Desperate people, accept the seed of my soul!

"The second faction advocates control and stability. Its main representatives are the original stability maintenance faction and some members of the provincial government."

They believe that supernatural phenomena are the biggest uncertainty factor for social stability and must be strictly controlled until proven harmless. Information censorship is better than openness to avoid public panic, copycat crimes, and social division. All those who have shown abnormalities should be regarded as "high-risk sources of instability," and extreme control measures can be taken when necessary.

Zhao Jianguo frowned.

This could very well create new conflicts.

"The third faction..." Zheng Guofeng took a drag of his cigarette, his expression somewhat blurred by the swirling smoke, "Ambiguous attitude. But considerable influence."

"Some forces in the province have shown an interest in 'extraordinary' things... in a different way." Zheng Guofeng carefully chose his words. "It's not purely about prevention or research; it's more like... acquisition. They might be behind Wei Donghai. Wei Zi'ang's death in the detention center was unusual, as you and I both know. This force operates covertly, with unclear motives, but their methods and resources are extraordinary."

He looked at Zhao Jianguo: "The old director privately reminded us to be careful when encountering 'special treatment' or unreasonable resistance. We may not only be dealing with 'abnormalities,' but also have to be careful not to get dragged into other vortexes."

Zhao Jianguo felt a chill.

This means that there are even more complex undercurrents beneath the surface.

"Three minds, three calculations." Zheng Guofeng forcefully stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray. "But the 'abnormality' won't wait for us to finish our wrangling. The Nanshan incident proves that no one can afford the cost of things getting out of control. Therefore, while the power struggle above is still a power struggle, we must immediately build up our own defenses."

His gaze locked onto Zhao Jianguo: "So, the Special Investigation Office is going to be upgraded. Its name, level, authority, and resources will all be expanded. This is the result of the old director's all-out efforts and a temporary compromise among all parties—no one is at ease, but they are even more uneasy about handing things over completely to the other party."

Zheng Guofeng walked back to his desk and pulled out another, even thicker document: "The name has been officially changed to 'Chenxi City Special Affairs Investigation Bureau,' abbreviated as Special Investigation Bureau. The level is set at the deputy bureau level directly under the Municipal Garrison Bureau. I will serve concurrently as the director, and you will serve as the executive deputy director, in charge of daily operations."

Zhao Jianguo took the document and quickly flipped through it.

Expansion of staffing, special funds, independent budget items... These resources, which in the past required months of endless approvals and wrangling, are now being provided at an astonishing speed.

"Where are the personnel?" Zhao Jianguo asked the most practical question.

Even if an organization is upgraded, it's just an empty shell if no one is doing the work.

"We're making arrangements," Zheng Guofeng replied. "The former director brought a group of people down from the provincial department—provincial-level criminal investigation experts, top talents in the field of forensics, and two specialists directly transferred from the Provincial Strategic Risk Assessment Center. These are all pragmatic people who understand the technology and know what we're dealing with."

He paused, his tone slightly somber: "But it's not just them. The Provincial Government Affairs Committee Office has assigned an 'Administrative Coordinator' to oversee the review and consistency of all external reports. Deputy Director Liu of the Provincial Political Work Department is concurrently serving as the Inspector General of the Special Investigation Bureau to strengthen internal disciplinary oversight."

Zhao Jianguo understood.

Lin Zhenshan injected professional expertise, while the stability maintenance faction ensured that this newly sharpened knife would not slip out of their control by assigning administrative cadres.

"There's more," Zheng Guofeng said, lowering his voice even further, "Wang, one of the top three committee members in the province, recommended someone as a 'special advisor.' The old director privately warned us that this person has a complicated background and advised us to 'make proper arrangements and keep our distance.'"

"I understand. What about our people?" Zhao Jianguo asked. He needed trustworthy key personnel.

"Zhou Ming has been officially transferred in, promoted half a rank, and will be responsible for case analysis and intelligence assessment. Lei Zhen's position has been transferred from the Fifth District, and he will serve as the captain of the First Action Team. Wang Gang is responsible for building and training the rapid response detachment, which is officially under the Mobile Assault Team, but command authority rests with the Special Investigation Bureau."

Zheng Guofeng paused for a moment, then said, "Qin En will also be coming to form the 'Abnormal Physiology and Phenomenon Research Group.' You and Lei Zhen will oversee the other criminal police officers drawn from various branches."

Zhao Jianguo felt somewhat relieved.

At least the core operational level is still in the hands of our own people.

"The research needs to be done in advance," Zheng Guofeng continued. "Qin En's side will establish an 'abnormal case database,' inputting all the information on Chen Guohua, Xu Suyuan, and Han Xiao, and analyzing commonalities. We have already signed confidential cooperation agreements with medical universities and psychology research institutes to conduct 'research on the correlation between extreme emotional states and the activation of physiological potential.'"

"At the same time, we secretly screened hospitals, shelters, and psychological counseling institutions throughout the city to find cases of abnormal emotional or physiological fluctuations—to find them before the next 'abnormality' occurs."

"What about tactics?" Zhao Jianguo asked.

Conventional policing methods are no longer sufficient when dealing with targets capable of creating the Nanshan Giant Pit.

Zheng Guofeng took a blue-covered booklet from the drawer and pushed it in front of Zhao Jianguo.

Procedures for handling suspected abnormal individuals (trial version)

Zhao Jianguo opened it.

The core principles are: avoid direct escalation, prioritize controlling the situation, attempt communication and assessment, and prioritize non-lethal suppression.

"This was drafted by the provincial expert group brought by the former director," Zheng Guofeng said. "It is equipped with a new type of high-intensity anesthetic launcher for highly mobile targets, with a range of 80 meters and a dose sufficient to incapacitate a rhinoceros. There are also infrasound generators and optical dazzle devices, which are currently being tested. Wang Gang's unit will be given priority in receiving these."

He paused, his voice becoming more serious: "The military—not the combat troops, but the 'Liyang Military Region Strategic Technical Support Bureau'—has established a secret communication channel with us. They will provide limited analytical support and special materials, but will not directly intervene in operations. This is the bottom line, the red line."

Zhao Jianguo understood the weight of those words.

Once the military officially intervenes, the nature of the situation changes completely.

"This is the last one." Zheng Guofeng handed over the last document, which was only one page long, with the national emblem and the words "Grand Censorate" printed at the top in bright red.

It was a copy of a notice requiring the Special Investigation Bureau to submit a monthly summary of unusual phenomena to an office of the Grand Suicide Squad. There were no specific instructions, no evaluations, just this simple reporting requirement.

But it is enough.

Zhao Jianguo looked at the national emblem and slowly exhaled.

This means that the highest levels are already aware of it and are observing it.

"The pressure is even greater now." Zheng Guofeng stood up and walked to the window.

Down in the courtyard, newly transferred technicians were unloading equipment from a vehicle. The large instrument covered with a canvas was clearly not standard police equipment.

"But we also have more resources now." Zhao Jianguo closed all the documents. "At least now, we know which direction to focus our efforts on."

Zheng Guofeng turned around, and a hint of the ruthlessness that belonged to a veteran criminal investigator finally appeared on his face.

"Then let's get to work. While the old director can still withstand the pressure from above, before the next 'giant pit' explodes—"

His gaze was like a knife.

"Investigate everything that needs to be investigated thoroughly, and control everything that needs to be controlled. We are the first line of defense, the nation. If this line of defense collapses, the entire city will be affected."

Outside the window, the afternoon sun pierced through the clouds, shining on the newly hung "Special Affairs Investigation Bureau" plaque in the police station compound.

The light was very bright, almost blinding.