10. Roman History 

Qiu Rong wanted to take the opportunity while Yan Ling was not at home to resolve the matter with Huo Ye at the Supernatural Control Center. However, the center doesn’t work on weekends, so the appointment was scheduled for Monday morning.

The Supernatural Control Center is a collective term, comprising several departments located in different places.

Its daily office building is not large, hidden in the corners of the city’s alleyways. There is a sign of the Special Management Bureau at the entrance, but usually, no one notices it.

Ruan Sijia arrived earlier than Qiu Rong. He stood at the entrance of the alley, holding a thick book of Roman history and reading it attentively.

When Qiu Rong’s car passed by, he called out to him and commented, “You could take a lighter book.”

Ruan Sijia smiled shyly and honestly replied, “I read halfway through last night and wanted to finish it in one go today.”

After confirming the registration information, Qiu Rong parked his car in the small courtyard of the Special Management Bureau.

From the outside, the building of the Special Management Bureau looked unremarkable, but inside, it was anything but old-fashioned. The decoration could even be called luxurious.

After swiping his ID card to enter the building, the refreshing air conditioning revitalized him.

Under normal circumstances, the Special Management Bureau’s lobby was deserted. Every time Qiu Rong came, it was as quiet as if there were no people around, with everyone working in their offices.

Today, however, there was noise in the hallway, and the voices were not low. People were constantly coming and going, and an unusually tense atmosphere permeated the air.

The machine at the entrance that swiped ID cards had a visitor reminder, and soon someone came out and said, “Master Gu, Director Song is currently in a meeting. It may take a moment, please be patient.”

Qiu Rong nodded and followed the person to the office, asking along the way, “What happened?”

The incident was bound to be reported to the various clans sooner or later, and the young guide didn’t conceal anything. He said, “It’s still related to the previous case of excessive blood loss. It quieted down for a couple of days, but now there’s a new victim.”

Qiu Rong’s heart stirred.

As he climbed the stairs, Qiu Rong glanced at the hallway and caught a glimpse of a figure in blue that looked like a police officer.

“The center is preparing to establish a special task force,” Qiu Rong suddenly said when they reached the office.

The young man nodded, “Yes, the perpetrator’s methods have become increasingly brutal. If it were to be spread, it would cause public panic.”

There have been changes in the methods used.

Qiu Rong raised an eyebrow.

He had just been suspecting whether it was someone from the vampire clan who was hungry and causing trouble again.

He didn’t know what “brutal” meant in this context.

He didn’t ask further, and the young man poured water for the two of them, closed the door, and left.

Ruan Sijia walked along while holding his Roman history book, seemingly immersed in it and unable to pull himself away.

Seeing the person leave, Qiu Rong asked him, “How is it?”

Taking out his phone that was tucked inside the book, Ruan Sijia adjusted his black-framed glasses and nodded, “Connected.”

After that, the two of them remained silent. Ruan Sijia kept his head down, manipulating his phone with his fingers, tapping the screen while occasionally glancing at his Roman history book.

They didn’t have to wait long before the door was pushed open, and the secretary of Director Song entered.

Secretary Dong entered the room, holding a document, and apologized, “Master Gu, I’m sorry, Director Song is still in a meeting, so Secretary Dong asked me to come down first.”

Qiu Rong didn’t comment on that. Director Song was always elusive, and who knew if he was actually in a meeting.

Secretary Dong said, “Based on the appointment request you submitted, you’re here today to handle the matter of the Vampire Clan biting people overseas, correct?”

Qiu Rong replied, “Yes.”

Secretary Dong took a seat opposite the two of them and put on a standard smile. He spoke in an extremely official manner, saying, “Previously, the vampire clan provided a detailed explanation. Due to different management systems between domestic and overseas regions, the act of bloodsucking, based on the principle of ‘informed, consented, and voluntary,’ is not considered a violation…”

Qiu Rong didn’t come to listen to a rehearsed speech. He interrupted directly, “Secretary Dong, don’t make me speak so bluntly.”

“The act of bloodsucking may not be a violation overseas, but upon entry into our territory, shouldn’t they abide by the local regulations?”

“And when our young wolves are bitten, they are considered ordinary people, and targeting ordinary people is already a violation of the highest regulations. I don’t need to explain this, right?”

