noveldepot Chapter 1 Anomaly
Chapter 1 Anomaly
7:40 a.m.
"Good morning, chef! I'd like two colorful venison buns, one assorted shumai, a pair of chicken wings, one popping dragon egg, and a glass of kala juice. Please pack them up!"
Three minutes later, Cheng Xu walked into the office carrying an insulated lunchbox, humming a little tune.
With his right hand unpacking the lunchbox, his left hand swiped quickly across his phone, searching for something to accompany his meal.
First in Interstellar History! Ancient Anomalous Remains from a Million Years Ago? The Anomaly Management Bureau Has Intervened.
An anomaly that downgraded from critical to alert level? The past and present of the Crystal Rock Tomb.
Ten little-known, harmless anomalies—if you know them all, I'm bowing down in admiration!
"Sure enough, whether it's their past life or this one, these self-media outlets always come up with such sensational headlines to grab attention."
After muttering to himself, Cheng Xu still clicked on the "Ten Harmless Abnormalities" video, propped his phone up on his desk, spread the food box all over the table, and began to enjoy his breakfast.
Since his sudden death from overwork in his previous life, Cheng Xu's soul has been reincarnated into this world for a full twenty-two years.
This parallel world has developed mature interstellar travel technology and a complete interstellar civilization system, and is currently in a vigorous stage of cosmic exploration and expansion.
Beyond the realm of science, there exists another type of thing in the world that defies common sense; these things are called "anomalies."
According to the official definition, anomalies can be understood as "loopholes and errors in the rules of the universe," a considerable portion of which possess the danger and uncontrollability to threaten the interstellar social order.
Given the widespread distribution and impact of anomalies, an organization dedicated to handling anomaly-related matters has emerged.
Abnormal Management Bureau.
The Interstellar Council is a directly subordinate agency responsible for managing, handling, and containing various anomalies and the events they cause, with influence reaching every corner of the explored universe.
Cheng Xu's current identity is that of a proud ordinary employee in the Chengmingxing Branch of the Anomaly Management Bureau!
After gradually regaining his memories of his past life at the age of five, he carefully investigated and analyzed the situation, and then set clear life goals and career plans.
While his classmates were flirting and exchanging glances, he was systematically studying "The Atlas of Interstellar Anomalies: Nova Calendar 6537 Revised Edition" on his own.
Even during his demanding high school and college years, he would still find time to review the "Standardized Abnormal Handling Manual".
According to his classmates and friends, Cheng Xu has always been seen as an oddball, out of step with his peers.
His assessment of this was, "Let him be a weirdo, young people just don't understand the beauty of weaving."
Cheng Xu is currently in the probationary period, but he already enjoys a salary five times that of Chengming Star's average salary, 30 days of paid annual leave per year, and other benefits stipulated in the system.
The last half of the venison bun was stuffed into my mouth. The soft yet chewy dough melted in my mouth, wrapped in fresh and hot juices. The tender yet slightly chewy venison tore between my lips and teeth, bringing a vibrant enjoyment to my taste buds.
A glass of Kara juice after a meal allows the cool, refreshing juice to sweep over every corner of the mouth, washing away food residue and odors.
After packing up his lunchbox, it was eight o'clock, and Cheng Xu began his workday.
"Brother Yu! The special warming solution for the [Solid Wall Metal Box] is almost used up. Remember to initiate the replenishment process on your end. The anomaly number is D-53984."
"Sister Xiang, have the death row inmates we borrowed from Xiongming District been delivered yet? [The Compassionate Chanter] has been lacking an audience for a long time; a riot is expected within twelve hours!"
"Director Hu, I just sent you a request for temporary borrowing of anomaly containment items. Could you please take a look when you have time?"
Cheng Xu's duties mainly involve the daily management and maintenance of some of the "safety-level" anomalous containment objects at the Chengming Star Branch, ensuring their safety and stability.
Based on the degree of danger, the Anomaly Management Bureau classifies all known anomalies into five levels: safe, alert, critical, catastrophic, and terminal, which are represented by the letters D, C, B, A, and S respectively.
Cheng Xu's work was anything but easy; in fact, it was quite complex and demanding. However, the salary and benefits offered to him by his employer made up for that.
All morning, Cheng Xu was busy dealing with various tasks, and the virtual projection keyboard was almost creating phantoms with his typing.
Fortunately, he has cultivated strong professional skills since childhood, which allows him to handle various matters in an orderly manner.
