"My name is Mo Xuan. I'm 23 years old. My house is on the second floor of the Sixth Street cafe, and I am not married."
"I have just graduated from the police academy and have not yet received a formal post. I get home every day by 8 PM at the latest."
"I don't smoke, and I only drink in moderation. I go to bed at 11 PM and make sure to get eight hours of sleep. Before bed, I have a glass of warm milk and then do 20 minutes of stretching. I usually sleep soundly until morning."
"Like a baby, I wake up without any fatigue or stress, ready to face the next day. The results of my health check-up also show that I am very healthy."
In an interview room at the New Eridu Public Security Bureau, a young man with black, spiky hair was speaking eloquently to the interviewers. His name was Mo Xuan, an outsider who had arrived in this strange, surreal world by accident. For certain special reasons, he had chosen to interview at the Public Security Bureau to become a glorious police officer.
The above was Mo Xuan's self-introduction. In truth, he didn't want to say all this. He had originally planned to be more serious to secure a job at the Public Security Bureau—a stable, iron rice bowl. However, the original interviewer didn't show up. Instead, two masters arrived.
Mo Xuan had entered the interview room first. As he sat waiting, two slender figures pushed open the door. One was a petite woman, whom he subconsciously ignored. His gaze fell on the other's curvaceous back, and that one glance was enough to stun Mo, who had been single since birth.
This Public Security Bureau uniform had several variations. Some were specially designed to handle monsters like the Ethereals at a moment's notice. For example, a pair of super tight leather pants, so tight they encased everything below the hips. Due to technical limitations, they were almost completely non-breathable inside—the kind that would bulge if you farted.
Generally speaking, such tight pants weren't a big deal. On a man or an ordinary woman, they looked just fine. But the figure of the female officer before him was simply too good. Her long, shapely thighs led up to a nearly perfect pair of buttocks, so full that you could see a distinct overflow from behind. Looking further up at her lower back, one would be captivated by her slender waist. As large as you could want on the bottom, as slim as you could want on top.
The hip-to-waist ratio was simply divine. The impact from behind was immense; Mo Xuan almost died from a nosebleed.
Adding to that, the female officer's chest jiggled as she walked. Mo Xuan wondered how such a slender waist could support her body. But on second thought, this world was already abstract enough. You could see girls with shark tails on the street. There was no need to dwell on it.
"The original interviewer's wife suddenly went into labor, so Senior Qingyi and I will be taking over the interview today."
After the two female officers sat down, the taller, beautiful woman spoke. She had black hair like Mo Xuan, but perhaps due to genetics, she had strands of naturally highlighted orange hair. There weren't many, just a few streaks mixed in. Her long hair was tied into a practical ponytail that fell down her back, but because of its enviable volume, it looked like a fluffy fox's tail.
Mo Xuan recognized the beautiful officer before him. Her name was Zhu Yuan, this year's Best Young Public Security Officer. From the moment she joined, she had shown her brilliance, outshining all her peers with top scores in every subject. She had now become an important figure within the Bureau. She was even the same age as Mo Xuan. She often appeared in magazines and newspapers to promote crime prevention and was very popular among the public.
Mo Xuan hadn't expected Zhu Yuan to be his interviewer. She looked much prettier than in the newspapers. And knowing her only through limited photos, how could he have known she was hiding such a figure? Mo Xuan was a man, and a young one at his peak. Encountering such a woman, it was inevitable for him to have some thoughts. If he wasn't moved by this, wouldn't that mean he'd lost his function?
Facing the beautiful officer Zhu Yuan, Mo Xuan forgot almost all the interview lines he had prepared. He only remembered some famous scenes and naturally blurted them out, which made the two female officers in front of him show a peculiar expression.
"Senior Qingyi, is this okay?"
Zhu Yuan was indeed decisive and swift when catching criminals, but at other times, she unexpectedly showed the shyness and immaturity of a girl her age, always asking for the opinion of her seniors.
The senior called Qingyi was much shorter than Zhu Yuan, her figure looking completely undeveloped. She had dark green hair in twin tails and looked quite cute. However, from the mold line on her thigh, one could tell that this was not a human structure. As for her other secrets, they would naturally be revealed after getting to know her better.
"Isn't this self-introduction quite good? He said everything he needed to say. We know his schedule is regular; he's a fine young man."
Qingyi said calmly. Mo Xuan's self-introduction was original, more interesting than those who gave stereotypical introductions. Of course, this alone was not enough to be the standard for judgment.
"Indeed. Then I'll continue asking." Zhu Yuan nodded. This movement made her ponytail sway gently. Then, her two bright, orange eyes fell on Mo Xuan. The interview continued.
"You've applied to join the combat division's Criminal Investigation Special Operations Unit. I must remind you that inside a Hollow, we will inevitably have to fight Ethereals. Do you know what a mistake means?"
Zhu Yuan said with a serious expression. The Public Security Bureau accepted new recruits every year, and every year it also sent new recruits away—the kind sent away draped in the Bureau's flag. There was something she didn't know if she should say: the survival rate for officers fighting in a Hollow was low, terrifyingly low.
"Death."
Mo Xuan nodded calmly. The world he had lived in before had no supernatural powers, and certainly no setting where you could pass through a spatial rift into an anomalous domain. But this world did. "Hollow" was the name for these anomalous domains, and inside were countless monsters called Ethereals. The Bureau's Special Ops Unit was responsible for fighting these Ethereals during certain missions.
