Cthulhu Panel: One organ mutates every day

Wayne stared at Ethan's wrist and caught a glimpse of the bloody feather pattern.

Upon confirmation, the reality deviation jumped to 1% at that instant.

"Is this your characteristic?" Wayne asked.

Ethan withdrew his wrist: "What else? What else do you want to see?"

"It's nothing, I'll remember it." Wayne deliberately showed a smug smile.

Ethan looked at Wayne's smile with a doubtful expression: "What's the use of remembering this?"

"Who knows? I guess it might be useful." Wayne waved the equipment approval form in his hand, preparing to leave.

Ethan called out to Wayne again, paused for a moment, and frowned, saying:

"I asked the Michigan Times, and they said there's no painter or anyone who submitted a portrait of Benjamin."

Wei En was puzzled:

"No? But that portrait of Benjamin is clearly..."

Ethan recalled:

"I asked the person in charge of the layout review, and they said that when they were reviewing the submissions, there was no such column, no Benjamin portrait, and they couldn't find any contributors who submitted portraits."

Wayne pondered:

"So, you mean Benjamin's portrait was added later?"

Ethan nodded in agreement:

"That's possible. I'll continue to follow up. If the portrait didn't come from an anonymous contributor, it could be the work of someone inside the newspaper."

Wayne immediately sensed something was wrong:

"The hope is slim. If there's no news from the newspaper, then all our leads about the painter will be cut off."

Ethan, on the other hand, seemed somewhat indifferent:

"Don't worry, it's not just our Group 2 working on Section 7; Group 1 is also keeping up with the work."

Wei En sighed softly, saying helplessly:

"Okay, hopefully their group can make some real progress."

Because the facial symbols might be related to the coming of the Great Old Ones, and the mysteries surrounding Bob's death have not yet been solved, Wayne has a feeling that something ominous might happen.

He knew he couldn't interfere much right now, so he could only say a few words to Ethan before submitting the equipment approval form.

During that time, he met Charlotte.

Charlotte told him that the tickets were booked for the afternoon, and after the two confirmed that they would meet at 3 p.m., Wayne went to the office of Section 7, Group 2 to see Matthew.

He handed the painting to Matthew. The painting had been given to him by a little boy in the alleyway near Bob's house.

Previously, I felt that the section chief was intentionally suppressing Group Two, which is why I kept the painter's scroll and did not hand it over.

Now that I'm going on a long trip, I feel uneasy. I still think I should hand over the important clues, but to Matthew, not to that parachuted-in section chief.

Then I went to Daphne's place and picked up a whole box of equipment, including flamethrowers, incendiary bombs, and chemical agents. They were all complete, with serial numbers, specifications, intended use, registration and filing, railway transport records, and emergency response instructions.

I then obtained a field work authorization card as the basic identity certificate for the approval documents, in order to successfully bring this box of dangerous equipment onto the train through railway inspection.

At noon, Wayne had lunch with Lena at the Ritz Restaurant and explained the arrangements for the next two days.

Lena repeatedly told Wayne to protect himself and not to be reckless.

Wayne agreed in a seemingly obedient manner, like a little brother, which made Lena smile repeatedly.

It was lunchtime when Wayne realized that the frequent use of certain muscle groups to their physiological limits during the strength test had made him desperately want to eat. Only by eating like crazy could he relieve the fatigue brought on by his extreme physical exertion.

3 PM.

Wayne met Charlotte downstairs at the hotel. Charlotte was already waiting by the roadside, standing in the shade of a tree, dressed in a preppy style, carrying a simple leather suitcase, exuding an ethereal charm.

The two got into a black car waiting by the roadside and rode together to Michigan Station. After completing the formalities, they boarded the train to Metropolitan Station and sat in a second-class soft-seat compartment.

The train features dark red wood-grain veneer walls, dark green velvet seats, spacious seating, and thick carpets that absorb the sounds of footsteps in the aisle and the vibrations of the carriage.

A long, drawn-out whistle sounded, the wheels slowly turned, gradually accelerating, and the train smoothly pulled out of the station.

The cityscape of Michigan recedes into the distance outside the window, revealing the suburban landscape: rolling green meadows, scattered low shrubs, and occasionally a few country cabins and abandoned old warehouses.

