The location of the discount department store was quite bizarre, as if a giant hand had tossed it into the middle of an empty lot and left it there inexplicably. A small path branched off from the main road, leading straight to this mirage-like building, and the Parking Lot out front was overgrown with weeds.
There were no customers around yet. Two police cars were parked side by side at the entrance, monopolizing the space.
As Shi Rang drove past the front of the police cars, he let out a confused sound.
"What is it?" Jack asked.
"It is a little strange."
"Why is it strange?"
"You do not often see police cars this new around here."
"Oh."
The boy clinging to Shi Rang's collar responded, only half-understanding.
The Sheriff had taken all the most capable members to the scouting team. The remaining little ones were relatively introverted and did not interrupt their conversation.
Jack watched as Shi Rang opened the trunk of his Electric Bicycle, taking out Chains to wrap around a streetlamp over and over again. Still feeling uneasy after that, Shi Rang added a U-lock to the rear wheel, completely sealing it in place. Only then did he grab his Helmet, remove the battery, and carry it toward the supermarket.
"Are there a lot of bad guys here?" Jack asked. "It sounds exactly like the Tenth District my dad told me about."
"This is the Tenth District, Jack."
"Oh."
After experiencing an overly complicated day, Shi Rang could finally relax a little around here.
Anyone who could run a business in the suburbs of the Tenth District was no ordinary person. To protect his store from the various criminals passing through, the supermarket owner had built a tall tower on the side of the building and mounted a machine gun at the top. This fierce approach, combined with good quality and cheap goods, attracted customers from all over. Shi Rang and Ying Shang used to love coming here for big shopping trips. They could browse the aisles with peace of mind, without worrying about getting robbed or pickpocketed inside the store. The only downside was that it was too far from home.
Shi Rang had absolutely no mood for shopping. He was a terrible journalist and a terrible agent. He needed time to accept reality, but there was no time for him to build up his mental defenses.
He was almost buried alive on the night of the fourth, spent the entire day riding in a car on the sixth, was nearly eaten by a Stitched Walker on the night of the seventh, and encountered the Mini-Humans in the early hours of the eighth...
And now it was the afternoon of the eighth.
Saying that a day felt like a year could not even begin to describe how eventful his life had become.
From yesterday noon until now, he had only eaten two slices of bread and had a single cup of coffee. Extensive mental exertion was draining his energy, yet this was the one time he absolutely could not let his guard down.
His thoughts constantly drifted back to the Yunling New District. Images of the scouting team being caught and discovered flashed before his eyes one after another, and the police cars he saw at the entrance were an even worse omen.
It felt as though agents from the Management Authority were hiding around every corner of the fully stocked shelves, ready to pin him to the ground and take him into custody the moment he walked by.
The verdict was already on its way, and he was merely making his final struggle.
Just like his stubborn persistence in constantly searching for Ying Shang...
He simply could not remain indifferent.
Shi Rang wandered past the Kitchen supplies section.
The inexplicable sensation that had surfaced when he passed through the Yunling New District appeared once again in the supermarket. He had a nagging feeling that there was something worth paying attention to near the semi-open freezer to his front right.
He leaned closer, trying to discern what it was, but ended up just staring blankly at a carton of milk.
Suddenly, that feeling of 'something being there' began to move. It shifted from the milk to the yogurt cartons on the left, continuing its lateral movement. His Sensing grew increasingly clear, as if someone were poking a finger right in front of his forehead. Even without touching his skin or needing to open his eyes to look, Shi Rang could simply 'know' it was happening.
His eyes were unconsciously drawn by 'it', following it all the way to the left, moving beyond the freezer.
Immediately after, a Police officer appeared from behind the freezer.
Their eyes met in the air.
The officer was startled, and Shi Rang jolted as if electrocuted, hastily snapping his head back to the dairy products to pretend he was studying the prices.
He had never committed a crime or hurt anyone, and might even soon hold the title of 'Honorary Citizen', but deep down he knew that by possessing Anomalous Abilities and harboring the Mini-Humans, he was no longer a normal person.
Not to mention, he already had bad blood with the police. If they decided to pick a fight and arrest him...
Contrary to his wishes, the police officer actually walked right over to him.
"Excuse me, sir. I am a regional investigator for the Pan-Continent Alliance."
"The Pan-Continent Alliance?"
Shi Rang looked over. Upon closer inspection, the man was indeed wearing the Alliance's uniform, complete with the logo on his chest. The shade of blue was similar to a Police Uniform, looking completely identical to a guilty-conscious Shi Rang at first glance.
He finally calmed down a bit.
Shi Rang had a good impression of the Alliance. Investigator Scarlett, who claimed to be from the Alliance, had saved his life, and the confidence given to him by his investigative authority caused his fondness for the organization to skyrocket.
But why did he not see any Alliance vehicles outside? The people from the Alliance were known for their Overbearing Wealth, always traveling by car...
"Are you alright, sir?"