"Even so, are you willing to join? This is the department with the highest mortality rate."
Zhu Yuan continued to ask. The interview was, of course, a test of a person's resolve. If Mo Xuan hesitated or backed down now, it wouldn't be unacceptable. This was a department where you had to risk your life. If you were afraid, you could do clerical work. No one would look down on him.
Mo Xuan stood up from his chair, raised his right hand, and gave Zhu Yuan a thumbs-up. This action made her a little confused, but she soon heard him continue.
"Officer Zhu Yuan, please do not underestimate a man's resolve. Why did I apply to the police academy? Of course, it was to protect innocent people from harm. Without the sacrifices made by our officers, there would be no peaceful life for us citizens. In this world, there must always be people who sacrifice to bring peace and prosperity to others. You can, Senior Qingyi can, so why can't I?"
Mo Xuan said this righteously. Half of it was true, the rest held a bit of selfish intent. But even with selfish intent, Mo considered himself to be on the side of justice. Judge by actions, not by heart. The underlying logic of this world was very simple: as long as you fought against the Ethereals, you were righteous.
"My heart and my actions are as clear as a mirror. All that I do is for justice."
Mo Xuan spoke these soul-stirring words. Qingyi and Zhu Yuan were moved by this famous quote that had not yet been overused. Even if he was bragging, he did it with more culture than others.
"My, my, it's been a long time since I've met such an energetic young man. I remember the last few who joined, their legs went soft just hearing they had to enter a Hollow. I hope you're not the type who's all talk."
Qingyi showed a kind smile. She believed Mo Xuan wasn't that type of person, but a necessary test was still needed. That would be for a later day.
"Of course not," Mo Xuan said seriously.
"Let me see, your file says your area of expertise isn't offense, nor is it agility or intelligence, but endurance?" Zhu Yuan looked down at Mo Xuan's file. His grades at the police academy were good, otherwise, he wouldn't have made it to the interview. But this specialty made her a little confused, so she asked about it.
"That's right. At the police academy, they gave me the nickname 'Legendary Durable King.' Build the tankiest, take the hardest hits. My survivability is maxed out."
Mo Xuan sat down again, patting his chest loudly. Endurance meant defense, survivability, which was why he was confident in joining the most dangerous department.
"Is that so?" Zhu Yuan's expression was a bit dazed, but she quickly recovered. There were heavy-defense types in the Special Ops Unit too. She could just classify Mo Xuan in that category. But this also meant the danger level would rise sharply, as heavy-defense types always had to be at the forefront, taking the attacks.
"Pfft, hahaha! Zhu Yuan, this kid is super interesting! Let's take him. I want to see how durable he is."
Qingyi couldn't help but burst out laughing. As she laughed, she stamped his file, indicating that Mo Xuan had passed the interview. She really liked his personality. With him joining, the Special Ops Unit wouldn't be boring.
"Alright, then you've passed this interview. You can familiarize yourself with the Bureau's environment for now. Come to work tomorrow." Zhu Yuan nodded, indicating she had no objection either. Applying to join the Special Ops Unit had its bonus points. This place was perennially short-staffed, and casualties were normal. The higher-ups at the Bureau wished for cannon fodder to join every day. In the early stages, everyone was cannon fodder, including the former Zhu Yuan. Only by surviving one fierce battle after another and showing your edge could you stand out from the ordinary and become an elite. This was the unwritten, cruel trial.
"Yes, Officer!"
Mo Xuan saluted Zhu Yuan and Qingyi with a smile. They returned the salute, then packed their things and left the interview room to return to their work.
"Little Zhu Yuan, did you see his gaze just now?"
After returning to the Special Ops office, Qingyi nudged Zhu Yuan's full, round buttocks with her arm and said. She was too petite; this was the only place she could reach.
"What gaze?"
Zhu Yuan was slow to react to being touched by someone of the same sex and didn't feel like she was being taken advantage of. She just asked with confusion.
"The way he looked at you. That's the way a man looks at a woman."
Qingyi said meaningfully. She wasn't a senior for nothing. Zhu Yuan was outstanding in her personal abilities, but in matters of romance, she was a complete novice.
"I am a woman. And his file says he's a man. What's wrong with that?" Zhu Yuan tilted her head, took out Mo Xuan's file, and looked at it again. She didn't see anything wrong and looked very puzzled.
"Sigh, the Best Young Public Security Officer."
Qingyi sighed, throwing her hands up in a gesture of helplessness. She could teach experience, but she couldn't teach someone how to be savvy.
"Senior Qingyi, you always speak in riddles."
Zhu Yuan complained a bit. This was also a daily routine in the Special Ops Unit. When there were no cases, there was always laughter to be heard here.
In the interview room, Mo Xuan stood up and walked to the window, looking down at the street below the second floor. The smile on his lips gradually widened, and he clenched his fist and placed it on his chest.
"Yare yare daze. I'm finally in. A man is born between heaven and earth. What he does and does not do is all decided in a single thought. I will not fail this power."
Mo Xuan said these words in the most joyous tone. A red afterimage flashed past the window, its small body gleaming with a metallic red light, as if responding to his words.