Bai Lin looked down at the girl glaring up at him, a cold smile on his lips. What? Helping you in at the last moment was wrong? What are you staring at? Got big eyes, long lashes, and watery ones? "From today, your ability is forbidden," he said coldly, as if she owed him money.
Huangfu Jun, still teary-eyed, looked up incredulously, her eyes full of doubt. What? What was he saying? She had just accepted being an ability user (half-demon), ready to show her skills, and now it was forbidden? Wasn't she in the Monster Bureau? Wasn't using demon powers basic?
"Captain, I don't understand. Do you mean this mission is special, so to prevent a rookie from causing trouble with unfamiliar abilities, you're forbidding me?"
Bai Lin glanced at her like she was a fool trying hard to understand. He raised an eyebrow, looked her up and down, then snorted contemptuously. He held out his hand, aimed at her nose, seeming to cast a spell. "The ban isn't for this case; it's until you die!" He withdrew his hand, disdainful of further explanation, and turned away proudly.
Huangfu Jun, left behind: ? What did he just do? Soon, she found out. Up to this moment, her body had been uncomfortable. The high-speed ride left her dizzy and aching, her mouth sour and bitter from vomiting. But after Bai Lin's "big palm" spell, her back and legs didn't hurt, her breath was fresh, and she was full of energy!
With boundless energy, her mind began to wander. Was her new boss, Captain Bai Lin, really abnormal? He couldn't speak well, but his actions were sometimes generous, sometimes harsh. Did demons have disorders like schizophrenia?
Huangfu Jun asked herself, "Is he gaslighting me? Is he using scumbag tactics to try to tame me in the workplace?"
"Tang's Workplace Thick Black Theory" said: In the workplace, your bottom line is crucial; don't let others trample it easily. Even if the other party shows temporary goodwill, you must make your bottom line clear. In short, thank when needed, refuse directly when needed.
Huangfu Jun adjusted her backpack, composed herself, and quickly caught up. "Captain Bai, how much longer to the construction site?"
Bai Lin looked ahead. The front was dark, boundless and impenetrable, as if never-ending. "Three minutes."
Huangfu Jun took a big step to walk beside him. She also stared straight ahead, but her words were pointed. In the most polite tone, she made the most direct demand. "Captain, regarding the ban on my demon powers, due to time, let's not discuss it now."
Bai Lin's tone grew colder. "You're not qualified to discuss it. So, please shut up."
Huangfu Jun almost laughed in anger. Wow, impressive, knowing English, keeping up with the times. She took a breath and said firmly, "Let's talk about now. You're a great demon; I'm just a human shield without abilities, with very limited endurance. When this mission ends and we return, if it's the same as coming—riding the lightning motorcycle—you better provide proper safety gear, especially an anti-dizziness helmet. Otherwise, I can't guarantee where I'll vomit. Not just this time; for any future business trips involving me, I need complete protection. Otherwise, as a human body can't match demons' ways, from safety and work perspectives, I'll refuse any further assignments."
Bai Lin didn't slow his pace, only glancing sideways. "Vomit where? In the helmet? When you become captain, then you can arrange things."
Huangfu Jun ground her molars. So shameless—truly a dog captain.
"As a legally hired employee, this is my basic right. Neither the captain, deputy director, nor even the director can take it away. That's my bottom line. If not met, on the way back, I'll buy my own plane ticket, since that's within the employee handbook's reasonable benefits."
"Failing the mission will get your contract terminated. So? You want to go to the site and move bricks permanently?"
Bai Lin paused slightly, turned back, his gaze cold. "It seems Miss Huangfu has studied the employee handbook carefully. I wonder if you noticed another clause: employees must complete tasks assigned by leadership. I'm the captain, you're the team member. My orders are your tasks. This also affects your evaluation. I command, you execute. Understand?"
After several exchanges, Huangfu Jun had anticipated Bai Lin's reaction. She wasn't angry; instead, she looked up politely, a sincere smile on her lips. "I understand. But tasks assigned by leadership must be judged reasonable or not. I don't intend to challenge your authority. After all, above the Monster Bureau, there's the Human-Demon Co-governance Committee and the Supervision Bureau. Of course, if my special status causes you trouble, I apologize here. Secondly, I hope Captain Bai can give me a reasonable explanation for the ban on my abilities. If the reason is valid and convincing, I will naturally accept and obey."
Bai Lin stared coldly at Huangfu Jun, his icy, murderous aura growing stronger, making her feel like she'd fallen into an ice cave. She shivered. Pressing her lips, she tried to ignore his cold aura, her smile open and her tone sincere. "Finally, I want to thank you, Captain. Thank you for pulling me into the barrier at the last moment and casting the spell to relieve my discomfort."
Bai Lin stopped completely but quickly looked away from her face. He clicked his tongue, then couldn't help but chuckle softly. "Drop your persecution complex. The site is ahead, and Supervision Bureau people are there. This is just to avoid embarrassing the Seventh Bureau."