Secretary Dong maintained a proper smile and said, “But in the end, that child has now become a Supernatural as well. Master Gu, the Vampire Clan has already provided appropriate compensation. If we continue to pursue this matter, it might not be beneficial for both clans.”

It was another attempt to appease the situation, but Qiu Rong was impatient. He said, “I’m not here to cause trouble for the Vampire Clan this time.”

Considering Qiu Rong’s extensive criminal record, Secretary Dong clearly didn’t believe him, but he cooperated and asked, “Then what do you want?”

“The child who was bitten has fully recovered his memories,” Qiu Rong said. “The Werewolf clan won’t pursue the Vampire Clan’s responsibility any further, but as a victim, the child himself needs an apology.”

“Not through intermediaries or handwritten letters. I want the Vampire Clan to apologize in person.”

Secretary Dong felt somewhat uneasy. After all, the other party was a minor noble. Making him apologize might be less favorable than demanding further compensation.

Qiu Rong sneered, “If that’s not possible, then I’ll continue to escalate this matter and see who can handle it.”

Secretary Dong helplessly said, “Master Gu, there’s no need for such actions. We will convey your demands to the Vampire Clan truthfully.”

Whether they agree or not will depend on the mood of the Vampire Clan’s prince.

If they refuse, the Supernatural Control Center will continue to be caught in the middle, dealing with the back-and-forth.

After making the threat, Qiu Rong showed some understanding. “I also know that the Vampire Clan is different from other races, and it involves different systems between domestic and overseas territories, making it inconvenient to handle.”

“How about this: the Vampire Clan provides us with the contact information of the other party, and we’ll handle the rest of the issue ourselves.”

Secretary Dong thought about it and found it more agreeable. After all, if the person is abroad, the Werewolf clan would have to go overseas to resolve the matter. Any conflicts that arise overseas would no longer fall under the jurisdiction of the domestic Supernatural Control Center.

Making an outrageous demand and then gradually lowering it, the situation with Hua Ye was likely to be resolved.

However, Qiu Rong suspected that even if he obtained the contact information, it wouldn’t be of much use. Hua Ye was trapped in his “first love” and refused to listen to anyone, not even his brother. He insisted on receiving a personal rejection from that vampire, Danny, before accepting the truth.

Why fall in love with the most passionate yet heartless vampire?

Consider it the first lesson in life.

Qiu Rong hoped that the child wouldn’t be too devastated by the outcome.

After dealing with Hua Ye’s matter, Qiu Rong had no immediate plans to leave.

Just as Secretary Dong was about to see him off, Qiu Rong spoke up, “I heard there’s been another victim.”

The words stuck in Secretary Dong’s throat, and after a momentary pause, he admitted, “Yes.”

“I request to join the task force,” Qiu Rong looked at Secretary Dong. “The Supernatural Control Center will surely need Supernaturals for the specialized team, and I can participate.”

Secretary Dong hesitated for a moment and then reluctantly said, “The task force members haven’t been finalized yet. It’s not that you can’t join, but…”

“The prince of the Vampire Clan will be the team leader for this task force. Are you sure you still want to participate?”

Qiu Rong’s eyes dimmed, “Has the suspicion against the Vampire Clan been completely cleared?”

Secretary Dong wore a helpless expression once again and said, “Regarding your previous report, we have issued a notice. Due to inconsistencies with the wounds, the Vampire Clan is no longer considered a primary suspect.”

Qiu Rong didn’t comment and only said, “Since the Vampire Clan is now considered innocent, and the team leader is our beloved Prince, I have even more reason to join.”

Secretary Dong: “…”

Is this some kind of irony? Right?

Secretary Dong silently took out a form from a folder, “Then please fill out the application form first. The final personnel selection will still require further review by the center.”

Exiting the Special Administration Bureau, Ruan Sijia, who had been following along, put down his book on Roman history.

“Clan leader, the Special Management Bureau’s system is just… ” Ruan Sijia sincerely said, “I couldn’t help myself before I left and added an extra layer of firewall. Don’t worry, it won’t be discovered.”

Qiu Rong: “…”

Qiu Rong: “Hmm.”

“Did you find the information?” Qiu Rong asked.

