Jeremy did not, as he had anticipated, continue to rest until around noon the following day.
Instead, he awoke early the next morning.
He still felt it was imperative to arrive at the Special Situations Handling Bureau as soon as possible.
Even if Liam had no pressing matters to discuss with him, Jeremy could seize this opportunity to conduct a thorough investigation of the Bureau.
Perhaps during this inquiry, Jeremy might uncover some intelligence that he had never encountered before.
After a brief morning routine, he set off in his car toward the agreed-upon location with Liam.
In their conversation the previous day, Jeremy and Liam had arranged to meet at a café located within a commercial building in the Moonlight City business district.
If Jeremy could arrive on time, he would find Liam waiting for him.
If Jeremy ultimately failed to arrive on time, Liam would instruct his subordinates to wait for him.
When Jeremy reached the designated location, there was still about an hour remaining before the time he and Liam had agreed upon.
"It seems I've arrived a bit too early after all. Having come this far in advance, Liam surely won't be here yet,"
Jeremy muttered to himself as he stepped into the café.
As he pushed open the door to the café, he was suddenly astonished to discover that Liam was seated at a table deep within the establishment.
Upon hearing the sound of the door opening, Liam turned his gaze toward the entrance.
Upon spotting Jeremy, a faint smile spread across Liam's face.
"You've arrived much earlier than our scheduled time; it appears you, like me, are someone who enjoys being punctual," Liam remarked with a smile as Jeremy hurried to the café table.
Jeremy nodded in response.
"You arrived even earlier than I did; when did you get here? Or have you been waiting here all along?"
Jeremy did not perceive Liam as someone with an abundance of free time.
Thus, he speculated that the café they were currently in might very well be one of the entrances to the Special Situations Handling Bureau.
This way, Liam could both wait for Jeremy and attend to his own tasks simultaneously.
With a smile, Liam replied.
"You are indeed a very perceptive individual. I have been here all along because there is an entrance that leads directly to the Special Situations Handling Bureau."
Liam's statement brought a slight relaxation to Jeremy's expression.
Jeremy had initially believed that Liam would not disclose much of the truth to him.
This was largely due to his less-than-favorable first impression of Liam.
In truth, Jeremy held a somewhat negative view of Liam, perceiving him as a highly cunning individual.
When dealing with someone so shrewd, Jeremy felt it was imperative to tread carefully.
"Given that, shall we proceed to the Special Situations Handling Bureau now?"
Jeremy was not inclined to waste any more time; since Liam had summoned him for the purpose of exploring the Bureau.
"Now, let us extend a warm welcome to Mr. Jeremy!"
As soon as Liam's words fell, the hall erupted into enthusiastic applause.
For a moment, Jeremy felt slightly awkward.
Although he had encountered similar situations before, he believed he still lacked the sufficient ability to cope with such a scene.
An embarrassed smile adorned Jeremy's face as he waved his hand in the direction of the crowd.
"Alright, everyone can return to your work. I will be showing Mr. Jeremy around our Special Situations Handling Bureau."
Liam's smile dimmed slightly after he made this announcement.
Once he finished speaking, the people in the hall quickly immersed themselves back into their work.
"It seems these individuals are entirely obedient to you. Whatever you say, they undoubtedly agree with." Jeremy remarked candidly to Liam.
"You are correct; as staff members of the Special Situations Handling Bureau, they are naturally expected to follow my directives completely. After all, I am the head of the Bureau."
Having said this, Liam led Jeremy down a central pathway in the hall, heading toward the large door on the opposite side.
The pace at which they walked was neither hurried nor slow, and it took them about ten minutes to finally reach the other side of the hall.
"Only upon pushing open this door do we truly enter the inner sanctum of the Special Situations Handling Bureau."
Liam paused deliberately as they arrived at the threshold.
He smiled as he observed Jeremy's expression.
Jeremy merely nodded; he did not speak, nor did he display any particularly notable emotion.
"Are you not the least bit excited? Others do not have the privilege to casually tour the Special Situations Handling Bureau. Do you think that we, the Bureau, are not a formidable force to you, or are you already well-acquainted with our operations?"
Although Liam's tone remained very gentle when he spoke these words,
Jeremy couldn't shake the feeling that there was an underlying hint of threat woven into the fabric of what was said.
"I simply feel that there is nothing particularly novel about all that I am witnessing right now. I have previously been inside a military headquarters, where the facilities are far more impressive than those you have here."
In response to Jeremy's statement, Liam spoke with a hint of exasperation in his voice.
"That is undoubtedly true; after all, the funding that the military headquarters receives each year vastly exceeds our own. Furthermore, the number of awakened individuals available to the military headquarters is significantly greater than that of our Special Situations Handling Bureau."
"However, at least within Moonlight City, our Special Situations Handling Bureau is by no means weak. The power we wield is capable of standing toe to toe with the forces led by General Howard that are stationed in Moonlight City."
As Liam conveyed this, his tone was imbued with pride.
Jeremy did not concur with Liam's assertion, nor did he outright refute it.
This was primarily because Jeremy had yet to witness any conflict between the Special Situations Handling Bureau and General Howard's forces. Consequently, he could not ascertain whether the two sides were evenly matched.
"We have already squandered enough time; now, let us proceed into the inner workings of the Special Situations Handling Bureau!"
Liam approached the grand door, which then opened automatically.
Before Liam and Jeremy lay a completely dark tunnel.
"Do not be afraid; should any danger arise, I will protect you." Liam said with a reassuring smile before stepping into the darkness.