Chapter 7 The Past and Present of the Underworld Affairs Bureau

This was the second time Grace Lincoln had accompanied Jason Grant in the elevator. The ghost was gone, but the fear in her heart remained unchanged.

Jason Grant was a strange man. Four days had passed, yet he was still wearing the same black trench coat as when they first met. There was no fear on his face, and he was constantly eating all kinds of candy.

Emily Warren told Grace Lincoln that he had never taken the initiative to save anyone, because he was unwilling to have any interaction with strangers. No friends, no family. He hated socializing, and at the bureau’s annual party, he would only show up during the prize draw.

He had been on the job for eight years, and the number of ghosts he had caught was enough to break the bureau’s records, yet he was still a temp, simply because he wasn’t good at exams, burying his natural talent for catching ghosts.

No one knew who his master was. From his very first day on the job, he solved a major unsolved case. Once regarded as the bureau’s brightest newcomer, surrounded by flattery and sycophants, but now, times had changed.

Those who once praised him had already abandoned him, avoiding him like the plague. Those who once envied him now held important positions and took pleasure in mocking him. Those who once followed him were now buried in the cemetery, unable to stay by his side.

But he was still himself—neither sad nor arrogant, neither impatient nor unyielding, neither resentful nor indignant, neither leaving nor giving up...

In the process of persuading Grace Lincoln, Emily Warren mostly offered assurances of her safety, and these assurances were mostly about introducing the uniqueness of Jason Grant.

Emily Warren said a lot, and Grace Lincoln remembered a lot, but it was still not even one percent of the secrets this man held.

Just as Grace Lincoln was staring absentmindedly at Jason Grant's back, a fat cockroach crawled onto Jason Grant's shoulder, turned its head and said, “Hey, Jason Grant, I think this girl is falling for you. She’s been staring at you nonstop. She’s a beauty! If you don’t make a move, I will.”

“Ah! Cockroach!” Grace Lincoln fought the urge to take off her shoe and nail it with her stiletto, nervously stepping back. Although this wasn’t her first time seeing a cockroach, girls still instinctively got goosebumps when facing such little creatures.

“I just don’t get it. Why are you always interested in humans? To you, she’s like an elephant, and you’re just an ant. Do you think a train gets any pleasure from entering a tunnel?” As Jason Grant spoke, he grabbed the talkative cockroach and stuffed it back into his pocket.

“Thank you,” Grace Lincoln couldn’t help but say.

“Why are you thanking me?” Jason Grant said, turning around.

“Because you took away the bug, and also... because you accepted me as your partner.” Grace Lincoln felt a little embarrassed, a faint blush appearing on her fair cheeks.

“I think you misunderstood. I took away the bug because I didn’t want you to give birth to some alien-like monster, and as for being partners, that was arranged by the higher-ups. I’m just a temp, I have no right to object to their orders. Besides, if you’re looking to get yourself killed, I have nothing to say.” Jason Grant spoke with utter indifference.

“I know you don’t like me, but I really have a reason I must stay. Whether you like me or not, I will be your partner. Let’s get along well from now on.” Grace Lincoln pulled herself together, put on her best smile, and reached out her hand to Jason Grant.

“I never shake hands with corpses. It’s bad luck.” Jason Grant glanced at Grace Lincoln, leaving her hand hanging in midair.

Just as the atmosphere in the elevator was becoming suffocatingly awkward, they finally reached their destination—the 10th basement level. With a ding, the elevator doors opened to reveal a scene like a military base.

Gray concrete corridors, military-grade lighting, guiding the way like a passage to hell. Along the way, countless cameras could be seen, as if the whole world was watching you.

“Come with me. Since you’ve decided to join the Underworld Affairs Bureau, there are some things you must know...” With one hand in his pocket and munching on chocolate beans, Jason Grant led the way forward.

Jason Grant began introducing the history of the Underworld Affairs Bureau. Legend has it that the earliest Underworld Affairs Bureau can be traced back to the era of the Yellow Emperor. After the Yellow Emperor defeated the demon beast Chiyou, the bureau was established to continue hunting down Chiyou’s remaining followers.

After that, no matter how the winds of change swept across the land of China, no matter how the political landscape shifted, the Underworld Affairs Bureau was always fortunate enough to survive. This organization, which brought together many with mysterious powers, could always easily gain the favor and protection of those in power.

But the rules of the Underworld Affairs Bureau were: only handle underworld matters, never meddle in human disasters. Even when warlords fought and the people suffered, the bureau continued its secret ghost-catching business, unknown to the public.

Since the reform and opening up, under the leadership of the current director Samuel Grant, the Underworld Affairs Bureau has entered an unprecedented period of development, expanding at a speed never seen before. Today, it has more than 500,000 frontline investigators, with branches in all major cities across China, and offices even built down to the township level. Its expansion is faster, broader, and more detailed than the spread of natural water pipelines.

To serve these 500,000 investigators, the total number of logistics personnel exceeds 1.5 million. Of course, not all of these 1.5 million people know about the existence of the Underworld Affairs Bureau; some services are even outsourced to private companies.

Investigators in the Underworld Affairs Bureau are divided into three ranks: Heaven, Earth, and Human, each with nine levels. Different ranks mean different tasks and different levels of danger.