America: The Cremator

Chapter 167 Exorcism Banquet!

The middle-aged woman on duty at the front desk looked up impatiently and pointed to the corridor on his right: "Go straight, turn left, and go to the second-to-last room. The sign on the door says 'Black Chess Special Operations Team.'"

"Thank you." Su Long nodded slightly and turned to walk in the direction the receptionist pointed.

The corridor on the right was much quieter than the hall. The lower half of the walls on both sides were covered with dark walnut paneling, while the upper half was covered with slightly yellowed wallpaper, and some corners even had curled edges.

When he reached the second-to-last door, Su Long looked at the nameplate, which read "Black Special Operations Team Leader - Elena Campbell".

He raised his hand and knocked lightly twice on the door. Immediately, Elena's clear and crisp voice came from behind the door: "Come in."

Su Long pushed open the door and entered. His eyes were drawn to the various tall metal filing cabinets, and next to them was a whiteboard covered with clues, making the originally large office seem somewhat crowded.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the blinds, casting dappled shadows on the dark carpet. A faint scent of cedar filled the air, completely different from the stale smell outside.

Elena sat behind her desk.

Today she was wearing a very fitted black trench coat, with a pure white silk turtleneck shirt underneath. Her long golden hair was not tied into a high ponytail as usual, but was casually draped over her shoulders, with a few strands falling beside her fair and slender neck, adding a touch of languor to her look.

Hearing the door open, she stopped flipping through the files, looked up at the door, and saw that it was Su Long. Her gray-blue eyes couldn't help but scrutinize him for a few moments.

Su Long met her gaze and walked to the desk, breaking the silence first: "Long time no see, Captain Elena."

Elena looked Su Long up and down carefully, frowned, and then smiled slightly: "Su Long, it's been a few days, and you seem to have become much more confident."

Her gaze lingered on his muscular chest for a moment, then shifted slightly upwards: "He's become more manly too."

Upon hearing Elena's comment, "He's become more masculine," Su Long's heart skipped a beat, and he secretly marveled at how accurate a woman's intuition truly is.

He knew, of course, that he could be "manly," mainly because he had a deep conversation with Hannah last night, which helped him shed the label of "old bachelor" from his original self.

But he couldn't actually tell Elena about it, so he just casually replied, "Maybe it's because I experienced a lot during this assessment, and I fought an A-level demon, so I have some insights."

Elena listened to Su Long's words but didn't delve into it further. Instead, she explained why she had come to see him.

"Your Class B exorcist certification information can be found in the association's internal files this morning. I can now invite you to join the Bureau of Oddity Support as an external consultant and then enter the joint investigation team."

Thank you.

Su Long nodded and pulled out the chair opposite his desk to sit down.

Initially, he was eager to join the investigation team mainly because he wanted to eliminate the Butterfly Ghost and thereby completely erase the negative label of "Spoon Killer" from his mind.

But plans can't keep up with changes. He didn't expect that Baphomet's dying sacrificial curse would drag Spoon along with Spoon into hell.

Now that the most troublesome problem has been resolved, he no longer has such a strong obsession with joining the joint investigation team.

However, Elena had planned so much and made so many preparations to get him into the team, so it would be really unreasonable for him to quit halfway through.

Moreover, by dealing with this B-grade butterfly anomaly, he can gain a substantial amount of experience points. If he's even luckier, and this "butterfly" is a single-target anomaly like the Rain Lady, he might even get another Soul Crystal.

He's desperately short of Soul Crystals right now.

[Flame Fist and Flame Bullet], [Intelligence Master], [American Dream] — A whole bunch of three-star stats on the panel are waiting to be upgraded. For these tangible benefits, it's definitely worth the trip.

"Now that I've officially joined the team, what do I need to prepare?" Su Long pulled himself out of his thoughts and looked at Elena.

