"Where do you live? Need a ride?"
Mike asked after getting into his red Ferrari.
After all, the Men in Black headquarters was in a pretty remote area, making it practically impossible to hail a cab.
"Of course~"
James shamelessly hopped into the passenger seat of the Ferrari and said, "If you don't mind, drop me off in Brooklyn."
In the context of the bustling metropolis, the culturally complex borough of Brooklyn was definitely considered a rougher, lower-income area.
Speaking of James Edwards, his background was actually pretty inspiring. He was a Black kid who grew up in an orphanage, but instead of letting his environment drag him down the wrong path, he worked his ass off and eventually became a full-fledged NYPD cop in Brooklyn. That kind of self-discipline was far beyond the ordinary.
On the drive to Brooklyn, James kept rambling on about everything they had just seen inside the MIB headquarters.
You could only say that today's experiences were completely surreal for him, pretty much shattering his entire worldview.
"Do you think I should join them?"
James suddenly changed the subject and asked.
"Don't you already have your answer?"
Mike asked back with a smile.
Maybe growing up in a harsh environment hardwired a bit of a restless streak into James: he wasn't afraid of a challenge and craved a life full of adrenaline.
This perfectly matched the future Agent K had laid out for him.
About half an hour later, Mike dropped off a newly re-energized James at his place. After turning down James's invitation to grab some drinks, Mike drove back to his luxury mansion.
Now that he had decided to join the Men in Black, he'd likely be MIA from time to time, so he needed to give Paige and the others a heads-up.
Fast forward to Sunday. Mike purposely invited the three girls with killer figures, along with the other girls living in the house, for a massive shopping spree on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.
Afterward, the whole group went out and stuffed themselves at a specialty seafood joint.
Once they got back to the mansion, little Paige was once again shooed away to her room. Meanwhile, out in the spacious living room, a wild and unforgettable free-for-all went down.
[Blockbuster Scene Experience +99]... [Dancing Experience +99]... [Singing Experience +99]... [Holy Spear Experience +7]... [Flexibility Attribute +7]...
With this haul, Mike had basically hit the absolute jackpot.
Fast forward to Monday. After sending off the three bombshells, Mike specifically reminded the little maid and Collins to keep a close eye on Paige before driving over to the Bridge Authority on Sixth Avenue.
This time, Mike didn't even have to knock. The heavy metal doors on the stone pier automatically slid open.
"Welcome to the Men in Black. Chief O is waiting for you in her office."
The Man in Black at the reception desk was noticeably warmer than last time.
Walking down the long tunnel, Mike arrived at the same room where he had previously met Chief O.
"Welcome, Mike. I suppose I should be calling you Agent M from now on."
Chief O greeted him with a warm smile as he walked in.
Then, she cut straight to the chase: "Let's go over your compensation package first. You'll get an operating budget of $100,000 a month. On top of that, there are corresponding bonuses for every supernatural event you resolve..."
"As for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred while handling these cases, you can just submit them to the agency for reimbursement."
The Men in Black didn't belong to any government agency, so they essentially had to fund themselves.
However, the very nature of the MIB meant they had unparalleled access to aliens and extraterrestrial tech.
Because of this, casually fencing a bit of alien tech, or simply using it to patent and upgrade everyday commercial products, kept the agency flush with cash—with plenty to spare.
So, when it came to their agents, MIB was anything but stingy.
"Do you have any questions regarding your compensation?"
Chief O asked after outlining the perks.
"Nope~"
Mike replied.
A hundred grand a month was a huge sum for a regular agent, especially with all expenses covered. It was practically an all-inclusive gig.
Besides, Mike wasn't in it for the money anyway. He was far more interested in their database on supernatural events.
"Excellent. Next, let's talk about your clearance level."
Chief O continued, "Given the unique nature of Division X, you'll be dealing mostly with regular civilians and various public agencies..."
"Therefore, the agency has prepared a few special ID credentials for you. These are fully registered and verifiable online. When necessary, you can use these covers to exercise the appropriate authority."
As she spoke, Agent Z stepped up and handed Mike a leather wallet.
Inside were badges for the FBI, the IRS, the Department of Transportation, and others—and judging by the ranks, they weren't low-level positions either.
In other words, with these badges, Mike could practically commandeer an armed task force at a moment's notice.
After Mike pocketed the IDs, Chief O stood up and said, "Now, let me show you some of the hardware you might be using in the field."
Following her lead, Mike stepped into a highly advanced, sci-fi-looking armory.
Here, he saw a massive arsenal of the high-tech weaponry standard to MIB agents.
Things like the tri-barrel plasma gun, the Series 4 De-atomizer, the upgraded Noisy Cricket, and the classic neuralyzers.
These were all exclusive MIB gear. Since Division X was part of the organization, Mike had full access to these "standard-issue" weapons.
By this point, Chief O was already demonstrating the red-flash neuralyzer.
"This particular neuralyzer only works on ordinary humans. We're currently working on an upgrade, hoping to make it effective on supernatural creatures in the future."
Truth be told, MIB didn't actually want to keep the existence of aliens and the supernatural completely hidden from the public forever.
It was more about managing public acceptance and avoiding massive societal upheaval.
A person is smart. But people are dumb, panicky, and prone to blind herd mentality.
Given this reality, they couldn't let mind-blowing revelations trigger widespread panic among the masses.
So, MIB selectively suppressed news about aliens and supernatural forces, while simultaneously controlling the narrative, slowly drip-feeding the public so they could unconsciously adapt to these incredible concepts over time.
It was all a delicate balancing act.
And in this process, the soft disclosure of supernatural events—which already had a solid foundation in folklore—was currently outpacing the disclosure of aliens.
Because the public was generally more accepting of the supernatural, Mike's Division X actually didn't need to use neuralyzers all that often.
Striking that balance was left to the agent's discretion. It relied heavily on personal judgment and initiative.
"This is the standard-issue 'Supercar' for our agents. You can drive it out of here when we're done..."
After finishing her explanation of the neuralyzer, Chief O walked over to a black vintage Ford LTD.
"Don't let the retro exterior fool you. It can change its appearance, is equipped with nitrous boosters, and even features magnetic levitation. You'll get a chance to take it for a spin yourself."
Seeing the faint smirk on her face, it was clear Chief O had a bit of a wicked sense of humor.
"And finally, the signature 'Black Suit.' It's bulletproof, dirt-resistant, and climate-controlled. Of course, due to the nature of Division X's work, you don't have to wear it on a daily basis..."
After wrapping up the rundown of the standard MIB gear, Chief O led Mike over to a different exhibition hall.
Unlike the highly futuristic armory, the display cases here were filled with bizarre, eccentric items.
There was garlic, onions, and wolfsbane. There were also silver daggers, ancient weathered journals, and all sorts of strangely modified bullets.
"This is an exorcism journal I specifically requested from Bishop James over at Holy Cross Cathedral. You should find the contents very useful."
Chief O picked up the ancient notebook and solemnly handed it to Mike.
Flipping through the journal, Mike saw it was packed with practical tips for dealing with evil entities: silver weapons were highly effective against vampires and werewolves, while garlic and onions could suppress them.
Rock salt could ward off dark forces... sincerely reciting the Gospel of Matthew could expel evil spirits possessing a human host...
"Are we partnered with the Church? Why don't I see any holy relics, holy water, or crosses around here?"
Mike asked curiously.
After all, when it came to battling evil spirits, the Church was supposed to be the undisputed expert.