Charlotte leaned against the car window, her blonde hair standing out in the afternoon sunlight, her gaze fixed on the passing scenery outside.

Wayne leaned back in the soft chair and closed his eyes to rest.

Charlotte suddenly asked, "Wayne, how did you become a messenger?"

Wayne glanced at Charlotte:

"How did I become one? I don't really know either. If I had to describe it, it's like I went to a banquet in the Metropolis with my sister and became a messenger."

Charlotte asked thoughtfully, "Your sister? Rosalind Webber?"

"Hmm," Wei En replied, his file not being a secret in the Second Division.

Charlotte, a strand of golden hair twirling in her hand, said, "I thought your becoming a messenger was arranged by the Waver family."

"You can arrange this? You're not talking about yourself, are you?" Wayne retorted, while confirming in his mind that the identity of this newcomer transferred from headquarters must be extraordinary.

"Otherwise what? I can't compare to you. My father's prime is only a few years away, and he's about to decline, which is why he's in a hurry to get me into the Special Affairs Bureau, hoping I can be promoted to a full investigator as soon as possible." Charlotte said as if she were mentioning a trivial matter.

She turned to look at Wayne and added, "I thought you were the same."

Charlotte's family must be quite powerful to have managed to get her into the Special Affairs Bureau headquarters. They're not just a simple business family; they're probably deeply involved in federal politics.

Wayne met her gaze: "No, it was purely by accident that I became a messenger. Although our Weber family business is a giant in the oil industry, it has not reached the point of interfering in federal politics. At most, we only have some small businesses in various cities in the Federation."

What kind of small business is the oil industry family's business?

Charlotte turned her head and casually looked out the window at the scenery: "Oh, but I saw in the documents that you got involved in some affairs of the family business after graduating from high school."

"It's simply because my sister is very strict." Wei En felt he couldn't keep being questioned, so he had to try to get some information out of her. "I'm curious, why was your dad in such a hurry to assign you to the Second Department? Is the Second Department that popular?"

"Of course, the Second Division of the Special Bureau is the most special department. It is not under the jurisdiction of any branch bureau, but directly under the headquarters. Its work is basically directly related to the past," Charlotte replied.

"Aren't you afraid of encountering insurmountable danger?" Wayne asked.

"No, the Second Division mainly serves those Old Ones who are benevolent towards humanity, and they have many methods. Generally, you won't encounter dangers from the Old Ones, provided your professional skills are sufficient," Charlotte said confidently.

"Why don't you stay at headquarters? Why come to the branch office to suffer?" Wayne felt that the blonde woman in front of him might know a lot of information, so he decided to talk as much as he could.

"Actually, it's quite difficult to be promoted from a trainee investigator to a full investigator. The number of promotions to full investigators at headquarters is very small each year, and they are almost all taken up by messengers. I couldn't see any hope at headquarters, so I was transferred to the branch office to see if I could gain some experience there and be promoted to full investigator as soon as possible," Charlotte explained.

"Are you eyeing the number of positions available for promotion to full investigator at the Michigan field office?" Wayne raised an eyebrow.

"It wasn't me, it was my father." Charlotte rolled her eyes slightly.

When she makes a quirky expression with her delicate features, it always carries a touch of natural humor.

"Aren't you anxious to get promoted yourself?" Wayne joked.

Charlotte, seeing that Wayne had seen through her thoughts, laughed somewhat irritably:

"Yes, yes, you saw right through me. I'm the one who wants a promotion. If I help you get the special abilities this time, you'll definitely be promoted to a full investigator ahead of schedule. After all, you're a messenger."

With the messenger mission and her previous experience, Charlotte was confident that as long as she completed this mission, her promotion to a full investigator would be a sure thing.

"Alright, I will definitely cooperate with Miss Charlotte and ensure that she is promoted to a full investigator," Wayne said with a smile.

Charlotte turned her head away, a smile involuntarily spreading across her lips, joy evident on her face:

"Tch, you'd better be."

I've been in the Second Division of the Special Bureau for three or four years now, and finally, I'm just one step away from promotion!

[Charm Lv.1 - Affinity] Progress: 58.4%