After receiving the message, Xi Menlian rushed straight to the dry well and contacted Qiu Bulao and Xiao Heshang to relay Director Gao's order. The directive itself was vague and offered no explanation— even Xiao Heshang had heard no whispers of what was going on. But since it came directly from Director Gao, once Director Qiu had arranged for a team to stay behind and guard the area, Sun Fatty and I finally followed the main group and began our return journey.
While we were at the local airport preparing to board the plane, Sun Fatty received a phone call. As he answered, a strange expression crept across his face. He didn't say much, just kept repeating, "Yes... Yes... I understand... I know..." I'd known him for nearly a year by then, but it was the first time I'd seen him so serious.
Back at the Bureau of Paranormal Investigation, Xiao Heshang, Qiu Bulao, and Hugo went straight to Director Gao's office. When they arrived, Ouyang Pianzuo and the still-injured Lin Feng were already waiting inside. Deputy Director Wang Ziheng hesitated for a moment outside the door but ultimately didn't dare follow them in. He simply stood at the entrance, waiting for news.
It was obvious something serious had happened. Sun Fatty and I didn't stray far. We headed to the conference room, figuring any decisions made in the director's office would be announced there. But when we stepped inside, we saw Wang Lu—Director Gao's top secretary—leading several staff members as they tidied up the room.
When she saw us enter, Sister Lu smiled and waved. "You two are really punctual. I was just telling Po Jun to go fetch you for the meeting, and the next thing I know, here you are already."
She smiled as she spoke, but I could tell the smile was meant for Sun Fatty. I just happened to be standing nearby, basking in his reflected charm.
"Well, that's fate for you, Sister Lu," Sun Fatty said, grinning shamelessly. "It takes a hundred lifetimes of cultivation to cross a river in the same boat, and a thousand to share the same pillow. I must've cultivated for ten thousand years to meet you…"
He kept talking nonsense with that oily grin of his. But strangely, he hadn't yet asked the obvious question. Normally, by now, he'd have said something like, "Not to pry, Sister Lu, but why'd the boss call us all back so urgently? Don't tell me you don't know—you're practically family over there at Director Gao's office."
Unable to bear it any longer, I finally asked, "Sister Lu, this urgent summons—something big must've happened, right?"
Wang Lu turned to me, gave a tight-lipped smile, and said, "Don't worry. This time, they're not sending you to risk your lives." She glanced at Sun Fatty, then looked back at me. "Today's matter doesn't concern you much. If anyone's going to be in trouble, it'll be someone at your Chief Hao's level."
Speaking of Hao Wenming—after he encountered his older brother Hao Zhengyi during the Ghost Train incident around the New Year, he had completely vanished. Hearing Wang Lu mention him now gave me an uneasy feeling in my chest. I had no idea how he was doing.
While Sun Fatty was still flirting and bantering with Wang Lu, the conference room doors opened again, and the Bureau's main force filed in from outside. Before long, Po Jun joined us, taking a seat next to Sun Fatty and me, and asked what had happened during the mission. The room was chaotic for a while until, one by one, four of the five Directors entered—Wu Rendi and Hao Wenming excluded. Only then did things settle down.
The four Directors all gave subtle glances in our direction—more precisely, at Sun Fatty's large round face. Their expressions were hard to read, but Qiu Bulao's was the most peculiar. He barely looked at Sun Fatty but kept sighing and glaring at the stage like he was having a silent argument with thin air.
It was clear none of the four were in high spirits. The investigators behind them also knew better than to be noisy, lowering their voices to avoid drawing unnecessary attention from their temperamental supervisors.
After more than twenty minutes, laughter and the sound of conversation could be heard from outside the conference room—Director Gao had arrived. It was the first time he had made a public appearance at the Bureau since the Spring Festival. Moments later, Director Gao entered the conference room, followed by a middle-aged man in his fifties. The moment they walked in, the entire room fell silent.
Director Gao and the man took their seats at the head of the room. After clearing his throat, Director Gao addressed the more than one hundred people below: "Today's meeting includes several important announcements. Before we officially begin, I ask everyone to stand and welcome a new and important member of the Bureau of Paranormal Investigation—Director Yang Chengwu, now Secretary Yang."
With that, Director Gao stood and began clapping. Naturally, with the Director setting the example, the rest of us followed suit. Except for Secretary Yang, the entire conference room erupted in applause. Surprisingly, Yang Chengwu merely inclined his body slightly in a token gesture—he didn't even rise from his seat. With a stone-cold expression, he raised both hands to gesture for silence, then picked up his teacup and began idly stirring the leaves inside.
The atmosphere turned awkward. Over a hundred people immediately fell silent. Only Sun Fatty and a few others like Xiong Wanyi—who didn't care to pretend—kept clapping half-heartedly with stiff smiles, their applause sounding increasingly jarring. Most people looked displeased, but with Director Gao saying nothing, no one dared speak out. Still, people like Ouyang Pianzuo were already sighing toward Xiao Heshang, clearly fed up.
By rank, Xiao Heshang should have had a seat at the head table, but now he was seated casually among the audience. He threw one leg over the other, rummaged around in his clothes for a while without finding anything, and finally turned to Xi Menlian behind him to bum a cigarette. He lit up, took a deep drag, and then exhaled a sharp stream of smoke like an arrow aimed straight at Secretary Yang.
