"You have methods to erase memories? What do you mean by not letting me go? Am I being held captive?!" Zhao Hao asked in astonishment.

The man pressed his palm down. "Calm down, I'm not going to imprison you. As for the means to erase memories, we do have them... but that's not important. What's important is that I'm now extending an invitation to you on behalf of the Mysterious Bureau, hoping you'll join us and serve this country. Of course, it's also for your own safety..."

Zhao Hao: "The Mysterious Bureau?"

The fat guy had mentioned the Mysterious Bureau before, which seems to be a department specifically managed by Ameriko who manages superhumans and the paranormal events he experiences.

Terte smiled with a hint of pride: "That's right, the Mysterious Bureau! An agency directly under the UN Security Council, and also the official agency of Ameriko that manages superhumans and the Underworld, its full name is—The Underworld Superhuman Strategic Defense, Attack and Logistics Support Bureau?!"

Zhao Hao was taken aback: Why does this name sound so familiar? Don't you guys have a Father's Worry Alliance?

Zhao Hao asked cautiously, "Just wondering, do your staff have different levels? Are you called Coulson?"

The man said, "Of course there are levels, just like in the Extraordinary World, there are six levels. I'm a Level 4 agent. But my name isn't Coulson. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Colt! Colt Anicond!" As he spoke, he ran a hand through his thinning hair and gave a confident smile.

Zhao Hao: Isn't the Colt Python a revolver?

After all that talk, Zhao Hao remained unmoved, seemingly lost in thought.

Colt started to doubt himself: Could it be that even my reputation as a friend of newcomers is no longer effective?

He is a level 3 Dark Iron Transcendent with a passive psychic ability that influences the mind: Natural Affinity. This ability allows him to involuntarily draw people in and make them trust him, leaving a very good first impression.

Therefore, he was responsible for receiving and recruiting many newcomers, earning the title of "friend of newcomers." Little did he expect to be thwarted by Zhao Hao!

Colt introduced Zhao Hao to a lot of things, such as the situation of the Mysterious Bureau, as well as superhumans and the underworld. However, perhaps because Zhao Hao hadn't joined yet, his introduction was superficial and not as detailed as what the fat man had said.

However, he did explain why the Mysterious Bureau found the old house and discovered Zhao Hao.

Just as the fat man had guessed, this wasn't the first time Heidegger had performed a sacrificial ritual.

The first time, he got an old homeless man drunk with a bottle of wine in the park, took him back to his old house, and killed him.

The second time, he paid to hire two prostitutes, brought them back to the old house, and tortured and killed them.

This was Zhao Hao's third attempt, and their group had increased from two to four. Unexpectedly, things went wrong.

The Mysterious Bureau found clues based on the two missing prostitutes and eventually located the old house.

The most important thing now is that Zhao Hao's safety cannot be guaranteed. If he doesn't join the Mysterious Bureau, this part of his memory will be erased. He may very well get involved in some strange event again because of his high spiritual vision, and then die a tragic death.

Joining the Secret Service is the best option right now.

In the end, Zhao Hao followed the advice and chose to join. He had no choice but to join!

After that, they filled out forms and registered information, chatting as they worked on the documents.

Zhao Hao asked, "Our boss isn't going to be a bald, one-eyed black man, is he?"

Colt retorted, "What are you thinking? How could that be?! Our chief is of course white. Although we advocate equality now and the bureau has hired some black employees, it's impossible for us to have a black chief within ten years... no, not even within twenty years."

“And he’s not bald at all; his hair is as thick as mine!” Colt added.

Zhao Hao: That means you're almost bald!

……

Zhao Hao and Colt got along very well, so Colt took good care of Zhao Hao and arranged a "training course" for him as an apprentice in an antique shop.

The staff of the Mysterious Bureau deal with mysterious events, so they naturally need to undergo training.

But Zhao Hao is different; he was born with the ability to see ghosts and is a native of the Song Dynasty. He's perfectly suited for this training!

Right after Zhao Hao signed the document, the cheat code in his mind started to stir.

