Chapter 80: Investigating The Shop Inccident

"Sorry, ma'am, but there's been an incident here, and we're still cleaning up. You can't—"

"My son is inside!" Huang Liping ignored the two Secret Service agents trying to stop her. "Move, I need to see him!"

"It's okay, Mom, I'm here," Chu Cheng called out as he walked through the cordon. He showed his phone to the agents, displaying his Secret Service Nine credentials. They immediately saluted him and stepped aside.

Huang Liping rushed forward and hugged her son. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? I shouldn't have called you out. I shouldn't—"

"I'm fine, Mom. Look, nothing happened. It was just a little accident."

To Chu Cheng, it really was just a minor incident, even though it involved an infection event. These events aren't that common, despite the public being aware of them now. Most people only hear about them on the news, never experiencing them firsthand.

Chu Cheng had encountered an infection event once during college, and now, not long after, it happened again.

Running into two infection events in a row is like winning the world's worst lottery twice. The odds are slim, and it made him wonder about his luck.

As Chu Cheng comforted his mom, he noticed someone watching him. He quickly met the gaze of a girl standing nearby—the same girl he'd seen at the door of the milk tea shop earlier.

She was wearing a cute white dress, and her big, light blue eyes were locked on him. When their eyes met, she smiled.

Chu Cheng realized what had just happened.

The girl's name was Fana, his colleague and a fellow agent of Secret Service Nine.

But unlike Chu Cheng, who looked like an ordinary guy, Fana was a serious field agent despite her young age. She had an ability that made her one of the most special agents in Secret Service Nine.

Just a few days ago, Fana became the first agent in their branch to split and control her own "Phantom."

Phantom was a theory proposed by Professor Miyazaki long ago. When the infection rate of certain people exceeds 100%, a part of their mind might separate and turn into an independent entity.

The case of Agent Luo Yajun showed that the Phantom could emerge from the darkest parts of a person's mind. It might have its own consciousness, could get out of control, and might even attack its host.

But Fana, who had just recently separated her Phantom, proved that it didn't have to be that way.

The woman in red Chu Cheng had seen earlier was Fana's Phantom.

Unlike Agent Luo Yajun, Fana's Phantom was more like a remote-controlled bodyguard. It was a spiritual energy form with strength beyond an ordinary person's, capable of fighting, defending, and even using special powers.

This ability quickly made Fana, who was once just another agent like Chu Cheng, very important in the organization.

Today, she was out shopping alone and happened to track the scent of an infected person. She followed it and ran into Chu Cheng. Plainclothes agents from the Nine Branches who were shadowing her reported to headquarters immediately, and backup arrived within minutes to secure the scene.

Only then did Chu Cheng understand why the response was so fast today. Someone had been there to clean up the scene within minutes of the incident.

Chu Cheng's view of the Special Service Nine, which had once been so high, was quickly diminishing. The organization felt less like the mighty Shied and more like a bootleg version.

Chu Cheng's view of the Special Service Nine changed a bit today after seeing Fana and her Phantom in Red. For the first time, he felt like they might actually have some real firepower—maybe they didn't before, but they do now.

After the organization took over, Chu Cheng was told to go home and rest. They said the commissioner would handle everything, and his position would be ready in a couple of days. All he needed to do was focus on his work.

Chu Cheng didn't argue with that. After saying goodbye to the person in charge, he took his mom home.

It made sense to him—leave this kind of investigation to the professionals. Why would a rookie like him need to get involved?

His mom, Huang Liping, went to bed early, around nine o'clock, like she always did. That was good for her.

Once she was asleep, Chu Cheng finally had some time to himself.

He closed the door, put on his headphones, and turned on his computer. After a series of loading screens, Batman appeared on the screen, his chosen character.

Even though a newbie like him shouldn't be involved, it seemed like a job for Batman.

this time an infected person had arrogantly come to him. Whether it was out of professional pride or a gamer's need for experience, he couldn't just let it go.

He had to figure out the source of the infection to make sure it didn't happen again, especially so close to home.

Chu Cheng didn't know much about detective work, but that didn't matter. Batman did. The game had a built-in detective mode that made it easy for players. It might not be as good as the real Batman, but it helped.

The investigators from the Ninth Division were still at the shop, so Chu Cheng couldn't send Batman in just yet. But that was fine. The commissioner's progress was synced to the system in real time, so he could check it anytime.

This was a big help for Chu Cheng.

Since the last time he used Batman to access the service's system, the system had started recognizing his character. It was like Batman had left a back door open for him.

So, if the Secret Service Nine was like a bus, Chu Cheng now had a VIP pass. He didn't even need a ticket—he could get in and out whenever he wanted.