Elena took a special vaccination permit from the drawer and pushed it in front of Su Long: "Yesterday afternoon, the rest of the team members were all vaccinated with the special vaccine against parasitic eggs. You weren't there yesterday afternoon and missed the unified vaccination time, so you need to go to the lab to get a shot yourself."

Su Long raised an eyebrow, reached for the license, and asked curiously, "A vaccine? A strange power, and it can be prevented through medical means?"

Elena leaned back in her chair, arms crossed in front of her, and said matter-of-factly, "What's so strange about that?"

"When viruses appear in the world and harm people, medical experts will study antibodies and vaccines. When strange toxins appear and harm people, scholars will naturally study their strange properties."

She paused, then looked up at Su Long, her tone carrying an enigmatic undertone: "Moreover, this expert who was in charge of researching the supernatural and developing the vaccine is an old friend of yours."

"An old friend?" Su Long was taken aback for a moment, quickly going through the people he knew in this world in his mind.

To be able to study the bizarre as a biological subject and possess such top-notch scientific research capabilities —

"Professor Stella?" Suron blurted out.

Elena nodded: "Yes, it's her."

Su Long nodded, put the permit in his pocket, and casually asked, "Okay, I understand about the vaccination. Besides that, are there any other tasks assigned?"

Elena paused for a moment, then suddenly said, "After you get vaccinated, come to my house, change into the dress you wore last time, and then pick me up in your Cadillac Escalade."

Su Long paused in his act of getting up, and asked in confusion, "What? Is there some special operation tonight?"

Elena leaned back in her chair and sighed helplessly. "There's nothing special going on. It's just that my family is hosting a banquet in Seattle tonight, inviting the young and promising exorcists of Seattle. My family has ordered me to attend, and to deal with them, I need to bring a male companion."

Su Long raised an eyebrow, leaned forward slightly, and teased, "Captain Elena, this is a banquet hosted by your family. Couldn't you find any other male companions besides me?"

Elena's brow furrowed instantly, and she said impatiently, "Just tell me, are you going or not?"

Seeing that he had already gained an advantage, Su Long laughed and said, "Go, go."

Elena waved her hand dismissively, saying, "Go get your vaccine quickly, and don't be late tonight."

After leaving the Federal Building, Su Long drove straight to Harbourview Medical Centre and took the elevator to the top floor.

Pushing open the heavy, airtight door, the scene before Su Long was somewhat unexpected.

Not long after the last bizarre attack, thanks to Stella's heavy investment, the entire laboratory has been rebuilt and is basically back in operation.

The originally cracked walls have been reinforced, and several brand-new centrifuges and fully automated gene sequencers are placed in the central area. The indicator lights on the equipment on the sterile operating table flash with a faint blue light, and the air is filled with the faint fragrance of disinfectant and some kind of high-end aromatherapy.

As soon as Su Long stepped into the laboratory, he saw two figures busy at the operating table. One of them was Stella, and the other, who was skillfully classifying and culturing blood, was none other than Hannah.

Su Long's eye twitched slightly.

Oh, poor Hannah.

I was kept up until the wee hours last night and only got one morning's rest today. Now I'm here to be Stella's medical assistant.

Hearing the sound of the airtight door opening, Hannah turned around curiously. When she saw Sulong standing in the doorway, her eyes lit up for a moment, but as if afraid that Stella would discover something, she quickly looked away and turned back to continue her experiment.

Surong stepped forward and greeted her in a relaxed tone, "Professor Stella, it's been a long time."

Stella turned around at the sound, her gaze sweeping over Su Long twice before she nodded in satisfaction and praised, "Su, it's been a while, you've become even more handsome, and your demeanor seems quite different from before."

"Professor, you flatter me." Surong accepted the compliment readily.

Stella crossed her arms, her voluptuous figure accentuated by her white coat, and tilted her head slightly, a hint of mockery in her eyes: "Why didn't you compliment my beauty as soon as you walked in this time? You usually have such a sweet tongue."