He actually completed a task: "There's a floating duckweed," which grants +80 Fate Points. 80 + 323 = 403 Fate Points.

Zhao Hao: There's an extra benefit! I've already collected 400 points, it's easier than I expected!

Colt pulled two things out of his bag: "These are your ID and pay card."

Zhao Hao took it; it was just a bank card, nothing special.

There was also a card that looked similar to a bank card, with the letters "SWD" (short for the Bureau of Mystery) and a symbol: an abstract axe and eagle symbol on a kite-shaped shield, along with Zhao Hao's photo, name, and a metal chip.

Zhao Hao: Goodness, you've already prepared your documents? You just asked me as a formality, but you've actually been planning this for a while, haven't you?

Colt: What are you talking about? We should still ask!

Colt awkwardly turned his face away, looking in another direction, and whispered, "Um... the ID is real, but it's best not to show it to others. Most people don't know about our organization; it's confidential, you know! As for those who do know, well... they probably won't care too much, or they might be a little annoyed..."

Ordinary people are unaware of the Mysterious Bureau; those who are aware of it are naturally extraordinary individuals from the inner world...

You guys weren't doing so well before, were you?

Zhao Hao felt like he might have gotten himself into a trap!

------------

Chapter 10 American Freedom

In any case, the matter has finally come to an end.

I'm practically an official now, even if it's just a temporary job. At least I don't have to worry about how to answer the police's questions anymore!

Today's experience was so surreal that Zhao Hao didn't have the energy to think things through. He just wanted to get back to his humble little home, have a hearty, high-calorie dinner, and then get some sleep. He could worry about everything else when he woke up!

Colt took good care of Zhao Hao, and specially sent someone to drive him to a nearby subway station.

It was only then that Zhao Hao remembered to check where he was.

According to the subway map, he found himself in an area of ​​Brooklyn near the sea.

The area is sparsely populated, with hardly any large residential communities to be seen. However, there are quite a few obscure government offices that Zhao Hao has never even heard of.

Zhao Hao's home is in the suburbs of Queens, at least 20 kilometers away from here!

Fortunately, the subway is quite convenient.

However, taking the subway in Liberty City is definitely not a comfortable experience.

Liberty City is a cosmopolitan metropolis, and it's certainly very prosperous and developed. For example, its subway system is one of the earliest in the world, dating back seventy years.

The problem is that while Liberty City's subway lines are constantly being added, some of the older subway lines are still in use, receiving only limited repairs. This has resulted in some lines being extremely old and dilapidated, with some areas being extremely dirty and unsanitary.

Zhao Hao walked down the steps to the ground floor. Some of the small tiles on the walls were cracked, and traces of repairs could be seen. Some yellowish-brown water stains were scattered around the compass, indicating that the area frequently leaked.

A few steps further on, I saw a row of waiting chairs. Six out of ten chairs were broken, and the rest were filthy.

Not far away, there was another large, overflowing trash can. It's been sitting there for ages without being emptied, resulting in piles of packaging bags, fruit peels, and other litter scattered around. It's practically a mini-garbage dump!

The worst part was that Zhao Hao actually saw two mice peeking out near the tracks!

Dim lighting, outdated equipment, cramped space... People who can afford it rarely take the subway; they would rather be stuck in traffic and take a taxi or drive themselves.

Zhao Hao had no time to criticize the decadent and backward capitalism that disregarded people's livelihoods; he just wanted to go home.

After waiting for more than ten minutes, a subway train arrived. Zhao Hao rode it for seven or eight stops before returning to the surface and taking a bus. He'd have to wait at least another thirty minutes on the bus!

Just as Zhao Hao was swaying and about to fall asleep in his chair, several gunshots suddenly rang out from outside the window!

"Bang bang bang!"

Zhao Hao was startled and instinctively bent down and lowered his head.

What's going on? Did the police find a black man without identification?

He glanced out the window and saw a thin, small Black man running out of a convenience store. He was clutching a wad of loose bills in one hand and a handgun in the other, turning and firing as he ran.

