World Occult Usage Guide

Chapter 155 The Foundation's Old Hands
"Ping!"

As Lin An and Simon walked along the gravel road of Dietrich into the foundation's hall, the sound of firecrackers went off, and colorful confetti rained down on them.

The foundation here heard about their deeds at headquarters and prepared a grand party to celebrate.

Colorful flags, firecrackers, cupcakes, and brightly colored soft drinks are all available.

Standing in the center were the four ministers—the branch president of Dietrich was still absent, and in his place was Lin An's old acquaintance, Reagan Modiglich.

After a month, his pollution levels were under control; in fact, they had decreased by about 3%, and Reagan's original facial features could be vaguely seen through the hissing black mist particles.

After the riot, the disciplinary squad was wiped out, and Simon embarked on the journey to transport the Thunderbirds. Reagan took charge of the front-line department, just as Lord Arthur said, the medium of the "God of Agriculture" was linked to "helping and working".

It seems that working diligently can indeed reduce pollution levels.

However, her hairline seems to be receding.

The mysterious one who awakened the god of agriculture is truly pitiful.

In the crowd, Lin An officially met the logistics minister who had replaced Jorna Cardenas.

He was from Zhongzhou, with a receding hairline, short stature, and looked to be around forty or fifty years old. He wore a humble and polite smile and stood timidly.

The foundation has many foreign employees, including Lin An himself.

Originally, you would receive a residence card as soon as you got a job, and after working for a year you could apply for permanent residency and choose to become an Eagle citizen.

After being taken over by the Dawn Association and the government, this job became increasingly detached from the realm of private enterprises and conglomerates, and turned into a legitimate civil servant position.

Unfortunately, during the next ten years of the "Comerth" radiation, the United States will definitely not be a suitable place to relocate.

Besides the logistics director, the foundation has many unfamiliar faces, all of whom are new employees who joined this month, totaling nearly a hundred people.

The Minister of Civil Service cleared his throat, pulling Lin An back to his senses.

"Let me formally introduce you to our Direct Response Department's Control Team Captain Simon Lloyd and the newly appointed Advisory Team Captain Ann Lin. They have just completed a 20-day delivery mission for headquarters and have received praise from the current President."

"Captain Lloyd will continue in his original position. He was among the earliest members of the control team and has received numerous commendations from headquarters. As for Captain Lin, although he has not been with the team for long, he has demonstrated excellent competence in missions and is a well-deserved role model for the Foundation."

"Let us warmly welcome you both back to the St. Aniloff Foundation's Michigan branch!"

The applause was enthusiastic and resounded throughout the hall.

After a brief speech, a dark figure rushed towards Lin An and Simon. It was Mishi, followed by Barry carrying a plate of cupcakes.

"Captain, Lin, it's been a long time! I've been so worried these past few days, just reading the reports from headquarters and the news from San Francisco! Seeing is believing, and it really puts my mind at ease!"

Upon seeing his excited companions, Lin An couldn't help but chuckle.

"We've only been apart for a week."

"Time flows at different rates," Mishi said seriously. "You're on the set of The Avengers, but I'm in Waiting for Godot!"

"So, what have Gogo and Didi been doing all this time?"

Lin An glanced at the green data in the system. The radiation values ​​of both were increasing slowly, but after only a few days, they hadn't achieved the effect of instant success.

“Training new recruits and going on missions with them.” Barry handed the cupcakes to the two of them. “Who would have thought that in just a few months, we would go from being new recruits to becoming new recruit trainers?”

"Lin has also become a captain. I imagine that soon you will all be officers capable of handling things on your own." Simon picked up a cupcake, his tone full of satisfaction.

"Captain, are you retiring? You're not old enough yet, are you? Will you be able to get a pension?"

“You are so considerate, Melissa.”

While chatting with his companions, Lin An also dealt with the employees who kept trying to strike up a conversation with him.

"You must be Captain Lin. I've heard so much about you."

"Lin, when will you organize another Tai Chi session for us? I haven't practiced Baduanjin lately, and my back pain is acting up again."

Do you have social media accounts? I'd like to become your fan.

Under the supervision of the inspection team, the direct contact department was shrouded in a sacred and hidden veil. They stayed in the basement every day and had almost no contact with ordinary employees.