Hearing this, Huangfu Jun wasn't annoyed. She nodded, her voice still sincere. "Understood. Don't worry, Captain. I'll obey orders at work and strive to uphold the company's and your glorious image!"
Bai Lin's mouth twitched. She was exactly the same as before—an indestructible, unchewable golden diamond pea. Before, he saw only her golden brilliance and strengths. Now, still radiant—tch! I should say, utterly troublesome!
Unaware of Bai Lin's internal cursing, Huangfu Jun clenched her fists, nodded slowly, and gave a trust-me smile. In Bai Lin's eyes, this should have been a provocative challenge, but her smiling eyes dazed him for a moment, choking back the curses on the tip of his tongue. He had been waiting for this kind of interaction, but now that it happened, their relationship was the opposite of what he'd imagined.
Huangfu Jun kindly reminded, "Captain Bai, three minutes are up. Why haven't we left the barrier?"
Bai Lin's eyes suddenly cleared. He stopped being dazed, met her gaze directly, and waved his hand. A fiery firework shot from his palm straight into the dark abyss ahead. Huangfu Jun's smile faded as she watched the strange sight. Half a second later, the firework exploded, scattering colorful sparks. Where the sparks burned, everything lit up.
Huangfu Jun's eyes, accustomed to darkness, were painfully dazzled. She instinctively covered her eyes. In her dizziness, someone grabbed her arm and led her forward.
"The barrier's energy is 7 to the 7th power stronger than a normal site shield. No demon, no matter how strong, can enter or even detect it. A wrong step means annihilation. It's the Supervision Bureau's strongest formation," Bai Lin's voice was sharp and unusually serious.
Huangfu Jun also grew cautious. Though she didn't fully understand his explanation—why the power factor was 7^7—she could feel the overwhelming pressure of the surroundings. With each step forward, the air seemed to prick her, constricting and assaulting her. She closed her eyes, instinctively turning to grab Bai Lin's hand more tightly. The closer she got to him, the weaker the strange pain. She also sensed she was about to see the true face of the Monster Bureau site.
Feeling her movement, Bai Lin's arm stiffened momentarily, then he gripped her hand tighter. Step by step, he led her out of the dark abyss into a waterfall of light.
When Huangfu Jun opened her eyes again, a completely different scene appeared before her. A very real and normal world. In the night, only vague outlines of black mountains were visible, along with large black forests and an unfinished highway with occasional construction lights.
Huangfu Jun and Bai Lin stood on the white line in the middle of the road. Breathing the cool night air, she finally felt back in the real world. She looked around. As it was a highway, there were no streetlights, only reflective markers guiding the way. Ahead, a towering mountain lay like a sleeping beast in the vast landscape. The highway led into a dark tunnel at the mountain's base, where construction lights glimmered in the distance.
So the Monster Bureau site was a real construction site.
Bai Lin didn't let go of her hand. With a wave, they teleported to the tunnel entrance. The lights on the cliff above were powerful, dazzling Huangfu Jun, just emerging from darkness, and making the area as bright as day.
Wait! She realized the light wasn't naturally bright; it grew brighter as they arrived! In the blink of an eye, the light exploded into an even more intense white. Huangfu Jun quickly covered her eyes, afraid of being blinded.
"That's enough," Bai Lin said softly, releasing her hand. She cautiously opened her eyes; the light had returned to a normal level. But though the tunnel entrance looked the same, the inside was vastly different. Previously, it was an under-construction highway; now it was a wide, flat construction site. Many lamp poles stood, and between them, people in suits and sunglasses moved hurriedly—dressed almost identically to Zheng Sini's Supervision Bureau staff. Strange taste—wearing sunglasses with the lights on at night?
Among the crowd, a middle-aged man without glasses seemed to sense their presence. He turned sharply, his alert gaze shooting at Huangfu Jun and Bai Lin like arrows. Bai Lin stepped forward calmly to meet his gaze. Huangfu Jun straightened her back and followed closely.
The man was about forty, slightly fatter and shorter than Zheng Sini and Dr. Zheng Sijia. Bald, his round head stood out under the lights. His appearance was unremarkable, but his eyes were sharp as a hawk's. His collar was casually open, hands in pockets, half an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth—a relaxed posture. Huangfu Jun inexplicably felt he resembled underworld bosses in old southern films—outwardly loose, but with a fierce heart inside.
"His name is Jin Hu, a Supervision Bureau inspector at the site, one rank below Zheng Sini," Bai Lin explained as they walked. "Whatever they say, don't respond. Leave everything to me."
"Understood." Huangfu Jun shut up, sticking close behind Bai Lin, carefully observing Jin Hu ahead.