As a result, a person rushed out of the convenience store, holding a shotgun in both hands, and fired several shots.

Zhao Hao saw the gun muzzle spark several times, making a series of loud bangs, and then the black man fell to the ground clutching his leg and howling in pain.

Shooting a moving target from 20 meters away and still managing to hit its leg, young hero, you have excellent marksmanship!

By this time, the experienced driver had already stepped on the gas and sped away from the scene of trouble, so Zhao Hao could no longer watch the commotion!

"Good heavens, as expected of the Free City, the land of freedom, where you can rob freely and suffer freely!" Zhao Hao blurted out a rhyming jingle.

According to my original memory, Liberty City's security was indeed not very good, especially in certain slums and areas where certain special groups congregated.

The city is glamorous on the outside, with towering skyscrapers, bustling traffic, neon lights reflected in shop windows, and well-dressed men and women hurrying by...

But in the dark, unseen alleyways, old, dirty trash cans were overturned, a homeless man was lying unconscious on a piece of cardboard, clutching a bottle of liquor, and syringes and stun pads were scattered on the ground.

In the secluded streets, small, erotic cinemas were packed with people; in bars, nightclubs, and discos, dissolute young men and women were embracing and kissing, some even taking off their clothes and engaging in passionate lovemaking.

On the street, long-haired hippies wearing leather jackets and pierced ears, nose rings, and even lip rings ride modified motorcycles, speeding away with a roar.

Large numbers of gang members were still gathered in the streets and alleys, staring at pedestrians with ill intent...

America's golden age had just ended, its rapidly developing economy suddenly came to a standstill, and after years of war, the younger generation was filled with anti-war sentiment, preferring to indulge in decadence rather than make even the slightest contribution to the country.

High unemployment and high inflation coexist, and economic problems amplify social problems. A large number of low-income or even no-income unemployed people are wandering around, bringing great security risks.

A few months ago, Zhao Hao had seen a report that said the crime rate in Liberty City had risen sharply in the past six months, and the city's residents generally felt unsafe, with their trust in and expectations of the police dropping to an all-time low.

During this period, despite the increasing number of police officers and the continuous improvement of their equipment, the consumption of bullets and black people increased significantly, but crime only intensified.

The slums are the most dangerous places, where black people, prostitutes, drug addicts, homosexuals, murderers, and gangsters often live.

Speaking of which, many areas in Queens could be considered slums, but the Song people had a different status.

After sorting through his memories, Zhao Hao concluded that he had not been reborn into the past, but rather had arrived in a parallel world that seemed plausible yet was not.

While on a micro level, America and the United States may seem similar, on a macro level, the history of the world has been drastically altered!

The Song Dynasty, a dynasty that lasted for a full thousand years from the end of the 9th century to 1978!

These are not butterfly wings at all, they are roc wings that can spread 20,000 miles!

How significant will this be in the world?

Zhao Hao's original self was able to get into Liberty City University from a public high school in a backward neighborhood, which was quite an achievement.

Based on his knowledge of history, the Song Dynasty was extremely powerful.

However, they were extremely "closed-door" and had direct exchanges with only a few countries in Asia. Otherwise, seeing the Song Dynasty's official presence on the international stage would be a major event.

For example, World War I, World War II, the founding of the United Nations, etc.

However, this kind of isolationism was not like the late Qing Dynasty, where people closed their eyes and lived their lives in seclusion. Rather, it seemed to mean being too lazy to communicate with backward regions.

The best example of this is that most of the high-tech gadgets used in America today can be found in the Song Dynasty, albeit with different principles but similar effects. Refrigerators, dryers, cars, televisions…

However, the Song Dynasty is still a feudal monarchy, although it is rumored to be considering a parliamentary system recently. The information received by the outside world is severely delayed, making it difficult for ordinary people to get a clear picture of the situation.

In the mid-20th century, the Industrial Revolution in Europe spurred rapid expansion in many countries, leading to the occupation of vast colonies around the world. Productivity was booming, and goods were dumped globally.

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