She paused deliberately, glancing casually at Hannah who was tidying up the lab equipment, and asked in a drawn-out tone, "Are there other girls present, making it inconvenient for you to speak?"

Hannah's back stiffened noticeably, and she could only continue to pretend to be engrossed in organizing the experimental equipment, not daring to look up.

Surong chuckled and replied calmly, "Of course not, Professor Stella. Your beauty has become a norm, and I think I should get used to it so I don't make a fuss like a naive young boy every day."

Stella chuckled at Surong's words, her white lab coat heaving slightly, before asking, "So, what brings you here today?"

"Captain Elena sent me to find you, saying she needs to get a vaccine." With that, Su Long pulled over a laboratory chair and sat down.

Stella turned around, raising an eyebrow. "You've also joined the joint investigation team investigating the Dream and Butterfly Mysteries?"

Su Long shrugged, his tone casual: "After all, I have some connection with that big butterfly, so I have to go and test my skills against it myself."

Stella didn't ask any more questions. She walked to the refrigerator next to her, took out a glass vial containing a pale green liquid, handed it to Hannah, and instructed, "Hannah, prepare the injection equipment."

Hannah skillfully took the medicine bottle, sterilized it, then disassembled a disposable syringe, drew out the pale green liquid, expelled the air from the syringe, and handed the prepared syringe to Stella.

Stella walked up to Surong with the syringe in her hand, slightly raising her chin: "Roll up your sleeves."

Su Long did as instructed, rolling up the sleeve of his left arm to reveal his strong arm.

Stella stretched out her hand and pinched his arm twice, then looked at Surong with some surprise: "Your muscles—seem to have gotten quite a bit bigger."

After saying that, she used an alcohol swab to disinfect Su Long's arm, then aimed the needle tip at the skin and pushed it down with a little force.

Under their watchful eyes, the needle tip bent at a ninety-degree angle.

Stella froze, her hand frozen in mid-air.

Hannah, who was standing nearby, also stopped tidying up the equipment and stared in astonishment at the bent needle.

"What kind of constitution do you have?" Stella looked at Suron as if he were a monster, pulled out the broken syringe, and turned to Hannah, saying, "Get a bigger syringe."

Hannah immediately handed over a thicker syringe. Stella put it in and tried to inject it into Suron's arm again, but the needle was bent by Suron's muscles.

Stella was utterly speechless. She personally changed to the largest black lancet and pricked Su Long's arm again.

This time, she used almost all her strength to finally pierce the tough skin with the needle tip and slowly push it into the muscle tissue.

"Are your muscles made of steel?" Stella couldn't help but complain as she struggled to push the medicine, a fine layer of sweat even forming on her forehead.

The pale green liquid was finally all injected into her body. Stella breathed a sigh of relief, pulled out the thick needle, and turned to get a medical cotton swab to apply pressure to stop the bleeding.

When she turned around, she found that there was no blood seeping from Su Long's arm at all, and even the large puncture hole from the blood collection needle had disappeared.

Stella rubbed her eyes hard, then leaned closer and stared intently at Su Long's shoulder for a long time before looking up at him with a complicated expression: "The speed at which your wound is healing is much faster than before, isn't it? Are you sure you're still human?"

Su Long rolled down his sleeves and casually made up a story: "Fighting those monsters every day naturally makes my body stronger."

Stella shrugged, clearly not believing the explanation, but she didn't intend to press further; everyone has their own secrets.

She turned and disposed of the used medical equipment, explaining, "This vaccine only protects you from infection by the strange eggs of butterflies. It doesn't provide any other protection, so you still need to be careful when you're out and about."

Su Long nodded in agreement, got up and walked outside. As he passed Hannah, he whispered, "Don't push yourself too hard, remember to rest."

Hannah's eyes darted away, avoiding Su Long's gaze, and she simply gave a very soft "hmm".

Stella, who was watching the interaction between the two from a short distance away, raised an eyebrow and asked with a half-smile, "Su, isn't that a bit unfair of you? Why did you only remind her and not me?"

