Taking a deep breath, Zhang Yuanqing tried to keep his tone calm:
"Officer Li, this is Zhang Yuanqing."
".....It's you." The other side chuckled. "What's up, calling me in the middle of the night?"
Zhang Yuanqing said in a deep voice: "I have a clue to report. Actually, before Lei Yibing disappeared, he sent me a card."
"Why didn't you say so earlier?"
There was no surprise in Li Dongze's tone.
This....... Zhang Yuanqing hesitated slightly and told the other party his speculations about Brother Bing's disappearance in detail.
The other side was silent for a long time, then chuckled:
"You're pretty good at adding drama to yourself."
Guan Ya was right. Zhang Yuanqing's personality was actually quite withdrawn. A normal college student who was cheerful, optimistic, and positive wouldn't have such great wariness.
"Sorry..."
Zhang Yuanqing was a little embarrassed and immediately changed the subject, no, got to the point:
"I encountered some rather strange and incomprehensible things tonight. Um, can you understand what I mean?"
"It seems that you successfully came out of The Way of the Extraordinary." Li Dongze's tone was tinged with relief.
Yes, just came out, almost died in there... Zhang Yuanqing felt relieved when he heard this answer.
The other party really knew about The Way of the Extraordinary.
Li Dongze said: "College student, congratulations on becoming a The Way of the Extraordinary. That's what we call people like us. I'm also a The Way of the Extraordinary, the difference is that I'm official and you're wild."
The Way of the Extraordinary... Zhang Yuanqing savored the words and asked:
"What is The Way of the Extraordinary?"
He had too many questions he wanted answered and could only start with the basics.
"I can't tell you now. If you want to know about The Way of the Extraordinary, you have to make a choice." Li Dongze said in a deep voice:
"The official attitude towards The Way of the Extraordinary is divided into two types, one is absorption and cultivation, and the other is supervision and control. The former means joining us and becoming a member of the official The Way of the Extraordinary.
"The latter is to be a rogue cultivator, you just need to register with us and promise not to use your abilities to violate the law, and we won't interfere. Of course, you won't get any help from the official side either."
Zhang Yuanqing said without hesitation: "I am willing to join the organization and shed blood for the country and the people."
Li Dongze laughed: "No wonder you come from a family of public security officers, you have a good awareness."
Zhang Yuanqing couldn't tell if the other party was mocking or praising him.
"Then get some rest. I'll pick you up at eight o'clock tomorrow morning." Li Dongze said.
Ah? Not now? Zhang Yuanqing hesitated. "Tomorrow?"
"Or what? What time is it now? If you want to shed blood for the organization, you have to wait for the organization to go to work."
He doesn't want to say it over the phone, afraid that I'll go back on my word and freeload information? So he's waiting to meet offline tomorrow... Zhang Yuanqing could only say helplessly, "Okay."
Hanging up the phone, he glanced at his phone. The time showed 11 PM. The passage of time in The Way of the Extraordinary was the same as in the outside world.
Successfully contacting the official organization, Zhang Yuanqing felt relieved. At this time, the exhaustion from struggling to survive in The Way of the Extraordinary surged up.
He lay on the bed, set the alarm clock, and his eyelids became heavier and heavier as he fell into a deep sleep.
.........
The next morning, at 7:15 AM, Zhang Yuanqing was awakened by the alarm clock, almost suffering cardiac arrest and dying on the spot.
He turned off the alarm clock and yawned as he got out of bed.
He didn't sleep well last night, and had several nightmares, all related to ghosts and monsters, waking him up several times.
In the living room, his grandfather was sitting on the sofa watching the news. His hair was sparse and silver-white, his figure was tall, and his face with many wrinkles was stern, revealing strictness.
His grandmother was making breakfast in the kitchen with a clatter. At the long dining table, his aunt was squatting on a chair playing with her phone, her cheeks bulging like a cute hamster.
"Up so early?"
His aunt scrutinized her listless nephew and hummed, "Looking like you've overindulged. Did you do something bad last night? I'm going to check your trash can."
Usually, Zhang Yuanqing would retort: Looking for something to eat?
But now he was thinking about The Way of the Extraordinary, thinking about meeting with the official organization, and didn't feel like arguing with his aunt.
He listlessly sat next to this woman, staring blankly as he waited for breakfast.
Soon, his grandmother brought out steaming rice porridge, fried dough sticks, boiled eggs, and a steamer of meat buns.
Zhang Yuanqing took a sip of the hot porridge to moisten his throat and looked at his grandfather, tentatively saying:
"Grandpa, I remember that after the construction team of Sheling Tunnel disappeared, the Public Security Bureau organized a search team to find them. You were in it at the time."
His grandfather grunted, a little puzzled, "That's all old news. Why are you asking about this?"
"I saw this story on the Internet again yesterday. Do you know how that worker who was found is doing now?"
His grandfather frowned and said, "I forgot. It was so long ago. I can't remember."
"Didn't they say he disappeared again?" His grandmother on the side interjected, joining the discussion with great interest, "And it was a bizarre disappearance. This matter caused panic in the police force back then. It took the personal appeasement of the leaders of the Police Headquarters to make it pass."
"Is that so?" His grandfather didn't admit it.
"Old Chen, are you getting old? Are you getting senile? You told me this yourself." His grandmother said with conviction.
...Grandfather lowered his head and drank his porridge: "You have to believe in science and don't be keen on these superstitions. The older you get, the more gossipy you become."
Disappeared again after being found... Zhang Yuanqing took a sip of porridge with a slightly heavy heart.
It was obvious that the survivor had entered The Way of the Extraordinary again after 36 hours, and this time, he didn't make it out alive.
His prediction was correct. The death rate at the Mountain God Temple was extremely high, and the second main quest was very, very dangerous.
Relying on the official side was the most correct decision if he wanted to survive.
After finishing breakfast and a quick wash, Zhang Yuanqing took the elevator downstairs and waited at the entrance of the residential complex for more than ten minutes.
A black business car slowly pulled over, the electric door slid open automatically, and Li Dongze was sitting on a white leather sofa, leaning on his cane with his legs together.
Dressed the same as yesterday, black suit, black vest, white shirt, hair neatly combed back, with a neat little mustache.
"Get in the car, college student."
Li Dongze smiled.
"Okay, Investigator." Zhang Yuanqing returned the smile.
After he got in the car, the black business car merged into the traffic, driving slowly and steadily on the morning streets.
Li Dongze opened the car refrigerator and asked, "What do you want to drink?"
"Coke!"
"Then you can only go to the supermarket to buy it yourself later." Li Dongze poured himself a glass of whiskey, dropped an ice ball into it, held the wine, leaned back in his chair, and said leisurely:
"I'm taking you to complete the entry procedures now, and give you some basic training by the way. First, let me introduce myself. I'm Li Dongze, a level 3 The Way of the Extraordinary, Kangyang District Second Squad Captain of the Five Elements Alliance's Songhai Branch. My profession is scout."
Scout? Besides Night Watchers, there are other professions? Zhang Yuanqing struck a posture of listening carefully.
Although he was puzzled, he didn't interrupt.
As a person who was good at socializing, Zhang Yuanqing knew that it was impolite to interrupt others, and he wouldn't let himself be deducted points on these small matters.
Li Dongze took a sip of wine and said, "Let me tell you first, what is The Way of the Extraordinary!"
Zhang Yuanqing immediately perked up.
......
ps: This chapter is an extra.