Shi Rang quickly waved his hands. "I rode all the way here, so I might have a bit of heatstroke... Did something happen?"
He knew his face must be terribly pale, making him look increasingly suspicious.
"Are you a local resident? We have received some reports regarding wild animal activity. I do not want to scare you, but there is likely a bear roaming the suburbs. Can you provide any clues?"
As they spoke, another Alliance staff member approached from the other side. Shi Rang did not notice the second person until he stepped close; that distinct 'presence' had only emanated from the man speaking to him.
He turned slightly sideways, hiding Jack behind his back. The thumb-sized boy, who had been completely motionless since earlier, took the opportunity to slip under his clothes.
Shi Rang was just about to say a few words to brush them off when he heard a shout from behind him to his side.
"Shi Rang?"
A figure darted out from behind the kitchenware shelves, wearing a sky-blue uniform with the Alliance logo on the chest, holding up a gleaming ID badge. "Yunling City Investigative Authority Supervisory Special Commissioner. Did you forget—"
The man took a few large strides forward before coming to a sudden halt.
As the distance closed, the shelves no longer obstructed their lines of sight. The 'Alliance officials' beside Shi Rang and the newly arrived 'Alliance official' finally caught sight of each other.
"Which department are you from?" The newly arrived commissioner narrowed his eyes, clearly not recognizing these so-called 'colleagues', and immediately reached for his waist holster.
Caught in the middle, Shi Rang neatly sidestepped, moving swiftly out of any potential line of fire.
The two Alliance staff members, who looked much more like fakes, turned pale and rapidly exchanged hand signals. One of them raised his hands to show he was harmless and carefully approached the commissioner, whispering something in his ear. The latter's expression immediately became quite bizarre, as if he wanted to laugh, but upon glancing at Shi Rang, he forcefully suppressed it.
"For the sake of the agreement, I will let you off the hook this time. You guys really have the nerve to play dress-up, huh? Use your brains next time you work. Now hurry up and leave, you hear me?"
The commissioner gave the man's shoulder a light shove. The two men no longer bothered with their unfinished questions and hurried away.
To anyone out of the loop, those words would have been utterly baffling, but Shi Rang was struck with a chilling realization.
Anyone who could impersonate Alliance members and still be let go so easily absolutely had to have an incredibly powerful backer behind them.
So, what faction could sit on equal footing with the Alliance?
Shi Rang was not clear on the exact details of the Management Authority, but as a secret organization capable of containing a massive number of Anomalous Creatures with facilities spread all over the world, they likely overpowered even the Pan-Continent Alliance.
Those two fakes were from the Management Authority.
They were the local Field Agents mentioned under the Field Department's introduction, specifically responsible for reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, and executing standard combat missions.
That was it. They were not asking about some bear at all, but another creature with an exaggerated size—the Stitched Walker.
The Management Authority already knew that a Stitched Walker had appeared around Yunling City.
The real commissioner buried his head in his Mobile Phone, typing out a long string of text. Then, tucking away the amusement in his eyes, he turned back to Shi Rang. "It is fine, do not mind them. Let's get back to the main topic... Why didn't you return the investigative authority documents to the office after leaving the investigation Zone?"
"I, sorry, I was very busy yesterday. I originally planned to return them as soon as I got back—wait a moment, I have them on me."
Shi Rang turned sideways, terrified that the man would catch onto his fear.
He pulled the authorization document, folded four times, out of his wallet—the seemingly bulging wallet instantly deflated—but he could not find that golden Small Badge.
'I clearly put it inside!'
'Could it have fallen out when my wallet was snatched earlier?'
His fingers trembled, and he had to take desperate, deep breaths, urging himself to stay calm.
Regardless of the relationship between the Pan-Continent Alliance and the Management Authority, the former clearly was not here for the Stitched Walker, Director Bjorn, or the Mini-Humans. He was merely here to retrieve the investigative authority documents. This was standard procedure; there was absolutely no need to be afraid...
But that was too difficult.
Suddenly, a hand clapped onto Shi Rang's shoulder, nearly scaring his soul out of his body.
"Not great, is it?"
Shi Rang stiffly turned his head, fully expecting to see gleaming Handcuffs and the muzzle of a Gun, but what greeted his eyes was a face full of sympathy.
"I know it must be tough. That scene was absolutely horrendous. You were incredibly brave to expose the massacre."
The commissioner reached his fingers toward the outside of the wallet and pulled the Small Badge out of a tiny pocket that was practically right under Shi Rang's nose, yet he had completely missed it. After inspecting it, the man patted Shi Rang's back with a calloused hand.
"Do not push yourself too hard. Go find a Psychologist to talk to, otherwise, once the trauma sets in, you will regret it for the rest of your life. Head home early, and do not wander around outside after dark. It is not safe out here."
"...Thank you."
The man smiled at Shi Rang, waved his hand, and walked away.
He had indeed come solely for the investigative authority.