Kevin's conversation with Raven 12345 taught him many things, including the inextricable entanglement between aliens and humans, aliens and demon hunters, and the significance of demon hunters to Earth's civilization. Most importantly, he vaguely grasped the significance of his position as an employee of the Space-Time Administration.
"You must learn to view things from a higher perspective and realize that you are the spokesperson for a higher civilization," Raven 12345 said. "Put aside your human prejudices and personal biases. You're not expected to be like us, but at least understand the concept of 'high guardianship.'"
"Perhaps one day I'll collaborate with demon hunters?" Kevin asked tentatively. "You could collaborate with anyone, or you could oppose anyone. From the day you sign this agreement with me, you belong to no faction other than the Empire. You will only be 'necessary for the job.' Your race, faction, prejudices, and personal feelings must be a thing of the past." Raven 12345 stared into Kevin's eyes. "You may not be absolutely impartial; there's no such thing as universally accepted absolute impartiality in the world, but you must at least be 'accurate.' Of course, that's what the employee code of conduct says. If you dig hard, you should be able to find loopholes. The higher-ups at the Administration and the Military Control Commission have been studying mortal civilization for ten thousand years, and they've long since accepted that certain loopholes are tolerable..."
Kevin broke out in a cold sweat. "Is that the right thing for you to say?"
Raven 12345 chuckled. "Then don't listen."
"What happened to those witchers you took away?" Kevin sighed, clutching his forehead. He then asked another concerning question: "What do you need them for?" "It's useless. We're just learning about some of the changes in this world and teaching them some lessons. Once their values have been adjusted, we'll release them," Raven 12345 said. "We won't bother you again."
"Will other witchers appear?" Kevin worried. "If these guys disappear for too long... I'm afraid they'll attract more witchers. Encountering seven or eight of them this time is already a headache."
"Don't worry. Witchers fight alien creatures all the time. The occasional corpses and disappearances in the wilderness are no big deal. At most, they'll send a few observers to investigate. You think your home is the center of the world? You don't have such a high profile." Raven 12345 smiled and waved his hand. "Besides, this is a good opportunity for you to go on a business trip and get some peace and quiet. You can take two people with you."
"Only two people?" Kevin was surprised. "I thought it would be like last time, with all the family money..." "Didn't you bring two people last time?" Raven 12345 glared. "Don't try to confuse me. Strictly speaking, this kind of entry-level mission is usually completed by an examiner alone. Your situation is special, so I'm organizing a team for you."
Seeing Kevin remain silent, Raven 12345 slowly explained, "This is a mission, not a tour. The government-issued quota is limited, but once your personal spaceship is allocated, you can do whatever you want. By then, as long as you have the skills, you can even take it on a heliocentric tour. Also, I suggest you bring your little siren with you first; she'll be very useful."
Kevin thought about it and realized he'd been taking the word "mission" too lightly. He had to correct that. After all, his own personal spaceship would arrive sooner or later. At worst, the anomalous creatures at home could wait a little longer. Hearing Raven mention the sirens, he immediately remembered he hadn't asked about it in detail. "By the way, that Nangong Wuyue's arrival was rather sudden. What's so special about her?"
"No, no," Raven 12345 waved his hand. "Just an ordinary siren. I just randomly picked one and threw it over to you."
"Really?" Kevin looked at him suspiciously. "Honestly, although you don't seem very reliable, I feel like every move you make seems to have a... deeper meaning. Earth is so big, and I've only had four tenants so far. You must have carefully considered each one you assigned to me. I can sense that they're different."
Raven 12345 nearly dropped the candy jar in his hand. "Oh my god, when did you become so perceptive... What's so special about them?"
"They're all eccentrics of their respective species," Kevin said seriously. "Lily's a husky among werewolves, Vivian's a poor scoundrel with a title of earl, and Y'zaks is a moral paragon among demons. I just don't believe Nangong Wuyue is truly a normal girl. If you tell me she's a cutlassfish spirit, I probably can handle it."
"...Sometime, check your brain. Your imagination is even bigger than mine," Raven 12345 said, looking at Kevin with a strange expression. "Anyway, you should take good care of the person I've assigned you. Besides, she's a girl, so why are you being so picky? Nangong Wuyue is definitely not a cutlassfish spirit. She's just an ordinary little girl. The only difference between her and other sea monsters is that she has a biological father. I'm telling you, it's best to take her with you on this mission. The planet you're heading to is full of water, and taking her with you will save a lot of trouble. You can take care of the other one."
Kevin just nodded when Raven 12345 called out, "Is everything alright then? If you're fine, get out of here. I need to deal with the people on other planets."
As soon as these words fell, Kevin felt dizzy. When he realized what was happening, he was standing by the road, holding onto a traditional Chinese medicine advertisement on a utility pole, looking at it as if it said, "Finally, there's a cure for my illness." "She's definitely guilty," Kevin muttered to himself with absolute certainty. "I just don't believe Nangong Wuyue is a normal Siren!"
"That's right, how many normal people are there in your family?" the data terminal's voice boomed from his pocket. "Have you decided who to bring? You can only bring two people this time: one Siren, and the other one. The Empire never leaves any wiggle room when it comes to 'rations,' so don't try to exploit them."
"Let's talk about it when we get back." Kevin looked at the empty highway and suddenly remembered his new employee benefits. "By the way, don't you have teleportation? Let's teleport back this time!"
"So what were you reading all that time?" the data terminal barked. "There are only two default coordinates for initial activation: God's home and the nearest starport. Yours is a private residence, so you can't teleport without registering. You have to wait until you get home and let this device register it for you before you can use it next time... Hey, what are you doing? Put this device down! Why are you throwing it away even for a good reason..." "Go home and mark your coordinates, then come pick me up," Kevin said, his playful spirit uncontrollably. "I can't wait!"
Data Terminal: "..."
In the end, Kevin took the bus back because he couldn't outsmart the nagging bastard in his pocket...
As soon as Kevin walked in, he saw only Y'zaks sitting on the sofa watching TV. "Go!" was standing proudly atop the demon's head, looking down upon the entire living room. This must be the most audacious cat ever, and still so alive and kicking. Kevin went over and sat down next to Y'zhaks, picking up "Roll" and wiping his hands. "Where are the others?"
"The new Siren girl said she's going to sing downtown and won't be back at noon. Lily's watching TV in the room, watching Animal World, so she won't be with me. Vivian just went out to take out the trash and will be back soon."
Kevin noticed a copy of the United Information next to Y'zhaks, open to a page of local job ads. He must have been reading that. He couldn't help but ask, "You haven't given up on looking for a job yet?"
Y'zhaks scratched his head sheepishly. "I was inexperienced the last time I went there. I wandered around all day before I even knew about job ads. I plan to gather more information so I'll be prepared next time. By the way, what does 'protection money' mean?"
Kevin began to sweat as he heard that. He could roughly guess what Y'zhaks' job search process was like...
Just then, there was a knock at the door, followed by Vivian's voice: "Landlord, you're back? How's the mission going?"
Kevin saw that everyone except Nangong Wuyue, the "designated one," had arrived, so he shouted towards Lily's room, "Doggy, come out! Let's discuss something important!"