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Chapter 1: The Management Bureau’s Archives
Shi Rang was, as usual, searching the web for supernatural events.
Today was a special day. Sandwiched between posts like "How to Use Qi Gong and Quantum Mechanics to Reach Peak Magnetic Fields" and "Forward this message to five people or you'll die alone," there appeared a link he had never seen before—
The Management Bureau’s Archives
At first, he assumed it was a phishing link, but upon clicking, a rather formal loading animation greeted him.
[Central Vault of Anomalies (C-V-A)]
[Warning: Unauthorized access to the archives is strictly prohibited. Offenders will be monitored, located, and dealt with accordingly.]
Without any registration or login prompts, he was directly taken to the homepage. The stark contrast of black, white, and red, along with the tightly packed page design, compelled Shi Rang to sit up straight, abandoning his initial skepticism about potential computer intrusion.
Unsure of the site's purpose, he casually clicked on a link at the top of the "Recently Annotated" section.
---
[CVA-B-9913 - "Wasting Time" (Rejected)]
B-9913 is a meme spreading via the internet, commonly appearing on █████ and ██ platforms. It attracts visitors through enticing titles, exaggerated behaviors in videos and text media, and spreads through comments, messages, and remixes.
Known hazards of B-9913 infections include: difficulty stopping browsing behavior, significant decline in focus, reduced mental activity and intelligence, neglect of primary tasks, and widespread procrastination.
Discovered forms of B-9913 include:
"Drinking █ Cola mixed with █ Cola today";
"███Tea-flavored rice noodles are incredible";
"The Grand Documentary '█████'";
"A ten-thousand-word analysis of the movie '████'";
Application for analysis submitted, proposing to classify B-9913 as a hazardous item under memetic control.
[The Director of Intelligence has rejected the application for analysis]
[Note: If anyone uploads another collection of internet trends as an entry just to pad numbers, they will all be reassigned to customer service. Also, who taught you to use confidentiality symbols like this?]
---
Shi Rang: "This looks pretty convincing."
It seemed to be a collective creation website based on the premise of a secret organization called the "Management Bureau," dedicated to containing anomalies to protect humanity. He was familiar with a similar forum, "Urban Legend Investigation Forum," where he had written some stories. But such a meticulously crafted site was a first.
Was the "Director of Intelligence" leaving comments just a moderator's alias?
The entry on B-9913 was indeed sloppy; as expected, it had been deleted by the time he refreshed the page.
When Shi Rang clicked on "All Files" in the sidebar, he was deeply impressed by the sheer volume of entries. There was no doubt that this site had a vast number of creators who, with great seriousness and genuine passion, had accomplished this incredible feat.
As a seasoned internet surfer, especially one keenly interested in urban legends and the supernatural, Shi Rang felt an irresistible itch.
This was undoubtedly a treasure trove.
He opened an "S-Class" entry at the very top and dove in, browsing through the numbered files until he realized it was almost midnight.
The method of describing anomalous phenomena using rigorous file formats and scientific language captivated him. With numerous ideas already brewing in his mind, his creative juices flowed uncontrollably, and he couldn't wait to start a new page and contribute. However, being a visitor on someone else’s site, posting without understanding the rules could easily result in criticism. Unfortunately, there were no guidelines for newcomers...
After observing the general pattern of item creation, he decided to start with collaborative writing.
After refreshing the page a few times, Shi Rang found a suitable target.
[Distortion Phenomenon - "Visitor" (Under Investigation)]
[Information reconnaissance reveals that residents of ██ neighborhood in Green Island City, District Ten, reported sightings of strangers in their homes late at night. Multiple similar reports have been received recently, and field investigations are ongoing.]
The user who posted this item was "Field Agent Kyle." After observation, Shi Rang noted that this was a relatively low-level user.
The title "Distortion Phenomenon" indicated a simple story—just find the pattern and propose a solution to "eliminate" it.
Currently, there wasn't much content, and the description was rough, but Shi Rang had an idea.
This was a good opportunity.
He clicked "Edit" in the lower right corner and began writing according to the automatically popping-up format template.
"Agent Kyle" was also online, adding more settings to this "Distortion Phenomenon" in real-time, such as scene reconnaissance and details provided by the complainants. Shi Rang frequently paused to correct his writing based on this senior member's settings, occasionally referencing other completed files to ensure no conflicts arose.
The site also offered an automatic formatting adjustment option, providing more precise phrase suggestions and highlighting grammatical errors in red...
Soon, he finished.
But he couldn’t officially save it yet, as that would overwrite Kyle's content.
Shi Rang continued to wait.
A few seconds later, Kyle finally sent the information he needed.
[All investigative clues submitted]
Finally, no new settings.
"Coming right away, Kyle." After checking for typos, Shi Rang clicked "Save."
[Please set a username]
He forgot about this step...
Shi Rang always used the same screen name, but his usual name didn’t fit the sci-fi style of this forum. After pondering for a while, he happened to glance at his phone on the table. In the afternoon, while talking to his best friend, the latter jokingly scolded him, saying, "You're so stubborn, you won't stop until you've broken through the brick wall."
He got an idea.
[Username "Mud Truck" confirmed]
[Submission successful]
---
[All investigative clues submitted]
[Beginning analysis, please wait...]
Just as Kyle was about to press the confirm button, two figures suddenly rushed past him.
Children running around clumsily and without restraint not only stepped on his foot but also knocked his communicator flying.
Damn it!
Annoyed, he picked up the device to ensure it hadn’t been damaged before chasing after them; the armed belt hidden under his coat clinked loudly. He intercepted the two brats running circles around the dining table, grabbing each by the collar and dragging them to their parents.
"Are you done yet? It’s almost 12 o'clock. Take your kids and get out of here, find a hotel to stay in for the night, and come back when it’s light!"
The couple next to their luggage quickly gathered their hyperactive children and apologized profusely, leaving with their meager belongings. Though they left with suspicion towards this "officer" who showed up with a police badge and investigation order, the stack of cash Kyle handed them silenced any protests they might have had.
Kyle, suppressing his irritation, gave a few more instructions. Once they were gone, he pulled the circuit breaker and turned off the lights, preparing himself for the darkness.
He wasn’t a bad-tempered person, but situations like these always made him lose his cool.
Dealing with civilians was the most annoying part.
Whenever danger struck, they either froze like statues or ran around chaotically, always making things worse.
The house was enveloped in darkness, with only faint moonlight from the window outlining shapes, allowing him to enter the bedroom without groping. After confirming that the family of four had left the building and weren’t camping nearby to save money, Kyle took off his coat and prepared his gun.
Amid the clicking sounds of assembling the firearm, the entire neighborhood rapidly darkened as households went to bed one by one. Soon, moonlight ruled the area, and the clear night sky was perfect for meteor observation.
Something was off, it was too quiet...
It usually took hours or even days from submitting clues to getting the file ready. Even cases involving Distortion phenomena, which were processed more quickly, still required at least thirty minutes on a good day. He couldn’t just sit around waiting.
Kyle racked the slide of his pistol and released the safety, ready to fire.
He disliked this smoky district, the terrible interior decoration of the house, their noisy children, and the smell of baby vegetable puree inside—everything was so irritating. But strange things had occurred here, and he had to investigate personally.
As a field agent of the Management Bureau, tonight, he would resolve this phenomenon alone.
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