“21 cases of blood loss deaths and the latest case that was just entered into the system this morning,” Ruan Sijia said satisfactorily, “We arrived at the perfect time. They just finished updating the data.”

Let’s reintroduce Ruan Sijia, a sophomore student at University A’s Literature College. He appears fragile and weak on the outside, like a sickly little Werewolf pup among the Werewolf pack. However, Ruan Sijia’s mind is highly capable, with an almost photographic memory and strong comprehension skills.

Years ago, in order to help Qiu Rong, Ruan Sijia learned a bit of hacking. It wasn’t particularly impressive, but the defense system of the Special Administration Bureau’s office building was so outdated that the little genius could easily come and go unnoticed.

The Special Administration Bureau spent its entire day and budget on renovations. Ruan Sijia had already eagerly reinforced their firewall three times before, without being detected. Qiu Rong simply went along with it.

Due to his suspicions about the Vampire Clan, Qiu Rong had been closely following the blood loss cases. However, the Supernatural Control Center was slow to establish a task force, and Qiu Rong had no chance to access the case files. He brought Ruan Sijia with him to the Special Administration Bureau today.

Unexpectedly, they arrived just as the task force was being formed.

While they waited for their application to join the team to be processed, there was no difference in starting their investigation ahead of time.

Ruan Sijia didn’t download any files. He only briefly browsed through the case files while Qiu Rong and Secretary Dong were talking, organizing the key information in his mind.

The number of deaths in the blood loss cases was much higher than expected.

“Over ninety percent of the victims are male. Eleven of the deceased had relatives who mentioned that they experienced dizziness and fatigue during their lives, resembling symptoms of anemia…” Ruan Sijia paused for a moment and continued, “There is also a deceased victim’s ex-girlfriend who said that the victim had gone to the hospital when he felt unwell. The test results indicated kidney deficiency.”

Qiu Rong: “…”

Qiu Rong: “So she became the ex-girlfriend because of that?”

“It’s not just because of that,” Ruan Sijia shook his head. “At that time, the two of them were already engaged and about to get married. The girl became suspicious and started investigating, which led her to discover that her fiancé was cheating on her.”

Qiu Rong frowned.

Ruan Sijia recalled the information he had seen and said, “Previous investigations focused on the forensic analysis of the victims. The latest update this morning included an epidemiological investigation of the fourteen days prior to the victims’ deaths.”

“The first case occurred a month ago, so there may be some missing data in the statistics. However, based on the current results, more than half of the victims had been to Chunhe Road, including the most recent case.”

Chunhe Road, a famous street full of bars, a nightlife paradise in City A.

Qiu Rong’s initial reaction was still to suspect the Vampire Clan. As mentioned before, vampires were skilled at using their beauty to lure in prey.

However, the Vampire Clan had another issue. They were generally quite arrogant and enjoyed toying with their prey. It was highly unlikely that they would truly sell themselves.

It sounds more like an incubus.

Qiu Rong asked, “What’s the situation with the latest case?”

Ruan Sijia saw the autopsy photos in the system and his face turned pale again.

Ruan Sijia said, “This victim also died from excessive blood loss, but he didn’t have two bite marks… Instead, there were extensive bite marks on his body.”

Qiu Rong’s pupils contracted, and his expression became more serious.

No wonder there was no response from the center when 21 people died. But now, they suddenly formed a task force overnight.

If the situation continued to worsen without a resolution, it would definitely attract attention from higher authorities.

“It seems like we need to make a trip to Chunhe Road first,” Qiu Rong said in a low voice.

Ruan Sijia remembered something and said, “There’s one more thing.”

Qiu Rong gestured for him to continue.

Ruan Sijia said, “When I was searching for case information, I saw the list of members in the task force.”

“There is some information about the Vampire Clan prince.”

Author’s Note:

Qiu Rong is referred to as the head of the Gu clan, it’s not a mistake, and it will be explained later (/doge).

Just to be clear, all the settings are fictional and serve the plot.

There are issues within the current Supernatural Control Center, which will be addressed later.

Ruan Sijia’s hacking activities will be discovered. Considering that the kid didn’t have malicious intent and diligently helped with patching, Xiao Ruan will have a good outcome.

But! Regardless of intent, such actions are not permissible in reality!!!