I'm Actually Panicking Because My Heart Doesn't Beat (GL) - Chapter 39

Xing Tianqing drove for over half an hour with Guan Xiaoxuan before finally pulling up outside a large building on the outskirts of the city.

Only after passing through multiple layers of security and identity checks did she park the car inside the compound.

Guan Xiaoxuan had been observing their surroundings on the way in. This place was quite far from the city center, and she didn’t see any buses along the road. Without a private car, it would be pretty inconvenient to get here.

The building was surrounded by a fence over three meters tall, covered with barbed wire. It didn’t look like a typical office facility—more like a semi-enclosed prison.

Guan Xiaoxuan had expected the Bureau of the Strange to be some high-tech, glamorous kind of place like the ones on TV. But once inside, she realized it was actually quite ordinary—just heavily monitored, with security cameras installed at nearly every corner.

Aside from the high fences and all those cameras, the Bureau didn’t seem too different from any other government office.

It just lacked greenery. The place felt kind of empty and cold.

Xing Tianqing parked in a nearly deserted lot and got out of the car with Xiaoxuan. She pointed to a nearby three-story building and said, “Let’s go in and get your paperwork done first. Once that’s done, I’ll give you a tour of the place.”

Curious about everything, Guan Xiaoxuan nodded and followed her inside.

There weren’t many people around. The hallways were quiet, and all the doors were shut tight. You couldn’t hear a sound from behind them.

Xiaoxuan had been to office buildings before, but something about this place felt off.

The building was huge, yet barely anyone was around. The only sign that people even worked there were the nameplates beside the doors.

“After the paperwork, you’ll need to do a basic medical checkup,” Xing Tianqing said. “Don’t worry—it’ll all be done in under ten minutes. Once everything’s settled, you’ll just have to wait for the official notice.”

“A checkup?” Xiaoxuan’s heart skipped a beat. She instinctively placed a hand over her chest and frowned. “What kind of checkup?”

“Just a routine one,” Xing Tianqing replied after thinking for a moment. “Nothing to worry about.”

Looking at her companion’s back, Guan Xiaoxuan started to feel a little uneasy.

She knew her body wasn’t exactly normal anymore. She wasn’t sure if the Bureau’s tests might uncover something strange about her—which is what really worried her.

But now that she was already here, there was no turning back. And besides, she felt fine. Her thoughts were clear, her heartbeat was steady, and even when she got small cuts, her bl00d looked normal and the wounds healed just fine.

As long as they didn’t do any special tests, she figured she’d be okay.

With Xing Tianqing leading the way, the paperwork and checkup went by quickly.

Xiaoxuan felt nervous as she watched her bl00d being drawn from her elbow, but when she saw the bl00d was a healthy red, she finally relaxed.

Nothing unexpected happened.

After the bl00d draw, Xiaoxuan sat with a cotton swab pressed to the spot. Xing Tianqing leaned against the door, watching her with a smile. “All done. Your ID will be entered into the system in three days. Once you’ve rested, I’ll take you to check out the Bureau’s exchange system. You’ll be using it often.”

The points system was exactly what Xiaoxuan cared most about. Last time, the B-grade Exploding Talisman that Xing Tianqing exchanged for 20 points had saved her life. Without it, she’d still be stuck in the other world playing games with Haohua and the others.

That incident made her realize just how helpless she really was. She needed something—anything—that could protect her in a life-or-death situation. Otherwise, she wouldn’t stand a chance.

The world might still have its good side, but she’d gone through a lot just to get into the Bureau of the Strange. And what she wanted more than anything was access to that point exchange system. She didn’t want to waste another second.

“I’m ready,” she said, tossing the cotton swab and putting on her jacket. “Let’s go. I’m really curious.”

Xing Tianqing smiled at her eagerness. “Alright, let’s head over. It’s in the building next door.”

Outside, she pointed to a dark-colored structure. “See that metal box? That’s where everything is stored—one floor above ground, two floors below.”

As they walked, Xing Tianqing explained, “The Bureau of the Strange has branches all over the country. This one in Xinglin City is one of them. You might already know, but items you can exchange with points are divided into four levels: A, B, C, and D. A-grade items and some B-grade items are only kept at headquarters. You have to apply in advance to use them. Local branches only stock D-grade, some C-grade, and a few B-grade items.”

“These items fall into two categories: permanent items and one-time consumables. For example, the B-grade Exploding Talisman I gave you—that was a one-time item. But permanent items…”

She paused and turned back to Xiaoxuan. “Remember that golden book I used to hold off the Red Lady when she came to your house?”

“Of course,” Xiaoxuan said. She remembered it vividly—if it hadn’t been for that book, she probably would’ve died.

