Chapter 47: Emergency Contact

"So... you finished eating already?" Chang Yu stared, mouth agape, at the empty bowl in Comrade Xiao Li's hand, utterly at a loss. Barely a minute had passed since the meal had begun—how had he finished so quickly? Was the man a starving ghost reincarnated?

"His eating speed really is something," Feng Sanpao remarked, no longer in a hurry to eat himself, but rather engrossed in watching Xiao Li's table manners.

Under the odd gazes of Chang Yu and Feng Sanpao, Xiao Li felt rather embarrassed. With a shy smile, he explained, "It's a habit I picked up in the army. After so many years, I still can't shake it. Sorry to make you laugh, Chief."

Satisfied, he dabbed his mouth with a napkin. "Chief, I'm done. I need to see to something—I'll be back soon."

"Alright, I'll wait for you here," Chang Yu waved him off, watching as he left.

"I actually quite like him," Chang Yu said to Feng Sanpao as he ate. Perhaps because Feng Sanpao was a bit mad, Chang Yu found it easier to open up to him.

"Xiao Li is very respectful to me. It makes me feel valued. He calls me 'Chief,' and it fills me with a honey-sweet joy. I like being called Chief—it satisfies my vanity. Growing up in an orphanage, I never dared dream anyone would address me that way. I've always been a little insecure."

"Not long ago, I was just a humble gatekeeper, an unremarkable nobody on the street. Though I harbored grand ambitions, they were but moonlight on the water, flowers in a mirror—mere dreams."

"Women always looked down on me. Since leaving the orphanage, I've gone on dozens of blind dates, but I've never managed to find a girlfriend. They said I didn't earn enough, wasn't handsome enough, had no house or car, or even complained that I had no parents. They always found a reason to reject me."

"Even little things—wearing black socks, tying a blue tie, or sneezing—could be their excuse to say no."

"Wouldn't you say I've been a pretty big failure at life?"

"I'm a thorough loser, destined to live out my ironic life in the most inconspicuous corner of this city."

"But just as I was about to accept my lot, one day I was told I could become the disciple of an Immortal, learn mystical arts capable of moving mountains and parting seas."

"And I could join the Bureau of Disaster Investigation, become a hero working in the shadows to protect ordinary people from calamity, all while enjoying generous benefits."

"Now I have power beyond human limits—not even Tyson could beat me in a fight—and I can use these abilities for all sorts of things."

"So, in the blink of an eye, I've leapt from earth to heaven, from a pheasant to a phoenix, from a nobody to a Chief in their eyes."

"It's as if I've suddenly won the lottery or received a huge compensation overnight. Happiness arrived so unexpectedly."

"So what now?" Feng Sanpao, though perhaps a bit unhinged, was an excellent listener. He knew when to keep silent for Chang Yu's monologues, and when to interject with a question—though Chang Yu always suspected he hardly absorbed a word.

"The shift in social status happened too fast. I feel like I'm floating, unable to find my footing," Chang Yu said, calm-faced.

"At my core, I'm just an average guy. Give me some good news, and I'll flaunt it as much as I can."

"I want the world to know that I, Chang Yu, can make something of myself. I want those who looked down on me to see that my life is better than theirs."

Feng Sanpao let out a heavy belch and tossed his chopsticks onto his tray. "Yeah, yeah, I know that feeling. It's how I am when I'm half-asleep in the morning—dazed, lightheaded, can't tell east from west. I think that's the perfect way to describe your state right now."

"Get lost!" Chang Yu snapped in exasperation.

This guy always managed to deliver the most cutting remarks in the most innocent tone.

Chang Yu sometimes thought, if not for growing up in a psychiatric hospital, Feng Sanpao's level of sarcasm would have gotten him beaten up and tossed in a river long ago. He really had a talent for saying the most infuriating things.

Comrade Xiao Li didn't keep Chang Yu waiting long. Almost as soon as Chang Yu finished eating, Xiao Li returned to the cafeteria, carrying a large plastic bag.

"What's in there?" Chang Yu asked, pointing at the bag, curiosity piqued.

Xiao Li hadn't been gone long, and now he was back with something in hand—it was clear he had left to fetch these items.

"These are for you, Chief. I picked them up from logistics," Xiao Li said, placing the bag on the table. Immediately, the sound of clinking filled the air.

Through the opening of the bag, Chang Yu saw several packs of cigarettes and a few bottles of liquor.

"Five packs of cigarettes and four bottles of Maotai. I wasn't sure what brand you prefer, so I got Soft Zhonghua," Xiao Li explained.

"I also didn't know if you drink, but I picked Maotai anyway. Even if you don't, you can always gift it to someone."

