Chapter 347 The Ability Bureau’s Cooperation

Seeing this, Lin Nan smiled and introduced, “Morning Light is an executor who just got assigned to this area, at my level. It’s really a coincidence; I was quite surprised when Morning Light said he knows you guys.”

“Not just knows, we actually added each other as friends in the game,” Morning Light replied with a consistent smile, “Aren’t you going to invite us in for a sit?”

Ling Mo turned to look at Xia Xinyan and then stepped aside to let them in: “Are you two police officers here to check the water meter?”

“We can’t afford to check your water meter,” Lin Nan chuckled, shaking his head, “If we really checked, we might not be able to leave this place.”

Currently, Chicks has gained some notoriety in this area. Under the management of the Fat One, the number of Chicks members has been steadily increasing; while they can’t be considered a major force yet, they definitely hold great potential, especially with the possible backing of the Summer Family—also known as New Dawn. So, no one can really guess how high Chicks will rise in the future.

To put it another way, even if we don’t mention Chicks, just speaking of Ling Mo and Xia Xinyan alone, despite the fact that two anonymous names still linger on the leaderboard, those in this circle already have a solid guess about who they are. If these two teamed up, Lin Nan and Morning Light wouldn’t have much confidence in beating them.

Fortunately, they weren’t here to cause trouble, and what they needed right now was precisely this power.

Ling Mo returned to the kitchen to turn off the stove, then poured some tea for the guests. Xia Xinyan also returned from the balcony to the living room, sitting in front of the two, and asked, “So what brings you here this time?”

Before Lin Nan and Morning Light could speak, Ling Mo sat beside her and quietly asked, “Xinyan, are you hungry? How about we grab a bite to eat first?”

Xia Xinyan: “…”

Does this guy ever know when to be appropriate?

—Ling Mo certainly knows when to be appropriate.

But is the occasion more important than Xinyan?

Besides, these two came looking for them, not the other way around, so their priority is even lower.

If you asked him, he just wanted to complain about why these two had to show up at dinner time.

Lin Nan seemed to understand it was their fault for interrupting, so he didn’t dwell on it and simply smiled while stating their purpose: “We hope Chicks can help the Ability Bureau maintain stability in our city, mainly to handle ability-related criminal cases.”

After a brief pause, he continued, “In recent days, the number of ability-related crimes nationwide has skyrocketed. The Ability Bureau is still in its developmental stage and is short-staffed, making it hard to handle all the cases. So we need your assistance. This is our shared city, and maintaining the city’s stability is also our joint responsibility. Therefore, I hope Chicks can lend a hand.”

The Ability Bureau was indeed struggling at the moment. Ability-related crimes were entirely new offenses; in terms of both the law and handling them, they were as blank as a sheet of paper. Many incidents left even them uncertain about the best ways to address them, and the higher-ups were a complete mess, but even more so was the Ability Bureau.

It’s essential to arrest any criminals, but the problem is the Ability Bureau’s staffing issue—not just a lack of quantity but also a lack of strength. For instance, if Ling Mo were to commit a crime, it’s likely that the entire city’s Ability Bureau officers together wouldn’t stand a chance against him, let alone catching him.

As a result, even figures like Lin Nan and Morning Light, who are high-ranking in the bureau, have had to personally go out and catch criminals, showing just how dire the situation has become.

They need assistance, but the country isn’t in a position to provide much support, so the best and most helpless solution is to find independent forces to cooperate with.

Upon hearing their intent, Xia Xinyan couldn’t help but feel surprised.

In her past life, the Ability Bureau only realized they were undermanned after suffering significant losses and losing personnel twice. This time, however, they understood right from the start due to the lack of manpower.

This totally makes sense.

However…

“Maintaining city stability is indeed our duty, but you should also understand our situation. Chicks hasn’t fully developed yet; it’s hard for us to send personnel to maintain stability in this current state.” Xia Xinyan shrugged slightly, “Let’s skip the flattery; since you came here, I guess it wouldn’t be just this set of childish tactics you’re trying to use.”

Morning Light chuckled helplessly: “You really don’t pull any punches, do you? We used to run dungeons together… Alright, let’s be straightforward. The Ability Bureau will guarantee your compliance rights in the future, and your assistance this time is not just a temporary employment situation but a cooperative relationship with the Ability Bureau. Moreover, if you’re willing, this relationship can be sustained indefinitely.”

“And to add one more thing, allow us to use the Ability Bureau’s resource network—under the premise that it doesn’t infringe on the interests of the Ability Bureau.” Xia Xinyan stated seriously.

Lin Nan immediately shook his head: “No, that’s crossing the line.”

The term “resource network” encompasses a broad range; it’s neither too big nor too small, including intelligence networks and various platforms, all of which can fall under that category.

This is also the biggest advantage the Ability Bureau has compared to all other forces—after all, it’s backed by the state. Even though its grip on power is gradually diminishing, the foundation built by the state machinery over the years cannot be dissolved overnight.

Xia Xinyan narrowed her eyes slightly: “Don’t be so quick to refuse. Since you say it’s a cooperation, we will show our sincerity—we can take out the space watch that transfers to reality as an early warning, and regarding the content of the warning… if you agree, I can consider revealing it to you.”

Ling Mo understood her meaning at that moment and immediately said with a smile: “Do you remember the invasion incident Xinyan predicted before? We know far more than you might think. Collaborating with us would definitely be advantageous.”

Lin Nan paused slightly.

He indeed had considered this point before and even mentioned visiting Chicks regarding these matters. If they could disclose more useful information, then the Ability Bureau—or even all of humanity—could prepare ahead of time.

For example, regarding the earlier invasion incident, if they hadn’t prepared at all back then, the impact caused by the invasion would have been significantly worse. Xia Xinyan’s actions essentially saved countless lives.

But how she knew these things had always intrigued Lin Nan.

However, if he were to agree to their condition… Lin Nan was not sure he could make that promise, as this condition involved the entire Ability Bureau, not just a division, and his current position couldn’t make such significant decisions.

But Morning Light could: “Okay, we agree to this condition. Does that count as establishing a cooperative relationship?”

Saying this, he smiled again: “If you’re still concerned, we can even sign a cooperation agreement.”

Xia Xinyan then scrutinized him for a moment.

This guy… seems to be quite the character too…