I'm Actually Panicking Because My Heart Doesn't Beat (GL) - Chapter 51

Strictly speaking, Guan Xiaoxuan wasn’t part of the redemption center staff, so she only wore a white coat, no protective gear. She stood in a corner of the lobby, watching the serious expressions around her.

It was just some redemption items—why so serious?

Guan Xiaoxuan watched the black armored transport vehicle pull up slowly in front of the eerie bureau, enter through the gate, and stop outside the redemption center.

Once the doors opened, several police officers in bulletproof vests stepped out, along with two people

“The items have arrived safely, so we can rest easy now.” The man clearly relaxed and said to Lin Weiwei, “The handover paperwork is complete, so we’ll be leaving now.”

“Alright.” Lin Weiwei shook hands with them and watched as they got back into the escort vehicle, which soon drove away.

After they left, Lin Weiwei turned to everyone and said, “Hold onto the items carefully, don’t damage anything. Let’s head back to the studio on the basement level.”

Guan Xiaoxuan followed the group down the stairs to the basement studio. She had never been there before, and stepping inside felt like the character Liu Laolao visiting the Grand View Garden—everything looked so new and strange to her.

In the middle of the studio was an enormous table—so big it seemed almost exaggerated, like a single bed blown up several times over, long and wide.

Why would anyone put such a huge table here?

Guan Xiaoxuan was puzzled but didn’t ask. She saw everyone placing their boxes on the table, so she carefully set down her own belongings on the surface as well.

Once everything was arranged, Lin Weiwei looked at Guan Xiaoxuan and said, “Xiaoxuan, you won’t be involved in the next part of the work. Just rest quietly over there.”

Guan Xiaoxuan nodded, moved aside, and found a chair in the corner to sit on.

She watched as Lin Weiwei and the others each opened their boxes. The box with Guan Xiaoxuan’s items was handled by Lin Weiwei. Everyone wore white gloves and masks and stood by the table—it felt a bit creepy.

Inside Guan Xiaoxuan’s box was a small handgun. The bullet chamber was slightly thickened, but the rest of the gun was slender—clearly a ladies’ pistol.

Lin Weiwei wore gloves and carefully compared the gun with the manual, inspecting it for a long time. Then she turned to Guan Xiaoxuan and shook the item in her hand, as if to say, “This is the points item that suits you.”

Guan Xiaoxuan’s eyes lit up—she really needed something like this.

After comparing the items to their manuals, they began testing to check how each worked, whether there were flaws, or if any dangerous residue remained.

Every item needed to be tested. There were six special items in total. Two were single-use and couldn’t be directly tested, while the other four took two hours to complete.

The single-use items were tested by running them through machines. After finishing the four special items, the two disposable ones were tested too.

“Thanks for your hard work today,” Lin Weiwei said while signing the forms. “Today counts as overtime. If anyone doesn’t want to work extra, just give me a day off later. It’s late, so everyone can go home now.”

Everyone relaxed, took off their protective suits and goggles, and asked Lin Weiwei, “Lin Director, why did you approve four special items this time?”

Besides the pistol, the six special items included two auxiliary tools and one protective suit—pretty hardcore gear that rarely got approved. No one expected four to arrive at once.

Lin Weiwei smiled and said, “Isn’t it better to have more of these? Our city’s supply is limited, so these help fill gaps we had before.”

Guan Xiaoxuan watched as they stored the items in a safe and asked curiously, “When can we use these things?”

Lin Weiwei replied, “Today was the first inspection. There will be two more. After three inspections and rating, they’ll be listed in the points system. You should see them in about a week.”

Some staff who knew Guan Xiaoxuan added, “Usually it takes five workdays. Since today’s Saturday, you’ll probably see them by the Monday after next.”

Guan Xiaoxuan nodded. She was still very interested in the pistol, wondering how it would feel to use—looked light, but what about recoil?

If everything worked well, she really wanted to try it.

After Lin Weiwei finished her work, it was already 10 p.m. She glanced at Guan Xiaoxuan sitting quietly and felt a bit guilty. She packed up and said, “Thanks for your hard work. It’s late and you haven’t eaten dinner. Let’s grab some late-night food.”

She winked and said, “I know a great barbecue stall. It’s on me.”

