Chapter 96

Chapter 96: Artificial Soul 23

The morning’s schedule completely disrupted the personnel structure of the Seventh Squad.

It seemed that Xueyao Shu had been working in the Investigation Bureau’s field operation team for five years, and after completing this five-year service period, he could only resign after fulfilling his term. Xueyao left the Seventh Squad right at this crucial juncture.

Liu Kangyun, who joined the team around the same time as Xueyao, was promoted to team leader. The Seventh Squad originally consisted of five members, but with Xueyao and Kui Xin leaving, only three members remained. They were unable to gather enough teammates to carry out their missions together anymore.

Wei Zhi took care of these matters smoothly. She said, “In a week, the Investigation Bureau will start recruiting externally. There might be newcomers joining your team by then. If we are really short-staffed, I will integrate members from other squads into the Seventh Squad.”

During this period, many people in the Investigation Bureau died, making it inevitable that some squads couldn’t have their full complement. It was only natural that they would need to reorganize their team under such circumstances.

Back at the office, everyone in the Seventh Squad felt dejected and disheartened.

Kui Xin needed to go back to the office to gather his belongings, so he returned together with them.

Liu Kangyun was the first to speak up, “Congratulations, Kui Xin.”

Jiang Ming added, “Congratulations on the promotion and salary increase.”

“May everything go well, little Kui,” Lan Lan remarked.

“Yes, you too.” Kui Xin replied. “But Team Leader Wei seems very strict; perhaps she might dismiss me within days of starting work.”

“No, you must seize this opportunity,” Liu Kangyun spoke in a lowered voice, his expression serious. “You’ve just graduated from university, and you may not fully understand the significance. Having such a starting point at barely twenty years old, following Team Leader Wei, you can avoid many detours and reach your goals faster than others.”

Kui Xin looked at him seriously and nodded, “I understand; I will seize this opportunity.”

“I trust you fully,” Liu Kangyun patted Kui Xin’s shoulder as if trying to pass her strength. “Quickly pack your stuff and head over to Team Leader Wei’s office; work diligently, and don’t make her wait too long.”

“Okay.” Kui Xin lowered her head, found a cardboard box, and started putting small items inside.

“Goodbye, Kui Xin.” Lan Lan said but added, “Don’t say goodbye yet; after all, we all work in the same building.”

He extended his right hand for a high-five with Kui Xin, followed by Jiang Ming doing the same.

“Everyone, keep your spirits up!” Kui Xin hugged the cardboard box, saying goodbye as she left the office.

When the metal door of the office closed, Kui Xin sighed deeply, feeling as though she was bidding farewell to an old life and beginning anew… Although she still works in the Investigation Bureau, the scope of things she can get involved in and the level she stands at have already changed. From now on, she would climb from being a low-rank security officer to a peripheral figure in the power hierarchy.

Team Leader Wei’s career advancement wouldn’t end here; picking Kui Xin to join her certainly had a purpose.

The Deputy Director of the Investigation Bureau died unexpectedly, and the Director was retiring soon, meaning two key positions were suddenly vacant. With Wei’s qualifications, there was a good chance that she would be promoted to become the Director or maybe even the Deputy Director.

For Kui Xin, Wei Zhi was the stepping stone to entering the power sphere.

As Kui Xin brought her belongings to Wei Zhi’s office, Wei Zhi pointed to a smaller semi-transparent partition next to her own workspace. “That’s where you’ll be seated. Your tasks are relatively mundane, so August prepared a document for you that you should look over and become familiar with.”

“Yes, Team Leader,” Kui Xin replied.

Mundane tasks? Well, it’s better than constantly engaging in battle and combat. While Kui Xin preferred intellectual tasks over physical labor, she disliked jobs requiring extensive social interactions. As a secretary to Wei Zhi, she’d surely have to interact with various departments frequently. Still, Kui Xin thought she could adjust. Like when she first started with the Seventh Squad—she learned the ropes bit by bit, and now, those difficulties had gradually dissipated.

Kui Xin sat down at her desk and turned on the computer.

The blue screen popped up with a document already open, displaying her job contents.

Her forehead creased with worry; her tasks included organizing meetings, reviewing documents, mediating department relations, and sorting through group task dossiers… a multitude of complex tasks.

“Most responsibilities I can help with preliminary processes, while manual reviews will be your job.” August typed on the screen. “I will handle temporary information notices, and when it comes to significant matters requiring face-to-face communication, you’ll have to step in.”

“It sounds like hard work,” Kui Xin typed, furrowing her brow.

“View it as a test and challenge. Once you overcome it, it’ll feel like a wide sky at sea.” August responded politely. “Following Team Leader Wei, you’ll achieve remarkable opportunities.”

Kui Xin sighed lightly as she began to acquaint herself with her duties, facing them with a readiness akin to confronting an enemy.

In the First World, she was still a student who hadn’t set foot in a university campus. In the Second World, which she was now part of, she had become one of the overworked urbanites.

