Chapter 120: An Informal Meeting

Early in the morning, a groggy Qi Chen was suddenly awakened by a message from Fu Ying, ordering him to report to the Paranormal Handling Department immediately.

Thinking something major had occurred, Qi Chen rushed through his morning routine. He didn't even have time for breakfast before dashing off to the department building. Outside the entrance, he spotted Fu Ying from a distance, dressed in her characteristically sharp style: tight jeans paired with polished black high-top boots, topped with a form-fitting black leather jacket. Combined with her crisp short hair, her authoritative aura was unmistakable.

"Captain Fu, what happened?" Qi Chen asked, surprised, as he didn't see Nuannan anywhere. Logically, if a paranormal event had broken out, shouldn't he and Nuannan be dispatched together? They were partners, after all.

Fu Ying’s tone was cool and detached. "It’s not a paranormal event. I’m taking you to meet someone."

"Meet someone?" Qi Chen was even more confused. He had no family or friends in City No. 3; aside from the colleagues he was getting to know at the department, he didn't know anyone else.

"Get in the car. You'll see when we get there." Without further explanation, Fu Ying climbed into her vehicle and urged him on through the lowered window.

Qi Chen didn't press the matter; he trusted that Fu Ying wouldn't lead him into a trap. With a low rumble, the engine roared to life, and they sped away. Sitting in the passenger seat, Qi Chen felt uneasy. He wanted to ask where they were going, but seeing Fu Ying focused intently on the road, he didn't know how to start the conversation. *Forget it, let it be,* he thought. *They wouldn't possibly be taking me to the Research Institute for experiments, would they?*

Calming his nerves, he soon arrived at the destination. Looking at the building—which appeared no different from an ordinary residence, save for the increased security—Qi Chen looked at Fu Ying in bewilderment.

It was then that Fu Ying finally revealed who he was about to meet. "Elder Li wants to see you. It’s a private invitation. I won’t accompany you inside; go on, get out of the car."

Qi Chen froze, staring blankly at Fu Ying’s face, unable to process that she wasn't joking.

***

Elder Li wanted to see him? Why?

They had only met once in Huangshi Town. Their connection was so faint it was practically non-existent—unless you counted the few tangerines the old man had given him. Furthermore, as the Chief Administrator of City No. 3, shouldn't Elder Li be busy with government affairs instead of meeting a newcomer from the Paranormal Handling Department?

Filled with questions, Qi Chen numbly pushed open the car door and stepped out. After a simple security check by the guards, he walked into Li Taixing’s home.

*Clang!*

As the door shut behind him, Qi Chen snapped back to reality. Looking around, he saw Elder Li sitting in the living room, a gentle smile on his face as he looked toward him.

"Mask... or should I call you Xiao Qi? To me, your code names aren't as meaningful as your real names," Li Taixing said, beckoning Qi Chen to sit on the sofa.

Still feeling as if he were in a dream, Qi Chen followed instructions and sat down, his legs pressed tightly together, looking incredibly stiff. He found himself missing Nuannan, that burly guy with the thick eyebrows.

"Hello, Elder Li..." Qi Chen offered an awkward, polite smile, painfully aware of how unnatural his behavior was.

Li Taixing, however, didn't mind at all and proceeded to chat about trivial, everyday matters. It had to be said that for someone who had served as Chief Administrator for decades, Li Taixing’s interpersonal skills were absolutely maxed out. After a short while, Qi Chen’s initial nervousness faded, his expressions and movements becoming more relaxed. He decided to treat Li Taixing like a grandfather from next door and opened up.

He realized, however, that the home of City No. 3’s Chief Administrator seemed to lack a certain vitality. Although the room was crowded with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves packed with volumes, the place felt cold and lonely. He saw no signs of anyone else living there, as if Li Taixing had always lived entirely alone.

"Elder Li, you really work hard..." After hesitating for a moment, that was all Qi Chen could manage. It was sincere, but it still sounded like a rehearsed platitude.

Fortunately, Li Taixing didn't care. Instead, he laughed heartily. "Hahaha! I was a bit puzzled when I read the evaluation report from the Research Institute. I wondered how such a person could exist in this day and age. We didn't have a chance to sit down and talk in Huangshi Town, but this meeting today has been a pleasant surprise. Honestly, you don't seem like a paranormal type at all."

Qi Chen kept a polite smile, thinking that was only because he hadn't seen his volatile, merged state.

"We’ve been chatting for a while, and you must be wondering why I asked to see you alone today," Li Taixing said. This was indeed the question lingering in Qi Chen's mind, and he waited eagerly for the answer.

"To be honest, it’s just for a simple chat." Li Taixing’s answer was unexpected, but he continued, "I need to understand every paranormal walker in City No. 3. My schedule is usually quite packed, so I can't meet with you all as often as I’d like, but it is necessary. You are the most critical barrier City No. 3 has against paranormal events. As the Administrator, I have an obligation to get to know you deeply—and it must be through personal interaction, not just by relying on reports from the professors at the institute. Don't you agree?"

Qi Chen nodded vigorously. Seeing Li Taixing living in an ordinary home and witnessing his grassroots policies that catered to the citizens, it was clear he was an administrator who kept his finger on the pulse of the common people. This was incredibly rare.

"Decades ago, I started from the very bottom and slowly worked my way up to this position. I know clearly that if you make plans blindly without understanding the reality of the situation, it can cause immense destruction, even if your original intentions were good. Sometimes, a plan that doesn't fit reality is worse than doing nothing at all," Li Taixing said with deep emotion.

He had experienced such things firsthand. Back then, he was just a low-level worker, and the policies drafted by the leaders of City No. 3 were, as he said, completely disconnected from reality. This had led to tragic consequences, especially since the technology for dealing with the paranormal and the mist was not yet mature, resulting in a staggering number of casualties.

"Back to the point, I have a few questions for you," Li Taixing said suddenly, smiling as he looked at Qi Chen.

"What do you think of City No. 3?"