After lunch break, the afternoon remained busy. A new security-level anomalous containment item was brought back by the branch's special operations team, requiring Cheng Xu to handle the handover on-site and draft the corresponding containment report.
"Another fulfilling day."
At 5 p.m., Cheng Xu pressed the send button and sent the report to his direct supervisor, Director Hu. He glanced at the time, stretched, and waved to the workstation at the far end of the office.
"Director, I'm off work now."
"Okay, you've worked hard today, get some rest."
Director Hu, a middle-aged man with squinty eyes wearing a dark blue plaid shirt and black-rimmed glasses, nodded.
After greeting his colleagues, Cheng Xu picked up his bag and walked out of the office with light steps.
"First, I'll go to the cafeteria and get a plate of smoked roasted dragon meat, then pack some Bilou fruit slices and Kala juice to take back. Yesterday I pushed 'Qingxiao Zhi 2' to the last boss's door, I should be able to beat it today."
Half an hour later, Cheng Xu returned to his apartment-style staff dormitory, ate fruit and drank juice, and began the tense and exciting BOSS battle.
Unbeknownst to him, somewhere in the shadows below the apartment building, a combat command vehicle equipped with a curvature refraction concealment system and the Anomaly Management Bureau's most advanced detection devices was quietly lying in wait.
Four fully armed special operations team members stared at the monitor screen, their bodies tense.
"Calling command center, target anomaly S-009 has returned to its base! Calling command center!"
-----------------
Abnormal Management Bureau, Chengmingxing Branch.
Most ordinary employees in the branch office are unaware that there is an additional underground area beneath the main structure of the building where they work.
The building material of this underground area is Kenmaite crystal, which has been found to have the strongest comprehensive protective capabilities in the universe. Combined with the massive amount of weapons and ammunition stored within, it is sufficient to engage in a head-on positional war against the main combat force of any known civilization.
At this moment, in the command center located at the core of the underground area, countless precision instruments are operating at full capacity, and a large number of staff are busy moving around.
On the platform in the center of the command room, two figures stood side by side. One of them was none other than Cheng Xu's direct superior, Hu Zhou, the director of the Abnormal Control Section.
Beside him stood an elderly man with gray hair. If Cheng Xu were here, he would recognize him immediately; he had seen this old man during the final round of interviews for his job.
Chief of Chengmingxing Branch, Ke Bo.
The large screen directly in front of the two men displayed real-time monitoring footage transmitted from the command vehicle, in which the voices of special operations team members could be heard.
"...In summary, no abnormalities have been found. Report complete."
Kober nodded slightly: "Keep a close watch, don't let your guard down."
"Yes, Chief."
Only the staff's instructions and the low hum of the machines remained in the command room, and Kober's thoughts drifted back to six months ago.
The Anomaly Management Bureau is on the front lines of dealing with anomalies, often encountering all sorts of bizarre and strange phenomena. Given the nature of their work, the turnover rate of ordinary employees is not low, and each of their subordinate branches needs to recruit new staff every year to replenish their ranks with fresh blood.
The Administration's branches are located throughout various star systems, and the recruitment process varies, but the final interview is always the same.
On the surface, this round of interviews was a heart-to-heart talk and assessment between the branch leaders and the applicants, but in reality, it was the final review process led by the headquarters of the Anomaly Management Bureau.
In this stage, the catastrophic anomaly [All-Seeing Eye], located at headquarters and having established a cooperative relationship with the Administration, will separate one of its myriad gazes to conduct a conscious analytical examination of the interviewee.
This screening process can analyze applicants from the very essence of their souls, identifying and discerning any individuals with ulterior motives who are hostile to the Bureau of Anomalies.
The fact that the Bureau of Abnormal Affairs rarely has spies planted by other forces is thanks to this procedure.
Kober recalled that although the average number of applicants that day was good, very few met his expectations as the director, and overall he was not very satisfied.
But the young man who was interviewed last was the only one who spoke eloquently, had excellent professional skills, and possessed a clear understanding of his profession and a well-developed mindset. He was a perfect role model for employees of the Bureau of Abnormal Affairs.
After the interview, Kober specifically instructed his secretary that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the young man named "Cheng Xu" should be hired as the highest priority for the branch office.
Then an unexpected situation occurred.
Kober had barely returned to his office and hadn't even had a chance to catch his breath when the alarm blared throughout the precinct building. It was the highest level alarm that only headquarters had the authority to activate.
