Chapter 50: The Impostor and the True Owner

The location of the cheap discount supermarket was quite peculiar, as if it had been dropped by a giant hand right into the middle of an empty lot and left there inexplicably. A side road branched off the main thoroughfare, leading directly to this mirage-like building, its front parking lot overgrown with weeds.

No customers had arrived yet; two police cars were parked side by side at the entrance, practically monopolizing the space.

As Shi Rang pedaled past the front of the police cars, he let out a perplexed sound.

"What is it?" Jack asked.

"It's a bit strange."

"Why is it strange?"

"Police cars this new aren't common."

"Oh."

The boy clinging to Shi Rang's collar gave a vague response of half-understanding.

The miniature sheriff had taken all the most capable members to the reconnaissance team, leaving behind the more introverted little ones who chose not to bother them.

Jack watched as Shi Rang unlatched the electric scooter's rear compartment, chained the scooter tightly around a lamppost layer by layer, and—still feeling uneasy—added a U-lock to the rear wheel for maximum security. Only after completely sealing it did he take off his helmet, lift the battery, and walk toward the supermarket.

"Are there a lot of bad guys here?" Jack asked. "It's just like District Ten that Dad talked about."

"This is District Ten, Jack."

"Oh."

After enduring an excessively complicated day, Shi Rang could finally relax just a little bit around here.

Anyone doing business in the suburbs of District Ten was far from ordinary. To protect their store from criminals coming from all directions, the supermarket owner had built a tall tower on the side of the building and mounted a machine gun on top. This fierce style, combined with high-quality and affordable goods, attracted customers from far and wide. Both Shi Rang and Ying Shang used to love going on big shopping sprees here—they could browse the supermarket with peace of mind, without worrying about being robbed or stolen from inside. The only drawback was that it was too far from home.

Shi Rang had no mood for shopping; he was a terrible journalist and a terrible secret agent. He needed time to accept reality, but there was no time for him to build up his psychological defenses.

He had almost been buried alive on the night of the fourth, spent the entire day traveling on the sixth, nearly been eaten by the living dead on the night of the seventh, and encountered miniature people in the early hours of the eighth...

And now it was the afternoon of the eighth.

Saying that every day felt like a year was no longer enough to describe the sheer richness of his life.

From yesterday noon until now, he had only eaten two slices of bread and a cup of coffee. The heavy mental exertion was draining his energy, yet this was precisely the time when he could not afford to relax.

His thoughts drifted back to the Yunling New District from time to time; the scenes of the reconnaissance team being captured and exposed flashed before his eyes one after another, and the police cars he had seen at the entrance were a terrible omen.

Every corner of the crowded shelves seemed to hide Bureau personnel, ready to pin him to the ground as he passed by and place him under arrest right then and there.

The verdict was already on its way; he was merely making a final struggle.

Just like his stubborn insistence on searching for Ying Shang...

He simply could not remain indifferent.

Shi Rang drifted past the kitchenware aisle.

The inexplicable feeling that had surfaced when passing through the Yunling New District reappeared here in the supermarket—he always felt there was something worth paying attention to in the semi-open refrigerated display case ahead and to his right.

He edged closer to try and identify it, only to stand there blankly, staring at a carton of milk.

Suddenly, that feeling of "something is there" began to shift, moving from the milk to the carton of yogurt on the left, continuing to slide horizontally to the left. The sensation grew clearer in tandem, as if someone were pressing a finger against his forehead. Although there was no physical contact and no need to open his eyes to observe, Shi Rang somehow "knew" it.

His eyes were involuntarily pulled along by "it" all the way to the left, moving beyond the refrigerated case.

Immediately afterward, a police officer appeared from behind the display case.

Their gazes locked in mid-air.

The other person startled, and Shi Rang jolted as if struck by lightning, hurriedly twisting his head back to the dairy products and pretending to study the prices.

He had never committed a crime or harmed anyone, and might even hold the title of an "Honorary Citizen," but deep down he knew very well that possessing abnormal abilities while harboring a "miniature person" meant he was no longer ordinary.

Not to mention he already had history with the police; what if they picked a fight with him and arrested him...

Against his wishes, the policeman actually walked over to him.

"Excuse me, sir, I'm a regional investigator for the Pan-Continental Alliance."

"The Pan-Continental Alliance?"

Shi Rang looked over. Taking a closer look, the man was indeed wearing the Alliance uniform, complete with the emblem on his chest—the color tone was very similar to a police uniform, which, to the guilt-ridden Shi Rang at first glance, looked identical.

Only then did he regain a bit of composure.

Shi Rang had a good impression of the Alliance. Scarlett, who claimed to be an Alliance member, had saved his life, and coupled with the investigative authority that gave him confidence, Shi Rang's favorability toward this organization skyrocketed.

Yet why weren't there any Alliance vehicles outside? Alliance personnel were always rolling in wealth, forever traveling by car...

