Chapter 16: The First Day at Work

After roughly skimming through the contract, Shi Yi signed her name in large characters and pressed her fingerprint beneath it.

“Director, that settles it, then. I’ll be at work on Monday, right on time.”

Seeing her bold signature on the contract, Wang Zhiyuan finally felt at ease. In recent days, he’d been observing the various supernaturals in society, but none had met his expectations—either their abilities were lacking, or their minds were not up to par. Someone like Shi Yi was truly rare. Satisfied, he slid the contract back into his bag and produced a police uniform, laying it before her.

“This is the uniform for our Unit 857. You can wear it on Monday.”

Looking at the uniform and the badge upon it, Shi Yi felt something inside her stir—a sensation wholly new.

“Why on earth do you leave your door open? Aren’t you afraid of thieves?”

Just as Shi Yi was still digesting her feelings, Gu Hansheng’s voice rang out from outside. At the same time, the sound of slippers slapped against the floor. Gu Hansheng entered, wearing a pair of garish shorts and sporting dark circles under his eyes, his expression anything but pleasant.

He stopped short at the sight of Wang Zhiyuan sitting in the center of the sofa. Suddenly wide awake, he gaped.

“Old Wang? What are you doing here?”

Wang Zhiyuan rose from the sofa with a cheerful smile, straightened his briefcase, and stepped aside.

“You’re just in time. Let me introduce you—this is Shi Yi, the newest member of our Unit 857. As you two are neighbors, be sure to give her a ride on Monday so she isn’t late.”

Gu Hansheng stood there, dumbfounded.

“Wait… You’re joining the police department?”

He was utterly thrown. Shi Yi nodded lightly and gestured at the contract set aside.

“Yes, the contract’s already signed.”

Shi Yi was in high spirits. From now on, not only would she have a formal position, she would also receive a generous monthly salary, enjoy flexible working hours, and even be assigned a car. Farewell to her little tricycle—she could hardly be happier.

At last, Gu Hansheng understood who the new recruit Wang Zhiyuan had mentioned on the phone a few days ago was. So it was this little fortune-teller before him!

“Hold on, Old Wang, don’t we already have one fortune-teller on the team? We don’t need another, especially one who peddles tricks. Besides, this one’s a fraud.”

A mysterious glint flickered in Wang Zhiyuan’s eyes.

“Seems you don’t know what her ability is. That’s all right—you’ll find out on Monday.”

With that, he patted Gu Hansheng on the shoulder and strode out the door.

Gu Hansheng had come to confront Shi Yi, but this bombshell left him utterly at a loss.

Shi Yi spent a relaxed and pleasant weekend at home.

She soaked the police uniform in fragrant detergent, washed it thoroughly, and hung it on the balcony to dry. Once it was dry, she took out the iron and pressed it carefully. This was her very first proper job, and she couldn’t help but feel a bit excited.

Early Monday morning, at six o’clock, Gu Hansheng dragged himself out of bed, not at all eager to rise so early. But after living next to Shi Yi for a few days, he’d figured out her schedule—it matched his own: neither of them stirred before the sun was high. The thought of waking her at this hour filled him with a sense of triumph.

Eagerly, he dressed in comfortable casual clothes, grabbed his backpack and sunglasses, and stepped out. He glanced at his watch—excellent, not even the roosters were up yet. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on her door with great vigor.

Let’s see you sleep through this! That’ll teach you for dismantling my puppet!

But just as he finished knocking, the door swung open, revealing Shi Yi’s pretty face. Gu Hansheng nearly jumped in surprise.

“You…”

He was momentarily stunned, unable to fathom why she was up so early. Even more astonishing was how ethereal she looked in her regulation police uniform.

He had always thought the dark blue uniform looked stiff and unfashionable, especially unbearable in the summer heat. Yet, seeing Shi Yi in the summer uniform, he was momentarily entranced. Her lake-blue hair framed her delicate features, making her look fresh and otherworldly.

Feeling his cheeks grow warm, Gu Hansheng cleared his throat awkwardly.

“You… you’re really wearing your uniform to work today?”

Shi Yi looked herself over, puzzled by his question.

“Of course. Uncle Wang brought the uniform himself. It’d be rude not to wear it, wouldn’t it? Besides, isn’t that what you do—wear your work clothes to work?”

With that, she ran to the sofa, grabbed her backpack, and called, “I’m ready. Let’s go.”

Shi Yi’s spirits were high. Gu Hansheng glanced at his watch with a frown—it was only seven o’clock, and they didn’t start work until ten. He was too embarrassed to admit he’d come early just to get back at her. Who would have guessed she’d be up so soon? Sighing, he relented.

“Come on, I’ll take you to breakfast.”

Unlike most people, who commuted from the suburbs to the city, their journey took them from the city to the outskirts. Luckily, the Monday morning rush didn’t last long, and once they passed the Third Ring Road, traffic was smooth.

It wasn’t yet ten when they arrived at Unit 857.

As the car pulled up on a patch of yellow earth, Shi Yi was taken aback. After getting out, she stared at the police station beside the village, astonished by the sight.

“This… is our police station?”

Gu Hansheng nodded calmly.

“Yes, this is it.”

Gazing at the rickety building, Shi Yi couldn’t help but wonder if such a rundown place could truly afford the salary she’d been promised.

They got out of the car and passed a security booth. Gu Hansheng pulled a bottle of cola from his backpack and tossed it into the booth.

“Xiao Fei, have a drink!”

Inside wasn’t an elderly guard, but a young man around their age, his hair dyed yellow, eyes closed. He caught the cola without so much as opening his eyes.

“Thanks,” he yawned, looking every bit as lazy and unprofessional as possible.

Shi Yi, full of doubts, followed Gu Hansheng into the station. The building was small and empty; no one else had arrived yet, and the place echoed with silence.