Chapter Two: The Mysterious Organization

I glanced at the police officer, then at Liu Tian, whose body had been reduced to pulp, and felt my stomach churn once more.

"Kid, you the one who called the police?" The officer still didn't bother to look at me directly, only casting me a sidelong glance.

"Yeah, it was me." I turned my head away, whether intentionally or not; after all, this scene would haunt me for the rest of my life.

After a moment, the officer dusted off his clothes and stood up. He fished a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, utterly unconcerned.

"What's your name?" After taking a drag, he fixed me with a sharp gaze once again.

"Lin Yao."

"Oh? The son of Lin Yitian?" The officer tossed away his cigarette butt, and his eyes softened as he looked at me.

"That's right. Is there a problem?" I instinctively took a few steps back, feeling as if only the wall behind me could keep me safe.

"Lin Yitian was our retired team leader. Don't misunderstand."

Huh? I was suddenly confused. Wasn't my dad just an ordinary worker? When did he suddenly become a police officer?

The officer before me seemed to sense my bewilderment and explained, "To be precise, we're not police officers — we're from the Bureau of Paranormal Investigation."

The Bureau of Paranormal Investigation? Wasn't that something that only existed on TV?

Seeing my disbelief, the officer reached into his jacket pocket and produced a small, jet-black booklet, unadorned by any insignia.

I took the booklet and saw three bold words on the cover: "Bureau of Paranormal Investigation."

I flipped it open to the first page — in fact, it seemed there was only one page. Inside was an identity card; the reverse side resembled a work permit, listing name, department, and position.

Name: Qian Xiaozhen
Department: Bureau of Paranormal Investigation
Position: Deputy Captain, Third Squad

"Now do you believe me?" The officer reached out and took back the credentials.

"Our identities are all kept secret. Our job is to investigate those supernatural incidents that science can't explain."

Only then did I begin to understand, though I could never have imagined that my bookish father, who spent every day with his copy of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, had ever held such a position.

I nodded weakly, my gaze drifting back to the corpse of Liu Tian.

"We'll get to the bottom of this. You can go now."

I couldn't bear to look any longer, so I turned and headed home.

It was midday, but no cars passed by the school. I walked numbly down the familiar street, replaying in my mind that eerie smile Liu Tian gave before he jumped. The unease lingered, and I quickened my pace, hurrying into my apartment complex.

The midday sun blazed, yet I felt not a trace of warmth. The air around me seemed frozen; the sensation was suffocating.

Just as I was about to reach the entrance to my building, someone emerged from inside. The figure was dressed head to toe in black, wearing a baseball cap. Though he wore no mask, the brim was pulled so low that I couldn't see his face.

He brushed by me, lightly patting my shoulder. I glanced at him but thought nothing of it.

But the instant I turned my head, I realized the oppressive, suffocating feeling had vanished!

I wanted to look back for the man in black, but the street was already empty.

There was no time to think; all I wanted now was to find my father.

Panting, I ran up to the fifth floor and unlocked the door, only to find the apartment empty.

I locked the door behind me and collapsed onto the sofa. After resting for a bit, I took out my phone and dialed my mother’s number.

It was off. I called my father — also off.

I racked my brain for places they might have gone, but perhaps I was too tired; I couldn't focus.

I simply sprawled out on the sofa and fell into a deep sleep.

In my dreams, I was once again wandering through that silent forest, hearing the distant call.

This time, I didn’t move forward, waiting instead for that mysterious force to take hold of me.

Sure enough, after a while, my body started moving on its own.

I slowly pushed through the undergrowth toward the voice calling me. Suddenly, the woods gave way to an endless prairie. The ones calling me were my parents, who hadn't answered their phones.

They stood with their backs to me. I wanted to call out, but no sound would come.

Then my father turned to look at me and spoke: "Child, you’ve finally found us. From now on, the path ahead is yours to walk…"

With that, my mind twisted and I jolted awake, drenched in cold sweat. I glanced at the clock; it was already eight in the evening.

I switched on the lights and walked to the balcony, gazing outside.

The city at night was ablaze with lights. Traffic flowed in endless streams, and elderly people strolled in the cool after dinner.

But I had no mind for scenery. After finding something to eat, I opened my computer out of habit.

After gaming for a while, boredom overtook me again. I decided to call my parents once more.

No luck — both phones were still off.

Just as I was about to put the phone away, it began to vibrate.

My heart leapt; I hurried to answer.

"Hello? Yao, your father and I are on a business trip out of town. Our phones were off on the plane. We’ll be back in a few days. We left some money for you under the bed. Take care of yourself…" My mother rattled off a few hurried words and hung up before I could ask about Dad.

I rummaged under the bed and, sure enough, found five thousand yuan tucked away.

And so, I spent another dull night alone.

The next morning, after washing up, I headed to school. Whether it was psychological or not, I couldn't shake the sense of deathly silence hanging over the place.

With trepidation, I stepped onto the campus.