The noise grew louder, and Lin Yi shut his eyes. When he opened them again, he found himself in a hospital bed. He looked around and realized he was in a clean hospital room. He tried to move but felt pain in his shoulder.
A nurse saw Lin Yi waking up and hurried over to stop him. "Don't move. You need to rest and heal from your injuries. I'll let the doctor know," she said, quickly leaving the room and returning with a doctor. Two men in black windbreakers accompanied the doctor.
Lin Yi focused on the two men as the doctor examined him.
"The patient is okay. The injuries haven't gotten worse. With some rest, the patient will recover quickly," the doctor told the men in windbreakers.
"Thank you for your hard work," one of the men politely replied.
After a short conversation, the doctor and nurse left the room, leaving the men in windbreakers to sit beside Lin Yi. Opening a file folder, one of them said, "Now, let's talk."
...
The two men in windbreakers included an older man with a receding hairline and a square face, and a young man with a handsome appearance who stood respectfully behind the older man.
"Who are you?" Lin Yi asked, though he already had an idea.
"My name is Seidou Takizawa. I'm a second-class investigator, and this is Special-Class Investigator Yukinori Shinohara. We're here because of what happened to you," the young investigator replied.
Investigators were professionals who dealt with ghouls in Tokyo Ghoul. They worked for the Commission of Counter Ghoul (CCG), responsible for removing and punishing ghouls.
Lin Yi nodded to show he understood.
"Two days ago, there was a fight in a park. Based on the evidence and bloodstains at the scene, did you kill that ghoul?" Yukinori Shinohara interrupted Takizawa and asked directly.
"I think so, but right now, I'm really hungry. Can I have something to eat?" Lin Yi casually said, touching his stomach.
"Watch your attitude. This is—" Takizawa began to protest, but Shinohara stopped him and said, "You might not be aware of what you've done, so let me explain. The ghoul you killed has been wanted by the CCG for nearly two years. He has killed more than ten people during that time and is considered an A-level ghoul."
"He targeted people walking alone at night or homeless individuals on the streets. We had just identified him as a suspect and hadn't had a chance to take action, but you unexpectedly killed him."
"Well, I must be pretty impressive. Is there a reward?" Lin Yi said with a smile.
Shinohara was surprised by Lin Yi's response, but then he laughed heartily. "Certainly, although it's unprecedented for a regular citizen to kill a ghoul, I can personally reward you for your actions."
"But first, you need to tell me how you did it. I checked your background, and there was nothing 'remarkable' about your life. You studied in Tokyo, but nothing extraordinary happened. After graduating, you ran a small business, but it went bankrupt two years ago, and you've been wandering since then, right?"
"Pretty much."
Lin Yi rubbed his temples.
The identity given to him by the system was quite chaotic, but at least it matched his current situation. He was broke.
Reluctantly accepting it, he avoided the need to come up with explanations.
"So, how did you manage to kill an A-level ghoul with your bare hands? Even I wouldn't be confident enough to do that," Shinohara asked seriously.
He had even considered the possibility of ghoul cannibalism, where ghouls eat other ghouls. Two ghouls fighting each other, and the winner consuming the other's RC cells to enhance their own kagune and body.
But after the doctor's examination and looking at Lin Yi's background, it was clear that he was human.
"Maybe it's because I used to be into fitness, and I learned a few moves."
Lin Yi playfully said, flexing his muscles.
Just then, Takizawa entered the room carrying several takeout boxes from the cafeteria. He glanced at Lin Yi and reluctantly handed them over.
Lin Yi eagerly took them and started devouring the food without saying a word.
After being hungry for two whole days, even a starving ghoul wouldn't eat as ravenously as him.
Shinohara didn't seem too concerned about the previous questions anymore. He watched Lin Yi gobbling down sushi and cleared his mind of any doubts.
As long as he wasn't a ghoul, that was enough.
"I don't know if you've considered becoming an investigator?"
Lin Yi paused his eating.
"That's a risky job," he sighed. In fact, when the two of them appeared here and revealed their identities, Lin Yi had already guessed their purpose.
He didn't want to live a constrained life, and as he was about to come up with a reason to refuse, his expression froze. He just noticed that his system task had changed.
–
Sample Collection (1%).
–
Lin Yi involuntarily swallowed a mouthful of saliva. When did the task change? Why didn't he feel anything, or... could it be that the so-called sample referred to ghouls?
"Mr. Lin? Mr. Lin?" Shinohara called out as Lin Yi suddenly fell silent. After hesitating for a moment, he continued, "Although being an investigator is a very dangerous profession, it holds great value. Every investigator—"
But before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted.
"This job doesn't seem like a good deal at all, but it's still better than my current situation. I'll be honest with you, I don't even have money for a pack of cigarettes, so I agree."
As Lin Yi regained his composure, his thoughts instantly became clear after learning his mission objective.
What could be more suitable for him than being an investigator? A job that could help him accomplish his task.
Yukinori Shinohara was taken aback for a moment, not expecting such a quick acceptance. Once he realized it, he immediately showed a happy smile. "I will personally recommend you to headquarters. With your abilities, you can skip the probation period."
"Oh? Well, thank you then."
Lin Yi didn't pay much attention. Starting as a probationary investigator and learning theoretical knowledge would be a waste of time with his abilities.
"In that case, CCG welcomes you. Once you recover from your injuries, you can report directly."
Shinohara's purpose for coming today was clearly to recruit Lin Yi. With his goal achieved, he didn't waste much time. They exchanged a few more words, and then he left, leaving behind some money before exiting.
And the hospital expenses for Lin Yi would naturally be reimbursed by CCG. He comfortably started his recovery, reading newspapers, chatting with nurses, and days passed by, one after another.
--
Hello! and Welcome!
If you guys have any questions please ask in any paragraph or chapter comment. I try to answer, but if I ignore, I probably don't know the answer...
check my pa_treon for more Chapters!
btw, next chapter is a filler chapter... gonna delete it when 15k word hit.