June's attitude immediately changed 180 degrees.
She became serious, assessing Alex from top to bottom once again with a scrutinizing gaze, her expression gradually becoming stern and somewhat apprehensive:
"You... follow me."
Alex was arranged by June to sit in a clean but cold reception room. By his hand was placed a cup of hot tea emitting curling smoke, brought in by June. She seemed to want to know something; while serving the tea, she kept stealing glances at him, trying to find any changes in the "Neck-Broken One" of years past.
The office of the External Affairs Department was not small, paved with polished oak. At this moment, there was only a male clerical worker typing clack-clack in front of a typewriter in the corner of the room; Alex did not attract his attention.
"John, is General Manager Simon here?" June walked to the man's desk, lowering her voice to ask.
"The General Manager has a distinguished guest." The clerical worker named John answered taciturnly, his eyes not leaving the page: "Do not disturb him."
June became hesitant; she fingered the vellum paper in her hand, her hand sweat dampening a corner of the paper. Clearly, the manager had a guest she could not arbitrarily disturb, but the vellum paper represented a very important matter; if delayed, she also could not bear the responsibility.
John looked up, seeing her confused look: "What is it? Why are you just standing there forever?"
June said: "A boy came, an old classmate expelled from the Church school, he holds this." June cautiously handed the paper to John: "I have never handled these matters, what should be done? The signature of Mr. Wood..."
"Where is the person?" John saw the vellum paper and the signature; his pupils contracted, his gaze stagnated slightly, and he asked immediately.
"I arranged for him in the reception room, he is drinking tea. What do you say I should do?" June asked him worriedly.
John stood up abruptly, pushing the chair away: "You stay here to organize documents, watch over him, I will go meet the General Manager immediately."
He was a senior clerical worker who had signed a high-level confidentiality agreement; he knew clearly what this vellum paper and the signature of the Wood family represented.
The young man with a gloomy face hurriedly turned into the adjacent corridor, his steps fast but light. Deep in the corridor was the office of General Manager Simon.
John knocked on the office door; the urgency of the matter made his movements a bit hasty, unable to keep the usual unhurried rhythm.
"Come in." Simon's voice echoed out.
John pushed the door and entered, seeing the two young Inquisitors still sitting on the sofa; he bowed his head and nodded slightly to greet them respectfully.
Wood nodded politely in response, while Hughes pursed his lips; although dissatisfied about being disturbed, he still nodded perfunctorily to John.
"General Manager, please excuse me for interrupting, but a guest has arrived, he holds this." John approached, handing the vellum paper to Simon with both hands, his gaze sweeping over Wood with hidden meaning: "On it is the signature of Mr. Wood."
"He arrived." Wood laughed softly, putting the tea cup down, his expression triumphant: "I said it already, do not rush, the fish has taken the bait, he will come eventually no matter what."
Simon's face darkened; he took the paper, glanced over it, and asked: "Where is the person? Is anyone accompanying him?"
"June took him to the reception room, he went alone." John answered concisely.
"Yes, well done." Simon responded, stood up, adjusted his attire, and said to Wood: "Sorry I cannot entertain you, I must go handle this matter."
Wood also stood up, brushing invisible dust off his shirt, looking towards Hughes: "We should also go take a look. A good show is about to start."
Alex sat silently on the sofa in the reception room. He did not drink the tea, only letting its warmth warm his hand which was getting cold from tension. June's movements were very careful, but her curious gaze made him uncomfortable.
If it were normal times, Alex would never have noticed these trivial details, but now he was no longer an ordinary person; the observation and sensing abilities of a Spirit Caller were much sharper.
He could feel that when approaching the Church of Light, or more precisely entering the parish area on Fourth Avenue, the air became thick as mercury, all kinds of breaths intertwining intricately, creating an invisible pressure on the soul.
Gary, the small soul clinging to Alex's shoulder, at this moment appeared very obedient and fearful. The boy did not dare to fly around mischievously like usual. Here there were too many powerful breaths and nemesis of undead spirits.
If they discovered the abnormality, Alex's identity as a Spirit Caller would be exposed, and death was certain.
"June, invite him to the meeting room." Alex heard a strange voice echoing from the corridor; he immediately straightened up, highly alert.
The door to the reception room opened, June walked in, she looked at Alex with a strange expression, both fearful and curious: "Please follow me, the General Manager wants to meet you."
Alex stood up, took a deep breath, and followed the tall woman outside. They turned into the second room in the corridor, where there was a thick soundproof wooden door, which was the secret meeting room.
He stepped into the meeting room; the light inside was slightly dim. A middle-aged man with sharp eyes was already standing there waiting for him beside the long table.
"Hello, I am the person in charge here, Simon." The middle-aged man smiled and greeted him; the smile looked friendly, but the eyes were cold and scrutinizing.
"Hello." Alex replied; he had realized the abnormality in the atmosphere. This room was too secretive for distributing money: "I came to receive the special allowance as notified; shouldn't I meet the accountant at the transaction counter?"
"Haha, the boy is too suspicious." Simon laughed loudly, the laughter echoing in the closed room: "This allowance of yours is a bit special, the amount is quite large and needs confidentiality. Before meeting the accountant, you must meet me to confirm procedures first."
Alex fell silent, taking a step back: "You guys tricked me here? The Church of the Light at Dune also uses this method?"
"How can you say it is tricking?" Simon corrected Alex's usage of words, his tone becoming solemn: "You came voluntarily, young man. We did not tie you up, did we?"
"People of the Church of Light are indeed all hypocritical fraudsters."
Alex realized the situation was not good; he turned around intending to open the door to leave, but the doorknob was rigid.
The meeting room door had been locked from the outside or by magic.