"Captain Bai!" Jin Hu saw Bai Lin from afar and waved high. Bai Lin nodded slightly in return. Jin Hu gave a few instructions to his subordinates, then turned to meet Bai Lin.
Huangfu Jun instinctively stepped behind Bai Lin.
"Captain Bai, what took you so long? Didn't even say hi—almost left us hanging. We've dismantled everything we can; the rest is your bureau's resp—" He stopped mid-sentence, his gaze toward Huangfu Jun turning strange.
Bai Lin also halted, deliberately blocking Huangfu Jun with his body. She cooperated, stopping, a bad feeling rising.
The three of them, two against one, stood frozen for over ten seconds.
Jin Hu suddenly turned and spat out the half-cigarette. Looking up, he fixed his gaze on Huangfu Jun, a fake smile on his lips. "An unregistered half-demon? Captain Bai, what's the meaning of this?"
Bai Lin's eyes were icy, his tone indifferent. "My assistant, the bureau's newest employee."
Jin Hu's brows furrowed involuntarily. Then, as if hearing a good joke, he laughed exaggeratedly. "Half-demon assistant?" He laughed until his shoulders shook, then suddenly stopped, his gaze and tone turning fierce. "The Monster Bureau has always forbidden any human or half-demon from joining. That's not only the bureau's iron rule but also the consensus of the Human-Demon Co-governance Committee, the Supervision Bureau, and the World Human-Demon Union. Breaking this rule would have terrible consequences. Captain Bai must know that, right?"
Faced with Jin Hu's aggressive questioning, a doubt that had lingered in Huangfu Jun's mind was finally answered. Both Zheng Sini and Zheng Sijia thought she shouldn't exist in the bureau. It wasn't her, but her half-demon identity that was out of place.
Thinking this, Huangfu Jun felt a chill down her spine. Her entry into the bureau was by no means simple. There must be significant interests involved, or the bureau wouldn't have taken such a huge risk and responsibility, breaking the rules to recruit her.
Facing Jin Hu's pressure, Bai Lin's expression remained calm. "Inspector Jin, can you repair the space-time rift?"
Jin Hu was momentarily stunned. Bai Lin snorted contemptuously, looking past him at the site behind. His eyes were deep. "Before a space-time rift, humans, demons, and half-demons are all dust. Anyone who can help me is an assistant."
Jin Hu's brow twitched. Faced with Bai Lin's imposing manner, he unconsciously stepped back. He turned to look at Huangfu Jun again, hesitating.
"Inspector Jin, the situation is urgent. May we enter?" Bai Lin asked calmly.
Jin Hu bit his lip hard, as if making a great decision. He snorted self-mockingly, pulled a new cigarette from his chest pocket, and put it in his mouth. "Never mind. You're the strongest combat power in the demon world. A small fry like me naturally has no right to interfere with your arrangements. But there's one thing: any half-demon in the bureau entering the site must be supervised by us."
He took out a lighter, lit the cigarette, took a drag, turned, and waved. "Zheng Siyi, come here."
Bai Lin raised an eyebrow slightly but said nothing. Huangfu Jun's eyes widened in surprise. Zheng Sini in the morning, Zheng Sijia in the afternoon, Zheng Siyi at night. Was she in a Zheng family nest? Aside from the complaint, this revealed that all members of families with half-demons were under the supervision of the Co-governance Committee and Supervision Bureau.
Soon, a young man in black, about twenty, ran quickly to Jin Hu. He carried a silver briefcase. Jin Hu blew a large smoke ring contentedly, glanced at Huangfu Jun, and said, "Get the highest-level restraint anklet."
The sunglasses-wearing young man stiffened slightly, incredulous. "The highest level? Isn't that for defending against—"
Jin Hu frowned impatiently, cutting him off. "Get it out."
The young man, Zheng Siyi, didn't hesitate. He opened the case, took out one of many small jewelry boxes, and handed it to Jin Hu. Jin Hu caught it with one hand and tossed it toward Bai Lin. Bai Lin caught it smoothly.
"Captain Bai, Zheng Sini went to the bureau this afternoon. If this girl's paperwork wasn't complete, you wouldn't have brought her here. We brothers always act openly, and I trust you. But we must follow procedures."
"Thank you." Bai Lin remained calm.
"Then put it on her." Jin Hu turned his back. Zheng Siyi packed the case and quickly left under Jin Hu's signal.
Huangfu Jun pressed her lips. Were they putting an electronic anklet on her? Bai Lin didn't explain. He opened the box, took out a delicate silver anklet, then naturally crouched, kneeling before Huangfu Jun, as if to personally fasten it to her ankle.
Just as his hand touched her foot, Huangfu Jun instinctively withdrew. Had anyone asked her opinion? Though it looked like an ordinary silver anklet, who knew what demonic spells were attached?
Sensing her resistance, Bai Lin suddenly looked up, meeting her eyes, his gaze tender and gentle.
"Be good," he said.