After taking office, the Dawn Society removed the warning in the employee handbook, intentionally downplaying the divide between the mystic and ordinary people and eliminating public fear of "Commerx" radiation.

The veteran employees welcomed Lin An's return, as they had become quite familiar with each other before; the new employees were both respectful and cautious, as they had only recently joined the foundation and were unfamiliar with everything, always feeling hesitant and unsure of themselves.

Especially under the bombardment of reports from headquarters and rumors from veteran employees, the newcomers unknowingly idolized Lin An in their hearts.

They breathed a sigh of relief when they found Lin An to be very approachable.

Meanwhile, both new and old employees were eyeing Simon. Due to past rumors, no one dared to speak to him, but they were all gossiping about him in private.

"Although I've watched many recordings of the battle, this is the first time I've seen a real person."

"We face two team leaders in our department, one is incredibly handsome, and the other is so handsome it's almost unbelievable."

"Fortunately, these feathers aren't real. Once they fall off his wings, they'll disappear quickly, just like Captain Reagan's smog particles—a manifestation of 'Commerx' energy. The cleaners don't need to worry about it anymore."

As employees of the foundation, the three departments were already quite familiar with the occult, so they weren't afraid at all; on the contrary, they were very curious.

An ordinary person wouldn't be able to accept this so easily.

But that's a matter for the Dawn Association and the government to consider.

Lin An took a bite of the cupcake and was just about to enjoy the long-awaited party when someone suddenly touched his arm.

"Mr. Lin, could you come with me for a moment?"

“Commander Caroline, we’ve known each other for so long, calling me ‘sir’ is too formal.” Lin An recognized her.

Under the new policy, Mysteries no longer need to hide, preventing others from being awakened by directly witnessing "Comers." Rather, the Dawn Association hopes to reach an era of "Mysteries for all" as soon as possible.

Caroline no longer needed to tighten her wings and down; she changed into loose-fitting clothes, but still wore special glasses to cover her bright red eyes.

A pair of flawless white wings unfurled from Caroline's back, and her arms and waist were covered with a layer of soft, fine down that seemed to keep her very warm.

The system presented her mystery through data.

Name: Mothman

[Rating]: Ghost Stories - Level E

Radiation level: 31.3%
[Pollution Level]: 44.2%
[Medium]: Lord of the Earth
This is a half-human, half-bird creature, resembling a giant moth, with its most distinctive feature being a pair of eyes that "glow red," the light of which has a hypnotic effect.

Therefore, Caroline also wore special glasses to prevent accidentally injuring her own people.

The Mothman is a widely circulated urban legend created by Barbatos, the angel of virtue and order, who entered the Eagle Kingdom with immigrants and merged with the image of a large eagle crane. He is considered one of the three great monsters of West Virginia, along with the Bat Boy and the Flatwood Monster.

Legend has it that Barbatos could "know the past and the future through birdsong," and the Mothman is a legend derived from it, thus he can also see some things that ordinary people cannot perceive.

During the pool party, Caroline sensed what April would look like in her future awakening; she could also see Reagan's normal appearance in the past.

This mystical spell is very useful, but unfortunately the Mothman's rating is too low, so its effectiveness is not prioritized.

"If only there were a way to level up," Lin An thought. Sensing his teasing, Caroline's face flashed with embarrassment. Recalling the slight unpleasantness of their first meeting, she quickly waved her hand awkwardly.

"The ministers have something to say to you."

The four department managers were all waiting for Lin An. The first to approach was the logistics manager, who bowed first.

"Are you Captain Lin? Please take care of me from now on. My name is..."

“You two can get to know each other via email later,” the research minister interrupted him. “Or do you have something urgent to discuss?”

"Private Mas..."

“Captain Lin, we just received an email from the chairman,” Reagan continued. “He wants you to come to his office.”

"Why didn't the president greet us personally? I thought he was away on another business trip," Lin An asked, puzzled.

“Because the president is always very busy, we’re too embarrassed to bother him,” Reagan said matter-of-factly. “And of course, he wouldn’t attend these employees’ parties.”

What is he busy with?

During the transport of Thunderbirds, Lin An visited various branch offices for rest, but none of the branch offices were like the one in Dietrich City, where employees dared not disturb him for years, or even take the initiative to send him emails or make phone calls.