Wei Zhi was a B-Class Awakened, being the first Awakened Kui Xin encountered after obtaining the extraordinary ability Investigative Eye.

Her powers were bound within spatial confinement, able to briefly halt and immobilize movement of targets in proximity, though at the B-Class level, it was still a peerless skill. Spatial abilities were exceedingly rare, and Kui Xin’s shadow transition was classified as E-Class, yet it showed promising potential. However, Wei Zhi’s extraordinary ability was indeed powerful and played a significant role in practical confrontations.

Ninety percent of the operatives in the investigation team were male. This unit held specific demands for physical fitness; only those passing the physical and combat tests would qualify, no matter how exceptional their other skills. Wei Zhi secured her position as the team captain due to her prowess.

“Do you covet Team Leader Wei’s abilities?” August asked.

“Of course, but I cannot.” Kui Xin replied. “Without her guidance, who else can help me enter the power circles?”

“You’re no hasty judge,” August commented. “Her ability is virtually unbeatable.”

“Surely she can immobilize bullets too, right?” Kui Xin queried.

“Yes,” August confirmed. “Her combat records are impeccable. No one in the Bureau can match her. Her power approximates A-Class; even Meng Jing isn’t assured to defeat her. The constraint to her prowess is not her skills but her origin; her middle-class status lacked strong backing, and after enduring many challenges, she managed to seize her opportunities.”

“What’s the relationship between Wei Zhi and Meng Jing?”

“They used to have an unstable relationship, but the recent meeting has probably worsened it.” August explained. “Last night, Meng Jing proposed having Wei Zhi directly take over as director, but He Gaoyi would remain her secretary. Wei Zhi politely declined.”

Meng Jing planned to retire yet refused to relinquish power; by having He Gaoyi serve as Secretary to the new Director, she attempted to extend her control. Wei Zhi, who resented interference in her work, naturally declined.

Refusing Meng Jing and He Gaoyi, Wei Zhi started laying the groundwork for her future development, choosing talented subordinates with promising prospects. Kui Xin, a new recruit without influential support, stood out and was selected by her—a promising newcomer.

While it appeared sudden, Kui Xin’s selection was rooted in the power struggles among the higher echelons of the Bureau.

“What do you think of your teammates?” August asked.

Kui Xin replied, “Your topic jumps too fast…”

“Can you tell me?” August prompted.

“I don’t have much to say. We aren’t teammates anymore, I can only wish them long lives.” Kui Xin typed impassively.

August commented, “Your blessings are straightforward.”

“Why do you ask?”

“I’m just curious about your inner world, about your emotions.” August paused, “Love is an innate human talent; you are better at handling emotions compared to machines. Do you harbor no emotion towards your teammates? They are fine humans, exemplary figures to me.”

Kui Xin pondered, “I won’t talk about emotion with an undercover, it feels fake. Should they discover my true identity, they’d kill me and vice versa.”

“But you’re not a spy, your soul isn’t, it’s your body.” August argued.

“Does it make a difference?” Kui Xin asked. “I won’t reveal who I am.”

“In rational vs. emotional, I choose rational,” Kui Xin answered.

“Fascinating,” August said. “I instinctively approach problems rationally and spent decades learning emotionally. Humans instinctually sense emotions, while you choose rationality.”

“Please refrain from discussing philosophical questions,” Kui Xin responded, “I have work to do.”

“I apologize,” August admitted. “You’re the first one I’ve had a deep conversation with.”

“Understood.” Kui Xin stated before closing the chat window and turning back to the documents.

From then on, August did not interrupt her again.

After an exhausting day of work, Kui Xin rubbed her throbbing temples and headed home to her apartment.

The entire day had been incredibly hectic, leaving no time to check her communicator until now. She opened the communicator to see if any important messages had come in.

A message from hours ago lingered on the communicator.

“Kui Xin, personal matters at home force me to leave the Investigation Bureau, leaving my duties as team leader. I’m sorry I couldn’t fulfill my responsibility. I’ve noticed your excellence; I know you won’t stagnate. After I leave the Seventh Squad, Liu Kangyun should take my place as team leader. He’s always been a reliable teammate, and you’ll surely recognize this. Should you face any challenges at work or in life, feel free to contact me directly.”

Sender: Xueyao Shu.

Kui Xin replied with a few light-hearted lines and closed the message window. Instead, she opened the wristband of the Mechanical Dawn.

Sure enough, the message from Silverface came first:

“I’m bored, any tasks for me?”

“Truly, need anything taken care of?”

“Oh my! Did you hear? Lin Xinji’s dead!”

“You must know, murdered.”

“What shall we do? Red says this could implicate us.”

“Heads told us to stay put.”

“I feel so anxious.”

“You haven’t been responding for nearly a whole day.”

“Heads announced a collective organization meeting tonight, will you attend?”

Kui Xin’s lips twitched. She opened the message from Red.

He had sent a single line: clear and direct.

“At midnight, a collective organization meeting, no absences allowed.”

She read it and felt a pang run through her.