28: Chapter 28 Receiving an Award?

In the end, Lin Chen could not bring the Songsong Dog home immediately as he had hoped.

Uncle Wang's reasoning was very sound:

First, he was not the Songsong Dog's Beast Tamer, so he had no right to make decisions for it.

Second, the Songsong Dog was injured and was currently at its weakest and most insecure moment; making it leave with Lin Chen now might frighten it, or if it were unwilling, that would be counterproductive.

Lin Chen decided to wait until the Songsong Dog's injuries had healed before finding a way to bring the little guy home.

By the time the three of them returned to the Beast Control Bureau, it was already afternoon.

The air after the rain was exceptionally crisp and cool, and the sunlight spilled onto the world without obstruction, washing away the gloom of the past few days.

The atmosphere in the bureau was unusually quiet.

Old Liu took Uncle Wang to give a statement, and just as Lin Chen returned to his workstation, Director Li sent him a message asking him to come to the office.

Pushing the door open to enter the office, he found that apart from Director Li Haotian, there was another person in the room.

This was a young man who looked to be in his twenties, wearing a well-tailored, high-quality dark gray casual suit without a tie, and a crisp light blue shirt underneath.

He wore a pair of delicate gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose, and a comfortable smile played on his lips. His overall demeanor was refined and capable.

He was sitting on the reception sofa with a steaming cup of tea beside him, seemingly whispering something to Director Li Haotian.

Seeing Lin Chen enter, he stopped talking and cast his gaze over. That gaze seemed to carry a certain intangible penetrative power, quickly sizing Lin Chen up from head to toe, yet his eyes remained gentle and did not make one feel offended.

"Lin Chen, you're here."

Director Li Haotian nodded at him, signaled for him to close the door, and then introduced him: "This is Agent Zeng from the Special Defense Bureau."

Special Defense Bureau?

Upon hearing this name, Lin Chen was slightly taken aback.

The Special Defense Bureau, full name Special Disaster Prevention and Control Bureau, was a department specifically responsible for handling various events that exceeded the scope of conventional public security or possessed special, high-risk characteristics.

Lin Chen had once heard his father mention that the minimum threshold to become a formal member of the Special Defense Bureau was being an Advanced Beast Tamer.

And Lin Jianjun, as a formal employee of the Beast Management Bureau, had only reached the level of Intermediate Beastmaster after decades of working there.

Well, there was a slight difference.

Zeng Chuan smiled slightly, took the initiative to stand up and extend his hand to Lin Chen, his voice gentle: "Student Lin Chen, hello, I am Zeng Chuan."

"Hello, Agent Zeng." Lin Chen suppressed the waves in his heart and responded politely.

"Please, have a seat."

Zeng Chuan gestured for Lin Chen to sit on the sofa opposite him, then sat back down himself, his posture relaxed but his gaze focused: "Student Lin Chen, I asked you here this time to understand the complete sequence of events of this incident in detail."

"The more detailed, the better. Do not leave out any details that you feel are suspicious or unusual, including your observations, judgments, and... the reactions of your pet beast."

Hearing this, Lin Chen's thoughts surged.

Evidently, as a department specializing in handling various special events, the strange behavior of the Dark Species had attracted their high level of attention.

Perhaps they knew more intelligence and relevant information.

Lin Chen steadied himself and recounted the entire event clearly and logically.

During the entire recounting process, Zeng Chuan listened very carefully, occasionally interjecting to ask about one or two details:

"Did your emotions fluctuate during the battle?"

"During the battle, did the Flame Claw Beast show any particular aversion or discomfort?"

About half an hour later, Lin Chen finished his account.

Zeng Chuan pondered for a moment, picked up the now slightly cool tea and took a sip, then put down the cup, a look of approval appearing on his face: "A very clear account, and your observations were very keen."

"Student Lin Chen, as a newcomer who has just graduated from high school and only recently became a Beast Tamer, your performance in this incident was excellent."

He stood up, took two documents from the briefcase he was carrying, and handed them to Lin Chen and Director Li Haotian respectively:

"This is a confidentiality agreement regarding this incident; based on the nature of the event, both of you need to sign it. The content of the agreement mainly concerns maintaining confidentiality regarding the details of the entire event and my department's involvement in the investigation, and it must not be disclosed to unrelated personnel."

Lin Chen quickly scanned the agreement and signed his name.

Zeng Chuan collected the agreements and, after carefully checking them, put them away.

He looked at Lin Chen again, his eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses revealing a smile: "Student Lin Chen, after you graduate from university in the future, you can consider applying to my department. We really need fresh blood like you who has strong psychological resilience, keen observation, and potential."

Pausing slightly, he added with a smile: "By the way, we belong to a newly established department of the Special Defense Bureau, the Rift Investigation Department."

Lin Chen's heart stirred slightly, and he responded politely: "Thank you for the recognition, Agent Zeng. I will consider it seriously."

"Hmm."

Zeng Chuan did not say anything more and turned to Director Li Haotian: "Director Li, I have basically grasped the situation here. My colleagues will continue to follow up on the subsequent on-site investigation and sample analysis."

"We need to take the Gale Weasel's corpse away for further testing. Please cooperate on your end, and if there are any subsequent findings, please synchronize them to us through encrypted channels in a timely manner."

"Rest assured, Agent Zeng, we will definitely cooperate fully," Director Li Haotian said solemnly.

"Good, then I won't disturb you any further." Zeng Chuan shook hands with both of them again and took his leave.

The office door closed again, and only Lin Chen and Director Li Haotian were left in the room.

Lin Chen looked at Director Li Haotian, his eyes filled with questions.

Director Li Haotian sat back in his chair, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the smooth desktop, his brows slightly furrowed, and he spoke slowly:

"The confidentiality level of this matter is very high, and what I know is also limited."

"This is also my first time hearing about the Rift Investigation Department he just mentioned, but his rank is very high, and the higher-ups specifically gave instructions for us to cooperate unconditionally."

The Rift Investigation Department?

Lin Chen's eyes flickered slightly, and he secretly noted down the name.

"As for you."

Director Li Haotian changed the subject, a smile appearing on his face: "You really did a beautiful job this time. You handled it in a timely manner, made accurate judgments, and finally decisively eliminated the threat, protected public safety, and also avoided the possibility of the situation escalating."

Pausing slightly, Director Li Haotian weighed his words and lowered his voice:

"If it were in the past, such a situation would at most receive a verbal commendation. However, the higher-ups seem to be very concerned about this matter, and with the intervention of the Special Defense Bureau, I estimate that you should be able to receive a substantial reward."

"For example, the annual commendation issued uniformly by the Municipal Bureau three weeks from now."

Lin Chen raised his eyelids, feeling stunned.

Was it the same commendation that his father had mentioned?

If he really received it, wouldn't he have to go up on stage with his father and receive the award together?

Lin Chen was suddenly very curious about his father's reaction.

And if he remembered correctly, the commendation also came with a 10,000 bonus!

"Of course, this matter is not yet confirmed; it is just my personal guess. Don't be in a rush to tell others; wait until things are confirmed."

Director Li Haotian's voice sounded at the right moment, forcibly pulling back Lin Chen's thoughts.

Lin Chen nodded: "Alright, Uncle Li."