The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 180: The Investigators' Branch

The Friendship and Love Repair Shop, run by the Andreis brothers, was a rather long and complicated name for a nondescript building on the waterfront of the Snow Quarter in Port Roadster, Belfast.

Snow Quarter designated the area, Friendship and Love was the company name, and the repair shop was its stated purpose.

Like Old Man Pick's Laundry, the building's exterior was merely a facade. Unlike the laundry, however, there were no ordinary people here.

This workshop, most of which was located underground, was the secret branch of the Investigators in Belfast.

Hiding right in the city center, surrounded by ordinary folk, turned out to be much more effective than holing up in some remote, garrison-protected outpost.

Each of the three organizations had its own distinct style. The Night's Watch preferred openness—their headquarters was located next to city hall. The Investigators, on the other hand, were more casual and didn't place much importance on their location, usually setting up their branches in ordinary residential areas under the guise of some company. The Spirit Hunters, however, operated in secret and rarely appeared in public. They were most often found in dangerous, anomalous zones.

"Quite interesting, isn't it? An ordinary repair shop on the outside, but actually the Belfast branch of the Investigators," Tesla remarked, being the first to step through the inconspicuous entrance under a long row of signs. He took off his top hat, nodded to a man in overalls behind the counter, then put his hat back on and continued his conversation with Lu Li as they walked through the room.

"That said, you rarely see many Investigators here. They'd rather spend months on the road than sit around the office drinking tea."

Lu Li's gaze shifted from the man in overalls to his surroundings. Metal pipes of various sizes, wrenches, and other tools hung on the walls on either side of the entrance, creating the impression of an ordinary workshop.

It was early morning, and the workshop had no customers yet."Usually, there's one supervisor and a few Investigators on duty in shifts. It used to be decided by drawing lots, but after one poor soul got stuck here for three weeks straight, we switched to a rotation. The rest of the staff are from the Alliance. They handle maintenance, procurement, house calls to fix pipes for the locals, and other such matters," Tesla explained.

At the back of the room hung a dark curtain. Tesla raised his cane and pulled the curtain aside, revealing a large painting that covered the entire wall. It depicted a man in a cloak, his face hidden in shadow. A black hawk with outstretched wings sat perched on his extended arm, its head thrown back in a piercing cry.

It was a hidden door. Tesla swung his cane behind his back, approached the painting, and took a seal from his pocket, which he placed in the hawk's beak.

A strange mechanical whirring began, and the seal fell from the painting where the cloaked man's face should have been. Tesla caught it. The mechanical sound continued, now mixed with the grinding of gears. The painting slid apart from the man's hand, separating him from the hawk and revealing a hidden elevator behind it.

Tesla pocketed the seal, took up his cane again, opened the elevator's grille door, and stepped inside, continuing the conversation.

"Yes, you really can get your pipes fixed here. Just like you really can get your laundry done at Old Man Pick's."

As Lu Li entered the elevator, Tesla closed the door and pulled a lever.

The hum of machinery filled the space as the elevator shuddered and began its slow descent.

"Did I pass the investigators' trial?" Lu Li asked, watching as the painting behind the grille door closed and was replaced by the rough surface of the elevator shaft wall.

The fact that Tesla had brought him to the Investigators' branch could only mean one of two things: either he had passed the trial, or they were planning to arrest him.

"Yes, your case is a special one. The Allen Peninsula regional council voted unanimously to accept you into the Investigators. Provided, of course, you're not afraid of the dangers," Tesla replied, staring straight ahead with his back held rigid.

"You must understand that even though the aura doesn't affect you, your Mind Level can still drop. No one knows what will happen to you in the next stage. We are obligated to warn you for your own safety."

Tesla shrugged. "Although, I don't think you need any warnings. You're far more cautious than many veteran Investigators."

"So you brought me here for questioning?" Lu Li asked.

"Something like that. Aside from one supervisor who's currently on an assignment, all of the Belfast leadership is here, including myself, plus one regional supervisor from the Allen Peninsula. We'll also be running a trial for a few novices. You could say they're lucky to be here because of you."

"Do I have to participate too?" Lu Li frowned. He had no desire to answer psychological test questions again.

There was no point to it.

"Don't worry, for you it's just a formality," Tesla replied, looking down. The lower level of the Investigators' branch was already visible beneath the grille door.

He looked through the grille at the corridor beyond the door and added with a faint smile:

"After all, you're our prized recruit."

The elevator stopped with a slight shudder, and the hum of machinery died down. Tesla opened the door and turned to Lu Li.

"Welcome to the Belfast branch of the Investigators."

Dim light from electric lamps shone from above. An underground corridor stretched into the distance, with tangled metal pipes running along both sides, taking up most of the space and creating an oppressive atmosphere.

The place resembled a secret chamber for interrogating enemy spies.

"Exorcists are fond of the principle of equivalent exchange, and we Investigators are no exception. In return for answering our questions, headquarters will award you contribution points. You can exchange them for something you need. But before you can use those points, you'll need to get rid of that 'trainee' title," Tesla said as he stepped out of the elevator, addressing Lu Li, who followed behind him.

"A real trial?" Lu Li recalled the trainee investigator, the Inquirer.

"Exactly. I'll give you the details when I assign you the mission."

The corridor of tangled pipes continued straight ahead, but Lu Li noticed something unusual up ahead.

"I have a question," Lu Li said, looking ahead as he told Tesla about the letter from Remi and Jimmy.

"I thought you'd receive it a little later," Tesla replied with the same meaningful smile as before. He clearly knew something.

"And what does it mean?"

"The introduction to the investigator trial is just an Evil Spirit. Well, as you might have guessed, it's the creation of the first Exorcist. Its essence is a choose-your-own-adventure game book containing many story-chapters. Those who use its stories for the game usually receive letters from characters in the chapter they completed within a few days. Don't worry, they're just letters. Otherwise, we wouldn't use it for the trial."

"Especially since your ending was so perfect."

Lu Li remained silent, his gaze fixed on the end of the corridor.