Bizarre: Forced into an arranged marriage, his wife turns out to be a demon emperor?

If the first time was shock, then this time it's fear.

The examiner lowered the energy barrier, his face pale and his forehead covered in cold sweat. He looked at Lin Che with a gaze that no longer described him as a test subject, but as someone he couldn't comprehend, a monster in human skin.

His hands trembled as he picked up the data recording board.

"Name... Lin Che."

His pen hovered over the "potential level" column, but he couldn't bring himself to write it.

What should I write?

Grade D? Grade C? How could something capable of instantly shattering two different types of test crystals be of this grade?

Grade B? Or... Grade A?

He couldn't be sure, nor could he be sure. This phenomenon, which was beyond his comprehension, was beyond his ability to assess.

Finally, he took a deep breath and wrote a few trembling words in the level column.

Potential: Unpredictable.

Then, he added a line of smaller text in the notes column.

[Initial assessment: Suspected Level A, or higher. Recommendation to report to headquarters and list as a top priority.]

He handed a temporary identity card to Lin Che with both hands.

"Mr. Lin...you passed the test. This is your temporary identification. Please come back in three days to collect your official Paranormal Bureau certified Ghost Exorcist badge."

His voice carried an undisguised reverence.

Lin Che took the ID card and glanced at the information on it.

He calmly nodded to the examiner.

Then, pulling Su Hongyi along, amidst the awe, fear, and mixed envy in the eyes of everyone present, he turned and slowly left the administration building.

Until their figures completely disappeared.

Wang Shaocai suddenly came to his senses. He covered his bleeding cheek and looked in the direction Lin Che had left. In his eyes, there was no longer resentment, but a ferocious look mixed with extreme fear and mad killing intent.

"Rank A... Above Rank A..."

He gritted his teeth, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

"Lin Che... I'll remember you!"

........

As soon as Lin Che returned to his rented apartment, his ID card on his wrist vibrated.

It wasn't a public notification, but rather an encrypted communication request.

An unfamiliar name popped up on the screen: Zhang Haifeng, captain of the third action team of the Paranormal Bureau of the Seventh District of Jiangcheng.

Lin Che's eyebrows twitched.

He connected the call.

A holographic projection of a middle-aged man appeared before him. The man had a square face, sharp eyes, and wore a crisp uniform with three silver stars on his shoulders.

"Mr. Lin Che, hello, I am Zhang Haifeng." Zhang Haifeng's voice was very calm. He looked at Lin Che with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Is something the matter?" Lin Che asked.

"Yes, we have received your potential test report. There are some... special circumstances mentioned. Therefore, on behalf of the Paranormal Bureau, I formally invite you to join us." Zhang Haifeng's wording was very polite; it was an invitation, not a recruitment.

"I can join, but how are the points calculated?" Lin Che asked directly.

He needed points, resources, and to keep Su Hongyi by his side, undisturbed by the outside world. Joining an official organization was the fastest way to obtain all of this.

Zhang Haifeng seemed surprised by the directness of the question. He paused for a moment, then smiled.

"Based on your 'Unpredictable' rating, you will directly receive B-level member benefits. Your base salary is 10,000 points per month, with additional rewards for each mission depending on its difficulty. Furthermore, you will have priority in exchanging for rare resources within the Paranormal Bureau."

Ten thousand points.

This number is enough for him to live a very good life in the safe zone.

"When do I start working?" Lin Che asked.

"Now," Zhang Haifeng said, "Building 3, my office is on the top floor, I'll be waiting for you."

Communication was cut off.

Lin Che glanced at Su Hongyi beside him.

[Husband, shall we go?]

"Go, go make money to support you," Lin Che said.

Su Hongyi's figure seemed to solidify a bit.

……

Upon returning to Building 3 of the administrative center, the treatment was completely different.

As soon as Lin Che arrived at the door, a staff member quickly came to greet him.

"Is this Mr. Lin? Captain Zhang is already waiting for you."

There was no queue, no waiting. He was led directly to a private elevator that took him straight to the top floor.

In the captain's office, Zhang Haifeng was standing in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the city shrouded in gray fog outside.

Seeing Lin Che come in, he turned around and personally poured Lin Che a glass of water.

"Mr. Lin, please have a seat."

"I don't have much time." Lin Che did not sit down.

Zhang Haifeng didn't mind. He put his water glass on the table and got straight to the point: "Okay. Now that you're one of us, I have a task for you."

He tapped on a screen on the table, which displayed a file.

"Bus route 404 went missing last night on the Huancheng West Road section. There was one driver and seven passengers on board. This morning, we sent a Class D team to investigate, but they also lost contact."

Zhang Haifeng swiped his finger across the screen, bringing up several photos. The photos were taken at the section of the road where the bus disappeared; some items were scattered on the ground, along with faint, almost invisible black marks.

"Officially, this is a Class D paranormal incident. However, a team has lost contact, and the situation may be more complicated than expected. Your first task is to find bus number 404, uncover the truth, and, if possible, rescue the survivors."

"Am I all alone?" Lin Che asked.

"No. You will be the temporary commander of this new team." Zhang Haifeng looked at him. "You can choose any team members from the three teams."

He had barely finished speaking.

The office door was pushed open with a bang.

Wang Shao strode in, a bandage covering the cut on his face from the crystal shards, making his expression appear even more ferocious. Behind him followed an arrogant middle-aged man, whose uniform had one more silver star than Zhang Haifeng's.

"Captain Zhang, I heard you're going to handle case 404?" Young Master Wang's voice carried a provocative tone; he didn't even look at Lin Che.

Zhang Haifeng frowned: "Deputy Director Wang, Young Master Wang, what's going on here?"

The middle-aged man referred to as Deputy Director Wang was Wang Shao's uncle and also a deputy in the Paranormal Bureau. He patted Wang Shao on the shoulder and said to Zhang Haifeng with a smile, "Haifeng, it's a good thing that young people are ambitious. Acong heard that the bureau is short-staffed and volunteered to contribute to the safe zone. As his uncle, of course I have to support him."

Wang Shao raised his head, and his gaze finally fell on Lin Che.

"I heard that the commander of this operation is a newcomer who just passed the test?" He smirked. "I don't mean anything by it, I just think that although a D-rank mission isn't a big deal, it shouldn't be taken lightly. I'm a C-rank Ghost Master after all, so I can go along and lend a hand, lest the inexperienced newcomer mess things up."

The fire demon beside him emerged, its flames even more intense than yesterday, radiating scorching heat. It seemed to have regained its strength, emitting a low, threatening growl in Lin Che's direction.

The atmosphere in the office instantly became subtle.

Deputy Director Wang watched with a smile, without saying a word.