"Are you alright, sir?"

Shi Rang hurriedly waved his hands. "I might be a bit heat-stroke affected from riding all the way here... Has something happened?"

He knew his complexion must be terribly pale, making him look all the more suspicious.

"Are you a resident nearby? We've received some reports regarding wildlife activity. I don't mean to scare you, but there's a strong possibility that a bear is wandering around the suburbs. Can you provide any clues?"

Mid-conversation, another Alliance staff member walked up from the other side—Shi Rang hadn't noticed this person until they drew close, as that distinct "presence" had only emanated from the one speaking to him.

He turned slightly to hide Jack behind his back, and the thumb-sized boy, who had been motionless since a moment ago, seized the opportunity to slip under his clothes.

Just as Shi Rang was preparing to mumble something to brush them off, he heard a shout from behind and to his side.

"Shi Rang?"

A figure darted out from behind the cookware shelves, wearing a sky-blue uniform with the Alliance emblem on the chest, holding up a gleaming identification card. "Yunling City Investigative Authority Supervisory Special Envoy. Did you forget—"

The person took a few long strides and abruptly stopped.

As the distance closed, the shelves no longer blocked their lines of sight, and the "Alliance officials" on Shi Rang's side and the later-arriving "Alliance official" finally laid eyes on each other.

"Which department are you with?" the later-arriving special envoy narrowed his eyes, clearly not recognizing these so-called "colleagues," and immediately reached for the holster at his waist.

Caught in the middle, Shi Rang neatly sidestepped to move out of the potential line of fire.

The two faux Alliance staff members turned pale and quickly exchanged a pair of hand gestures. One of them raised a hand to signal harmlessness, cautiously approached the special envoy, and whispered something in his ear. The envoy's expression instantly turned quite peculiar, looking as though he wanted to laugh, but upon glancing at Shi Rang, he forcefully restrained himself.

"For the sake of the pact, we'll let you off this time—you guys really dare to impersonate—use your brains when you work in the future. Get out of here now, you understand?"

The special envoy gently pushed the other's shoulder, and the two abandoned their unanswered questions and hurried away.

To anyone lacking context, those words would sound completely bewildering, but Shi Rang felt a shudder of alarm.

Anyone who could impersonate Alliance members and be let off so easily undoubtedly had a remarkably powerful backing behind them.

So, what faction could stand on equal footing with the Alliance?

Shi Rang was unfamiliar with the Bureau's specific background, but as a secret organization capable of containing a massive volume of anomalous creatures with facilities spanning the globe, the Bureau likely outranked even the Pan-Continental Alliance.

Those two impostors were people from the Bureau.

They were local agents specifically mentioned in the Field Operations Department briefings, tasked with reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, and executing routine combat missions.

That's right, they weren't asking about any bear at all, but rather another creature of exaggerated proportions—the stitched living dead.

The Bureau already knew that stitched living dead had appeared around Yunling City.

The real special envoy buried his head in his phone, typing out a long string of characters, then wiped the smile from his eyes and turned back to Shi Rang. "It's fine, pay them no mind. Let's get back to the point... Why didn't you return the investigative authority materials to the office after leaving the investigation zone?"

"I—I'm sorry, I was very busy yesterday. I originally planned to return them as soon as I got back—wait, I have them on me."

Shi Rang turned sideways, terrified that the other man might catch a glimpse of his fear.

He pulled the four-fold authorization document from his wallet—the seemingly bulging wallet instantly went flat—yet he couldn't find the small golden badge.

It was clearly placed right inside!

Could it have fallen out when his wallet was snatched earlier?

His fingers were trembling, forcing him to take deep breaths and admonish himself to stay calm.

No matter the relationship between the Pan-Continental Alliance and the Bureau, the former evidently hadn't come for the living dead, Bjorn, or the miniature people; they were simply reclaiming the investigative authority, which was standard procedure. There was nothing to be afraid of...

Yet it was too hard.

Suddenly, a hand patted Shi Rang on the shoulder, nearly scaring his soul out of his body.

"Pretty rough, isn't it?"

Shi Rang stiffly turned his head, expecting to see gleaming handcuffs and the barrels of guns, but what greeted his eyes was a face full of sympathy.

"I know it couldn't have felt good. That scene was an absolute mess, and you were very brave to expose that tragedy."

The special envoy extended his fingers toward the outer pouch of the wallet—retrieving the small badge from a tiny pocket right under Shi Rang's nose that he hadn't noticed all along. After inspecting it, he patted Shi Rang's back with a calloused hand.

"Don't push yourself too hard. Go talk to a psychologist; otherwise, once the trauma sets in, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. Head back early, don't wander outside after dark. It's not safe out there."

"......Thank you."

The man smiled at Shi Rang, gave him a wave, and walked away.

He had indeed come strictly for the investigative authority.