Shen Ge followed Deng Yuqi out of the main building of the Special Response Department (SRD) just in time to see SRD personnel unloading two crates—one large, one small—from a cargo truck.

If he remembered correctly, these were the same crates used to “package” the anomalies earlier. Now, they were wrapped in black metal “seals.”

But why two?

“Officer Deng, are you moving the anomaly out of that truck? Is it because you’re not sure whether the driver or the vehicle itself was the anomaly?” Shen Ge asked.

As the head of Rong City’s SRD, Deng Yuqi didn’t actually need to personally handle tasks like interrogating Shen Ge. The reason she took charge was that she intended to act as his “sponsor,” submitting his information to headquarters in an attempt to recruit him into the SRD.

After all, even professionally trained SRD agents rarely remained as composed as Shen Ge when facing anomalies.

This was also why, despite finding his erratic train of thought utterly exhausting, Deng Yuqi still patiently answered his questions.

“Correct. Typically, when dealing with anomalous incidents, we secure all related objects for testing to ensure safety. For example, the water tank on your company’s rooftop. Even though you burned the anomaly to death, we still brought the tank back for analysis,” Deng Yuqi replied.

“Any findings?” Shen Ge asked.

“The tech division’s reports usually take about a week,” Deng Yuqi said.

“Terrible efficiency.”

“…Mr. Shen, with a mouth as poisonous as yours, it’s a miracle you’ve survived this long,” Deng Yuqi remarked dryly.

Watching the SRD staff wheel away the anomaly’s remains, Shen Ge felt a pang of “regret.” After killing the anomaly, aside from receiving the system’s reward notification, he had also gotten the prompt to “sell the anomaly corpse”—just like before. The only difference was that since this anomaly had no unique traits, there was no “devour” option.

A Tier 2 anomaly corpse could fetch 500 system points. After some hesitation, Shen Ge decided against performing his “white flash vanishing act” in front of Deng Yuqi and her team.

Deng Yuqi personally escorted Shen Ge to the compound’s entrance. Noticing the two armed guards standing watch, Shen Ge asked curiously, “Officer Deng, are those real guns?”

Truth be told, ever since arriving at the SRD, Shen Ge had felt like a recluse who’d been holed up for too long. He hadn’t expected such a heavily secured facility to exist right in the city center.

If memory served, aside from military installations, even the guards outside municipal buildings weren’t this heavily armed.

But it made sense. In an era of peace, the sudden emergence of “anomalies” had turned them into a global threat. SRD operatives were always on the front lines against these dangers.

Given the department’s sensitive nature and the need to protect its personnel, this level of security was necessary.

“Yes. The SRD operates under strict confidentiality. Generally, no one—not even officials from other departments—is allowed entry without an explicit invitation.”

“So I should feel honored?”

“…You were brought in for questioning.”

Shen Ge’s gaze shifted to the two alert military dogs crouched beside the guard post. “You think I could lure them away with a couple of sausages?”

Deng Yuqi looked at him like he was an idiot. “Those are trained military dogs. You could bring a truckload of sausages, and they still wouldn’t budge.”

“Really? I don’t believe you.”

“…”

Stay calm. Stay calm.

Once outside the compound, Deng Yuqi stopped. “Mr. Shen, thank you for your cooperation. If we need to follow up, we’ll contact you again.”

“And if I have new leads, can I come here to find you?”

“If it’s related to anomalies, yes.”

“But you just said people can’t just walk in?”

“…” I want to hit him.

Deng Yuqi had no intention of humoring Shen Ge further, but she still asked, “Earlier, you mentioned interest in the SRD. Would you consider working here? The salary might not match your current job, but SRD agents receive benefits on par with elite special forces.”

“Weekends off?” Shen Ge asked.

Deng Yuqi’s expression turned odd. Most people would ask about insurance, housing, or other standard perks—but this guy’s first concern was weekends off?

She answered truthfully, “Technical staff have schedules based on workload. Field agents are on 24-hour standby.”

Shen Ge’s eyes lit up. “So, does that mean when there’s no work… it’s basically a seven-day weekend?”

“Well, technically, but—”

“Perfect! Let’s go fill out the paperwork right now.” Shen Ge turned on his heel and marched back toward the compound. The guard dogs immediately stood at attention.

“Mr. Shen, wait—wait!”

Deng Yuqi hurriedly blocked his path. “I’m only planning to recommend you to headquarters. Whether you’re approved depends on their evaluation.”

“That much hassle? Never mind, then.” Shen Ge turned back toward the exit.

Deng Yuqi: *-_-*

If not for his mouth, she would’ve gladly fast-tracked someone like him as a “special talent.” But with that attitude, she worried he’d provoke a high-tier anomaly into a frenzy mid-mission.

Shen Ge suddenly stopped and asked seriously, “Someone as outstanding as me… wouldn’t get bullied or ostracized by other agents, right?”

“You’re overthinking it. Aside from the dangers of anomalies, there’s no internal competition in the SRD. Everyone gets along well,” Deng Yuqi said flatly.

“Can’t blame me for worrying. Novels always write it like this—some new recruit joins the ‘Dragon Group,’ gets targeted by jealous peers, overcomes all odds, becomes leader, and lives happily ever after. Sounds thrilling, but look at me—I’ve got brains, not brawn. I’m not exactly built for a beatdown.”

Deng Yuqi patted his shoulder. “Mr. Shen, read fewer novels. Your brain is one bucket of water away from short-circuiting.”

“Oho? Officer Deng, you’ve got a sense of humor after all!” Shen Ge said, delighted.

Deng Yuqi: … (I want to swear).

Unknowingly, she’d let him drag her into his nonsense!

No. I need to reconsider this recommendation.

As Shen Ge watched Deng Yuqi retreat into the compound, his mood was excellent. This little performance had likely landed him squarely on her blacklist.

While the SRD’s anomaly-tech and research intrigued him, Shen Ge wasn’t keen on being under constant scrutiny by such an organization.

At any rate, unless Deng Yuqi had unconventional tastes, his “normal” behavior would naturally make her avoid further interaction.

As a “top-tier salesman,” Shen Ge knew exactly how to win people over—and just as easily, how to repel them.

Deng Yuqi wasn’t a client, so he didn’t need to care about her impression of him. He just had to lean into being as annoying as possible.

Even if he did consider joining the SRD, saving the world as some kind of superhero would just be a side gig. What interested him was the ability to officially involve himself in anomaly investigations.

The more anomalies he encountered, the more he could leverage his system’s abilities. Whether it was growing stronger or delaying the apocalypse, this was far more efficient than tip-toeing around, terrified of exposure.

Most importantly, the SRD had a dedicated tech division for anomaly-tech. Those black gloves that could safely restrain anomalies? If Deng Yuqi had agreed earlier, he’d have sold his house to buy a pair!

“Anomaly-tech…”

Tsk.

Wasn’t that just like the butcher’s knife at home?

If he could learn the principles and techniques behind crafting anomaly-tech from the SRD, he wouldn’t have to rely on luck for equipment anymore!

Feeling somewhat relieved, Shen Ge pulled out his phone to hail a ride—then pocketed it again. “Eh, I’ll just take the bus.”

As he left, he glanced up at the red flag fluttering atop the building and smiled, humming a tune as he strolled toward the distant bus stop.

“Someone as outstanding as me… should’ve coasted through life,

So how’d I end up tossed onto the battlefield after twenty-odd years?”

“Someone as handsome as me…”