"These are benefits from the Bureau, all free of charge. Chief, every month you can collect cigarettes and liquor, and we have all the brands you can find on the market."

"Well, well, Soft Zhonghua and Maotai—how impressive," Chang Yu said as he handled the cigarettes and liquor in the bag, though no smile graced his face.

Sometimes, too many favors become a burden.

"And there's this," Xiao Li added, pulling two phones from his pocket and handing them to Chang Yu.

One was the latest model from a well-known domestic brand, sleek and black as a mirror, with a trendy curved screen. Chang Yu had seen it only online—the price exceeded nine thousand yuan, a toy for the wealthy, out of reach for someone like him.

Now, here it was, gleaming before his eyes.

The other phone looked like one of those old-school basic mobiles, with buttons and a straight design—the kind that was among the first on the market and long since obsolete.

Chang Yu vaguely remembered the orphanage director using such a phone years ago.

"So, what's with the two phones?" Chang Yu asked, eyeing Xiao Li.

"Both are issued by the Bureau," Xiao Li replied concisely. "The big one is for daily communication—use it for your everyday needs."

"The small one is a satellite phone, used solely for emergencies. There's only one number stored in it. You can only dial that number in critical situations."

"Even if you're deep in the Amazon or the Sahara, you can contact the Bureau with this phone. Once you dial, the Bureau will immediately mobilize reinforcements. Take it with you whenever you're sent out on assignment."

After listening, Chang Yu carefully tucked the small phone away. "This could save my life. I’d better keep it safe."

"Who knows? Maybe I'll be sent to the Amazon one day. I hear that place is covered in wild animal droppings—step anywhere and you’ll land in one."

"First they give me a phone, then a car, and now free housing, meals, cigarettes, and liquor. Why is the Bureau being so generous?"

"Just tell me—do they want me to storm bunkers or stop an alien invasion?"

There's no love or generosity without reason in this world. Every favor expects a return—Chang Yu, with his years of scraping by, understood this deeply.

A car, housing, access to a canteen, and now even phones and cigarettes and liquor, all for free. The more the organization pampered him, the more it meant they expected greater things from him.

Seeing the cigarettes and liquor in the bag, he should have been as overjoyed as a child with a new toy.

Yet, oddly, there was no joy at all—just a heavy feeling in his chest.

"Chief, every investigator in the combat teams receives these benefits. You're not the only one," Xiao Li clarified, a little embarrassed.

"Both phones are equipped with anti-eavesdropping devices to ensure your calls are secure and the Bureau’s information isn’t leaked."

"Also, both phones have GPS. The Bureau can locate you by satellite wherever you are. Your movements are always known, and for management and control, you must use the phones provided."

There was one thing Xiao Li did not mention: the latest model phone was actually under strict surveillance by the Bureau. Every call Chang Yu made could be monitored to prevent him from leaking secrets or betraying the organization.

But that was nothing unusual. Many military and government staff were issued phones with built-in monitoring, especially senior officials—Chang Yu’s situation was not unique.

"So now everything I do is under organizational supervision?" Chang Yu felt a tinge of melancholy.

He should’ve known—nothing comes for free.

"Not exactly," Xiao Li reassured him. "As long as you have no thoughts of betrayal, it's just a normal phone. The organization won't interfere in your private life. As long as you don’t cross any lines, the Bureau will turn a blind eye."

Fiddling with the brand-new phone, Chang Yu felt a little annoyed and glanced over at Feng Sanpao.

Feng Sanpao quickly pulled out a phone identical to Chang Yu’s and waved it. "Don't look at me—mine’s the same as yours, issued from above. Honestly, I like it. It’s expensive outside, and I couldn’t afford one myself."

As he spoke, a sudden buzzing interrupted them—the pleasant ring of a phone.

"Your phone is ringing," Xiao Li reminded him.

It was the new phone in Chang Yu’s hand.

He answered, holding it to his ear, and the cold, familiar voice of Katerina came through: "Hello, Chang Yu?"

"Speaking. What is it?" he replied.

"Where are you now?"

"I'm in the cafeteria at Yong’an Security," he answered obediently.

"Are you alone?" Katerina asked.

"I'm with Sanpao. We're both here," Chang Yu replied, glancing at Feng Sanpao.

"Good. Stay there and wait for me. I'll be there in fifteen minutes." With that, Katerina hung up hurriedly.

"What was that about?" Feng Sanpao asked curiously.

"I don’t know. She didn’t even give me a chance to ask," Chang Yu replied, frustrated.

"Something must be up—probably a mission," Xiao Li said, his expression grave. He’d seen this sort of thing before.

Chang Yu sniffed, a strange anticipation welling up inside him. "Most likely. It’s the first time I’ve heard Katerina speak to me in such a serious tone."