“That book’s a permanent item,” Xing Tianqing explained.

Xiaoxuan’s eyes lit up. “So how do you exchange for one of those? Are they common?”

“Permanent A-grade items are very rare,” Tianqing said. “For the other levels, you can either use points for one-time use, which usually costs between 10 to 100 points, or you can exchange a large number of points to make it your own. That takes at least 3,000 points—and sometimes way more.”

That made Xiaoxuan think of the special items that sometimes dropped in the Otherworld. This points-based system felt a lot fairer, and the items seemed stronger too. Now that she was an official auxiliary member of the Bureau, there was no need to risk her life chasing random loot anymore.

She just needed the final push.

Clearly, she had to focus on getting herself a strong offensive item—otherwise, she’d be completely defenseless in a real fight.

As they walked, Xing Tianqing continued explaining the system, and Xiaoxuan asked lots of questions. When they reached the black building, Xiaoxuan noticed it had only one heavy, windowless door.

It took several layers of verification before the massive door—at least as thick as a forearm—slowly opened.

Despite the black exterior, the inside was stark white, so bright it almost hurt her eyes.

A young woman in a white lab coat came out to greet them with a cheerful smile. “Captain Xing! Long time no see. I didn’t get any exchange request from you—what brings you here today?”

Xing Tianqing smiled back. They seemed to know each other well. She pointed to Xiaoxuan and said, “A new recruit. I’m showing her around.”

“A new member?” The woman looked at Xiaoxuan with surprise and then chuckled. “It’s been ages since we had new bl00d. And she’s such a pretty girl too! How old are you? Have you graduated yet?”

“Not yet,” Xiaoxuan replied with a smile. “I’m a sophomore in college.”

“Sophomore?” The woman looked at Xing Tianqing and joked, “You really are a devil—recruiting kids now?”

Xing Tianqing chuckled awkwardly. “If she qualified for auxiliary personnel, she’s got what it takes. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have made it in.”

The woman nodded in agreement. Then she extended her hand to Xiaoxuan with a bright smile. “Nice to meet you. I’m Lin Weiwei from the Xinglin City Bureau’s Points Exchange Center.”

Xiaoxuan shook her hand and replied, “I’m Guan Xiaoxuan, a sophomore at the Teachers’ College.”

“No need to be so formal—we’ll probably be seeing a lot of each other,” Lin Weiwei said with a grin. “But just so you know, even if we become best friends, I can’t give you extra points. Everything here follows strict rules.”

Xiaoxuan nodded seriously. She hadn’t expected to get any special treatment anyway.

Once the introductions were done, Xing Tianqing turned to Lin Weiwei. “Mind if I show her around? Or would you rather give me the access card and let us go on our own?”

Lin Weiwei pulled out a work ID from her pocket and handed it over like she was passing a sacred item. “I’ve got stuff to finish in the office. Just give me a heads-up when you’re done.”

As Lin Weiwei walked off, Xing Tianqing turned to Xiaoxuan with a wry smile, waved the card, and said, “Let’s go. I’ll give you the tour.”

Thanks to the tour, Guan Xiaoxuan learned that the black building was the Xinglin City Bureau’s official Points Exchange Center. The first floor held D-grade items—some disposable talismans and traps cost between 5 to 10 points. There were also weapons more powerful than standard ones. For example, a modern firearm capable of harming supernatural beings cost 5 points for one-time use, but if you wanted to own it permanently, it would cost 8,000 points. And you’d have to exchange more points for the special anti-paranormal bullets it used—not cheap.

The first basement held pricier C-grade items. The lowest level, which stored B-grade items, wasn’t accessible to Xiaoxuan due to her current auxiliary status.

After counting points earned from previous events involving the Red Lady and Cheng Yi, she had about 65 points. Once she received her rewards from the orphanage incident, she might have around 100 in total.

But she couldn’t use those points for B-grade items yet. All she could do was choose something useful from the C and D grades.

Xiaoxuan thought about it for a long time. Xing Tianqing was right—some items were better off used once than trying to own them forever. The cost was just too high.

By the time they finished exploring everything they could, night had fully fallen. Xing Tianqing took Xiaoxuan to the Bureau’s cafeteria for dinner, then drove her home.

At her doorstep, Xing Tianqing said, “Once your paperwork’s done in three days, I’ll bring you to meet the rest of our team. You’ve already met most of them, but a proper introduction is still important.”

“Sure,” Xiaoxuan smiled. “I’m free anytime. Just let me know.”

Xing Tianqing nodded and smiled back. “Go get some rest. You’ve had a long day.”