Just as the smoke was about to hit Yang Chengwu's face, Director Gao suddenly waved his hand through the air in the smoke's path, scattering it instantly. Meanwhile, Secretary Yang sipped his tea with a frown, blowing lightly on the surface, entirely unaware of what had just happened.
Director Gao ignored Secretary Yang's demeanor. He gestured for everyone to sit down again, then continued, "Now, for the first item on the agenda: by order of the higher authorities, Director Yang Chengwu is officially appointed as the Party Secretary of the Bureau of Paranormal Investigation. From now on, he will be addressed as Secretary Yang. I hope everyone here will actively cooperate with Secretary Yang's work moving forward."
He then bowed slightly toward Secretary Yang and said with a smile, "Secretary Yang, would you like to say a few words?"
Secretary Yang nodded expressionlessly. Still seated in his chair, he took another sip of tea to moisten his throat before speaking—straight to the point, and not pulling any punches. "When I first entered the public security system, I'd already heard of this so-called Bureau of Paranormal Investigation. I've never understood why a department like this, relying on tricks and superstition to swindle state funding, should even exist."
As he spoke, Secretary Yang slammed his teacup down onto the table. The impact nearly caused the tea to splash into his own face.
He was clearly worked up. After catching his breath, he continued, "My assignment here as Party Secretary is a decision from the higher-ups. But personally, during my tenure, I intend to report the true situation of this Bureau to the organization. I hope everyone here can recognize their mistakes and, before the superiors launch an investigation, come forward to expose those who have been deceiving the organization or violating rules and regulations!"
When Secretary Yang finished speaking, the room fell into dead silence. Nearly everyone present was looking at him with thinly veiled amusement. Then, suddenly, a smattering of applause came from the stage. It was Director Gao, clapping with a smile as if he hadn't understood a word Secretary Yang had just said.
Some others joined in, though rather insincerely. Xiao Heshang followed suit, clapping while saying, "Well said, Secretary Yang! I've long thought this place needed a good purge. What kind of name is 'Bureau of Paranormal Investigation' anyway? Sounds shady. I preferred the old 'Special Case Handling Office'—that name had dignity! And look at Director Gao! With a figure like his, is he really suited to be a leader? And those things hidden in the basement… If you ever have the time, Secretary Yang, you really should go take a look. It's horrifying…"
Only someone like Xiao Heshang would dare talk such nonsense in a formal setting. Director Gao, however, acted as if he hadn't heard a thing and continued smiling at Secretary Yang.
"To help Secretary Yang integrate into the Bureau's work as smoothly as possible," Director Gao said, "the Bureau leadership has decided to assign him a personal secretary."
He then called out, "Bangchui!" The door opened slightly, and a familiar gourd-shaped head poked in.
It really was Bangchui! He grinned as he ran over and stood beside Director Gao. We hadn't seen him since the Ghost Train incident—I had nearly forgotten he even existed. Clearly, Director Gao had come prepared. He pointed at the newly arrived Bangchui and said, "This is Comrade Li Bangchun. Though he hasn't been with the Bureau long, he's already highly familiar with our operations. He'll be assigned as your secretary, Secretary Yang, and I'm sure he'll be a great help in your future work."
Without waiting for Secretary Yang's response, Director Gao cleared his throat and turned back to the audience. "Now, the next item on the agenda: starting today, the Bureau of Paranormal Investigation will have a new Deputy Director. This Deputy Director has been directly appointed by higher authorities, and after a unanimous decision…"
Here, Director Gao intentionally drew out the pause, glancing toward Sun Fatty. At that moment, I suddenly understood all of Sun Fatty's recent strange behavior.
Sure enough, Director Gao continued, "After a unanimous decision by the leadership, Comrade Sun Desheng will be appointed as Deputy Director of the Bureau of Paranormal Investigation."
The room was dead silent for a few seconds—then the uproar erupted like a pot of exploding beans.
"Who the hell is Sun Desheng? Where did this Deputy Director come from?""Sun Desheng? Sun Dasheng… wait, isn't that the Fatty from Division One?""He's only been here for, what, a year? How many levels did he skip to get this promotion?""You don't get it! I saw him just before New Year's walking into Tian Tian Ren Jian with Xiao Heshang and that guy Lazi. I bet Director Gao was waiting for them inside…""Wait a sec—why were you at Tian Tian Ren Jian?""…"
"Isn't Sun Desheng just Hao Wenming's chubby assistant? Doesn't look like he's got any real connections.""Come on, who with real connections would join the Bureau in the first place? Still, if you look closely, Fatty Sun does kinda resemble Director Gao. That belly—might as well be cast from the same mold.""Keep your voices down! Deputy Director Sun is looking at you two! And look—Director Gao's staring too!"
The whole crowd was busy speculating how Sun Fatty had pulled this off, while the man himself sat there with his usual goofy smile, glancing left and right like none of it had anything to do with him.
Director Gao cleared his throat, bringing the room to silence once again. He swept his gaze across the audience and said, "If anyone has objections, come up here and say so. If not, shut up and let me continue."
With that, the room fell silent once more. After nearly thirty years of running the Bureau, Director Gao's authority in this little corner of the world was absolute—and no one dared challenge it.