be busy.
After sitting for a while, he walked over to Lü Cheng's cubicle.
Seeing Lü Cheng's nervous expression, Lu Xin said, "I thought it over. You should help me with this project."