Almost simultaneously, an emergency communication from the Director General of the Bureau of Operations allowed Kober to understand the reason for the alarm.
Ten minutes ago, the anomaly [Myriad Crystal Eyes] within the headquarters suddenly suffered a severe blow. One-third of the anomaly's main body was directly erased out of thin air by an unknown force, and its mind and consciousness fell into extreme panic and confusion.
After investigation and tracing, the General Administration confirmed that at the moment when [Wanxiang Jingtong] was injured, it did nothing other than cast a glance at the Chengmingxing Branch for investigation.
Ten minutes ago was the exact time he was interviewing "Cheng Xu".
Kober's clothes were instantly soaked with sweat. If the root cause of the severe damage to the [All-Seeing Crystal Eye] was that seemingly ordinary young man... Kober knew exactly what that meant.
If it weren't for the steely mind forged by his long life experiences, Kober would probably have fainted on the spot.
With just a fraction of a glance, one can trace back to the true form of the [Myriad Manifestations Crystal Eye] and severely damage the anomaly of the catastrophic level across hundreds of millions of light-years.
Even now, recalling that terrifying moment, the old man who had been in charge of the Chengmingxing Branch for forty years still felt lingering fear and subconsciously looked at the unusual file he was holding in his hand.
[Cheng Xu (tentative name)] (Suspected terminal anomaly)
Number: S-009
Description: S-009 is a dangerous anomaly first identified by Chengming Star due to its severe damage to A-057 [Myriad Crystal Eyes]. From its appearance and behavioral logic to its self-awareness, S-009 is indistinguishable from a 22-year-old human male (whether this is an act is questionable). It possesses an extremely high level of status, making its exact purpose and inner nature unknowable. Currently, no aggressive, destructive, or proactive supernatural abilities have been found in this anomaly.
Containment procedures: Terminal anomalies cannot be contained.
Appendix 1: Observation Record
Subject of observation: S-009
Observers: The Anomaly Management Bureau's "Worker Bee" Special Operations Team (disguised as colleagues of the observed individuals)
Observation Report:
The subject of observation is warm and kind, possesses outstanding work ability, and has a serious work attitude. When communicating with others, the subject's self-perception is that of a human being.
The subjects observed were very satisfied with their current work and living environment and salary, especially the branch canteen and dormitory. During their holidays, the subjects would try to buy ingredients and cook, and invite close observers to their residences to eat together.
Note: The above report cannot determine whether there are any disguised elements; please exercise caution in your judgment.
……
Kober read the observation report again, then turned to look at the middle-aged man with black-rimmed glasses beside him.
"Old Hu, you've been seeing him for half a year now, haven't you noticed anything at all?"
After the incident, the General Administration immediately and secretly dispatched its most elite "Worker Bee" special operations team to the Chengmingxing Branch.
Kober met Hu Zhou twenty years ago during a large-scale operation and knew that the "Worker Bee" team leader was a true expert in abnormal countermeasures who had been through blood and fire.
Hu Zhou looked up at the sky and recalled his experiences over the past six months.
Upon receiving the urgent and top-secret mission, given the gravity of the situation, he and his team left their wills and immediately set off.
Upon arriving at the Chengmingxing branch, he immediately contacted the branch's leadership and replaced the branch personnel who might have come into contact with the mission objective with members of the "Worker Bee" team.
—Then Hu Zhou and his team worked diligently for half a year as ordinary employees at the Chengmingxing Branch.
All sorts of high-precision, high-yield weapons, the three new space-based orbital pulse towers that appeared on the Chengming Star orbit, and the determination of the "worker bee" team members to sacrifice themselves—none of them came in handy.
The management bureau was on high alert, as if it were facing the air.
Their mission is to calmly complete new employee training, calmly start their trial period, and calmly go to work. They cannot be described as harmless, but they are certainly not threatening.
The secretly collected biological samples were sent to various interstellar laboratories, and the conclusion was always that the person was "a completely ordinary person."
If the General Administration hadn't repeatedly confirmed it, Hu Zhou would definitely have thought there was some mistake.
How could such a cheerful, earnest, and positive young man be a world-ending anomaly of the highest danger level?
"Director, instructions from the General Administration."
The liaison officer's voice brought Kober and Hu Zhou back to reality, each lost in their own thoughts. They both looked up at the same time, and bright yellow text on a black background appeared on the large screen.
If no abnormalities are observed tonight, the next phase of the observation plan will begin tomorrow.