I don't know how Jericho is doing. When Lin An was impersonating Joshua, he would receive more than a dozen video calls from his subordinates a day, reply to hundreds of emails, and occasionally go to the scene to do things in person.

You have more official power than the former president and head of the inspection team.

No one answered his question. The Minister of Civil Service patted Lin An on the shoulder: "The Minister of Research will show you the way. The president is waiting for you in his office. You did a great job this time, Lin."

"Huh? Who are you again?"

"..."

“Just kidding, dear Minister.” Lin An blinked. “I kept my promise to you.”

The Minister of Civil Service never expected that Lin An would remember his casual remark about "becoming the team leader" and actually make it happen. A surge of emotion welled up in his heart.

"Could it be because of me..."

"And my current salary is twice yours."

"..."

After losing X, the Foundation's technological development regressed. The management system centered on the Black Card was abolished, and it reverted to simple passwords and fingerprint locks, much like what Lin An had seen two years ago, losing all its dazzling futuristic appeal.

Most of the employees went to the welcome party, and the building was quite quiet. The two remained silent as they walked.

Aside from a brief exchange when the Zomo rabbit escaped, Lin An and this minister had no interaction whatsoever.

"Ding dong."

The elevator doors opened, and Lin An followed behind her, eager to ask a few questions about the president, since it was rumored that the research director was the president's wife.

"Do you know why the president wanted to see me?"

“He didn’t tell me that in the email,” the research department said in a steady mezzo-soprano.

"By the way, I'm going to be leaving the foundation soon, and I've already submitted my application to the chairman. When will he approve it?"

Lin An took a private plane from San Francisco and was picked up by a car after landing. He didn't have a chance to go home and was rushed to the Dietrich branch.

"If all goes well, you'll be able to go home tonight." The research director unlocked a dark wooden door in the center of the fourth floor with his fingerprint. "Captain Lin, the chairman is waiting for you inside."

"Ok."

Lin An pushed open the door and entered. To his surprise, the office was dark, with no lights on.

Feeling along the wall, Lin An pressed the switch.

Light illuminated an elegant office; the space was small but filled with a dignified atmosphere.

The first thing that catches the eye is the oil painting directly in front of him, depicting colorful fruits as lifelike as Rubens' still lifes. However, in the middle of them is a white skull, which is quite eerie.

A line of Latin inscription is engraved on the edge of the oil painting:

Memento mori.

"Remembering death," or "Never forget that you will die eventually," was a common theme in oil paintings during the Middle Ages and Renaissance in Western Europe.

Below the oil painting is a desk decorated with a brass planetarium and a vintage-style leather chair.

There was no one there, only a lonely letter lying on the table, as if inviting Lin An to pick it up.

"Hello, President Avia Emmanuel?"

Lin An couldn't help but frown.

He was the one who invited me here, but he's not here.

because……

Is he too busy with work to personally receive his employees?

Left with no other choice, Lin An went to his desk, picked up the letter, and opened it with a letter opener. Inside was a stack of documents.
After quickly glancing at the text, Lin An made a summary.

In general, the Dietrich branch is expanding and new facilities have been built in the city. Lin An, as the new captain of the advisory team for the direct-facing department, will soon be working there.

However, it is not yet completed, so Lin An can first familiarize himself with the duties of the advisory team in the old facility.

Do you want me to go to the new office building?

Is it really worth going to such lengths to call someone out for such a trivial matter?
Lin An rubbed his temples, feeling that something was wrong, but couldn't figure out why. He stood there aimlessly for a while, then simply turned around and left the chairman's office.

"Crench."

The door closed slowly, and he found the research director still waiting outside.

She looked Lin An up and down and said, "Captain Lin, the foundation has assigned an assistant to help you complete the handover. After that, you are free to move around."

Lin An's already fragmented thoughts were directly interrupted by her.

"Is it……"

"Hey, Lin from the Dragon Kingdom, long time no see." A burly man with a nose ring emerged from the corner, scratching his short hair. "You've gotten quite a tan, haven't you? Enjoying your free trip?"

“Mike?” Lin An asked in surprise.

"Yes, boss!"

Without saying a word, the carefree young man gave Lin An a bear hug.

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(End of this chapter)