Surong turned around and looked at Stella, jokingly saying, "Because you're the boss and the exploiter, and she's the pitiful worker."

Stella chuckled twice upon hearing this, then waved him away.

After leaving the medical center, Su Long drove directly to Elena's villa.

After opening the door and entering the house, he went straight upstairs and opened the row of huge solid wood wardrobes.

Next to rows of women's trench coats and tactical gear, Sulong spotted a brand-new haute couture deep black men's evening suit carefully protected by a dust cover.

Su Long removed the dust cover and changed into his formal attire.

The dress is exquisitely tailored, perfectly outlining Su Long's figure. The fabric is understated yet luxurious, gleaming with a sophisticated dark sheen under the lights.

He walked to the full-length mirror, adjusting his cuffs and bow tie while examining his figure.

With this outfit and 50 points of charm, he exudes a calm, reserved yet highly aggressive aura, truly befitting a "rising star exorcist."

After getting ready, Su Long grabbed his car keys, left the villa, and drove his Cadillac Escalade to the headquarters of the Bureau of Mysterious Support.

After parking his car downstairs at the Federal Building annex, Su Long sent a message to Elena, but no one answered. He realized that Elena was engrossed in her work again, so he simply took out the Elena sculpture on the back of his hand and "played" with it for a while.

Not long after, an elegant figure emerged.

Su Long's gaze was instantly drawn to it.

Elena changed into an emerald green haute couture evening gown today, the silky satin fabric clinging tightly to her tall figure.

The high slit on the side of her skirt subtly reveals her long, straight legs as she walks.

Her signature long blonde hair was carefully styled into a bun, revealing her elegant neck and shoulders and a gorgeous emerald necklace.

Her cool and aloof demeanor blended perfectly with the elegant evening gown, making her look like a pampered rich young lady, completely different from her usual capable self.

She opened the passenger door and got in. A faint scent of cedar mixed with some kind of high-end perfume instantly filled the car.

"Where to?" Su Long asked casually as he started the car.

"Thornwood Castle, near Seattle-Tacoma," Elena said, adjusting her skirt as she announced the location.

Su Long entered the location into the car's navigation system, turned the steering wheel, and the Escalade smoothly merged into the traffic, heading southwest.

After a moment of silence in the carriage, Su Long asked, "Is there anything I should pay special attention to at tonight's banquet?"

Elena leaned back in her leather seat, pondered for a moment, and offered a four-word suggestion: "Speak less, observe more."

Su Long chuckled softly. "Understood. My role tonight is to be a dutiful shield, responsible for keeping those annoying flies at you, right?"

Elena looked away, glanced at Su Long, and did not refute him, clearly acknowledging his statement.

The sunset painted the sky a brilliant fiery red as the Cadillac Escalade climbed a winding private road and finally came to a stop in front of a massive, ornately carved wrought-iron gate.

The gates slowly opened to both sides, and Su Long drove the car into the estate. A castle that perfectly blended Tudor and Gothic architectural styles appeared before the two of them.

The towering spires pierce the sky, and dark green ivy climbs all over the gray-black stone walls. The narrow stained glass windows shimmer with a magnificent light under the refraction of the setting sun.

Despite four hundred years of weathering and several renovations, this castle still exudes an awe-inspiring historical charm.

Su Long slowed down, looked around the building, and asked curiously, "This is the banquet hall? It's so grand!"

Elena chuckled and explained, "This was a birthday gift from a wealthy businessman to his wife in 1907. He bought this 400-year-old manor in England, dismantled it, shipped it to the United States in batches, and then reassembled it brick by brick."

After the introduction, she looked at Su Long and said, "How was it? Pretty romantic, right?"

Su Long shrugged and said, "All I see is the extravagant lifestyle of capitalists."

Elena was taken aback, then turned away listlessly: "You're so unfunny."