novelraw Chapter 16: Special Office of the Cultural Bureau
Chapter 16: Special Office of the Cultural Bureau
After dealing with the Corrupted Blacksmith, the forge held no further value for exploration.
Lin Xun exited the blacksmith’s Shell and possessed the Blood Sun Cultist, heading toward Lord Fox’s castle.
[The vast crescent moon in the sky seems close enough to touch—you can even make out the shadows and contours on its surface. The slightly harsh moonlight bathes the entirety of Saint Rance as if submerged in snow.]
[Silent white becomes this world’s only color.]
[You follow the path forward…]
[At the end of the road, the massive stone castle, which should be clearly visible under the moonlight, is tightly entwined with thick, crimson plant roots. As far as the eye can see, an unknown, enormous shadow silently envelops the entire castle, forming the only blemish in this snow-white world.]
[You arrive before the castle gates.]
[The plant roots beneath the unknown shadow are thick and dense, sealing the castle doors completely.]
[Will you cut through these roots to open the castle gates?]
A faint sense of caution stirred in Lin Xun’s heart.Unknown enormous shadow. Dense plant roots.
At first glance, these words practically spelled out a giant red “DANGER” sign.
But right now, aside from forcing the gates open, he had no other options.
[You step forward and swing your greatsword. The dense roots split apart, oozing a blood-like sap.]
[All the plant roots covering the castle walls lash out at you like enraged serpents…]
[You died!]
Lin Xun sighed and spread his hands helplessly.
The text description had already hinted that the roots outside the castle weren’t ordinary.
Following the game’s natural progression, this outcome wasn’t surprising.
Now, his Soul Strength was down to 1, and both the Paladin of Discipline and the Blood Sun Cultist had perished—he couldn’t continue playing.
Seeing that it was almost midnight, Lin Xun exited the game and went to sleep.
—
The next morning.
As soon as Lin Xun opened his phone, he received a text message:
[In accordance with the relevant provisions of the XXX Law of Huaxia, XXX Recruitment Regulations, and XXX Examination and Employment Report, Comrade Lin Xun has met the qualifications for the applied position. Having passed the written examination, interview, physical examination, and background check, you are hereby notified of your preliminary acceptance as a civil servant.]
[Please report to the Special Office of the Cultural Bureau in Wen City as soon as possible.]
[For related announcements, please visit XXXX website.]
???
Didn’t I bomb the interview?
Lin Xun’s face was a picture of utter confusion.
Not to mention, he hadn’t even gone through post-interview procedures like the physical examination or background check—how could he have been directly hired?
He quickly booted up his computer and, instead of visiting the link in the text, logged into the official civil service recruitment announcement website.
His eyes widened.
His name was clearly listed in the public notice, with the hiring unit being the Wen City Cultural Bureau.
After racking his brain for a while, he still couldn’t make sense of it.
“Do I… have connections I don’t know about?”
Aside from that thought, he couldn’t come up with any other plausible explanation.
“Whatever the reason, I’ve been hired. Right now, reporting to the unit is the top priority!”
Changing into presentable clothes, Lin Xun took a taxi downstairs.
The ride was short—less than five minutes later, the car stopped in front of an administrative office complex.
Entering the Cultural Bureau’s compound, he found it eerily quiet, with not a single person in sight.
At the center stood the main Cultural Bureau building, while adjacent to it was a modern three-story annex labeled—Special Office of the Cultural Bureau.
After checking with the security guard at the entrance, Lin Xun entered the annex—the so-called Special Office.
Inside the spacious lobby, a delicate-looking young woman stood behind the reception desk.
Before he could speak, she smiled at him and said softly, “Mr. Lin, please wait a moment.”
Then, she picked up the landline and dialed a number.
Lin Xun waited patiently, taking the opportunity to glance around.
The expansive lobby had a reception desk at the front and an elevator nearby.
Two long corridors branched out to the left and right, lined with neatly arranged offices.
Before long, the elevator doors opened.
Out stepped a young, attractive girl with short hair.
Her eyes sparkled with lively energy, and she seemed to be wearing colored contacts.
She flashed him a bright smile, revealing a row of pearly white teeth.
“Follow me, rookie.”
Lin Xun blinked.
This atmosphere feels… off. Doesn’t seem like a normal government office.
The short-haired girl led him into an empty office nearby.
Pouring him a cup of hot tea, she introduced herself:
“I’m Ye Xiaoqi, a member of the Special Office of the Cultural Bureau. From now on, we’re colleagues.”
Lin Xun had a million questions.
He had applied for a clerical position in the Cultural Bureau—how had he been transferred to this “Special Office”?
And what even was this Special Office?
He’d never heard of it before, and there were no traces of it online.
Noticing his confusion, Ye Xiaoqi grinned mischievously.
She extended her small, fair hand—and like magic, two glowing bookmarks materialized in her palm!
[Invasion Bookmark (Item): Use this to invade another Apostle’s chapter. Defeating them will grant you unexpected rewards.]
[Guardian Bookmark (Item): Obtained after successfully repelling an invasion. Gift this to a Book Friend to be summoned when they’re invaded, allowing joint defense.]