Japanese Terrorist: What? I'll fight Hellstar!

"What a hassle! Why don't you just peel off Fujino Terumi's skin?"

After Amamiya Rin hung up the phone, Tomie, sitting opposite him, couldn't help but complain.

"That's too reckless. Fujino Terumi's existence is very important. If simply peeling off her skin doesn't work, then I've essentially started the apocalypse myself."

Amamiya Rin shook his head.

He needs a more secure approach, such as multiple layers of curses.

The human head balloon claims to have been connected with Terumi Fujino at the time of its creation, which means that Terumi Fujino is the one cursed this year.

Amamiya Rin's idea was to use layers of curses to solidify Fujino Terumi's skin for this year.

Using the concept of time, her scalp, along with the curse, was peeled off, separating the cursed Fujino Terumi into two parts: the Fujino Terumi before and after the curse.

Let the former and the human head balloon perish together, then apply a skin-growth-promoting ointment to the skinless muscles to escape the human head balloon's killing mechanism.

Of course, these are just Yu Gonglin's ideas, and whether they will succeed depends on whether they come into contact with the curse.

Shortly after the meal, Amamiya Rin's phone rang.

The caller ID showed it was Junya Fukai.

He brought Amamiya Rin a rare piece of positive news: Inudou Ranko had helped him complete the procedures, and as long as he went to the Metropolitan Police Department to sign the official documents, he would be able to obtain the status of "civilian assistant" in the Police History Compilation Office.

Yu Gonglin's spirits lifted immediately.

With this identity, he could legitimately access the archives of the editorial office and search for records of various paranormal events—especially clues about the Sandman.

Once the curse of the Sandman is obtained, the long dream will no longer be a threat!

An hour later, Amamiya Rin, leaning on two canes, stood in front of the imposing main entrance of the Metropolitan Police Department headquarters.

Just to be on the safe side, he changed to a new cane to avoid any unnecessary speculation if his cane was seen.

I made a phone call to Feng Haichun, and a little while later, Feng Haichun came out in a hurry.

"Amamiya-kun".

Kazemi Jun also greeted Amamiya Rin and led him into the Metropolitan Police Department's elevator.

The elevator stopped on the fifth basement level, and the doors slid open silently.

Outside was a spacious but poorly lit corridor with exposed concrete walls, and the air was filled with a mixture of paper, dust, and musty smells.

Clearly, there aren't many people here, and even the most basic decorations have been omitted.

Feng Hai led Yu Gonglin to a heavy metal door at the end of the corridor. The door had no markings, only a card reader. Feng Hai swiped his ID card, and the lock made a soft "click".

The space behind the door was more spacious than I had imagined.

This place doesn't feel like an office; it's more like a large archive.

The towering metal filing racks were neatly arranged and occupied most of the area, filled with all kinds of folders and boxes, leaving only a small open space in the center for movement.

The layout of this open space is clearly defined.

The area on the left appears casual and even sloppy. An old leather sofa that looks quite comfortable sits in front of a television set, the screen of which is frozen on the starting gate of a racetrack.

The low table in front of the sofa was piled with open horse racing newspapers, several empty coffee cans, and a dusty ashtray.

Ranko Inudou was practically sunk into the sofa, her hair casually gathered behind her head, as she used the remote control to switch channels, searching for the next match to be broadcast live.

The right side is much neater.

Two desks stood side by side, each with a computer on it. Although there were many files and books piled up, they were roughly categorized and arranged.

Kogure Souichirou was frowning at a report, his thick fingers clumsily tapping on the keyboard. Hearing the door open, he looked up, saw Amamiya Rin, nodded sullenly as a greeting, and quickly buried his head back down.

Apart from these, there are no other superfluous furnishings in the entire space, giving it a utilitarian feel.

"Oh, you're here."

Inudou Ranko's eyes didn't leave the TV; she just raised her hand slightly.

"Sit wherever you like, Feng Hai, give him the contract."

Amamiya Rin looked around, walked to a folding chair near the sofa, sat down, and leaned her cane against the side.

"This is the agreement; please take a close look."

Feng Hai picked up a prepared document from his desk and handed it to Yu Gonglin, his tone becoming much more formal.

"The key terms include: you are a civilian assistant, not a police officer, and do not enjoy the powers, benefits, or protections of a police officer. You must abide by confidentiality regulations and not disclose any information you come into contact with in the editorial office. Depending on the value of the intelligence you provide or the nature of the assistance operation, we will pay corresponding investigation incentives, the specific amount of which will be determined by the case level and your contribution."

He paused, then continued.

"Correspondingly, as an assistant, with Inspector Inudo's approval, you can apply to access various files in the archives. This isn't very strict; although they are confidential, those files have no confidentiality value."

Amamiya Rin took the document; the paper was thick, and the terms were clearly written.

He quickly skimmed through it, focusing on the confidentiality clauses and the sections on access rights to the files.

After confirming that everything was correct, Amamiya Rin picked up the pen and signed it decisively.

Feng Hai took the contract and went to file it.

Amamiya Rin also used her cane to support herself and turned her gaze to the rows of seemingly endless file shelves.

Amamiya.

Ranko Inudou, who was nestled on the sofa, suddenly spoke, her eyes still fixed on the horses that had started running on the TV, her tone as if she were asking a casual question.

Where were you last night?

Amamiya Rin turned around with a normal expression.

"Last night? I visited a friend. Do you know Inspector Inudo? Fujino Terumi, that idol star."

"Fujino Terumi?"

Inudou Ranko finally looked away from the TV for a moment, raised her eyebrows, and showed a hint of surprise on her face.

"Wow, a big star! You actually know this kind of celebrity?"

We met by chance.

Amamiya Rin smiled, her tone calm.

"Huimei is a very nice person."

"...Meibao..."

A muffled murmur came from the desk on the right.

Amamiya Rin turned her head and saw Kogure Souichirou stop typing, his broad shoulders slumped, his eyes were a little red, and he looked dazed in front of the computer screen.

"What's wrong with him...?"

Amamiya Rin's eye twitched almost imperceptibly.

Seeing the vulnerability on that rugged face felt somewhat incongruous.

"You mentioned your idol, and you touched a sore spot on him again."

Inudou Ranko withdrew her gaze and looked back at the television screen, her tone revealing a lazy indifference that she was used to it.

"Don't worry about him, let him calm down on his own, he'll be fine in a while."