Guan Xiaoxuan didn’t say much but was truly hungry, so she accepted and got into Lin Weiwei’s car. They headed to the city center to eat before going home.

From the suburbs to downtown, there wasn’t a single soul on the street. The suburbs already felt desolate during the day; at night, it was eerie.

Lin Weiwei turned on the music in the car and said, “No subway or bus at this hour, right? Where do you live? I can drop you off.”

“No need to bother,” Guan Xiaoxuan said. “Even if there’s no subway or bus, I can use my phone to unlock a shared bike. There’s a parking spot right outside my apartment.”

“It’s not safe for a young girl like you to go home alone this late,” Lin Weiwei disagreed. “I’d rather take you after dinner. Otherwise, if Xing Tianqing finds out I made you work overtime and didn’t send you home, she’ll give me trouble.”

Guan Xiaoxuan smiled and didn’t refuse—someone offering a free ride was always welcome.

The barbecue stall Lin Weiwei mentioned was lively, with many customers even past 10 p.m. They found a spot, ordered meat skewers and hand-pulled noodles, and ate with great appetite.

While eating and chatting, Guan Xiaoxuan learned that Lin Weiwei and Xing Tianqing used to be classmates before both were assigned to the Strange Affairs Bureau, though Lin Weiwei worked in the Points Redemption Center.

“You don’t know, Xing Tianqing was very introverted in college,” Lin Weiwei said. “Don’t let her normal appearance fool you—she barely smiled back then. Maybe the harshness of the workplace toughened her up. She’s much more likable now.”

Guan Xiaoxuan was curious. “Really? I thought Captain Xing was quite talkative.”

“Maybe she wasn’t so ‘awake’ in school and just studied hard blindly. After entering society, she changed a lot.”

“So she must’ve been a top student.”

“Yes, she was number one in our year. Teachers adored her and planned to recommend her for graduate school, but she refused and insisted on joining the Strange Affairs Bureau.”

Guan Xiaoxuan was surprised, “Why?”

Lin Weiwei shrugged, “How should I know?”

It was just casual talk. Guan Xiaoxuan didn’t dwell on it—everyone had their own path and reasons to start working early.

While they chatted and ate, Guan Xiaoxuan noticed three people walking out of an alley. She caught a glimpse and recognized Chen Man!

Chen Man was dressed sharply in jeans and knee-high boots, a leather jacket on top, and her hair tied high in a ponytail.

Two muscular men, wearing leather jackets and bulging with muscle underneath, accompanied her.

Guan Xiaoxuan remembered that back at the Strange Forum offline meeting, just looking at Chen Man had drawn the suspicious stares of those two men. This time, she quickly averted her gaze and turned sideways to avoid being seen.

The three didn’t notice her and walked past the barbecue stall toward a nearby bus stop.

Why was Chen Man out so late?

Guan Xiaoxuan was puzzled but didn’t stare. If those men saw her again, it wouldn’t be good.

She thought it would be safer to always carry those special items. They might come in handy someday.

Lin Weiwei didn’t notice Guan Xiaoxuan’s odd behavior and kept talking about work. Guan Xiaoxuan nodded along but her eyes stayed on Chen Man at the bus stop.

She recalled Chen Man once mentioning she had a lead on bus route 444, and Boss Jin was willing to pay a lot for it.

So, Chen Man was here late looking for the 444 “weird” bus?

If Chen Man was waiting at this bus stop, does that mean route 444 must pass this street?

Guan Xiaoxuan thought about it so hard she didn’t catch a word Lin Weiwei said.

“Are you full?” Lin Weiwei asked, sipping her hot noodles. “It’s past 11 now. I’ll take you home. Rest well tomorrow since it’s the weekend. Sleep in.”

She yawned widely.

Guan Xiaoxuan looked at Chen Man still sitting at the bus stop and said, “Okay, I’ll go to the bathroom first.”

Lin Weiwei stood and said, “Go ahead. I’ll pay the owner.”

Guan Xiaoxuan took her phone and slipped into a nearby alley. Seeing no one around, she quietly dialed emergency services.

“Hello, how can I assist you?”

In a low voice, Guan Xiaoxuan said, “There are two men and one woman at the bus stop near Chengyang Building on Haiming Road. They’re about to board the strange bus 444. Please send the Strange Affairs Bureau over to handle it.”