Chapter 44: Overtime Shift

He had a document just like this one—his read “Special Office of the Cultural Bureau.”

As an official Apostle, Lin Xun quickly confirmed that the document wasn’t forged.

Why would someone from the Armed Division try to attack me?

The man hadn’t summoned a Shell, nor had he tried to kill him outright—it meant he hadn’t intended to end Lin Xun’s life.

So the most likely explanation was: he just wanted to beat me up.

But why?

Then it hit him—he was having dinner outside with none other than the Armed Division’s beloved darling: Lu Caiyi.

Suddenly, everything made sense.

“Heh! Old bastard!”

“You’re old enough to be her dad, yet you’re still trying to compete for affection like some jealous brat. No shame at all!”

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. If he hadn’t reacted quickly, he probably would’ve been on the receiving end of a beatdown tonight.

Eyes narrowing, Lin Xun grabbed the burly man by the collar and dragged him over to a bathroom stall.

With a casual swing, he hurled the man into the VIP cubicle, slammed the door shut, and walked out of the restroom like nothing had happened—calm and unbothered.

After relieving himself, Lin Xun felt fully restored and back in fighting condition.

Back at the table, the white-clad girl had a faint flush from the alcohol, her cheeks tinged rose-pink—absolutely radiant.

Having just laid out an Armed Division member, Lin Xun casually steered the conversation toward the Armed Division, asking Lu Caiyi about its operations.

Buzzed from the alcohol, the girl was especially cooperative. She spilled everything—from mission procedures to responsibilities to pay and benefits—like she was pouring out beans.

Just as he was about to toast her again, his phone rang.

It was a call from the black-stocking wearing lady boss.

‘Huh? What’s the boss calling this late for?’

He answered. On the other end, Li Xingyue’s voice rang out. “Lin Xun, come to the office. Logistics finished early—we’ve got some overtime work.”

“…”

Didn’t they say work at the Bureau was supposed to be relaxed?

He hadn’t even taken one full day off and now he had to work overtime…

Lin Xun wanted to cry. He was hoping to drink the night away with Lu Caiyi and let her see firsthand what happened when someone dared to provoke him. But suddenly, his boss called him in to work overtime.

“What’s wrong? Inconvenient for you?” Came the sultry voice of the black-stocking beauty.

Lu Caiyi clearly overheard the call. She smiled gently and motioned to Lin Xun that it was okay—he should go handle it.

“No, it’s fine. I’ll head to the office right away.”

Just as he was about to apologize for having to leave, Lu Caiyi’s phone rang too—also a call from Team Leader Li, summoning her for overtime.

Lin Xun more or less figured out what this “overtime” was really about.

But… Why call Lu Caiyi in too?

Both were a little confused, but Li Xingyue hadn’t explained on the phone, so there wasn’t much to ask.

Lin Xun paid the bill, and the two left the restaurant together. He was about to flag a taxi, but Lu Caiyi gestured for him not to.

The girl’s ride was a white Mercedes-Benz C-Class, conveniently parked near the entrance with a valet.

They got in and headed to the Cultural Bureau.

Lin Xun was a little envious. He had a mount too—a towering horse over three meters tall—but that obviously couldn’t be used for everyday commuting.

He made a mental note to save up for a car soon.

—

Inside the restaurant.

A group of middle-aged men were drinking heartily, playing drinking games, and having a grand old time.

Suddenly, one of them asked.

“Hey, where’s Old Wang?”

“You drunk already? He said he went to take a leak.”

“No, you’re drunk! I’m saying—it’s been way too long. Isn’t he done by now?”

“Yeah, even if he had a bad stomach, he should be out by now. Think he passed out from drinking?”

The group couldn’t believe it. Old Wang was a beast when it came to drinking—he could take them all on solo, no problem. How could he pass out?

“Let’s go check the bathroom.”

They marched over, and after a bit of searching, they found a man awkwardly slumped upside down inside one of the stalls.

“Oh shit—ain’t this our big, loudmouth Old Wang?”

“Damn, not even halfway through and he can’t tell a toilet from a bed.”

“Old Wang, never thought we’d see you like this. Man, this is rich.”

“Burp, you move three steps aside. I’m getting a picture.”

“Right! A moment like this deserves to be captured.”

“We should take a group photo. I’ll have my son print copies for everyone to frame at home.”

“Brilliant idea!”

“Alright, everyone look here—one, two, three, cheese!”

The men gathered around the unconscious Old Wang, making peace signs, thumbs-up gestures, even heart poses… The photo was immortalized in digital glory.

—

The car pulled up to the front gate of the Cultural Bureau. Lin Xun rolled down the window and greeted the security guard.

The old guard gave a knowing smirk at the man and woman in the backseat and waved them through.

The car stopped at the public parking lot inside the Cultural Bureau. A familiar black G-Class SUV sat parked nearby. The valet quietly shut off the engine and walked away.

“Ah—” Lu Caiyi let out a soft yelp, as if something suddenly occurred to her.

She quickly pulled out a compact mirror and checked herself—her face was flushed red. She sniffed at her collar and could clearly smell alcohol.

Beside her sat Lin Xun, obviously also buzzed.

Lu Caiyi covered her forehead in exasperation.

Great… If I walk into work with him like this, it’ll be impossible to explain—even with three mouths.

She spoke in a guilty, flustered tone, “Lin Xun… maybe you should go up first?”

Lin Xun caught on immediately—he understood what she meant.

But trying to dodge suspicion like that would only make things look more suspicious. Better to be honest and say they had a drink together—normal socializing between coworkers.

After a moment of hesitation, Lu Caiyi’s hand suddenly glowed with a soft white light.

The redness in her cheeks faded, and the signs of alcohol vanished completely—she no longer looked like she had been drinking at all.

Lin Xun’s eyes widened.

Was that… a sobering item?!