The System Arrived Four Years Early, but the Anomaly Is Still a Juvenile
Chapter 17

Twenty minutes later, Shen Ge was also invited into the office. Deng Yuqi addressed the two of them:

“The world is vast and full of wonders… Even with the rapid advancement of technology, there are still hundreds of unsolved mysteries worldwide. What you encountered yesterday was just an isolated incident. My colleagues and I have already inspected the entire building, and I’m confident such an event won’t happen again.”

“As you know, if isolated incidents like this are exploited by those with ulterior motives, they could lead to serious consequences. Take those tragic events from years ago, for example—they were painful lessons for both the nation and its people. To prevent such incidents from recurring, we hope you can keep this matter confidential.”

“As a token of gratitude, the state will reward you…”

Deng Yuqi also emphasized that while they would receive commendations, if Shen Ge or Cheng Shengnan deliberately leaked details of the incident to gain online attention or traffic—thereby causing social panic—the Special Response Department reserved the right to prosecute and detain them.

She then handed each of them a business card:

“This is my contact number. If either of you encounters a similar incident in the future, please call me or the Special Response Department immediately. Let us handle these situations—don’t take unnecessary risks.”

“Sounds… less like an isolated incident and more like an ongoing issue,” Shen Ge remarked casually, glancing at the card.

“…”

Deng Yuqi seriously considered snatching the card back from him. If not for work obligations, she’d prefer never to see this man again.

Conversing with him was pure torture.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave now. Should you uncover any further related clues, feel free to contact the Special Response Department at any time.” Deng Yuqi stood and walked toward the door.

Before she could reach it, a phone rang.

Turning back, she saw Shen Ge holding up his phone with a grin.

“Oh, I was just testing if the number works. Not that I’d rely on calling for backup in a crisis, but it’d be a real pain if the phone didn’t work during a supernatural event. Officer Deng, maybe invest in a phone with better signal.”

“…Goodbye.”

No.

Good riddance.

Without looking back, Deng Yuqi left the office area. Shen Ge stood at the door of the manager’s office, watching her enter the elevator lobby, then turned to Cheng Shengnan beside him.

“Well, Watson, what do you make of it?”

“Before she came, I also thought it was just an isolated incident… But the fact that our country has an entire department dedicated to handling these kinds of events suggests otherwise. By the way, that line of yours? Never appeared in a single episode of Detective Dee,” Cheng Shengnan replied flatly.

Though Shen Ge already knew about the existence of the supernatural through his system, as Cheng Shengnan pointed out, the fact that a specialized government department had been established meant the situation was worse than he’d imagined.

Clearly, the apocalypse three years from now wasn’t starting from zero. Perhaps ghosts, urban legends, and other supernatural phenomena had already been around for a while—just suppressed until now, when they’d finally begun to erupt.

“So… are we still moving offices?” Shen Ge asked.

Cheng Shengnan’s eye twitched. “Why are your priorities always so bizarre? Shouldn’t you be more concerned about the unknown dangers lurking around?”

“Cross the bridge when you come to it. If the sky falls, there’ll always be taller people to hold it up… Since neither of us can stop these things from happening, might as well stay calm. That way, if we encounter them again, we can handle them rationally,” Shen Ge said with a smile.

Cheng Shengnan admitted she wasn’t as composed as Shen Ge. If anything, Deng Yuqi and the Special Response Department’s appearance had only made her more uneasy about yesterday’s events.

Back at his desk, Shen Ge had just sat down when Old Zhao sidled over.

“Hey, who was that beauty earlier? A friend? Or a client?”

“A potential client.”

“Did you get her number? Hook me up with her WeChat.”

“You didn’t ask for it when she was here, and now you want me to hand it over? Come on, leaking client info is a surefire way to get reported,” Shen Ge said, exasperated.

“Ugh. What a shame. Missed my chance to meet a stunner.”

Shen Ge half-listened to Old Zhao’s chatter while working and scrolling through short videos on his phone, checking if any footage of yesterday’s incident had slipped through the cracks.

Ding.

A notification popped up.

“Dear BABA User, your discount coupon has arrived! Choose BABA for safe, affordable rides. No-show pickups guaranteed up to ¥15 compensation. Click >>******** Reply ‘R’ to unsubscribe.”**

A ride-hailing coupon?

The subway station was only a few hundred meters from the office. Unless he was running late, Shen Ge usually took the train.

But since he’d already finished his daily errands—no need to hit the supermarket—and the morning’s 10-kilometer run had drained him, he decided to use the coupon for a ride home.

…..

At the end of the workday, Shen Ge stepped out of the building and opened the BABA app to book a car.

“Only ¥2 after the coupon, and it’s a premium ride? Not bad.”

After confirming the ride, he went back to scrolling.

Two minutes later, another notification appeared:

“Hello, your premium ride has arrived.”

Shen Ge checked the app—the car was parked on the right side of the road. Looking up, he spotted a black Hongqi sedan.

He opened the rear door and slid inside. The driver started the car without a word, and the navigation display lit up with a robotic voice: “Starting navigation now.”

The driver, a middle-aged man, remained expressionless as he drove. Something felt off. Standard ride-hailing drivers were trained to confirm the passenger’s phone number upon pickup, yet this man hadn’t uttered a single word.

“Hey, sir, Chengdu Avenue’s gonna be packed this hour. How about we detour around Erxian Bridge?” Shen Ge tried to strike up a conversation.

The driver stayed silent.

“Sir, you’re speeding.” Shen Ge glanced at the dashboard—the needle was creeping toward 100 km/h. Outside, the usually congested evening roads were eerily empty, allowing the driver to accelerate unchecked.

“120 km/h in the city? What, did you train on Mount Akina?” Shen Ge braced himself against the seat, feet planted firmly.

Then, in a blink, the driver’s head vanished—replaced by a featureless wooden mannequin—before reverting to the cold-faced middle-aged man.

The car kept accelerating. At this speed, any collision would be fatal.

A supernatural entity?

But the system hadn’t issued any warnings at such close proximity.

Shen Ge frowned. Unless… this entity doesn’t exist four years from now. Would that mean the system wouldn’t detect it?

He peered through the windshield. The road ahead was completely deserted. If the driver didn’t swerve, the car would remain on course—safe for now, but this couldn’t go on indefinitely.

Though several emergency plans flashed through his mind, executing any of them would be tricky under these circumstances.

After a brief deliberation, Shen Ge decided to call in the professionals—both to test their ability to detect and handle supernatural threats and to see if they could actually help.

Keeping one eye on the driver (ready to use “Immobility” if necessary), he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

The call connected almost immediately.

“Hello, Officer Deng? I think I’ve run into another ghost.”