Otherworldly Affairs Office

Not long after Mu Fanchen received the call, Jiang Donghu, with bloodshot eyes, stared at the woman being forced into the business car. Clutching the phone that she handed to him before leaving, he felt the irony of being the one supposedly designated as her protector yet actually being protected by her. All he could do was follow her instructions and deliver this phone to her brother, Pei Yan.

Initially, Jiang Donghu didn't like this task. As a fifth-level Superpower Awakened, he had trained in the special forces for many years and was considered one of the elite members. Now, with the constant opening of interdimensional rifts and the Divine Desire Organization on the verge of action, it was the perfect time for him to display his skills. However, he was instead appointed to secretly lead a team to protect a woman named Pei Jin, and it had been half a year of this assignment.

Watching less capable comrades being sent to the front lines of various missions, experiencing bizarre battles, and boasting about their deeds upon their return, both he and his team members couldn't contain their frustration. He had submitted reports requesting reassignment on multiple occasions, hoping for someone more suitable to take on the role of protecting her, all of which were sternly rejected and earned him severe reprimands from his superiors.

He was unwilling, truly unwilling. Who exactly was this woman? Why did she need a temporary team of a fifth-level and three fourth-level Awakened for her protection? Was she the heiress of a billionaire? Even that wouldn't warrant such a level of protection!

But what could he do? An order was an order, and as the joke went, life is like being forced; if you can't resist, you might as well silently enjoy it.

Pei Jin could be considered a very "cooperative" protection target. Her lifestyle was very routine, mostly shuttling between work and home, and apart from the occasional overtime and weekend outings for dinner and movies, she rarely caused any trouble for the protection team. Jiang Donghu soon found his own amusement in this monotonous day-to-day task.

To his embarrassment, he gradually developed a liking for the protected girl. She had the tall stature typical of northern girls and, though not stunning compared to internet celebrities, her slightly chubby face carried a serious look when not smiling. Yet, once she smiled, it broke the facade, with shallow dimples rippling delight. Beyond any unforeseen circumstances, she mostly cooked for herself and took good care of herself, navigating life in a big city like Shanghai on her own.

More importantly, during their time together, she only had colleagues among her male acquaintances and no male friends, so this realization made Jiang Donghu, who had long been surrounded by singles, feel a flutter in his heart. Sometimes, he even secretly hoped that one or two oblivious members of the Divine Desire Organization would come along, giving him a chance to be the hero saving the damsel in distress.

And whether his prayers worked or not, the opportunity unexpectedly arrived.

On a summer night in Shanghai, the sky started to drizzle, and the cool breeze with the light rain swept away the sultriness brought by the high temperatures during the day. However, sitting inside the car, Jiang Donghu gradually became restless and uneasy. According to the latest report, Divine Desire had launched an attack on the Secret Prison. He was worried about the lives of his comrades in the warzone and anxious about the delayed return of Pei Jin, who should have been home by nine according to her usual schedule.

"Old Jiang, the target is about to enter the neighborhood." The voice of Zhang Tianlai, who was responsible for tracking and protection, came through the walkie-talkie. Only then did Jiang Donghu breathe a sigh of relief and casually asked, "Why so late today?"

"Oh, caring about your wife now? Look at you with your lack of resilience; she left the lab late today, seemed to have forgotten something and went back halfway, and then stopped by a convenience store, causing her to be late!"

Ignoring the banter from his comrade over the walkie-talkie, the sight of Pei Jin had already appeared within his view. Wearing a black raincoat and leisurely walking while carrying a bag of food in one hand, she approached and nodded with a smile as she passed his car window.

"Ah, she's back!" Jiang Donghu quickly nodded and smiled in response. This encounter had happened more than once. From the initial eye contact to openly acknowledging each other with this friendly gesture, he understood that she was well aware of what his group was doing, yet neither side chose to unveil the truth, living comfortably in this silent understanding.

"Yes! Bought some yogurt!" Pei Jin said as she lifted the plastic bag in her hand, tossing a box of yogurt through the car window before continuing on her way home.

"Thanks!" Jiang Donghu felt a sweetness in his heart as he rubbed the yogurt in his hand, leaning out of the car window to shout. Under the street lamp, Pei Jin lifted her hand to wave without looking back.

"Wow! Us two guys protected her all the way and got nothing, but you got lucky, you kid!" Zhang Tianlai, tailing Pei Jin from behind, leaned on the car's door, snatching the yogurt from Jiang Donghu's hand and drinking it without any concern for the opposition.

Amidst their banter, Zheng Bing, standing next to Zhang Tianlai with the intention of watching the spectacle, glanced over at Pei Jin, who was nearly at the building entrance. Suddenly narrowing his eyes, he lowly growled, "Stop messing around, something's wrong!"

The group stopped their squabbling and turned their heads at once, witnessing several figures emerge from two business cars parked in the darkness, barring Pei Jin's path. The leader seemed to be saying something as those around him formed a circle, encircling Pei Jin. Seeing this, Jiang Donghu didn't hesitate, jumping out of the car and quickly closing in.

"Who are you!" Jiang Donghu's figure flickered as he stepped into the crowd, standing protectively in front of Pei Jin, his wary eyes scanning the figures before him. Feeling the dangerous aura emanating from their bodies, his heart tightened, but he turned to comfort her once his teammates arrived at his side. "Miss Pei, don't be afraid; we'll protect you."

After observing Pei Jin's reaction, he swallowed down more words of comfort. In one hand, she held the food bag, and with the other, sipped on yogurt, showing no hint of fear under her composed expression. She nodded and smiled to show understanding at his words.

Pei Jin's calm demeanor eased the minds of Jiang Donghu's team. With eight people to deal with, protecting a panicked hostage prone to getting anxious would surely distract them, so her ability to remain calm was the greatest support she could provide their side.

"You're from the Investigation Department, right? Let me introduce myself; I'm Su Xiang from Divine Desire. As you might have guessed, we're here to take Miss Pei." A seemingly frail young man emerged from under a subordinate's umbrella, revealing a pale and thin face under the streetlight, politely nodding a greeting.

Su Xiang? Jiang Donghu furrowed his brow, unsure if the person in front of him was the figure mentioned in the report. Pondering this, he sneered sarcastically, "Do you think we would agree?"

"I never expected you to agree, which is why we're planning to take her by force!"